zaaaAP Lit Blog 4

Why Trust Is not Existentialist

Certainly, as many of us have already said, Trust appears to be an existentialist work. However, there are many aspects of the film that are discontinuous with this idea. First of all, the idea of love is gaining importance as the relationship between Matthew and Maria develops. Love has no place in existentialism. Secondly, family is important to both main characters. Maria still cares about her mom despite the difficulties they are going through and still has a strong relationship with her sister. Similarly, despite Matthew's abnormal and abusive relationship with his father, he obviously has some love for the man or else he would have left him long, long ago. In addition, Maria seeks to find a good job to help support her family, thus representing two societal constructs that existentialists reject, family and careers. I feel if this film was truly existentialist, the main characters would be even more detached , instead it merely seems that everyone is detached in this society, making maria and Matthew almost the norm. Thus, I feel that this film is more dystopia than existentialist.

Trusts: An Existential Romance?

An existential Romance. Two words that seem contradictory, but I believe in this movie seems to make sense together. From my understanding after many class discussions, existentialism is the belief that there is no predestined meaning in life, and to have meaning in your life, you have to find it. So emotional and things like friendship and love are seemingly unimportant. However, in this wonderful movie, in my opinion, it seems that Mathew and Marie have found romance despite there seemingly existential views.

Mathew, seems to me to have been an existentialist from the beginning of the movie and Marie, who seems to have found existentialism after everything that was important to her falls apart meet each other in an abounded house. Marie was sleeping there because her mother kicked her out for killing her father, and Mathew was trying to get away from his ridiculous father. After they meet, they seem to almost be instantly attracted to each other. And at this point in the film, they are talking about getting married and their love for one another.

So, to me its seems that despite being existentialist’s, they have chosen to find meaning in love. My questions is, is this possible? Is it possible to be a true existentialist but believe that your life has meaning through love?

Matthew = Meursault?

I have actually greatly enjoyed watching Trust this week. I think it is an incredibly intriguing film for many reasons. It begins with a seemingly mundane and cliche story about a girl who goes out with a popular football player and ultimately realizes that their relationship is not what she thought it was. However the movie continues to develop into a more complex, deeper story.

I like what was said in class to day about the films relationship to existentialism. I think of Meursault a great deal when looking at Matthew. He seems like, Meursault to be detached from the most of the social constructs, especial love. I especially noticed this when he was talking to Maria about marriage and love.

Maria: Did you mean it? Would you marry me?
Matthew: Yes.
Maria: Why?
Matthew: Because I want to.
Maria: Not because you love me or anything like that, huh?
Matthew: I respect and admire you.
Maria: Isn't that love?
Matthew: No, that's respect and admiration. I think that's better than love.

This excerpt reminds me of when Meursault was talking to Marie about love and marriage. In that instance Meursualt says that he will marry Marie if she wants to but that he probably doesn't love her. In both cases Meursault and Matthew look at marriage as something one does if they want to. Additionally there is little emphasis on love in marriage on Meursault and Matthew's parts. In fact the both seem not to hold love in very high regard or place much importance on it. There are many other ways that I see Meursault and Matthew similarities show through, but this instance was the most prominent one.

The Grenade: Interpretations of Trust

Without a doubt, the most explosive symbol (pun fully intended) in the movie Trust was the hand grenade. It's difficult to wrap your head around what exactly it was supposed to represent, indeed, it may very well be that the grenade was intended to hold multiple meanings. I offer here a couple of possible interpretations, and an attempt to justify their validity.

- Grenade as death drive. Perhaps the most readily apparent meaning, the grenade represents the underlying urge to negate your existence. We usually are repelled by our fear of death, but that fear also excites a morbid curiosity with the experience of nonlife. This interpretation applies directly to Matthew, who is deeply attuned with this death drive, seeing as he was born at the death of his mother. Maria taking the grenade from Matthew indicates that she assuages his death drive by giving him a reason to live

- Grenade as action. There is a strong streak of passivity running through both Matthew and Maria, as evidenced by their interactions with their parents. While those relationships are shaken by confrontations towards the end of the film, ultimately their passive attitude to the abuses of society must be changed as well. The grenade in the TV factory effects that change. Unfortunately Matthew asserts himself too strongly against society, such that society asserts itself back. Maria taking the grenade from Matthew indicates that she diminishes his ability to act against society by acting as a dependent within society.

