Category: Art

Hector Berlioz is renowned as one of the best and highly gifted composers of symphonies. He was well appreciated and desirably honored amidst a galaxy of other top and skilled composers. He composed many songs on top of the classical literature works which he did during the period between 1840 and 1870. Although he was nurturing his works in a period when there were other famous symphonies, he managed to remain outstanding in his compositions and was eventually a pillar of symphony history.

Berlioz was born on11^th December 1803 in France. He did magnanimous musical and literature work. He had specialized in the composition of romantic symphonies. For instance, Grande messe and symphonie fantastique are the most famous romantics which earned him exemplary credit (Bloom Berlioz Studies 67).

In addition, Berlioz parents were Louis-Joseph who was a physician while his mother Marie Antoinette was a renowned scholar. His father was an atheist who was liberal in his religious life while his mother was a strong Roman Catholic follower (Bloom 71). Berlioz graduated from Grenoble high school and had no interest in further professional studies. He actually disregarded his parents efforts of making him study medicine in Paris (Bloom 73).

Berlioz Symphonies


Out of the diverse scope of symphonies by Berlioz, symphony fantastique is considered to be the most outstanding among the rest. This symphony drew a lot of fame across the world. History reveals that this work made a great debut when it was launched in 1830 (Cairns 146).

This was after the deaths of other famous composers such as Beethoven who had died 3 years earlier and Schubert who had passed on some 2 years back. This symphony was distinguished by the fact that it had huge innovations of programmatic symphony. It was a story that related to Berloiz himself which had been attributed in his autobiography (Cairns 149 ).

In addition to this symphony, Berlioz had composed other thrilling orchestral compositions which included symphony dramatique, Romeo et Juliet and legend dramatique (Cairns 447). These were both large scale productions specifically meant for orchestral and mixed voices.

Berlioz had also come up with the popular concert ante symphony which was both violas and orchestral. The two compositions remained popular for a long period since they were found enjoyable by the lovers of musical symphonies (Bloom 135). Berlioz composed numerous concert overtures which were enduringly famous.

They included le corire and le carnaval romain (Bloom 300). He had also a great skill in making pure vocally oriented songs. Major examples include son cycle les and oratorio Christ which have had an enduring appeal. In addition, some of the remarkable songs by Berlioz also included grande messe morts and litergical te deum.

The music of Berlioz was unconventional in the sense that it did not agree with the normal opera scene and concert arrangements (Goepp 400). He used to formulate his own social performances by booking and paying for himself. He did it throughout his music career although it was an optional financial burden he had imposed on himself (Bloom Berlioz Studies 302).

His works involved many performers and this minimized the financial gain which he realized. Therefore, Berlioz paid keen attention to his part time job of being a journalist to support himself financially. Berlioz admited that in composing his works, there were times he had to follow the example of Shakespeare and Weber. It is noted that he deployed broad characteristics of Beethoven in his world of music.

Berlioz artistic work as it has been noted earlier, had a specialty in orchestra. His symphonies contained different episodes which followed sonata principles. He composed tonals which had movements to and from the sonata. He developed musical productions which had variety of melodies and dynamics (Tyroll 678).

His music would be performed using a variety of instruments. This included both stringed and wind instruments. In general, his music would use any suitable assortment of instruments. This was one of the major aspects which made his music be highly adoptable.

Many musical researchers describe Berlioz symphonies as classical masterpieces which have been able to stand the test of time. It has been revealed that the musicological techniques employed by Berlioz have remained valid even in this digital age (Tyroll 800). Moreover, the works of Berlioz have been celebrated across the world although critique of his work has been inevitable.

The scholars of literature and music have keenly analyzed and evaluated the worth of his symphonies. Several experts term his works as unnecessarily too detailed and with too much information.Berlioz had been severally accused of poor diction especially when displaying variety of emotions.

However, it is also important to note that Berlioz had demonstrated exceedingly abundant consistency in his literature despite few professional strains which were evident. Besides, Berlioz had demonstrated great skills of adapting to all kinds of environment in his musical productions. He had been able to illustrate the inherent beauty of literature through making symphonies which brought reality in drama.

The ability of a musician or a poet to be relevant depends on his or her capability to bring out a complete picture of what human life entails (Tyroll 800). Music in itself is a complete tool that is supposed to impact the entire audience either consciously or subconsciously. Findings have shown that great works of past ages are loosing their validity as time passes by (Goepp 450). This may not necessarily because they lacked the right composure to remain appealing in this generation. Their inability to remain relevant in the current extremely dynamic society disqualifies them.

Berlioz symphonies in the broad area of romance have recorded the highest performance for reasonably long time. This has been attributed to the fact that when he noticed his special ability to intrigue the delicate emotions of people, Berlioz effectively and successfully decided to major in romantics.

His romantic symphonies have been the choice of his fans. Berlioz achieved success in building the true picture of absolute and rational romanticism (Tyroll 124). He managed to inspire many other writers who had shown exemplary skills in romantics. He asserted that as result of his involvement with great and famous people like lord Byron, Walter Scott and Thomas Moore, he was able to enrich his ideas or symphony composition (Cairns 235).

To wrap it all it critical to give Berlioz the praise, admiration and honor he deserves. He was and has remained to be an icon in the competitive and dynamic music industry. His music has continued to move variety of audiences across the nations of the world. Finally, what he did when he renounced his carrier in medicine was a true show of his passion. Truly, Berlioz is a legend who has been able to create an undisputable legacy through his amazing music career.

Works Cited

Bloom, Peter. Berlioz: Scenes from the Life and Work. New York: University of Rochester Press, 2008. Print.

Bloom, Peter. Berlioz Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Print.

Cairns, David. Berlioz: Volume Two: Servitude and Greatness, 1832-1869. California: University of California Press, 2003. Print.

Goepp, Philip. Great Works of Music; Symphonies and Their Meaning. Oxford: Kessinger publishing, 2005. Print.

Tyroll, John. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Volume 22. Grove: Grove, 2001. Print.

Introduction

The film plays a big role in exploring ones spirituality. This is mainly because it conveys spiritual transformation that is usually witnessed in religion. Henrich Harrer undergoes spiritual transformation as well as enlightenment in order to set a side his ego and narcissism. The protagonist abandons his pregnant wife for a mountain climbing expedition in Nanga Parbat.

However, this expedition fails. This is followed by World War II, in which Harrer is imprisoned at Indias POW camp (because he is an alien enemy). However, Harrer escapes to Tibet (Holy city of Lhasa) where he meets the young Dalai Lama who ends up transforming his life.

Unfortunately, the Chinese army invades Tibet and kills its peaceful people before signing an agreement that deny them sovereignty. At the end, he returns home a changed man after undergoing a life changing experience with Dalai Lama. This reaction paper will describe a segment of the film that was emotionally powerful as well as analyze meaning of the film (Brussat and Ann 1).

Emotionally powerful segment and why

The most emotional part of this film starts when Harrer agrees to teach Dalai Lama western ways in exchange for lessons in compassion, slowing down as well as humility. This emotional segment is further stirred by the invasion of Tibet by Chinese army that kills peaceful people. Interestingly, little resistance is observed from the peacefully principled Tibetans.

