Category: Critical Reflection

What many films made in recent years fail to draw in both the critics and the audience and trying too hard to make a great production to please their expectations can have a seriously negative effect on the final product – even though ‘The Greatest Showman’ did not win over the critics as hoped, it won over modern audiences with its cast, script and wonderful soundtrack. Regardless of its historical inaccuracies, this is a great show, with its diverse cast of performers and the man who created the whole show from the ground up, the charismatic business mogul P.T. Barnum, portrayed by Hugh Jackman.

General audiences may not know how the real Phineas Taylor Barnum started his career as a showman, and they would all be shocked to hear he purchased an elderly slave woman named Joice Heth he claimed was the 161-year-old nurse of George Washington. There were plenty of mooncalves in the sea of people lining up to see the blind woman as she recited tales of ‘old little George’. The con fell apart after her death in February of 1836. Her autopsy showed that she was no more than 80 years old. Barnum’s famous hoax went up in flames, like his museum. On January 1, 1842, P.T. Barnum became the owner of his American Museum, filled with an assortment of chronicled ancient rarities, aquariums, a menagerie of exotic animals, curiosities, and freak shows. Barnum started displaying his bearded lady (genuine name Annie Jones) when she was 9 months old as the ‘Infant Esau’. He enrolled Charles Stratton, or “General Tom Thumb” when he was 4. On July 13, 1865, the American Museum was devastated by a fire, and few people mourned its passing while others cheered. Barnum re-opened the American Museum in an alternate area, yet it soon caught fire in 1868. Barnum later set his sights on starting the ‘Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Circus’, for which he is remembered.

Be that as it may, if audiences headed out to see this film expecting Hugh Jackman to deliver a faithful depiction of Barnum, they were in for disappointment. Yet, that is not why audiences came to theatres to see the original musical. Some viewers felt differently about the film, and they recommended it to others, but every viewer had something to say about the musical.

Could it have been the acting that made audiences leave with smiles on their faces after the credits, or was it worth it for the music? Well, fan covers of the songs from the film are all over the Internet, and most audience reviewers said the music is more enjoyable than the film. If there were viewers in the audience who were familiar with songwriters Pasek and Paul’s work, they just knew the music was going to be killer.

‘This is Me’ by Keala Settle, who plays the role of the bearded lady, tells us that you are brave and can be who you are meant to be. Settle really shows her character’s emotions through her singing and determination reigns heavily in her voice. Together, she and the rest of the performers dance in unison choreography, while people stand outside the showhouse, holding up signs with ‘no more freak shows’ written on them. Together they sing: “But I won’t let them break me down to dust/ I know that there’s a place for us/For we are glorious”.

‘The Other Side’, a duet between Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, who plays the role of Philip Carlyle, in which Jackman’s P.T. Barnum is attempting to persuade Philip to join his traveling circus (“Don’t you wanna get away from the same old part you gotta play/ ’cause I got what you need, so come with me and take the ride/ It’ll take you to the other side”), was fun and entertaining to watch.

‘The Greatest Show’ set the tone for the film, with a flash of colorful lights and a giant musical number, featuring the whole cast of Jackman’s Barnum’s circus. Opening with the audience stomping their feet in rhythm to the beat, Jackman’s Barnum sang: “Ladies and gents/this is the moment you’ve waited for/ Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor/ And buried in your bones there’s an ache that you can’t ignore/ Taking your breath, stealing your mind/and all that was real is left behind” before the circus comes alive.

The main message in the P.T. Barnum-inspired musical is that it doesn’t make a difference what your identity is or where you are from. You should be who you are. Also, that you must have faith in yourself. There will be good and bad times, however, you must keep the faith.

The film Food Matters goes into depth about what we put in our bodies that can increase or decrease our health status significantly. Many officials such as nutritionists, naturopaths, doctors, and journalists give their opinion on what being healthy really means. Food Matters was directed by James Colquhoun and Carlo Ledesma. The film starred people who have significant importance in the world of nutrition and health such as Dr. Andrew W. Saul, David Wolfe, and Dr. Ian Brighthope, among others. The director made sure he focused his audience on important matters such as the medical and pharmaceutical drug industry that affects all of us. Food Matters gave a rather thorough depiction of what exactly we’re putting in our bodies. It showed us where the food comes from, how far it travels to get to us, how we eat it, and how certain foods pass the nutritional value that we need. The film is not only informative about what we eat, but also what we have been told that is actually incorrect. This consists of how we are told to handle aches, pains, illnesses, and diseases. Most importantly Food Matters stresses that if you want to be healthy you have to provide your body with the raw, organic, and plant-based nutrients it not only requires but craves.

When the film begins we are introduced or rather reintroduced to Hippocrates belief that the human body has the capacity to heal itself. This may have been somewhat true before we had advancements in medicine and technology, but now we have so many options that secure the safety of our health. In today’s world, we have modern Western medicine and pharmaceutical drug industries that make sure the job gets done rather than depending on our own body stability. The documentary presents rather shocking information regarding the significantly lower nutritional value that our food has by the time it has reached our table. For example, Andrew Saul expresses to the audience that the food we eat, more than likely, travels thousands of miles before we see it at our local grocery stores. In the time that it takes to reach the grocery store, your purchasing, and consume the product, it can lose many vital nutrients. These claims are supported by a 2003 study done by Michigan State University’s Center for Regional Food Systems. Charlotte Gerson, a star in the film, and founder of the Gerson Institute, goes on to highlight the issues regarding the poor quality of the soil in which many of our most nutritionally dense foods are grown. Most fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, but plants actually require a total of 52 minerals to be present in the soil for exceptional growth, according to Gerson. Gerson’s claims are supported in his book A Cancer Therapy: Results of Fifty Cases. Also, David Wolfe, an active official on raw food and superfoods, exclaims that cooked food triggers an immune system response. This response is better known as “digestive leukocytosis”. It follows a claim that eating a diet composed of less than 51% raw meals will overwork our immune system. These claims are backed by research done by Dr. Paul Kouchakoff in 1930. In essence, the film encourages the viewer to rethink his entire diet and way of consuming food.

