#so poetic language also comes into play because poetry is purposely playing with syntax and semantics

[thepillareddark]

The “Tannhäuser Gate”: Blade Runner and Jargon

Roy’s monologue at the end of Blade Runner is famous because it’s very disarming. It’s a bit of a trope to have AIs show sudden signs of humanity, often coupled with acts of mercy, as a kind of sci-fi sublime to round off your book/film/game. See: Portal, 2001, bits of Tron, more or less whatever AI fiction you like. Roy’s is particularly memorable because it uses a kind of thematic conclusion to end an action scene- suddenly it feels like the bigger question of “Are robots human?” is resolved instead of the immediate question of “Will Roy kill Deckard?”. Maybe Roy realises he won’t survive anyway, maybe he realises that none of it is worth it, maybe he just wanted to prove a point. What exactly happens remains a partial mystery, but one thing is clear to anyone who sees the scene: That a big part of the speech being cool is the deliberately bewildering sci-fi vocab that gets thrown in out of nowhere: the shoulder of Orion, the C-beams, and the Tannhäuser Gate.

See, the reason I’m writing this now is because I found that there was an earlier version of the speech which was cut down and altered. For clarity, here is the speech as it appeared in the film:

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost, in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.

And here’s the version which Rutger Hauer, the actor who plays Roy, says that he “put a knife in” the night before filming, without Ridley Scott’s go-ahead:

I have known adventures, seen places you people will never see, I've been Offworld and back...frontiers! I've stood on the back deck of a blinker bound for the Plutition Camps with sweat in my eyes watching the stars fight on the shoulder of Orion. I've felt wind in my hair, riding test boats off the black galaxies and seen an attack fleet burn like a match and disappear. I've seen it...felt it!

So the story goes that he half-wrote the final version himself, half-improvised it, or whatever. That’s not what I’m as interested in, because I feel like there are more film moments then we give credit to that are written by actors or improvised by them. What is weird to me is Hauer’s exact reason for changing his own lines. He kept the second and third sentences because:

“I had two lines that I kind of liked, for what they, y’know, what they pictured in the universe” “There’s only so much poetry you can get rid of, y’know?” “And these images are so strong”

But he cut a lot of it because, in his words, it was:

“opera talk” and “hi-tech speech” which didn’t have any bearing on the rest of the film

This is the great crux: that some of it is just about obscure enough to count as world building, and to make you wonder about the size and beauty of the blade-runner universe, but that there is a fine line which Hauer can see, and which a lot of us maybe can’t, and if you step over that line it becomes “hi-tech speech”. Because, to be entirely honest, I see it as pretty crazy that you could look at that first version and think “that’s overblown, that’s opera, that’s jargon”, and then cut it down to a version that so obviously IS jargon, and believe that there was something in the second version that was more in tune with the film and which made sense. That is, I think Hauer’s criticism of the first speech could so easily be applied to the second speech, but he doesn’t miss a beat when he discusses the changes he made.

So what’s going on? Why is 1. “I’ve stood on the back deck of a blinker bound for the Plutition Camps with sweat in my eyes watching the stars fight on the shoulder of Orion” just sci-fi jargon, but 2. “Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion” very poetic?

On the one hand it might be obvious: less is more. The power of the sublime being conjured here is that the obscurity of the concept- “shoulder of Orion”- makes you scope out from the roof they are fighting on to imagine a fight full of lives which are so distant from your own, and so large and so many, and which will be forgotten or lost or distanced, which can never be fully understood. The effect, or a sci-fi cynic might well say the trick, is that you introduce a concept which isn’t actually fully fleshed out (because there’s no real notion of a battle between attack ships or people on those ships or the sight itself) and then let it form in its full size in the listeners mind, so that they come to wonder just how complete and vast this universe is. So by less is more, we here mean minimising those powerful sci-fi terms so as not to make it sound like jargon, or like a parody. As I count it, sentence 1 introduces 5 of these terms, and sentence 2 only 2. What’s a Blinker? What’s a Plutition Camp? Why are the stars fighting? Etc. A similar reduction process could fruitfully be applied to “test boats off the black galaxies… attack fleet”. There’s just a bit too much for the listener to be convinced, as a part of the “trick”, that Scott has actually done his world building. 5 instead of 2 just pushes over into “Opera talk”, and away from captivating speech. “Tannhäuser Gate” in particular is as lovely as it is excessive, not least because we wonder how far German as a language has become a distant past or current tool in the far future of Blade Runner.

I think this fairly covers what is meant when Hauer says “pictured in the universe” and “these images are so strong”. Note also that the words themselves being used are very strong and large, and they perform the epic poetry device of generating big noun phrases and then moving on from them: not “galaxies”, but “black galaxies”, and not “shine” but “glitter in the dark”. “Tannhäuser” is also privileged like “Jerusalem” or “Anaheim” in that it has that semi-biblical grandness which is very hard to explain, but which I think you understand instinctively as impressive. Again, this is a bit of a proper-noun cheat, but it was a cheat that Milton used too, so we allow it. It’s no coincidence that Tannhäuser was an ancient medieval poet who became a Wagner character.

