Abstract In this essay,the writer examines the following movies: "Roots", "Glory" and "Amistad". The paper provides a succinct plot summary of each movie and then briefly discusses the similarities and differences in each movie. The impact of these movies on larger American society is also discussed. The writer then attempts to describe his personal, potential reactions to the situations that occur in each movie. The paper then discusses Hollywood's treatment of serious issues such as slavery and violence and discusses how Hollywood's actions influence both children and adults.
From the Paper "Roots, is an epic, made-for-television mini series that chronicles generations of black Americans in slavery. First on the air in 1977, Roots traced the history of one family from their African origin, through slavery, and finally to emancipation.
"Glory is a war movie about the first all-black company (the 54th regiment) to fight in the United States Civil War. The company, and their white leader confront the prejudices of the Confederates and the Union army. The movie climaxes showing the fighting at Fort Wagner, where the regiment proves there was nothing inferior about a black regiment.
"Amistad, directed by Stephen Spielberg, chronicles the 1839 mutiny on the slave ship Amistad, where slaves were held under barbaric and inhumane conditions. The movie follows the subsequent trial in America."
Abstract Many horror movies musical techniques are discussed in this paper. The writer shows how this music effects the audience's viewing experience and builds up hype and expectations. Different styles are discussed - creepy, tense, supernatural, fear etc.
From the Paper "To fully utilize sound in a film it must be more than just neat sound effects added in as an after thought. The first crews to utilize this new mind set was the ever famous team of Ben Burtt and Walter Murch in Star Wars and then again in Apocalypse Now. They realized that the sound shaped the picture as much as the picture shaped the sound. The result was a powerful effect that forever changed the way sound is used in a film (Thom, 1999). It takes more than loud, high fidelity, and well executed sound effects to make a great movie. The soundtrack must be integrated into the entire film as a whole. It should enhance and change as the mood changes. In this way the soundtrack becomes a valuable part of the team (Thom, 1999). Many directors overlook the potential that sound has in storytelling and often do not consider it in relation to the other elements of the film. This philosophy embraces the idea that good sound embraces and is considered by the other crafts, as well. It is not just a product of the other crafts."
Abstract This paper studies "Crimes and Misdemeanors" and tells the story of the two main characters - Judah Rosenthal and Cliff Stern. Judah is a seemingly happy and successful man until a moral situation rises with his mistress and everything changes. Cliff is unsuccessful and unhappy and also engages in an affair which changes his life. It concludes that the evil wins and good loses, with Judah being the evil man and Cliff the good man.
From the Paper ""Crimes and Misdemeanors" deals with the moral struggles of two characters. Each of the characters is an opposite, with one being seen as good and the other as evil. However, by considering the situation in relation to Sarte's ideas on existentialism the nature of the situation can be understood in a new way. "Crimes and Misdemeanors" revolves around the moral struggle of two men. The first is Judah Rosenthal, a man who appears both successful and happy. He appears to be happily married as well as having a mistress, Delores. His moral decision is based on Delores, who threatens to tell his wife about the affair and also tell of his financial crimes. Judah acts by killing his mistress and his coming to terms with this decision is the moral struggle that continues throughout the movie. The second plot is the story of Cliff Stern, a man who is generally considered as unsuccessful. He is pushed by his wife into making a documentary about her brother, whom he loathes. In making the documentary, he meets Halley Reed. The story continues as he faces his moral dilemma of having an affair with Halley and we see the demise of his marriage."
Abstract This research paper focuses on Will Smith's character, and his acting and musical talents. It includes his participation in everything from TV to movies to music. A few of his major achievements since he has started in the entertainment business are noted as well.
From the Paper "Will Smith is charming, multi-talented and award winning, which makes him one of the greatest and most well known people in Hollywood. Will Smith is easily one of the most recognizable people in Hollywood. He stands at a generous height of six feet and two inches. His ears stray from his head in an adorable way. He is very animated and nearly every other word out of his mouth is hilarious and captivating. His comedic antics off camera of his hit television show Fresh Prince of Bel-Air shows off his natural comedy. When the camera stopped rolling he would play pranks on his co-stars to keep things lively ("Will Smith" 1 of 3). At virtually any formal event, you would find Smith dresses in highly expensive, designer, three-piece suits. Will Smith, despite his wandering ears, is a decent looking guy who dresses with very good taste and style."
Abstract In this paper the writer uses several examples to illustrate that families are generally depicted to be very different than real families in the way in which things are handled and discussed.