The film now shifts into explaining how Americans have gotten so far off the leading nutritional track. American families usually spend their earnings on things that are not beneficial to their overall well-being. Families can spend their money on nicer houses, cars, and vacations, but health is typically not of the utmost importance. The film’s starring speakers’ expressed that the ‘new American motto’ has become, “Have an ill? Take a pill.”. Drug consumption in today’s world has become more commercialized than ever before. Society is more concerned with what treats diseases than what promotes long-lasting health. Food Matters focuses the blame on our own doctors. Phillip Day and Dr. Ian Brighthope both speak in the film on the idea that the research being presented to the general public about new pharmaceutical drugs and various treatments is being largely funded by the pharmaceutical companies that produce those drugs. This claim is supported by various studies published in 2010 by the Journal of the American Medical Association, which indicated that the pharmaceutical industry-funded about 60% of the funding for biomedical research. It doesn’t stop there, Andrew Saul indicates his own personal experiences that include his studying in hospitals where doctors rarely knew much about anything regarding proper nutrition and vitamin consumption. For the main part, Food Matters wants the audience to know the truth about industries we are getting their products from as well as how society has turned its back on nutrition by leaving the majority of Americans either falsely or not properly educated about proper wellness.

Finally, the film touches base on various ways in which proper nutrition and high-dose vitamin therapy can prevent, arrest, and even reverse pains, chronic diseases, and even cancers. While this is being explained, Food Matters looks down upon pharmaceutical drugs as a way to handle chronic diseases. It also makes the factually-based claim that 106,000 deaths occur every year around the world due to adverse drug reactions each year, which is supported by the Journal of the American Medical Association. Gerson spoke of a personal experience with one of her patients who had been given depressants that had been unsuccessful for her and others. Gerson prescribed her patient a high dosage of niacin, also known as Vitamin B3. The patient’s condition improved drastically, and she finally felt normal. There is very little to no reliable medical research indicating that this is an optimal treatment for depression according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. One of the biggest focal points of the documentary is that very high doses of intravenous Vitamin C can be used to treat various illnesses ranging all the way from the common cold to cancer, according to Andrew Paul. Paul’s claims are supported by pioneering research done by William J. McCormick, Frederick Robert Klenner, and Linus Pauling. While all of these men’s studies’ results support the claim that Vitamin C has various curative properties, the likely reason that the public is not readily aware of this is likely due to the fact that studies in recent years have been incapable of replicating those results. The stars of Food Matters suggest the inability to replicate positive results is due to the lack of personalized patient doses of Vitamin C and the size of the Vitamin C doses being too small to have powerful effects. While some of these methods are questionable, it is definitely worth taking into account the research that has been done thus far and continuing to research into these alternative methods of treatment.

In essence, Food Matters calls for a revisiting of the very fundamentals of our lifestyle as Americans. It encourages Americans to not only pursue knowledge but apply all gained knowledge to their lives directly and take on the responsibility of their own health rather than relying on professionals to do all the thinking for them. This is an idea that I very strongly agree with and try to bring to others’ attention: you are what you eat. Nutrition labels are on everything we eat, and we have the power and right to know what we are putting into our bodies, which is something that I take advantage of at every opportunity. The ideas from the film concerning processed foods, inorganic foods, and the terrible diets of the typical American citizen are not new to me and are things that I think about quite frequently. However, ideas presented concerning the nutrient depletion in cooked foods, the possibilities of vitamin therapies for conditions such as serious cancer, and the concept that doctors’ opinions and prescriptions may not always be what is right or most healthy are all very new to me. The idea that medicines may be doing more harm than good is quite literally a hard pill to swallow. Upon reaching the end of Food Matters, my first thought was to research more, ask for second opinions, and re-evaluate my lifestyle. I feel as though the more things I learn about nutrition and health, the more often I am presented with contradicting information and research. I can truly say that I enjoyed watching the documentary Food Matters. I guess this falls right in line with one of the Food Matters taglines: “education, not medication.”

Over the years, there have been many arguments about whether Avatar is science fiction or fantasy.

My first thought would be that Avatar is both science fiction and fantasy. The movie starts with pure science fiction, as the human’s space traveling many light years to the moon Pandora to mine the very unusual and valuable ore called Unobtainium (Evans, 2009). This seems to me plausible, which agrees with the idea that science fiction is mostly about possibilities, partly based on science and relying on imagination to take us from the present into the future (Unknown, 2009).

The beings on Pandora, live in harmony with their planet and represent what many of us would like to be. Pandora, with its creatures and plants, is simply unbelievable in every way when we compare it to Earth. We don’t have any real idea as to the types of life forms we might find in space (University, 2016), and most moviegoers, can’t make any sense out of this crazy moon. Fantasy is the way that Direhorses and the Ikron bond physically rather than emotionally so that the Navi can ride them. The way in which Eywa to change people from one body to another in their rituals cannot be explained by what we know or even think is possible.

During the movie, science fiction and fantasy are linked by the scientists who created Avatars, with the task of linking the Sky people and the Navi. Major events such as the manner in which Jake is accepted by the Navi and joins them in defeating the Sky people is for me fantasy. The chance of it happening in life seems impossible.

There is a very interesting statement by the producer of Avatar who said, ‘Director James Cameron, does not write science fiction, he writes science fact’ (Sappenfield, 2009). The article goes on to explain that the 380-page Pandorapedia defines the moon based on scientific principles and that the floating mountains are for instance held up by the Unobtainium magnetic field generated by the ore which is an incredibly powerful superconductor (Twentieth Century Fox Corporation, 2009). Jodi Holt of the University of California was consulted to ensure that the plants and scientific equipment of the lab made scientific sense (Kozlowski, 2010).

Having seen some of the explanations as to how Pandora works, I have to conclude that the movie is science fiction, which when unexplained looks a lot like fantasy. Avatar describes a world that might exist, as it is predicted by combining various scientific principles. For now, it can’t be visited.

Can people who were a part of society be healed by the power of nature? Ella Park investigates the challenges that humans, who are social an animal may face while they are in nature through the book ‘Into the Wild’ and the film “Wild”.

