Scarface

Scarface was directed by Brian De Palma and written by Oliver Stone. Scareface deals with many social issues of the time in politics and the war on drugs. The film sheds light on corruption and the brutality with in organized crime and governments.

Scarface deals with many social issues that were happening in the 1980's. Our book made it clear that in order for a film to be a success it has to reflect and illustrate to social issues that is currently going on in society. Scareface had showed how the Cuban and United States relations was a bit rocky. Fidel Castro allowed Cubans to come to the United States but he also shipped a bunch of criminals to the United States as well. The tention between the two governments was felt while watching the beginning of the movie. Scarface is full of corruption and that is how Tony Montana made it onto the streets of Miami. Tony killed a former aide to Castro in exchange for a green card. Scarface shows the viewers that governments themselves are corrupt at times.

Cocaine and the war on drugs was also a very big social issue in the 1980's and still is today. I feel that as long as there is a problem with drugs then Scarface will be relevant. Scarface dealt more with the way the drug organizations work rather then running from the law. I found it a bit of different angle then most gangster films. The drug problem is still a social issue that we have today and I am not sure what the answer is to stop the problem. I think movies like Scarface make the problem more well known to those who do not realize that there is such a problem in todays society and that of decades ago.

Scarface like many other ganster movies portrayed Tony Montana as a tough and brutal character. Tony did have a compassionate side to him as well and that compassionate side was in a way the reason for his demise. Tony killed the assassin that was going to kill an innocent wife and children of the man they were targeting to kill because he was reporting on the drug problem. Tony Montana was in no way a good guy but Tony did his business with structure and rules.

Tony Montana eventually met his end after he self destructed. I feel that the things that got Tony to where he was were no longer present in him at the end of the film. Tony was an honest guy and he told it how he saw it. Tony crossed some lines and took a few to many as well and that led to his demise. Scarface goes on to show society that people who live this lifestyle and go down that road will eventually meet there end sooner rather then later. Greed was a large driver of Tony and a large driver for most if not all of those who are involved in organized crime. Greed is a deadly sin and Scarface shows the viewer the ill effects that comes with Greed.

I found Scarface to be a very good movie in my opion but I am one who enjoys the gangser/mafia sytle of movies. Scarface had your usual characteristics of a gangster film but it also had a higher lever of intenational politcal issues involved as well. I found that Scarface dealt with a lot of social issues that are still around today. The big picture shows the corruption and social injustice that is happening. Scarface also went into good detail about the lifestyle of the individuals lived and how those people were very unethical and did not have the best morals. I think Scarface will be a popular movie for many years to come because it has a lot of social issues that society still deals with today.

The Cider House Rules

The Cider House Rules was directed by Lasse Hallstrom and written by John Irving. The Cider House Rules had a lot of deep social and real life implications that came in to play through out the film. Homer, who was an orphan, was taught by Dr. Larch to perform medical practices and delivering a baby in particular. Homer wanted to explore the world and to see what it had to offer to him and that is what he did when he left St. Cloud, Maine.

I realized with watching The Cider House Rules there were a lot of social issues that were brought up the movie. I noticed the grey area of abortion was brought center stage very often through out the movie. The Cider House Rules also shred some issues of suicide, love, and the behavior of people in general. Reading the chapter with in the book I came across a very simple but yet important pillar in making a film. The Chapter went on to say that the more closely the social aspects relate to the audience, then the more successful the film will more then likely be. I feel that The Cider House Rules hit home with a lot of viewers, including me. A great example of this would be abortion. Homer was a very skilled surgeon but he did not feel that abortion was a practice that should be done, but his mentor and teacher Dr. Larch performed these abortions on a regular basis. Dr. Larch had no problem with performing abortions and said that he was just doing what the patient asked of him to do, even though it was illegal. Homer argued that abortions were wrong and that he would not do them. I feel that society today is still doing the same thing as Dr. Larch and Homer. On one side there are those who see nothing wrong with abortion, and on the other side there are those who think abortion is a horrific thing to do. Abortion is one of those issues in life that is a grey area and there will never be a super majority of people, in my opionion, that agree the same way. Later on in the movie Homer does perform an abortion but it was to help Rose who was expecting her father's baby. Homer realized that there may be certain instances in which an abortion may be performed. Once again this is an issue that many people may be for, against, or teeter either way depending on the certain circumstance at hand. Abortion has many deep underlying issues and effects other then the obvious termination of life.

