...further challenged the viewers to do something about it. Waiting for Superman follows a similar formula. It presents the viewer with an incredible amount of troubling information about our public schools and models of seemingly progressive advocates for change. The data represented is also properly cited on-screen, differentiating it from personal polemics like Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9-11. It concludes with a challenge to act for the best interests of our nation’s youths; the end credits include a web site where viewers can go for ideas. That makes it difficult to speak negatively about the film, but upon a closer analysis we find that most of the information presented in the film is over-generalized and highly debatable. The problem with the film, ultimately, is that it is true and false, comprehensive and incomplete. Framing the Film The film begins with Geoffrey Canada, a dynamic educator and social activist who, as founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Harlem Children’s Zone, has created significant success for the community. Canada, who grew up in a low-income neighborhood, takes us back to his...
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...24 April 2016 Similarly Different People perceive situations differently. One’s mind is constantly trying to make sense of situations by forming judgements and opinions. Finding similarities between two different situations can be difficult, along with finding a parallel between two different stories. In the essay, “Movies and History” written by academic historian, Eric Foner and independent filmmaker John Sayles and the essay “Confessions of a Talk Show Shrink” by Steven Fischoff who is a clinical psychologist, there is no direct relation when first looked upon. However, further analysis reveals similar concepts between the two very different stories. Manipulation is a concept that is used in each of these stories. To manipulate is to control or influence (a person or situation) cleverly or unfairly. Foner states, “Let’s just take a poll, see what moviegoers want to see, and then make it for them” (143). Sayles responds, “If historical accuracy were the thing people went to the movies for, historians would be the vice presidents of the studios” (Foner and Styles 143). This comment indicates that while many movies are constructed from true stories or history, they can include a significant amount of fiction as well. In the same manner, while referring to a couple who appeared on a talk show, Fischoff says, “She had just ripped him apart on stage but now was all warm and cuddly. . . for the moment” (124). This couple had just put on a show for the audience...
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...novels developing plot in words or drama unfolding in stage space, but has its own special method for narrative - moving images. In Memento, through its unique nonlinear narrative structure and intense structure contradiction, the motifs of memory, self-deception and revenge and the philosophical exploration of existential angst are demonstrated in an elaborate and subtle way. Key Words: Memento narrative structure narrative contradiction Memento recounts the story of Leonard Shelby, a man with anterograde amnesia, who distorts his own memory to deny the harsh reality in a both conscious and unconscious way. Living in a world full of lies fabricated by himself, the ill-fated protagonist makes the very principle of his life consist in the pursuit and systematic exercise of the revenge for his wife’s death which is actually caused by himself. In Memento, the splendid way of narration gives audience not only indelible psychological experience, but also a test on their ratiocination. Below is the analysis of narrative advantages in Memento from aspects of narrative structure and narrative impetus, compared with novels and dramas. I．Narrative Structure Narrative structure is the structural framework that underlies the order and manner in which a narrative is presented to a reader, listener, or viewer. Compared with novels, movies generate more intense mental penetrating power and stronger artistic appeal by employing its unique cinematic art - montage. By effectively...
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...COMM120 Zarchfel N. Lumasag 2FREE1 TH 8:00 -11:00 AM Narrative Analysis of Night Crawler Night crawler opens with the image of an unaltered billboard that is draped in white. The billboard that would normally promote, advertise or represent something is instead blank, emotionless. This could not be a more appropriate image to open this film with consideringNightcrawler is a film that is devoid of emotion, sentiment or integrity. This form of detachment from human emotion does not stem from the film’s content, but rather from Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of the film’s main character, Lou Bloom. Even in the strictest of definitions, the character is a sociopath who feeds off the vulnerability of others. By proxy of Gyllenhaal’s performance, the film transforms itself into an unapologetic film that chronicles the plight of its lead character without ever throwing judgment or morality upon his actions. A sociopath, in many regards, is opportunists. They craft a narrative and use their persuasive social skills to create an entry into individual’s lives, companies or corporations. Typically such personalities are perceived to be harmless, such as being personable and generating attention towards them. Also, their inability to feel guilt often feeds into their confidence, which allows for them to present themselves as being more than they actually are. Gyllenhaal’s performance occupies many of these qualities, to which the viewer...
