Open your Mind, but Close your Ears

It's difficult to live any time in China without amassing a giant DVD collection, which necessarily inlcudes some less than, shall we say, mediocre movies. Somewhere along the line, I acquired a copy of "Mona Lisa Smile." (I had my reasons.)

The year was 1953. A visionary teacher opened new worlds to her students. In one scene, she opens a crate to unveil something truly special -- a brand new painting by Jackson Pollock. "Look beyond the paint," she says. "Let us try to open our minds to a new idea."

The late 40's and early 50's was a very productive time in American classical music. Elliott Carter, John Cage, Milton Babbitt, Paul Hindemith, Roger Sessions, and Conlon Nancarrow were all active then, to name a few.

So, what new ideas (albeit from the 50's) do they embrace on the soundtrack of this scene? None. Standard issue neo-romantic movie soundtrack drivel by Rachel Portman (the composer behind that Little Prince opera).

So, we should open our minds to new ideas in visual art, but should keep our minds closed to music?

I watched the scene again, with the sound muted and "Music of Changes," which dates from 1951, playing on the stereo. Suddenly, the conceit was much less cheesy, and the sequence was in synch with its theme. Maybe some eyes would have been opened, instead of rolled.

However, I'm holding a movie that seeks to expose sexism in the 1950's to far too high a standard.