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a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: The Catastrophist – Tortoise

by Donovan Burton on

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Musical progress is a bus usually driven by the young. Generally speaking, young people are more accepting of progressive artistic directions and their familiarity with technology allows them to make greater strides in musical creation. There is something to be said about an aging veteran playing a heartfelt show for an older audience; however, there is also a very clear difference between nostalgic haze and musical advancement. These differences are made compatible by Tortoise on its new album The Catastrophist. A seasoned group of talented electronic musicians, Tortoise has managed to maintain a contemporary approach to sound throughout their 20-year-long career, and although this album may not be remembered as their most important work, their desire for progress remains prominent.

According to the liner notes of the album, the inspiration behind The Catastrophist came “when the group was commissioned by the City of Chicago to compose a suite of music rooted in its ties to the area’s noted jazz” community. Those unfamiliar with the modern jazz idiom might be thrown off by the lack of horns and swing rhythm, but the jazz inspiration comes through much clearer in the way the music is structured. Rather than using the elements of post-rock characteristic of Tortoise’s roots, the band now establishes grooves within each song and brings them to new heights through improvisation. The fully composed musical themes, strange bass-guitar centerpiece, and quirky guitar production have been swapped out for synthesizers and keyboards that model the phrasing of a large jazz ensemble.

The song “Gesceap” is particularly indicative of the band’s jazz conception. Building from a simple melodic counterpoint with a spacey guitar part over the top of a simple keyboard arpeggio, “Gesceap” slowly approaches its climax with the addition of percussion and melodic variations. As more instruments are added to the sound, the volume and intensity evolves into an improvisational texture with melodies weaving in and out of each other from every corner of the ensemble. The drummer provides rhythmic tension on the snare drum as the synthesizer sequencing speeds up and the bass rhythm speeds up and crackles with distortion culminating in a heavy climactic moment all the while maintaining the original melody underneath the growing wall of sound.

The jazz inspiration of The Catastrophist somewhat helps Tortoise dismiss the avenues they have previously explored, but there are certain qualities of this album that differentiate Tortoise from the top fusion bands in the world right now. The most significant being the shock factor. Although the band hits a bit harder with heavy electronic guitar playing on songs like “Hot Coffee” and “Shake Hands With Danger”, there is a clear difference between their intensity and the intensity brought forth on the electronic experimentations of Los Angeles-based producer Flying Lotus. Similar to Tortoise, Flying Lotus takes the jazz conception to new heights with modern production, but his music is clearly more progressive. Lotus brings brighter synthesizer sounds, erratic beats, and faster sound evolution into his work, which makes the sequencing synthesizers, bass distortion, and instrumental electronic approach of The Catastrophist seem more predictable and less rule-breaking. If Tortoise had been willing to use riskier synthesizer sounds and more drastic dynamic contrast they may have pulled off a more exciting example of fusion.

The Catastrophist is a good album from a fantastic band. With its history left aside, the listener is left with a relatively interesting contemporary release with a cool jazz-rooted compositional style. The album falls short of greatness due to the band’s disappearing claim to rebellious greatness and lack of shocking risk taking.

Sounds like:

Jaga Jazzist, Kneebody, a minimalist version of Flying Lotus

Standout tracks:

“Shake Hands With Danger” and “Gesceap”

Tortoise will be performing at the Fairmount Theatre on March 13. The show is 18+. Tickets are $22 and can be purchased online http://theatrefairmount.tunestub.com/event.cfm?cart&id=223496./

a, Opinion

The case for Canadian content on Netflix

by Alexandrine Royer on

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Netflix’s recent decision to crack down on the use of virtual private networks (VPN)—location maskers that permit international subscribers to access content reserved for other countries—should ultimately result in greater viewership of Canadian productions. While VPN providers—including Faraz Ali, the digital marketing manager for PureVPN—have expressed their skepticism towards Netflix’s ability to cut off their service, the streaming service has asserted that it will be taking relentless measures to uphold its licensing agreements. Admittedly, there will always be a way to get around blocks, but the possibility of doing so will either be a higher cost for a VPN or running the risk of using those available for free; however, there is a silver lining. If Netflix succeeds, it will face an increase in demand for more varied content. In Canada, it should pursue a strategy of adapting its content selection to include more domestically-produced content. Hopefully, this will cause growth in both the availability and creation of Canadian-made content.