In the book ‘Into the Wild’ and the movie ‘Wild’, there is a contrast between nature and humanity. Nature is wild, harsh, and isolated, while humanity is more intimately connected to society’s expectations and communications. I think that it is impossible for humans, who are a part of society, to live in nature by being deliberately isolated from society. Due to the chance that they do not know survival skills or the materials from nature, and also are used to using technological materials, they are not likely to maintain their life in nature.

Christopher McCandless, a main character of the book ‘Into the Wild’, dreams of living in nature. He went to Alaska, but he is a tragic figure found four months later as dead.

Due to her mother’s death, Cheryl Strade, the main character of the film ‘Wild’, has destroyed herself since childhood. However, she later decided to walk through an extreme space PCT to resolve her past sorrows and to heal her wounds.

Both texts show the way that people fed up with society go into the wild and resolve their troubles. However, are the challenges of the journey worth it?

With these texts, I am going to explore how humanity and society such as social expectations affect people, how the wildness of nature provides challenges to them, and how isolation from society heal people.

Nature is described as the place for people who are on “the edge” of society by social assumption. Although Chris graduated from a prestigious university and grew up with a wealthy family and high “expectations”, Chris decided to go into nature for a life on the road. Even while Chris tried to get into nature due to his burden and skepticism about the state of society, the social parts affected Chris’s life. “Social Security Number” for keeping his trip represents Chris’s displeasure with the government that he considers too intrusive. Chris’s overconfidence also leads him to ignore the suggestions of others in the community, which leads to “getting hungry” sometimes. As the situation mentioned above, Chris was sick of society’s “stupid rules” and didn’t need any care of them. In the end, however, Chris belatedly realizes that “Happiness is only real when shared” and scratches that on the book and leaves it on the bus.

Hardships from society were not only given to Chris. Cheryl lived a life of despair like a past-bloom flower, ensnared by the shocks, pains, and negative emotions from society, especially past her family and her “mother’s death”. Her mother was her heaven and she lost her family as slick as nothing at all. That made her turn back to society and go of her humanity. Since social expectations and assumptions frequently threatened her while hiking, she always had to pay attention to protecting herself as a “woman”. In spite of that, she gradually realized that the people she met during her adventure were a positive reminder of her life.

The protagonists of the texts, Chris and Cheryl, turned against society and got into nature to be far away from society’s expectations, pressures, and hardships. However, through the situation in which people met and experienced social factors that positively helped their recovery, we can learn that wounds from society can be healed through society and humanity.

Isolation in nature was not easy for Chris. Alaska is the place where Chris tries to “patch holes in [his] life”. Besides, his adventure, the “climbing the Devil’s thumb”, revealed his hope for fixing all that was wrong with his life. Nevertheless, nature intermittently gave him challenges which made his journey hard. The cold weather of Alaska and occasional fickle weather threatened Chris’ survival. In addition, he was naive that he was unprepared and rejected money and possessions to set on living an authentic natural life. His naïve behavior is presented by the “Rice” which symbolizes the lack of preparation for surviving the wilderness. However, as he is faced with the harsh wild that cares “nothing for hope” for his trip and unfortunately makes the wrong choice of eating poisoned seeds, his “ideal” ends with the result of his timely death.

Compared to Chris, she was perfectly prepared that she carried everything she needed to survive in nature in “her backpack”. “Backpack” is a representation of the burden, which is heavy and uncomfortable and always following her way to nature. On the other hand, it symbolizes not only a physical load and an emotional one, which helps Cheryl to be stronger and not to give up by the challenges of nature, but also her improved ability to do more than she thought she was capable of. Although the PCT is over 1,000 miles and there were some significant obstacles such as poor conditions of the Trail and no water left, her hike is a symbol of the hell that she must pass through to heal herself from the pain.

The challenges of nature faced by Chris and Cheryl were difficult to overcome, however, the results were different depending on readiness. We can find that healing in nature might be worth it if we challenge with a strong will and preparation.

L. Wolfe Gilbert once said, “Those who find beauty in all of nature will find themselves at one with the secrets of life itself.” Looking back on ourselves in nature away from the expectations and pressures of society can help us to realize what is sincerely important in our lives. Chris’s “real life” had begun with no longer being poisoned by civilization. As we investigate Chris’s journey, it is clearly shown that the power of nature gave him true happiness by providing “unlimited freedom”. When he started his “odyssey”, he felt in himself a superabundance of energy as a “Supertramp”. He had a clear purpose to know his standards of existence and happiness and wanted to face the true self, true life, and true direction outside the world. By his trip, Chris felt he was near to the wild heart of life as understood the true meaning of nature. In addition, the bus left in the wild embodies his dream of living a natural harmonious life far away from society.

Looking into “Wild”, while trekking the PCT, the problems of Cheryl “with the hole in her heart” had been recovered by the power of nature. At the beginning of her trip, she had wanted a “yearning for a way out” and hoped to back to the person “she used to be”. As Cheryl kept walking, she felt that she was becoming braver as a “free spirit”. Like Christopher McCandless, she thought that she was doing right for herself and became full of confidence in her goals. Cheryl realized things she couldn’t have known before getting into nature and one of those things was that the wildness had a “clarity” including her.

Investigating through both texts, they had found a motive to look back on themselves from nature and the wounds of their hearts had been healed by practicing it while they were isolated in nature. Thus, it gives us the message: “It isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.”

The adventures of ‘Into the Wild’ and ‘Wild’ teach us that a journey to nature is worth it. Can people fed up with society be healed by the power of nature? It is possible. People suffering from society are more eager to go into nature. Despite the trials and loneliness of nature, if you find own yourself with a strong will, you will find nothing more valuable. The power of nature is great and there is a chance to try it for anyone!

To commence, in Persepolis, Satrapi explores how people adventure captivity and freedom in case they would want to live and have a normal lifestyle while committing acts of revolt against the government or oppressors. Marjane Satrapi lived her early life in Iran, at a few levels during the Islamic Revolution. The governmental modifications were taking locality at the time, and thus the citizen’s notion that they desired to induce extra freedom, however, in fact, they needed to be living in a particular task and had a difficult existence. The pressures of the forceful modifications in their lives brought more or less them to sense that they needed to be abdicated in captivity. This causes them to commit acts of rebellion associated with throwing events, nonsecular functions, and her discovery of freedom.

