The three mediums of book, opera and film can convey similar ideas in their works but their characteristics allow for distinct viewer experiences. Such is reflected in the text “Scenes from a Latin Quarter,” the film Rent and the styles of operas in various stages of opera’s development as an art form.
First, there are similar themes in Rent and “Scenes from a Latin Quarter.” First, there is unreciprocated love in the latter as Rodolphe’s love was given but not returned by Mimi. Similarly, in Rent, Joanne and Mimi feel as though their love is not being reciprocated by Maureen and Roger, respectively. Joanne feels like Maureene is not committing to her by flirting with other women in the same way that Rodolphe suspects Mimi’s infidelity. In addition, Mimi feels like Roger does not love her in the same way that Rodolphe realizes he cannot be with Mimi because she doesn’t love him. Second, there is the question of living a life of poverty as opposed to selling out one’s conscience by engaging in commercial art. In “Scenes from a Latin Quarter,” the artists live lives of poverty, with Schaunard unable to pay the rent and many of the artists barely scraping by. This poverty is on some level a conscious choice, undertaken in order to preserve their artistic integrity. For instance, the Water Drinkers are described as a group who pledge to not produce art commercially. Their name alludes to the idea of only drinking water and eating bread. There is a resentment that they feel towards anyone who produces art commercially. For instance, the president of the group, Lazare, condemns one of the members, Jacques, by telling him that he has renounced his artistry by taking on commercial work. This same theme carries over into Rent, where the artists also cannot afford their rent and the guitarist Roger is so economically unproductive that he barely even produces art on an annual basis. The artists in Rent also criticize their old friend Benny for selling out by becoming a landlord and joining forces with his father-in-law, who is a real estate investor. They claim Benny lost his principles and ideals. Just as Jacques is forced into commercial work to support his companion Francine, Mark holds his nose and begins working as a videographer for Buzzline. There is even an entire song in Rent about how in America one has to give up their conscience and people are only “what they own” because artists like Mark and Roger are forced to work in jobs they don’t enjoy rather than pursue their independent creative projects. Thus, Rent and “Scenes from a Latin Quarter” both grapple with whether producing art commercially is ethical and infringes on authenticity. Third, there is the idea of life cut far too short by death which is found in both works. In “Scenes from a Latin Quarter,” Jacques and Francine both tragically die young, and the AIDS crisis is shown to take away beautiful souls like Angel in Rent. Fourth, there are common themes of living in the present and pushing boundaries. These themes are present in “Scenes from a Latin Quarter” but they find explicit mention in Rent. In the former, artists like Schaunard laude the idea of taking pleasure in the moment and trying to enjoy life through eating, drinking and discussing art. Additionally, the mistresses and the promiscuity of the characters in the Latin Quarter were certainly taboo for the text’s time. In Rent, the artists dance on tables in a restaurant as they talk about drugs, dildos and explicitly say they are the vanguard of the “taboo.” Additionally, in the life support circle for those with AIDS, they talk about how they must forget the bad and take comfort in both the present moment and one another. The song between Roger and Mimi similarly asks whether love can wait and if it must happen today or another day. The presence of shared themes makes sense because if one traces the thread of inspiration for Rent one will reach “Scenes from a Latin Quarter.” That is why the scene where Mimi and Roger meet because she needs a light exactly resembles Jacques and Francine’s first encounter.
Nevertheless, there are significant differences in content between the two works. In Rent, there is a broader political message about fighting the exploitative power of the wealthy. There is a protest and riot which breaks out against the landlords, as they are not simply evicting the artists but the whole community who cannot afford to pay their rent. Although Schaunard flouts his rent obligation, he is not a part of a broader social movement which advocates for economic justice and greater power for tenants. In addition, homelessness is displayed more strikingly in the Rent than in “Scenes from a Latin Quarter.” The artists are not the only members of the poor. In fact, one of the impoverished even expresses their disdain for artists who want to document their poverty for material gain. In Rent, homeless people are outside the community center and they appear to live in Maureen’s performing space. Thus, Rent does seem to highlight the social ills facing New York City, aside from the voluntary poverty of its artists. Rent’s emphasis on broader concerns is also conveyed in its treatment of the AIDS crisis. The immense suffering inflicted by AIDS is continually shown in Rent. Thus, Rent communicates political messages about economic inequity, homelessness and public health which are not as explicit as in “Scenes from a Latin Quarter.”