Existential Cinderella

Alright, this is a little bit random, but did anyone else look at Maria at some point and think of Cinderella?  You know, in the second half of the movie with the blue dress, the chores, the evil mother, the humble, pure, self-sacrificing attitude?  She even had the same hair color as the Cinderella in the Disney movie!  But seriously, I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but it's still an interesting comparison.  The only difference between the two is their pasts.  Cinderella is like that because she's one-dimensional, and the far more complex Maria is that way because she's making up for her past. 

Maria tranforms into that altered person because throughout the course of the movie she sheds all of the external things that defined her as a person.  That begins when she dumps her football player boyfriend and continues as she ditches the makeup and the clothes and ultimately attempts to escape the control of her manipulative mother.    

Throughout the movie Maria becomes more and more conscious of her decisions and takes more control over her life.  She becomes progressively more free from social constructions.  This is definetly an existentialist theme.

Humor in "Trust"

Although "Trust" brought up many serious topics and ideas, I found it to be a very funny movie. From the beginning, "Trust" shocks the audience. Maria's initial outfit, as well as the discussion she was having with her parents was shocking. Although it is not a funny thing when someone dies, the death of Maria's father was humorous to me. However, the humor lied in the way it was played out not in the actual event. I was completely surprised when he simply keeled over, and even more surprised to hear Peg say "he's dead" in such a calm and collected tone. The irony of the situation was comical.

Many scenes were full of dry humor, which was played out beautifully by the actors. An excellent example of this type of humor was between Maria and Matthew at the abortion clinic. Matthew was feeling very nervous, while Maria appeared calm. Both actors maintain deadpan expressions as this dialogue takes place:

Matthew: marry me.

Maria:you're delusional.

Matthew: sorry.

Maria: its ok.

The lack of expression in a conversation of this nature is ironic, and very amusing. Scenes like this occurred often throughout the film, and I think they added a lot to the overall feel of the film.

Trust in Film, The Stranger in Fiction, Existentialist in Philosophy

If The Stranger solicited a strong reaction from our student body, which it did, the independant film "Trust" certainly stirs an equivalent sentiment. It is, in my opinion, the absurdity and grim reality of "Trust" that is striking. This in a sense parallels a perspective of The Stranger, which may come across more subtely, that people only exist, that their actions define this existence.

Film provides a unique acess point in visual communication. Through this medium, one is more susceptible to the techniques of imagery and perspective. When we see the fight between Maria and her father, it seems to be a commonplace tension between family members, albeit violent. The film technique illustrates, however, that this is not the case. He [The Father] is stunned, frozen by his daughter's flagrant disobediance. Whereas in literature this would merely be a discription of feeling, the movie portrays actual rigidity. With this impetus, this shock; the father falls quickly to the ground. Immediately, one can discern the man has died. His actions, the lack of life left in him, show clearly to us the grim spectre soon to follow.

Literature often has to be more, well, literal. Red sands and redder suns beat down on the distraught Algerian. Camus, to construe the same meaning in text must allow for repitition. It dawns on the reader how much the young Meursault is affected by his enviornment. Meursault is not so clearly determined in his actions as the father in "Trust"; he is a complex protagonist. But as the ominous Arab looms closer, the blade he is manipulating reflects the red, glaring sun. Meursault observes the sun noting, " The sun was the same as the day I had buried Maman" (Camus 58). The actions of Meursault follow quickly, and senslessly. The overbearing heat had already determined his grisly act.

In Character Development We Trust

I thought that my title was clever...maybe not.

Throughout the movie Trust I saw a clear theme of control.  Maria's mother and Matthew's father are the clearest examples of this control, as they constantly are forcing their children to do meaningless chores. 

A vivid example of this behavior appears when Matthew's father forces Matthew to clean the bathroom over and over again, even though it appears to be spotless.  When Matthew leaves his cigarette butt in the bathroom, his father forces him onto his knees, in a clear attempt to chastise him like a child.

Maria's mother also constantly forces Maria to do chores; cleaning the floors, washing the dishes, and going to the grocery store.  When Maria tells her mother that she can do such simple tasks herself, her mother chews into her and forces her to complete her meaningless tasks.

