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Paterson, a great movie about a poet and his poetry

3/23/2017

I just saw a movie about a poet and his poems at the Hyland, called Paterson, the poet Ron Padgett. Wow. I've seen my share of poet-movies, but this one was the best by far. The movie itself was a digital poem reminiscent of Padgett's poetry in its simplicity and structure. The acting, directing (Jim Jarmusch)--everything about it was perfect. That simplicity. And the poems forming before our eyes.

From Facebook: Comments

Jf Pickersgill I have heard the response of a lot of women who are furious at the character created as his wife.
Like · Reply · 6 hrs

Stan Burfield Oh, why? I think in terms of the structure of the movie, she is meant to be the opposite of his simplicity. To his soft grey, she is a hard-cut black and white. Something like that is necessary in the movie to point in the direction he is going. The poet happens to represent a man, Rod Padgett, but the genders of the two characters could just as easily have been reversed.
Like · Reply · 5 hrs · Edited

Jf Pickersgill I don't think the character in the movie is meant to represent Padgett. Rather, the character was created and then they needed some true poetry rather than an impression of poetry written by a non-poet so they pressed Padgett into service because he is an actual poet in real life (not just a character in movies).
Like · Reply · 4 hrs · Edited

Stan Burfield Yeah, could very well be. I love the guy being a bus driver, and having this very ordinary life, in a world of old brick buildings and ordinary people and their lives. No glitz. No glamour. No clamouring for status. (Except from his wife, who represents that world: She keeps on insisting he try to get published, telling him over and over that he's a great poet.) I've got to say, I can't stand any of that stuff any more than the character in the movie can.
Like · Reply · 3 hrs

Jf Pickersgill First, I have to say: I have not seen the movie yet. I expect to see it on April 9 when it plays in Cobourg for a single showing. (Being a small town, we don't get movies like this very much at all.)

Second, I was presenting an opinion second-hand above. Various women I know who have seen the film seem to agree with one wonderful Canadian woman poet who put her view this way:

"I haven't encountered such a poorly written supporting female character since the year 2000. Any inanimate object within reach of you right now, Facebook reader, is infinitely more interesting and has more substance than the protagonist's live-in lover / wife in Paterson. I was rooting for the poet to sleep with the woman he occasionally exchanged a few lines with at the bar he went to every night to avoid the manic pixie dream girl / completely vapid cupcake-maker he had at home (and that he was apparently madly in love with). Said woman at bar demonstrated more character in her four lines of dialogue than the wife did the entire movie."
Like · Reply · 3 hrs

Stan Burfield Compared to him, I suppose vapid. and a bit Irritatingly so. But mainly just different. As we all are, but it's interesting to hear their points of view on her. Well, as I'm getting older, I'm certainly enjoying more and more trying to look at life through the eyes of women. As a guy, when you're young and charged with hormones, it's nearly impossible. Seeing this movie this way reminds me of what happened a couple times long ago when I mentioned my all-time favourite movie, Dr. Zhivago in the company of women They said they couldn't stand it, because the whole movie was about an affair by a married man, and how attractive the affair seemed, a problem that, as a guy, I had never even noticed!
Like · Reply · 2 hrs · Edited

Marianne Micros I think the wife is marvelous! She is so full of life and she respects and loves everything her husband does. She is playful and energetic while he is quiet and thoughtful. He also loves and respects all that she does, no matter how crazy. They are a contrast to other couples we see in the film.
Unlike · Reply · 1 · 4 hrs

Stan Burfield Yes, you're right. I see that, too, as well as the point of view I attached to JF's post. I guess I can really relate to him, and can hardly relate to her at all, partly because I'm a guy, but also just from seeing the world more or less the way he does. But being compatible opposites in a relationship is an amazing thing. My wife and I are like that.
Like · Reply · 1 · 3 hrs · Edited

Marianne Micros Also his wife is an artist in her own way. She is also a comfort to him.
Unlike · Reply · 1 · 1 hr

Stan Burfield Actually my own wife is very much like her, totally a visual artist, always reworking the design of her home. When the woman in the movie was painting a wall black, and saying to him that it will be interesting, I thought there's my wife. She paints and repaints. And I look at it and just shrug my shoulders and feel happy for her. :) Since I told her about the wife in the movie, she's going to drag me back to it again. No problem. I love the poetry.
Like · Reply · 56 mins · Edited

Marianne Micros Me too. I loved the movie. The movie inspired me to write a poem about it
Like · Reply · 55 mins

Stan Burfield oh, wonderful! I don't suppose there's any chance....
Like · Reply · 50 mins

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Paterson, a great movie about a poet and his poetry

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