From Prada to Nada: the Capitalism within Ethnicity in America (Hermeneutics Analysis)

Abstract

From Prada to Nada (2011) is a movie by Oddlot Entertainment, Gilbert Films, Lionsgate, and Televisa Hyperion Films. This is a twentieth century of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility novel. This movie tells about two rich siblings who live in Beverly Hills, Nora and Mary. Their live changed when their father died because of the bankruptcy. They need to move from their Beverly Hills mansion to their aunt’s house in East Los Angeles. Along with this condition they find their lovers.

Those are the movie ‘about’, the low level of interpretation of the meaning-making. Meanwhile, every movie always has a ‘message’ in a certain elements. It’s called the deeper level of interpretation. Dealing with the hermeneutics analysis, we can find that this movie consist of signs or symbols which are able to be identified. From Prada to Nada is not merely a drama movie, but a reflection of ethnicity – this movie; for instance, raise the Mexican-American – in America dealing with the capitalism system.

Keywords: Capitalism, Ethnicity, Hermeneutics analysis

Well, From Prada to Nada is a movie that reflects the twentieth century or nowadays ethnicity condition in America, especially the Mexican-American. The main characters, Nora and Mary are daughters of Mexican. But they live as Americans and both of them don’t even know what their culture heritage, for instance they can’t speak Spanish. It happens when they move to their aunt’s house in East Los Angeles. They can’t understand what others speak because they never speak Spanish. They both think that they are Americans, that’s why they never learn their ancestor’s language. Besides, they feel as strangers among their Mexican family. Another term used here is capitalism. Why? Because in this movie we can find some conditions reflected as they are the victims of capitalism, dealing with their Mexican-blood, and making them deny their status as Mexican. Therefore, for discussing it, we can’t just ‘watch’ it, but we need to analyze it using hermeneutics.

Dealing with hermeneutics, first, we need to understand what this movie ‘about’, means the plot story, as we call it the low level of interpretation or the ‘meaning-making’[1]. Then after that we are going to take a risk to ‘translate’ the ‘message’ in this movie, or the deeper level of interpretation[2]. Then it will be easier for us conquer the ‘message’ and understand the signs shown in this movie: capitalism and ethnicity.

First, I will elaborate the plot of this movie. What this movie ‘about’. As I explained before that this movie is a story of Nora (Camilla Belle), a Law student and Mary (Alexa Vega), an English Literature student whose father is Mexican. Then he dies. And after that they move from their Beverly Hills mansion to their aunt’s house in East Los Angeles or East L.A. In between those incidents, they find out that they have an older brother, Gabe Jr. (Pablo Cruz), as the result of their father’s affair before marrying their mother. He comes to their father funeral, brings his wife, Olivia (April Bowlby) and causes chaos in Nora and Mary’s house. Actually, their father is in bankruptcy, and he has nothing left, except the huge amount of debt. Then, their brother – with Olivia of course – buy their house. At that time, Nora meets Edward (Nicholas D'Agosto), Olivia’s brother who is an attorney. Because Nora and Mary don’t fit well with Olivia, they choose to leave their house, and go to East Los Angeles, where their aunt (Adriana Barraza) lives along with the Mexicans, and her neighbor, Bruno (Wilmer Valderrama). Nora chooses to out from her study, and finds a job. On the other hand, Mary will continue her study. Nora gets a job in Edward’s Law firm. Meanwhile, Mary finds an interesting guy, her own lecturer assistant, Rodrigo (Kuno Becker), and dates him. Nora does a great job by winning a law case of Mexican labor. On the other side, Mary is busy dating the handsome lecturer and lying about their economic condition. Later on, Nora falls in love with Edward, but she tries to deny it because she has an obsession to be a success lawyer and doesn’t want love disturbing her plans, thus she rejects Edward’s proposal; and Mary finds out that Rodrigo is lying to her too, that he actually has a wife. The climax is when Nora gets the invitation of Edward’s engagement where at that time Mary finds the real Rodrigo. She gets in a car accident. In the end, Mary dates Bruno. While Edward backs to Nora, and marries her.

Those are the plot of this movie that what we try to reveal the movie ‘about’. The next is the deeper level, about the ‘message’. We are going to analyze the signs and symbols of this movie. For instance, like the Beverly Hills, East Los Angeles, and even probably the back sound. At the first scene of this movie, we find the back sound is California Girls by Katy Perry, telling us the main characters’ status, along with the portrayal of the setting of place, Beverly Hills. Beverly Hills is not merely a name of place. But it can describe the social status of the owner of the mansions there, like Nora and Mary. Beverly Hills here also can be meant as capitalism itself. And East Los Angeles can be described as the sample of ethnicity – Mexican – condition.

