Movie Reflection: Something The Lord Made

Synopsis

The movie is about a white surgeon Alfred Blalock's partnership with his African American assistant, Vivien Thomas, in developing Blalock-Taussig shunt, a surgical procedure that saved the lives of babies who had blue baby syndrome. In essence, the shunt was made as an anastomosis of the subclavian and pulmonary artery, to provide oxygenated blood to cyanotic babies. (For those who are not medically inclined- it was a breakthrough surgical procedure done to provide oxygen to babies who couldn't survive long after their births due to the lack of oxygenated blood, and so it was kind of a big deal.) This movie tells an extraordinary story about an ordinary man whose role was pivotal to this invention. Vivien Thomas was an African American guy who had never gone to medical school and was previously a carpenter apprentice - and what's more, all this happened in a time when racial disparity was as deep as the Mariana Trench. The movie was a recount of the historical event, but took on more of Thomas' perspective, and it zoomed in on the complex relationship between the two men, how close they were when they were working together, yet how distant they were in social settings when they were out of the lab. 

Reflection

There are those movies that inspire you, and then there are those that inspire you. This is one such movie. Let me start by saying, if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you to do so- it will be time well spent, I promise. It's a story worth telling mainly because it was a story about a man who worked hard and shone through even when the circumstances were not in his favor. A story about an underdog who won the day, except it's many times better- it was a significant milestone in the history of modern medicine; it saved millions of lives; and it marked the beginning of pediatric cardiosurgery. 

One of the things I loved about the movie was that I think it did a very good job depicting the era during which this relationship/partnership (between Blalock and Thomas) took place- the environment, the people, and the socio-cultural interactions between the races (and also amongst the people of the same race). There was a lot of subtleties, like how his own people who were working in the hospital were curious/suspicious/envious of Thomas when he got to wear the lab coat; like how Thomas saved up for his medical school only to find out it was all gone when Depression hit America. It must've been frustrating for him, no doubt. Yet in a way it was serendipity- if he had gone to medical school, he wouldn't have continued working for Blalock, and this great work of collaboration wouldn't have happened. Not saying that the invention wouldn't have happened, but it wouldn't have been the same. And then there was the conversation between Thomas and his brother, about the Brown vs. Board of Education - another significant event in the African American history in which it was deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court for public schools to separate the black and white students. It may be easy to dismiss it today, but it was really a huge feat back then, and it painted a clearer picture of the times that they were living in. Other things were like how there were separated washrooms for the blacks and whites, how they could only enter the hospital through a separate back door etc. People probably don't think about it now, but it was a great reminder of how things have changed so much since then, and for the better.

Thomas' diligence and creativity was inspiring; when he was in the lab you could tell that he was in his element. The lack of appreciation of his contribution did not sit well for him, and at some point he gave up and moved on to something else for a change, but then he went back to it after all. Was it because as frustrating as it was, he understood the circumstances, and made peace with it? Or was it more of a resilience to fight back in his own way, the way he knew how- by doing what he does best and show the world he will not be "defeated"? I don't know. Perhaps it's a little of both, and his passion for the work he was doing.

There is also another person I thought was worth mentioning- Dr. Helen Taussig, the other doctor who also worked on this shunt. In fact it was her who went to Blalock to ask for assistance. She was one of the first female doctors in a time when medicine was a male dominated field and females did not enjoy the socioeconomic status that we do today. It was tremendously tough for her to become a doctor; on top of that she was dyslexic to begin with, and became deaf in the later part of her life. But all these did not stop her from being an amazing physician who learned to lip-read to listen to her patients, and to listen to her patients' heartbeats with her fingers in lieu of a stethoscope. And even though her male colleagues sneered at her idea that something could be done for the blue babies, it did not discourage her to pursue it till the end. For all those reasons, I just think she's awesome. Hats off to her!

Anyway. Thought it was a great story told beautifully, and I probably didn't give it enough justice it deserves, so if you have the chance, do watch it. Peace. :) 

《那些年》感言

平时很少用中文写部落格的我 （uh 不对，是 从来 没用过中文写的我）
那晚 看了《那些年，我们一起追的女孩》之后，突然好像在这儿乱涂一两句
别人说， 拥有过类似暧昧的感觉的人，都会深同感触
而我，却因为没有属于我自己的故事而深深的感慨
想想当年 17 岁的我，好像缺少了什么
是我让青春白白溜走了吗？是我在很想闯入成人的世
界里的当时，失去了那一点点容许我天真无知的时空么？
有人明白我在写什么吗？

＊＊＊

时光是一去不回头
但就算时间真的能倒流
我想，凭我了解自己性格的我
应该也不会改变我所做过的选择
所以其实 也没什么好感慨的
虽然，有过一段自己的 “沈佳宜” 或是 “柯腾” 的故事
好像蛮令人羡慕的
但错过了，也不差啦

毕竟，每个人都有自己精彩的故事
我的故事，少了这么一个特别的人
但却多了更多很特别，要好的朋友
也让我有更多的精神和时间去关心其他对我非常重要的人事物
做人嘛，开心就好！:)

Note on Green Lantern

Most people who have seen Green Lantern (2011) thought it was just ehhhh, if not bland and boring. I guess to them there's just one too many superhero movies. Personally, I thought it wasn't all that bad. For one, I like that they portrayed the multiplicity of the universe, and the Earth being one of the youngest ones. The depiction that we humans are mere fledglings, still learning about the world (and the universe, on a bigger scheme of things) in which we inhabit is a humble acknowledgement, and it fits my idea of the universe.

