the chutry experiment

One of the most powerful sequences, to my mind is a monologue Monty delivers in front of a restroom mirror, expressing hatred for many of New York's ethnic and economic groups. After seeing the words "Fuck You" scribbled on a mirror, Monte tries to rub the words out (a la Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye). He then launches into a diatribe against many of New York's ethnic groups. The scene recalls, as Ebert points out, similar sequences in Lee's 1989 film, Do the Right Thing. Through these monologues, both films capture some of the tremendous conflicts associated with life in New York (DTRT was Lee's intervention into several cases of police brutality in the late 1980s).

The mirror sequence is answered later in the film when Monty's father (played by the great character actor, Brian Cox) is driving him to prison and we see Monty imagining representatives of these ethnic groups waving goodbye, implying a wish for redemption for himself and for the city that is so visibly scarred. The father, who is also mourning his wife's death) later imagines turning West, crossing Pennsylvania and dropping his son off in Middle America (with a capital M.A.) where Monty makes a new life for himself, creating a whole new identity, getting by on his intelligence and charm, and eventually marrying his Puerto Rian girlfriend. They have a family, and as an old man, Monty tells his children his tale of redemption and renewal (this scene is beautifully filmed with Monty and his family all wearing white/off-white clothing). But, both men know this is a fantasy; the American dream doesn't hold anymore, not for Monty. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian is critical of "the final gooey sequence," calling the film "turgid" and "bombastic," but given the context of the scene, I read it as profoundly sad, mourning a New York City (and a country) that has been forever altered by the terrorist attacks (and I think that Lee is very careful to avoid taking any simple position on these events).

I don't think the film simply equates the destruction in Monty's life with the destruction of New York, as the Salon reviewer suggests, and I think the film is wise to avoid the trap of being "about" 9/11. Instead, it seems to be using Monty's story to tackle the complicated questions about how to proceed after such an emotionally scarring event. In this sense, the film reminds me of Deleuze's discussion of the crisis in the action-image, when any action a character might take appears incapable of changing his or her circumstances (the hopeless search for the stolen bicycle in The Bicycle Thief; the characters' meaningless journeys in Breathless), and I think Lee's film captures this particular crisis in a powerful way. Thus, Monty's lack of purpose, his restlessness, and his unfocused journeys through the city, all gesture toward this inability to respond to all of the crises that faced New York after September 11.

I've really struggled with this review (more so than most of my posts), but this film has challenged me. It's certainly not a perfect film, but I think it is pretty compliated in some interesting ways.