Opera plays a role in this picture. We were not assigned Puccini’s La Bohème. However, opera as a whole does to a larger extent place the viewer’s focus on the singer and music than even a musical movie like Rent. For instance, Baroque operas use ornamentation in which the singer improvises and shows their skills and the Bel Canto opera style in particular highlights the singer’s vocal flexibility, breath control and range. Additionally, an opera has an orchestra which features prominently in the viewing experience. Rent, unlike other films, has singing. However, the viewer finds themselves paying much closer attention to the words which are relating the story’s details rather than the music. On the other hand, operas are often written and performed in foreign languages which make the words themselves, especially for an American viewer, even less important. There are some similarities between opera and film. For instance, the recitative or spoken singing of opera is similar to some of the songs in Rent where the story and dialogue was communicated through song. In both mediums, there is immense emotion conveyed through singing. For instance, the Opera lecture mentioned atonal chords, which have a dissonance that enables the viewer to feel the unrest of the story. The love songs with Collins and Angel and Roger and Mimi towards the end of Rent evoke a powerful sense of intimacy and the feeling of security which comes from being taken care of by another person. Even “Scenes from a Latin Quarter” conveys the power of music because Schaunard describes how he visualizes his music. However, this is where text differs from opera and music. One can’t feel the emotion of music by reading this passage about Schaunard, even though it is perceived. The emotive singing of Pavarotti and Collins conjures up heartbreak in a way one cannot experience by reading about Rodolphe and Mimi. This is because the unique impact of reading comes in giving the reader agency to imagine the story in a way that an Opera or movie like Rent are incapable of due to their visuals. Unlike the passive experience of having emotions evoked, the reader must do more work to find the emotion in the text itself. In this way, reading a book is far more of an intellectual experience. One cannot be swept away into feelings by a dramatic aria or well-constructed montage. In “Scenes from a Latin Quarter,” only one who imagines the pain undergone by Jacques and Rodolphe as they mourn their lost loves could be moved by the text’s descriptions.
Lastly, there are scenes in Rent which could not be executed as seamlessly in a book or opera. First, a flashback or fantasy with dramatic visuals where the viewer is brought back and forth between the present and the imagination can only be effectively done in a film. One example of this is the scene where Mark imagines he is dancing the tango in a suit with a crowd of professionals. One could describe that scene in a book but the words would not create as harsh of a sudden visual contrast between the real world and the vision. Additionally, in an opera it would be logistically impossible to shift back and forth as quickly as is necessary to mimic what should be a short transition between a dreamlike state and reality. A second scene in Rent which could not be replicated in the other mediums is the song in the balcony and the street where the camera pans back and forth between the two groups or individuals singing. The antagonism between the characters is intensified by the camera’s alternative spotlighting of each at increasing frequency. That camera work cannot be mimicked in a book or opera because it provides an intense visual focus on each actor. There was also uniquely film-oriented camera work in the scenes where the characters danced on the table in the restaurant. The multiple angles added to the chaos of the scene. A third relevant scene is the montage with the victims of AIDS disappearing as they die and the flashes to Angel in the hospital as her condition gradually worsens. The way in which a montage can combine images to create an emotional effect and convey the passage of time all at once is brilliant. A book or opera could never do the same. Thus, there are types of film scenes which cannot be replicated by the other mediums.
All in all, Rent’s inspiration from “Scenes from a Latin Quarter” is clear in its themes, such as the tragedy of unreciprocated love and youthful death. Nevertheless, Rent’s messages extend to broader political calls to action to address economic and social problems. As far as mediums in general, opera focuses the viewer on the music, while still conveying emotion in a manner similar to film. In contrast, books place responsibility on the reader to seek emotion within the story itself. Lastly, there are film techniques, such as those employed in flashbacks and montages, whose visuals have distinctive emotional impacts on the viewer. These three mediums have persisted because they each awaken a separate part of the human senses. Whether it is the intellect in reading, the use of sound in opera or the visual in film, these mediums activate the human soul.

