Month: March 2022

30 days of war in Kharkiv, Ukraine: The Good, The Not-So Bad, & The Ugly

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The Ugly:

I’ll start with the worst information and end with the most encouraging news. At least 500,000 residents have fled Kharkiv, once Ukraine’s 2nd largest city, including Stepan – Ukraine’s most famous Instagram cat (link). A few animals from the beleaguered zoo have also been evacuated through intrepid efforts (link).

Many other residents have not been so lucky: dozens of people are killed every day by the barrage of Russian missiles, bombs, and rockets that bombard the city. You can see comparative satellite photos of the before and after damage here. You can drag the slider left or right (link).

Only 25 miles from the Russian border, the Ukrainian defenders have delivered a humiliating defeat to Putin by holding on to Kharkiv for a month. Russian forces have only partially encircled the city which continues to hold out. The Russians launched an attack on Kharkiv at the outset of the war, but, after the initial attack failed, the Russians have decided to mercilessly pound the city with rockets and artillery. Hundreds of buildings have been destroyed (link). But, it seems unlikely the city will fall anytime soon, since Ukrainian troops claim to have recaptured a village outside Kharkiv.

The Russians have also used cluster munitions throughout Ukraine. Bellingcat is an intriguing volunteer group that uses open-source information to collect intelligence on various conflicts. The plethora of information on social media about the war in Ukraine has helped Bellingcat document the indiscriminate use of cluster munitions in residential areas in Kharkiv and other parts of Ukraine (link).

To escape the shelling, many residents have sought shelter in the city’s subway system, and musicians have performed concerts to maintain morale (link). Denys Karachevtsev, a musician in Kharkiv, encapsulated the spirit of resistance when he performed Bach’s Cello Suite No. 5 amongst the ruined streets of the city (link). Contrast it with this beautiful 4k quality walking tour amongst the parks and landmarks of the city before the war. Imagine these were the streets of Cincinnati or Covington!

The Not-So Bad – Nataliya’s Family:

Despite a month of nearly continuous bombardment, Nataliya’s family is still in good health. While we are angry, tired, and tired of being angry, I can barely imagine what a month of terror and privation has felt like. Her parents and brother’s family decided to stay in Kharkiv when Putin launched the invasion a month ago. Nataliya’s brother Michael’s family has stayed in their apartment on the 7th floor of an urban apartment building. They lost water pressure for a few days, so Michael had to carry buckets of water up 7 flights of stairs.

Despite the frequent bombardment, some semblance of normal life continues amidst all the death and destruction. Michael continues to work as an applications developer for Oracle despite sitting in the middle of a war zone. We spoke briefly on via video chat recently and his energetic 5-year-old son Leo was cheerfully running around the apartment and screeching! Michael said people still sit on benches and walk in a nearby park when it seems safe.

“At some point things look like business as usual,” Michael wrote in text. “And sometimes it is not so much. A la guerre comme a la guerre” (French translation: “war is war”).

Nataliya’s parents live in a small village called Pisochyn on the edge of Kharkiv. Food has become scarcer as the fighting as continued. The nearest market is about 20-minute bike ride away and only accepts cash, but the bank only allows people to withdraw a modest amount of money each time. The lines at the bank and market can be 2 hours long.

“We hold on and believe in victory and peace,” her mother Iryna wrote in a text message.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-eastern-ukraines-largest-city-pro-russia-sympathies-wither-as-war-looms-11643539633Being so close to Russia, Kharkiv was a hub of Russian cultural influence before the invasion. Nataliya and her family all speak Russian, instead of Ukrainian, as did most other residents. However, the war has destroyed any goodwill towards Russia (link).

The Good (From Cincinnati to Kharkiv With Love):

Cincinnati has organized and will continue to host additional fundraisers and protests in support of Kharkiv, which has been our sister city for more than 30 years. This wonderful 18-minute video highlights the close personal connections between the cities (link).