Marjane feels that in the study that she goes through an associate in Nursing trades her lifestyles, she was given to similarly change the style she behaves. “without activities, we would as right truly bury ourselves now,” (pg.106) Marjane indicates that having existence besides sports or social occasions is now not truly an “existence”. Even though the authorities don’t approve of these gatherings, she throws events and attends them besides questioning if she is doing anything incorrectly. Marjane decides to scouse borrow a cigarette from her uncle and smoke. “As for me, I sealed my act of rebellion toward my mother’s dictatorship through the use of smoking the cigarette I’d stolen from my uncle weeks in advance,” (pg. 117) This act that she dedicated is an important one because the fact it is in reality inside the path of her mom who doesn’t anticipate that she is being properly behaved. Moreover, Marjane does some other matters that ought to be done alongside her being extra of a “rebellion”. “Grandma! Marji! Whilst we’re home, get out first. I’ll try and stall him. Flush all the alcohol down the restroom… and the very last touch, proper here they arrive!” (pg.109 and pg.110) This, in reality, suggests how Marjane decided to throw her events and disguise the alcohol from the government. Therefore, she doesn’t throw activities and function fun, she faces religious troubles.

In Persepolis, the regime enforces new laws and restrictions for all and sundry residing in Iran. Iranians have been forbidden from proudly owning certain gadgets and if they were caught, they’d be punished. Marjane recalls getting to know about a few circles of cherished one’s buddies who were given into trouble. She explains “…They observed statistics and video cassettes in their area. A deck of playing cards, a chess set. In extraordinary words, the complete lot that’s banned… It earned him seventy-five lashes” (pg. A hundred and five). Guardians of the Revolution might prosecute all people and every person they ought to. They made amazing people who had been punished and understood the tips and guidelines. Some other way they made certain the insurance regulations had been enforced grew to become via the usage of merciless inhumane punishments like beating individuals who didn’t abide via the usage of the prison recommendations until they died. “Ahmadi became assassinated as a member of the Guerillas, he suffered hell. …So he suffered the worst torture. They burned him with an iron” (pg. 51). Once in a while if Iranians time and all over again broke the policies, the Savak may additionally torture them to demise. They didn’t offer them any chances to investigate their errors. But, some Iranians, happily, obtained away with their acts of a rebel.

One way Iranians rebelled was through having activities. Marjane remembers: “Regardless of all the risks, the activities went on. Without them it wouldn’t be psychologically bearable,” some stated (pg. 106). Even though they knew the leads to the event that they had been stuck through the way of the Savak, they risked all of it to try to trip a war-loose “ordinary” way of life. At a couple of causes in their sports that they had the entire lot grew to point out rationale on being impermissible by the tactic that of how of the regime, they even had thousands of alcohol. Whereas the pop or mother ascertained them domestically someday during the birthday celebration, Marji’s father informed her and her grandparents to journey upstairs and do away with all the alcohol with incredible care so they wouldn’t be caught and fined. He yelled: “Grandma! Marji! Whilst we’re domestic, get out first, I’ll strive and stall him. Flush all of the alcohol down the restroom” (pg. 109). After the Savak left, Marji’s father, but, desired alcohol. Alcohol becomes a shape of launch for them to miss the war and all the problems there emerge. As they drank they forgot approximately the coverage rules and outcomes no longer even thinking about what has to take area to them if they had been caught. At the same time as Marji didn’t drink, she, alternatively, rebelled in her way via her choice of garb. The Guardians of the Revolution noticed Marji while she modified into taking walks down the street and stated “Why are you wearing those ‘punk’ shoes…Decrease your scarf, you little whore!… Aren’t you ashamed to wear tight denim like these??” (pg. 133). Marji knew what got to reveal the most quantity her within the event that they took her to the committee, the military headquarters of the Guardians of the Revolution the region one element must occur to her. She started to cry and begged for them not to require her and store spoken conversation she wouldn’t get dressed which meant yet again and also the pa or mum allowed her to tour domestically. This could come to be a lesson Marji discovered that gave her interest that if she rebels and is stuck, she will be capable of being in serious trouble.

The Iranians changed during the time on account of captivity and loss of freedom. Method captivity changed them turned into through growing their wish to rise even further, chiefly once they knew they shouldn’t. One example of Marji changing due to captivity was while Mehri and Marji went to demonstrate. “We had demonstrated at the very day we shouldn’t have: On ‘Black Friday,’ that day there was such a lot of killed in one of the neighborhoods that a rumor unfolds that Israeli soldiers were answerable for the slaughter”(pg. 39). Marjane not having the freedom to illustrate made her need to even greater. Another time she encountered change changed whilst Marji hit her predominant. Marji became carrying a bracelet, which became forbidden, “Excuse me! I didn’t mean it! Marji explained, “Satrapi, you’re expelled!” her essential shouted (pg. 143). Lack of freedom changed her because she became tired of hundreds telling her what she may additionally and couldn’t position on. She favored a neighborhood at the bracelet for remembrance even, although she knew it wasn’t allowed. Her act of hitting her important confirmed that it honestly becomes powerful for her to be common into another college and to effortlessly accept and follow the laws. Nobody desired a veritable criminal.

In the end, even though the regime set regulations, many residents however placed strategies to riot and each determined their lesson or discovered the reality approximately what the regime could truly do if a man or woman becomes stuck. Thinking about how unique humans’ lives are often based totally inside the space they keep is just vital thanks to the reality it’s equipped to deliver folks that area unit privileged the practicality to completely understand however proper they have to urge it as compared to others. Albeit as citizenry doesn’t desire to adventure one’s matters, it’s essential for society as a whole to renowned them and take a glance at bent position themselves in their shoes. Persepolis completely detached the minds of others to show the stage but topics have changed and consequently, the effect the war had on parents during the Muslim Revolution. In all subjects, Marjane was skilled in many fundamental ways of life selections for the duration of this time of her life. Those are related to throwing events, religion, and discovering freedom. In today’s international, certainly, every person nevertheless stories one’s problem, because all human beings have the potential to do what they need and the way they pick out to stay.

