0 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Monday, February 6, 2012 - 7A The Michigan Dyily - michigandailycom Monday, February 6, 2012 - 7A Learning to embrace the art of calligraphy Super heroes done right There are plenty of art forms that have suc- cessfully made their way across countries and con- tinents - painting, sculpture and photog- raphy have undergone * countless variations as they have passed through the hands of the LAUREN many people CASERTA who devel- oped them into the styles we see today. Of course, the same cannot be said for every traditional art form, especially those for which there is no exact cross-cultural equivalent. Many East Asian practitioners consider the pro- cess of creation just as important as the piece of art that takes shape, turning the actions of writing, gardening or even serv- ing tea into carefully choreo- graphed displays. Americans have often been fascinated by cultures outside of our own, but the 21st century has dawned to reveal a rather kitschy side to our desire for objects and images from outside our borders. We love stuff but would rather forego the emo- tional or traditional "baggage" that comes with it. Japanese calligraphy is a perfect - and often painful - example of how an intricately-tuned cultural tradition can be watered down into a commercialized, easy-to- swallow concept once it has left its natural habitat. Japan uses three main writing systems to render language and meaning. Kanji, a vast collec- tion of characters that are both concise and visually beautiful, is considered the most complicated of the three. Able to pack a huge amount of significance into a single symbol, kanji is the writ- ing system most commonly used in Japanese calligraphy. Unfortunately, it's these char- acters - which look decidedly exotic to anyone who grew up learning the Latin alphabet in the United States - that also end up plastered on Asian-themed Walmart bathroom accessories and tattooed on your friend's upper tailbone. So why do America's com- mercial tendencies often result in these grievous cultural misin- terpretations? It's because what is essentially a fully developed artistic ceremony, a carefully choreographed dance between brush, ink and paper, has been diluted down to a final visual product that is easy to silkscreen onto mass-produced comforters. Though many Americans have been taught to see Japanese cal- ligraphy as purely visual, it's the physical and mental process of putting it to paper in which the true art form lies. As a Westerner with a firm love of the Roman alphabet, this was a concept I had to see to believe. I had the opportunity to watch an instructor and try it myself during a visit to Japan in 2008. Though I did quite well at the beginning, I was quickly reprimanded for using my left hand (how do righties live such an empty life?) and forced to make the awful switch, making all my subsequent work look as though I'd spooked an octopus over my sheet of paper. ThoughI know I'll never cut it asa brush- wielding artist, I did gain a deep appreciation for an artistic medium in which process is just as important as the end product. Those of us west of the Prime Meridian don't really have a cultural equivalent to something like East Asian calligraphy, which is just as much a mindset as it is a fine art. The ceremony begins the moment you sit down and lay out your tools in the correct positions - inkwell and brushes to the right, paper to the left. As you mix your ink and load your brush, your thoughts must clear as you allow the meaning of the kanji you have chosen to crystallize in your mind and as you concentrate on each of the strokes you are about to make. That Kanji tattoo doesn't say what you think it says. Even your execution mat- ters - the character you draw consists of a set number of strokes that must be laid down in the correct direction and order. Strokes must be elegant yet deliberate - any mistakes or hesitation will show, and attempting to break the pattern of the ceremony to fix them will earn you a death-glare from your instructor. Watching a true mas- ter of calligraphy (and yes, there is a calligraphy credentials sys- tem in Japan that can grant you titles like "Grand Master") gives you a sense of the overarching rhythm of the entire ritual. The resulting pitch-black characters contrast starkly on the soft white paper, giving off a sense of grav- ity even to those who cannot read them. But you can't shrink-wrap and sell a process, only its artistic result. The girl inking your tat- too isn't concentrated on imitat- ing the sequence of calligraphic brush strokes for your rib cage design - she's concentrating on making sure you don't ask for a refund when you see her work. The IKEA product designer mass-producing Asian-themed wall plaques doesn't care that writing the word "Tranquility" beneath the kanji for "tranquil- ity" is redundant and incorrect. of course, that doesn't mean we should stop borrow- ing from other countries and their cultures - we are who we are today because we have assimilated the knowledge and talents of other cultures. But borrowing means an obligation to understand a culture's tradi- tions as a packaged deal, even the parts we don't usually get to see in action. Caserta is training her pet octopus to write calligraphy. To assist, e-mail caserta@umich.edu. New talent gives 'Chronicle' that something extra By AKSHAY SETH Daily Arts Writer Watching high-school stu- dents soar around the Seattle Space Needle isn't what it used to be. A decade ago, a certain measure of awe came hand- Chronile in-hand with walking into a At Quaity16 movie theater and Rave to see two teen- agers throw 20th Century Fnx cars at each other. Now, itcjustseems like clev- er CGI trickery. Let's face it - the yearly rigmarole of big-name stu- dios bombarding the box office with at least a handful of super- hero flicks has had a tiring effect. Sadly, the increasing number of caped vigilantes no longer feels as badass as the comic book characters we grew up read- ing about. Even origin stories, the revelatory tales that give us a glimpse into how particular heroes developed their abili- ties, have started to seem jaded, weighed down by repeated script gimmicks and an overwhelming air of unoriginality. But some- how, "Chronicle," director