Inglese 2 - il film "Angela's ashes"

Marilena Cretti

Silvia Minicilli

ANGELA'S ASHES

Angela's ashes is a 1999 Irish-American movie based on the real life and memory of a young boy

Frank, the protagonist. It is based on the book by the irish-American author Frank McCourt.

“

When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all. It was, of course, a

miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the

ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the

miserable Irish Catholic childhood. . . . nothing can compare with the Irish version: the

poverty; the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by

the fire; pompous priests; bullying schoolmasters; the English and the terrible things they

did to us for eight hundred long years.”

This passage introduces McCourt’s memoir.

• EXPLICATION OF THE NAME OF THE FILM:

QUOTATION

“ Mam turns toward the dead ashes in the fire and sucks at the last bit of goodness in the Woodbine butt

caught between the brown thumb and the burnt middle finger. Michael . . . wants to know if we’re having fish

and chips tonight because he’s hungry. Mam says, Next week, love, and he goes back out to play in the lane. “

The title of the movie "Angela’s Ashes" takes its name from the ashes which fall from Angela’s

cigarettes and those in the fireplace at which she stares blankly. The entire setting of the

narrative feels draped in ash—dark, decrepit, weak, lifeless, sunless. Angela’s ashes represent

her hopes that are coming apart: her dreams of raising a healthy family with a supportive

husband have withered and collapsed, leaving her with only cigarettes for comfort and the

smoldering ashes of a fire for warmth.

• HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 20th

The movie takes place in Ireland in the first half of the century and it’s the description of a

typical family life of that period that was characterized by poverty, emigration, joblessness,

discrimination.

Important historical contexts of the movie should address the economic crisis of Ireland,

the political relationship the Irish and the British, and the power of the Church.

The economic situation in Ireland during the 1930s and 40s was an improvement from

previous years, but socioeconomic problems and poverty were still common, especially for the

already poor. The country had recently suffered from a trade war with Britain and

unemployment, though it had improved, was still relatively high. Politically, Ireland was still

young as a nation.

Years under British subjugation had embittered the Irish and anti-British sentiments are not

uncommon today, especially among older general norms.

Part of the Irish identity is religious sentiment which unified the nation. The Church also

plays a large part of the historical context of the story, being an institution of power which plays

an integral role in social norms. It defines festivals, holidays, socially accepted behavior and

taboos. In the movie the church is portrayed as strict, harsh, uncompassionate, and

unsympathetic towards the truly destitute.

• POINT OF RESISTANCE, SITES OF STRUGGLE, AND CONFLICTS IN

RELATION TO SUBORDINATION:

Several major conflicts of the movie involve struggles between the classes. Many also

occur within the main character Frank, as he struggles to identify with his perception of how life

should be lived and the reality of how he is currently living it.

After many and many hopes, promises and consequent delusions created by his irresponsible

father, Frank, although is only a young child, decided that is coming the time to do something for

his life, his family: he realizes he has to go to work to help the rest of the family doing the worst

job he finds. He becomes the helper of a coalman. Unfortunately he has to give up his job

because of a bad conjunctivitis provoked by coal dust. He finally found a new job: he was a

mailman. He has the chance to meet the money lander of the village that gave him the task to

write threatening letters to those who still haven't paid their debts.

The relationship of power displayed through the interactions between Angela, her family,

and between other characters in the movie may be explained in terms of class hierarchy. The

class hierarchy in Ireland in this time period was characterized by a contrast between the poor,

the rich, and at the top Church priests, brothers, sisters, and nuns. As Angela´s family was poor,

it was often subject to the whims of those in power or who had money. They are constantly

struggling to survive with resources they don´t have--money, food, or adequate housing. In order

to provide, Angela must sacrifice what Frank considers her human dignity; she begs for scraps

from the Church after meals and sleeps with Laman Griffin, her cousin for a place to stay.

The first situation is the worst of all,decayed by his h