This reflection on human behavior calls into question my own dependence on the people in my life.  Obviously, I do not force people to go park my car or carry my books, but I've still become uncomfortable with my overall dependency level.  I depend on my mom to cook dinner, fund my life, and tell me when I have to be somewhere.  While this dependence isn't nearly as dangerous and demeaning as the examples in the movie, I still learned from Maria that it's important to lead my own life.  She slowly removes herself from dependency, and leads "her own life."  It's important that I/we learn to make decisions based on our own personal needs, and not just do what others tell us is right or follow someone else's lead.  Which leads me to thinking that maybe Meursault wasn't so crazy in the first place, but that's for another time...

What is With All the Cigs and Booze?

In Trust, the majority of the scenes showed someone smoking or drinking. Now I know it was the 90's, but people weren't that extreme in their consumption of alcohol and cigarettes. So, I know that there has to be a deeper meaning.

Firstly, In the beginning of the movie, Marie both smokes and drinks.  After her mother kicks her out of the house, for "killing her father", she goes to the gas station and buys beer, because she needs it. She's had a "bad day".

The nurse from the abortion clinic, offers Maria a drink, while she considers abortion. All the men who come off the train, from a hard day's work, have pipes.  Both Mathew and his father sit and drink while they watch TV. Maria's mother is an alcoholic.

Personally, i feel that the cigarettes and alcohol, reiterate the idea of DEPENDENCY.  The people need those things to get through the day. They are dependent on objects rather than people, because they don't TRUST.

After Maria has had her "hallelujah moment" and cleanses herself from the grime of society, she is no longer seen with either of the two. Although, still "naive" to the world, Maria is independent and ready to trust.

Debbie Downers' Unite!

Okay, so this movie, Trust, that we just finished watching in class today, has really gotten my mind thinking. I have been trying really hard to figure out the connection between The Stranger and the movie. After talking about it with other people in other classes and thinking a little harder, I've come to find that existentialism is apparent in all of the characters. All of the characters in the movie have a sense of Mersualt because they are all, I guess 'Debbie Downers' at one point or another.

One big connection with the movie and the book, started right off the bat in the beginning. Maria's father dies, the opening credits did not even finish yet and he was dead, just like the first chapter barely started and Mersault's mother was dead. Not only that but Maria was blamed for the death of her father, just like Mersault was blamed for the death of his mother.

I know everyone knows the examples of how everyone in the movie had...a lack of personality, very monotone, I feel, so I dont' need to give any examples of how they did not fit in with society around them and how apparent that was, but it was interesting in today's viewing how Matthew decided to give in to society's pressure and get a job and have stability. He was not very excited about it as his facial expressions let it be known, but he gave in still, just how Mersault ended up showing emotion at the end of The Stranger in his prison cell.

The thing I am wondering about now, that only my imagination will be able to create is how Maria, Matthew, Peg, Maria's mother...how are all their lives' going to pan out now that Matthew is in jail? And will Maria and her mothers' relationship strengthen after soberly admitting that she believes Maria's a genius?!?!

TRUST

I know we haven't watched much of the movie Trust but I already have a lot to say about the beginning. I'm extremely intrigued by the characters Marie and Matthew. To tell you the truth, I sympathize with them. At first, I thought Marie was an insensitive brat! She was so rude to her parents; she basically talked to them like they were trash and all they were good for was their money. Also, she's a high school drop out and she's pregnant! But as she poured out her feelings to the nurse, I realized that she's just lost. She doesn't know what to do with her life. And she sincerely thought that her boyfriend loved her and wanted to marry her, only to find that he saw her as an object and not a human being.

Matthew is just as lost as Marie. He quits his job because he thinks it is unethical to fix and sell electronics that are of low quality. I thought it was very big of him to stand up for what he believes in. But, when he goes home and his father starts to criticize him-- I didn't understand where his confidence had gone! He just stood there while his father called him a failure! I don't think he's worthless at all; like Marie, he just hasn't figured out what he wants to do with his life yet. It'll be interesting to see what happens to these two characters.

I did have a few questions though: Did Marie kill her father when she slapped him? His death happened so suddenly, it completely caught me off guard! And why is Matthew's father so obsessed with the bathroom? Why does he make Matthew clean it over and over again? More importantly, why doesn't Matthew stand up to him instead of cleaning it again?