Nataliya and I are eager to do as much as we can to support Ukraine. It may not seem like much, but we have to do what we can! Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Clifton hosted a beautiful concert with emotional performances by Ukrainian musicians. All Saints Episcopal Church will host another benefit concert on April 23rd at 4p.m. (link). Another protest is planned in Blue Ash soon, and a large fundraiser is tentatively scheduled for April 10. Several dozen volunteers will cook and bake traditional Ukrainian dishes and send the proceeds to Ukraine. I’ll post more details on Facebook as they become certain.

I work at Humana, and many of my colleagues are finding innovative ways to support Ukraine as well. At least one colleague has taken time off work to travel to Poland to assist some of the nearly 4 million refugees who have fled the fighting. We are also asking Humana to divest from any Russian assets or investments the company may have (if applicable).

America has finally agreed to accept 100,000 refugees and continues to send weapons and supplies. President Biden is also considering additional sanctions and has officially accused Putin of committing war crimes. However, we need to keep up the pressure in both DC and Cincinnati until the war stops! Putin must be punished and pay reparations for all the death and destruction he has wrought!

Slava Ukraini!

Women Steal the Show in Raw Deal (1948)

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You can watch a trailer for Raw Deal here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bphmrlpvJJo

Claire Trevor (as Pat Regan) and Marsha Hunt (as Ann Martin) are the real stars in Raw Deal while Dennis O’Keefe (as Joe Sullivan) is overshadowed by the two more dynamic characters. In addition, John Alton’s cinematography is very effective as well.

In my first paper, I lamented the fact that film noir tends to have a very misogynistic attitude towards female characters, and I was delighted to watch a film from the perspective of Pat (who provides the voice-over narration). Furthermore, both Claire Trevor and Marsha Hunt create much deeper characters than Dennis O’Keefe, who is relegated to the typical film noir tough guy role. On the surface, the plot is about Joe’s attempt to escape from prison, kill his betrayer, and flee to South America. However, the real tension is the love triangle between Joe and his two female accomplices/companions. The tension between the women is apparent even before the plot structure is clearly established. Pat throws an icy glare at Anne as she leaves the visiting room at the state prison where Joe is incarcerated, indicating her jealousy of the other woman who dared to visit her man.

After Anne is unwillingly drawn into the escape plan, the trio hit the road in her car. All three of them sit in a row in the front seats; however, the shot helps establish the nature of the relationship. Joe sits behind the steering wheel and is the closest to the camera. Anne sits next to him in the middle seat while Pat is furthest away. This reinforces Pat’s emotional and physical separation from Joe who has never professed his love to Pat (as we discover later). It also places Anne closer to Joe (physically and emotionally) and situates her as an obstacle in between the supposed couple. In addition, the characters are portrayed in descending order, with Joe appearing to be taller and more important than the women with Pat seeming to be the smallest and least powerful.

Pat, Anne, and Joe (left to right) from Senses of Cinema.

Anne is the most dynamic and intriguing character because she experiences the most development. Initially acting as Joe’s good conscious, Anne urges him to turn himself in soon after escaping. Later, Anne, also urges Joe to let the other fugitive hide in the tavern with them and warns Joe that he could share the killer’s same bloody fate (effective foreshadowing). However, her love for Joe gradually corrupts her and she begins to break the law on his behalf. Anne lies to the park ranger who intrudes on their campsite, and Anne even picks up a gun to shoot the hoodlum Fantail (played by John Ireland) during his fistfight with Joe at Grimshaw’s. Shocked by her own capacity for violence, Anne drops the gun and runs distraughtly down the beach.

Pat initially performs an opposing role as Joe’s “devilish” conscious in contrast to Anne’s “angelic” conscious. Pat unsuccessfully encourages Joe to leave the fugitive killer outside the tavern to save himself. While Anne is corrupted during the movie, Pat is partially reformed on the other hand. Pat is tempted to call the police in order to save Joe from being killed in his confrontation with Rick. In the end, she gives in to her own conscious and tells Joe that Rick has captured Anne.