These events soften Harrers heart as he sympathizes with the Tibetans and their reaction to invasion. Moreover, he starts to long for his unseen son and wife, after abandoning them earlier. This shows a huge transformation in his life. The segment is quite emotional because Harrer was known to be an egocentric man with focus only to himself. However, an interaction with the young Dalai Lama transforms him into a loving, sympathetic and caring person.

Analysis

Harrer abandons his wife and unborn son for egocentric motives to achieve mountain climbing dreams. However, he comes back a changed man with a longing for his wife and son. Moreover, he comes back as a gentle and transformed person. This is quite strange given that such expectations were unimaginable.

Clearly, this shows that human heart can be transformed. Moreover, this can transpire in his actions. His ego and pride diminishes after an emotional as well as tragic experience in Tibet. This happens after he fails to achieve his dream of climbing Nanga Parbat of the Himalayas. From this, it can be seen that once a source of pride is taken away, one is denied the outright opportunity to pursue his/her ego. Added to this, Harrers imprisonment turns his situation into desperation.

Moreover, when peter falls in love with Pema, he becomes lonely and longs for his family. At this state, he finds peace in his young friend Dalai Lama who teaches him the ways of peace, compassion and humility. Besides, he is astonished and sympathetic to the Tibetans who are invaded yet they are peaceful. All these events work to transform him into a peaceful man.

Conclusion

Harrer is transformed into a gentle, humble and compassionate man after witnessing all the events in Tibet. His relationship with Dalai Lama is also seen to be the turning point of this transformation. However, for this to be achieved, he is first denied the source of his pride and compassion (mountain climbing and friends). It can therefore be seen that egocentric people need to be denied their source of pride to slow them down and transform them into gentle ones (Brussat and Ann 1).

Works Cited

Brussat, Fredric and Ann, Mary. Spirituality and practice: Seven years in Tibet. 2009. Web.

Kundun is the movie which portrays many themes and raises many problems. Generally speaking, Kundun is a chronological discussion of life of Dalai Lama who was the inspirer and the religious leaders of Tibet. The whole story is the episodic description of the life of this prominent person in the life of Tibet and its people.

The movie starts with the discussion of Dalai Lamas mother about his father, his family and his place in the world. However, the Tibetan leaders got to know about Dalai Lama who was considered to be the chosen, the special person even though he was born in the family of simple workers.

Therefore, trying to check whether Dalai Lama deserves the attitude and position many people want to assure him with, lamas administers decide to check Dalai Lama with the test to get to know whether he is really selected or not. It should be stated that the main idea of the test was to offer Dalai Lama several things and his task was to guess the properly of the previous Dalai Lama. The boy easily passes the test and he goes to Tibet.

Being too small, there are cases of fear new Dalai Lama suffers from, however, Reting tells him a story about previous Dalai Lama trying to encourage the boy. He manages and after the death of Reting Dalai Lama begins to take part in the political and religious life of the country more actively.

When the Communist China tries to impact on Tibet, Dalai Lama goes to Chairman Mao Zedong to try to settle the situation. Even though that he seems to agree on the problematic issues, it appears that Dalai Lama failed to agree with the communist leader.

After the consultation with oracle, Dalai Lama decides to go away believing that Tibet is going to live better without his impact as being a religious leader he could not refuse from his convictions, while Mao Zedong was sure that religion is evil. Being away from the native land Dalai Lama is sure to returns home some time.

Watching this movie, I was fascinated by Tibet, its culture and traditions. I suppose that having selected Dalai Lama as a character for the movie, the director wanted to show the audience customs and traditions of such great and mysterious place as Tibet. The audience is given an opportunity to see the most impressive and sacred sides of the place.

Tibet is full of mystery and customs which may never be seen by other people. However, the chance to see the hidden part of this place is the main idea of the movie. Of course, the posture of Dalai Lama is important, however, the director wanted to make sure that people would be able to understand some cultural peculiarities of Tibet through Dalai Lama.

Of course, Dalai Lama is chosen not by chance. Having selected a religious leader, the director of the movie tried to show that religion plays an important part for the citizens of Tibet. Presenting the period of time since 1937 to 1959, the film creators wanted to show Tibet and the development of the idea.

I suppose it is possible to notice that the attitude to religion has not changed. Thus, the message of the film was to show the audience what Tibet is and what place religion plays in life of Tibetan people. The director managed to reach the main purpose of the movie.

Works Cited

Kundun. Prod. Barbara De Fina. New York: Touchstone Pictures. 1997. DVD.

Introduction

According to The Telegraph, the Elgin Marbles ownership dispute is probably the most famous and the longest running of historical pieces of art, and which is between Britain and Greece (Anast 1). Sometimes called the Parthenon Marbles, Elgin Marbles are a collection of Greek artifacts that were under duress removed from Parthenon in Athens probably in early 1800s. At present, the artifacts are found in the British Museum.

They were removed from Parthenon by Thomas Elgin, the Seventh Earl of Elgin and the first British ambassador sent to negotiate for an alliance between England and Turkey during the Ottoman Empire. He sold them to the British Parliament which then authorized their display in the British museum (Elgin Marbles 1).

They were named Elgin in his honor. Therefore, this paper discusses the issues involving the acquisition of the marbles, the parties involved in the acquisition, the cultural issues behind them and the ownership claims of the British and the Greeks. In as much as the debate continues to intensify, so do moral and legal considerations suggest that the marbles should be returned to Greece.

Parthenon Marbles not Elgin Marbles

As long as morality and legality prevails, the Parthenon Marbles were not removed from Athens in the proper way, even as per the time of Lord Elgin. The acquisition of the Elgin Marbles by the British is surrounded by astonishing facts which have attracted a global movement calling for their return to Greece (Pierce 1). There are facts that the acquisition involved bribes, threats and stealing which has intensified the debate over the ownership.

Indeed, this argument reflects a moral, legal and philosophical issue that requires a solution once and for all. Evidence suggests that many people do not pay respect to Elgin by using the British name of the artifacts because of the moral issues surrounding the ownership and instead insists on referring to the artifacts as the Parthenon Marbles (Pierce 1). The widespread acceptance that the artifacts should be owned by the Greeks is an indication of their importance to the Greek culture and the general respect of cultural satisfaction.

As stated before, Elgin Marbles were removed from Parthenon by Thomas Elgin, the first British ambassador sent to negotiate for an alliance between England and Turkey during the Ottoman Empire. This enabled him to influence the Sultan to allow the British to outweigh local restrictions which prohibited access to important sites and buildings.

Despite the privilege given to Elgin over the local restrictions failing to give authority over the removal of sculptures from Parthenon, he resourcefully manipulated people to obtain what he wanted. With a determination to get Parthenon Marbles, he threatened local authorities who were against him by cautioning them that he would ask for permission from the Sultan to punish them severely. Again, he openly bribed authorities who supported him with astonishing extravagant gifts.

This approach was most unethical, but very effective at that time due to the political fear of uncertainty and atrocious acts which the Athenians had witnessed. Since then, the collection has been displayed in the British Museum under the name Elgin Marbles in honor of an individual who acted unethically on humankind.

