I find film and literature powerful for their ability to expand the vision of the mind's eye far beyond our own spheres. From now on, whenever someone mentions Martinique, my brain will conjure up thumbnails from "Sugar Cane Alley." I was particularly interested in how Medouze fulfilled the archetype of the wise old mentor. Even in a place as remote as Martinique, narratives still reflect the same storytelling elements evident everywhere from Hercules to Star Wars. That particular archetype reminds me of something Plato touched upon in "The Republic," about how elders provide valuable insight not only because of their life experience, but because they are (for the most part) free from the intoxicating distractions of youth such as lust. So I viewed Medouze as a projection of the fold weaved into our human nature that craves a wise, almost divine adviser to impart us with wisdom beyond our reach. His advice that one cannot change nature already stood out as a harsh perspective, but hits even stronger when we view this perspective as a truth awaiting all humans once set free from the bindings of youth.
Granted, one thing we must remain conscious of is the distortion of reality that comes about given that we are viewing the artist's representation. However, the director is a native Martinique, so as far as distortions go, I feel confident putting more trust in her first-hand artistic representation of the truth of her island. The reading I take from Medouze's inclusion in the film is that while the incredibly young and incredibly bright Jose embodies hope for the future generations of Martinique, timeless wisdom speaks that as per the tenants of nature the legacy of subjugation will continue to wear on the island like a permanent ink stain, at least according to the native director's testimony.
I completely agree with Dan's point about the creation of the "mentor" character in Sugar Cane Alley. I think both Monsieur Médouze and José's grandmother fill the role of "mentors" in this film, especially in his grandmother's strong guidance towards attaining an education. I also feel it is worthwhile to note that, in the stereotypical story structure of many films, the mentor dies (whether physically or metaphorically) about 2/3 of the way through the movie. For instance: Star Wars, when Obi-Wan is killed. In any case, Monsieur Médouze physically dies, forcing young José to cut his ties with the "Sugar Cane Alley" he grew up on and venture into the world on his own.
ReplyDeleteI think Dan's final note is accurate: José is the ray of hope that comes out of this impoverished, slave-like plantation on Martinique. Have the conditions there gotten better after all these years? After researching (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/feb/12/france-revolts-guadeloupe-martinique) it appears that the grip of colonialism is still being felt on the economy of Martinique.