From the Paper "As the years go by shows are offering real life problems with real life choices, and it is something that is relatively new for the industry to do. Friends, for instance, have many episodes to deal with some problems such as a pregnancy or other issues. The depiction of families on television has always been structured for the parents to be good parents and the children to rebel in ways that are cute and not dangerous. This has not changed a lot but the world of television is beginning to delve into some real, issues , including internet dangers."
Abstract The paper examines the effect of government programs, family situations, and poverty on the lives of Mexico's Street Children as portrayed by the film "Los Olvidados" which presents a compelling depiction of city life. This paper discusses some of the different factors in the lives of the street children.
From the Paper "The film, Los Olvidados, paints a rather bleak picture regarding the lives of the poor street children. It also seems to beg the question of who is responsible for making such a mess with people's lives. Three forces could be blamed for this situation: the government, the lack of a stable and loving family and extreme poverty. Of course, there are infinitely many more reasons, but these three seemed to be portrayed the clearest in the film. A closer look at each one of these factors could help in understanding the social problems of the time and the message that the movie was attempting to portray."
Abstract This paper conducts a semiotic analysis of the two movies, "You've Got Mail" and "Shop Around the Corner". The author finds that the main plots movies are similar, but there are important differences wit in the cinematography, themes and characterization. The paper highlights the differences and then proves why the older version was far more appealing than the newer one.
From the Paper "You"ve Got Mail? is the remake of 1940 classic "Shop Around the Corner". While the main plot is the same there are certain semiotic differences, which should be studied closely in order to see which version is the better one. I have seen both movies and liked the original version better not only because of it being a classic but also because there are certain important features which puts the older version a lot more above the 1990s remake."
Abstract This paper analyzes the image of nursing as depicted in the 1981 movie "Whose Life is it Anyway?" Although portraying a situation which is not commonly encountered in the day-to-day duties of nursing staff, the movie provides an excellent study of the roles, skills, characteristics and attitudes that nursing involves.
From the Paper Although the media's portrayal of nursing has become less stereotypical since the making of Whose Life is it Anyway?, there is still a great deal of public misconception about the profession. Unfortunately, many images of nursing within the media are still unrepresentative of the modern profession, resulting in, "on the one hand, nurses are highly valued as individuals, but on the other hand, nursing, defined as women's work, is devalued and given low status in society" (Hallan, 2000, p.7)
Tags: medical, nurse, hospital, care, media, healthcare
Abstract "Good Will Hunting", directed by Gus Van Sant, has been described as an 'edge' or 'independent' film. The paper defines an independent film as one which provides an alternative point of view to the dominant discourse provided by mainstream films. The 'edge' or 'independent' genre of the film is discussed in this paper.
From the Paper "Secondly, the choice of subject matter of the film is highly idiosyncratic. Rather than choosing an ?every person,? the film selects a very gifted individual with an intellect most filmgoers cannot identify with. Rather than validating American notions about success, the Will of the title spurns such notions. He is more interested in his own gifts, in a very personal and arrogant way, than of conventional collegiate success. To find himself and to realize his gifts, the protagonist must abandon his friends and old way of life as well as conventional American notions of monetary and intellectual achievement."
Abstract The author states that Shakespeare's plays live on with great popularity because they deal with life's basic issues intertwined with valuable moral lessons. The author points out these issues in various popular Shakespearean plays. The paper believes that Shakespeare's plays also continue to be popular because of the beauty of his words.
From the Paper "In fact, it would appear that Shakespeare's keen sense of human nature and the repetitive nature of life caused by the same basic issues led to his being quite a philosopher and a visionary. Issues such as jealousy and racism (Othello), the futility and destructiveness of senseless feuds (Romeo and Juliet), the dispersal and reunion of a family (A Comedy of Errors), foolish young love (A Midsummer Night's Dream), and the consequences of power, greed and lust (King Lear and King John) are pretty much at the centre stage of modern life. "
Abstract This paper examines the theory that humans do not create conditions of their free will, instead they experience positive and adverse experiences because of the society we live in and the environment that we are surrounded with. It uses as an example the movie "Indecent Proposal" where a man desperate for money allows his wife to spend one night with a billionaire in exchange for one million dollars and discusses why such an offer is legitimate in the norm of today's society.
From the Paper "From the idealist point of view this incident should not have occurred in the first place, and the reason why Robert Redford offers them a million dollars is because he wants to help them out that is to say he is altruistic rather then lecherous. From Woody Harrelson's perspective, he does it because now the society he lives in and the social norms allow him to decide to believe that the money he and Demi Moore will get out values the emotions she has or the morals she has to sleep with another man when she is already happily married."