Josh Trank's feature debut, finds a way to defy the norm. Unlike many of the taste- lessly boring superhero adap- tations released this past year (our glowering eyes are trained squarely on you, "Green Lan- "Wait Madge, is that you?! Wait, what are you doing with Cee Lo?!" tern"), "Chronicle" is entertain- ing and meaningful. Perhaps it's the found-footage format, never before used in a superhero movie, that breathes life into the film. Or maybe it's the exception- al performances by the young, talented leads. In any event, it works exceptionally well. Dane DeHaan (TV's "In Treat- ment") plays Andrew, a troubled high-school geek who struggles with an abusive father and a terminally ill mother. While at a party with his cousin Matt (Alex Russell, "Almost Kings"), Andrew befriends high-school jock Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordan, TV's "The Wire"), and the three teenagers discover an otherworldly object that grants them highly concentrated teleki- netic abilities. Andrew is pushed to the lim- its by his circumstances, and it's easy to realize why all that pent up hostility will eventually come pouring out. In a certain sense, this dynamic adds a much needed base of reality to the movie, but in the long run, it also ends up being a discernible flaw. The first 45 minutes of the film are spent exploring the fun side of having superpowers: prank- ing little kids at the supermarket, flying around the Seattle Space Needle and rigging the high- school talent show. It's a fun little diversion that puts the audience at ease and seems much more realistic than three high school- ers randomly deciding to fight crime with their newly acquired abilities. Nevertheless, the movie picks up speed quickly, as Andrew finds it increasingly difficult to control his ever-expanding power. And despite the excel- lently constructed car-toss scenes and the well-composed script, this is where the movie stumbles. Technically, every- thing goes according to Trank's plan, but at the end of the day, it all just seems too rushed. The audience is given rational context for how Andrew finally loses control, but we're never given a believable reason as to why. Fortunately, this slight mis- step isn't enough to make this a bad movie. "Chronicle" will always be remembered as a surprisingly well-made film. It's just that it tried to hit a little harder than it needed to. Whales saved, plot drowned in heavy-handed 'Miracle' By ARIELLE ACKERMAN For the Daily Director Ken Kwapis deliv- ers another moderately heart- warming tale about an animal rescue with far too many sub- plots in his lat- est film, "Big Big Miracle Miracle." Kwa- pis frequently At Quality16 helms movies and Rave with interwo- ven story lines Unloersal like "He's Just Not That Into You" and "Sister- hood of the Travelling Pants," and he returns to theaters with this mildly enjoyable, kid-friend- ly drama. John Krasinski (TV's "The Office") stars as Adam Carlson, a television reporter who catches a lucky break when he discov- ers a family of whales who are trapped. Also starring is Drew Barrymore ("Charlie's Angels") as Greenpeace activist and Carlson's ex-girlfriend Rachel Kramer. Krasinski gives his typical charming performance, while Barrymore seems rather lifeless in her attempts to play an animal activist convincingly. The underlying romantic story seems out of place thanks to their astonishing lack of chem- istry. Together, they draw the attention of media outlets around the world to the plight of the whales, delightfully named Fred, Wilma and Bamm-Bamm. A ragtag group, comprised of locals, reporters and outside helpers, flocks to Point Barrow, Alaska and manages to accom- plish a miracle that is lost under an overwhelming number of story lines. Star-studded "Does this ice make me look fat?". thi Wit] good a Nelson Thou?' getting film is romanl subplo With love an count of the. opport they ar story a Scriptwriters Jack Amiel s film afloat. and Michael Begler wrote the film's characters in an irritat- ingly banal fashion, with every- one depicted in a flattering h a cast of surprisingly light - even the oil tycoon has a ctors, including Tim Blake good heart. And the attempts to ("O Brother, Where Art make the characters seem more ") and Kristen Bell ("For- dimensional feel contrived. At g Sarah Marshall"), the one point, Kramer unconvinc- cluttered by all of the ingly yells "I'm going to tell tic, political and social (everyone) that Ronald Reagan ts that arise throughout. killed those whales!" in an over- multiple couples falling in the-top attempt to be ruthless in nd too many characters to the fight for the whales. vying for good PR, none While the film is marketed actors are really given the toward children, parents will unity to shine because appreciate the historical refer- re confined to such limited ences, including a phone call .rcs. between Reagan and Mikhail "Gorby" Gorbachev, and a recorded appearance of Sarah Palin from back in the day. Both children and adults alike will enjoy the few highlights of the movie, which include a stir- ring show of determination by the crew of a Soviet liner and a humorously intimate moment between Krasinski's character and a helicopter pilot with a fro- zen-shut eye. Ultimately, "Big Miracle" falls short. A few decent laughs and touching moments sprinkled here and there can't save this movie from itself. Perhaps a more fitting idea for a film based on a whale rescue would be to actually focus on the whales. L-U-V MADONNA? CHECK OUT THE DAILY ARTS BLOG FOR A RECAP OF HER HALFTIME PERFOR- MANCE AT THE SUPER BOWL XLVI. www.michigandaily.com/blogs/the+filter BENEFITS INCLUDE: - 50% reduction of MGSM tuition - Stipend of $500 per month while enrolled - Available Graduate Assistant positions: " Mathematics Laboratory " Writing Laboratory 'Accounting Program " Research Librarian * Science Laboratory Institute of Technology S Media . Teaching Assistant " Athletic Department " Center Project Management email: mgsm@robertmorris.edu I masters.robertmordls.edu FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL 800.225.1520 CHICAGO CAMPUS: 401 South State Street, Chicago, IL U a " Please visit robertmorris.edulgr/mgsm/ or scan the QR code with your smart phone. MORRIS - Graduate School of Management