This is particularly irritating to the Greeks who were snatched prized artifacts and the cultural symbol through unethical approach. It is more irritating when the British persistently claim ownership despite the worldwide movement which insists on giving back the treasure to Greeks.

Like the pyramids of Egypt or the Great Wall of China, Elgin Marbles are unique to the culture and history of the Greeks. The richness of our history is driven by human achievements. This richness is one that sometimes people feel and experience when they are afforded the opportunity of seeing the long forgotten achievements in ancient artifacts that have survived throughout history.

The gifts are not only the reflections to the past, but also revelations to revolution and progress of mankind. The Elgin Marbles reflect the history of the Greeks, as well as revealing their revolution and progress. In addition to these issues, supporters of British ownership have ignored the cultural importance of Elgin marbles to the Greeks.

Since they were removed from the Parthenon, Greece has continuously demanded for their return. This is a clear indication that the artifacts are important to their culture especially when we consider the landmark developments in the property ownership laws.

This shows that legal needs have played a minor role in this demand when compared to cultural needs. Therefore, the persistent belief that the artifacts belong to Greece is revealed clearly when the cultural role played by the collection is examined. From these observations, it can be argued that the marbles are the symbol, the soul and the lifeline of the Greeks.

Parthenon Marbles explain the religious beliefs and life in the historical city of Athens; an explanation that can only be understood completely when the Parthenon is viewed as a whole. The religious building was completed probably between 431 and 432 BC in honor of Goddess Athena in which the decorative sculptures showed the ancient victory of Greek heroes and gods. This was actually a symbol of victory of civilization over oppressive rule.

The citizens of Athens who represented the whole Greek population were symbolized as being in union with gods by the sculptures. No wonder Ounanian observes how historians drew on the hypocrisy of the situation after the Elgin Marbles were removed from the Parthenon (114). The sculptures were also a symbol of the political and cultural history of Greece. Indeed, ownership laws have categorized the artifacts as cultural properties.

Apparently, everybody should uphold the integrity of the world with respect to the history of its subjects because we have the responsibility for each others welfare. It seems that those who insist on the Elgin Marbles remaining in the British Museum are either culturally insensitive, selfish or consider the British to be superior to the Greeks.

The supporters of British ownership offer four major arguments to justify the ownership of Elgin Marbles (Doyle 270). First, the removal of the artifacts was appropriate under the international laws that were applied at the time of Elgin.

Second, the British saved the artifacts from destruction by removing them from Greece. Third, allowing Greece to assume ownership of the artifacts will trigger a major worldwide removal of other artifacts displayed in museums within nations away from the places of origin. Fourth, the British ownership of the artifacts is over a century old making the marbles a vital cultural heritage.

However, supporters of Greece ownership also provide several main reasons as to why the Elgin Marbles should be at their custody as well as dismissing the ownership claim from the British as illegal (Doyle 270).

First, the Parthenon, the monument that the artifacts belong to is in Athens, Greece. Second, the artifacts form an indivisible part of the Parthenon. Third, the British authorities have the responsibility to the world to bring back its symbol of honesty. Fourth, once in Athens, the artifacts will be shown in display within the site of the parent monument and any visitor can form the whole picture of the temple.

Looking at the arguments presented, it is clear that the Greeks have been deprived prized artifacts in the most immoral manner that no counter-argument can withstand. Most of the British arguments can be considered flawed, especially when we consider developments on other disputes relating to artifacts.

The British neither saved the Elgin Marbles from destruction as the tearing of the walls of the monument was a high-level destruction nor the British cultural heritage is more important than the deprivation of culture the Greeks have gone through. The Greek arguments are coherent and reveal the immoral intentions of the British right from the time the artifacts were acquired up to the present.

Conclusion

The discussion in this paper suggests that the true owners of Elgin Marbles are the Greeks hence the British should return the artifacts to Athens. The acquisition of the artifact by Lord Elgin was unethical and could not apply to international laws even as per that time.

The Greeks have been denied their cultural rights especially because the Parthenon that was stripped down is a religious and historical symbol to them. If the marbles are returned to Athens, the Greek culture that has been so important to the emergence of the civilized world might open up better to help in learning from our history.

Works Cited

Elgin Marbles. New York Times 24 June 2009. Web.

Doyle, Megan. Ownership by Display: Adverse Possession to Determine Ownership of Cultural Property. The George Washington International Law Review, 41.5 (2009): 269-297. Web.

Ounanian, Melineh. Of All the Things Ive Lost, I Miss My Marbles the Most! An Alternative Approach to the Epic Problem of the Elgin Marbles. Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution, 9.3 (2007):109-144. Web.

Pierce, Andrew. Greek Government Unveils New Home for Elgin Marbles. The Telegraph 11 May 2009. Web.

Basic facts about the statues

Colossal Head of a King. The sculpture was acquired by the museum in the 1920s. However, details in the carving have led the Egyptologists to re-asses the statues authenticity. In particular, the eyes and lips certainly do not reflect what is typical of late New Kingdom statuary.

Ancient Egyptians sometimes re-carved the statuary to reflect the features of a different owner. The large seated statue of Ramses II (E635) in this is an example; the statue was originally carved for a king of the middle kingdom.

Many hundred of years later, Ramses II had the head reworked to resemble himself. Its possible that this head originally belonged to a heavily eroded statue of ancient Egyptian king and was re-carved in modern times (in the 19 century) to make it more appealing. 

The next sketches represent the statue of the Egyptian King

Limestone portrait of a roman matron. Babyke-Hierapolis (Membidijo), Syria 3^rd century AD. This sculpture may be a portrait of Julia Maesa (d. AD 226), one of a group of prominent women in the severan dynasty who wielded considerable political and social power.

The austerity of the portrait is both symbolic of her strong character and representative of the unflattering and realistic way in, which 3^rd century imperial women were portrayed.

The next sketches are a representative of the aforementioned roman statue.

Comparison of the Roman and Egyptian sculptures

In the Roman and Egyptian culture, there was accentuation of the features, qualities and ideologies of a leader by using sculptures. Depending on the originality, each sculpture presented different characteristics. The sculptures of the limestone portrait of a Roman Matron and that of the colossal head of the Egyptian king have comparative features.

The artistic nature and the symbolic characteristics of each sculpture have a great difference. However, there are a few similarities, which are notable when comparing the sculptures. The next discussion compares the stylistic characteristics of the above sculptures.

The Egyptian sculpture is broad, wide and somehow assuming a triangle shape. The sculpture stands on a round base and only the facial features in addition to the neck are clear. In addition, there is the roman royal attire, which covers the head of the sculpture.

Thematically, this features shows that the sculpture belongs to one of the pharaoh. The large size of the portrait symbolically represents power and masculinity. The accentuation of the facial features like eyes, ears and nose adds reality to the sculpture.

Furthermore, the drawing of the head appears is on a flat surface that is, some of the characteristics of the head are absent. Authentically it is hard to give a full figure of a picture on a flat surface. Therefore, the profile presentation of the head is to ensure that only essential features like the complete face are visible.