Currently, the problem with Canadian content—at least of the sort that is available to stream—is not strictly the quality. While it is not uncommon for independent French Canadian films to outrank American blockbusters in Quebec’s box office, it is a different story online. Ironically, Netflix UK offers more French Canadian films that are unavailable on Netflix Canada. For Canadian content to be consumed online, it first has to be there.

Great Canadian content is to be found on Netflix, buried behind mainly American-produced original series and newly released American blockbusters. For instance, in 2014 Netflix adopted the Canadian mockumentary, Trailer Park Boys, and later produced the series Between in collaboration with Shomi—Rogers' streaming service. While a boost to Canadian content online, there is still a significant imbalance in the amount of American versus Canadian content on the Netflix homepage.  The website does not yet stream critically-acclaimed shows such as Being Erica, 19-2, Unité 9, Série Noire, and Schitt’s Creek.

Great Canadian content is to be found on Netflix, buried behind mainly American-produced original series and newly released American blockbusters.

Netflix must expand its provision of Canadian television while also showcasing it to Canadian audiences. Although Sean Carey, Netflix’s Vice President of Content Acquisition, revealed in an interview with the Huffington Post that the streaming service is currently funding the production of original and local series, the service must also commit to the marketing of these programs. Netflix is so far being outflanked in this regard. Bell’s CraveTv and Roger’s Shomi have moved to acquire the licensing rights of both French and English productions. CraveTV has already begun catering shows specifically for a Canadian audience (titled the All-Canadian Collection), such as Saving Hope, Flashpoint, and Motive and ventured into the production of Canadian TV series—it will launch its new comedy, Letterkenny, this Sunday, Feb. 7.

At $6 per month, CraveTV rivals the price of Netflix, yet has much more to offer in terms of national media. Shomi, a joint venture with Shaw TV, equally lures subscribers through the provision of a wider Canadian selection and sets the example for its American counterpart, boosting the Quebec comedy classic Bon Cop Bad Cop and indie dramas such as Take this Waltz.

Without the constraint of time slots, commercial breaks, and television ratings, Netflix, unlike Radio Canada and CBC, has the possibility of creating niche and high-quality artistic productions. The rise of threats to Netflix’s monopoly—however weak Shomi and CraveTV may seem in comparison—must push the streaming service to deliver content that will both appeal to Canadian consumers and promote Canadian streaming and film industries. By competing with Shomi and CraveTV, it must necessarily finance the young directors and screenwriters of Canada. It may also be worth considering a subscription in CraveTV in order to stimulate this competition and improve the development and marketing of Canadian creative content.

a, Opinion

The timely demise of PostMedia

by Emma Avery on

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If a tree falls in a forest when no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Two weeks ago, 90 journalists from PostMedia Network Inc., Canada’s largest newspaper chain, were fired in the latest blow of its ongoing struggle to stay afloat. Along with the layoffs, the company, which owns over 200 media brands nationwide, will merge offices of previously separate newspapers in Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottawa. Although CEO Paul Godfrey noted that he will continue to maintain separate brands, it’s hard to imagine how effective this will be when merging offices also means merging editorial staff. The underlying issue, however, has implications beyond PostMedia and its recent controversy: Even if merging newsrooms allows PostMedia to stay alive for a while longer, the Canadian public needs to be aware that such a move will only decrease the range of stories and opinions covered in PostMedia newspapers.