To commence, in Persepolis, Satrapi explores how people adventure captivity and freedom in case they would want to live and have a normal lifestyle while committing acts of revolt against the government or oppressors. Marjane Satrapi lived her early life in Iran, at a few levels during the Islamic Revolution. The governmental modifications were taking locality at the time, and thus the citizens’ notion that they desired to induce extra freedom, however, in fact, they needed to be living in a particular task and had a difficult existence. The pressures of the forceful modifications in their lives brought more or less them to sense that they needed to be abdicated in captivity. This causes them to commit acts of rebellion associated with throwing events, nonsecular functions, and her discovery of freedom.

Marjane feels that in the study that she goes through an associate in Nursing trades her lifestyles, she was given to similarly change the style she behaves. “without activities, we would as right truly bury ourselves now,” (pg.106) Marjane indicates that having existence besides sports or social occasions is now not truly an “existence”. Even though the authorities don’t approve of these gatherings, she throws events and attends them besides questioning if she is doing anything incorrectly. Marjane decides to scouse borrow a cigarette from her uncle and smoke. “As for me, I sealed my act of rebellion toward my mother’s dictatorship through the use of smoking the cigarette I’d stolen from my uncle weeks in advance,” (pg. 117) This act that she dedicated is an important one because the fact it is in reality inside the path of her mom who doesn’t anticipate that she is being properly behaved. Moreover, Marjane does some other matters that ought to be done alongside her being extra of a “rebellion”. “Grandma! Marji! Whilst we’re home, get out first. I’ll try and stall him. Flush all the alcohol down the restroom… and the very last touch, proper here they arrive!” (pg.109 and pg.110) This, in reality, suggests how Marjane decided to throw her events and disguise the alcohol from the government. Therefore, she doesn’t throw activities and function fun, she faces religious troubles.

In Persepolis, the regime enforces new laws and restrictions for all and sundry residing in Iran. Iranians have been forbidden from proudly owning certain gadgets and if they were caught, they’d be punished. Marjane recalls getting to know about a few circles of cherished one’s buddies who were given into trouble. She explains “…They observed statistics and video cassettes in their area. A deck of playing cards, a chess set. In extraordinary words, the complete lot that’s banned… It earned him seventy-five lashes” (pg. A hundred and five). Guardians of the Revolution might prosecute all people and every person they ought to. They made amazing people who had been punished and understood the tips and guidelines. Some other way they made certain the insurance regulations had been enforced grew to become via the usage of merciless inhumane punishments like beating individuals who didn’t abide via the usage of the prison recommendations until they died. “Ahmadi became assassinated as a member of the Guerillas, he suffered hell. …So he suffered the worst torture. They burned him with an iron” (pg. 51). Once in a while if Iranians time and all over again broke the policies, the Savak may additionally torture them to demise. They didn’t offer them any chances to investigate their errors. But, some Iranians, happily, obtained away with their acts of a rebel.

One way Iranians rebelled was through having activities. Marjane remembers: “Regardless of all the risks, the activities went on. Without them it wouldn’t be psychologically bearable,” some stated (pg. 106). Even though they knew the leads to the event that they had been stuck through the way of the Savak, they risked all of it to try to trip a war-loose “ordinary” way of life. At a couple of causes in their sports that they had the entire lot grew to point out rationale on being impermissible by the tactic that of how of the regime, they even had thousands of alcohol. Whereas the pop or mother ascertained them domestically someday during the birthday celebration, Marji’s father informed her and her grandparents to journey upstairs and do away with all the alcohol with incredible care so they wouldn’t be caught and fined. He yelled: “Grandma! Marji! Whilst we’re domestic, get out first, I’ll strive and stall him. Flush all of the alcohol down the restroom” (pg. 109). After the Savak left, Marji’s father, but, desired alcohol. Alcohol becomes a shape of launch for them to miss the war and all the problems there emerge. As they drank they forgot approximately the coverage rules and outcomes no longer even thinking about what has to take area to them if they had been caught. At the same time as Marji didn’t drink, she, alternatively, rebelled in her way via her choice of garb. The Guardians of the Revolution noticed Marji while she modified into taking walks down the street and stated “Why are you wearing those ‘punk’ shoes…Decrease your scarf, you little whore!… Aren’t you ashamed to wear tight denim like these??” (pg. 133). Marji knew what got to reveal the most quantity her within the event that they took her to the committee, the military headquarters of the Guardians of the Revolution the region one element must occur to her. She started to cry and begged for them not to require her and stored spoken conversation she wouldn’t get dressed which meant yet again and also the pa or mum allowed her to tour domestically. This could come to be a lesson Marji discovered that gave her interest that if she rebels and is stuck, she will be capable of being in serious trouble.

The Iranians changed during the time on account of captivity and loss of freedom. Method captivity changed them turned into through growing their wish to rise even further, chiefly once they knew they shouldn’t. One example of Marji changing due to captivity was while Mehri and Marji went to demonstrate. “We had demonstrated at the very day we shouldn’t have: On ‘Black Friday,’ that day there was such a lot of killed in one of the neighborhoods that a rumor unfolds that Israeli soldiers were answerable for the slaughter”(pg. 39). Marjane not having the freedom to illustrate made her need to even greater. Another time she encountered change changed whilst Marji hit her predominant. Marji became carrying a bracelet, which became forbidden, “Excuse me! I didn’t mean it! Marji explained, “Satrapi, you’re expelled!” her essential shouted (pg. 143). Lack of freedom changed her because she became tired of hundreds telling her what she may additionally and couldn’t position on. She favored a neighborhood at the bracelet for remembrance even, although she knew it wasn’t allowed. Her act of hitting her important confirmed that it honestly becomes powerful for her to be common into another college and to effortlessly accept and follow the laws. Nobody desired a veritable criminal.