There are vertical and horizontal lines and different shapes like triangles, oval and square, which add artistic features on the portrait. Therefore, the Egyptian sculpture enlightens the society on the heroic features of their leaders especially the pharaoh.

On the other hand, the second sculpture, which originates from the Romans society, presents different features. For instance, the sculpture is slender and longer with a around shape commonly referred to as stylistic cycle. This feature confirms that the sculpture is of a female leader.

This is because the sculpture emphasizes on the feminine characteristics like beauty especially through the face. The stylistic cycle is an artistic feature, which portrays reality. A closer look at the sculpture reveals looping folds, which adds reality to the portrait.

Although the portrait also has full-face features, it also encompasses the arms through halfway presentation. The high density of the drapery with folding fashion of the cloth covering the head and ornamented features on the forehead adds boldness and popularity to the portrait. This means the female leader presented similar features. They had both social and political power as their male counterparts.

The color of the sculpture is black but visually it is shinny and has a smooth surface. Normally, black color represents death, defeat or night. Thus, the portrait belongs to a deceased or fallen pharaoh. Curved from black granite stone the portrait is still in good condition and appears well reserved.

The Egyptian artists usually curved their sculptures from slabs of sandstone or limestone. Consequently, to preserve the originality and accentuate the reality of the sculpture, the carvings remained in their original color, as it is the case with the aforementioned sculpture. Critical analysis of the sculpture especially the head attire proves that it belongs to a king (pharaoh) and thus it is a portrait of a man.

Contrarily, the color of the Roman sculpture is a mixture of white and yellow. Critical observation shows that the portrait has rough finish. Normally, white color represents greatness, purity and power while the gold color represents imperishable. Thus, the portrait belongs to a female hero.

Due to the color, it proves that the curving of the portrait was from a white/yellow limestone. The color of the portrait also shows that the curving of the sculpture took place when the leader was alive.

Besides, purity white may also represent life. Finally, the carving of the sculptures occurred at different times. The curving of the roman sculpture occurred in the third century while that of the Egyptian curving was in the nineteenth century.

Nevertheless, the two sculptures also draw some similarities. For instance, both of the sculptures are symbolic and each of them represents eminent leaders. While the Roman sculpture represents a Roman matron, the Egyptian one represents a king (pharaoh).

Secondly, the artists used color to convey their message for example in the Roman statue white is a representation of purity while in the Egyptian sculpture black shows death. Each sculpture represents power and greatness.

Thirdly, the sculptures only accentuate the facial features meaning the artists used flat surface in drawing both of them. Finally, each sculpture has realistic features like color, clothing and presentation as shown in the images.

In brief, most ancient people used sculptures to promote their culture and leaders. Despite of origin, each sculpture had a symbolic message like power and equality. Intuitively, the aforementioned Roman sculpture gives emphasis on the political power of women.

On the other hand, the Egyptian sculpture adds value or honors the political leaders. Although the carving of the sculptures occurred at different times, they present similar stylistic features as discussed above.

Chances are, youve heard about a movie called Commando, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by Mark L. Lester, because it is, in my view, the greatest classical movie of all time.

Released in 1985, the film to a large extent exemplifies the stereotypical 1980s action movie, which packaged top-of-the-range violence, sharp and humorous one liners, and a simple and easy to follow plot concerning some sort of mercenary activity, kidnapping or military affair (Stevens para. 1).

Commandos cheesy plot, sharp one liner dialogue, and wild action, in my view, makes the film a timeless classic that is bound to continue making inroads in the entertainment industry as we progress deeper into the 21^st century.

Apart from Schwarzenegger, who acts as John Matrix, the other members of the main cast include Alyssa Milano (Jenny Matrix), Dan Hedaya (Arius), Vernon Wells (Benett), Rae Dawn Chong (Cindy), Bill Duke (Cooke), David Patrick Kelly (Sully), and James Olson (Major General Franklin Kirby).

The movies protagonists include John matrix, Jenny Matrix, Cindy and General Kirby, while the antagonists include Arius, Bennett, Cooke and Sully (Lester para. 5-12).

Overall, it is these characters that will continue to reverberate across major movie screens and theaters across the world as they showcase their well-groomed talents in this mouth-watering action film directed by Lester and produced by another movie great  Joel Silver.

Written by Steven E. de Souza, Commandos story develops along a continuum that is well understood by avid television or movie watchers who take time to watch other classical action movies, that is, one man killing machine against a bunch of bad guys who will stop at nothing to perpetuate their own selfish interests.

In Summary, the story is as follows: Retired Special Forces Operative Colonel John Matrix and his daughter Jenny live happily in a secluded mountainous region, but one day General Franklin Kirby come calling to warn Matrix of a group of mercenaries that have been killing retired military personnel who used to work with Matrix.

What Kirby doesnt know is that the mercenaries have been trailing them, and even faked the death of retired military man, Benett, so that they could lay their hands on Matrix, who is wanted by the head of the mercenary group, Arius, to overthrow a seating president (Lester para. 12).

The mercenaries kill Kirbys men and then hijack Matrix daughter, Jenny, to force him to play along, but what follows is a specter of violence and intelligent one-liners that provides an unforgettable experience to movie viewers.

Matrix is tranquilized before being taken to Arius, who instructs him that he must travel to Val Verde and unseat the serving president if he wants to be reunited with his daughter.

Matrix lazily agrees though he uses his popular and decisive one-liners to warn Bennett, his fellow military compatriot, that he will be back (Stevens para. 2). It is imperative to note that these one-liners add a unique glow to the movie, while elevating the viewers suspense to heart-throbbing levels.

What follows is a form of violence and raw firepower that few films of contemporary times have been able to match. Matrix engages in a murderous exercise, wiping all the bad guys as he forces his way to find his loving daughter.

It is at this juncture when he runs into an off-duty air hostess, Cindy, who reluctantly promises to assist Matrix find his daughter upon the use of yet another one-liner  trust me. Matrix engages in a one-man show, kills all the bad guys serving in Arius private army before killing Arius in a gun fight.

The climax pits two ex-military men who were friends turned enemies  Matrix and Benett. After a prolonged and enticing fight, Matrix savagely kills Benett and rescues his daughter Jenny.

Some critics, as noted in various quarters, may find such a plot simplistic and overly repulsive, thus shun this masterpiece and move on (Stevens para. 2). But upon critical analysis of the movie, viewers will notice that its theme, along with its cheesiness, soundtrack and predictability, are important attributes that have made it withstand the test of time.

The theme is plain simple in that it exemplifies a parents love for his own child, and the length he is willing to go to rescue her from a bunch of South American mercenaries guided by self-seeking interests (Lester para. 1).

Although such a theme finds more appeal among parents with children of their own, it could be a good starting point for college students to understand how it feels for one to be denied the love of his or her children.

The rocking saxophone-driven soundtrack not only prepares viewers for explosive confrontations in the movie involving Matrix and the mercenaries but also gets the viewers moving in their seats (Lester para. 1).

The action-filled and funny one-liners are hard to ignore, not mentioning that they make viewers want to listen more to the varied conversations involving Matrix and the other characters.