Today, newspapers are caught in a seemingly downward spiral where, in order to survive, they need to attract online revenue. But in order to achieve this, they first need a greater online presence. While the evolution of the internet and communications technology has hurt newspapers everywhere, PostMedia’s decline has been especially rapid. Its failed attempt at transitioning into the digital market further shows the difficulty newspapers face in trying to sustain themselves through online advertisement space—Google and Facebook together swallow up 50 per cent of advertising revenue. Newspapers will benefit from large-scale innovation and creative solutions; however, when times are hard, funds for such seemingly excessive operations are usually the first to be cut, thereby perpetuating the cycle.

Instead of denying realities or lamenting the loss of newspapers, PostMedia’s decline should be seen as an opportunity for both current newspapers and aspiring journalists to pursue innovative, entrepreneurial, and creative strategies to create news that Canadian citizens, especially youth, want to read. Newspapers will inevitably have to build their digital presence in order to survive; in doing so, the companies that own them should bear in mind that a decline in newspaper printing doesn’t have to mean the disappearance of good journalism. The market for good journalism still exists—readership is at an all time high—but is decreasingly interested in reading news in the form of a newspaper. PostMedia is no exception to this challenge. It is, however, the most apparent example of the demands that the evolving industry poses.

Despite all newspapers having had difficulty transitioning online and maintaining past revenues, more recently conceived forms of online news have had remarkable success. The most visible examples are Buzzfeed and Huffington Post. Even other more traditional newspapers have demonstrated that online news mediums can be successful. For example, Montreal’s LaPresse has stopped printing dailies during the week and instead developed a profitable news app. Why this strategy worked for LaPresse but not for PostMedia is debatable, but there is no denying the impact of controversial, outdated policies from PostMedia—such as Godfrey’s decision last election to impose endorsements of the Conservatives.

Newspapers will benefit from large-scale innovation and creative solutions; however, when times are hard, funds for such seemingly excessive operations are usually the first to be cut, thereby perpetuating the cycle.

In an age of information overload, it’s hard to justify paying for a daily when the essential elements of most stories can be found online for free—especially for students. Today’s students are naturally well-versed in navigating the internet, rendering newspapers an extraneous, unnecessary cost. Dictated endorsements of the Conservatives hardly help regain youth interest, but in the digital era, youth interest is precisely what PostMedia needs. Although the decline of printed news is sad for a number of reasons, it doesn’t have to mean the loss of good journalism—or good journalists. What has changed is that the next generation will have to be instrumental in effecting this change within the dying industry. Perhaps a tall order, but an essential one.

Instead of losing hope in the industry, aspiring journalists should take initiative and embrace the many benefits to be found in online publication. Discussion that was once limited to a coffee shop or a morning commute can now expand into comments sections or Reddit feeds. The ability to share articles online allows news to reach an enormously greater range of audiences, as well as to target specific ones. It can foster social awareness and induce change. Although newspapers struggle to compete with Google and Facebook for advertising, paradoxically, these sites are the most accessible routes for spreading and sharing online news articles, especially amongst youth. The demise of PostMedia is an opportunity for entrepreneurial spirits to innovate within the industry; these students should remain in Canada and work to rebuild the media industry.

a, Opinion

Evaluating inequality and poverty through Oxfam’s lens

by Justin Hatherly on

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Oxfam, a non-profit organization that seeks to combat global poverty, recently released a report decrying the growth in global wealth inequality.  In the report, Oxfam claimed that the 62 wealthiest people in the world own more wealth than the rest of the global population combined.  While the conclusions of Oxfam’s study may seem terrifying, the report itself suffers from severe methodological deficiencies that lead to skewed and misleading results.  It paints an excessively pessimistic picture about the state of humanity by failing to account for the sharp fall in global poverty and reduced global inequality. The frantic response in the media is therefore disproportionate to the reality of inequality.

To come up with statistics on global wealth inequality, Oxfam relies on crude and unsophisticated methods that don’t accurately reflect the opportunities available to people globally, or disparities in economic well-being.  In order to produce relevant data, Oxfam simply subtracted an individual's debts from their assets to reach a ‘net wealth’ figure.  While technically accurate, such methods can produce very distorted results.