The movie's theme revolves around the power of will vs. the power of fear - something which I think is quite true. Look around us. Politicians instill fear in the people, and make them do certain things (or not do anything). That's exploitation of fear, and it's only when we're aware of it can we prevent ourselves from being manipulated. Will is also another powerful force that's been underutilized. Perhaps that's a good thing in a way… I mean, imagine if there's someone out there whose will is to destroy the world. That'd be some disaster we're going to have to endure! :P

And then of course, there's Ryan Reynolds! :D  Nothing compared to the Fassbender guy in X-Men: First Class, but still an eye candy! :)  That's bout it, my dua sen on the last movie I've seen. Looking forward to HP! The last one of the entire series! Wish I had the time to reread all the books again. Oh well, some other time perhaps.

Cold Souls

because there wasn't any production going on and my supervisor (who initially gave us a task to do for the 3 days he's gone) went on vacation, my supervisor's female boss took charge and sent us home for 2 days. asked us (the temps) to take 2 days off (without pay, whaddaya think -_-) and come back on Thursday, which is today. it was a mixed feeling for me: i mean, who doesn't like not having to work??--but only if you get paid all the same! so i only had half of my wish come true - with regard to my facebook status the day before. oh well.

no fret, i thought i could get some stuff done and relax a little. :) so on tuesday, i hopped-skipped to the theatre 3 blocks away from my flies-inhabited apartment (no thanks to my roommates), and settled myself in front of the silver screen showing Cold Souls.

*****

ooops. my bad. those were written on Thursday Aug 27, but i had to stop half-way to get to work. the next thing i know it's Sunday already. at work now, break time. i'll see how much i can write.

so yeah, i was about to write about what i thought of the movie "Cold Souls". Here's a very brief synopsis, taken from its offical website: "...In the surreal comedy COLD SOULS, Paul Giamatti plays an actor named... Paul Giamatti. Stumbling upon an article in The New Yorker about a high-tech company that extracts, deep-freezes and stores people's souls, Paul very well might have found the key to happiness for which he's been searching. But, complications arises when he is the unfortunate victim of "soul-trafficking". Giamatti's journey takes him all the way to Russia in hopes of retrieving his stolen soul from an ambitious but talentless soap-opera actress..." the very idea of soul-extracting and keeping it in a safe for whenever we need it again seemed ingenious yet mortifying at the same time. being a dreamer that i am, i can't help but marvel at the ingenuity of it - who knows, with technology so advanced these days, it just might come true one day - but i hesitate on the ethical aspect of it. after all, it's widely agreed upon that what makes us human and more superior that other animals is the very fact that we have souls. so if we were to take away that factor, does it mean we're just like animals then? so does it justify cannibalism and embryos as delicacies then?

and then there's the social behavioral aspect of it. the extraction of soul to make one feel less burdened and sorrowful is a reflection of how our society seeks simplification in order to solve problems. it's like saying, if your hand aches, chop it off. migraine? take aspirin. marriage facing problems? divorce. obese? take weight-loss pills or go for liposuction. don't we all just want to turn to the shortest easiest painless approach to all the problems we face in life? in the movie, the doctor said, "a twisted soul is like a tumor, better to remove it". if only it's that easy. some people can't bear the emptiness that was once occupied by their very own soul; some carry on with their lives perfectly fine. you won't know how it'd be for you until you try it out, but there's one thing we all know: without a soul, we probably won't feel sadness or depression, but we won't feel happy too--we wouldn't feel anything. happiness is meaningless without its contrast of sadness.

on the surface, many might think of this movie to be pallid. but in hindsight, it's a rather complex one, offering layers of contemplation for the audience. it's a pity i'm only writing it now, because i can't seem to recall my thoughts as i was watching it. everything blurs into fuzziness right now, so i can't share any more than this. if i could get a copy of it, i'd watch it again. i think i've given it a 8.3/10 on plurk right after i watched it. but now i'd say it's maybe a 7.3. it's good, but i've seen better ones. then again, maybe it's because i forgot what emotions it had stirred in me.

another good movie to watch is 'Shrink'. this one is a high 8.8! i saw it last month and really really liked it. i meant to write about it, but after a while i forgot what i wanted to say and so i just.. moved on. trust me though, it's really good. i'm definitely gonna watch it again, and write about it. okie dokie, enough about movies for a day. i have rants to share, but only after work--when i get home. till then!

