It may well be said, taught, and known that singing and dancing is not allowed in the confines of certain congregations of worshippers. For such physical movement and excitation of breath and breast is the shortcut to moral corruption.
But in other times and among other gatherings of listeners and prayer meetings, there will always be lots of singing and dancing, for how else could you possibly begin to express and confess your devotion to your creator and your misdeeds as a ephemeral piece of humanity?
According to The Testament of Ann Lee, belonging and being together, growing and cultivating such a community of motion and melodies is an exaltation and extension of paradise. Surrendering to the beating heart and perspiring loins of organic eroticism is not the way, because what does furthering the species get any woman but an incubation period many times over and birth after birth where no child lives to see a year go by?
And in this 18th century, it is so easy to grow weary and wary of wanting to honor husband without erasing your own inner shelter first. Imposed isolation can either beget withering away or it can bring visions of how to live a life both impactful and bearable…and necessarily outside societal conventions championing the age of exploration and industrialized economies?
So Ann Lee sings and dances and preaches another application of her faith. For it is all that could make sense and grant her grace until the day she could be reunited with her four little babes.
I watched Mona Fastvold‘s newest film today and didn’t quite know how to start putting my impressions to written word until I looked through the photos on IMDB and started listening to the soundtrack. Amanda Seyfried is amazing as the title character. The physicality of her performance and the gravity of her character’s self-presentation and convictions coupled with the cinematography made me feel like I was watching a painting come alive.
I must admit, though, when I saw Matthew Beard in his first appearance, I kept thinking “He was in An Education and The Imitation Game!” And then later in the film, after Ann Lee and a small group of Shakers have landed in America, there are many shots that recall the visual splendor of the Dutch Masters. I’d like to touch on more [like why I found Ann Lee’s brother William (Lewis Pullman) to hold more of my curiosity in the last fortyish minutes of the film], but the brain and word bank connection today is underperforming because I had to replace my toilet’s flush valve gasket at three in the morning. I’m so tired (not to say that under any other late night, I’d already be asleep, but last night, I was ready to call it a day two hours before my toilet started behaving in ways that made me realize I’d have to change the gasket within the next 36 hours).
I digress.
Amanda Seyfried’s voice is so beautiful when she sings about hunger and thirst and all that is summer. Here’s some worship and and eclipse for mood. If you’ve seen the film and want to know more about the production, here’s a piece on the singing and dancing, and there’s a behind-the-scenes featurette.
There is no scene where Ann Lee holds a chicken, but I like it the most out of all the images on IMDB.
There are plenty of videos on YouTube about Shakers, but here’s one by Rural Roadtripper I came across that briefly mentions Ann Lee.
Pic cred: IMDB
PS. The Atlanta Falcons have a new head coach in Kevin Stefanski.
Sitting Pugs: Sports Movies 