Abstract This paper examines how Alfred Hitchcock's films deal with many psychological themes, including the idea of voyeurism. It reviews two of his films; "Rear Window" (USA, 1954, Alfred Hitchcock) and "Vertigo" (USA, 1958, Alfred Hitchcock) and discusses the occurrence of voyeurism within the narratives of both films. It also looks at the idea that certain aspects of the films can be said to be representations of the voyeuristic nature of cinema-going itself.
From the Paper "I will now look at Vertigo and consider how the voyeurism and the gaze of the film can be seen as much more sexual than that of Rear Window. It has been said that Rear Window seems like a comical "test run" for the more obsessive and frightening nature of Vertigo, and that Rear Window, Vertigo and Psycho form a sort of trilogy of films that contained the them of voyeurism. Vertigo was not as popular on its original release as Rear Window. This is probably due to the fact that there is a lot more complexity and psychology in the story, or because James Stuart seemed too old to play the romantically obsessed man. The story is about Scotty (James Stewart), an acrophobic detective who has been hired by a friend to trail his beautiful and troubled wife, Madeline. His quest at first is an innocent one, but he soon becomes Madeline's obsessive stalker. "
Abstract The author argues that the popular Mel Gibson film, "Braveheart," is historically inaccurate. Through reference to specific scenes and incidents, the author discusses the extent to which the film confuses the history of William Wallace and his myth, obscures facts, and misrepresents traditional symbols.
From the Paper "Hollywood has offered the world many great historical epics that have survived over the years and are watched by generation after generation. These films include the "Ten Commanders," "Cleopatra," and more recently, "Troy," "Alexander," and "Braveheart." These films are magnificent epics that, from the audience's view point, bring the past alive. As Bruce Wallace observes about Mel Gibson's " Braveheart," the film "is on people's lips so much that it has become contemporary." It has brought the life of a man who has been dead for 800 years alive. However, from the viewpoint of historians, these films are not good because they distort history and invent facts just to attract audiences and profits. As Robert Brent Toplin writes in an article on the way that Hollywood films treat history, the films do not accurately present the past but are "innovative approaches to looking at the past" (1216). Historians argue that historical films are distorting the past and complain that Hollywood has "compromised, stretched, abused and fabricated" history(1210). This criticism, even though it sounds very hard, is correct. There is little respect for the facts in Hollywood's historical films and this claim is completely supportable through an analysis of Mel Gibson's historical epic " Braveheart." Now audiences are misled into assuming that this film is the life of Willliam Wallace, one of Scotland's most famous and important thirteenth century patriots. In no place, throughout the film there is not any hint at all that shows the events presented are not factual or that there may be any historical inaccuracies. The audience, instead,sits throughout the film believing that this is history. However, it is not. As emphasized by Graeme Morton, the life of willliam Wallace is based more on myths than on history and there are only a few known and supported facts about the life of this Scottish hero. "Braveheart" does not clarify the difference between myth and history, bases the film on a source which historians object to, disregards important symbols and in the final analysis, misleads audiences into believing that this is a historically factual film while it is not."
Abstract The paper presents a review of the movie "Mississippi Burning" that focuses on the 1964 brutal murder of three civil rights workers, and the terrorist actions of the Ku Klux Klan and the FBI.
From the Paper The movie Mississippi Burning presents a fictional account of the very real tragedy that occurred in Philadelphia Mississippi in June of when three civil rights advocates were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan KKK..."
Abstract This paper provides an examination of Michael Moore's documentary film, "Bowling For Columbine" as a work of propaganda. It looks at Moore's exposure of the roots of violence, his techniques and how they support his thesis. The paper also looks at Moore's desire to provoke as well as to inform.
From the Paper "When Michael Moore's film Bowling for Columbine was released it was certainly a controversial film. Closely following the tragic incidents at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado Moore's film set out to expose the root of the problems behind such acts of violence. In doing so he learns that the conventional answers of easy availability of guns, violent national history, violent entertainment and even poverty are inadequate to explain this violence when other cultures share those same factors without the equivalent ..."
Tags: bowling for columbine, michael moore, propaganda
Abstract This paper presents a biopsychosocial assessment of a 24 year old, African-American male, living on a United States Naval Base who was referred to the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation, after pleading guilty to assault on a superior, non commissioned officer. It is an assessment of Antwone Fisher, the main character in the 2002 American drama, "Antwone Fisher," directed by Denzel Washington.