The cinematography of the sequence while Pat wrestles with her own guilty conscious aboard the ship is also quite effective. Shown in profile in a dark cabin, Pat appears to be staring at the clock on the wall even though it’s off to the left side and probably at the edge of her peripheral vision. The light is placed so that the edges of the light shaft line up with the top of her forehead and the bottom of her chin so that it appears the light is shooting straight from her face on to the clock. The light appears to connect her mind to the clock. But the shadow cast by the clock also creates a black shaft (similar to the barrel of a gun) that looms menacingly at her face. Lost in contemplation, the dialogue mostly consists of Joe speaking while some eerie music wafts through the background. A subsequent shot shows Pat’s face reflected in the glass cover of the clock, as time grinds on inevitably. Each second seems like torture, which forces Pat to admit to herself that she would never be happy if she lives in a sham marriage with Joe while he still really loves Anne. She reveals that Rick has captured Anne, and Joe rushes off to his fatal confrontation with Rick.

However, the final scene felt a little forced as Pat miraculously appears at the doorstep of Rick’s liar just as Joe dies in Anne’s embrace. It’s unclear how the police arrested her or why they brought her to Rick’s hideout. It feels like an artificial excuse to reunite the trio for the tragic conclusion.

On the other hand, Joe has very little character growth. In a few disparate pieces of dialogue, Joe and Anne reveal that, as a child, he had once heroically rescued people from a fire. Later he sold the medal he received to buy food which helps explain how he became a hardened criminal. Otherwise, Joe is so stoic to the point that he’s never told Pat he loves her (if indeed he did). For example, he tells Pat she wouldn’t understand why he must mete out revenge on Rick.

Overall, it was very rewarding to see a film noir from a female perspective. It provides a fresh point of view that is a relief from the incessant misogyny of most other examples of film noir. The cinematography helped convey the power dynamics of the love triangle and highlighted various elements of character development.

References

Raw Deal. Directed by Anthony Mann. Performances by Dennis O’Keefe, Claire Trevor, and Marsha Hunt. Eagle Lion Films, 1948.

Misogyny & Gender in Scarlet Street (1945)

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I am taking another film class this semester about American film noir. I wrote essays about two of the films we watched. The first is Scarlet Street (1945) which is based on the 1930 French novel La Chienne (the bitch). A 1931 French film preceded the American adaptation which was directed by Fritz Lang, one of my favorite directors! You can watch Scarlet Street free on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNRSxu22NxU

Essay:

As discussed in the first chapter of Foster Hirsch’s The Dark Side of the Screen, film noir conveys a generally misogynistic attitude towards women who are portrayed as duplicitous and seductive. Fritz Lang’s Scarlet Street (1945) is certainly no exception.

Fritz Lang, from Mubi.com

Kitty (Joan Bennett) is a typical femme fatale in Scarlet Street. She manipulates a gullible cashier, Chris Cross (Edward G. Robinson), into stealing from his wife and his employer under false pretense of love. In addition, Kitty acts in a generally low-class and vulgar manner. For example, she reveals her ignorance of art by mispronouncing Cezanne’s name when discussing art with Chris. Furthermore, she is drunken and uncouth. Kitty stays out late drinking with lover Johnny Prince (Dan Duryea) and sleeps in until her friend Milly arrives the next morning to make amends. In the scene when Johnny convinces Kitty to extort Chris, Kitty also rudely spits out a piece of food. This vulgarity is followed by a telling closeup of a sink full of dirty dishes reveals that she is also a poor housekeeper (which would be seen a major failing for a woman in 1945). Kitty was unable or unwilling to maintain regular employment as a model (thus earning the nickname “Lazy Legs”). All of these elements would have persuaded viewers at the time that Kitty was a “failure” as a woman on several fronts.

