In-class ink blot tests

I think ink blot tests are a therapist’s way of testing how much shit is on your mind- they just throw 50 random images at you and gauge your response. That was basically the jist of last week’s class- 3 hours, a dozen clips, and a discussion on each clip immediately after each screening.

Whether this is worth mentioning or not, one thing that struck me about The Cabinet of Dr Caligari was that if Tim Burton were to ever be in the therapist’s office (and perhaps taking inkblot tests), he would describe this film as something that haunted his dreams as a child. Black blacks and white whites, surreal and almost childlike sets which seem to mirror the nightmarish emotion of the film, and some very pale characters- Not to mention that “Edward Scissorhands” comes up as a related search on Google- The film has to be an early influence on him.

The Cabinet of Dr Caligari

I wish I could keep writing about Caligari, if only to procrastinate and avoid moving on to discussing the clip which had the biggest effect on me… or rather AFFECT... I’m still unsure which word I should be using here- I need a grammar Nazi biting my ankles so i can be sure- Given that my reaction to the scene was almost physical, I wanna say affect.

I’m big on tough justice- rapists should be strung up and have their “weapons” removed, in the most painful way possible. But having seen this act carried out on screen, I…

* I've been stuck on this sentence for about 15 minutes, I don’t actually have the words to describe how I feel about that scene*

I think I need to jump back a little.

I Spit On Your Grave- The bathtub scene.

Claymation still wouldn't have softened the blow of this scene.

I don’t know if it was the victims delayed reaction to what happened; the screaming; the way the blood just bubbled up from below the surface of the water; or even just the casual way that Jennifer jumps into a chair after throwing a record on to drown out the sounds of a man screaming and bleeding to death behind a locked door 10 feet away.

As much as I don’t want to think about it, it keeps coming back to me, and I don’t know why. About the only thing I know for certain is that I never ever (ever. ever. EVER) want to have my penis removed with a butcher’s knife.

To be honest, I already knew that, it’s just that watching this scene has cemented that fact. No knives.

Ever.

Please.

Cheers.