Table of Contents:
Identifying Information
Reason for Referral/Presenting Problem
Client's Description and Functioning
Physical and Economic Environment/Occupational Situation
Current Social Functioning
Family Situation
Sexual/Emotional Relationship
Personal and Family History Relevant to Current Focus
Assessment
Psychological/Social and Emotional Functioning
Worker's Understanding of Client's Presenting Situation
From the Paper "Using cognitive therapy, supported by the theories of object relations and attachment, Dr. Davenport has assisted client in recognizing maladaptive behaviors and modeling appropriate social interaction. Information processing looks at the development of the mind in terms of how one processes information (Schore, 2003). Schore (2003) defines feelings as how one appraises a situation and decides what action to take. The working model explains how experiences are processed and stored in memory, stating that early experiences are carried forward in life. When information is excluded, it is harder to update that information when new information is presented. This creates contradictory working models in the individual. Cognitive disconnection occurs when a person disconnects or redirects what they think or feel. Previous reports by Dr. Davenport describe client, "He's honest, even in his anger." Dr. Davenport assess client as, "upset with his family because they didn't come to his rescue." Client is able to acknowledge that he brought his problems with him to the Navy, and that the fights he has gotten in to, have nothing to do with the Navy. The client shows accommodation, adjusting his existing schema when new information is presented, through the knowledge gained from reading various books given to the client by Dr. Davenport. The client's progress in overcoming his anxiety associated with building relationships is evident in the growth of his relationship with his girlfriend, his ability to form a secure attachment to Dr. Davenport. "
Abstract A discussion of interpersonal conflict, including pseudo conflict, simple conflict, and ego conflict, using the film "American Beauty" as an example.
From the Paper "Conflict is a part of life. Conflict with family, friends, spouses, or even within one's self. Interpersonal conflict is "a struggle that occurs when two people can not agree on a way to meet their needs" (Beebe, Beebe & Redmond, 1999, p.248). Not only is conflict very prevalent in today's society, but it also has the capability of being extremely destructive to many important relationships in life. Sometimes when people fight, they say things that they can never take back, and that relationship may never recover. The damage has been done, and no matter what they say or do to make things better, the pain still persists. "Conflict exists whenever incompatible activities occur" (Hocker &Wilmot, 1995, p. 20). There are many types of conflict, including pseudo conflict, simple conflict, and ego conflict, and these conflicts are illustrated very clearly in the movie American Beauty."
Abstract This paper compares of the film version and the literary version of Walter Mosley's novel "Devil in a Blue Dress" to show the differences and similarities between the story elements in "Devil in a Blue Dress", the book and the movie.
From the Paper "Walter Mosley's book Devil in a Blue Dress and the movie by the same name share some similar literary elements, but there are several vital situations and parts of the book's story that are not present in the film. Yet the movie downplays some of the more brutal parts of the book. "
Abstract A paper about the problems with the MPAA, The Motion Picture Association of America and their rating system. The author describes what the MPAA is, their role, and strategies for rating, revealing their inconsistencies and inherent biasness in certain aspects.
From the Paper "We finally reach a point where we have to ask if the MPAA is doing a "good" job. I have found that the MPAA often has the right idea, but seems to continuously fall short when rating movies. By falling short, I mean that there are constant inconsistencies in film ratings dealing with moral aspects (homosexual content, violence, etc.) These problems need to be further addressed and solutions,such as the ones mentioned above, need to be considered. The effectiveness of ratings also needs to be addressed. As is, ratings are not as effective as one might hope they would be. Evidence has proven this by showing lack of consistency, bias, confusion, etc. Rating films is not a "bad" idea, but their current state is not really working. The MPAA needs to focus more on just explaining what is in the films instead of over-rating them to the point of forcing film makers to edit their creativity."
Abstract The author argues that the inferior societal role of women is still depicted in the way female characters are represented in films and that the male patriarchal dominance is still evident today. The paper focuses on two films: "Letter From an Unknown Women" and "The Piano", which speak for females and about females, and still fall victim to the male-dominated world in order to gain recognition and audience.
From the Paper "Sex objects, housewives, heart broken lovers, and caring mothers this are the role of the female in Hollywood cinema and other film forms. The societal role of the women has changed yet social consciousness within the genre conventions of the women's film has remained. The women's film is made to target female viewers, by using topics, which the patriarchal Hollywood society of directors and producers feels are appropriate for the housewives of the post-war era to learn and be entertained about. With the evolution of the women's film, ?women could ruin their lives ? get free of everything ? down at the movie house for twenty-five cents with butter on their popcorn.? (Basinger, 1993) A women's cinema, is the first movement where women were making films themselves, for and about women. Although the women's movement has been active since before the 1950's when women were told to go back to the home and return to being both as consumers and items for consumption. Film and Cinema has continued to further suppress and enclose women within the male dominated hegemonic world, which continues to exist in the cinema with insignificant change or evolution."
Abstract This paper provides a look at the making of "Schindler's List". It lists the many prizes awarded to the movie then discusses the story line. It examines the effects and the significance of the movie. It also looks at the angle from which the movie was told and whether it possessed any biases.
From the Paper "The film is set in Poland in World War II, at the time when Poland was occupied by Nazi?s. The primary theme of the film is the events of the Holocaust and the persecution of Jews. The central character is Oskar Schindler, played by Liam Neeson, a Nazi businessman who recruits Jews to work in his factory, saving them from death in doing so. While he begins the film recruiting the Jews only for his own needs, by the end of the film he is actively trying to save them, and saves the lives of over 1200 Jews. The film is essentially about the Holocaust, presenting the horror and truth of the holocaust to a modern audience by combining a number of stories into a film. The end result is a film that presents the human side of the Holocaust in all it's tragic reality."