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...to Hitler as a graphic on the screen says, “Germans exterminate 12 million,” and “Japanese occupation of China,” and “French massacre in Algiers,” and “British slaughter in India.” His voice-over: In spite of all this, how many people are killed by guns each year? As he recounts the figures, the graphics pop up on the screen (across images from movies, tourist travel films of the countries, and other archival footage: 381 in Germany, 255 in France, 165 in Canada, 68 in the UK, 65 in Australia, 39 in Japan, and 11,127 in the USA. this particular source strengths Moore's position because he shows actual statistics on the screen. Interview source: Michael Moore uses interviews as a source for his film. He keeps the cinema verite style moving: we keep seeing the people he is interviewing and hear him ask the questions before they answer them. He finds two people in bars and asks them if they lock their doors. Nope. He learns that both of them have suffered break-ins. But do they lock their doors now? Nope. Then Moore is standing outside, looking around confused. He is in Toronto, and he is obsessed with this idea of people not locking their doors. Then he strengthens his this part of the film by approaching a guy at a sidewalk café. “You don’t lock your doors?” Nope. The guy explains, “You think as Americans the lock is keeping people out of your place. We as Canadians see...
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...term paper examples. “JUSTICE CAN BE COLOR BLIND” “A Time to Kill” takes place in a small Mississippi town, where two white Men kidnap, rape, and nearly beat to death a young black girl. The men are caught, but the girl’s father, Carl Lee Hailey, takes justice into his own hands. The film, “A Time to Kill”, revolves around the trial of a black man accused of murdering the two men that raped his 10-year old daughter. Carl Lee is defended by up-and-coming white lawyer, Jake Brigance, with the help of a bright law student, Ellen Roark. Carl Lee’s trial triggers racial tensions which involve the Ku Klux Klan and the NAACP. Carl Lee faces an all-white jury, and a corrupt judge, while his attorney, and those who are close to him, face personal attacks on their lives. The courtroom battle is a father’s struggle for justice, and the question as to whether a black man can get a fair trial in the South. After the rape of 10-year old Tonya Hailey, her father, Carl Lee Hailey, is distraught. Carl Lee goes to visit attorney Jake Brigance, who had defended his brother, Lester, in a prior case. Carl Lee is worried that the two accused rapists might get off. He recounts to Jake a case from a bout a year ago, when four white men raped an African-American girl in a nearby town, and were acquitted. Carl Lee is determined not to let this happen in this case. This visit to Jake Brigance’s office establishes an attorney client relationship between the two men. Carl...
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...Nicholas Vonderheyde Masculine Identity in Science Fiction Film: From Reagan to Bush From the 1970s to the early 1990s, there were many anxieties regarding shifting gender definitions and roles in American society. Ronald Reagan’s attempt to “re-masculinize” the country was during a time when communism and terrorism posed real threats to our nation. After these problems were resolved diplomatically rather than through physical action in the early 1990s, the definition and representation of masculinity began to shift. This was directly reflected in the media in “critical dystopias”, or films that envision an apocalyptic future. Essentially, these Science Fiction productions are artistic critiques of contemporary issues in society. Terminator 2 (James Cameron, 1991) and Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993) are both critical dystopias from the early 1990s that exemplify the social commentary of such films. The protagonists of both films completely redefine the white, heterosexual male super-body version of masculinity that was popular in the 1980s. By examining the narratives, the characterization, and the cinematography of each critical dystopia, one can see a clear cultural shift in the definitions of masculinity and a growing critique of contemporary masculinity within these films of the early 1990s. Following the Vietnam War, the nation experienced a period of feminization. This can best be depicted in the creation of the “New Man” in men’s magazines; the “New Man” is...
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...Capitalism: A Love Story, which opened in 962 theaters earlier this month, is Michael Moore’s most ambitious work yet – taking aim at the root cause behind the injustices he’s exposed in his other films over the last 20 years. This time capitalism itself is the culprit to be maligned in Moore’s trademark docu-tragi-comic style. And by using the platform of a major motion picture to make a direct assault at the root of the problem, Moore has created space in the political mainstream for a radical conversation (radical meaning “going to the root”). It’s a conversation that is desperately needed as the economic crisis continues to devastate low- and middle-income Americans in spite of President Obama’s and Congress’ efforts to stop the bleeding by throwing trillions of dollars at the banks. Yesterday, Democracy Now! reported that while the Dow Jones topped 10,000 for the first time in a year, foreclosures have reached a record level of 940,000 in the third quarter. But with this film airing in major chain cinemas across the nation, the normally taboo topics of how wealth is divided, who owns Congress, and how vital economic decisions are made are now open for discussion in a way they haven’t been in the U.S. for decades. In Capitalism, Michael Moore features the reality of the economic crisis for America’s usually-invisible poor and working class. The movie begins with a family filming their eviction from their own home. In a terrifying scene, we watch from inside their living...