In the end, even though the regime set regulations, many residents however placed strategies to riot and each determined their lesson or discovered the reality approximately what the regime could truly do if a man or woman becomes stuck. Thinking about how unique humans’ lives are often based totally inside the space they keep is just vital thanks to the reality it’s equipped to deliver folks that area unit privileged the practicality to completely understand however proper they have to urge it as compared to others. Albeit as citizenry doesn’t desire to adventure one’s matters, it’s essential for society as a whole to renowned them and take a glance at bent position themselves in their shoes. Persepolis completely detached the minds of others to show the stage but topics have changed and consequently, the effect the war had on parents during the Muslim Revolution. In all subjects, Marjane was skilled in many fundamental ways of life selections for the duration of this time of her life. Those are related to throwing events, religion, and discovering freedom. In today’s international, certainly, every person nevertheless stories one’s problems, because all human beings have the potential to do what they need and the way they pick out to stay.

‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ is an inspirational movie based on true events. Seeing the poverty and struggles that the people from Malawi, Africa live in is very heartbreaking and humbling, but these conditions cannot hold back 14-year-old William Kamkwamba who is smart, dedicated, and driven. William fights all obstacles to educate himself and to find a way to save his family and village. This is a must-see movie with wonderful life lessons. The movie has a slow start but gets the kids to hang in there because it’s worth every second. The acting, directing, and cinematography were great. The end of the film shows pictures and updates on the actual family. The major themes in the movie are the importance of education, struggle, and the role of government.

In the movie, it is clearly stated that children in Malawi are not able to go to school. There are various reasons behind them, above all are poverty and the government’s non-seriousness. William had an objective to get into one of the top schools. He tried hard and made an effort, and finally, he got admission to a school, although it was not among the top schools, but could be helpful for him in making his dreams true. William went into the library and a scientific book that helped him in the construction of a windmill. This exemplifies the significance of education. Education could bring change in the life of a person and people associated with that person, and this particular movie has attempted to show this scenario effectively.

Another major theme that is presented to influence people is that hard work and struggle can lead to change and victory. William’s father struggled throughout his life and came back to his village so that he could make an effort to help his people. William and his whole family struggled hard to get food for them. They harvested maize to store sufficient food for them that could be used till the next crop. William had to leave school two times because his father was unable to pay his school fees. But William never left his hope and kept on trying to make a windmill that could raise the living standard of his family, lighting the bulbs and getting water from the well through a motor. His hard work helped in reach his destination.

A government can either take a country to the heights of development or may lead to the darkness of poverty, hunger, and unemployment. ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ is a movie that also sheds light on the role of government in most African countries, especially in Malawi. People were dying as they did not have enough food to eat, but the government was reluctant to admit that there was a famine prevailing in the country. Citizens were not provided with the basic necessities of life like food, eating, education, and medical facilities. People used to die with ordinary diseases that could be cured easily, but the government was not interested in doing so. The motive of the government was to secure its position rather than focus on improving the living standard of the people of Malawi.

In brief, ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ is a wonderful film that presents reality to viewers and expresses the hard work of a young boy William who had almost no resources but had the vision to do something for his family and village. His firm belief in himself helped him to fulfill his goals and never get disheartened by the hardships and hurdles in the way of his dream journey. The movie specifies that education can bring significant changes in the life of a person by bringing him to light, struggles are necessary to make the impossible possible, and the government can play a vital role in motivating people and helping them to achieve their desired goals. All these factors will result in the establishment of a strong economy with having strong base and also help in turning the people of the country into a satisfied nation.

Throughout his incredible career, award-winning director Martin Scorsese has never disappointed with his thrilling, thought-provoking films. And this one does not. Hugo is all about a young, orphaned boy. His father passes and his uncle becomes his new caregiver. His Uncle Claude, although rude and almost depressing, teaches young Hugo how to work in clocks in a bustling railway station in Paris during the 1930s. If it wasn’t for Uncle Claude, he would probably be found and sent to an orphanage by the station inspector, Gustave Dasté. When his uncle goes missing, he is responsible for looking after the clocks while not getting caught. Hugo becomes intrigued by the history of his father’s automaton & the filmmaker, George Melies. The film starts with a breathtaking view of the city of Paris, the camera then swoops down to the busy railway station of the old Gare Montparnasse. This scene took one year to film and is known to be a cinematic masterpiece in filmmaking.

Martin Scorsese is an Italian-American film director, producer & screenwriter. His career in filmmaking spanned more than fifty years. He has directed other successful films such as The Wolf on Wall Street (2013), Taxi Driver (1976), Silence (2016), The Irishman (2019 i/), and Mire. He is most well known for his incredible attention to detail and powerful filmmaking style. His love for movies started when he was only eight years old.

The film Hugo made an incredible 185.8 million USD, which equals to around 283.03 million AUD. It cost about 150 million USD to make the film. Scorsese directed the film in Paris, among some of the most old and beautiful buildings you will ever see. Hugo was adapted from Brian Selznick’s classic 2007 novel ‘The Invention of Hugo Cabret’. The release date of Hugo was 12 January 2012.

The soundtrack was mainly calm music. It was slow, simple, and laid back. The camera angles showed the facial expressions and made you evaluate the character’s feelings. It added a lot of emotional value and impact to the film.

Asa Butterfield plays the role of Hugo Cabret. I believe he portrays this role perfectly and he was the best fit for Hugo. He makes the story powerful, and believable. Another important actor is Ben Kinsley, who plays the role of George Melies. This role is based on the real-life filmmaker. He was a French illusionist & film director famous for initiating development in the early days of cinema. Kingsley represented George perfectly. Chloe Grace Moretz plays the role of Isabelle. Isabelle is a kind and sensitive young girl, who makes friends with Hugo after Melies steals his precious notebook. All these actors and characters make a big impact on the storyline.

There are quite a few important relationships in the story of Hugo. Isabelle and Hugo are one of them. They become close friends during the film. Isabelle’s main intention is to help Hugo, at first, it was trying to help him get his notebook back. Then she discovers a special key that helps Hugo find out something important about his late father. You could almost think of Isabelle as Hugo’s trusty sidekick.

I enjoyed the movie. It was all around just a beautiful, cinematic masterpiece. The storyline, although sometimes a tad confusing, is thought-provoking and uplifting, and the actors portray their characters perfectly. This film would be great to watch with the whole family on a rainy day. I rate this film an 8/10.