From IMDB.com

Kitty also degrades herself by staying with Johnny who slaps Kitty on several occasions and takes money from her. He also insults Kitty, and her friend Milly (Margaret Lindsay) points out that Johnny has made Kitty into “a tramp.” Yet, despite these insults, Kitty clings to Johnny and doesn’t reject him in favor of Chris once Homer Higgins returns. The viewer would understand that Kitty is beyond redemption and refuses to even save herself. Kitty uses her sexuality to corrupt Chris. Even Johnny suggests that she is too sexual when he complained that she thought about nothing else. He told her to call a janitor if she needed more “heat” in the apartment since he could not accommodate Kitty’s lust!

Kitty and Chris from the Harvard Film Archive.

Hirsch attributes the misogyny of noir films to several factors, including anxiety about the social change and upheaval resulting from World War II. During the war, 6 million American women entered the workforce to replace men who had gone over seas to fight the Axis powers (“Watch Terrified Men”). Women became more independent which threatened the traditional patriarchal social structure. Released just after World War II had ended in 1945, Scarlet Street vividly captures the contemporary male anxiety. Although most female employees were fired so that returning veterans could reclaim their jobs, many men were clearly concerned that they had already let the cat out of the bag. Kitty, a modern/liberated woman, was the perfect scapegoat.

The other main female character, Adele Cross (Rosalind Ivan), is shown in a very negative light as well. Adele is an overbearing woman who dominates Chris to such a degree that their domestic rolls are “crisscrossed.” Adele berates Chris to do the dishes (which would typically be the wife’s job in 1945) until he meekly complies. Chris also wears a frilly feminine apron while preparing dinner. Ironically, Adele’s favorite radio program is called the “Happy Household Hour,” while the Cross’ domestic relationship is clearly upside down. Adele also belittles Chris’ art and forces him to take his canvases out of the apartment (and inadvertently pushes him into Kitty’s seductive embrace). Adele reveals that Chris was only able to propose marriage to her because she “put the words” in his mouth. Thus, even in the domestic sphere Chris allows himself to be dominated and bullied. Hapless Chris can’t even find refuge in the supposedly safe realm of his own household, where the man was supposed to rule as patriarch. The domineering Adele has usurped his role, thus reflecting the contemporary anxiety that men felt like they were under assault on all fronts.

Kitty’s friend, Milly (Margaret Lindsay), was the only positive or neutral female character in Scarlet Street. Milly acts as the voice of reason by trying to explain to Kitty how Johnny has mistreated her. When the two women argue, she is the first to make amends by offering a bottle of Scotch. Milly also warns Kitty that Johnny has made threats and is on his way back to her apartment to hurt her at the end of the film. Milly acts as a token example that not all women are bullies or seducers. Milly is also gainfully employed in contrast to Kitty. However, her role is very minimal, and she only offers a baseline for acceptable behavior. Milly’s modest behavior contrasts with Adele and Kitty only serves to make them more monstrous. Scarlet Street tells female viewers that they should toe the line and challenge men no further than Milly’s verbal sparring with Johnny.

Scarlet Street thus offers fertile ground for exploring the film noir trend towards misogyny. Shot during the later stages of World War II and released shortly after the fighting stopped, Scarlet Street affirms Hirsch’s thesis that film noir reflected male anxiety about potential gender roles becoming permanently “crisscrossed” as a result of the wartime labor crisis. Kitty was presented as a seductive woman who failed to uphold traditional gender expectations. Adele emasculated her husband and usurped the traditional patriarchal role as head of the household. Similar trends are evident in other films we’ve viewed so far, such as the predatory femme fatale Phyllis (Barbara Stanwyck) in Double Indemnity (1944) and the duplicitous Helen/Velma (Claire Trevor) in Murder, My Sweet (1944).

References

Hirsch, Foster. The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir. Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 1981.

McNeary, Allison. “Watch Terrified Men Learn to Deal With Women in the Workforce in WWII.” History.com, March 2, 2018. https://www.history.com/news/women-workforce-wwii-training-video-1940s. Accessed Feb. 3, 2002.

Scarlet Street. Directed by Fritz Lang. Performances by Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennet and Dan Duryea. Fritz Lang Productions, 1945.