I feel that there was a connection of The Cider House Rules and the beginning of the baby boomers. I personally believe that it was this time period that created a large impact on social issues. The issues could be from abortions, orphans, to todays impact on social security. The period from WWII and after was a great leap forward for the United States but it did come with sacrific and hardship. I do not have any numbers or facts but logic tells me that when all of the babies were being made during this period there was more then likely an increase in orphans and abortions as well. Society may have changed in certain ways but I feel that our grandparents made the same choices good or bad as we do today. Today's society is probably a lot more open about issues but behind closed doors I think some things never change.

The Cider House Rules in a way challenges society as a whole. Dr. Larch did not have the highest viewing of the world and those in it. On the other hand Homer believed there was a lot more right then wrong. Homer went out and explored life to see what he could find. Homer's travels did give him a taste of hardship, unjust behavior, and heartbreak, but Homer also found who he was and the goodness in people around him.

I found The Cider House Rules was a good movie to watch. To be honest the first ten minutes I thought that it was going to be horrible but my opinion radically changed. I feel the one thing that made The Cider House Rules a good movies was the underlying social, moral, and ethical issues that the movie presented. There was a good plot but the plot was made by the issues. The Cider House Rules was not necessarily a movie about social problems, but a movie about social issues. I feel that The Cider House Rules could pertain to almost anyone because almost everyone has an opinion about the issues that were brought forth. I guess if nothing else when life gives you apples find the best part about it and make cider.

Rain Man

Rain Man was directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Marrow. Rain Man has an intriguing plot of Charlie and Raymond Babbit traveling across the country. Charlie basically kidnapped ramond after he found out that their father had left his fortune to Raymond, who was a savant. Rain Man also had a great deal of acting to go along with the plot.

I thought that Rain Man had an exciting plot and one that could realistically happen. I found Charlie to be a very selfish and egotistical individual at the beginning of the movie. Charlie had a falling out with his father, while he was still in high school, all over a car. Charlie left home never to return until the day of his fathers funeral. I found this very selfish and self centered of Charlie and it will help predict his future actions throughout most of the movie. Charlie is even more enraged when he finds out that he is not the beneficiary to his fathers fortune. Charlie finds out that he has a brother, Raymond, who is the beneficiary of the fortune. Raymond is a savant and has no real concept of money, but Raymond is very high functioning and he is a genius with numbers. Charlie takes Raymond just for the fact that he wants to get custody so he can have access to the family wealth. Raymond and Charlie eventually get to connect and Charlie then realizes that he wants Raymond as a brother, not just as a meal ticket. I think that this plot gives the viewer a deeper connection to the ones around them. Rain Man connects people on domestic and social issues. According to Klein, Rain Man struck a cord by connecting deeply with the emotional life of its audience. I feel that it was this deep connection and the acting that made Rain Man what it is as a movie.

The Acting in Rain Man was very well done. I feel that Dustin Hoffman did an excellent job in portraying Raymond, who is a savant. Hoffman had to use an impersonating style of acting while playing the part of Raymond. Hoffman has the talent to transform himself in to a savant, which he is not. Raymond was the character that made Rain Man what it was. I think that that viewer really connected to Raymond and truely loved the character. Hoffman has the rare talent of avoiding the typecasting trap. Typecasting, as the chapter concludes, is when an actor or actress do similar roles in movies because they have previously proven their ability to do those roles. Hoffman and a few others have the ability to play several different roles and play them to a high degree of excellence. I know there are some actors or actresses that you just can't see playing certain roles and their are certain actors or actresses that you can only see playing certain roles.

