Abstract
This paper examines cultural conflict through dramatic recreations or presentations of these conflicts in American film narrative. The paper holds that, in the popular media, violence has a semiotic role. To much of the world, the paper adds, film violence is a mark of American culture, and many social critics within the U.S. find the same to be true. The paper points out that many filmmakers state that they are not fostering violence but only exploring it, and with some films, the issue of using violence in popular culture is itself examined either directly as a subject or as an inherent element in the structure of the film. The paper concludes that violence is a particular sign in the film, a sign that may mean its direct cause, like anger and fear, or that may reflect something larger about society, such as alienation or lack of empathy.

From the Paper
"Consider Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs", a film that takes a satiric look at itself, at the genre of the caper film and the dynamics of betrayal and the criminal code seen in such films. The film is extremely violent, which for many viewers may mask the satiric thrust of the story and the way the interplay of characters involves a twisted sense of morality, the so-called "honor among thieves" that here is a palpable presence holding together a group of professional criminals who have nothing else to believe in except that they will be able to rely on each other. As the film unfolds, though, they can rely on nothing in a universe of random events over which they have no control."

Tags:movie, morality, sign, society, mores, US

Abstract
"The End of Escape in American Cinema," by Patrick J. Deneen, is an examination of what the author (96) calls "the restless quality of the American character" through the prism of seminal American films. Deneen's conclusion (103) is that the "dream of escape . . . was a nightmare all along," built as it is on "the willful disdain of our American present" (103). The author's approach is radical, framed as it against the well-known perception (expressed by such figures as Crevecoeur, Jefferson, and de Tocqueville, all of whom are referenced by Deneen's introduction) that America's intoxicating freedom emanates precisely from a disdain of the present.

From the Paper
Escape in American Cinema: Futile Existential State or Meaningful Striving? "The End of Escape in American Cinema," by Patrick J. Deneen, is an examination of what the author (96) calls "the restless quality of the American character" through the prism of seminal American films. Deneen's conclusion (103) is that the "dream of escape . . . was a nightmare all along," built as it is on "the willful disdain of our American present" (103). The author's approach is radical, framed as it against the well-known perception (expressed by such figures as Crevecoeur, Jefferson, and de Tocqueville, all of whom are referenced by Deneen's introduction)

Tags:escape, american, cinema

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses that the female main characters in the movies "Urban Cowboy" and "Once Were Warriors" both find themselves in untenable family relationships, which they are unable to completely escape. The writer maintains that although these movies are works of fiction, they are representative of some very real concerns in relationships displaying intimate partner violence. This paper compares and contrasts the intimate partner violence that occurs in both films.

From the Paper
" The couples who populate the movies Urban Cowboy and Once Were Warriors are both trapped by having have both small aspirations and small accomplishments, although they feel overwhelmed by the world. Neither couple is college educated, neither chooses to seek self-improvement through personal effort, preferring to drink their problems away. Sissy and Bud choose to spend their evenings at Gilley's Bar. Jake is trapped in a culture to which he does not belong, denying the culture that is truly his, while Beth is trapped in a marriage that she believes she can save. Both of these relationships are possibly doomed before they started."

Tags:violence, maori, alcohol

Abstract
This paper looks at violence in films and discusses the three types of violence: ritualistic, symbolic and hyper-real violence. The author discusses why violence is used in films and whether it does its job effectively. Furthermore censorship and film-makers responsibility is examined and the writer concludes saying that a humanistic morality is just as important in the content of a film as it is in the content of a life.

From the Paper
"Ritualistic violence is the unrelenting violence in given films. Natural Born Killers provides ample examples of this mindless violence, the most disturbing being when Woody Harrelson shoots the man on the bicycle. There is no purpose behind the violence, and many audiences that had already become desensitized to the violence in the film found this sequence to be funny.

Full Metal Jacket is a film that dwells in the world of symbolic violence. The violent episodes exist in the film so that an audience might journey inside a degenerative boot-camp and then later to the Vietnam War. When Pyle kills his Sergeant and then commits suicide, the audience understands why. They've been given a look into a different world and they see the repercussions of the Sergeant's mental and emotional violence."