The 1927 silent black-and-white film Metropolis critiques the stark inequality between working and wealthy classes to champion Marxism through a science-fictional, dystopian world. The text follows Freder, son of the city master Joh Frederson discovering the underground workers who have suffered under the strict regimen, slaving away on machines that power the city above, hence feeling obligated to save ‘his brothers’. Whilst the disparity between socioeconomic classes is still present today, it is not as exaggerated as in the film. However, Metropolis’s vision is still quite relevant displaying class division, revolution, and the ethical concerns about the advancement of robots. The main thing missing from the introduction is context. Mention the inspiration behind the film. The future that Metropolis envisions is still largely relevant to this day because it raises moral reasons about the ethicality of the prominent robotic manufacturing of the present.

Metropolis warns us to be wary of the rapid development of machines as they could evolve enough to think for themselves and betray us. Although H.G. Wells criticizes the film’s ‘middlemen about mechanical progress’, there is some truth in the underlying message that… The cautionary advice is depicted throughout the film in the very long aerial shots of The New Tower of Babel. Running the tower of Babel was only possible by building huge machines that would power the city above, hence displaying a large dependence on machines. Similarly, in the present there is a huge reliance on machines to operate tasks which will continue and increase in the future, hence the relevance. When Rotwang is revealing to Joh his robot creation, his rhetorical question “Isn’t it worth the loss of a hand to have created the man of the future, the Machine Man?!” implies the mass industrialization that has led to a breakthrough discovery of robots. However, the close-up shot of the robot fusing with the human Maria reveals a hidden wickedness within the robot as she is instructed by Rotwang to disobey Joh’s orders and destroy order in the tower.

The dramatic irony of the audience knowing that robot Maria is creating chaos between both social classes displays the immoral control of corruptive technology on humanity. Therefore, the film Metropolis still has a relevant vision of the future as the movie questions the ethics of the speedy progress in technology. Metropolis’s vision of the future still largely remains relevant as a result of the distinct class division in society which will only increase. The film exhibits a disparity of treatment and living conditions between the higher and lower classes, shown at the start of the film by high-angle shots of workers entering the factory with stoic faces and marching robotically. The contrast is depicted in the next scene, the Club of Sons is screened, displaying the elite playing and joking around whilst the workers labor away on the machines to power the elite’s city. Moreover, the juxtaposition between the uniformity of the workers and robotic movements when operating the machines in comparison to the elite’s unique dressing styles and individuality dehumanizes the underground workers because of their segregation from the upper class. Similarly, the montage of machinery and workers represents how the workers themselves have been integrated into parts of the machine, hence losing their individualism and humanity. After Freder has swapped identities with Gyorgy, a vignette of flyers advertising the Yoshiwara club fluttering everywhere, girls in fancy club clothing, and Gyorgy clutching his chest wide-eyed reveals his desire to have leisure time. As a result of working ten-hour shifts every day, he has an unbalanced lifestyle and has no time for any pleasures, hence Gyorgy is unable to resist the temptation of going to a nightclub, something that the higher class regularly attends thus revealing the disparity between classes. The point-of-view shot from Freder’s perspective of Josaphat holding a gun to his head and about to press the trigger insinuates the terrifying extent of being demoted and sent down to the depths with the workers.

The lower class isn’t even mentioned, they are all labeled as ‘the depths’, further dehumanizing them, and highlighting the division of class. Therefore, the exploration of class division throughout the film indicates that Metropolis is still relevant to our future. When one group abuses its power too much, the oppressed may find a way to initiate a revolution and rebel. The film explores the idea of a rebellion in an authoritarian environment as the workers strike against the upper class in an attempt to destroy the machines. Freder has a hallucination of Moloch, a Canaanite god associated with sacrifice, eating workers up. After the god has eaten up the workers, the work resumes and new people walk in to replace the deceased workers as if nothing happened. The biblical allusion is a catalyst for Freder to feel obliged to help his ‘brothers and sisters’ from their poor misery, an incentive to start a revolution. Upon confronting Joh Frederson, Freder’s father, he expressionlessly states that the lower classes are “where they belong”. His short truncated sentence implies they are not worth his time and that they are beneath him. Out of fear, Freder asks: “What if one day those in the depths rise against you?” The question foreshadows the tension and strain to follow the rules but to instead riot and overthrow the machines as an act of rebellion, highlighting the dystopian world that Freder lives in. The imperative when robot Maria screams “Death to the machines!” is the turning point for the oppressed workers, they now rebel against their superiors and wreak havoc. The crazed faces and violent behavior of the workers portray their enslaved regime and immense desire to change it. However, H.G. Wells ridicules the film Metropolis as foolish and cliche. While the idea of repressed individuals may spark a revolt to gain freedom, the film presents the idea naively with a communist undertone, reflecting Germany’s many attempts to become a communist country. Therefore, the text’s vision is still relevant to the future through the idea of the oppressed retaliating. The dystopian film Metropolis delineates the concepts of mechanical progress, class division, and revolution to gain freedom. The text is thus relevant as it reminds us to be active in social commentary and fight for our beliefs.

For my essay, I’m going to focus on comparing both of the villains from, The Dark Knight (2008) and The Shining (1980). Both villains are driven crazy by the events of the film but the ways they both handle it create compelling characters. The performance from Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson builds the character and pushes the narrative forward and the composition helps cement them as the centerpieces of any scene.

First, I will focus on The Shining(1980), the scene I’ll be looking at is the scene where you start to see the true side of Jack Nicholson’s character, the staircase scene. The reason my focus will be on this scene is that this is where a turning point in the film occurs, setting up the final act of the movie with the true villain tricking the audience taking them into a false sense of security. Revealing emotions of stress and betrayal.

Not only is Nicholson’s performance great at developing the character. Shelley Duvall’s reaction to him builds fear in the audience relating to her. In a recent interview (Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 2021) Shelley Duvall talks about her experience filming this scene, ‘[Kubrick] doesn’t print anything until at least the 35th take. Thirty-five takes, running and crying and carrying a little boy, it gets hard. And full performance from the first rehearsal. That’s difficult.’ and, ‘Another far more demanding scene – the staircase scene – was shot 127 times.’ Both these quotes show how far Kubrick is willing to go to get a truly chilling scene that shocks the audience and makes them feel a sense of fear towards the main character. The number of takes that went into the shot forced Duvall to assume the role of Wendy and the result created a truly shocking performance that complements Nicholson’s performance creating one of the tensest scenes in the film which builds anxiety in the audience.