Capitalism according to Neoclassical and Keynesian economists take as their object a system that is variously referred to as the “market economy” (in which individuals and private firms make decisions about consumption and production in decentralized markets), a “mixed economy” (in which market place activities are mixed with government “commands”), or just “the economy” (defined by scarce means and unlimited desires, the correct balancing of which is said to characterize all societies)[3]. So, actually capitalism is the economy. And there should be someone behind it takes the advantages. They are the capitalist. Then, of course, there should be the victims of this capitalism, like the owner of Beverly Hills, or people who buy Prada, and walk their Chihuahuas, etc. They represent the victim of capitalism, like we see in the very first scene of this movie. Capitalist creates such a society class: “nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, and establish connections everywhere” and giving “a cosmopolitan character to production and consumption in every country”[4]. It always changes the economy and society, and also capable creates a new form of society, satisfy the desire of people who are able to own it. The relation between this capitalism and this movie is that Nora and Mary live for years with the capitalism, living in Beverly Hills, buying Prada, etc. They are part of this ‘new form society’ who always capable enough to fulfill their desire and satisfy what they want. They have been acted like Americans, especially California girls. And they don’t even care with their real ancestor. They have lost their culture heritage, can’t speak Spanish, don’t know the Mexican tradition, etc. Even in one of the scenes Mary says that she is an American, not a Mexican. And she cares enough to not ride a terrible car, and need branded clothes, bags, etc. She needs to be viewed as part of her society, the capitalist.

The next point is the East Los Angeles. It shows us the sample of ethnicity, the Mexican. Ethnicity is naming process by which individuals or groups came to be understood or to understand themselves, as separate or different from others. This meaning of ethnicity commonly referred to the consciousness of exclusion or subordination, though it also indexed social practices – language, region, rituals, and other patterns of behavior – that define the content of group’s culture[5]. East Los Angeles has a very high concentration of Hispanic residents, primarily the Mexican descent[6]. It was ever civilized by Jewish, Japanese, and then now Mexican, just like what Nora said in the movie and Mary answered “It’s totally Calcutta.” The region was primarily Mexican American by 1950. In this movie, we can find how the condition of this East Los Angeles is. Many of Mexican speak Spanish, live together, and don’t care with the capitalism. They sew their own cloth. Like in the scene when Mary wants a dress and her aunt immediately will make it. It will be no different with the branded one. They like party, drink tequila, chitchat with family and friends.

Conclusion

To understand the ‘message’ behind the movie we just not merely watch the movie, but also identify the signs, the symbols. Movie is not only media to entertain, but also the way to describe such condition and reflects it. We need to analyze using hermeneutics for finding out the ‘meaning’ and ‘message’ behind the movie ‘about’. First we need to understand the movie ‘about’. The next step, we have to take risk to reveal the ‘message’ behind it, try to find significant signs, and elaborate it. This is the deeper level of interpretation. It all depends on the spectator’s references and experiences. The interpretation will be different among each other according to their references and experiences[7]. From Prada to Nada according to me is the way the authorship delivers the reflection of Mexican-American in America dealing with the capitalism that for years is friend with them.

References

FILMOGRAPHY

From Prada to Nada (Angel Gracia, 2011)

BOOKS

Amy, Villarejo. Film Studies The Basics. Routledge, 2007.

Keywords For American Cultural Studies.

ELECTRONIC SOURCES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Los_Angeles_%28region%29#Ethnicity

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[1] Amy, Villarejo. Film Studies The Basics. Routledge, 2007. p.125

[2] Amy, Villarejo. Film Studies The Basics. Routledge, 2007. P.125

[3] Ruccio, David F. Capitalism. Keywords For American Cultural Studies. p.42

[4] Ruccio, David F. Capitalism. Keywords For American Cultural Studies. p.42

[5] Yu, Henry. Ethnicity. Keywords For American Cultural Studies. p.112

[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Los_Angeles_%28region%29#Ethnicity

[7] Amy, Villarejo. Film Studies The Basics. Routledge, 2007. P.117

HARGA DIRI

Aku menangis sepulang menghadiri malam puncak penerimaan mahasiswa baru di kampus. Bukan karena acaranya gagal berantakan dan sebagainya. Tetapi karena hatiku sedang sakit saja menyaksikan bahwa demi sebuah drama dengan esensi ketuhanan yang tinggi tentang hidup dan mati, tetapi pelakonnya dengan gaya seorang artis dan mungkin dengan dalih melakoni lakon sesuai skenario, dia melepas harga diri terbesar seorang pemeluk teguh. Aku menangis, bukan untuk pertama kalinya menangis, tapi berkali-kali sudah aku mendapati perihal yang sama di lingkungan kampus, mungkin juga di luaran sana. Ini adalah harga diri yang kita percayai, bukan pula sekedar identitas tentang pernyataan diri siapa kita, bukan pula tentang pengikut-pengikut sampah kotor yang berlomba-lomba demi mendapatkan apa pun rela mencopot harga diri.