This was the first time that I have ever watched Rain Man but I know a lot of people that have seen the movie before and I think that it is a classic. I feel that the messege the movie gets across to the viewer and society is one that will be around for ages. A movie moves in to the classic zone when it can connect people of different backgrounds and different time periods together. I was born in the same year that this movie came out and there are a lot of movies in this time period that I would not care to watch. Rain Man was a good watch for those in the late eighties, for me, and those to come after me.

Reference:
MATHEW J. KLEIN. (1989, April 16). FILM; Psychiatry Looks At the Appeal Of 'Rain Man'. New York Times, p. 24

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight was written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathon Nolan and directed by Christopher Nolan. The Dark Knight has a good plot of good versus evil that and has a great cast of actors and actresses. Gotham is the battle ground of good versus evil and Gotham is looking for their hero to depend on.

I realized while watching The Dark Knight that there was a lot of symbolism and irony throughout the movie. An example of this would be Harvey Dent's two faced coin which I feel had a lot of irony and symbolism. Dent was once called two face before he became the DA and Gotham's "White Knight", which Dent was then dubbed. Dent found himself in a rage towards the end of the movie when he lost his wife to be and burned half his face. Dent's coin was also burned on one side, which signified how Dent from there on did not make his own luck, but was in a rage of chances. The title The Dark Knight it self has a lot of meaning to it. The "Dark Knight" could be Batman, or it could also imply how Dent turned from the "White Knight" to the "Dark Knight". I also found it Ironic that Dent turned himself in for being Batman when he was not. Dent, with this move, ran the risk of political and social ruin. Once Dent had turned evil and was dead Batman took the fall for Dent's actions to keep the city with their hopes held high of future prevention of crime. Batman by doing this also ran a huge risk of not only hurting Batman, but Bruce Wayne.

The Dark Knight has a great deal of acting with in the film. Heath Ledger, as the Joker, played one of the most memorable parts that I have seen. The Joker was a violent and destructive character that had a mission of creating chaos. Ledger to me had to play the part of an impersonating actor during The Dark Knight. The chapter teaches us that actors that are impersonators have the talent to leave their real personality behind and become the character they are playing. I thought that the Ledger played a very sick and sadistic role as the Joker. I feel that people were drawn in to the Joker because of how crazy he was. I found it a great deal of acting to be able to hold a knife to someones face, which the Joker did often, and be able to laugh about it all. Ledger became a crazed lunatic with a very twisted side. There was a scene when the Joker was filming a victim and was laughing, but then screamed look at me in a very deep and dark voice. That scene sent shivers down the audience's back. According to New Statesman, Ledgers performance amounts to an aria of enigmatic menace. Ledger, to me, proved that he was a great actor and able to impersonate a character to the fullest. I also was in awe during the scene when the Joker was getting beat in the jail cell and all the Joker did was laugh. The scene was as if the Joker loved pain and torment. I think this scene showed the viewer that this guy is a nut job.

Many people go to movies to see the actors or actresses in the movies rather then the plot of the actual story. I believe that this is what made The Dark Knight a hit movie. I think that it was a good plot also but I think that Heath Ledger and his acting was what made The Dark Knight was it is today. I believe that The Dark Knight connected to the masses in much different ways that previous Bat Man movies have done and I am saying that from a personal stand point as well. I have never really been into the Bat Man movies or any of those kinds of movies. I will also say that I have seen The Dark Knight several times and know others that have seen the movie several times. The Dark Knight set itself apart from the others because of the acting with in the movie along with a good plot.

References:
(2008). Dark was the knight, cold was the clown. New Statesman, 137(4897), 37.

8 Mile

8 Mile was directed by Curtis Hanson and written by Scott Silver. 8 Mile is about Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith, who is a poor white kid from the slums of Detroit. Rabbit is trying to make it out of the slums through his rapping ability. Along the way Rabbit has several problems with family, friends, and relationships. I enjoyed watching the movie because it had the rags to riches feel to it.

