On the Sick Front

I have been sick for the last two days. For my general state of health, I have been monumentally sick. Normally, I catch a minor cold once or twice a year, I sound like Barry White for a couple of days, and then I go back to normal. No big whoop.

Starting Tuesday evening though, I was hacking and coughing like a 70 year old coal miner with a smoking habit. My joints felt like they were rusted through and my head came close to breaking open at least a couple of times. Sweating, chills, horrible Nyquil-induced dreams, and no desire to eat or drink have been just some of the joys I've experienced in the last 48 hours.

All in all, I'd have to say that being sick really sucks canal water. I hate it.

My temperature was down to 99 this afternoon and I have a little bit of an appetite so I can only hope I'm actually on the mend. Bleh. Yesterday was a complete loss but today I summoned up enough strength to work the remote control and watch On the Waterfront. As several people predicted, I really, really liked it. The performances are vital, the on-location shooting and cinematography are perfect, and the story itself was moving. I was particularly struck by the use of sound - both diegetic (sounds that actually occur within the narrative - the sounds of ship horns, kids playing, traffic) and non-diegetic (soundtrack music, voiceover, etc. Sound that doesn't occur naturally in the story.) Leonard Bernstein's score is simultaneously elegant and brutal while the director's choice to have almost all of Terry Malloy's big confession to Edie covered up by the sounds of the harbor was genius.



Yes, Tawnya, Karl Malden is great. But, besides Marlon Brando's standout performance, I was really taken with Lee J. Cobb as Johnny Friendly. The guy seemed genuinely dangerous.

The themes of loyalty no matter what, no snitchin', and corruption resonated with me as well. In that sense, the film reminded me a lot of my students back in Detroit.

Well, I'm headed back to my well-worn position on the couch. Hopefully, the rest of my hacking with go away before tomorrow so I can back to work and stop bothering Suzanne with all this annoying sickness.