Abstract This paper explores the symbolism used in this silent film, unlike other films of its time. A summary of the story is presented, followed by an examination of character, plot, setting and props. The analysis reveals the film to be a highly complex examination of many controversial issues that continue to affect today's society, namely racism, child abuse, drug misuse, and social injustice.
From the Paper "Richard Barthelmess plays the young Chinese Buddhist, whose downhill spiral is charted, from his initial dream of spreading spiritual enlightenment and harmony to the inhabitants of London, through the years of disenchantment and opium addiction, to his eventual suicide, resulting from a doomed relationship with an English girl. The introductory scenes of the movie present him as a highly educated man, and one who is universally recognized and respected by Chinese society. In contrast, his status as an immigrant is symbolized by his utter anonymity; a man who is denied even the basic acknowledgement of a name, and is known only as the "Yellow Man". "
Abstract This paper examines issues of genetic engineering. The view of a society in which genetic engineering has made it possible to produce biologically superior human beings, as portrayed in the film, is compared to the current reality. The benefits of such technological advances, as well as the dangers that they could bring, are addressed.
From the Paper "The social premise of the movie is based on the vision that advancements in the field of genetic engineering will enable the human beings to predetermine their genetic composition. Once this will become possible there will no longer be the need for any natural formation. As the technology will obviously not easily accessible for everyone, those who will be able to afford it will perfectly conceive their babies in a test tube. This will result in the formation of two broad classes around the world, the "Valids" who will be genetically perfect and the invalids who will be somewhat genetically defective. People with genetically perfect compositions will be better in terms of their performance and health and therefore will be considered superior as compared to other human beings."
Abstract The paper analyzes the book which is an exploration into the history of African-American images in the film industry, from silent films to 20th Century blockbusters. The paper shows how Bogle discusses the type casting of blacks into the categories described in the book's title, as well as how he takes his investigation deeper into an examination of the American film industry as a whole, and addresses social, historical, and cultural contexts in which we must examine all screen productions.
From the Paper "Bogle provides much-needed insight into the origins of black film characters. First appearing on the screen in 1903, the "blackface" had already become the standard representation of the African-American on stage. Character typing and stereotyping began early in Hollywood; by the 1920s the major "boxes" to which black characters could fit had been created and, according to Bogle, still remain. At first it seemed that the author would overanalyse and generalize each role just to make it fit one of the ?boxes.? But soon it became obvious that Bogle, rather than placing modern politically correct interpretations on decades-old films, makes clear what should be obvious even to the occasional filmgoer."
Abstract This paper compares two movies "Legally Blonde" and "Disappearing Acts" which on the surface seem to be totally unrelated to each other. One deals with a preppy college student and the other about an African American woman wishing to study music. The writer shows that despite these seemingly different plots, the movies both are about a woman's quest to pursue her heart's desire in life. A brief synopsis of each movie is presented.
From the Paper "All movies, whether a comedy, drama, suspense, mystery or any other genre seeks to invoke some type of reaction from the audience. A comedy can invoke empathy, compassion and suspense just as well as a drama. Usually audiences go into a movie theater not quite knowing what to expect, as clips do not reveal how the movie will ultimately unfold. Legally Blonde and Disappearing Acts are two movies that at first glance, one would think they are completely opposite of one another. Legally Blonde, a comedy is centered around a rich white college student from California, who embodies all of the characteristics of the typical valley sorority girl. Disappearing Acts, on the other hand focuses on an African-American female, living in Brooklyn, New York trying to earn a living by teaching during the day and pursuing her passion for music at night. "
Tags: film, music, passion, college, plot, genre, niche, zora, elle
This paper shows the influence of director Pedro Almodovar on the Spanish film industry and how his films helped pave the way for other Spanish directors to find an audience outside of Spain and to reestablish the viability of the Spanish film industry.
3,100 words (approx. 12.4 pages), 8 sources, 2002, $ 90.95
Abstract The paper introduces the topic with a look at Robert Phillip Kolker's "The Altering Eye", which considers some of the economic and social forces that apply in different countries to shape their film. It then examines the life and work of director Pedro Almodovar as an example of these theories at work in Spain. It suggests that Almodovar's success was dependent on the social and political changes in Spain, namely the end of the fascist era and a move toward democracy.
