To Be and To Have: The Inquiring Minds of the Subjects and the Spectators

Returning to the questions posed at the beginning of the semester, as I watched “To Be and To Have,” I pondered, “What is children’s media? Is it media for kids? Or about kids? Or both?” I found that it can be appropriate and child-related, but not for the children. “To Be and To Have” seems to fall into that category. Because of my teacher education courses, I’ve started paying a lot more attention to how people teach. This film seems to be an example of one way to go about teaching, a different approach to learn from. For others, the film seems to be a slice of life, an exploration, an inquiry into another’s world. As the audience inquires about a primary school in rural France, we also observe the students acts of inquiry in the classroom.

The form of the film lends itself to a study by the audience. Shots are still and many are wide allowing us to observe and analyze the space.  There is a reverse of this as well with the students. They are not accustomed to being filmed. They experiment with the form by being the subjects of it. There are several shots where kids react to the camera whether they’re looking directly at it or acting differently because of it.

With my teacher education lens, I learn different teaching and classroom management methods. For example, Mr. Lopez allows them to cook and make mistakes. It’s a safe environment where they feel they can fail and try again. With an integrated class, he assigns tasks appropriate to their age level—with younger children cracking eggs and older children using the hot pans to flip the crepes. I also observed his invitation to let the students be accountable. He respected them, and expected mature behavior in return. When one of the children is pushed, he asks the other why he did it. He doesn’t punish immediately, but allows for learning through taking responsibility. He also allows the students to correct each other. On one occasion they analyze each other’s cursive, which provides not only the tactile experience of writing it themselves, but also a verbal experience with critique and feedback.

With my “normal” film viewer lens, I learn more about the nature of children and a school environment different from the one I encountered. I see the natural curiosity of the kids like when the one little girl looks out the window on her way to school at the snowfall.  I see their innocence and lack of experience as they cry about seemingly unimportant things, and admire their passion and process. I learn about learning as I see it happen.

These nuances captured by the viewer and the educator may go unseen by a child audience. They are meant to be out in the fields, on field trips, in libraries, and kitchens going through these processes. The adult is perhaps meant to view this process and have a renewed sense of wonder about the world, and then go out and be a kid again. The inquiry that occurs on the film viewer’s part is geared toward adults, while the inquiry that occurs for the film subject’s presents a pattern to be learned from and enacted in the lives of children and adults.

Mowgli and Morality: Ambivalence in "The Jungle Book"

In class we discussed morality in children’s media as being polarized. Morality is made black and white to help children distinguish right and wrong. In the various versions of “Little Red Riding Hood” we read, the wolf was a personification of evil. It was very obvious because there was nothing redeeming about him, and the acts he committed (rape and murder) are uncompromisingly bad.

            “The Jungle Book” felt more gray with Shere Khan being the exception.  Motivated by greed and power, he wanted to kill Mowgli. Mowgli, the young “man cub,” wants to stay in a place he knows and refuses to leave his comfort zone and grow up. He interacts with several “adult” animals on his journey that seem mixed morally. Bagheera is the softhearted panther that has Mowgli’s best interests in mind. He originally introduces the man cub into the animal world and take responsibility to bring him back to civilization. However, he is shown with weakness. He leaves Mowgli several times because of a lack of patience, and this results in several mishaps for Mowgli. In the end, Bagheera’s loyalty and love are obvious (and it’s those that save the day), but it’s more his characteristics that are polarized rather than the character himself. Baloo welcomes Mowgli into his life without reservation. He is fun and carefree, but it often leads to recklessness. Baloo’s characteristics are polarized with his irresponsibility having harsh consequences while his sacrifice is praised. Kaa and King Louie also show complications in morality. They are manipulative and cause trouble for Mowgli, but they’re not evil. Kaa saves Mowgli from Shere Khan. Even if his intent was selfishness, the consequence is good.  King Louie displays selfishness, too, but he treats Mowgli well enough and does not intend harm. Coronel Hathi and the wolves also have conflict in character. Coronel Hathi is a family man heavily influenced by his wife. The wolves also prioritize family. They nurture Mowgli, but choose their own pack when threatened with danger. They have good intents, but do some damage along the way.

Unlike the quote by Bruno Bettleheim posted by Benjamin on the class blog, I feel ambivalence exists in this tale--ambivalence in character, but not in characteristics.  Negative consequences occur on the basis of bad behavior, but the characters are not holistically evil. “The Jungle Book” teaches that there is light and dark in everyone, but that we should act on the light parts of ourselves. 

Perhaps a child won’t recognize these nuances, but adults watching with the child can. This introduces the idea of parental responsibility within the realm of media. Will the parent watching with a child be humble enough to recognize in themselves the contradictory characteristics they possess? Will the parent care enough to help a child watching understand the complexities? Children can then learn that not only is growing up essential, but also that as one grows up there are choices to be made in which characteristics to develop.