The success of this movie is capped off by outstanding special effects and a vivid acting setting, which adds color, splendor and opulence to the scenes. Indeed, many of the scenes are captured in broad daylight in multiple locations in California and the Pacific Coast.

Of course critics will ultimately dwell on the plots simplicity and the level of violence witnessed in the movie to discount it as unfit for many undeserving reasons.

However, movie goers should take time to understand the films theme, then digress what they could have done if they were to be faced with a situation similar to what befell Matrix: many, if not all, would have gone into a killing spree to save their loved ones from the bad guys.

Consequently, it is understandable to say that this film is a classical masterpiece of cinematography, deserving the highest acknowledgment and attention from viewers of all walks of life  college students included.

Works Cited

Lester, Mark L. Commando is the Best Film Ever, PT. 1. n.d. Web.

Stevens, Matt. Why Commando is a Great Movie. 2011. Web.

The introduction

Some fundamentals on the movie

The movie I want to discuss is created by a Chinese film director Wu Tianming. It is a kind of mythic movie, which principal themes are considered to be the subordinate position of women to men and the Confucian value of filiality.

The director of the movie reflects some interesting facts from Chinas history and criticizes a well-known system of ethics. Generally, it must be noted that the director of The King of Masks highlights important philosophical issues.

The thesis statement

Wu Tianming provides viewers with an opportunity to consider the basic Confucian values from the modernized point of view. Thus, keeping in mind the plot of the movie, one can state that the issues of gender inequality and filial piety are to be revalued, in order to resolve the conflict between a persons public duty and his or her own desires.

The body

The relationship between two genders as one of the key themes of the movie

While watching The King of Masks, it becomes evident that one of the directors main intentions was to reveal traditional values of Confucianism in the modern China; although some new approaches concerning a well-known teaching are introduced. Thus, one can notice that Wu Tianming draws viewers attention to the relationship between two genders.

Generally, there is a wide range of themes the movie reflects; although the burning problems Wu Tianming depicts are a devastating underpopulation of females and a system of important philosophical and ethical teachings written by Confucius. As far as the problems are closely interdependent, one can conclude that they cannot be regarded separately.

The principal values of Confucianism

Nobody will deny the fact that in China the issue of gender in relation to Confucianism was of great importance, as political and social standards were determined by men (Jay 226). Thus, the basic principles an important philosophical teaching is based on involve the issues of humaneness, filial piety and ritual.

The director of the movie provides viewers with an opportunity to delve deeply into a prime virtue of Confucianism, which is recognized to be the root of humanity. So, the issue of filial piety can be traced back, if viewers analyze the relations between the main characters in detail.

The protagonist of the movie Wang is deeply concerned about social interactions and ethical norms of Confucianism, because he understands that the society cannot approve of his relations with a little girl.

For this reason, the situation he experiences seems to be rather ambiguous: on the one hand, he realizes his greatest affection towards a girl; on the other hand, he understands that according to Confucian principles he cannot give a girl an opportunity to study his art.

The protagonist of the movie and his internal conflict

The director of the movie depicts the internal conflict, which the protagonist cannot cope with. Wang starts to cast doubt on the correctness of Confucian morality.

Of course, it is a big problem, as nobody has a right to prejudice ancient authentic principles of philosophical and ethical teachings founded by Confucius; so, the main character feels uncertainty and cannot decide what to do. Wang is worried about his moral obligations in relation to society, but his personal attitudes seem to prevent him from taking a right decision.

This moment is considered to be extremely important, as Wu Tianming suggests that traditional values of Confucianism can be regarded within a new perspective. In other words, one can probably conclude that certain aspects of Confucianism should be changed, as nothing can remain the same. If times are changing, why ancient traditions should be invariable?

Moreover, one can also suppose that the relations between genders should be reconsidered, as certain Confucian norms are too strict. Nobody is going to underestimate the importance of an ancient philosophical teaching as well as its contribution to Chinese history development, but the new perspectives on womens position in the contemporary world cannot be ignored.

The problem of gender inequality in Confucianism

The problem of gender inequality the director of the movie represents is recognized to be rather important, as the plot of The King of Masks familiarizes viewers with significant aspects of Chinese history. Thus, one is to keep in mind that Confucianism does not support the idea of gender equality.

On the contrary, according to Confucian norms males are valued more than females. A womans most important role is to be obedient and help a husband. Hershatter states that A womans status in the family rose with the birth of children, particularly sons, who formed the core of her affective life and old-age support  her uterine family  even as they reproduced the patriline (22).

For this reason, it becomes evident that the husband-wife relationship is not important. It is filial piety, which highlights the importance of the father-son relations.

Confucian norms vs. the modern aspects of democracy

Keeping in mind strict Confucian norms, one can probably notice that it is not happiness, which people are to strive for. The basic aim of a well-known philosophical teaching is to reach harmony. It should be noted that Confucianism does not consider a person as a detached entity or as an individual who has certain desires.

On the contrary, a human being is just regarded as an integral element of human relationship. So, according to a system of philosophical teachings, human beings must possess not rights, but certain obligations in relation to the society.

The process of modernization of Asian societies cannot be ignored, as it also impacted on traditional Confucian values. It was noted that certain Confucian norms contradict the modern aspects of democracy.

Moreover, it was also proven that the idea of human rights is totally ignored by the system of values a well-known philosophical teaching is based on. For this reason, Wu Tianming suggests that some Confucian aspects can be also modernized.

He shows his protagonists hesitation and gives viewers an opportunity to notice that Confucian norms are inconsistent with the basic human rights, including the issue of gender equality. As far as Milburn states that the early Chinese historical texts neglected any issue of gender or sexuality (3), one can make a conclusion that the modern society should be deeply interested in profound investigation of the issue of gender.

This area of studies requires a new approach. Traditional philosophical teachings, which ignored gender roles, must be expanded with new contemporary themes and adapted to modern requirements. On the other hand, if such teachings are not related to the issue of gender  there is no need to follow their norms or rules.

Kevin Dodd is of the opinion that Confucianism has always had a strongly hierarchical vision of society, but it has protected this from authoritarian ossification by stressing, inter alia, reciprocity and self cultivation (8-9).

Wu Tianming seems to criticize the position and considers it in a different way. He points out that some Confucian norms should be accepted as outdated issues, because human beings existence is complicated by obsolete customs.

Confucianism vs. the modern society

The King of Masks by Wu Tianming discloses certain important aspects of Chinese history. Furthermore, while analyzing the plot of the movie, one can suppose that traditional Confucian values must be revalued, in order to resolve a conflict between persons moral duties and their personal attitudes towards somebody or something.

One of the main characters Wang is considered to be a victim of traditional Confucian norms; as far as he deeply respects the history of his nation, he cannot follow his heart. In other words, the director of the movie depicts the so-called philosophical conflict through the internal conflict the protagonist experiences. Thereby, Confucianism vs. the modern society is one of the key themes of a mythic production.

The Conclusion

The King of Masks by Wu Tianming reflects complex philosophical issues. The main purpose the director of the movie wanted to achieve was to show the importance of Confucian norms reevaluation.

