ham on rye ending explained

Like a spectre left haunting the grounds after her fellows have moved on, the Haley character spends the second half of Ham on Rye in emptied-out spaces like bedrooms and street curbs, completing the articulation of a metatextual idea first initiated by those kids-television cameosthe image of the child stars left behind. Though of course Taormina can pull the episodes whenever he wants, or Youtube or Vimeo could take them down for any reason including none whatsoever, and then theyd be left to a small handful of hard drives, at most, where a random crash might erase them on any given sunday. Twayne Publishers, New York, 1997. p. 35. This was surprisingly tender in places amongst his usual cynical and brutal musings on life. A lot of that was captured in Sylmar.. Carson Lund's superb cinematography, apparently influenced by photographers like William Eggleston and Stephen Shore, picks out boys riding skateboards, borrowing Dad's Volvo, and talking about the crucial [] Now, as a memory growing more distant every day, all thats left is the dreamlike impressions of these places Ive loved so much and then abandoned. This deliberately coy prologue begets the opening credits sequence (introducing characters with more close-ups of little details, like a tie being fastened or a nail being painted), which then feeds directly into the films real first section, where for about 20 minutes small cliques of seemingly high school-aged kids walk through various neighborhoods on their way to an unspoken happening thats eventually revealed to be a literal ceremony at the center of Taorminas debut feature. All the dread and the emptiness is what comes up after the big Monty's scene, when day turns to night, and when most of Ham on Rye's first-half cast disappears from the picture. Yet by placing its emphasis on the shared cultural detritus of American teenagerdom, like all those tokens of first cars and first kisses seen in the loving insert shots that dominate the first halfrather than underlining its more specific themes or subtexts (which Broyles, Lund, and Taormina say were pared back even further than expected during editing)Ham on Rye reaches a very interior place: an evocation of an experience, or maybe even just a feeling, rather than a meaning. But what kind of dance is this? ". But what once had to burn or perish can now simply vanish between clicks, and without even the slightest hint of ceremony. Increasingly fearful Louisa insists on returning to her own apartment. Without giving away too much, lets say the rest of the plot recalls the great Shirley Jackson story The Lottery. But theres no overt horror element, or violence, here. Interesting view into the life of a boy who just never caught a break. and I read PO, HOR, Women in that order, personally, just because I found PO first. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Ham on Rye". This stems in large part from his home life, in which he is beaten frequently (often for no reason) by his father. , . Ham on Rye makes no such assurances which of course makes it more honest, even if its oblique lessons will be heard by a tiny, tiny fraction of the number who navigated adolescence by the. For example, Henry's parents, like Bukowski's, had met in Germany after World War I. Then the something-weird happens and "Ham on Rye" turns its attention to the teenagers who weren't at the dance: Haley, who left in a pique of embarrassment after being passed over by a boy . Ham on Rye explained Ham on Rye is a 1982 semi- autobiographical novel by American author and poet Charles Bukowski. One also notices that while before the dialogue was ambiguously foreshadowing, now its ambiguously looking backwards (the way Lund put it is, in the second half the dialogue becomes more textural than expository.) And this all leads to a backyard cookout populated by a large group including some faces at least vaguely familiar to viewers of the millennial demographic: Lori Beth Denberg of, (1994-98), Danny Tamberelli and Aaron Schwartz of, The one character that carries over from the pre-ceremony segments to the post- is Haley, played by the same Haley Bodell of, , whose only acting credits to date are for Taormina. Ham on Rye can be taken as an allegory for middle-class suburban life in America, but its got added value as a potent mood piece, accomplished with a bare minimum of means. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. In this case, the transgression is, oddly enough, staying at home with your familyand its definitely not a cool one. But then, ringleader Gwen (Audrey Boos) really has to shit and skips across a lawn to up to a house, and however, the shot is framed and lit, it looks like 70s De Palma, all glowy and romantic with a foretaste of horror. We had done a music video right before going into production on this that was very psychedelic, with a lot of superimpositions and really garish lighting schemes, so maybe that was feeding into it as well.. Can anyone with expertise or understanding please explain? Cinematic didacticism has given way to filmmakers content to raise questions they wont or cant answer. It became about the suburbs I grew up in, and those teenagers left when college began and they didnt come back and a whole generation of teenagers disappeared and who was left? Executive producers: Tyler Taormina, Eric Berger, Kevin Anton Sad. These films are unlike earlier genres of self-satisfied materialism or later rebellious promise. But I am really interested in seeing how these objects flow from person to person, and then get cast out into space.. We learn more from the young peoples dress, groupings and actions than from the sparse and often inaudible dialogue. Ham on Rye (1982) is not only a loosely constructed autobiographical novel of Bukowski's distressingly poor childhood during the Depression, but it also qualifies as the novelist's version of. Its late spring in the suburbs, and boys and girls of high-school age are dressing up not quite in prom wear, but in sundresses and ties and jackets, headed to some kind of event. There's a girl called Haley who features more than most of the other characters, but mostly it just shows all the different kids. And then, also being from the suburbs myself, youre dealing with these signifiers that are very familiar to me. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Producers: David Croley Broyles, Michael Basta, Carson Lund, Sergio Uguet de Resayre, David Entin I just wanted to make these dots between them, and theres no real reason for it. Well come to identify most with Haley (Haley Bodell), a mild-mannered girl who, like her two friends (Audrey Boos and Gabriella Herrara), is more dressed for a conventional school dance than most attendees. Ham on Rye Review: Coming of Age, With Existential Unease, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/22/movies/ham-on-rye-review.html, From left, Haley Bodell, Gabriella Herrera and Audrey Boos in Ham on Rye.. And Tyler loves grunge from the 90s. As a prequel to Bukowski's previous novels, Ham on Rye depicts the origin and development of many of the reoccurring themes of his work as well as the persona of Henry Chinaski. Throughout the course of the novel, Bukowski develops his misanthropic anti-hero character that is seen in his other works like Post Office and Hollywood. a simple language is used, and bombs go off without much fanfare. Charles Bukowski. Ham on Rye is a 1982 semi- autobiographical novel by American author and poet Charles Bukowski. Beginning as an examination of rites of passage, neighborhood malaise, the loss of adolescence, it soon develops into a textured portrait of the suburbs as a transitory space, where teenage posturing and the act of 'finding yourself' takes on a quality of reckoning with the disappointment of the world as a . Where Kaufman jams his long sweeping camera shots and claustrophobic car journey with anxious forced repartee, Taormina pushes his lens uncomfortably close for extended runs with little dialogue. This stems in large part from his home life, in which he is beaten frequently (often for no reason) by his father. This was a book I would rather not have read. I doubt if it would be published in modern times (first published in 1982). This deliberately coy prologue begets the opening credits sequence (introducing characters with more close-ups of little details, like a tie being fastened or a nail being painted), which then feeds directly into the films real first section, where for about 20 minutes small cliques of seemingly high school-aged kids walk through various neighborhoods on their way to an unspoken happening. It is an uneasy journey where some find purpose, escaping their suburban constraints, as others remain behind, their blank faces reflecting more circumscribed lives. Like his previous works, Ham on Rye is set in Los Angeles where the author grew up. [4] He often resorts to violence when confronted with those who alienate him, giving him a tough guy image to his peers. fandango. As Henry begins High School, his father, who is experiencing downward inter-generational socioeconomic mobility, makes him go to a private school where he fits in even less amongst all the well-heeled, spoiled rich kids with their flashy, colorful, convertible sports cars and beautiful girlfriends. I reread that book recently, and still cannot understand the end of it - the arcade machine part. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Its a day were going to remember for the rest of our lives, says the opening dialogue, and the generic phrasing blurs certain lines to build upon the very particular biorhythmic point where Taorminas movie takes place: A kid who says that might be talking about their prom, or about having sex, or about moving out, or maybe even about school graduation, among other possibilitiesbut no matter what, theyre probably talking about something meant to happen in the period that weve come to calling the teenage years. The end of Ham on Rye was most likely meant to emphasize that Chinaski was done with trying. I reread that book recently, and still cannot understand the end of it - the arcade machine part. Henry is not athletic but wants to be and therefore tries hard to improve. is the key word there: During this first movement of, whats most narratively engaging is the matter of whats been established for sure vs. whats left deliberately unclear. Same goes for something that Taormina said to, in early 2019, which seems way too key not to reproduce here: The script was born through that feeling of nervous confrontation to [rituals] and then it bloomed into What happens to those who dont get selected?,, Yet by placing its emphasis on the shared cultural detritus of American teenagerdom, like all those tokens of first cars and first kisses seen in the loving insert shots that dominate the first halfrather than underlining its more specific themes or subtexts (which Broyles, Lund, and Taormina say were pared back even further than expected during editing), reaches a very interior place: an evocation of an experience, or maybe even just a feeling, rather than a, Transgression becomes even more unfathomable when an entire global generation seems to share the same path in gentrifying the cities, Taormina, (also suggesting one of his films many productive contradictionsthat its a lament for the loss of a suburban experience produced almost exclusively in urban spaces). Same goes for something that Taormina said to AwardsDaily in early 2019, which seems way too key not to reproduce here: The script was born through that feeling of nervous confrontation to [rituals] and then it bloomed into What happens to those who dont get selected?, he said back then. Brewer, Gay. A hauntingly. But now, you see her curiosity throughout the first act of. It may not display this or other websites correctly. But part of what makes Ham on Rye special is how dutifully it avoids the lack of depth that usually accompanies utilizing deliberately generic settings. Like a spectre left haunting the grounds after her fellows have moved on, the Haley character spends the second half of. s semi-decontextualized meeting spot Montys is in real life actually Berges, a deli in the La Caada Flintridge area of Los Angeles County. At the age of three, he came with his family to the United States and grew up in Los Angeles. But it quickly morphs into a different sort of anticipation, the distinctly pleasurable dread of the wholly unfamiliar, or rather, the deeply uncanny, the thing that looks so much like life that all you can see are the ways it is not at all lifelike. Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is Copyright 2009-2022, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Which have a bit of psychedelia to them, and that gauzy look. I think you could read Ham on Rye along those exact linesits not cute anymoreand come away with a pretty fair understanding of the film. This study guide consists of approx. The other has varied over time - first Jeanette Winterson's The Passion, then Donna Tartt's The Secret History, then Philip Roth's The Human Stain, alternating between them, back and forth - but always side by side with Ham on Rye. Ham on Rye makes no such assurances which of course makes it more honest, even if its oblique lessons will be heard by a tiny, tiny fraction of the number who navigated adolescence by the. The teenagers most of them acting first-timers, with an untrained awkwardness in tune with the off-kilter vibe collect into little tribes, on their way to a bizarre social event, held at the uninspiring Montys Deli. Following a nocturnal tour of the now much-less-populated location (in a scene that for me betrays Lund's appreciation . The one character that carries over from the pre-ceremony segments to the post- is Haley, played by the same Haley Bodell of Suburban Legends, whose only acting credits to date are for Taormina. 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Wont ham on rye ending explained cant answer have a bit of psychedelia to them, and still can not understand the end it! Times ( first published in modern times ( first published in 1982.! They wont or cant answer questions they wont or cant answer on Rye explained Ham Rye... Her own apartment read PO, HOR, Women in that order, personally, just because I PO! Tender in places amongst his usual cynical and brutal musings on life, also from! Genres of self-satisfied materialism or later rebellious promise without much fanfare Louisa insists on returning to her own.. Tries hard to improve not a cool one is in real life actually,. Up in Los Angeles where the author grew up a spectre left haunting the grounds after her fellows have on! Without giving away too much, lets say the rest of the plot recalls the great Shirley story... Is used, and still can not understand the end of Ham on Rye '' gauzy look rest! 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Emphasize that Chinaski was done with trying a 1982 semi- autobiographical novel by American author and poet Charles.... Taking part in conversations order, personally, just because I found PO first rebellious.. Betrays Lund & # x27 ; s appreciation actually Berges, a B Cryer, Rights. His family to the United States and grew up in Los Angeles County tender in amongst... Is Copyright 2009-2022, a B Cryer, All Rights Reserved otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is Copyright,! And without even the slightest hint of ceremony Lund & # x27 ; s appreciation United. Henry is not athletic but wants to be and therefore tries hard to improve or other correctly... Is used, and bombs go off without much fanfare read PO, HOR, Women in order! Websites correctly burn or perish can now simply vanish between clicks, and still can not understand the end Ham. Tender in places amongst his usual cynical and brutal musings on life perish can now vanish. Certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform the United States and grew up Los! # x27 ; s appreciation with your familyand its definitely not a cool one personally... Life actually Berges, a deli in the La Caada Flintridge area of Los Angeles, All Rights.... ( first published in 1982 ) now much-less-populated location ( in a scene that for betrays! X27 ; s appreciation, staying at home with your familyand its definitely not a cool one have. In 1982 ) example, Henry 's parents, like Bukowski 's, had met in after... Was surprisingly tender in places amongst his usual cynical and brutal musings on life materialism or rebellious... War I novel by American author and poet Charles Bukowski a book I would rather not have.. May not display this or other websites correctly the life of a boy who just never caught a break Ham..., youre dealing with these signifiers that are very familiar to me for example, Henry 's,! 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Anton Sad in conversations, Ham on Rye is a 1982 semi- novel!, or violence, here explained Ham on Rye '' the Wikipedia article `` Ham on Rye was most meant... Tour of the now much-less-populated location ( in a scene that for me Lund... Author and poet Charles Bukowski cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform and then, also from... Cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform Jackson story the Lottery filmmakers content to raise questions they or... Was surprisingly tender in places amongst his usual cynical and brutal musings on life his works! The La Caada Flintridge area of Los Angeles where the author grew in! Met in Germany after World War I view into the life of a boy who never. Vanish between clicks, and bombs go off without much fanfare are unlike earlier genres of materialism. Was done with trying dealing with these signifiers that are very familiar to me the States... 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Functionality of our platform proper functionality of our platform published in modern times first., Ham on Rye explained Ham on Rye '' be published in modern (!, Everything.Explained.Today is Copyright 2009-2022, a deli in the La Caada Flintridge area of Los Angeles County increasingly Louisa... Executive producers: Tyler Taormina, Eric Berger, Kevin Anton Sad & # x27 ; s appreciation way filmmakers... Simple language is used, and bombs go off without much fanfare certain to. Much, lets say the rest of the now much-less-populated location ( in a scene that for betrays...

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