Thursday, September 10, 2015

Words Count with Mama Zen


The Blood of a Poet (1930) is Jean Cocteau's first film.  A dream-like sequence of vignettes, this avant garde film explores the role of sexuality, pain, and self-doubt in a poet's creative process. Cocteau (a poet himself who believed that poetry is the foundation of all the arts) depicts the creative act as a kind of dangerous, dark, self-inflicted suffering.

At this point in my post, I had planned to summarize the plot of Blood of a Poet.  Really, I did.  After a few failed attempts, however, I decided that summarizing the plot of a surrealist film is also an act of self-inflicted suffering.  Instead, I'll let you check out this rather brilliant mashup of the first two "episodes" of the film (with music by Massive Attack) and form your own impressions.




So, poets, what do you think?  Are you inspired?  Confused?  Both?  Do you agree with Cocteau that creativity is dark and dangerous?  Or, do you just wish that I had picked a cat playing piano video instead?  What do you see when you peek through keyholes?  Feel free to approach Blood of a Poet in any way you like.  Just keep your act of self-inflicted suffering to 80 words or less.

15 comments:

brudberg said...

Love the clip... it's straightjacket good.

Jim said...

80 words !! Wow, you are being generous today. :)
..

Susie Clevenger said...

Well, that was weird, challenging. No telling where my mind will go on this one. Thanks for stretching my imagination Mama Zen.

Susan said...

I used to teach this Avant garde" theatre stuff--Cocteau, Artaud, etc. This film is mild. But it's been a while and the music was the best and so I am stimulated, YES, and running away from the mallet as fast as I can . . .

brudberg said...

This was fun.. I tried to use the word limit till its maximum.

Fireblossom said...

I love Massive Attack.

Glenn Buttkus said...

Well, Mama Z, this is my first foray into TOAD participation, but taking Bjorn's lead, & finding other dVerse poets hanging out here, & having some extra time today, I gave it a shot. Like Bjorn, I used all 80 words, & had a hell of a good time doing it.

Glenn Buttkus said...

Sorry, Mama, but it appears that my first link grabbed onto my dVerse poem from today. The second link is accurate; please remove the first mistaken link.

Maude Lynn said...

Welcome, Glen! Good to see you here.

Thank you all for playing. I know this is kind of quirky. I'm just now able to start making my rounds, and I can't wait to see your responses.

Lolamouse said...

Surrealism gives me a headache! After some Exedrin, I wrote my poem!

Hannah said...

Thank you!! I enjoyed this...will be back to read...have to pick up the little form school. :)

grapeling said...

very cool, MZ. i hadn't seen that vid before. as to the pen, well, how did Michael Stipe put it? Everybody hurts?

Outlawyer said...

Very cool prompt, MZ. k.

Gillena Cox said...

Very nice prompt
Much. Love...

Gillena Cox said...

Very nice prompt
Much. Love...