Keeping in mind the modernized society, it becomes obvious that one of the principal values of Confucianism  filial piety is inconsistent with some contemporary aspects of democracy.

Moreover, traditional Confucian norms seem to aggravate peoples existence and cause the internal conflicts between peoples moral obligations and their own desires. As far as Confucianism does not support the idea of gender equality, it can be regarded as an outdated philosophical teaching.

Works Cited

Dodd, Kevin. King of Masks: The Myth of Miao-shan and the Empowerment of Women, 2012. Web.

Hershatter, Gail. Women in Chinas Long Twentieth Century, Santa Cruz: University of California Press, 2007. Print.

Jay, Jennifer. Imagining Matriarchy: Kingdoms of Women in Tang China. Journal of the American Oriental Society. 116.2 (1996): 220-229.

Milburn, Olivia. Gender, Sexuality, and Power in Early China: The Changing Biographies of Lord Ling of Wei and Lady Nanzi. Seoul National University. 12 (2010): 1-29.

Brief biography

Giotto Di Bondone was a reknowned italian architect and painter who lived between July 1266 and january 1337.¹ In his most popular name, it is worth to refer to him as one of the most prolific artists who were utterly important in the renaisance of Italy.

Giotto came up with contemporary pieces of paintings in his time. He was highly reputed due to the drawing of figure postures which were inseparable with the realities of nature.

Historical research records indicate that Giotto was born at Romimignano which was a very sympolic farmhouse on top of a hill. This explains the honour attached to his birthplace.

Indeed, the commercial publications which assert this special feature of Giotto (the artist) would lose value without this phenomenal inclusion.

The artistic life of Giotto was not merely full of these unique characteristics. His father Bondone was a well known personality. He had achieved an admirable status of a life which had a good stand in society.

Despite the fact that the society of that time kept keen records of all individuals, Giotto was able to come up with an amicable stability.

The fact that he was a son to a blacksmith happened to be a valuable outfit which positioned him to grow into an intelligent and adorable artist. Giotto was alo known to be a highly gifted painter during his tender years.

He would draw very magnificent pictures of sheep and other animals.² This was a clear indication of how much he was endowed with an inherent talent.

Artists argue that an artistic brain cannot be concealed by the circumstances of a persons life. Art is comparable to some form of fire which burns out of the heart of its beholder.

Giotto was taken to art workshops where he was able to appreciate his skill right from the level of an apprentice.

What makes his paintings different from byzantine style artist

The artistic works of Goitto have a profound feture of excellence. It is possible to compare and contrast his productions with the works of most byzantine artists.³

On top of the fact that Giotto painted with a great influence of the happenings of nature, it is evident that his skill was differentiated from that of the byzantine styles.

Giotto was well established in the technique of making accurate and precise paintings from the occurences of real life.⁴

His technique was a revival of an historical technique of making drawings by the use of deductions from the natural existence of life. Giotto had a style of making paintings which were in line with the happening during his time.

He built his creativity on his way of life and therefore came up with paintings which showed the major happenings which sirrounded the society.

A good example is the Frescoes he made for the upper church. The artistic commisions of his work here were a represntation of the documents that the Basilica church was up for divisions.

He was describing the activities of the church. He showed the overshadowed happenings which were part of the congregation.⁵

This timely style of taking opportunities as an artist are not found in the byzantine style of art. Most byzantine art works are concrete in accordance to the creativity of individual artists.⁶

In the midst of the influence which came up with Byzantine, many artists did art on the basis of the setup of the society. This was as a result of their openness to the influence.

Giottas pictures are distinguished from these by the possession of a theme of diversity. The paintings have a way of showing the intends of the artist without borrowing from any external features.

The byzantine styles show aspects of depicting the importance of art in communication.

Describe the epiphany by example using the visual analysis technique

The Epiphany gives a dependable foundation for anyone who is ready to analyze art. This work by Goitta is part of his series on the series of the life of Christ. It is one of the altar covers which were established for the church at Santa Croce.

Goitto produced a classic representation of his story by using this form of drawing. The object has been formed through the use of a uniform stroke of brushes. The painting of this object was carried on using a specific choice of procedures.

This is shown by the fact that the elements of the final work are clearly shown. It is possible to transit from one part of the painting to the other since individual elements of the diagram.

This diagram can be gauged as large painting. Although it has been produced in a relatively small size it is should be noted that this is a small picture. On a general viewpoint, the painting is quite eye catching and symbolic of classical art.

On the other hand, the Madonna and child image presents a commanding representation of beauty and elegance. There in Goitto manages to communicate the theme of the baby as a savior according to biblical accounts.

Space has been created and utilized accordingly. The figure comes out clearly in contrast to the space around it. This image has a model stature which brings out the expressions of Goitta.

Explanation of the story being told in Giottos painting

It is important to note that Epiphany is one of the highest quality paintings found in Metropolitan museum in New York.⁷ Notably, the work of art in its fullness of form is very informative and therefore it presents a religious theme.

In order to understand the story being told in the painting, it is essential to explain briefly what the painting entails. From a careful observation of the painting, one can analyze that on the lower edge of the panel, the king kneels at the center of the altar to worship the new born child. ⁸

Therefore, this painting explains about the time when Jesus Christ was born and the wise men came to worship him with gifts.

Moreover, the painting further expound on the fact that the wise men came with numerous gifts made of Gold, Frankincense and myrrh.⁹

Nevertheless, from the story, numerous sources give different explanation and meaning of the gifts. For instance, according to the holy Bible especially in the New Testament, different scriptures give dissimilar-r theological significance of the gifts.

In this case, the gift of Frankincense, according to Hebrews 4:14 symbolizes a great and a high priest.¹⁰ Moreover, according to the same scripture, myrrh signifies a paschal lamb of sacrifice for the sins of people in the world.

However, other scriptures such as John, Luke, Mark and Mathew only mention the gifts but do not explain their significance. ¹¹

Additionally, the magi have their own understanding of the gifts and other symbols portrayed in the painting. From a careful review of literature, one can argue that the magi have a hymn that portrays the theological significance of the gifts and the value attached to their Lord.

According to the Magi, the gifts of gold signify that Jesus Christ is the new king. Moreover, they also perceive the Frankincense and myrrh to signify that Jesus is not only the king but also the God and a sacrifice for the sins of the world.

In line with this, it is notable that the painting contains numerous characters making it more expansive and informative. Needless to say, the background of the painting can be divided into four major planes in order to analyze the characters with ease.

The first plane is that at the top of the painting where we see four angles who seems engaged in their own activities. Moreover, on the left corner of the painting, there are wise men standing by the side warmly dressed.

At the center we see a king kneeling to worship the newly born Baby. Additionally, we see Virgin Mary and her Husband Joseph standing by the side with their child at the center.

Note that all the characters portrayed in the picture helps the audience to obtain sharper details of what the picture is all about.¹²

Needless to say, the arrangement of the characters in the picture is a bit concise giving it an expansive look. However, there is a little overlapping. The origin of the story was a commemoration of the Jews about the birth of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, this story originates from the religious belief among the Jews on the revelation of the prophecy that a king will be born and he will be the messiah. ¹³

As mentioned earlier in this section, the figures on the top left corner of the painting are angels.