Aku menangis, sayang. Sesenggukan nyaris tak mampu bernafas. Semakin derasnya, ketika mendapati bagaimana dulu aku berusaha meletakan harga diri ini di puncaknya, mengusahakannya, sehingga pada suatu titik, Tuhan membukakan hati bunda dan memberikan jalan bagiku untuk meraihnya. Harga diri ini, sayang, bukan sekedar identitas, pemeluk teguh menjaganya dengan seksama karena mereka mempercayainya dan tak akan pernah melepas harga diri bahkan hanya demi segenggam uang logam perak. Tapi dengan nistanya, engkau melepas harga dirimu, sayang, dan melakonkan lakon yang sarat keTuhanan. Dimana imanmu, sayang, airmataku menderas dan tak mampu dibendung.

Apakah ini bukan salahmu, sayang? Oh bukan, katamu, kata sutradara aku harus melakonkannya sesuai maunya, katamu lagi. Oh ya? Selorohku. Bodohnya dirimu, sayang, harga diri itu kamu yang memilih, jadi tidak pantas kau menyalahkan siapa pun, tapi dirimu sendiri, sayang. Aku menangis ketika kamu tidak bisa memegang dengan erat harga dirimu. Itu harga diri, sayang, bukan identitas lagi. Pemeluk teguh maafkan kumpulan kami, yang mendustakan harga diri. Airmataku tak hentinya mengalir, sayang.

2011-10-03

bagi siapa siapa siapa siapa sajaaa........ 0:13 a.m.

Hidup itu bisa berarti banyak hal...tergantung siapa yang memaknainya.
Bagi seorang penyair, mungkin hidup itu puisi yang mendayu-dayu, yang penuh kata-kata indah atau bahkan kata-kata yang menjijikan. Tergantung lagi, seperti apa penyairnya, siapa penyairnya, siapa gurunya, apa yang dipelajarinya, apa alirannya.
Seperti itu pula lah hidup....berawal dari kompetisi beribu sperma kita terlahir di dunia,polos seperti kertas, dan orangtua lah yang kemudian membentuk kita, mau dijadikan seperti apa kita, mau jadi jewish, muslim, christian, dan sebagainya, dan sebagainya.
Kita tidak memilih dan meminta terlahir dari seorang ibu yang begini yang begitu. Seorang pendatang baru layaknya seorang artis *korean-pop idol khususnya* perlu ditraining terlebih dulu sebelum debut. Sama halnya dengan kita, yang terlahir sebagai new comers harus bersedia didikte oleh dunia, lingkungan, dan keadaan. Pada saat itu kita hanya melihat, karena otak dan jalan pikiran kita belum berkembang sepenuhnya. Kita melihat apa yang terjadi di lingkungan, apa yang orang tua kita lakukan, merekamnya, dan menyimpannya di otak kita. Seperti kaset yang bisa diputar berulang-ulang, kita bisa memutarnya terus menerus, mengingat dan merasai meski itu sudah berada di masa past,lampau dan sudah tidak layak untuk dijamah.Tetapi kenapa kita masih harus mengulangnya?
Karena kita manusia. Itu jawabannya. Manusia yang hidup sendiri, kesepian. Setiap manusia itu datang seorang-orang tidak bergerombolan seperti pasar malam, dan akan pulang sendirian pula. Dan hidup ini panggung sandiwara. Kita selalu dikejar kekhawatiran, ketakutan, dan kesendirian. Itulah kita. Jangan menyangkal. Itulah kita.
Tapi, ketika umurmu bertambah, dan pola pikirmu berubah, tidakkah kita semua ingin mengobati diri?
Kita sudah bisa berfikir, memandang dari berbagai macam sudut. Hidup itu interdisciplinary, tidak hanya bisa dilihat dari satu perspektif. Boleh, suatu saat kamu menyumpahi hidupmu, yang mungkin tidak seindah yang nampak dari kehidupan orang lain. Tapi pandanglah lagi hidupmu, mungkin memang tidak sebahagia kehidupan si A, si B, atau si C, tapi itulah hidupmu yang akan membentukmu, dan membantumu menjadi dirimu sendiri, mencetakmu, dan membuatmu menentukan mau jadi apa kamu. Akankah bertahan dalam kondisi mengerikan, atau berlari berjuang merubahnya. Semua itu hidupmu lah yang mengajarimu, mengembangkan daya fikirmu.

Semua ini berawal dari obrolan ringan di kampus dengan teman-teman, membuatku kembali mengusik hal-hal yang sudah lama tidak aku jamah. Kami mengobrol ringan tentang ketakutan masa depan, tuntutan orangtua, dan sistem yang terus membelenggu setiap individu dalam masyarakat. Kami, 4 orang dengan latar belakang berbeda, pesrpektif berbeda, tujuan dan orientasi hidup yang berbeda saling mendengarkan satu sama lain.Sesekali saya tercengang, termangu, tertawa, dan berfikir.