Rent:
The movie Rent successfully depicts the Bohemian lifestyle of New York City and provided a visualization of the reading Scenes From the Latin Quarter by Henri Murger. Overall, the movie captures many themes of Bohemian life, such as unity, discrimination, and love. 

The movie opens with a dramatic performance of the Bohemians on the cusp of being evicted because they have not paid rent. This scene parallels the reading, as the Bohemian characters were evicted because their work in art did not secrete enough money to pay for rent. Although, through this problem, the characters stayed and struggled together. They devoted themselves to art, regardless if it was at the expense of their home. For instance, in the movie, Maureen puts on her protest against Benny (the landlord), and through the musical scenes it becomes evident how passionate the Bohemians are for standing up against poverty whilst keeping staying true to art. As this scene unravels, the police violently try to dismantle the protest, also conveying themes of police brutality that happened in New York during the eighties. 

Additionally, the movie displays the theme of equality through its diverse characters, sexualities, and relationships. These aspects work to show that love can be universally experienced no matter the gender. More specifically, the movie also dives into the events of the AIDS outbreak in the eighties, raising awareness to the devastating challenges many gay couples faced. The death of Angel captures the emotional loss of those who passed with AIDS, as his death affected not only his partner, Collins, but his group of friends who supported him.  

As for my viewing experience, I sometimes did find it hard to decipher the exact plot that was going on. I think the themes of the movie make sense to be a musical, but sometimes the musical scenes diverged from what was happening and were too long. Maybe this is because I don’t particularly like musicals, so my argument may be a little biased. 

Opera:
Watching the opera lecture taught me the evolution of opera geographically and through history, and how opera often reflected the time period it came from. For example, the Bel Canto period from the 1780s-1850s expanded storylines in the opera; they shifted away from monarchs and religion and dived into the themes of love and passion. Additionally, I enjoyed listening to the example opera performances, and you can truly feel the emotions opera encapsulates. Also, the speaker did an amazing job of dissecting the musical composition of opera in a clear and understandable manner. 

Sidenote: the speaker was very talented! Her performance was breathtaking and I was amused by her captivating and strong voice. 

I enjoyed the themes of Rent and its representation of the culture in the East Village during the 80s. Each character seemed affected by the AIDS crisis and their own struggle to produce art in different ways. Collins and Angel were brought closer by their shared diagnosis, while Roger felt a need to run away from love and write music since he was running out of time. However, I feel like the movie adaptation of the musical doesn’t do it justice. Some of the scenes and transitions into song were very silly, to the point of breaking the atmosphere that the directors intended to create. I believe that we are able to look past the outlandishness of bursting into song mid-conversation when we see a performance on stage since the stage itself enables us to suspend our belief and understand the sight of people hanging off fire escapes and shredding their eviction notices, but the moment that same performance enters a realistic movie set environment, the same effect just isn’t there.

This stage performance effect also applies to opera. Because opera employs such powerful vocals, I feel that the best way for it to be experienced is live in an auditorium or theatre, where the singer’s voice resonates with the walls and the audience can be immersed in the storyline. It was cool to see the evolution of opera over time — from a single lute player and singer, to an upscaled production featuring orchestra and set pieces. And like with other forms of theater, the stories that opera tells have also changed. It’s impressive how we’ve gone from Greek tragedies to Oppenheimer in a story-telling medium that is purely musical.

I don’t usually listen to punk rock, so when Rich Stremme’s songs were playing while we were drawing our graffiti, it was my first time listening to punk rock in a couple of years. I did not connect with the music or beats when listening, so I tuned it out while drawing, expecting not to be interested in his presentation. I was surprised when it was a Zoom presentation since I believed Rich would be there in person. In my opinion, all the technical difficulties made his presentation hard to follow and connect to. I did, however, enjoy listening to his experience with punk rock. I liked his discussion about zines, essentially small magazine pages intended to share a message to the public, and it was how punk rock artists spread their name. I have done a lot of graphic design work, making posters, campaigns, and websites, so it was interesting to hear about zines and how punk rock artists made their following. I thought it was crazy some of the lengths people went to because of punk rock, like how someone killed another person after getting kicked out of a rock show, and it showed me how passionate people were about punk rock back then. Rich’s presentation, although through Zoom, was easier to connect to because of the in-class items we could see, like the album covers being passed around the class, and I found them to teach me a bit more about the history of punk rock, which I liked. Although I don’t connect with punk rock music, it was interesting to hear about punk rock’s history and its specific terms like zines, which I think opened my eyes to punk rock.

