...Fiction Film Semester 2 -2012-13 – Nanyang Technological University Writing Assignment #2: Post 1950s Film: Robocop By: Muhammad Rifyal Giffari bin Mohamed Yacob 1. Discuss what you find most striking/interesting/relevant/significant/innovative about the film and why. There are many striking facets that the film Robocop present from the pervasive and sharp social satire of capitalism, the media and American society, but the most striking aspect for me personally is the heavy use of Christian symbolism, in the most vivid style. This stems greatly from the use of the main character Alex Murphy or later known as Robocop as a Christ figure. As a film, in terms of visual representation alone this connection to Christ can be seen in several scenes. First of all in Murphy’s death scene, it is the most dramatic, drawn out and methodically visceral. The process seems completely to follow step by step with the crucifixion story, with Murphy being forced onto the floor as though being put on the cross and the subsequent shooting off of the hand recounts Jesus’ hands being nailed to the cross. He furthermore is shot in the chest several times and finally suffers a head wound like that of the crown of thorns. One may argue it is simply the style of the film with over the top violence, but it also highlights one of the key aspects of the Christ allegory – the systematic pain and torture endured during the crucifixion. More visual Christian symbolism is used late in the film, in the...
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...meaning. Shocking and uplifting the movie shows the decision of two kids that take them on two different paths. The film shows hope when Rocket makes a decision to become a Photographer to get out of the slums. Lil Ze becomes mesmerized by power to be the boss of the slums, he’s obsessed using violence to gain respect. The actors played their roles well for first time actors. From opening scene the story is stunning and intense. The documentary style and compelling photography is amazing. Acting style are impressive. City of God leaves you feeling sympathy for kids that are in this cycle of violence and wrong decisions and turns. It opens to reality of the true lives of the kids who live in these areas. The opening scene of the film shows what is to come using the camera to tell the story, without dialog, a chicken looks on...
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...Table of Contents 1. Abstract 1 2. Introduction 2 3. Literature Review 3 3. Hypotheses and assumptions on the movie: 5 4. Christianity in the medieval age 6 5.1. Aslan, the Lion parallel to Jesus Christ 6 5.2. The Table of Stone. 7 6. The seven deadly sins 8 6.1. Gluttony – sin by Edmund 9 7. Knighthood 10 7.1. The battle and the coronation 11 8. Conclusion 12 9. List of References 13 Abstract The purpose of this study is to analyze the medieval influences and aspects in the movie The Chronicles of Narnia; The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The movie emphasizes important elements of the Middle age. It is about the four Pevensie children, Peter, Suzy, Edmund and Lucy who entered the magic land of Narnia and with the help of Aslan, the Lion, fought the Wicked White Witch Judas. Thus they gave freedom to the other animals and restored peace and harmony in Cair Paravel and Narnia. The film captures brilliantly these moments and transmits them to the public. One of the main focuses of the film was the religious belief ‘Christianity’. The movie responds to the quasi- spiritual Christian beliefs and truths of good versus bad, highlighting the defeat of the Witch and her death. Secondly, it shows how the younger brother Edmund fell in the trap of the White Witch due to his “gluttony” of the Turkish delights and betrayed his brother and sisters. Last but not the least; the movie stresses another...
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...dedicated to preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ, firmly planted on the Bible, with the mission to make disciples – and to do all things to the glory of God. May He alone be praised! The following timeline highlights God’s faithfulness as He has built our church through a growing membership and increasing awareness of our mission since our inception as a church in 1990! It started in 1990, just right after the killer earthquake. I actually talked to lolo Tony Abuan to recall those days and he said “niyanig kami, natakot kami, wala nagawa ang mga santo namin, natuto kaming manalangin” Since that time, Bible Studies and Sunday fellowships have started and moved to many small houses until God sent pastors to lead the group. They met pastor Salvador de la Cruz, Pastor Ruben Pecsoy, Pastor Alladin Foster and finally Pastor Romy Javines by 1993. In 1993, the congregation formally merged with God is Love Fellowship. It was this time where dozens and many others were baptized and shared testimonies of how their lives had been changed by Jesus. In 2003, ten years later, the church was officially incorporated as an independent, congregationally governed, elder-led church. It was then named Bride of Christ Bible Church. Then the Spirit of God seemed to be moving and we try to go where the Spirit of God was leading us. The church reached its home at Josefa Carino Elementary School. We stayed there for another 10 years- until 2013. Jesus continued to grow his church and brought...