But what else does Hauer say? “There’s only so much poetry you can get rid of”. In a sense the couplet he speaks is very much poetical because it leaves a lot of gaps, a lot of space to ponder. The syntax is literary, of course, but the editing itself is another way of saying that less is more. That is, I believe that when you reduce it to be more in the poetical mode, you also have to cut what feels “hi-tech” about it, because you need the sort of abstractions that humans feel comfortable with. I only sort of know what to think about a Blinker, or Plutition Camp, but when you say that something glitters in the dark or that it is on fire, these are things which I see in my life on earth: the window might glitter in my room while the sun goes down, I might see a fire in my fireplace. But putting the bigness of the things themselves, the spaceships and C-Beams, alongside the more realisable, is the stroke of genius here, because it performs the same role as the jargon itself: it intimidates me even while it makes me feel at home, I can picture it and I can’t. What does it mean for something to be on fire, and also in space? What is a space fire, to me? Do I picture fire as I know, but on the distant and large horizon? And how big is this fire? And on the same note, why is this robot talking like a human?

Just to be “on fire” means that there is a blaze that is only as big as the object. “On fire” can scope up in so many powerful ways, but it always feels homely, almost like it’s not high tech enough. “Orion” and “On fire” run into eachother as a result of their conflicting linguistic fields- why not “ablaze”, or a “proton storm”, or “attack ships in a Thuringia blaze?” Because then you wouldn’t have the tension which is recognised as a literary tension.

The same difficult trick is happening with “near”- it brings it all closer, both to Hauer as he remembers it, and as we feel him remember it, but also to Ford and the audience. I don’t think the speech is so much made familiar to us through the use of poetry, as much as I think Hauer realised that the device of contrast between sci-fi vastness and local language was a poetic one, and that high-tech jargon or distant “opera talk” was antithetical to the purpose of the speech, which was to bring the replicant’s blade-runner-universe experiences into line with Ford’s understanding of human sentiment, and so that’s why he says you can only remove so much of that poetry: because it is cheesy, but like anything cheesy, it toes the line very closely with “cool”.

So it’s good that he cut the speech down a bit. I haven’t even seen the trailer for the new one- maybe it’ll be good, maybe not, who knows. You tend not to be able to catch lightning in a bottle twice, particularly with film reboots/remakes/sequels. And it seems that the speech was definitely a little bit like lightning.

Love,

Alex

#Blade Runner #Hauer #tears in rain #sci-fi #movies #speech #harrison ford #ridley scott

[vacationsoup]

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/southeast-asias-literary-history/

Southeast Asia's Literary History

Explore how language and literature have evolved through changing national and international politics, religion and culture in Southeast Asia.

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Southeast Asian literature, as with all literature, is a reflection of the society that it comes from. However what makes literature from this subcontinent quite so fascinating is not only the variety that can be found – each country is so markedly different from the next – but also its bursting history.

This is a collection of countries that have seen so much political upheaval and change particularly in terms of colonisation and independence for millennia and this makes for a fascinating literary progression.

The major influences on literature from this area are religion, politics, colonisation and oral traditions. In the below article we explore and try to understand how we have come to the present day, charting the path that the literature of these countries has taken from the very beginning with orally transmuted folklore tales and myths, through various rulers, oppressors and liberators, to today’s host of modern novels, novellas and poems. We find that there is a huge amount of change and yet also a surprising amount of consistency.

The most notable change, one that can be seen in all of the countries discussed below, is the move from the classical to the vernacular. A change from the ancient (for example in Vietnam the ancient Chinese writings or in Myanmar the stories transcribed onto scrolls and stones) to the colloquial (recording language as it is spoken). This movement allowed literature to become accessible to the masses and was one that started the real journey to literature becoming how we know it today. Below we look in depth at literature from Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia.

Vietnam

The history of Vietnamese literature is a fascinating one thanks to the many international influences of colonisation particularly the Chinese and French. As with every country literature reflects society and in looking at the language and literature of Vietnam we are allowed a real insight into the changing lives of its population. Classical Vietnamese literature (works produced prior to the 11th Century) was entirely written in Chinese because of China’s control of the country, however it is very different compared to works produced in China at this time. For classical Vietnamese works to be understood now they not only must be translated but completely reworked as the syntax and grammar makes no sense in the modern Vietnamese language.

All official documents as well as artistic pieces were written in Chinese until a vernacular script was created which really took effect from the 13th Century onwards. Chu nom was a way of writing down colloquial Vietnamese in Vietnamese and still today is readily translated into the modern language as it follows the current rules of syntax. Despite the fact that chu nom was never standardised or officially endorsed it gained in popularity for centuries and many great literary works of art were recorded in it.