Comparing the works of art by Giotto and Bellini in terms of form, weight and negative space used

It is certain that Giotto has been regarded by late renaissance artists as the father of western art. This is due to the fact that he took a bigger step to embrace the spirituality style, a factor that changed the direction of art legacy.

Notably, Giotto had a unique way of doing works of art that was easy to convince people on matters related to religious beliefs. In this case, artist of the late renaissance era emulated him and hence their works have common aspects.¹⁴

One of the notable artists who emulated Giottos style is Jacopo Bellini who produced a painting of the same style titles the virgin and child in 1465. One of the similarities of their works of art is the sensitivity and use f color styles in their painting.

Both Bellini and Giotto have used slow-drying and clear paints in their pictures. Notably, their pictures exhibit a beautiful works that portrays their very master of artistic skills.

Needless to say, both of the paintings are expansive and have a splendor that produces a radiating effect due to the color choice.

Note that proper choice of color allows the audience to figure out every detail that exists in the picture. Moreover, this gives captures the true feeling and divine conservation of nature

In addition to this, it is arguable that both painters have their work portraying a dynamic spatial equilibrium form the fact that the figures are arranged rhythmically both in shape and line.

For this reason, the audience is able to interact freely with the figures portrayed in the pictures since they give room for an impressive view.

Moreover, it is arguable that both painters have their work portraying a dynamic spatial equilibrium form the fact that the figures are arranged rhythmically both in shape and line.

For this reason, the audience is able to interact freely with the figures portrayed in the pictures since they give room for an impressive view. Furthermore, evidence has shown that the artists gives equal weight to their work of a-rt.

Needless to mention this, both Giotto and Bellini have high quality skills to express matters of divinity by the way they arrange their figures in the pictures. For instance, Giotto portrays the angels at the top with their arms thrown out almost flying to the scene where the child is born.

Additionally, he portrays the wise men bending over in front of the child, an aspect that demonstrates spirituality and respect for a sacred being. On the other hand, Bellini paints a virgin woman holding a child with adorations.

In this case, one can argue that the artists give weight to their artistic works to express emotion not just through movements but also the facial expressions of characters in the picture.

It is imperative to note that the artist naturally make use of available space giving the pictures a neat look. Note that the paintings looks more imposed while viewing them at a glance.

In this case, they make good use of negative background and this makes the figures to appear spontaneously free. In addition to this, the objects in the pictures despite the fact that they appear free and independent, they portray some sense of unity, a factors that enables them to bring out the desired message to the audience.

Of essence to note it is that the artist skills give their work a sense of infinite beauty and naturalism. Nonetheless, the fact that Bellini imitated Giottos artistic styles, that does not deny his work a truthful representation of its originality.

This is due to the fact that works of art is not a matter of imitation but the appearance that makes it distinct from the rest.

Bibliography

Corrain, Lucia. The Art of the Renaissance. New York: The Oliver Press, Inc., 2008.

Giotto.Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Encyclopedia. Web.

Ladis, Andrew. Giottos O: Narrative, Figuration, and Pictorial Ingenuity in the Arena Chapel. New York: Pennsylvania State UP, 2009.

Perkins, Mason. Giotto. New York, Vintage Books, 2010.

Pierpont, John. The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Guide to the Loan. New York: BiblioLife, 2010.

Quilter, Harry. Giotto. London: Nabu Press, 2012.

Footnotes

1. Harry Quilter, Giotto. (London: Nabu Press, 2012), 67.
2. Ibid., 59.
3. Lucia Corrain, The Art of the Renaissance. (New York: The Oliver Press, Inc., 2008), 78.
4. Mason Perkins, Giotto. (New York, Vintage Books, 2010), 129.
5. Ibid., 231.
6. John Pierpont, The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Guide to the Loan. (New York: BiblioLife, 2010), 85.
7. Andrew Ladis, Giottos O: Narrative, Figuration, and Pictorial Ingenuity in the Arena Chapel. (New York: Pennsylvania State UP, 2009), 64.
8. John Pierpont, The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Guide to the Loan. (New York: BiblioLife, 2010), 72.
9. Lucia Corrain, The Art of the Renaissance. (New York: The Oliver Press, Inc., 2008), 102.
10. .
11. .
12. Andrew Ladis, Giottos O: Narrative, Figuration, and Pictorial Ingenuity in the Arena Chapel. (New York: Pennsylvania State UP, 2009), 64.
13. Ibid., 46.
14. Giotto, Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Encyclopedia.

Introduction

The King of Masks and its fundamentals

While discussing the major theme of a Chinese film The King of Masks directed by Wu Tianming, it is necessary to consider some basic issues concerning the plot of the production. First of all, it must be pointed out that The King of Masks can be regarded as a kind of mythic film, which highlights the subordinate position of women to men. However, the relationship between two genders seems to be the secondary theme Wu Tianming wanted his viewers to become familiar with.

The most important point, which cannot be neglected, is that the film gives viewers an opportunity to trace back some important aspects of Chinas history. Thus, one is to keep in mind that the major themes the director wanted to depict in his production are considered to be the Confucian value of filiality and the underpopulation of women. As far as both issues are closely interdependent, there is a need to consider them in detail.

Body

The importance of Confucianism

When speaking about Confucian values, one is to keep in mind that there are three essential elements, Confucian teaching is based in. These include filial piety, humaneness and ritual. Generally, it should be noted that Confucianism is mostly associated with an important system of ethics.

Taking into account the fact that Confucianism appeared in China, one can probably make a conclusion that the director of The King of Masks wanted to depict one of the most important aspect of one of the most Confucianized society in the world. In other words, it seems to be obvious that the film reflects important aspects of the history of China.

Too complicated relations between Wang and the girl show us that acting in a Confucian manner is extremely important in social interactions. It is evident that one of the main characters Wang deeply respects various traditions of his nation as well as ethical norms of Confucianism.

Of course, he does not want people accept him as uncivilized man without any principles and self-perfection. Kevin Dodd is of the opinion that Confucianism has always had a strongly hierarchical vision of society, but it has protected this from authoritarian ossification by stressing, inter alia, reciprocity and self cultivation (8-9).

For this reason, one can probably conclude that the film director highlights the internal conflict the main character experiences: on the one hand, Wang wants to observe the norms Confucianism states; on the other hand, there are many contradictions concerning Wangs desire to be an obedient person and his desire to accept the girl and to give her an opportunity to study his art.

Moral obligations vs. personal feelings

Of course, one can probably state that the conflict between a persons moral obligations in relation to society and his or her feelings cannot be regarded as a new theme; however, one is to keep in mind that Tianmings depiction is based not on imaginary values, but ancient authentic ones. Moreover, nobody will deny the fact that Confucian morality is considered to be one of the most important aspects of philosophy.

As far as philosophical questions are difficult to disclose, one can suppose that the philosophical points of The King of Masks are difficult to analyze. Taking into consideration the fact that Tianmings production combines history, a persons moral obligations concerning society and personal attitudes, it becomes obvious that the film causes ambiguous viewpoints. To my mind, it is wrong to state that film is good or bad.