According to Oxfam’s methodology, which is based on material wealth, many of the poorest people in the report are those who reside in some of the most affluent nations in the world.  For example, a recent law school graduate who took on a lot of debt is likely to be classed as less well-off than a farmer in an economically developing nation that has little or no debt, but only meager assets.  This is because despite facing much less fortuitous economic prospects, the farmer still has a positive, albeit small, net worth, while the university student has an excess of liabilities over assets.  Thus, the statistics produced by Oxfam actually say very little about the well-being of the people in various countries around the world.  It would be difficult to argue that the law school graduate in an economically developed nation is less well off and faces worse prospects than the farmer.

A recent law school graduate who took on a lot of debt is likely to be classed as less well-off than a farmer in an economically developing nation that has little or no debt, but only meager assets

The report also fails to reflect the massive welfare gains the poorest individuals in the world have experienced over the past quarter of a century.  According to the World Bank, in 1990 approximately 37 per cent of the world’s population lived below its definition of the international poverty line, which is at $1.90 USD a day.  The World Bank forecasted that by 2015 only 9.6 per cent of the global population—702 million people—would have incomes that fall below this threshold.  While inequality and poverty are often conflated, they are two very separate issues.  Inequality means some have more than others, while poverty is indicative of an individual having insufficient resources to meet their basic needs and fully participate in society.  

While the former phenomenon may be unpleasant to some, the latter is of vastly greater importance.  In essence, it matters far more in terms of human welfare that people don’t suffer destitution and can meet their basic needs than for the gap between different income groups to be narrower.  Despite the gloom and doom of the Oxfam report, life is improving for some of the world’s most desperately poor people. In fact, the recent reductions in international poverty have been so rapid that many analysts believe that the virtual elimination of absolute poverty could be achieved globally by 2030.  

While it is true that income inequality has become more acute within many developed nations, the income gap between poor and rich nations has fallen sharply in recent years.  Economist Branko Milanovic has shown that over the past two decades, economic growth (both in terms of total output and per capita) in developing nations (led by China and India) has far outstripped that in developed nations.  The biggest rises in income on a global level have accrued to individuals who fall in a range from the 10th to 70th percentile of the global income distribution.  From 1988 to 2008, individuals who fall within such a range saw a real (inflation adjusted) pay rise of around 40 per cent.  This, coupled with slower income growth for workers in developed nations, has led to steady falls in the income gap between developing and developed nations.  Again, this increase in global income equality is a far cry from the tone of despair in the Oxfam report.

The report also exaggerates global wealth inequality by drastically understating the assets that billions of people worldwide have claim to. Tim Worstall contends that if items such as private pensions and medical benefits are (rightly) counted as assets owned by individuals, then it is only logical that similar public benefits, such as the Canada Pension Plan, are also counted as adding to individual wealth.  The distinction between the two types of assets is a social construct.  While one may be privately provided and the other publically provided, both a private and a public pension entitle the beneficiary a claim to a future stream of income that has a capitalized market value.  Doing so would likely dramatically narrow the large disparities in holdings of wealth.

Even if the dubious methodology of the report is discounted, other sources of data show a steady decline in global poverty.  Far from becoming the Dickensian dystopia portrayed in the report, the world is becoming one of less poverty and more equality. Moreover, it is questionable whether wealth inequality is even the core issue facing the world.  Reducing poverty further and increasing opportunity for the global poor would do much more to make the world a better place. To boost global welfare, it is more important to focus on raising the absolute living standards of people in the poorest nations than it is to focus on the wealth of a few individuals.

a, News

SUS discusses UÉQ, AVÉQ

by Alexia Martel-Desjardins on

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The Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) addressed the possibility of Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) joining a provincial student union at its Feb. 3 Council meeting and the depletion of its Special Projects Fund (SPF). Council also heard updates on the renovations in the Environmental Science building.

