Random Thoughts Of A Driftwood

Homage to Catalonia is one of the best(if not the best) wartime accounts from on the the best writer of our times. Serving with the leftist POUM militia(Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista), Homage to Catalonia captures the optimism and idealism of revolutionary Spain. It then explores the mundaneness of trench warfare, which was more like non warfare. The treachery, living in fear of being outed, street fighting in Barcelona all vividly expressed. Even in the humdrum nature of it all, George Orwell writes a captivating account that manages to share with its readers the horrors and poor conditions of those in the front line and the political backstabbing from those that are far away from the actual fighting. A turbulent history of Spanish history with a huge variety of political entities fighting against fascism and against themselves. Homage to Catalonia ends with the hauntingly prescient paragraph in which Orwell expresses his disdain for his fellow En...

First of all, a warning... do not read this if you plan on watching this movie. I'll try to avoid spoilers but it is unavoidable that I touch on instances in the movie to make a point. So be warned. Watch the movie first, then read this post. The Woman In Black is a movie directed by James Watkins and is based on the Susan Hill novel of the same title. The main protagonist(Arthur Kipps) is played by Daniel Radcliff aka Mr. Harry Potter. It's hard to watch this movie without going "Look ma! It's Harry Potter!". Like all novel to movie adaptations, it exhibits some adaptation syndrom symptoms. Let me explain... Like all movies that are rather limited when it comes to screen time, details are definitely cut out. Make no mistake, I haven't read The Woman In Black, but I noticed the lack of detail and explanations for the plot. That being said, The Woman In Black does not(at least to my knowledge) display any gaping plot holes. That's a good sign. The Wom...

George Orwell(1903-1950) famously known for his work 1984, was a master of the prose. I posit that the words he had written in the opening chapter of Homage to Catalonia stands as a vivid painting of the landscape of a Catalonia swept up by revolutionary fervour. I dare say his description is even more haunting and real than the video documentaries produced on the Spanish Civil War. Here's a short example: "The revolutionary posters were everywhere, flaming from the walls in clean reds and blue that made the few remaining advertisements look like daubs of mud. Down the Ramblas( NOTE : La Rambla is a street in Barcelona ), the wide central artery of town where crowds of people streamed constantly to and fro, the loudspeakers were bellowing revolutionary songs all day and far into the night. And it was the aspect of the crowds that was the queerest thing of all. In outward appearance it was a town in which the wealthy classes had practically ceased to exist." Hom...