Other media to consider: Moroni 7:12-17 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/7?lang=eng 

Feminist side note not necessarily related to class discussion: At the end, when Mowgli returns to civilization because of his attraction to a girl, Bagheera says he "couldn't help himself." This disregards our ability to reason and use agency as humans. To claim we are controlled by only hormones makes us nothing more than animals. This contributes to the complexity of Bagheera because for the most part he encourages Mowgli to be more human, but here he allows for him to be more animalistic. See Elder Holland's "Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments" : 

"Our sexuality has been animalized, stripped of the intricacy of feeling with which human beings have endowed it, leaving us to contemplate only the act, and to fear our impotence in it. It is this animalization from which the sexual manuals cannot escape, even when they try to do so, because they are reflections of it. They might [as well] be textbooks for veterinarians. [Fairlie, Seven Deadly Sins, p. 182]

In this matter of counterfeit intimacy and deceptive gratification, I express particular caution to the men who hear this message. I have heard all my life that it is the young woman who has to assume the responsibility for controlling the limits of intimacy in courtship because a young man cannot. What an unacceptable response to such a serious issue! What kind of man is he, what priesthood or power or strength or self-control does this man have that lets him develop in society, grow to the age of mature accountability, perhaps even pursue a university education and prepare to affect the future of colleagues and kingdoms and the course of the world, but yet does not have the mental capacity or the moral will to say, "I will not do that thing"? No, this sorry drugstore psychology would have us say, "He just can't help himself. His glands have complete control over his life--his mind, his will, his entire future."

To say that a young woman in such a relationship has to bear her responsibility and that of the young man's too is the least fair assertion I can imagine. In most instances if there is sexual transgression, I lay the burden squarely on the shoulders of the young man--for our purposes probably a priesthood bearer--and that's where I believe God intended responsibility to be. In saying that I do not excuse young women who exercise no restraint and have not the character or conviction to demand intimacy only in its rightful role. I have had enough experience in Church callings to know that women as well as men can be predatory. But I refuse to buy some young man's feigned innocence who wants to sin and call it psychology." (http://www.familylifeeducation.org/gilliland/procgroup/Souls.htm)

Finding God in Unusual Places: Charity, Childhood, and Forbidden Fruit in "The Son of Rambow"

A dualism in parenting and intake of media exist and compete in The Son of Rambow (2007). Neither parenting style “wins,” but there is compromise, moderation and learning. There is also a balance found with media intake because extremes of any kind are detrimental.

            Will grows up in a very restrictive environment. His family belongs to the religion of “The Brethren” where very traditional values are kept. Worldly media (music and movies) are shunned and they are taught to avoid integration with worldly people as well. Lee Carter has no parent figure and he can watch anything and everything, and as a result he also does everything and anything to those around him. (Because film doesn’t have real life consequences and without a parent, neither does Lee Carter.) To this extent, media is demonized at the beginning of the film. Will seems to be really moral and he has no media in his life, while Lee Carter is very amoral and has an excess of media.

            After Will is exposed to Rambo, however, we learn that he can be just as unprincipled at Lee Carter. He was “moral” because he knew nothing else. It goes back to the idea of opposition with Adam and Eve. Will was so innocent; he couldn’t do bad or good. For example, when he’s helping Lee Carter at the beginning, he’s being manipulated and doesn’t recognize motive. Film is Will’s forbidden fruit. But in LDS doctrine we acknowledge all the growth that came for Adam and Eve (and to the world) because they partook of the fruit. Media ends up helping Will to cope with the loss of his father and connect with the “Other(s)” of his world. Media provides a means for Lee Carter to channel his energy and also leads to reconciliation with his brother. Film, in a sense, tames Lee Carter, while it ignites the wild side of Will. Although this uninhibited nature is dangerous at the outset, Will learns from the consequences and becomes a better friend, and essentially a better human being. And the audience learns that Lee Carter is not only motivated by the goal to submit a film to a festival, but that he is also motivated by love—for his brother and for Will. The film provides an outlet for this virtue to be developed as he decides to put people first and ultimately saves Will.

            This film is very similar to our class discussion about the common theme of going out into the world to experiment and then returning home to a safe place—a hero’s journey for kids. This occurs in “Where the Wild Things Are” when Max enjoys his dream, but realizes he’d like to be home for dinner and where someone loves him. In The Son of Rambow, however, Will and Lee Carter are not the only ones that change. During their process of adventure and learning, their home lives are affected. Lee Carter’s older brother learns how much Lee Carter cares for him and has a change of heart so Lee Carter has a home to return to. His place of return is created because of the journey he takes. Will’s mother chooses family over religion so when he returns there is more acceptance and flexibility within his home life from his mom for the “Other” he has already incorporated into his life.

            Media emerges triumphant because within the filmmaking process growth occurs and a deeper and more empathetic understanding of others develops. The film operates under the condition that children are impressionable, but equipped with more knowledge, the impressions on them can be developed for good, and in this case for charity, friendship, and understanding.