Student federations

SSMU representative Sean Taylor gave a presentation explaining the governing structures of the two student federations that SSMU could possibly join next year: The Association for the Voice of Education in Quebec (AVÉQ) and the Union Étudiante du Quebec (UÉQ). The two federations largely differ in regard to the method of representation of student unions in the province, as well as their membership fees.

“[The UÉQ] has a dual government structure, so part of it is that each school has one representative, but at the same time […] they pass a second vote which looks more at the 40 per cent of the schools supporting it,” Taylor said. “It gives a […] proportional representation, whereas the AVÉQ is one representative, one vote per student union or student association, such as SSMU.”

UÉQ’s fee is $4.50 per student per semester, and the AVÉQ’s would be of $3.50 per student per semester.

Science Senator Marina Smailes mentioned a potential sovereignty violation against SSMU on the part of UÉQ.

“I was contacted before [the] last council meeting, not [by] a direct coordinator of the [UÉQ] but by someone who knew them, and they were telling me about all of these different allegations […] against the [SSMU Vice-President] (VP) External, that [there] wasn’t fair representation of both AVÉQ and UÉQ,” Smailes said. “Technically, […] if SSMU takes a stance on something, another school, like let’s say [Université de Montréal …] can’t come to McGill and campaign on behalf of the student federation […] because we have already decided that we’re actually not going to campaign for that […] and so, by contacting me on their own […] they were directly overstepping sovereignty bounds.”

According to Smailes, the Fédération Étudiante de l’Université Sherbrooke (FÉUS) also released a report accusing SSMU of favouritism towards AVÉQ, but Smailes did not have a copy of this document at Council.

Council ultimately voted for SSMU to join UÉQ. They then voted on whether SSMU should join a student federation at all. This question received five votes in favour and six votes against, with the rest of the council abstaining.

MESS renovations

McGill Environmental Science Students (MESS) representative Mackenzie Webber explained in her report the preparations for renovations in the basement of the McGill School of Environment building and providing better study areas for students.

“It’s really coming along great,” Webber said. “We have a lot of furniture coming in, we have renovations going underway for a little window seat bench and a nice mural […] and also we’re going to have an espresso machine come in and have some volunteers running it.”

Special Projects Fund

Vice-President (VP) Finance Sibat Anam addressed the unusual decrease in the SPF this year.

“For the first time in three or four years it is actually depleting quite fast,” Anam said. “There’s only about five to six thousand dollars left, so I would really suggest […] if you rely on submitting applications for the Special Projects Fund, to do so quickly.”

Anam added that he would try to continue accepting applications for future events despite the fund’s budget being low.

“I am trying my best to see if I can […] approve as many applications as possible with the committee, but we are a bit constrained,” he said.

This article was corrected on Feb. 7. The Tribune regrets these errors.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music, Theatre

The darkness of Othello revealed in Opera Montreal’s Otello

by Evelyn Goessling on

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Few stories are as tragic or as devastating as Shakespeare’s Othello, a drama that questions truth and character at its core. Guiseppi Verdi’s interpretation of the drama is equally haunting, with a satisfying balance of choral, solo, duet, and quartet pieces that highlight the complexities of the story. The libretto is slightly altered, jumping through some backstory to focus on Iago’s deceptive plots. Othello is a successful Moorish general in the Venetian Army, and unaware that his trusted ensign Iago plots carefully and maliciously for his demise, all the while unconcerned at the human costs that may become necessary in his pursuit of revenge.

Opera Montreal’s production of Otello was excellent musically. The cast shone with diverse and exciting music, and although the stage direction was lacking in some acts, the singers made up for it in their incredible vocal expression. Aris Argiris’ Iago was outstanding—his booming baritone was the focus of the many scenes, even over the title character Othello (tenor Kristian Benedikt). Argiris’ tenacious voice coupled well with his character’s remarkable appetite for deceit and villainy. Desdemona (Hiromi Omura) was a fresh and lovely voice in the midst of mostly male solos, a perfect interpretation of the character’s innocence, as well as a contrasting force to Othello’s growing forcefulness and Iago’s malice. Verdi’s arias showcased the soprano voice beautifully and Omura took up the tragic role with confidence and feeling.