Tags:ritualistic, symbolic, violent, movie, hyper, morality, censor, real, effective, image

Abstract
This paper discusses various American films and the American cinema in general, highlighting the features of two films, " The Killing" and "Touch of Evil". It looks at how the two films belong to the 1940s and 1950s, an era in which American cinematography was beginning to gain a new momentum and was thus highlighting a new beginning in cinemas and films. It shows how both films are American classics and highlight the problems of society and the corruption found during those days.

From the Paper
""The Killing" depicts a society, which is greedy for money and will do anything and everything in their power to get hold of easy money by wrong means, even if it calls for the shedding of innocent blood. The movie has symbolized the various aspects of the society while showing the greed for money exists in every class of the society from the rich to the poor. "The Killing" is not exactly a murder plot, but instead is the "kill for money", it has also narrated the horse racing culture, which was found during the 40s and 50s; and how ordinary people bet large amounts of money during these races. These people can go to extreme measures for attaining the money they wish to win."

Tags:cowboys, wild, west, cinematography

Abstract
This paper examines three American-made films that portray Asians in a negative light--The Cheat, Sayonara, and Rising Sun. Comparing and contrasting the films, the paper points out how Asians are portrayed from a racist perspective.

From the Paper
"Anti-Asian sentiment as noted by Nora Cobb and specifically, Japan-bashing, has a long established history in the film industry. The depiction of Orientals and their culture in American film throughout the early years of the industry reflected what Cobb calls a socially accepted set of stereotypes regarding the differences between Orientals, whether they be Chinese or Japanese, and Americans. During World War II, Japanese-Americans were rounded up and interned for the duration of the war. Concurrently, the movie studios pumped up..."

Tags:anti-Asian, xenophobia, Japanese, Asian, Sayonara, Risen Sun, The Cheat, film, movie, racism, American, Caucasian

Abstract
This film study brings forth a brief history of Native American filmmaking in the last one hundred years. According to the paper, the early teens of the 20th century brought forth James Young Deer, but after World War I, white Americans in power soon sought to diminish the role of Native Americans in leadership positions, such as director. The slow and often racist agenda for native Americans took a secondary role to western that exploited Indians as obstacles for Manifest Destiny.

From the Paper
"This film study will analyze the Native American film history and how it had influenced the major film industry of America. For the past one hundred years, Native Americans have played a part in helping to shape the creation of screenplays, directorial approaches, and other elements in the American filmmaking process. By learning of the various directors and actors in this genre, one can realize the major impact Native Americans had on Hollywood. In essence, this study will bring forth an analysis of the history of Native American filmmaking, and its influences on American filmmaking within the past one hundred years. The first half of the 20th century was a difficult tie for Native Americans, as they were mostly left out of filmmaking within the major industry markets."

Tags:film, indians, western

Abstract
This paper explores the topic of women in the American West during the westward movement. Specifically, it offers historic evidence to support the position that the westward movement did indeed transform the traditional roles of American women, just as it transformed the American West. Women traveling west during the westward movement created opportunities for themselves, became active in business and politics, and created new and exciting lives for themselves. These women transformed how America looked at women and how women looked at themselves, which was probably the most important transformation of all.

From the Paper
"Initially, the only inhabitants of the Western United States were Native American tribes scattered throughout the region, and the occasional trapper or mountain man there to trap furs for his livelihood. The West was empty, untapped, and waiting for westward expansion, and there were plenty of Easterners ready to travel west for new opportunities. However, after gold was discovered in California in 1848, the trip west took on new meaning. Now, going west could mean riches beyond the wildest dreams, and thousands of immigrants headed west to seek their fortunes in the gold mines of California. This was the time when women began to head west in much larger numbers, and this was the time when women's roles truly began to transform themselves."

Tags:wagon, indian, native, gold, california, vote, frontier

Abstract
This paper describes the numerous positions, both civilian and military, held by American women serving in the Vietnam War and the heroism with which they fulfilled those duties. The paper also discusses the way female Vietnam veterans were often treated by the American public when they returned from the war and the awards and medals they received for their service.

From the Paper
"Women, military as well as civilian, volunteered to go to Vietnam for a variety of reasons. Some went out of a sense of duty, to be patriotic; some wanted to help the people they saw on the television news every night. Some went seeking adventure, a purpose, a cause. In his inaugural address, President John F. Kennedy spoke of saving the United States from communism, and many women believed they could make a difference in the battle. Whatever their reasons for going, American women were active in the war in Vietnam."

Tags:serviceman, enilistees, nurses, front, line, danger, rocketed, flak, jackets, helmets