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...Karen Conner Professor Pridgeon English 252H Spring 1993 Semester Film Production: Final Project After the astounding success of my last film endeavor [final project for ENG 251H], Townies, my production company, Gateway Productions, has con¬tracted me for a new endeavor, this time for an adaptation of Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness. The company says that I may have full creative license in this one so, as Orson Welles did in his film Citizen Kane, I intend to oversee all aspects of the process. In selecting my staff, I have decided to keep some of the old faces from the previous film. My friend Julie Weaver will once more be at my side. As you recall, I chose her previously because she is not only a good art director but a talented illustrator as well. Her ability to do on-the-spot sketches of ideas saved me a great amount of time and money on the last project. I have also decided to keep Brightwood as cinematographer and Wise as sound director, again for the same reason for which I chose them last time, because they would make good contributions to the creative aspect of the process, and I felt that these two could best translate my ideas to film. Another old face will be Joyce Nevelson, my editor. I chose her last time because she was well-known in the industry and had won many rewards, proving her talent. Changes I have made will be in the writing, sound, and music departments. I have chosen Paul Gainritch to write my screen¬play. He is...
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...to movie star Charles Young and Amy Shea Hall, Ameritest, examine a famous piece of branded entertainment, and show how two similar films have different effects F ADE IN: An impossibly handsome man guides his convertible up to a dilapidated house on a deserted street. He exits; his white suit glints in the sun as he surveys the landscape from behind impenetrable sunglasses. In his hand, a metallic attaché case. Members of a SWAT team manoeuvre silently behind a fence. The driver takes out his cell phone and dials. A man’s voice answers. The driver says simply ‘I’m here.’ The latest Hollywood blockbuster? A prime-time TV drama? Neither. It’s advertising. Or, more accurately, advertising on steroids, aka branded entertainment. This is the opening of ‘The Hostage’, produced by BMW and their former ad agency, Fallon, employing A-list director John Woo. To understand why this and seven other BMW films were made, one need only look to the challenges facing the long-time prime brand-advertising venue: TV. Media platforms are multiplying; the internet moves ever closer to being our primary source of information, music and entertainment; and TV recording technology allows for easier ad-skipping. Advertisers worldwide are searching for new ways to use the power of film to reach increasingly elusive viewers. It is easy to be drawn in to these films and forget that they had, from their inception, a purpose beyond brilliant entertainment. Our question, and that of many, is did they...
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...criminal justice and film at Ulster County Community college. Mr. Rosen author attended the University of Southern California film school. He then moved back to New York and found work as a technical writer, specializing in photography where he met his wife. He edited Studio Photography magazine and wrote a photography column for the New York Times. This led to an eight-year job as a journalism professor at Hofstra University. C. Fred Rosen is the winner of Library Journal’s Best Reference Source 2005 award for The Historical Atlas of American Crime. His published works in the genre include the true crime classic, Lobster Boy. In that case it was Mr. Rosen’s detective work that led to the conviction of the killer. This proves Rosen’s competence to write a book about historical murders as his evidence helped solve the case. Rosen has a lot of experience writing about true crime having published over twelve books on the subject of true crime. 2. A. Fred Rosen has published thirteen or fourteen books related to criminal justice some include: There But For the Grace: Survivors of the 20th Century’s Infamous Serial Killers, Body Dump, When Satan Wore a Cross, Lobster Boy, and Needle Work. There But For the Grace: Survivors of the 20th Century’s Infamous Serial Killers, covers the details of those who lived through some of the most gruesome crimes in history and is similar in subject matter to the volume. This is related to Did They Really Do It? because it analysis some of...