The chapter, the musical score, from our book indicated that the two basic funtions of the musical score are to create structural rhythms and to stimulate emotional responses. The movie 8 Mile did both of these things throughout the movie. Structural rhythm was reached throughout the movie and set the tone. In the movie for example when they were riding around having themselves a good laid back time there was laid back music on in the background. The opposite of this would be in the begining of 8 Mile when the music is more up pace because the battle was about to take place. Throughout 8 Mile the music set the pace of the scenes. 8 Mile also did a good job of catching the emotional aspect of the viewers eyes through music. Before the battle the music they played in the background makes the viewer feel a bit on edge with a bit of anxiety waiting in suspense to see what is going to happen next. The music gave scenes like the battles a heightening and dramatic effect.

One thing that I personally think is cool in a movie is when Rabbit is sitting on the back of a car listening to music with his head phones on and when Rabbit took them off the music stopped. 8 Mile did that sort of technique throughout the movie and I think that it enhances the viewers reactions because it makes in more life like. 8 Mile starred Eminem and used several of his songs within the movie. Eminem did a decent job acting in my opinion but he probably should not quit his day job. Music during movies is sometimes used to cover up sub-par acting but as I said, in my opinion, Eminem did a decent job.

8 Mile had a good plot involved and it was roughly related to Eminem's life. I think that 8 Mile did a good job portraying the city of Detroit and how the slums of 8 Mile look. I think that movies like this give the viewer a taste of some of the problems in some of the places in the United States. During the movie they talked about how a druggy raped a little girl in an abandoned house. There was some political/social issues that I picked up on when they said that the city does nothing about the abandoned houses and it is hard to take pride in your neighborhood when it looks like trash. The house was later burned to the ground in rejoice. I see this as hope for a better future and a message that everyone should keep their head up because tomorrow will bring a better day then the one before.

Avatar

Avatar was written and directed by James Cameron. Avatar has a very good plot that deals with the native people and habitants battling over their land with invaders from earth. People from earth are at Pandora for a rock that brings twenty million dollars per kilo.

I believe Avatar has a lot of similarities to the way we handled the Native Americans here in the United States. The land that we have now was the Native American's Pandora. There is a scene when Colonel Miles told Jake to figure out what they wanted or how to destroy them. This is pretty much the way the Native American situation was handled. At first in Avatar the humans were pretty peaceful but when it came down to it the humans went through with everything possible to get the land they wanted. In Avatar they offered the native people education so they could adopt the humans ways. Education is a tactic that was used to control and subdue the Native American population in the United States. I feel that using education to change people from their own past and history is unjust. Education is a very important part of society but in ways it also could just be a brain washing technique. Today I think there are alot of Native Americans that do not know much about their history and who they really are.

In Pandora the Native people are very much with nature and nature is number one to them. The Native People of Pandora believed in a network of energy and that all energy is from the same source. I feel there is much comparison to the Native American population before we pushed them onto Reservations. Native American's were very adapted to the land and lived off of the land without being wasteful.

Avatar shows us as society today what implications could be from neglect to the planet. Pandora is a beautiful place with lucious forests and trees. People from earth have been mining and destroying the natural habitat. I personally am not a big nature activist or anything like that, but I do believe that we do have to practice responsibility when it comes to our own planet, earth. The Gulf situation makes Avatar hit home a little bit harder then before. The implications from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will hurt us for a long time to come. Something like this would not have happened if we were more like the Navi.

Avatar shows the viewer a very colorful and beautiful visual with all of the plants and animals. I thought that Avatar was one of the most colorful movies I have ever seen. I enjoyed the way that it was with real life images and people, but at the same time animated. I think the colors have a lot of symbolism to them. The native people the Navi are blue, which from reading the chapter is connected with nature. I feel blue is very fitting because of its nature components and it is a calming and relaxing color. The Navi live a simplistic life that is very pure. The colors of the scene when the hometree was shot down were very contradicting. The forest was filled with beautiful lush greens, blues, and purples but once the shots were fired the reds, oranges, and greys took over. These colors to me shows a shift of life, prosperity, lusciousness, beauty to death and destruction.