The guest speaker’s introduction to punk rock was an important part of his early life. It began when his uncle and aunt took him to a show during his childhood. That experience inspired Rich to create zines, which included band reviews and lyrics. These zines showcased musicians’ work to others. After attending his first punk rock show in Connecticut, Rich connected with people through his zines and eventually decided to form a band with some of them. He noted that most of the audience at these shows were men, with women often participating as photographers. I thought it was very intriguing

Hearing about Rich’s punk rock journey inspired me to learn more about the genre. Punk rock challenged the expectations of its time and eventually became so influential that those rules faded away. Looking at the old album covers passed around during class, I found myself drawn to the designs and the CDs inside them. It made me think about how people accessed music in the 20th century, before apps made it so easy to buy songs. I really liked the pins and stickers he gave me.

When I was listening to Rich talk about his life, I thought it was very interesting. He was explaining to us how when he moved it was hard to find people with the same interests as him. He also said how punk rock had a negative connotation to it, and whenever he found a person who liked what he did, they connected. He was also explaining how he made a lot of bands with friends and how he tried to get himself into events so that more people could hear him and his band. This was very interesting to me because I would never have expected a teenager to try so hard, like Rich did, to get into these events. Like he explained, he would call multiple times a month to try to get into shows. This was surprising to me because most people would give up after a couple of rejections. I also liked his viewpoint that you should let everyone enjoy their time at an event because you never know what they might do next. It was basically him saying it was the band’s responsibility to make sure people don’t do anything bad because of them. He then later explained that one person at one of his events actually killed someone after getting kicked out of the event. In general, I thought the Zoom call with Rich was interesting, and it helped open my eyes to a bit of the rock world.

As someone whose music taste usually tends toward rock and alternative, I was excited when I learned that we would be having guest speaker Rich Stremme speaking to us about his formative experiences with the nascent punk rock scene. Something I have always admired about the punk scene was how grassroots it was, which Rich discussed in length. I found it so fascinating that he created a zine basically by himself when he was as young as 13, and that he managed to carve a place for himself within the scene at such a young age. It takes an incredible amount of dedication to start from nothing and work your way into the scene, which is what Rich managed to do. I also really enjoyed how he discussed the sort of multidisciplinary aspect of punk rock in regards to his work with graffiti artist Revs. You wouldn’t have been able to promote your music without some kind of graphic accompaniment, which for Rich came in the form of Revs’ work. I think this also sort of ties into the idea of zines, as one would have to make them visually appealing to gain a following. Something else I found curious was his response to my asking him his thoughts on the riot grrrl movement and his experience with women in punk. I was surprised to learn that his experience with women in punk was that they were mostly photographers, which I hadn’t known beforehand. I did know, however, that women were excluded from the predominantly male scene, so at least within that they were able to carve out a niche for themselves. On riot grrrl, however, Rich said that he felt it to be exclusionary of men. He told a story of somebody at a Bikini Kill concert harassing other crowd members, after which he was asked to leave by the band; he ended up killing his girlfriend that night, apparently. He said that he would have welcomed the man in the concert so that he wouldn’t take the frustration of being rejected out on innocent people. Honestly, I would never have thought of riot grrrl in that way. The way I see it, riot grrrl was an avenue for women who were excluded themselves from the punk movement and, felt alienated by the sheer testosterone of it all. Thus, they branched out into their own offshoot of punk and wrote and sang about their specific frustrations. I will say that I found it interesting to hear such a radically different viewpoint from my own, and I can definitely see where Rich was coming from in that regard.

♥Background♥

Before getting the opportunity to chat with punk artist Rich Stremme, I reflected a bit on my punk background. Growing up, I lived with a culture to fear punks and anybody out of the ordinary. I, being out of the ordinary myself, was also afraid of not conforming to the norms of society. Since the beginning of my freshman year of high school, I realized I was more punk than I thought I was, and instead of fearing the misfits, I befriended them. This relates to the question I asked Stremme— how did you adapt to the stigmas surrounding punk culture?

♥What I Learned♥

Stremme’s response resonated with my experiences, where the general theme was that trying new things and doing what he loves mattered the most to him. With this in mind, I realized that punk rock is a protest. Punk individuals take a stand for what they love and embrace the parts of life that stray from the common, normalized trends that might be quite harmful at times. Punks take this stand especially when others or society pressures them to conform to common ideas in politics, fashion, or casual living. With these points in mind, I firmly believe that openly and happily being the black sheep is the freedom that the punk genre gives us, and it gives life more vibrancy. Punk art has made my life significantly better, and being able to listen in on a professional who actively participated in creating the type of art I love confirmed that this lifestyle is really about being passionate about who you are, and I believe that is the strongest and most peaceful societal protest against conformity.