300

This film was awesome!!! And I am really glad that I paid my five bucks at Tinseltown to go and view it. The cinematography was great and the battle scenes were even better. Here is a brief synopsis of what the film entails: A group of Persian messengers arrive at Sparta, demanding Sparta's submission to the king . Outraged and offended at their behavior, King Leonidas and his guards throw the messengers into a pit, resolving to face the Persians. Leonidas then visits the , explaining his plan of war with the Persians and offers a customary payment in gold. The priests of the Oracle, having already been bribed by Xerxes, interpret her message to mean that Sparta should not go to war, so as to not interrupt the sacred Carneian festival. The Leonidas, despite all the warnings, gathers 300 of his best soldiers to defend Sparta against the Persians.

During the film's release there had been some controversial political parallels that the Greco-Persian conflict that the film focused on. It causes some sensitivity of political parallels between the two sides deeming it east versus west. There are also some depictions of various character sides in the film. The Persians are characterized as barbaric and and in some sense demonic. It does appear the the graphic nature of the novel and the film could presumably give this depiction, but the Spartans give off a different characteristic quality, one that is very masculine and heroic. Some may say its the good guys beating the bad guys. But some may have their own analysis on the take. I guess one can say that this may be an ancient battle story with a modern twist.

Mountain Patrol: Kekexili

Mountain Patrol: Kekexilli is a powerful documentary about animal activist in the far norther tibetan region of Kekexilli. Kekexilli is one of the largest animal reserves in China, and is home to the rare tibetan antelope. These animals are prized for their skins and are used to make illegal products and in the past 20 years the antelopes numbers have been dwindling due to poachers killing off the endangered animals. In the mid 1990's Tibetans formed a patrol to stop the illegal poaching even in cost of their own lives.

I believe that this film is symbolic of sacrifice, because that it was these volunteers are doing in battling these poachers. The patrol is trying to save its' world's most precious resource, but at the same time it is powerful because it is for humanity. Despite a realistic a detached style, the film represents the Western genre in several ways. There is a portrayal of a masculine, harsh way of life and culture of honour at the frontier of civilization but at the same time a depiction of a majestic landscape that becomes the central focal point of the film.

The characterization of the film is really highlighted when the characters profess a love for their homeland whose name envokes "beautiful monutains, beautiful maidens."

13 Tzameti

13 Tzameti follows 22 year old Sebastian, an impoverished immigrant living in France and working construction to support his family. In the process on working on his various construction jobs, he works for Gordon, a feeble morphine addict who is under strict police surveillance. Gordon then dies of an overdose and one day, Sebastian hears Gordon's widow talk about a job that he had lined up before his death. The job turns out to be more than Sebastian had bargained for, it was a highly organized and deadly gambling ring and Sebastian is eventually forced to participate in the game. Thirteen men, each identified by number plays a series of Russian Roulette games, arranging themselves in a circle and pointing a revolver to the person in front of them. Otherwise this game seems to turn out to be a modern duel, one in which is highly deadly and that one is only lucky by chance.
This film fits the characteristics of a typical mafia film, but it seems that the film strictly focuses on chance and thats what Sebastian got himself into. In other words "curiosity kills the cat." Some questions to ask are, why did Sebastian participate in the first place? Maybe it was gambling obsession or maybe it was to escape a bitter life of impoverishment.

Only Human

Only Human is a 2004 Spanish film that is a comedic masterpiece. The story focuses on two individuals, Rafi and Leni, who are from totally different sides of the spectrum. Rafi, who is of Palestinian orgin, and his opposing attaction Leni, a Spanish Jew must face the obstacles of meeting the parents and the issue of dating regardless of their backgrounds. Some of the ingredients of this comical film are love, humor , misunderstandings, and a little mystery.

Harari's film also highlights some political conflicts with the Jewish and Palestinians in Israel, but the comic relief of this main plot seems to counteract that with the idea that opposites sides can live in harmony regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, and religion. ONLY HUMAN is able to address head-on some of today’s most salient issues: the meaning of family and community in an ever-shrinking world and the challenges and consequences at stake when cultures clash within our very homes.

I really did enjoy watching this film because it made me laugh the entire time and it presented some excellent questions and values on differences and how we should work in order to conquer opposing differences. The love story between Rafi and Leni makes for a prime example of what harmony really is.

The US vs. John Lennon

This is a documentary that follows John Lennon's life from the period of 1966 to 1976 where Lennon transforms into an antiwar activist and is in constant constraint with the United States government and its' views. Lennon's documentary takes place during a time when politics are the main focus in American Society and when most of America is at its antiwar stage. I think that a docementary is a great tool for personalization with a character and it allows us as viewers to take on that perspective or particular emotion through the character's point of view. By isolating Lennon's political life and eventually his role as a doting father, the directors of this film, make it appear a singular focus for the man in his post-Beatles years.
Lennon was an idealist calling for world peace, but realizing that flower power was a failure in this time in American political struggle. Viewers really get the opportunity to see Lennon speak his mind and playing some of his more edgy, politically-motivated work. Other interviews are with Mario Cuomo, Gore Vidal, Walter Cronkite, Angela Davis, and even G. Gordon Liddy.

