As a creator and scholar of media arts, I have begun what I call, an “Immersion”. Simply put, it is an excercise of endurance, a long term meditation on the work of a single artist, a single Director in Film terms. I have in the past gained great insights and revelations from this method when I applied it to the Almighty John Ford. 32 films in 8 days, lall arranged Chronologically, of course, to allow development, trend, and stylistic evolution to become apparent. Capped off with the Peter Bogdanovich documentary “Directed by John Ford” (the newly revised and restored AMC one (thanks Doug!). As I watched I also read along in the Joseph McBride(can’t wait to take your class Joe!) book “Searching for John Ford”. Fascinating results. The themes start to jump out at you. Peter Bogdanovich has talked of similar revelations he got when he programmed a 27  film John Ford festival in New York. Well, beat ya by 5 pictures, Peter, which helps against the big screen/small screen impacts. God I wish I could have made that festival, but I was only 4 years old when he did it!

SO, in forthcoming blogs, I will be writing of this current immersion. Thoughts, critiques, revelations. But in the title bar I will notate them as such: “Immersion: ——” so you will know which ones to read or skip if it doesn’t interest you.

The new immersion? JOHN HUSTON. I am already through “The Maltese Falcon”, “Across the Pacific”, “Report from the Aleutians” and am starting “The Battle of San Pietro”. Already you can see two things: John Huston understands the military culture and the experience of being a soldier (2 years riding with the Mexican Cavalry), but he almost lost his life in a bombing raid over Kiska making “Report from the Aleutians”, and it can be seen in the more sober ending of “Report from the Aleutians”, the sound of the engines is WAY out in front of the music (a hymn”coming home”) used to bump up the moment. Real War is not as fun as Peacetime “War”.

More to come…………