Avatar shows the viewer similarities to our past, current and problems the future may bring. Avatar to me had a deeper meaning then just two different peoples fighting over some real estate. Avatar shows the consecquences that may come from taking Pandora or Earth for granted. I really enjoyed the movie for its deeper meaning and its excellent display of colors that shows the viewer an extra added element of beauty.

Kill Bill Vol. 1

Kill Bill was written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Kill Bill has several similarities to other movies in which he has been a part of. Kill Bill has a pretty basic plot and that plot is to simply kill Bill. There are members of the deadly viper assassination squad that have to be dealt with before reaching Bill.

I have seen Kill Bill before but after reading through the chapter and watched the movie again I saw a completely different version. Kill Bill employes objective, subjective, indirect subjective, and directors interpretive view points. I would venture to say that the majority of movies and tv shows are shot with an objective viewpoint. Objective viewpoint gives the viewer a sideline look at the action. After reading the chapters Kill Bill struck me as a much different movie just for the fact of all the different camera viewpoints. Kill Bill uses a lot of subjective viewpoints. Subjective viewpoints put the sword in the viewers hands. Indirect-subjective viewpoints are also used often throughout the movie. Indirect-subjective viewpoints give a close up shot on the character so the viewer can feel what they character is feeling. Kill Bill has several indirect-subjective shots on the faces of those in fight scences. Kill Bill also applies the directors interpretive viewpoint, which is a camera angle that is unusual to make the viewer see the scene in a different and special way.

Kill Bill, to me, was a much better movie after learning about the different camera angles and why they are used. There are several shots throughout the movie where the camera zooms in on different character's faces, feet, or mouths. I would have to say two of the most interesting shots that I noticed were the shots from above the rooms. One of these shots came in Copperhead's home when Copperhead was going to get some coffee. The other shot came in the bathroom before the fight with O-Ren. I just think these kind of camera angles are so interesting because it is as if someone had taken the roof off the building. These are two very odd views that I don't think I have ever seen before, and if I have I do not remember it. There was also one other shot during a fight scene that I really found unique. The fight before getting to O-Ren when the camera gets the fight scene through the bottom of the stairs. That angle gave a feeling of being a fly in the corner or a person in hiding kind of feel to it.

Kill Bill also uses several different ways of focusing on the most significant object. The most prominent showing of this, to me, during Kill Bill was when the Hanzo sword was presented. The camera was very sharp on the sword and the background was blurry. That scene to me represented how powerful the Hanzo sword was because of the high focus on it.

Kill Bill really opened my eyes to a lot of different things that I did not know go into making a movie. I have never really thought of different angles and focusing on certain objects to get a point across. I know the next movie I watch I am going to pay much more attention to the camera angles that it represents. I feel like I got alot more from watching Kill Bill after reading through the chapters then I did when I had previously watched it.

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire was directed by Danny Boyle and takes place in India. My overall reaction to the movie was a positive one. I thought that that plot was a well rounded one that had alot of meaning to it. I also think that the title Slumdog Millionaire was very fitting because of the plot and the fact that the movie takes place in India. The only thing I did not like about the Slumdog Millionaire was in the first few scenes all of the captions that I had to read. If i'm watching a movie I want to watch a movie, not read a movie. I feel like I miss out on what is happening on the screen when I am reading the whole time, but that is just my opinion.

Slumdog Millionaire touched on a few of the many aspects of India. India is developing into one of the worlds super powers and has a thriving economy. Contrary to that India still has a high degree of unemployment and poverty. Slumdog Millionaire showed the povery of the people right off the bat with the rag tag slums and the poor sanitation. When I see clips of places like the slums in foreign lands I often wonder how it could be that bad. I know we have slums here in the United states but they are nothing to the likes of those in India. The social structures are much different but yet at times the same. India like the United States has upscale areas and slums, but why are India's slums so much worse when India's economy is doing well? Would the United States have worse looking slums if we had an enormous population like India? I don't think that this is a question the movie ment to bring up, but none the less it is one that I thought of. The social and economic structures were an important aspect of Slumdog Millionaire because India is very complicated in these two areas.