The stage scenery was not as theatrical as it could or should be for such a dramatic opera. The opening scene of a tumultuous storm on the high seas seemed small in scale, and while Verdi’s music illustrated Iago’s treachery wonderfully, the stage did not support this feeling save for a few moments of spotlight and darkened background lighting. This was ultimately disappointing, as one would hope that the original drama of the theater would be maintained in the opera form.

As usual, Desdemona’s incantation of “Ave Maria” before she retires to her chambers is chilling, after witnessing so much of Shakespeare’s dramatic irony, which throughout the opera leaves the audience on the edge of their seats. Verdi’s aria hints at Desdemona’s hope, innocence, and faith in Othello, and when she finally rests it is only to the audience’s devastation, as we know what fate awaits her when she lays to rest. Omura’s light and lilting voice is a wonderful addition to the canon of famous renditions from the likes of Renee Fleming, Maria Callas, and Anna Netrebko.

Equally beautiful was the preceding aria commonly known as the “Willow Song,” in which Desdemona expresses her fears about her jealous husband. The audience is entranced in her panic as she mistakes the sound of the wind for an intruder in her bedroom. The aria is arguably the highlight of the entire opera, as the audience is privy to Desdemona’s deepest fears, sorrows, and hopes, all breathtakingly expressed in a dramatic woodwind motif and echoed by Desdemona’s powerful yet amazingly sensitive voice.

Argiris’ rendition of Iago’s “Credo” was also spectacular. The “Credo,” sung at the beginning of Act II, lays out Iago’s frightening sense of nihilism and godlessness. In the “Credo” he sings, “After all this foolishness comes death. / And then what? And then? / Death is Nothingness. / Heaven is an old wives' tale!” Again, Iago’s chilling, sinister attitude is unsupported by the staging, which seems almost unfinished or at least underdeveloped.

Opera is the most satisfying form for a story such as Shakespeare’s Othello. While not subjected to Shakespeare’s masterful language, the audience is immersed in Verdi’s music, which evokes a level of emotional response a world away from the spoken word. The power of opera is to bring emotion to life through music, which transcends barriers of language and acting. Overall, Opera Montreal’s Otello brought Othello’s tragedy to life admirably.

Otello will be playing at Sir Wilfrid Pelletier Hall on Feb. 4 and Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets begin at $20.

Super Bowl
a, Football, Podcasts, Sports, The Sport Authority

The Sport Authority EP. 3: Super Bowl 50 preview — Carolina Panthers vs. Denver Broncos

by Zikomo Smith and Joe Khammar on

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A record breaking number of viewers are expected to tune in to an intriguing Super Bowl matchup this weekend. The explosive Carolina Panthers will take on one of the all-time great defences in the Denver Broncos.

This matchup is the first time two quarterbacks drafted No. 1 overall will face each other in a Super Bowl. Narratives are already swirling in the NFL blogosphere, but Zikomo Smith and Joe Khammar of the McGill Tribune will tune out the noise, and bring you the authoritative analysis of what to expect in Super Bowl 50.

In episode three of The Sport Authority podcast, the sports section discusses the Broncos’ defence and its ability to contain Cam Newton, key matchups between the Broncos secondary and the Panther’s receiver corps, and whether Carolina should play man or zone coverage.

The Revenant
a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Survival, grief, revenge: Leonardo DiCaprio suffers with skill in The Revenant

by Anne Karam on

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Based on the true story of 19th century frontiersman Hugh Glass who, after being mauled by a bear, was left by his hunting companion to die in the wilderness, Alejandra Gonzalez Iñárritu’s The Revenant is a haunting story of survival, grief and revenge. The hero of The Revenant, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, has to overcome incapacitating injuries, freezing cold, danger, hunger, and fear in order to exact revenge on Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), who inflicted on him unbearable suffering before abandoning him to die in the cruellest conditions possible. Iñárritu based his movie on Glass’s almost mythical adventure as told by author Michael Punke—who also serves as the United States Trade Representative and US Ambassador to the World Trade Organization—in his book The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge (2002).