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...Dead man walking is a controversial film, directed by Tim Robbins, and cast include Susan Sarandon (Sister Helen Prejan) and Sean Penn (Mathew Poncelet). Dead man walking follows an epic experience of a nun, Sister Prejan, with a convicted murderer and rapist, Mathew Poncelet. The movie debates many complex political, religious and ethical issues concerning capital punishment, going through the experience and knowledge of the movie cast. Yet, it intelligently criticizes the law of capital punishment and describes it as an immoral and injustice act of murder. furthermore, Mathew Poncelet who faces death penalty is constantly seen to be facing some form of torture and denial from the society; his life becomes an instrument of the political world while he constantly tries to save himself but fails; however, Mathew’s death brilliantly questions the legitimacy of the death penalty law. The movie criticizes the injustice role of the government on the death penalty law, describing it as propaganda by the government to raise support in expense of a human being’s life. This is particularly evident in the start of the movie, when the governor is shown speaking to supporters and ordering the death of Mathew Poncelet. Although Mathew receives the news of his death, we see him fighting for his life in courts. In the pardon board scene, which is described as being appointees of the governor with enormous power, shown mostly in close up shots, seemed not interested in considering Mathew’s...
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...Recently, there have been films made and books written that depict what the world is going to be like just prior to the second coming of Christ. Many have recently become intrigued by the ideas of the rapture and the great tribulation, and after reading the books of Thessalonians and Revelation I can see why. An abundance of vivid and descriptive words are used by John of Patmos, the author of the book of Revelation, to describe what we shall see during the Tribulation period. In Revelations 9:17, John describes his idea of the coming tribulation as “The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur” (Rev. 9:17). This description of the tribulation is very powerful and awe-inspiring. Theological Definition of Rapture Paul wrote awe inspiring words in his litters to the Thessalonians describing the rapture stating, “then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:17). The word “rapture” doesn’t appear in any English translations of the Bible. The idea of the Rapture is said to be an event that will take place shortly before the second coming of Christ. This idea is based on Paul the Apostle’s doctrine written to believers in Corinth and Thessalonica. Paul reminds the early believers of Jesus’ promise to us in John...
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...Origin - Meaning - History - The Four Cups of Wine for Passover / Pesach The Four Cups of wine used in the Pesach / Passover Seder primarily symbolize the four distinct redemptions promised by G-d to the Hebrews as told in Shemot or Exodus 6:6-7. (1) "I will take you out of Egypt", (2) "I will deliver you from Egyptian slavery", (3) "I will redeem you with a demonstration of my power", and (4) "I will acquire you as a nation". Since each of these cups of wine symbolize an action that was performed by G-d, Jewish people fill a small cup or small wine glass with wine at four different points in the Passover Seder and drink each cup of wine. Drinking from The Four Cups also tells us that we can actively pursue these goals ourselves, meaning that we can actively free ourselves from whatever enslaves us. These are positive goals to salute by having a drink! There is a fifth cup of wine called "The Cup of Elijah" and it is reserved for Elijah the Prophet, who is believed to visit each Passover Seder that takes place around the world. In Shemot or Exodus 6:6-8, following the aforementioned Four Expressions of Redemption, there is a Fifth Expression of Redemption. A Fifth Cup of Wine symbolizes this expression of redemption for all humanity upon the arrival of Messianic Times and because this has not occurred yet, the Fifth Cup of Wine is not drunk. The origin of The Four Cups of Wine dates from rabbinical opinions contained in the Jerusalem Talmud (Pesachim 10:1). The Pesachim tractate...
