Taking stock: I feel confused and slightly sad about being back here. We live differently in the “new world.” Most of it I like, but there’s a roughness and brutality to it, too – and interestingly, brutta means “ugly” in Italian, no? – which Europeans (especially Italians with their aesthetic flair) eschew. There’s our climate, our skies… Most of the time the skies are invigorating, except when they’re not, when they’re so vast and lonely. Sublimity isn’t always uplifting or inspiring: I hate the Alps, for example. And the car traffic here, …my god, the traffic. And no option to use public transit. The development patterns are almost 100% car-centric…
Since writing about The Birds in yesterday’s entry, I’ve learned that Camille Paglia wrote about this movie, too. I adore Paglia. According to Wikipedia, “she interprets [The Birds] as an ode to the many facets of female sexuality and, by extension, nature itself. She notes that women play pivotal roles in it. Mitch is defined by his relationships with his mother, sister, and ex-lover – a careful balance which is disrupted by his attraction to the beautiful Melanie.” I think I’m actually adding another, perhaps more interesting angle, too.