The story as told by Iñárritu is first and foremost the drama of a father’s devotion to his son. DiCaprio’s character is one of undying persistence and hope, despite the ghastly scenery and death lurking at every step he makes. With the attack leaving his character for dead, DiCaprio manages to simultaneously convey feelings of physical pain, unbearable grief, and deep desperation as well as determination and hope. For a treacherous 30 minutes, viewers witness Glass unable to speak, let alone walk or move any part of his body while being carried by his hunting team through the snowy wilderness of the American rural West. What truly makes the movie fascinating is how DiCaprio manages to include the viewer in the frenzy of emotions endured by his character, making a totally un-relatable story incredibly engaging for the audience.

While DiCaprio’s genius performance lies in his facial expressions and the feelings he manages to transmit to the audience, Hardy’s achievement comes from his ability to grasp the sour and narcissistic character of Fitzgerald polished by the extremely well-written script by Mark Smith and Iñárritu. Fitzgerald, feels threatened by Glass’ navigational abilities through the mountains leading to his decision to leave Glass for dead. A pleasant surprise of the film is Will Poulter’s performance as the young huntsman, Bridger. He accomplishes the role of the tormented, yet good-hearted child who is forced and threatened to do things that go against his values. He becomes part of the reason Glass survives, and the only character besides Glass that shows humanity and respect when dealing with indigenous people.

Emmanuel Lubezki’s cinematography is so elegantly crafted it reaches in some scenes the level of pure art. He masterfully conveyed the hero’s struggle with the elements and people by alternately using extended shots of nature—the movie was filmed in Alberta, Montana, and Argentina—and long close-ups of faces, focusing the most on the eyes. The movie is mainly composed of multiple lengthy single take shots of high action moments, alternating with the most anti-climactic scenes. The director revealed that he filmed his movie using only the natural light of the winter sun. He would shoot for few hours and only small bits at a time, which added to the rawness and emotional intensity of the movie. Ryuichi Sakamoto and Carsten Nicolai’s eerie original score completed the movie’s atmosphere and contributes to its brilliance. With very little talk, the music takes over most of the scenes and adds to the emotional and physical tension of the watching experience. Looking around the theatre, one can see that spectators were literally on the edges of their seats, covering their gasps, twitching their eyes.

The Revenant is not a movie for everyone, however. The film, clocking in at two hours and 37 minutes, goes at an incredibly slow pace, with sometimes tedious, graphic, and gory scenes to emphasize the hardship and the misery of the main character. The acting is grim, and you can count no more than two or three smiles from the characters during the whole movie. There is also a certain element of magic and supernatural, common in Iñárritu’s movies, that may make The Revenant unlikely to please an audience accustomed to Hollywood style, straight forward stories of extreme action and revenge.

Nonetheless, it is impossible to deny the genius of Iñárritu’s cinematography, or DiCaprio and Hardy’s artistic prowess. With many Golden Globes in pocket, the film is well set to be a huge winner at this year’s Academy Awards.

a, Science & Technology

The final frontier: Law and politics in space

by David Cohn on

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For many, space is the final frontier. The challenges associated with its exploration are immense, but so are the potential rewards. Current international law proclaims that space belongs to all of humankind, but some believe that it is only a matter of time before the potential for financial gain puts that law to the test.

Consider, for instance, the asteroid 253 Mathilde. According to Asterank, a website which catalogues asteroids, it measures roughly 50 kilometres across and is composed largely of metals such as gold, platinum and palladium, with an estimated market value in excess of $100 trillion.

So when the technology finally arrives, and some group—be it a private company or a country—prepares to launch a mining mission that will make them rich, will this prohibition on owning any portion of space make such a mission illegal? Or can a group legally extract minerals without needing to claim possession of the asteroids that they extract from, much like how it is legal to fish in international waters?