After this we have chu quoc ngu which we would understand as modern day Vietnamese writing. Although it was created in the 17th Century, it was barely used until the early 1900s when its use was then enforced by the French colonial government. From here on out its popularity grew and grew as increasing amounts of very popular periodicals and poems were produced in this language. There was of course dissension as people resisted using a colonial dictated language but largely it was embraced as a chance to standardise written language and thus boost national literacy rates. This was finally compounded when Ho Chi Minh’s new government created new policies enforcing chu quoc ngu resulting in a massive increase in literacy rates. Now all Vietnamese pieces of literature are produced in chu quoc ngu meaning that they are accessible to the masses.

Burma/Myanmar

Burmese literature has been hugely influenced by the country’s religion, politics, monarchy and colonisation with its progress often halted by recessive regimes or ideals as well as censorship and the reliance on patronage. The earliest recorded forms of Burmese literature were found on stone carvings and then paper scrolls and always related a religious purpose. This continued into the Bagan Dynasty where the king proclaimed the country’s religion to be Theravada Buddhism.  During this time religious works, monarchic tributes and some poems (always falling into one or both of the aforementioned categories) made up Burmese literature.

Throughout the proceeding centuries (from 1400s to 1800s), literature did progress particularly in the form of poetry – this was a massively popular art form – and by the 1600s there were four major poetic genres in Burmese literature. These four forms however did still centre on religious, mythological and royal tales. The next big change (aside from the arrival of the printing press in 1818) was British colonial rule. During this time the Anglo-Vernacular (i.e. fusion of Burmese and English language in teaching, writing, reading) was born and children were now taught in both languages.

Then there came a certain stagnation in literature until the early 1900s as artistic patrons were simply nowhere to be found. However the turn of the century saw change as the movement for Burmese independence produced massive amounts of literature: pro-independence poetry, prose and letters all flourished during this time. Since Burma’s independence in 1948 there has been a notable move in the national literature echoing contemporary western literary style and foreign works are increasingly popular. Sadly censorship does play a part here in stifling some of the possibility for literary progress beyond a certain level.

Malaysia

The major influences that can be seen when we chart the progression of Malay and Malaysian literature are religion, morality (didactic texts), social reflection and the tradition of oral storytelling. Malaysian Literature refers to works produced in the Malay Peninsula prior to 1963 and then in Malaysia post-1963. The beginnings of Malay literature are deeply rooted in oral storytelling with stories largely centred on folklore, mythology, romance and epic poetry. In these stories, Indian influences are very clearly visible particularly parallels drawn from Indian epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

When the move from oral to written began (although oral storytelling is still well and alive in many areas of Malaysia today) these epic tales were often transcribed into large volumes. At this time the greatest outpouring of Malaysian literature was epic poetry, romantic tales and new forms of Malay poetry that were often focused on producing a didactic message for the listener or reader. In the oral literature of this time there was a large focus on recounting versions of real events as well as discussing spirituality, ancestry and the afterlife. These are themes that still run through Malaysian literature today, particularly the oral literature.

In the 1800s written literature overtook oral literature as the major form in which pieces of work were being produced. This was largely thanks to the rise of Islam in the area, bringing written texts with it as well as a rise of intellectualism. With this there was a burst of modernisation as Malaysian scholars, often educated abroad, brought in foreign influences to the traditional Malaysian literary form. It was at this time that the country saw the birth of the novel or novella. Although still generally sticking to the didactic and promotion of religious or theological concepts, these stories were also often harshly critical of current social and economic problems. There was a sense of realism and romanticism in a gritty yet somewhat idealist portrayal of Malaysian proletariat life.

Some fascinating reading

Above we have given you an overview of the history of the progression of literature and language in Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia. A truly fascinating way of gaining an insight into the changing politics, culture and population on a national and international scale. Below are a few texts that you may want to read if you are interested in gaining a further understanding or if you simply want to read something entertaining and fun.

‘Chinh phụ ngam’ or ‘Lament of a Solider’s Wife’ by Dang Tran Con is a classic Vietnamese poem originally written in Chinese but then transcribed into both chu nom and chu quoc ngu (English translations can also be found online). It is an emotive piece of work that still massively resonates today.

The Burmese journalist and author Ludu U Hla produced a number of poignant pieces that look at ethnic minorities and their interactions within traditional folklore and mythology as well as producing some highly influential biographies and various nonfiction works.

‘Spirits Abroad’ by Zen Cho, a Malaysian author currently living in London, is a collection of short stories that have become highly regarded around the world. These fantasy stories have a distinctly Malaysian viewpoint that flawlessly intermingles the real or the dull with the magical and fantastical.