Slumdog Millionaire is a movie about three slum dogs who were on their own in the early 1990's because of the Bombay Riots. The Bombay Riots show the viewer of the constant unrest in the area and religious views often result in countless deaths in certain areas of the world. I feel very thankful to live in the United States when I see what happens in different areas of the world. I believe what makes America so free is that fact that we can say and write whatever we want, well within certain boundaries.

Jamal was torn apart from Salim, his brother, and Latika, his love, when Salim kicked Jamal out once Salim became a gang associate. Salim thoughout the movie was portrayed as a rough and tough individual who wanted money, wealth, and power. Jamal was a more well mannered and cool tempered person that fell in love with Latika from the first time they met. Jamal went years wondering where Latika was located and how she was. Jamal found where Salim was by searching through a call centers data base. Jamal then reunited with Latika but only to be separated again because Latika was propery of the Ganglord Salim worked for. Jamal did learn that Latika watches who wants to be a millionaire often and persued being a contestant. I find Jamals strong will to reunite and save latika from the life she was living was incredible. Jamal had a strong passion for Latika and he would do anything for her. Slumdog Millionaire portrayed this romance very well through Jamal's constant will.

Jamal did get on the gameshow who wants to be a millionaire and ended up answering all the questions correctly. The game show host could not believe this coming from a slumdog and the police arrested Jamal once time ran out on the game show. Jamal was brutally interrogated and would give flashbacks thoughout the interrogation to how he answered the questions. I found this whole ordeal ironic because all the questions had specific stories and without all of what Jamal had been through he would not have answered them. The police release Jamal and Latika then see's Jamal on TV the next day when Jamal is one. Salim gave Latika keys to a vehicle so she could escape with Jamal. I thought this move on Salim was very compassionate and moving. Salim knew what he was doing and knew he had to take his ganglord with him.

Slumdog Millionaire had a fair share of irony and symbolism in the end. Salim lined a bath tub with money at the same time Jamal was on his way to becoming a wealthy man. Salim sat in the tub while his ganglord boss came in, Salim shot him but in return got shot himself. The image of Salim in a tub full of bloody money could have several meanings. Salim made his way to wealth and power by killing and criminal activities which could represent bloody money. The bloody money could also show Salim's compassion and acknoledgement of a corrupt lifestyle. Salim freeing Latika and allowing her to escape and be with Jamal could also be represented by this. Salim had separated Jamal and Latika for the path filled with crime and bloodshed, and the bloody money could end the suffering Salim started. Jamal was on the last question and did not know the answer so Jamal used his last lifeline, phone a friend. Latika answered the phone and Jamal was unbelievably happy even though Latika did not know the answer Jamal knew they would be reunited again. Jamal guessed the right answer and became a wealthy man himself. Jamal never wanted riches but got them the same time his brother Salim, who did want riches and power, was laying in a tub of bloody money.

Slumdog Millionaire shows the viewer passion whether it is directed towards wealth and power or love and romance. I found that the temporal; geographical; social structures and economic; and customs, moral attitudes, and codes of behavior factors had alot to do with Slumdog Millionaire. India is a prime place to show these factors because of the rich diversity of issues the country has. Slumdog Millionaire is a good movie that shows social structure and problems along with a love story.

Reservoir Dogs

Reservoir Dogs was writen and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The movie depicts gangsters before and after but not during a diamond heist that went wrong. Reservoir Dogs has a common Tarantino vibe to it and has similarities to other movies Tarantino has produced. I liked the way the movie has the present scene and then at times flashes to the past to fill the viewer in on the background of the plot.