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...philosophical idea. About one third of Jesus Christ’s recorded teachings are in the form of parables. Jesus frequently used parables as a means of illustrating profound, divine truths. Stories such as these are easily remembered, the characters are bold, and the symbolism is rich in meaning. Parables were a common form of teaching in Judaism. Before a certain point in His ministry, Jesus had employed many graphic analogies using common things that would be familiar to everyone (salt, bread, sheep, etc.) and their meaning was fairly clear in the context of His teaching. Jesus told many parables during his ministry that really spoke to the people that he was ministering to and also gave them something to think about as well. I want to know something though; have you ever thought about the parables Jesus told and the fact that they could be true for us today in our society? Have you ever thought about how these parables can be examples of homelessness, inclusion, missionaries, and many other things in our society and how we can learn a lot from these parables? The parables that Jesus told were not just for those whom he personally taught. His parables are part of his gospel and are therefore for all peoples throughout all nations and throughout all time. When he said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15) he had already presented the gospel in a form that suits that great commission. Furthermore, Jesus crafted his parables in such a way that...
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...foundation for Christianity. Without the Bible, how would we know about God? The Bible is the standard, the criterion for everything we as believers do. It is simply put, how God speaks to mankind. 2. Theology Proper: The study of God. Without it, we would have no way to view God. To understand His nature. We would not know who God is. We would not understand the personality of God. The wisdom of God, the love of God, and so on. 3. Christology: The doctrine of Jesus Christ. Need I say more about this? 4. Pneumatology: The study of the Holy Spirit. 5. Angelology: The study of angels. 6. Satanology: Yelp, the study of Satan. There are more, but you get the idea of how much theology is in Scripture. The last study of systematic theology is Eschatology, which means the study of last things. The study of eschatology is the study of last things, however, like the underlying theme of all theology is Jesus Christ. The first verse of the book of Revelation sets the tone. “1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants…” Eschatology is not a study of just prophecy, although it includes that. Biblical eschatology deals with end things in two specific areas. First, it involves the future of the physical world and all that includes the second...
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...Smoke Signals: A Metaphor for Telling It has been countless years since I have watched a movie about Native Americans, and even longer since I have witnessed a decent one. Most films on the subject of the Native American people are often set in the past and are habitually on the subject of brave Indian warriors. I had never viewed a Native American motion picture filmed in a present day setting, dealing with contemporary issues until I watched Smoke Signals. In the movie Smoke Signals, co-producer and scriptwriter Sherman Alexie uses unexpected humor, numerous significant flashbacks, and modernized Native American storytelling traditions to best narrate his story and the historical plight of Native Americans. First of all, Alexie employs wit by mocking stereotypical reservation life, the frequently biased film industry, and even his own people, the Native Americans. From the opening scene as tribal meteorologist and traffic reporter Lester Falls Apart covers his seemingly uneventful daily traffic report, as he has for the last twenty-six years, from the rooftop of his broken down KREZ van, we are introduced to the odd and amusing way of life on the “rez.” In another scene, Victor and Thomas are embarking on their solemn journey and are offered a ride by Thelma and Lucy driving down the road in reverse; again, it is suggested that they exist in a somewhat backwards nation. In addition, Alexie is quick to taunt the movie industry by belittling white cowboy heroes; he even...
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...Catholic Imagination in Film [ 4/3/2013 ] A Style of His Own John Ford is without a doubt one of the greatest film makers to have ever lived. This can be made evident by the long celebration of his work since the time it was made till now. His works have brought about feelings of both joy and sorrow and have been the focal point for many arguments about human nature and right versus wrong. It is through Ford’s use of imagery as well as his characters actions that we are able to see that he has a Sacramental image of the world that he wishes to share with his audience. Ford uses his view of the world to deliver messages he has learned in his life to his audience through his films. Ford tries to let his audience see that some widely accepted ideas of his time were not quite correct about both people of different religions, and ethnicities. The Sacramental imagination as we understand it today can be compared to a Christian’s outlook on life. This so called imagination, or way of thought simply means that God and Heaven are present here on Earth. Ford, as many others do, believed that the world is at its core, a good and moral place that is just in need of guidance. He did not believe that we were all pre-destined or that the world was basically evil like the dialectical imagination would have us believe, but instead that God guides us along our way and is involved in everything we do. Ford’s belief in the Sacramental imagination can be accredited to both his...