Sudah selayaknya kami berfikir ke sana, jauh ke sana, ke tujuan-tujuan hidup. Saya juga punya tujuan hidup, meski masih abu-abu dan gelap, tapi saya punya.
Teman saya, dia bilang dia sudah benar-benar sakit dan tidak bisa diobati. Dulu, duluuuuuuu sekali, saya juga sakit, dan sepertinya tidak bisa diobati, tapi apa? sekarang saya bisa sehat. Memang, masalah orang itu tidak bisa disamakan kadarnya, tetapi tidak ada masalah yang tidak ada penyelesaiannya. Ketika, dulu, ketakutan, dan segala hal yang saya anggap derita datang menghampiri, ingin rasanya berlari dari dunia, dunia yang bukan untukku. Tapi kemudian, saya mampu berfikir, berfikir untuk menjadi saya.

Saya mulai berdamai pada diri sendiri, sekronis apa pun sakit saya, saya bertekad berdamai. Mulai menikmati hidup ini, ketika saya ingin tertawa, maka tertawalah saya. Ketika saya ingin makan, maka makanlah saya. Seiring dengan waktu universe mengikuti ritme kehidupan kita yang mampu berdamai dengannya. Universe akan membalas semua usaha kita. Dia adalah teman terbaik setiap umat manusia.

Kemudian saya mulai menetapkan diri, menemukan pedoman, agar tidak goyah dan terus labil. Pedoman itu yang menguatkan, dan menuntun langkah. Pedoman itulah yang mengantarkan kita pada jiwa-jiwa kuat yang mampu bertahan. Jangan sekedar mencari pembenaran, temukan pula pembuktian, kuatkan hati yang rapuh, dan berjuang membentuknya menjadi akar-akar yang kuat membangun otot-otot batin yang teguh. Sekali lagi belajarlah dari universe, dia akan menjadi guru yang baik.

Dan ingat, jangan terus-menerus memutar kaset masa lampau kita. Masa yang lampau biarlah terkunci rapat di dalam pita kaset kusut yang sudah tidak layak diputar. Biarkan mereka di sana menangisi masa-masa itu sendiri, tarik diri kita, menjauh, dan jangan mendekati mereka lagi. Mereka hanya akan menyesatkan. Why should we? Because we are precious. KITA BERHARGA. Jangan hanya karena kita ditakdirkan terlahir dari seorang ibu yang bla bla bla bla, seorang bapak yang bla bla bla bla, yang menuntut kita harus bla bla bla bla..., lalu kita menjadi mati dalam kehidupan ini. Kamu hidup untuk kamu, bukan untuk mereka. Sukses bukan untuk mereka, tapi untuk diri sendiri. Dan ketika saya mencapai titik ini, saya semakin berdamai dengan keadaan, membentuk universe saya sendiri, dan berjuang mewujudkan universe saya itu...


Semakin orang tua mengharapkan untuk..., kita harus semakin yakin kita adalah....
Semakin orang tua melukai kita..., kita harus yakin mereka sayang kita, dan pandang lah mereka dari berbagai macam sudut, peran, dan sistem yang terus membelenggu..., mereka juga adalah hasil.., tak ubahnya kita,, bayangkan diri kita sendiri...

hidup ini adalah game, jika kita tidak bisa berpikir seperti itu, mungkin kita tidak bisa melewati hari-hari,,,
tetapi hidup ini adalah game yang tidak bisa dengan mudah diulang setelah game over...







hidup ini hidupmu,
hidup ini hidupmu,







jika dunia sepertinya bukan untukmu,
maka bentuklah satu untuk dirimu sendiri...

we are young, live in this beautiful city, we can do more than this...

DO YOU BELIEVE IN FATE??
FATE, LOVE... I know what you think, dear.

one day, when the day is coming, it will be the greatest moment in my life.
because all of us know, this is it. The Fate.
finally, it comes to our life.

I'm not easy like other.
I'm different. especially my way of thinking.
there are many people around me ask me to do this, to do that.
but, nope, I have my own way guys!

I like being on my own way.
I have brain, heart.
I believe in them.
U should.

There's no point believe in TV, Pop music, Pop romance movie. and might be modern socio-culture!
we should build this, on our own way, inside our soul...





hah, sigh, lose, and emotional.
human, love, earth, and exceptions.
sky, I want to fly away, create my wings.
let it grow, high, and untouchable...!














we should guys!
we are young, live in this beautiful city, we can do more than this......
we are human, not robot.



prihatin: jangan percaya hasutan, kita ini manusia makhluk pemikir.
berpikir selagi bisa berpikir, jangan didikte.
dipahami, dimengerti, jangan hanya ditelan.