For instance, I still cannot understand whether I like the film or no. Thus, on the one hand, I cannot ignore the contributions of Confucianism in history development; on the other hand, some norms of Confucian teaching are too strict, especially while speaking about the role of genders.

The problem of gender inequality

I suppose that the problem of gender inequality is extremely important; moreover, when discussing Chinese attitude towards women, most of people who live in the modern world will be really shocked. Thus, Chun-Fang Yu describes the condition of women in China in light of this storys development as intrinsically linked through their bodies with the uncleanness and pollution of menstruation, sexual intercourse, childbirth, and death (Dodd 3).

However, males have been always respected. I can probably make a conclusion that for some people who belong to Chinese society the attitude towards women can be regarded as a norm; however, I can also state that in China the problem of gender inequality exists, because film directors show us the complexity of some historical aspects through their productions, because people speak about the problem. On the other hand, the film can be also regarded as the so-called introductory course concerning Chinas history, but I think that The King of Masks must be analyzed deeper.

A systematic ideology, which is related to the position of women, is recognized to be one of the key themes of the film. When analyzing the interdependence between Confucianism and gender roles, one can conclude that traditional Confucian values can be criticized.

In other words, Confucian values must be revalued. In my opinion, a modernized evaluation of traditional Confucian norms seems to be one of the most appropriate ways, which is to be used, in order to avoid a conflict between a persons moral obligations and his or her internal feelings.

Confucianism and its contradictions

Dodd states that The screenwriter Wei Minglun and director Wu Tianming are resetting or contemporizing the Buddhist Miao-shan myth in order to highlight therein the Confucian value of filial piety, which is central to the original story anyway (12). It is obvious that the director of the film wanted to draw viewers attention to some other Confucian values, but not those ones, which seem to form the structure of the kind of teaching.

As far as people are mostly familiar with the basic principles of Confucian teaching, Wu Tianming provided viewers with an opportunity to notice other values Confucianism includes. These involve sympathy and responsibility. While analyzing the conflict the main character experiences, one can notice that the basic principles of Confucianism are at variance with its secondary values. For this reason, traditional Confucianism cannot be regarded as an appropriate ethical and philosophical system. In other words, it should be modernized.

Conclusion

A Chinese film The King of Masks directed by Wu Tianming reflects complex philosophical questions. Certain contradictions concerning Confucianism and its principles form the major theme of the film. Generally, it is necessary to point out that the director highlights the problem of gender inequality in the light of a well-known ethical-sociopolitical teaching.

The King of Masks gives viewers an opportunity not only to analyze pros and cons of Confucianism, but also to consider the aspects of the kind of teaching through a modernized system of values perception.

Works Cited

Dodd, Kevin. King of Masks: The Myth of Miao-shan and the Empowerment of Women. 2012. Web.

The difference between the Total-Gross-Sales and the Opening-Weekend-Gross sales calculated to form the net-sale-difference for each motion picture. The frequency of the motion pictures that had a net-sale of zero was the highest. Considering that all motion pictures had a chance to feature at the Theater and appeared in Week-Top-60; then these two factors were not a guarantee that a motion-picture would have a net-sale difference.

Half the number of the motion pictures had a net-sale-difference of US$ 5 million and below. Approximately 49% of the motion pictures had net-sales ranging between US$ 5 million and 175.32 million. At least most motion pictures had a chance to appear in the Week-Top-60 than any other frequency. About two-thirds of the motion pictures appeared in the Week-Top-60 ten times or less.

Only five motion pictures appeared in the Week-Top-60 twenty-one times or more. Thus, there is a negative skew in the number of times a motion picture appears in the Week-Top-60 and most probably is because of the competition factor. This explains why the median of the motion pictures ranges the 6^th and 10^th week of appearance in the Week-Top-60.

At least all motion pictures featured more-than five times among the theaters. More (Just above a third) motion pictures featured 100 or lesser times in the Theaters. Approximately a third of the motion pictures featured more-than 2000 times in the theaters.

If the motion pictures were classified in the 1000s of appearance then ranges will display a negative skew that infers chances of influence of competition when featuring in the theaters. In the overall, net-sales-difference (at 4.69) was more skewed, followed by Number-of-Theaters at 1.62 and finally Week-Top-60 at 1.55.

Assuming that appearance in the Week-Top-60 had no influence on the Net-sales-difference, then on average each feature in a theatre was worth US$ 1.8042 million, ceteris-paribus. Similarly, assuming that featuring in the theatres had no influence on the net-sales, then on average every appearance in the Week-Top-60 was worth US$ 0.0141 million, ceteris-paribus.

Assuming on average that the motion pictures had not featured in any theatre and appeared in Week-Top-60, then the net-sales will be US$ 0.00161million (probably due to other-factors ). The lack of influence of a theatre feature and a Week-Top-60 was worth US$ 0.00161million, ceteris-paribus.

If the number of appearances were influenced by theatre features, then each appearance was worth 142 week features. This infers that on average an appearance in the Week-Top-60 is more worth than a feature in the Theatre.

In other words, the appearance in the Week-Top-60 will be more influential on theatre features than Theatre features will do to Week-Top-60, ceteris-paribus. If this is true, then on average those motion pictures appearing only frequently in the Week-Top-60 will gain competitive-edge (that is, higher net-sales) than those who only feature in the Theatres, ceteris-paribus.

Based on the calculated average estimates Week-Top-60; Number-of-theatres and other-factors contribute to the net-sale-difference at 98.52%; 0.99% and 0.49%, respectively. Assuming on average the number-of-theatre features had no influence on the net-sales then Magnificent-Desolation had the highest performance at US$ 0.0830 million due to Week-Top-60 and other-factors.

Assuming that on average the number of appearances on the Week-Top-60 had no influence net-sales then Star-Wars: Episode-III had the highest net-sales performance at US$ 14.3021 million due to features in the Theatre and other-factors. On average, Alone-in-the-Dark had the highest number-of-theatre features per Week-Top-60 at 708.

Magnificent-Desolation at US$ 0.2317 million had the highest sales due to more Week-Top-60 appearance per Number-of-theatre features. Star-Wars: Episode-III had the highest net-sales due to Number-of-theatre features per Week-Top-60 appearance US$ 271.74 million.

The-Wild-Parrots-of-Telegraph-Hill had the highest number of Week-Top-60; while Star-Wars: Episode-III had the highest net-sales at US$ 271.74 million. These two showed a higher outlier performance. Based on the statistics, Week-Top-60 had a higher influence on sales than Number-of-theatre features; however, it is not obvious since there are other-factors that come to play (Hennig-Thurau et al. 2006, p.559). Other-factors include creativity (Peterson and Berger, 1975, p.159).

References

Hennig-Thurau, T., Houston, M. B. and Walsh, G. (2006). The Differing Roles of Success Drivers Across Sequential Channels: An Application to the Motion Picture Industry. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 34(4), 559-575.

Peterson, R. A. and Berger, D. G. (1975). Cycles in Symol Production: The Case of Popular Music. American Sociological Review 40(2), 158-173.