Standing with Ukraine in Cincinnati

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Despite the uncertainly at the moment, Nataliya’s brother Michael told me he feels like the situation must be more difficult for Nataliya and I as we watch powerlessly from far. He lives in Kharkiv, one of Cincinnati’s sister cities, in eastern Ukraine, and the city has been under Russian bombardment for more than a week. Neither Nataliya nor I have been sleeping well. However, we have been doing what we can to support Ukraine and the 1 million refugees who have already fled as well as bolster our own spirits.

Protest at City Hall on Feb. 28, 2022.

About 150-200 people attended a protest on Monday (Feb. 28) at city hall. There were many outrageous, poignant, and pointed signs. Protestors wore the national colors of blue and yellow and waved the national flag. I brought along some sunflowers which are the national flower. Cars honked their horn in support as they drove past. Mayor Aftab Purval spoke and pledged support to Kharkiv which is one of our sister cities. It felt great to be around so many other people who also cared so deeply about Ukraine. Several news outlets covered the event and Nataliya was mortified to later see her portrait in City Beat.

The slogans of Ukrainian resistance erupted loudly and frequently from the crowd:

Slava Ukraini (glory to Ukraine)!

Heroyam slava (glory to the heroes)! [This serves as a rejoinder]

These two nationalist slogans originated in the Ukrainian war for independence (1917-21) against Poland and the Bolshevik government in Moscow.(link)

An informal committee has been created at my employer, Humana. We had an initial meeting last week that generated more than 30 different ideas about how our company and coworkers can support the Ukrainian people. A second “shark tank” style meeting will turn the ideas into action later this week. Several of my ideas were selected, including a suggestion to divest from any funds or assets in Russia. Numerous other companies and funds have made a similar pledge; however, it may not even be relevant since I’m not sure Humana even has any assets in Russia. If we do, it won’t be feasible for the foreseeable future since MoEx (the Moscow stock market) will remain closed indefinitely due to the unprecedented sanctions that have been levied against Russia. (link) I’m not even sure how to send this suggestion up the corporate ladder or who would even make that decision aside from the board of directors.

5k participants at Corwin Nixon Park (Mason, OH) – March 5, 2022.

On Saturday (March 5th), I attended another protest and fundraiser in Mason. This time, it took the form of a 5k walk and fundraiser at Corwin Nixon Park. Turnout was again very strong with about 150 people participating. At first, we walked along Mason-Montgomery Road with many cars honking in support. Then, we walked across the park alongside a peaceful little stream. The weather was perfect – sunny and warm. I felt like maybe Michael and his family could live vicariously through me since they remain huddled in the apartment in Kharkiv.

Putin’s naked aggression has enraged me, and I will do everything I can to help. Because I’m not very busy at work currently, the war in Ukraine has given me new purpose. Nataliya and I urge everyone to act on their sympathy for Ukraine as well by donating to humanitarian organizations, writing a letter to Congress, attending rallies, or any other relevant activity. To stay up to date on local ways to support Ukraine, you can join the Stand with Ukraine in Cincinnati Facebook group.

The International Criminal Court has begun to investigate whether Putin has committed war crimes during the invasion of Ukraine. However, the evidence is obvious that he has. The Russians have used cluster bombs against the city, which drop a carpet of small bomblets over a wide area. (link) This is the definition of indiscriminate and exposes Putin’s lies about targeting only “military objects.”

On Tuesday (March 1st), Russian missiles destroyed Freedom Square in the city’s center, which housed local and regional government offices, as well as a concert hall and opera house. The city zoo is immediately adjacent to Freedom Square but does not seem to have been badly damaged. Nataliya took her son to the zoo on previous trips to visit his grandparents. However, the zookeepers were unable to evacuate the animals since the city is only 28 miles from the Russian border. The zookeepers have sedated the animals but say they only have 10 days of food left. Some animals have escaped but more than 4,000 remain. (link) I love animals, and they shouldn’t be overlooked. That’s not to downplay all the human suffering that’s occurring either. The European Zoo Association is accepting donations on behalf of all Ukrainian institutions (link).