Nicholson’s performance creates a juxtaposition of the two with a fearful and shocking monologue that captivates the audience sparking emotions of betrayal with the reveal that he has lost his mind and turned into the villain. In the documentary (Making ‘The Shining’, by Vivian Kubrick, 1980) you see Nicholson on set and he is extremely different from how he comes across in the movie. This shows his skill to be able to snap into a role and create a compelling and realistic take on Jack Torrence along with the help of Kubrick’s directing.

Comparing this to Heath Ledger’s performance in the Joker where he infamously stayed in method months leading up to the role. Both actors were playing similar characters but both decided to explore the roles in opposite ways. Resulting in two performances with their nuances. In an interview (Aaron Crouch, The Hollywood Reporter, 2017) Christian Bale was asked about Heath Ledger’s performance in The Joker and he had this to say ‘You know what, I don’t need to hit you. It’s going to look just as good if I don’t.’ And he’s going, ‘Go on. Go on. Go on He was slamming himself around, and there were tiled walls inside of that set which were cracked and dented from him hurling himself into them. His commitment was total. This quote from Bale shows how dedicated Ledger was when it came to his roles. And through his performance, you can see this dedication. The chilling performance he delivers rivals the anxiety and tension the audience feels during The Shining. This shows the different approaches an actor can take when dealing with a role.

A scene where I feel this is shown best is during ‘the interrogation scene of The Dark Knight where you see a long interrogation between Batman and the Joker. Christopher Nolan uses this scene to show that Joker is Batman’s biggest enemy to date by showing Bale genuinely afraid of the man he is up against. Ledger’s approach to this scene was mentioned in the same quote by Bale, ‘He was slamming himself around, and there were tiled walls inside of that set which were cracked and dented from him hurling himself into them. His commitment was total. Ledger was throwing himself at walls injuring him to achieve the best possible performance for the audience. It shows, as his performance has left a long-standing impression on everyone and is still talked about to this day.

In the same interview ((Aaron Crouch, The Hollywood Reporter, 2017), Ledger speaks on why he chose the role,’ if Tim Burton was doing The Dark Knight and asked me to play the Joker I wouldn’t have taken it. Because to try and even touch what Jack Nicholson did in Tim Burton’s world would be a crime.’ here he mentions Nicholson for another role where he also played the Joker in Batman (1989). This shows he has respect for Nicholson and sees him as a very talented actor going as far as to say he would turn down the role if the same director, Tim Burton, was filming The Dark Knight. We can infer from this that Ledger wants to bring an original performance to a character and make it his own without relying on the previous performances from another actor. Which in turn created a compelling villain that changed the way the audience felt about the character with feelings of anxiety and tension similar to what they felt when they watched The Shining in 1980.

The Revenant is directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. It is the true story of a fur trapper named Hugh Glass played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who in the 1820s is left for dead in the wilderness and sets out on a path of revenge to find those responsible for leaving him in that position. I’m just going to say this right off the bat The Revenant has some of the best cinematography these eyes have ever seen there are shots in this movie, where I genuinely do not understand how they got them and I mean that with sincerity are moments throughout this very lengthy runtime in which I gazed in awe at some of the shots. they were able to accomplish and what’s even more impressive is that this entire film was shot with natural lighting there are no studio lights used in this film. They use fire they use the Sun they use real shadows cast by the forest and the trees.

The work they accomplished is stunning I know how hard it is to create even a semblance of an okay shot using studio lights. Attempting to make an entire film like that with just wilderness and very remote locations. It’s mind-boggling to even think about doing and it paid off because this is one of the best-looking films I’ve ever seen but beyond the style is there any substance to this film? There are attempts to get very surreal and dreamlike with strange imagery that doesn’t always make sense. I like movies that are like puzzles where you have scattered pieces that you have to try to assemble and figure out what it’s about as Leo DiCaprio was crawling around in the dirt and trying to survive.

He often blacks out and has these strange dreams where he’s haunted by events of his past and it doesn’t always come across very clearly. It does come across as pretentious sometimes. It’s also very long at two and a half hours and the second act can get a little repetitive that’s it the rest of this movie I pretty much loved this is a brutal disturbing violent movie in which one man is pitted against nature and nature is not playing nice and Leo DiCaprio was great in this movie he has very minimal dialogue and some of it isn’t even in the English language he was really good this is some of the best work I’ve seen from him and this guy has done everything at this point he’s consistently surprising as an actor and I loved his performance in this movie let’s talk a little bit about Tom Hardy who’s also in this movie because without spoiling anything I’ll say that he is in a way directly related to Leo’s path of vengeance he is dead center in DiCaprio’s path of revenge and he’s also very good although he does fall back on what I called the Tom Hardy mumble directed a Mad Max water give me water I love Tom Hardy in movies I really do not just as an actor whenever I see him in interviews and the stuff he does with charities and stuff the guy’s a boss there were just a lot of moments in this movie where I was like huh but the eventual war that starts between these two men was riveting in fact it culminated in something that was just white knuckled I mean I was just gripping the seat and it was fantastically hound and extremely brutal and very exciting this movie never flinches it is realistic and gritty and you will never ever want to hike in the woods if you see the revenant ever again and guys you know me no spoilers but there is a scene in this film involving a bear and it is an amazing achievement I just I don’t know how they did it I have no clue this is a gorgeously shot movie with terrific acting brutal action and amazing camerawork that I genuinely couldn’t figure out it’s very rare for me to go to a movie nowadays in which I leave going how did they do that Mad Max fury road had some of those moments as well as the revenant both Tom Hardy movies good job Hardy are picking good projects this movie had many scenes that I honestly have no idea how they accomplished it I’m going to give the revenant an a-minus guys definitely check out the revenant when it comes out it does get a little pretentious with its imagery and it is over long but it is a gorgeous movie