American Spirit, Roof

American Spirit:

I believe that the title of this film in combination with the film itself is a commentary on, quite literally, the spirit of America.  The two friends trudge forwards on an unknown journey, they never reveal their destination to the audience and they initially believe that they are lost.  However, they don’t stop.  One friend, the friend dressed in more classically presentable attire, stops to redirect them and they are on their way.  This is speaking about America’s ever expanding, always progressing mentality that we must always be the best and first, regardless of external influence.  It is also connected to the old adage, “When we fall off the horse, we get back on.”  One friend bums a smoke from the other, who begrudgingly obliges despite that it is his last in the pack.  A smoker would be cognizant of this, and the fact that he still gave it up speaks to the American ideal of camaraderie and brotherhood.  There is a man putting up flyers that read, “Business as usual” and then says, “There is a rally tomorrow” to the two friends as they pass by, suggesting that there is always some kind of upheaval or problem in America that must be dealt with.  The friend takes the cigarette but says, “I don’t smoke,” at the end of the film, signaling America’s double-standard and charade: the American government is guilty of many things that they tell other nations not to do (I won’t get into specifics here).  As the empty pack of cigarettes hits the ground, children begin running around the corner and the film switches from black-and-white to full color, signaling another day and another generation of Americans growing up and living with these values.

Roof:

Three friends are sitting on the roof, escaping a massive flood and contemplating the end of their existence.  Though we never see the flood or any water at all, the audience is shown the dire situation through the expression on the actor’s faces and through the dialogue.  There were powerful close-ups of each actor which did an amazing job of exemplifying each of their roles in the group: one was the calm, collected leader, another was the pessimist and the last was the scared follower.  This doomsday scenario says a lot about leadership and also accepting the inevitable.  In the end, we are reminded to appreciate the beauty of life even when all hope seems lost.