From the Paper "Film is an international medium in spite of language differences, and different countries come to the fore at different times to make a mark both artistic and economic on the world cinema. After world War II, Italian neo-realism burst onto the scene, followed in the early 1960s by the French New Wave. In the 1970s it was a combination of films from Australia and films from West Germany, the latter led by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. More recently, Spain has become a contributor to the screens of the world, with the leading filmmaker of the time being Pedro Almodovar, in some ways an unlikely leader given his penchant for bizarre sexual themes, iconoclastic attitudes, and searing satiric humor."
Abstract This paper studies the Disney film "Pocahontas" from the standpoint of linguistics students. The dialect of each character is identified and classified, and put in perspective with the others. The native dialects and ethnicities of the actors providing the voices are taken into account as well. The paper illustrates Disney's ability to play into our preconceived ideas about how we should speak and how it relates to other aspects of our lives, including sexuality.
From the Paper " ?In sixteen hundred seven we sail the open sea, for glory, God, and gold and the Virginia Company.? So begin the opening lines of Disney's ?Pocahontas,? just to give a bit of background for the children in the audience who have not yet had American History. In the film ?Pocahontas,? Disney makes a very sincere effort to promote diversity and racial acceptance, and to dispel common stereotypes about Native Americans. At the same time, however, and perhaps unintentionally, they perpetuate other linguistic stereotypes, as I intend to show."
Examines the image of California as portrayed in films such as "Grapes of Wrath", "La Story" and "Boyz N the Hood" which seem to present California as either a paradise or a dystopic nightmare.
675 words (approx. 2.7 pages), 0 sources, 2001, $ 23.95
From the Paper "The image of California as a paradise is rightly questioned by Julian Marais. California seems to many outsiders to be a paradise in terms of personal freedom, labor opportunities, and climate. This is an image of California often found in films which present a constantly warm and sunny climate, and beaches populated by healthy, carefree young people. However, there are movies which present a darker and more realistic side of California, which portray problems from crime and social unrest to natural disasters.
Those who believe in the paradise-like image of California flock to the state seeking the "absence of limitation" they see on behavior and opportunity, and the supposed "lack of difficulty" inherent in California living. Yet clearly Californians face many of the same problems found in other parts of the ..."
From the Paper "The movie "Romero" tells the true story of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, a church leader who at first was reluctant to become embroiled in the political battles of his time. However, he eventually became a leader in the search for justice for the lower classes in that country, a role that would lead to his death at the hands of the military. The film raises a number of difficult ethical issues. One of the key ones relates to an argument that has been taking place in South America in particular for some time over the importance of and value of liberation theology, or revolution through the intercession of Catholic church leaders.
This issue is not a simple one. The political involvement of clergy from any denomination raises questions from those who believe the Church should attend to spiritual matters and leave the ..."
From the Paper "Black films from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s were produced by black filmmakers for a black circuit and were rarely seen by white audiences. So-called blaxploitation films from the late 1960s and early 1970s were produced by white filmmakers for a largely urban audience, and these films were shaped for white audiences as well as black. The black films from an earlier era showed a wide range of subject matter, with the mass of films emulating white genres such as detective stories, westerns, comedies, domestic dramas, crime dramas, and so on. The blaxploitation films of the 1970s were much more limited, being primarily crime and action films featuring drug use, violence, sexual situations, and so on, creating an image of blacks that was limited and, in the eyes of many critics, degrading."
From the Paper "Buster Keaton was one of the two great film comedians and comedy film directors of the silent era. His reputation has suffered by the greater accord given to the other silent film comic, Charlie Chaplin, and Chaplin's reputation remained greater because Chaplin continued to work as a leading player well into the 1950s and also remained a controversial figure at the same time. Keaton, on the other hand, was considered finished by Hollywood when sound came in, though he did continue to make films until the end of his life, more often as a supporting player than a star in later years. A myth developed that Keaton could not make the transition from silent to sound because of his voice or for some similar reason, but in fact, Keaton's problems derived first from an unhappy experience at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at the end of the silent era and second from.."
