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     The beginning of the Marcel Camus's Black Orpheus struck me as a glimpse into the culture of Brazil. From the children gliding kites on a sunny day to the dancers on the street, each shot is meant to introduce aspects of culture to the audience. The audience is meant to be experiencing this influx of sensory overload in the same way that the main character is. The age range of the population in these scenes stood out to me that some groups of younger children appeared more independent and may be given more freedom to go around the city at such a festive time. The bright culture of Brazil makes appearances in the food that the main character encounters at the market, the dancers in the market square, and even is placed upon her neck in the opening scene from an exchange which demonstrates the importance of respect for elders and kindness towards strangers. Many remarks were made about the main characters appearances highlighting the gender inequality and objectification made towards vulnerable women in cities. Although at some points I was afraid for Eurydice but the kind way in which characters interacted with each other on a personal basis assured me that the directors intended the city to feel exciting, a bit overwhelming, but not dangerous to the main character. I appreciated how strangers showed kindness to each other demonstrated in ways such as when the woman selling onions at the market helped Eurydice out of the dancers closing her in or when Hermes showed Eurydice which way her cousin's house is. Music score is always a great way to convey tone in video format and the cheery, vivacious music encapsulates perfectly the bright factors of culture that is demonstrated in the first few minutes of this movie. 

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During one of the tutorials I attended last year as part of LAST 100 (taught by John), I asked the following question: While of course, Latin American countries are and were incredibly cruel to their black citizens, why did the treatment of Afro-Latinos in Latin America historically differ from the treatment of African-Americans in the …

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My initial impressions of the first bit of the film strike me with two general themes: class and gender. The main character is running around the city and experiences several instances of a lack of female autonomy within the city, perhaps it better said that there is a lack of respect for female autonomy. For […] read full post >>

The beginning of Black Orpheus caught my attention right off the bat. It shows what seems to be the beginning of Carnaval celebrations in Rio. The city is loud and full of energy and everyone seems to have the same vibrant mood. We see different parts of the city, the slums and neighbourhoods of lower […] read full post >>

Hi there! My name is Magalee and I am in my third year of Kinesiology. This is my second time taking a Latin American Studies class with John and I am super stoked to be here! I am excited to learn more about Latin American history and culture through an academic perspective, as I have …

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The first 11 minutes of the movie Black Orpheus was very charming. The continuous sound of Samba music in the background highlights the peoples’ liveliness in Rio de Janeiro. No matter where the movie takes place, there is always a sense of community, for example, when the women are walking up the hill with bucketsContinue reading "Week 1: What Is Culture?" read full post >>

While watching the beginning of Marcel Camus’s Black Orpheus, I found the film’s depiction of children and fashion particularly insightful into the popular culture of Brazil. Several times, children play soccer, which implies it is part of popular culture, as the children are unlikely to come up with the game on their own and likelyContinue reading "Black Orpheus- the Roles of Children and Fashion in Popular Culture" read full post >>

The beginning of Black Orpheus caught my attention right off the bat. It shows what seems to be the beginning of Carnaval celebrations in Rio. The city is loud and full of energy and everyone seems to have the same vibrant mood. We see different parts of the city, the slums and neighbourhoods of lower […] read full post >>

What struck me in particular about Williams’ article was the attention to detail when emphasizing that culture is ‘ordinary’. As described by Williams, popular culture is made for and by the people of a particular society regardless of status. He notes the individual characteristics, professions, and inner workings of the town he grew up in… read full post >>

The article “Culture is Ordinary” by Raymond Williams resonated with me, confused me, and made me think about a lot... read full post >>