I hope that one day I can see Kharkiv in all its peaceful splendor after Putin has been forced to rebuild it. Although I’m usually not a fan of jingoist slogans, I’ll sign off my blogs from now on with the following salute:

Slava Ukraini!

Day 10 of the war in Kharkiv, Ukraine

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More than a week into the assault on Kharkiv, the people’s spirit remains unbroken. For the last 10 days, the Russian army has launched missiles, airstrikes and artillery against the city of 1.4 million residents – including my girlfriend Nataliya’s family. Dozens have been killed or injured and some parts of the city are without power, water, or heat. (link) Before the war, Kharkiv was a cultural and economic center renowned for its museums.

Her parents still live on the outskirts of the city and her brother Michael lives in the city itself with his wife Daria and young son Leo, who is autistic. There is some good news that Nataliya’s ex-husband, Vlad, managed to escape Kharkiv and should return to the US soon. He had been visiting his parents in Kharkiv when the war started.

Her parents have been hiding in their cellar to avoid nearby explosions that have caused their windows to rattle. However, the cellar is too cold for them to sleep in overnight. The pet cat and Nataliya’s father have been comforting each other during the bombardment and are inseparable. The power recently went out, but luckily their house is heated by gas.

“We pray every minute,” said Nataliya’s mother, Iryna, via text.

Thankfully, they live on the fringe of the city, so they have some chickens, rabbits, and a small garden. Otherwise, they haven’t been able to go shopping, but a truck delivered a few loaves of bread to the neighborhood one day. All the neighbors are working together to help each other survive. A younger resident goes to the pharmacy to obtain medication for older members of the community. People buy extra supplies and share with anyone who might be running out of essentials.

Michael and his family live in a large apartment building and half of the residents have already fled. They mostly stay indoors except for occasional brief excursions to a small park across the street when things seem quiet. Leo, who is non-verbal, has already started to crack under the stress, even though Michael tried to convince him the explosions were only fireworks. The family wants to stay together but avoids going down into the basement during air raids. Michael fears they might be trapped if the only exit is blocked by debris.

Despite all the difficulties, Michael remains grimly determined.

“There is no need to plan ahead,” he wrote via text message. “When you plan one day at a time, it’s sort of ok, no matter how horrible this sounds. There is joy when you wake up the next day and check for family and friends and you can hear from them. We have hope that…there’ll be enough spirit to break the Russians.”

Although the future remains uncertain, Michael says they plan to stay in Kharkiv since it seems more dangerous to travel by car, especially with a small child who has special needs. However, they do have a plan to evacuate, and their bags are already packed if the need to leave quickly. Daria, Nataliya’s sister in-law, has lived in the same neighborhood in Kharkiv her whole life, so it seems more difficult for her to admit they might need to leave.

I understand the reasoning and realize fleeing wouldn’t be easy. On the other hand, I’m very concerned that the situation could only get worse as Putin gets more desperate. Despite sustaining considerable losses (at least 500 killed, 200 captured, and hundreds of vehicles destroyed or captured) over the first week (link), Putin’s armies have only captured one major city, Kherson, along the Black Sea coast. Kherson is only the 13th largest Ukrainian city with about 280,000 residents before the war.

Although the Russians agreed to temporary local ceasefires in order to allow for civilian evacuations, the first such agreement in the port city of Mariupol collapsed after only a few hours (link). The Ukrainians say the Russians broke the agreement and continued to shell the city as civilians tried to leave.

I’m afraid civilians like Michael and his family will pay the price if Putin ratchets up the violence even more to eke out some meager victory. Putin set a precedent for brutality when he flattened the city of Grozny 20 years ago during the 2nd Chechen War. In doing so, he killed at least 5,000 civilians. (link) With the whole world watching, I hope Putin won’t dare to repeat the atrocity, but we can’t rule it out.

Slava Ukraini!