I thought that Reservoir Dogs showed a high level of complexity with human relationships. The gangsters who were involved in the diamond heist did not know anything about their counterparts other then the names given to them by Joe, the boss. I thought that Mr. White was a very compassionate man who really cared about the condition of Mr. Orange, who was shot and needed medical attention. I think that Mr. White's downfall was the fact that he was to caring and compassionate for his line of work. I think the opposite of Mr. White was Mr. Blonde. Mr. Blonde was a ruthless guy who tortured a policeman which he had caught and shot the diamond store up killing innocent people. Mr. Blonde was also a very trustworthy individual because he had the chance to rat out Joe and his son Eddie for a previous crime committed, but he kept his mouth shut and served jail time instead. I really like gangster/mafia movies for this reason. I find it intriguing the way they can be so loyal and be so close woven. Mr. Pink was the one who first thought that there was a rat in their presence. Mr. Pink to me was a very level headed smart guy, although he did not come off that way all the time. Mr. Pink was the one who acted the most professional and kept thinking instead of over reacting. I think this is why Mr. Pink was the only one to survive throughout the whole ordeal.

I am a huge fan of gangster/mafia movies but Reservoir Dogs was not that good of a movie to me. I thought that it was a little dry. I also thought that the plot and storyline was not that interesting. It began with them eating, showing them after the diamond heist went bad, flashbacks, and the ending when they all shot each other except for Mr. Pink. Reservoir Dogs never gave the viewer a feel of the gangsters being in the spotlight. Most movies about gangster/mafia make "The Life" to be prestigious. I feel that the prestige of the individuals playing the roles is what draws the viewer in. It as if Reservoir Dogs was not ment to do this for the gangster image. I personally think it made the gangsters look very sloppy and more like petty criminals. I do feel one lesson that Reservoir Dogs teaches society is that if you take part in illegal activities there is a good chance it will end bad.

Good Will Hunting

Good Will Hunting is a film about a talented and very gifted young man from South Boston with a photographic memory. This was the first time I have ever watched the movie and I am not sure why I did not do so before now. I really enjoyed the movie and think that it has alot of meaning behind it.

Will finds himself with a criminal record and the only way he is able to stay out from behind bars are on the conditions that he works with professor Gerald and Will also has to see a psychologist. Will goes through several psychologists before meeting Sean, one of professor Gerald's old friends.

Looking deeper into the character of Will one will conclude some disturbances' from Will's childhood. Will was in a foster home in which his foster father beat him. Thoughout the movie Will put on the front of a tough guy that did not need any help from anyone. I think Sean's reasoning behind Will rejecting those trying to enter in his life was correct. Will rejected everyone because he was afraid to be abandoned like so many times in the past. According to Riley (98), Typical hurdles faced by gifted students in regard to social and emotional adjustment include: Anxiety; hightened sensitivity; perfectionist tendencies; feelings of being alone, isolated, and different. One can conclude that Will had strong feelings of being alone and/or afraid of becoming attached.

Will had a support group around him that helped him out immensely. I give professor Gerald alot of credit for finding the potential in Will. I do think Gerald was pushing Will in a direction that he did not want to go, but none the less it was Gerald that found the diamond in the rough. I think this is a lot like the way parents bring their children up in school and athletics. I feel sometimes people may be pushed to hard to do somethings they don't necessarily want to do. Contrary to my own thoughts I feel that people also often have to be pushed to get the best out of themselves. I think Sean was a huge help for Will because it was Sean that made Will ask himself the simple question of what Will wanted out of his life. Sean and Will had a great connection when it came to the heart and philosophical aspects in each others lives. I found it interesting that Will also helped Sean out with the grieving process with Seans passing of his wife. It was Will that got Sean to put another bet on the table. Skylar is also important in Will's life because it is Skylar who, in my mind, gets Will to jump into uncharted waters. Skylar fills Will with love, passion, and life. Will also had a great friend in Chuck. When Chuck told Will that the best part of his day was the ten seconds he walks to Will's door, and hopes that Will would be gone. Chuck told Will that Will owes it to "Southy" to make something of himself. I believe that this was a big turning point in Will's life. I think that Chuck saying this to Will ment alot especially because Will didn't have any parental figures for guidence. I personally get a lot of advise from my friends and I even have parents for guidence. If I did not have my parents my friends would play an even bigger role when it comes to advise.