Abstract The comparison of two WWII movies and how they are both very important in teaching the history of what "The Greatest Generation" did for us and freedom.
From the Paper "For my assignment, I have chosen to compare, contrast, and review two of my favorite war movies. As a historical preservationist, I enjoy watching movies relating to American and world history ? but I also have a bad habit of scrutinizing them for errors. Is the character wearing the correct uniform? Did that really take place or was it made up for the movie? I felt that these two movies, which both dealt with the time around June 6, 1944 (D-Day), would be a good pair to look at from the old Hollywood style and the new "television age and beyond" movie style."
Abstract This paper explores the problems involved in the use of film by anthropologists as a means of portraying the social customs and experiences of a people. A discussion of fictional film versus scientific documentary is presented. Three ethnological films are examined to demonstrate the ineffectiveness of this method. The conclusion is drawn that a filmmaker must make a choice between "telling a story" and conducting true scientific research.
From the Paper "One of the first considerations for the anthropological filmmaker is who their audience will be. In general, an anthropological writer will have their work published in a professional journal or book, which is intended to be read by other professionals. With the film, however, they can be released for a general audience who is not familiar with the terms and techniques of anthropology. The presentation of the information must therefore be in a format that the lay person will understand. It must also hold their attention, therefore some consideration must be given to character development and plot, yet at the same time, this must be done without losing accuracy.
Often, films about "exotic" people are made by people with no anthropological background. In the film "Dead Birds" shot among the Dani tribe of New Guinea, its maker Robert Gardner hinges on becoming a scientific fantasy (Ruby, 1991). The film was shot in a very artistic manner, which at times tended to sway the opinion of the viewer about what the persons were doing. The filmmaker can choose to show or not show certain elements, which skew the impressions of the viewer. This same problem exists in written anthropological works. The writer can choose to include or not include certain elements, which are key to understanding the actions of the people presented, therefore the work becomes an interpretation of how the anthropologist feels about the people and not a true work of scientific documentation."
Abstract This is an analysis of the use of the Vietnam War as a cultural backdrop in the movie "Apocalypse Now". It outlines how Francis Coppola uses Vietnam War as the basis for cultural differentiation, how the director uses the narrator/ voice over of Willard, and it accounts for two combats during the journey up river.
From the Paper "Francis Coppola's Apocalypse Now is one in a series of Vietnam War story. With Vietnam as the cultural backdrop, Coppola presents the bizarre war environment through the behavior of the various characters of the movie especially Kurtz and Kilgore. To make the Vietnam War experience more personal Coppola uses voice over of the protagonist Willard (played by Martin Sheen), transitioning his uncultured, all-American thoughts to gradually one of a soldier in Vietnam. In essence Willard is an assassin sent to terminate the command" of Colonel Kurtz (played by Marlon Brando). But as the plot of the movie develops, one sees Willard unfolding a humanistic side of himself. The opening scene shows he is in a Saigon hotel, awaiting his mission. He thinks how strange it is to kill one's fellow countrymen in a foreign land. "There were those six that I knew about for sure, close enough to blow their last breath in my face. But this time, it was an American and an officer. It wasn't supposed to make any difference to me, but it did." [Apocalypse Now]. The other characters on the other hand become more chaotic. Their irrational behavior, the result of war pressure and a strange environment, contributed to the violent trip up river."
Tags: combat, america, officer, army, weapon, jungle, vietcong, jung, river
Abstract This paper analyzes the cinematic version of Ken Kesey's novel "One Few over the Cuckoo's Nest". The movie, which was released more than 26 years ago, became one of the best pictures of all time with some powerful performances, amazing direction and witty dialogues. It is story of a courageous outlaw who stands against cruelty and injustice and pays a heavy price for his actions. But in the process, he manages to create awareness regarding cruel practices of the hospital authorities. The paper looks at the theme of the movie as well as an analysis of the characters.
From the Paper "One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest is one of the most memorable movies of all time which is based on Ken Kesey's novel by the same name. The cinematic adaptation of the book was undertaken by director Milos Forman and his team after the book had already been turned into play for Broadway where it failed miserably. The book was published in 1962 and it immediately received great attention from all quarters and thus more than a decade later, the movie version of this masterpiece appeared. Since then, there was no looking back for everyone involved with the project. This is because the movie won five major Academy awards for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director and Best adapted screenplay, a feat that no movie had been able to achieve since the day "It happened one night" swept the Oscars in similar fashion in 1935. "