Tags: nazi, film, jew, holocaust, movie, award, review, german
Abstract A quick look through any magazine article or book about Marilyn Monroe is almost certain to turn up the word "goddess". This paper examines why that should be the case, for surely none of her fans believed that she was in fact a divine being equivalent to Athena or Diana? The author feels that it is imperative not to dismiss her elevation to the pantheon as mere hyperbole. While she was certainly beautiful and famous, many other movie stars are also beautiful and famous and yet have not earned her sobriquet of goddess. This paper examines what qualities Marilyn possessed to make her in the eyes of her fans something nearer to divinity than simple mortality. It also contains a brief biography of the star.
From the Paper "But how did this tragic story become the biography of a goddess? Its tragedy was perhaps actually an essential element of it, for no doubt what has attracted many people to become fans of Marilyn since her death is the element of tragedy that clings to her. She seems to us to be very much a figure struck down by the fates, a character from the classical world in which people's own actions matter less than the plans that the gods have for them."
Abstract A paper which shows that, by calling it propaganda in the form of patriotism, the American government has been successful in influencing its people on many matters, both politically and socially, with the use of media. The paper uses America's change in its isolationist policy during WWI as an example. It also shows how the movie industry was used to influence the public.
From the Paper "But the films were even more effective. It wasn?t necessarily that movies like "America's Answer" ? a documentary in 1918 about the sending of the first 500,000 American troops to France ? were great art. The were professionally made, certainly, but their power to persuade Americans in the importance of U.S. engagement in Europe relied not on artistry per se but on each film's possessing a simple, clear message. The force of this repeated, focused message (a hallmark of effective propaganda in all media) combined with the immediacy of film won over many Americans who ? had they simply been reading about the war in the newspaper ? might well have remained convinced that isolationism was the best policy."
Tags: communist, World, War, I, Woodrow, Wilson, Committee, Public, Information, Our, Bridge, of, Ships, Mary, Pickford, Charlie, Chaplin
Abstract This paper analyzes the film "Boys Don't Cry" created in 1999, which explores how we identify gender and differentiate between the masculine and the feminine. The paper describes the story of the female Teena Brandon who masquerades herself as the male Brandon Teena. It illustrates visually that identity as male and female actually involves only a relative few visual and aural cues. The author writes that society does not tolerate that much freedom and that those who step too far outside the gender boundaries society has set are destroyed. The paper demonstrates how gender is not the only issue being tested in this film, for ideas about small towns, tolerance, and the threat of the outsider are also examined.
From the Paper "The film Boys Don't Cry (1999, Kimberly Peirce) is based on a true story and raises numerous real-world issues in its story of a murder case in middle America in which the victim was a girl who successfully passed herself off as a boy. The film delves into gender issues, questions of identity, and the ethics of interpersonal relationships. First, the viewer asks why so many people were fooled for such a long time by this masquerade."
Abstract The paper investigates the factors responsible for this medium's great popularity. It looks at its appeal to the democratizing influence, to people's desire for status, to natural curiosity, and to competitiveness. It also looks at other factors influencing the attraction to reality television, such as the desire to socialize and the allure of this medium for the less intellectual audience. The paper concludes with a brief synopsis of its main points.
From the Paper "Reality television can include news programming, interviews, documentaries, and almost all programs that are portrayed as non-fictional. While many definitions of reality television include programs that are recreated portrayals of past events, reality television is generally does not include "docudramas" that have invented or composite characters, or that show events that are largely fictional in nature, or historical events have been significantly changed from their original incident (CFP: Reality Television; NTVS Research Team).
Perhaps the most interesting feature of reality television is its overwhelming popularity with traditionally fickle and sometimes jaded North American audiences. A myriad of shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Real World, Blind Date, Temptation Island, A Wedding, and the latest fad, American Idol, have each reached close to the top of the Nielsen ratings in the past few years."
Abstract This paper looks at the way in which Alfred Hitchcock relates to women in his works in general and "The Rear Window" in particular. The movie offers a comprehensive, and voyeuristic view of marriage and male/female relationships. The paper shows how the movie focuses much more on the intimate lives of its characters, than it does on the central plot device of the murder mystery.
From the Paper "Jeff spies on a large variety of people, including a composer who is struggling to make ends meet, a sexy dancer (Miss Torso) who fights off many suitors, a lonely spinster who drinks (Miss Lonelyhearts), Lars Thorwald, a jewelry salesman who is unhappily married to Anna, a happy newlywed couple, a couple on a fire escape, a woman with a poodle, a grouch masseuse, and a police officer. The movie's main plot centers on Lars Thorwald who is suspected of murdering and dismembering his nagging wife, Anna. Jeff enlists the help of his girlfriend Lisa and his witty, clever masseuse Stella to help him track down the murderer of Mrs. Thorwal"
