Stargirl

What I hate most about my TF schedule is that I have a three hour vacant period before my next class. I would kill time reading in the library, but you can't enter the library without a countersign on your ID, which until now I still haven't got. So I passed time in the school's canteen with my blockmates who are waiting for their 10 o'clock class. While waiting I read a book I borrowed from Maica which was entitled Stargirl. At first glance one would think that it's a 'girlie book', as Gail would so often put it. But as I read a couple of pages I was convinced otherwise. Eventually I got hooked with the book I'm reading that I finished it down to the last page while hanging out in Go Nuts Donuts.

How I wish that Stargirl was more than a fictitious name. She may be an eccentric and a non-conformist, but hey, who ever said that being different is bad. I remember what Archie said to Leo about the moments we have just before we wake up. Moments when we are primitive, when we could be different, when we could do the things we want to do without a care of what the world thinks about us. But then when we wake up we become 'ourselves' again. People who are stuck to conformity and rules. People who live a fast-paced life that they tend to overlook the real things that really mattered. Stargirl was different. She was in touch with herself and her feelings and she felt what other people couldn't feel. She doesn't care about what other people may think of her just as long as she knows that she's happy. If only I could be more like her. Better yet, if only I could find someone like her.

Sigh.

Anyway I finished the book by 11:15 and I still had enough time to review my report on History II. I seldom get nervous during reports but this time was different. My whole body was shaking while I was giving out my report. It was quite obvious because the paper that I was holding was also shaking. Maybe it's because I'm reporting in front of people that I don't know. Dice and Dianne were there but the others I hardly knew. I don't even know the names of my groupmates in the report. But I'm glad that's over.

We didn't have class in Soc Sci II. Instead we were asked to attend the video forum in the Little Theater about the recent Hacienda Luisita massacre. The LT was packed full of students. It was obvious that the other professors required their students to watch the video forum. The video documentary started rolling. The sound was hardly audible and the students were noisy. I could hardly understand a word spoken. The film started with some interviews and shots of the leaders of the labor union making an appeal to the board about their wages. The problem is that the farmers who work once a week for the Hacienda Luisita are paid a measly 9.50 pesos. That's about half of what I pay to get to Manila from Cavite. They couldn't even buy a kilo of rice with that money.

November 15, the day the workers protested and 14 of them massacred. People were throwing stones at the policemen and the policemen retaliated back by bombarding the protestors with gallons of water. This didn't stop the workers and soon the policemen were pumping out tear grenades one after the another. People tried to bury it under the sand so that the smoke wouldn't come out but there were more tear grenades in the policemen's arsenal. They kept pumping out the grenades forcing the people to move back. When the smoke died down the protesters once again ran for the gates throwing rocks at the policemen. Moments later gunshots were fired but then it didn't stop firing. People were running for cover as bullets rain in on them. By this time the camera was so shaky that it made me extremely nauseous. If I watch any more of this I'll vommit. It happens every time I watch recorded movies from a shaky handheld camera. The last scene I saw before I went out was the people carrying a guy who had a gun shot wound. They placed him in the car and was rushed off to the hospital. I wanted to finish the documentary but I couldn't take it any longer. My head hurts and I couldn't breathe. I just wanted to get out of there.

When I got outside I proceeded immediately to the Robinson's Place to catch Alexander. We are required to make a report on this movie for out History II class. I've heard a lot of criticisms about the movie. I personally didn't like it. I think Troy was far better than Alexander. First of all it's hard to follow the story line because it's filled with numerous flashbacks. Add the change of setting every 30 minutes and you'll get completely lost. The cinematography wasn't that good either. The shots that I liked were the eagle's view of the battle and when Alexander, on his horse, went head to head with an elephant. The scenes after that was quite disappointing because Oliver Stone used red hues. Why change the color of the film? It wasn't necessary. If he wanted to portray the bleeding of Alexander or the death of his men he could have done it better without changing the hues.

Anyway the film is also controversial because of its portrayal of the sexuality of Alexander. I think the movie was more of the sexual exploits of Alexander rather than his conquests. Most of the times in the film you would see Alexander hugging his best friend Hephaestion exchanging affectionate glances and I-love-yous. That explains it all. However I overhead somebody comment saying that it was just brotherly love. Ok, how about the time he kissed his pretty boy servant on the lips. Brotherly love? I don't think so. It's more of homosexuality. But I wouldn't call it that because Alexander has a wife. Bisexuality is a more likely term. I was shocked when I first heard that Alexander was gay errr bisexual rather. I mean who would ever think that Alexander the Great is a bisexual? Although most scholars think that Hephaestion was Alexander's lover, Oliver Stone (the director) was quick to endorse this view.

I could understand why the Greeks hated this film so much. They even requested that during the credits they would flash in the screen a text saying that the account portrayed on the film was fiction. Alexander's their hero. He's not a myth like the other Greek heroes. He's real, someone whom they are proud of. And Alexander being portrayed as a bisexual in a film is not very pleasing you know if you're a Greek. Troy saved itself from making the same mistake when they didn't portay Patroclus as Achilles' lover although some think that they are more than cousins. Anyway bisexuality aside, no one can deny that Alexander was a great leader. He managed to go far where no Greek has ever gone before. He was an ambitious and an egoistic king. I guess those two caused him his life.

This entry was posted on December 07, 2004 at 11:28 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.