Censorship of the Arts

Hello everyone. I’m back.

I was flipping through old photographs from highschool the other day when I came across a few of the IB Art (advanced 2-year art course) end-of-the-course gallery where all our work from the two years were displayed for a week while the grader that flew in interviewed each of us. I remember that me and two others were told by the school’s administration to have our art works be covered up until the week the gallery was officially open for viewing. My art instructor told us not to worry about it and that we should be proud infact because our art made a commotion and the censorship caused other students and teachers to be eager to see the class’ art works. My censored political catoons poked fun at the ‘niqab’ and another student had her whole body of work composed of nude women. So she had more censored works than me. And the last one had just one computer graphic of a nude ‘fairy’. We were happy about the censorship ironically, but now I look back and I wonder. What about the professional artists here in Kuwait? Are there any that have been censored? I’m sure there are. Especially political cartoonists. But what about the painters and the sculptors and etc.? I’m not talking only about studio art. We all remember Ramadhan of 2003 when in the soap opera “Thiman 3omry” had a scene of an episode cut when it was shown on KTV1. The scene was as follows: an unmade bed with the girl on it and the man leaving the room. Nothing ‘physically’ wrong with that. But it implies the fact that they had had sex and that the two were unmarried. The other TV channels that had the same soap opera shown, like Dubai and Qatar, did not have that scene cut. I then thought, is this happening ONLY in Kuwait (and no doubt SA)? I wonder if the Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, or Qatar have their artists cencored.

It’s really a shame. These are very popular ways in which one can express themselves. It’s really frustrating when criticizm is OK but conditioned. They might as well tell us we are not allowed to do anything. But then again, who are ‘they’? Is it the government, the newspaper/magazine owners, the people? I had those same cartoons displayed in the school’s library in my first year and they were taken down because a boy was offended and complained. Visitors of Mad M2000’s blog know that he was supremely critical of the government and various aspects of politics. He used his great cartoons to express himself online. But he was halted for a brief period of time for reasons I do not know of. Maybe he felt he was offending many people or maybe he was contacted by undercover government mafia personel! Haha. But he’s back and we’re all happy. No one can touch us online, but we would love to have the same freedoms offline as well.

Say What?!

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Here’s to You, Mrs. Robinson

Anne was known for her role in ‘The Graduate’ as Mrs. Robinson, staring alongside a very young Dustin Hoffman. Even though I haven’t seen enough of her movies to actually appreciate what she has given, I believe that ‘The Miracle Worker’ would still be my favorite of her movies if I had seen them all. Her role as Annie Sullivan, Helen Keller’s teacher, won her a Best Actress Oscar from the Academy in 1962.

Actress Anne Bancroft died Monday of cancer. A great loss to husband Mel Brooks but a greater addition to film history and Hollywood legends.

‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ boycott

In honor of Jennifer Aniston, our beloved Rachel Green, I am boycotting the movie that allegedly broke up her marriage. I say allegedly because all signs point to that. But until other reasons are revealed, I will continue to boycott.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

The verdict: awesome.

I just came back from the movie and I just checked out what Ebert & Roeper thought of it too. Just like me, they also gave it two thumbs up.

As I expected the special effects were so good I can even talk about it. I didn’t recieve the ‘Titanic’ vibe at all, however there was the cliché love twist near the end of the movie but it was brief and thankfully had just the right amount of drama in it to make it convincing and appealing to the girls AND the guys (not too girly). Even though I knew the whole movie was going to be based on the transition of Anakin from the Jedi to the Sith, I never had the feeling that I knew what was going to happen next. Never in a thousand years did I imagine the physical state of Anakin would be like that! And those who I thought would live did not and those who I thought would die did not!

An element I thought would not be among the things that will be applauded was the actual acting. I’m not kidding when I say that when Chancellor Palpatine said “Anakin Skywalker, you are one with the Order of the Sith Lords. Henceforth, you shall be known as… Darth Vader.” I swear a chill went through me and it wasn’t because it was cold in the movie theater. Oh man, Anakin’s eyes alone were a character by themselves. I absolutely loved the energy protrayed by the confrontations between any two characters throughout the movie. My favorites were when Anakin surrendered to the dark force and also the final showdown ofcourse.

When Darth Vader physically became the “Darth Vader” we all know.. WOW. What a great moment in film history.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

I haven’t seen this movie yet bet I hope to soon, even though all I’ve been getting is bad reviews from friends. Someone told me that they and a group of friends went to the first showing of the movie in Kuwait (which SHOCKINGLY was available for veiwing 2 days before the US release). It was 12am and he told me that the cinema was packed. He complained that the movie not only was too long and proved more effective than Panadol Night at putting you to sleep, but also horrifyingly reminded him of Titanic! A girly love story made the ladies in the audience act like they’re watching an Indian movie (I personally don’t mind that element in the movie). He finished off by saying that if it wasn’t for the fact that he was the only one in the group who still didn’t have his driver’s liscence, he would have left the movie by the time it was a half hour into it.

Sheesh! I never take other people’s reviews of movies into consideration, but I was a tiny bit shocked at the reaction this highly anticipated movie which has been promoting and promising “the best” episode in the six part series for approximately a whole year!

The only reviews I do approve of are the reviews of Ebert & Roeper. They usually have the same like and dislikes I have. Well, I have yet to check out what they had to say about it. Even if it does get the two thumbs down, I’ll still watch it. I owe to myself at least! I haven’t watched episodes 4-6 yet because I wanted to watch the whole series in chronologicall order! I’ve been waiting since 1999!

I REALLY hope ‘The Da Vinci Code’ doesn’t suffer the same reactions when it comes out May 19, 2006. It will be the #2 highlight of the year 2006 (the World Cup is #1) and the pulicity team are wasting no time AT ALL at promotion. A teaser trailer has already been released. This will be a BIG BIG BIG movie. The Louvre has granted permission for filming to be taken inside, and all actors, in my eyes, are perfect in the roles they are playing. I simply cannot wait.

I will post my reaction to ‘Revenge of the Sith’ as soon as I see it. But until then I would like to know your views on the movie. Without inserting any revealing spoilers please!

= Anakin, I’m really interested in what you will have to say =