Gilbert's Latin Adventure in Movieland and On the Rocks are two very different films by Robert Ronan, JE '99. While the rest of us spent our time in high school worrying about grades and trying to find the perfect prom date, Ronan began a career in fil mmaking four years ago. Both movies shown in the JE Buttery Monday night were written and produced by this multitalented freshman.
Gilbert's Latin Adventure in Movieland is a hilarious 18-minute piece made in conjunction with the Catholic Central Latin Club and the Michigan Junior Classical League. Ronan, who hails from Grand Rapids, MI, and was president of the Michigan Junior C lassical League, made the video to promote the study of Latin. It was shown throughout high schools in Michigan.
The film depicts Gilbert, the quintessential high school loser, mocked by his peers because of his extensive knowledge of Latin's declensions, conjugations, tenses, and moods ("I know it all," he blubbers). Yet Gilbert lacks an understanding of the "de eper meaning of Latin," and hence begins his quest, which unravels in a dream sequence. Gilbert finds himself in a series of movies (Indiana Jones, Dracula, Star Wars), in which the characters explain what Latin means to them. The most amusing scene occur s between Gilbert and Forrest Gump who tells the perplexed teenager, "Latin is like a box of chocolates. They both go great with mustard." Forrest, aware of the deeper meaning of Latin, instructs Gilbert that he must find it for himself, which he does abo ard a Starfighter ship in a Star Wars scene. The meaning, however, remains a mystery to the audience, leaving them to heed Forrest's advice and seek the significance of Latin for themselves.
On the Rocks, the feature film, is a black-and-white drama, a "tribute to the film noir of the 1940s," said Ronan. Written and produced by Ronan, the 50-minute film was directed by his friend and lead actor, Zac Jordan. Begun in July 1994, the film had a production schedule of 10 months. On the Rocks is a story of mobsters, murder, and romance. In the opening scene at the bar, On the Rocks, we meet Nick Page, an enigmatic, dark-haired stranger who "finds things" for a living. Violet LeFleur, the seduc tive singer at the bar, Jimmy, her ex-husband and troubled bartender, and Leslie Pete, the demonic owner of the bar complete the cast of main characters.
The story revolves around the mysterious murder of Junior Marshall. Immediately, a heated investigation erupts. Nick, apparently a private investigator, researches the case all the while establishing a romance with Violet. In the penultimate scene, aft er a dramatic shoot-out at On the Rocks, Pete has taken Violet hostage. After a surprising and somewhat confusing sequence of events, the movie concludes with a romantic scene in which it is clear that the only truly consequential thing is love.
Because On the Rocks is modeled after a specific genre of film, the characters and plot become stereotypes. Originality is lacking, acting is unconvincing for the most part, and the action tends to be slow. If one believes triteness is inherent in the style of the 1940s film noir, the artist did achieve his desired effect. If not, On the Rocks is not so much a "tribute" as a satire.
As the film's director, Ronan clearly has great talent. Costumes and sets are convincing. Dramatic close-ups are perfectly timed and very effective. Most impressive, however, is Ronan's ability to change the viewer's perspective in an interesting, if n ot haunting and powerful, fashion. When Charlie and Jimmy engage in a flirtatious discussion of love and fate, we see Charlie from a unique point of view: the camera focuses on the back of Jimmy's head which nearly fills the screen, while Charlie is pictu red at a distance. When Pete murders Charlie, we are in her seat, gazing up vertically at his demonic expression.
Although the acting leaves something to be desired, Ronan, as Leslie Pete, delivers the film's best performance. He is the perfect villain - arrogant, witty, scary, and snide. In the most memorable scene, he stands above Charlie and tells her he will spare her life. Half a second later, he fills her with bullets and delivers the perfect one-liner, "You're welcome." The audience laughs and shudders together.
All in all, On the Rocks and Gilbert's Latin Adventure in Movieland are extremely entertaining, and at times, quite clever. Although he has not yet decided on his major, Robert Ronan said he intends to continue making films. Keep his name in mind when you flip through table tents at dinner - Ronan's movies are worth checking out.
Copyright 1995, The Yale Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
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