From the Paper "The auteur theory developed by French film critics beginning in the 1950s is partly a convenient way of categorizing and analyzing films, collecting titles as the body of work of the director. More than this, though, the theory holds that it is the director more than anyone else who is responsible for the finished film, since he or she is the one who determines visual style and other matters in the course of production. The theory finds that the director expresses meaning through visual style and that analyzing the visual style of a given director reveals consistent thematic concerns, similarities in character development, and other repeated and recognizable signs of a single intelligence at work. At the same time, though, film remains a collaborative medium, and it would seem that directors would be influenced by their..."
Analysis of his films & development from gag-based shorts to comedy features with complex ideas. Discusses "The Kid," "His Trysting Place," "The Idle Class."
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 6 sources, 2001, $ 47.95
From the Paper "Charlie Chaplin was one of the most popular and influential directors and performers in the history of film. His influence derived from many different aspects of his work but one of the most important was his role in the development of comic feature films. Although other performers and filmmakers were involved in the same process (and surpassed Chaplin at times) he was nearly unique in the degree of control he exerted over the development of his own films. A comparison of works ranging from his early days of making two-reel shorts for Keystone to later shorts and his first self-directed feature at First National, The Kid (1921), demonstrates the process through which coherent narrative features were developed from the gag-based style of the shorts. Although The Kid is not the height of Chaplin's accomplishment in the new form, as his first it displays some of the problems the..."
Compares characteristics of "The Shawshank Redemption" & "The Green Mile," both directed by Frank Darabont. Discusses prison life, central characters and directorial style.
675 words (approx. 2.7 pages), 3 sources, 2001, $ 23.95
From the Paper "The films The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile are linked not only by the fact that both were directed by Frank Darabont but by the fact that both were derived from stories written by Stephen King. These links give the stories similar sensibilities, and the directorial style is also similar for both films. In each case, a central character who might serve as an Everyman facing extraordinary situations must come to terms with his surroundings and with events that are beyond his control. Both films also take place in prison settings, though the settings are very different in most respects, including the time period. The Shawshank Redemption is set in a normal, mixed prison population, while The Green Mile is set on a death row in a Southern prison during the 1930s, a much bleaker vision of prison life, with the only exit for the inmates being through..."
Analysis of Director David Lean's 1984 cinematic adaptation of E.M. Forster's novel of British Imperialism. Dramatic structure of film, characters, theme, Lean's directorial techniques and devices.
2,250 words (approx. 9 pages), 5 sources, 2001, $ 79.95
From the Paper "The film A Passage to India (David Lean, 1984) is a dramatized version of the well-known novel by E.M. Forster, a novel that is considered mysterious in part because it hinges on something secret that happens in the Marabar Caves and that is never explained. The film version also does not explain this event but uses it in the same mysterious way. In unfolding the story of two British women visiting India, director-screenwriter David Lean addresses issues such as the evils of colonialism, the nature of British imperialism, the sexual repression of the era, racial tensions, and misuses of the law.
The story tells of two women, Adela Quested and her companion, Mrs. Moore. They visit the town of Chandrapore with the intent of escaping from the British vision of India in order to find the real country and the real people. Mrs. Moore has her..."
Discusses ethical issues raised in 1981 film re: abuses by press & police; investigative powers of government. Legal issue of malice. Plot. Characters.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 1 source, 2001, $ 55.95
From the Paper "In the film Absence of Malice (Sydney Pollack, 1981), a number of ethical issues related to the actions of the American press and to the abuse of police and investigative powers on the part of the government are raised, along with certain personal ethical issues involving personal relations among the characters. While the primary focus of the film seems to be on press abuses, overzealous government prosecutors are given considerable attention as well.
Cynicism is the mark of both journalists and government agencies in this film, and actions are guided by this attitude. Each of these groups has the underlying attitude that it is on the side of the angels and that whatever it has to do to control crime and report the facts is acceptable. Legality and ethical behavior are confused in the thinking of many in this film. The ..."
