Haruki

I get why *Flashdance* is not for a lot of people. The acting may be corny, it feels rushed, Nick’s love for Alex is giving stalker-vibes, and Jennifer Beals isn’t even dancing. Although I know these facts and opinions are valid, *Flashdance* still remains one of my favorite movies I’ve watched in general. The first time I watched this movie was with my mom, and I get why she wanted me to watch this. The base point of *Flashdance* is about Alex chasing her dream to become a professional dancer, but what I really liked about this story was the determination in Alex. Alex doesn’t have an impressive background in dance, yet she still pushes herself towards something bigger because she believes art is worth pursuing even without success. Nothing will happen once you ever try it out. As a performance artist myself, I dream to pursue in music, acting, and/or pursue somewhere in film, which I connected to Alex’s ambition a lot. The movie perfectly captures the fear of showing yourself to everyone while also showing how passion can overpower self-doubt. Alex struggles with whether she’s “good enough,” which feels realistic for anyone in the arts field. *Flashdance* overall teaches me to embrace the fear of failing and just go for it. Even if you fail, there is always redirection. Oh and the soundtrack is everything.

Watched the Redux version without myself knowing. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve never seen any war movie this good. This may even top most of the movies I’ve watched in general. *Apocalypse Now* doesn’t just focus on the Vietnam War, but rather on the darkness of humanity and how violence corrupts people, even after wars. Colonel Kurtz is feared by the U.S Army because he’s brutally honest about how people abandon morality once survival, power, and violence take control. What really surprises me is that this is also the dad of Sofia Coppola who directed Bling Ring and Priscilla. The range between their films is insane.

I didn’t feel bad for Alex at first, but then I slowly started feeling bad, but then I didn’t feel bad for him in the end. The ending is just so ironic. Why did they “cure” him into his normal-self? Why are they accepting his interest in rape and violence? Feel very horrible for all the women that were treated by Alex. Yikes. Although I do think sex, violence, and classical music is a strange but diverse contrast for a character to have.