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...NAME: EMMANUEL ALICE LAMBAJO COURSE: STUDIES IN DRAMA QUESTION: ATTEMPT A DRAMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE PLAY ANTIGONE BY JEAN ANOUILH Dramatic analysis is the process of identifying the elements of the structure of a dramatic work such as a play, or film. There are six elements used when analyzing a drama which includes: exposition, inciting incidence, rising action, climax, falling action and the resolution. The exposition provides the background information needed to properly understand the story, such as the problem in the beginning of the story. It introduces the characters and the basic conflict in a play. Inciting incidence is an incidence which comes after the introduction of the characters and the basic conflicts. The rising action is when the basic internal conflict is complicated being the introduction of related secondary conflicts including various obstacles that frustrate the protagonist attempt to reach his goal. Climax, also referred to as turning point marks a change for the better or the worse in the protagonist affairs. Falling action therefore, is a moment of reversal after the climax. The conflict between the protagonists unravels with the protagonist winning or losing against the antagonist. Denouement, resolution or catastrophe comprises the event between the falling action and the actual ending scene of the drama. It serves as a conclusion of the story where the conflicts are resolved. Jean Anouilh’s Antigone is an adaptation of Sophocles’...
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...The documentary genre allows filmmakers to put forward a biased account of events. Michael Moore is one such filmmaker that has exploited this genre. In his latest documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11, Moore presents a biased recount of the Iraq war. Analysis of Fahrenheit 9/11, in particular chapter eight, demonstrates the subjective nature of the documentary genre. Moore exploits a toolkit of persuasive techniques to position viewers to accept his own values and beliefs regarding the war. Moore creates three distinct, biased representations in the chapter; he represents George Bush and his administration as deceitful warmongers, Iraq as a sovereign nation suffering at the hands of US oppression and American soldiers as both unsympathetic idiots and as mere pawns that are experiencing the horror of war. Together, these representations uphold Moore's political agenda of the time; to discredit Bush and his administration, to depict the US decision to invade Iraq as a foreign policy abomination, all with the ultimate goal to sway the public from re-electing Bush in 2004. Chapter eight opens with a shot of bombs being readied for deployment, immediately followed by Bush receiving attention to his hair. The alternation between wartime preparations and the cheeky smile of the president continues until Bush addresses his nation. By juxtaposing the serious subject-matter of war with a president who is apparently more concerned with appearances, Moore represents Bush as being superficial and...
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...The Corporation: The Corporation is today's dominant institution, creating great wealth but also great harm. This 26 award-winning documentary examines the nature, evolution, impacts and future of the modern business corporation and the increasing role it plays in society and our everyday lives. The birth of the corporation: How the corporation came to be. Originally, corporations were set up to serve the public good. Corporation lawyers gained rights through the US Supreme Court using the 14th Amendment (set up to protect slaves) that gives them the rights of a person. In the last century, the corporation is given more and more rights while people are increasingly stripped of theirs. Origins of Corporations Although definitions and descriptions of corporations have changed dramatically through the last few hundred years, the first corporation actually began long ago – as early as the sixteenth century. It was a benchmark in the history of money and business, transforming an economy from what was essentially a debt economy (when it came to merchant work) to a state-sponsored enterprise. This type of business was brilliant and revolutionary for the early business world, allowing businesses to take risks and expand in ways they had been unable to do before. The concept spread and grew, and by the seventeenth century, the corporation was well on its way to being an acclaimed and established center for regular commerce. When corporate business came to the newly born United...
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...separated from the ordinary scenes and noise of the busy New York City. The White Oak trees surrounding the memorial, aesthetically provide a canopy through it rustling leaves. Blair, Dickinson, and Ott have argued that open memory is actuated by concerns, issues, and the present anxieties (6). the Memorial is a tribute to the past and a place of hope for the future For ten years after September 11, 2001, the physical commemoration offers a vague record of the occasions, uncovering the United States battles with what 9/11 implied. Nevertheless, the computerized and innovative presence of the remembrance recounts an altogether distinctive story, underscoring pressures in the middle of innovation and memory. Through cell phones, guests at the commemoration are allowed access to measurements of the commemoration that cannot be touched but can unquestionably be felt. Through an analysis of the physical and computerized 9/11 Memorial writings, it can be argued that the United States components of the remembrance remediate the experience of the physical site, driving guests to fathom people, in general and remembrance in private ways. The privatized variant of the memory favors personal stories related to trauma over those of open reflection, rebirth, and a bigger chronicled awareness of 9/11 tragic events (Hess and Herbig 5). According to Smith and Kelly, the memorial surrounding is among high-rise structures towering over the very busy metropolitan business hubs that reinforce the importance...
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