The title to me is a very meaningful one. Good Will Hunting to me refers to Will Hunt hunting to truely find who he is as a person. I think that Good Will Hunting sheds light on those that are different/gifted in society and also demonstrates how friendships and relationships can help find who oneself truely is.

Reference:
Riley, T. (1998). Two Thumbs Up, Five Stars, and an Oscar?. Gifted Child Today Magazine, 21(6), 46.

Casablanca

Casablanca is a romance film that was directed by Michael Curtiz and won an academy award for best picture in 1943. Previous to watching Casablanca I did not know much about the movie other then the fact that it was a romance film. I learned that there is a much deeper meaning then the average romance film to this particular movie. I normally do not care for romance films very much but Casablanca is one that I actually enjoyed. Films have come a long way since the black and white days. I noticed that the effects were nothing like they are today. For example in Casablanca when someone got shot all they did was grab their chest or back and crumble to the ground. Todays films injuries look as realistic as possible. With this said it could be debatable that actors and actresses had to be better at acting in the black and white days for the fact that they did not have the advantages of technology as we do today.

Casablanca primarily takes place at Rick's Cafe Americain, owned by Rick Blaine, in the city of Casablanca. Casablanca was a neutral territory in Africa during WWII where many refugees fled to. The movie Casablanca is a romance film but it is deeper then just that. In Casablanca and all over the world at this time there are many social problems that were taking place. I believe that this was an important point of the movie to point out the struggle that many individuals and ethnicities were going through. Casablanca shows a constant problem among governments, businessmen, and relationships.

All was going well in Casablanca for Rick, who comes off as a very stern character who does not bend or budge for anyone. For this reason the local officials trust Rick and think Rick will not be participating in the helping of others even if others were to die if Rick didn't help. The film set Rick apart from anyone else in the town because of these qualities. All bets are off when Rick reunites with Ilsa Lund, a previous lover. Rick later finds out Ilsa is married to Victor Laszlo and was married at the time they fell in love. Victor is a resistance leader who had escaped from a Nazi concentration camp and needs to obtain a letter of transit. Rick has letters of transit and is then put in a complex and moral decision on what to do. Rick decideds to give the letters of transit to Ilsa and Victor knowing that it is his neck on the line. I found this a very brave thing to do for Rick. A lot of times we know what is the best thing to do but do not do it because it may hurt us in return. I believe some problems in today's society stem from this very problem.

Casablanca was a lot deeper then I had imagined it would be. Casablanca deals with personal relationships and on a deeper level it deals with morals, ethics, and human rights. I think this movie gives some insight on what life was like while the Nazi regime was in control.

Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction is a modern day mob movie that was directed by Quentin Tarantino. Pulp Ficton is one of those movies that you have to watch more then once to understand what is going on from scene to scene. Pulp Fiction has a bunch of separate stories intertwined into one film that are not shown to the viewer in order.

Structure and style is what makes Pulp Fiction unique to the viewer because the viewer has to piece the movie together. The opening scence involves two small time criminals eating at a restaurant talking about robbing banks and restaurants. The very last scence in the movie is a continuation from the first scence with different stories mixed in between. The structure of Pulp Fiction sets it apart from any other movie I have watched before. I find the stucture of Pulp Fiction to be unusual and at first frustrating but it gives the movie an absorbing and elegant effect that is rare.

Pulp Fiction's major element is style and structure, and the other elements are more difficult to pick out because of all the stories involved. Pulp Fiction has three stories with in the movie: Marsellus Wallace's Wife, The Gold Watch, and The Bonnie Situation. If each story were separated, more can be concluded about the theme and focus; plot; emotional effect; characters; and style. I think this is the reason why I enjoy this movie so much because everytime you watch it more appears to you then the previous viewing.