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... The saluting of the flag of any nation, saying the pledge of allegiance, taking notice of the national anthem in any way, running or holding public office, voting, or serving in the military is totally forbidden. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are not allowed to celebrate any holidays or birthdays, claiming that they all have pagan roots. They are not allowed to associate with non-Witnesses including family. They do not believe in the Trinity, or in Hell. They believe that Jesus Christ was crucified on a stake, not a cross. (Towerwatch Ministries, 1999-2013). The Jehovah’s Witnesses place a high value on moral living and teach that these standards must be upheld in order to be saved (The Watchtower, 2002). No gambling is allowed, which includes, the lottery, horse racing or bingo. They do not allow abortions. They condemn war and participation in war. They condemn sex before marriage, adultery, homosexuality, and incest. (The Watchtower, 2011). The Jehovah’s Witnesses do not worship Jesus, they worship the Almighty God. They do not believe in the Trinity, they follow a strict monotheism, in which: Jehovah is the Supreme Being (Towerwatch Ministries, 1999-2013)....
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...It was announced from the beginning of the film that Dr. Fritz Haber received the Kaiser Wilhelm Medal because he saved millions of lives by making a fertilizer. I found it amazing that he didn’t take all the credit when his team congratulated him, but instead he credited his team for this honor; not many people would do this because of the pursuit of fame. I found it interesting that his Jewish father was living in Germany because of what would take place about 15 years later; however, Dr. Haber didn’t consider himself to be Jewish because he knew how the public would view him as a scientist. Another interesting subject is that Dr. Haber’s wife, Clara Haber, was the first to receive a Ph.D. in chemistry in the early 1900s. Usually in those days, women would be the caretakers of the family; however, she sought out her dreams of a career in science....
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...parole for the 12th time. Charles Manson I believe was not crazy but very clever individual. Manson had a group of people he referred to as his “family” he was a very manipulative man to the people around him. His followers numbering round the one-hundreds, also including a small portion of impressionable young girls. He had them all to believe without question that he was Jesus and his prophecies of a race war. Manson was not only influenced by drugs such as LSD but by art works and music of the time such as The Beatles song “Helter Skelter” from their white album. The first murders took place on August 9, 1969, at Roman Polanski’s Beverley Hills home at 10050 Cielo Drive. Manson chose his four most best comrades- Charles “Tex” Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Linda Kasabian- to carry out these heinous crimes. The victims inside the house, actress Sharon Tate; writer Wojciech Frykowski and his partner, the coffee bean heiress Abigail Folger; and celerity hairstylist Jay Sebring, had returned to the Polanski residence after dining out. Polanksi himself was away in London shooting a film. According to one of the Family member's...
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...THE ARTIST, THE LEGEND. Will Smith, a name synonymous with greatness and immortality. A name comparable to such greats as Isaac Newton, Abraham Lincoln, and Superman. A man who seemingly has conquered every aspect of the entertainment industry as we know it. With multiple musical hits spanning several decades, an iconic hugely popular sitcom, and with countless blockbusters, Will Smith is part of an elite group of people who have been able to enjoy success in the three major entertainment categories within the United States. Not since the discovery of fire has the world been so captivated, not since the invention of the wheel has the world seen such success, and not since the days of the bible has the world experienced such perfection. “…Jesus has gone away to heaven, and some day, just as He went, He will return!” (Acts 1:10-11, TLB). These words insight hope, hope that maybe after 2000 years the savior has finally returned in the form of a fine piece of chocolate, better known as Will Smith. If not the messiah, it is safe to conclude that God had created Will for a much more important reason than is even possible to conceive by any living being. His rise to fame, compelling, his music, timeless, his movies, groundbreaking, and his life, nothing short of amazing. Follow as you are taken from West Philadelphia all the way to the very pinnacle of stardom. In West Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground is where he spent most of his days, just chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin’...
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