skygiants | (no subject)

As I mentioned yesterday, I have read some plays recently! Both recommended by

schiarire in a massive recommendation list she gave me . . . over a year ago which I am still working through. (Someday I will get all the way through it! And then I confidently expect she will give me more recommendations.)

Brian Friel's Translations I read longer ago and it's less fresh in my mind. Set in 1830's Ireland, it focuses on the arrival of an English survey team to map the area and, in the doing, provide English 'official' place names. Brian Friel would have you know that this is "a play about language and only about language," apparently, but Brian Friel is pretty clearly being kind of disingenuous there. It is indeed about language - and thus very personally relevant to my interests, as I love work that deals with language and communication and how those do and don't go together - and also about the way that language ties into colonization and into memory. I feel like I ought to have more to say about this, but I don't really, except that I enjoyed reading it and I'm glad I did.

So I liked Translations, but I really ridiculously loved David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly, which even aside from Ji's recommendation I've been meaning to read for years. M. Butterfly is grounded in Madame Butterfly, which most of you probably know is the opera that launched a thousand Orientalist stereotypes about tragic pining Asian women and the manly white jerks they love. M. Butterfly is about a wimpy French diplomat who dreams of being that manly white jerk, and thinks he has his chance when he's posted to China and starts an affair with Song Liling, a singer in the opera. Then, of course, everything is mocked, subverted and deconstructed to hell and back with a central conceit that is a.) based on a true story and b.) . . . may be a spoiler? The play is pretty famous so I don't know if it's a spoiler to anyone anymore! Song Liling is a.) a spy for the Chinese government and b.) male. Rene prooobably suspects the former by the time he is on trial for passing sensitive documents to the Chinese government, but the latter comes as kind of a shock, and allows for a lot of really fascinating commentary on race and gender and intersectionality.

I desperately would like to see either of these plays staged; both of them have elements and effects that I know I can only partially appreciate by reading the script. I also know there's a film version of M. Butterfly - has anyone seen it? Is it worth it?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

catslash.livejournal.com

Oh, I love Translations. It was like the only good thing I got out of the truly mediocre Irish Literature and Culture class I took a couple years ago. It's such a great play! I actually tried my hand briefly at Yolland in MM, but it didn't really take, I think because that was before my understanding of the concept of privilege had become clear - I was aware of it, but couldn't articulate it for myself. (Which led to multiple occasions in which I couldn't explain why "Oh, relax, it's just a movie" did not adequately address some complaint or other I had about a piece of entertainment, but ANYWAY.) I should dig out my copy and reread now that I've had that shift in thinking.

From:

skygiants

Oh, man, I can see why Yolland would be really hard to do! That whole plotline is such an excellent exploration of the kind of well-meaning privilege that I think people often find hard to understand because it is so theoretically well-meaning. (And hahaha oh do I know that feeling.)

From:

kate_nepveu

I have not seen the film of _M. Butterfly_, because it's so much inside his head and that's so important, that film just seems altogether the wrong medium. Also I'm afraid that it would trip my ridiculously-sensitive humiliation/embarrassment trigger.

From:

catslash.livejournal.com

That was exactly what I had a hard time with. I could see that Yolland meant well and wanted so much to do the right thing and is basically a good person, but I was also dimly aware of the fact that that didn't make his Englishness magically go away and stop being an issue. And I couldn't work out why. Now I know why, and if I wanted to try playing him again, I suspect that would be the important key that I was missing before.

Oh man, the first time I was able to counter "it's just a movie" with a clearly defined explanation of why it was problematic that the white protagonist dumped her PoC fiance for the blond white English dude, even if it was just a fluffy piece of crap movie, I was so proud of myself. Mom has not tried to tell me "it's just a movie" since.

From:

skygiants

Yeah, the psychological nature of the play is why I am dubious - that and the fact that it's so much about performance anyway. I don't think it's impossible that it could be done well, and I'm curious, but . . .

From:

skygiants

You are lucky! I still have trouble articulating those arguments in face-to-face discussion - I can do it when I'm sitting down and typing and have time to think about my phrasing (and link to people who have phrased things better than me), but in person I usually get reduced to distressed incoherent mumbling.

From:

catslash.livejournal.com

I haven't actually tried it with anyone but my mother yet. *g* I'm horrible with confrontation. And, like you, infinitely better at expressing myself in type - I'm not nearly so coherent IRL as I am on the internets.

From:

skygiants

FOR SERIOUS. Sometimes I wish I was a Sim and could communicate via text bubbles all the time.

. . . of course then I would also be communicating in pictograms, which probably would not help much.

From:

catslash.livejournal.com

Certain nuances would probably get lost in translation, it's true. But basic concepts would come through loud and clear!

From:

kindness_says

What is this book/movie/play you're talking about? I think I tried a quick google but couldn't figure it out.

Also, Brian Friel! XD awh.

From:

catslash.livejournal.com

Letters to Juliet.

Bad news is, I just spoiled the ending for anyone who reads this. Good news is, it's a terrible movie and the ending is painfully obvious anyway.

From:

kindness_says

Ohhhhh. That movie. I...contemplated seeing it and didn't.

From:

catslash.livejournal.com

I only saw it for Amanda Seyfried. Other than her being adorable, which you can see her do in everything she's ever been in, you didn't miss much. Even Mom thought it was crap, and she's a lot easier to satisfy than I am when it comes to movies.

From:

rawles.livejournal.com

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE M. Butterfly.

I've seen the film too. I remember really enjoying it, though it was years and years ago and you never know what might have been up with Past Rawles.

From:

schiarire.livejournal.com

I love the exuberance of Translations! And there are people in it who speak Latin, which is the shortcut to my heart.

M. Butterfly satisfies me deeply. >:)

From:

qian.livejournal.com

tragic pining Asian women and the manly white jerks

I just wanted to say that I misread this as "mouldy white jerks" and I feel this accurately represents both my feelings and also REALITY.

From:

skygiants

IT IS SO GOOD. I can't even really talk about it, just handsflail at its brilliance!

A Past Rawles endorsement is still a pretty good endorsement I think!

From:

skygiants

I do love the Latin. And the character who has decided to propose to a Greek goddess! Also a shortcut to my heart, although possibly not to long life . . .

IT IS SO EXCELLENT JI. Thank you for reminding me to read it!

From:

kindness_says

=\

I wish I liked Amanda Seyfried more... I think I just think she's kind of odd-looking... Maybe I should try harder and watch more of her.

From:

skygiants

As always you provide the MOST ACCURATE AND HILARIOUS words!

From:

lacewood

I saw the M Butterfly movie a few years back for a class. Since I haven't read the play I wouldn't know how it translates between mediums, but it was a pretty interesting movie, so I'd say it's worth a look. XD

(Though I have to say, I'm not sure I get how he never realised Liling's real gender...)

From:

skygiants

Duly noted! I am definitely very intrigued.

(From what I understand the play is much more inside his head than the movie is? So perhaps it explains it better! Ooooor perhaps I am just very willing to believe that he was a pro at lying to himself.)