These are just a few of the questions that Cassandra Steer, Arsenault fellow at the McGill Centre for Research in Air and Space Law, strives to answer. Steer, who joined McGill in 2015 from the University of Amsterdam, offered many insights into these issues during a presentation hosted jointly by the McGill Pre-Law Society and the McGill Political Science Students’ Association (PSSA) this past Monday.

Speaking on the increasing commercialization of space, Dr. Steer suggested that outer space and the high seas are fundamentally similar.

“[The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea] says no one can own the high seas,” Steer explained. “But companies might be able to go in and extract [from them] […] it’s a way of regulating [the high seas] without giving away sovereignty; it doesn’t give ownership to any state, [or even] to the companies that are busy there, and I think we need a similar model in space.”

Yet as important as the still-developing economics of space are, there may be an even more pressing concern: The increasing militarization taking place in Earth orbit.

According to the BBC, an object launched by Russia in 2014 performed a series of manoeuvres in Earth’s orbit which are consistent with it being a satellite inspector—a small satellite designed to adjust its orbit around the Earth in order to approach other satellites and perform reconnaissance on them, or possibly even destroy them.

Although the 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits nations from stationing weapons of mass destruction in Earth orbit or on other celestial bodies, there are no restrictions on satellite-to-satellite weapons, or on conventional, non-nuclear, satellite-to-ground weapons beyond a general statement that outer space should be used for peaceful purposes. Steer explained, however, that the lack of clarity and efficacy in the current space treaties might pose problems.

“The risk of placing a laser weapon in space [is unclear],” Steer said.. “I would say it’s forbidden, others would say it’s a little bit vague, because we don’t know how to define a weapon in space.”

One of Steer’s current research goals is expanding the current international law of armed conflict to the field of space. She is working with the University of Adelaide and the McGill Institute of Air and Space Law to create a manual similar to those that already exist for land, sea, air and cyber warfare, to outline things like what kinds of weapons may legally be used in space warfare.

This manual is one that the world might not need to consult, but in a world of satellites, missiles and lasers, its importance is undeniable.

a, News, SSMU

SSMU base fee increase question fails by 17 votes

by Regina Wung on

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This is a developing story. Please check back later for updates.

After two weeks of campaigning, voting for the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Winter Special Referendum has closed. The referendum proposed a $5.50 increase in the base fee per term as well as the addition of a seventh portfolio to the SSMU executive. The base fee increase was rejected with 50.3 per cent (1600)  voting “No” and 49.7 per cent (1583)  voting “Yes." The restructuring of the executive team passed with 72.1 per cent voting affirmatively and 27.9 per cent voting no. In total, 3438 students participated in voting, allowing the referendum to reach the 15 per cent required quorum with a 16.3 percent voter turnout.

“The results were kind of a shock,” SSMU VP Finance and Operations Zacheriah Houston said. “But to be honest, at first we were all just thrilled that we made quorum; the 15 per cent quorum was new this year and we were really worried that we weren’t going to make it.”

With the rejection of the proposed base fee increase, the SSMU faces a difficult decision and will likely have to make budget cuts.  According to Houston, all parts of the SSMU budget are fair game for adjustment as it considers next year’s budget during the current February budget revisions.

“It’s going to be a challenge to make the cuts that we’re going to have to make,” Houston said. “With this, we have to make a little more than $100,000 worth of cuts and adjustments, but either way, those cuts needed to be made. But everything is on the table right now. It’s going to take some time to look at the entire budget and see every area we can adjust.”

Houston and the rest of the executive team are relieved and eager to distribute the workload more evenly among the future SSMU executives, though the addition of the seventh executive will create more work for the remainder of their term.

“As disappointed as I am about the membership fee failing, it’s still such a win that the seventh executive passed,” Houston said. “It is so important that we become better able to do our jobs by distributing the workload across an additional person [….] It’s overwhelming because we have a lot of work to do now. With that question passing comes five by-law books, a bunch of policies, tons of committees, and everything needs to be revised. Our entire structure now needs to be rewritten.”

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