Hannibal Lecter In My Dreams

I had a night-long nightmare about cannibalism and me playing the role of the cannibal's sister. And I suspect it must be due to the movie I watched with Roy just before I slept - Hannibal Rising. If you all haven't already known, it's the prequel of Red Dragon and Silence of the Lamb, telling us about how he became a cannibal, or a monster as some may claim.

I quite like the movie. Traumatic, but great plot. It portrayed the main character Hannibal Lecter as such a terrorizing 'animal', if you may, yet at the same time humanizing him. To lose his whole family in the war, and what more - to have his little sister being eaten by the group of soldiers - were more than enough to cause one psychologically demented. And in some ways, it is only understandable to want to seek vengeance. Many among us would want to do the same too, only perhaps very few of us would have the courage. Roy even told me, "I wish he'd torture them more before killing them."

Humans. Are disgusting, at times. We are no different from other animals. God gave us a brain to think; we should be more civilized than animals, no? Apparently not. Look at what's going on around us today. Rapes, murders, psychopaths, homophobes, holy wars, assasins, racism. I don't know, maybe it's just me. I watched too many movies that showed the ugly side of the human race. And maybe I just don't know what to make out of it all. Should we all just close one eye and be in denial or in complete submission to the brutal reality.

It's nice to block out all the bad things and pretend that all these aren't really happening (or that if they are, it's none of our business until it is). But I can't. I can't just go "oh well whatever.. let's look at what Paris Hilton's wearing today or how much Nicole is weighing now, or whether Lindsay's new bf is cute." I guess this is the easier way out... to cope with the f**ked-up world we're living in, but I rather be more realistic than lie to myself. It's something that I still need to ponder upon, about how to cope with it and all. So yeah.. till then, I don't have a conclusion on this. What do you guys think? Let me know.

A Book, A Story, A Life Lesson

It's been an amazing week despite all the workload that's been piling up and the up-coming 2 midterms next week. God knows how Im gonna cover everything that's been taught and excel in these exams, but for now, since its the beginning of the weekend, I shall allow myself some time-out and keep this dry and empty blog alive. =)

If you guys haven't watched Heaven and Earth (1993), do try to get the movie. It's about the life story of this Vietnamese girl, Le Ly, and how she went through the horrendous suffering, trauma and torture during the Vietnam war between the Việt Cộng and the communist forces in the North. Her life took a turn when she met this US soldier, one of the 'enemies' who killed her brother who joined the communist forces, one whom she herself once fought against to protect her homeland, one who'd caused so much suffering to her and her people.

War. Made us question ourselves, or at least I did, why? For whose benefits? And now after almost half a century, there is still war going on in the Middle East. Blood bled for a cause no one is certain of. Does terrorism really only exist in the Middle East? When people say oh we should all join forces to fight against terrorism, why do we more often than not relate that statement to fight against Islam? And while people are crying, mourning for their dead loved ones, some of us are complaining about getting fat (that's me - felt so guilty bout it), or ranting about dont know what to eat for dinner, or having no money to buy the newest Gucci bag. When we look at the media that shows us people who were blasted into pieces, events that are happening every day in some parts of the world right now as you're reading this, how many of us really felt anything in our hearts? Even if we do, how many of us can really understand how it's like? How many of us actually cared?

Truth is, most people dont wanna think about it. It's too cruel, too upset to think about. Why torture ourselves with this kinda big worldly issues when we have other things to worry about? Those aren't happening to us or even happenning anywhere near us, ay. So we rather keep ourselves occupied with who's the next top model winner or who's the next american idol. Whether Nicole Richie is so skinny she can be blown away by a gust of wind. Whether Paris Hilton's new shoes can be ordered online. Whether Britney Spears is ever gonna get her nice body back, or if Reese and Ryan are gonna get back together.

I'm not condemning those who cared about those stuff. I'm not gonna make comments suchs as 'ohmygod, how shallow these people are' or 'how ignorant'. For all we know, those events can be just as real to them as those dying soldiers and war victims are to their family members. And it all boils down to our reality - how each and every one of us perceive reality. Some people are oblivious about the things going on in other parts of the world because they dont read or come across them. Some just cant handle the fact that there are so much malice, inhumanity, vengefulness in this world, and the thought of it gripped them with fear, hence they turn to escapism.

I had the opportunity to watch this movie during the International Education Week 2006, which was celebrated in my uni from November 14 till 16, and I had the chance to meet Le Ly, the author of the book Heaven and Earth too. A wonderful lady, she's working with the Peaceboat, and some global village project or something of that sort (i cant remember). After watching the movie, after listening to her talk, I felt I'm such a lucky person to be here, to be me, regardless of how blurcase I can be, how lost I am sometimes, how inferior I sometimes feel. And if you're reading this right now, you're just as lucky as I am, if not more. We all have a great life, and we all have something to contribute and offer, and the best part is we have nothing to lose. So why not?