Ganja and Hess!
Honestly, I feel like there was so much about Ganja and Hess that went entirely over my head. I think it
was *cool*, but I didn’t really get it because everything felt like it was done intentionally, but I just couldn't
really tell why…. I feel like I would really like it if I watch it several more times. Having only watched it
once though, I don’t know, I was kind of… bored? For one, I really didn’t feel like it was a horror film, but
then again, it is an experimental one so it makes sense that it deviated from more classic horror tropes.
was *cool*, but I didn’t really get it because everything felt like it was done intentionally, but I just couldn't
really tell why…. I feel like I would really like it if I watch it several more times. Having only watched it
once though, I don’t know, I was kind of… bored? For one, I really didn’t feel like it was a horror film, but
then again, it is an experimental one so it makes sense that it deviated from more classic horror tropes.
For example, there were quite a few instances with the butler that interested me-- these scenes always
seemed to drag on and the butler's reappearance was emphasized while one of the more important
characters talked on and on about nothing really important. In one of the scenes earlier on in the film,
Meda is telling the story about filming in Holland (which isn’t relevant to the plot and even Hess is
obviously bored). It spans several minutes and is right at the beginning of the film too, when audiences
are looking to see if the story is going to be worth their time. What is interesting to me though, is every
time the butler comes in, Meda stops his story and thanks him several times. It happens four separate
times, and every time he thanks him three or five times. As well as this, the butler crosses in front of the
camera every time, blocking our view of the main characters. This happens another time as well (and I’m
sure other times that I just missed) when Ganja and Hess are having dinner. The butler crosses in front
of the camera several times and it frustrates me because I don’t understand the intentions behind this.
Maybe because he is always present and the only one aware of Hess’s hunger for blood other than the
others that have been stabbed? At least I’m assuming he knows, since he tried so hard to keep Ganja
from going to the wine cellar.
seemed to drag on and the butler's reappearance was emphasized while one of the more important
characters talked on and on about nothing really important. In one of the scenes earlier on in the film,
Meda is telling the story about filming in Holland (which isn’t relevant to the plot and even Hess is
obviously bored). It spans several minutes and is right at the beginning of the film too, when audiences
are looking to see if the story is going to be worth their time. What is interesting to me though, is every
time the butler comes in, Meda stops his story and thanks him several times. It happens four separate
times, and every time he thanks him three or five times. As well as this, the butler crosses in front of the
camera every time, blocking our view of the main characters. This happens another time as well (and I’m
sure other times that I just missed) when Ganja and Hess are having dinner. The butler crosses in front
of the camera several times and it frustrates me because I don’t understand the intentions behind this.
Maybe because he is always present and the only one aware of Hess’s hunger for blood other than the
others that have been stabbed? At least I’m assuming he knows, since he tried so hard to keep Ganja
from going to the wine cellar.
This is just an example of things given significance for a reason I don’t really understand, but the whole film is filled with them. I think I really did like this film, but I also didn’t understand enough to feel fulfilled by it. I think maybe over the summer when I have more time I will rewatch it and see what else I missed because it is a pretty cool movie. I am also interested in watching Da Sweet Blood Of Jesus, which is the Spike Lee remake of Ganja and Hess that came out in 2014 (although it also had mixed reviews so I don’t know how much more I would like it). What did you guys think about it? Is there anything that you picked up on that I missed? I feel like I only scraped the very surface with my analysis….
I thought the story in the beginning about the director in Holland was really interesting because I found myself spending a lot of time thinking about what it could possibly mean in the context of the film. Honestly, I really have no idea, since it seems to be an anecdote about misconceptions or cultural differences, but it seems to have no relevance to the story. I think it might be a sign to the audience that a lot of story is going to be meandering around the point.
ReplyDeleteI never really noticed the over-thanking of the butler when I watched this film, so I am glad you pointed it out. I tbink I will also have to rewatch this film to pick up things I might have missed. Most audiences that saw this film did not know if they should view it as a regular horror film, blaxploitation horror film, or something else entirely, so you are not alone in feeling unsure about it. The film's identity as a genre ties in pretty well the Hess's identity crises as both a man separated from the black community and as a vampire, almost as if the director knew his film would cause categorical confusion.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right that this film deals in subtlety and nuance much more than the horror genre usually allows. That makes it potentially boring for a viewer interested in receiving what the genre does so well, which is well paced out scenes of violence and fear. This film is more like an angsty meditation on what it means to be soulless. Spike Lee is not a subtle filmmaker so I'm sure that his version is more typical of the genre.
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