Babel

Director , Alejandro G. Iaarritu directs the film Babel. This film weaves together stories about taking place in Morroco, Mexico, Japan, and the Unites States and focuses on an interrelated set of situtations and character that take place out of sequence. The first situation takes place in a remote dessert location in Morroco when Abdullah, a goat herder buys a high powered rifle and a bx of ammunition to ward of the menaces that have being praying on his sheep. He hands the rifle over to his two teenage sons thus leading to a tragic mishap when one of the boys fires the rifle at a bus carrying western tourist. The bullet hits Susan Jones, who is played by Cate Blanchett, and American woman from Los Angelos who is traveling with her husband Richard Jones, who is played by Brad Pitt. The plot elevates when the media catches wind of the situtation and the US government holds the shooting to be an terrorist attack.
Simultaneously, the movie tells the story of Chieko Wataya a rebellious, deaf Japanese teenage girl, traumatized by the recent suicide of her mother and a sense that she is an outcast from society because of her handicap. She is bitter towards her father and boys her age, and is sexually frustrated. In response, she starts exhibiting sexually provocative behavior and attempts unsuccessfully to initiate a sexual encounter with her dentist. Chieko eventually encounters two police detectives who question her about her father. She finds one of the detectives attractive. She invites him back to the apartment she shares with her father. Wrongly supposing that the detectives are investigating her father's involvement in her mother's suicide, she explains to him that her father was asleep when her mother jumped off the balcony and that she witnessed this herself. It turns out the detectives are, in fact, investigating a hunting trip Yasujiro took in Morocco. Yasujiro is an avid hunter and during a trip in Morocco he gave his rifle, as a gift, to his hunting guide, Hassan, who at the beginning of the film sold the rifle to Abdullah.
This is a powerful film that combines stories of fate, hope, and tragedy and how human relationships are viewed in a mixed society.

My Country My Country

Film maker, Laura Poitras made an appearance at Centenary to screen her nationally acclaimed film My Country My Country. This film is about takes a look at the choas of Iraq under American occupation. Poitras filmed the documentary over an eight month period from June 2004 to January 2005. The documentary views the run-up to the primary elections of the national assembly and follows the views of Dr. Riyadh, who is Sunni candidate and physician that runs a free clinic in Baghdad. This film really gives views a harsh reality check of what how the on going war in Iraq idealizes struggle, fear, and the will of survival.
Poitras does an excellent job of camera work and shooting this film from a the central "war zones" in Iraq and showing us the realism of a hopeful country. Poitras ability to be everywhere at once really complements Dr. Riyad story, in which he battles the political indifferences of his patients and other non-Iraqi players in the primary election.

Midnight Cowboy

Midnight Cowboy is a 1969 film that is written by Waldo Salt and directed by John Schlesinger. The film stars John Voight as the young rodeo cowboy who heads to New York City in hopes of being a hustler and head man, but his foolish ways soon lead him in a downward spiral. His cash suddenly starts to disappear and he finds himself in a desperate situation to make sufficient funds to survive. Joe Buck's clientele soon becomes the opposite of the wealthy women that he originally planned on attracting ( usually in gender and in race). While in the midst of his new business venture, he meets the lame and scraggly Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo who also leads the life of a hustler and conman. Joe and Ratso begin to form a partnership where Ratso becomes the manager of the young rodeo stud.

The Cinematography shows some very modern characteristics of Classic Hollywood cinema. Many of the film sequences takes the viewers on flashbacks and daydreams of Joe Buck's chaotic childhood and young adulthood. This proves to be a useful technique in keeping the viewers in tuned with Voight's character and his emotional state of mind. Both with the lost of his long lost love Annie and the death of his grandmother.

There arose some controversy surrounding the 1969 classic because of it X-rating that focused on the sex scenes. This is the stage where Classic Hollywood was taking the theme of sex to the next level, even those some of the scenes in this film only showed partial frontal nudity.

The Searchers

The Searchers is a 1956 epic western film directed by John Ford. It tells the story of Ethan Edwards, a bitter and middle-aged loner played by John Wayne. The story takes place in the year 1868 when Ethan returned home from the American Civil War in which he fought for the Confederacy. He returned home to his brother's house in rural urban Texas. His brother and sister-in-law questions what Ethan has been up to all these years that he has been gone and they suspect he was up to no good, but they no better not to ask.

During his visit, the Camanche raid his brother's home leaving he and his wife dead, burning their home, and abducting their two daughters. Ethan and Martin Pawly, and adopted son of the family, set out on a multiple year journey to rescue Debbie. The Searchers can be viewed as a simplistic action story about the men's rescue mission for the girl and revenge for the death of their family. The film begins with a frontier cabin door opening to the wilderness, this scene presents the visual motif of the framed doorway and the threshold between the two opposite worlds. The interior of the cabin scene represents the values of a settled family and the outside exterior of represents man.

The Searchers adheres to the codes of what a typical Western film would look like. The setting is a desser landscape with a small-knit close community. Cowboys in this age always followed a stricted code of honor to always tell the truth, never cheat an honest individual, and always uphold the manners of a true gentleman. The main protagonist Ethan also struggles with his inner moral beliefs about murdering the kidnapped girl because of the exposure to the Camanche culture. The film deals with themes like racism, individuality, the American truth, and the opposition between civilization and the untamed wilderness.

The Science of Sleep

Released in 2006, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Michel Gondry takes audiences into a whimsical and creative world of dreams. The story focuses on the central character, Stephane, a insecure young man that has a elaborate imagination. The story begins when Stephane moves back home to France with his mother to work for a title agency. Stephane learns to deal the job his mother secured for him, but he has no input of creativity. In the midst of Stephane's crazy transition back to Paris, he meets his next door neighbor Stephanie. Stephane and Stephanie establish a connection with one another, based off both their creative minds.
Stephane's mom reveals a secret about his outward uniqueness. Since the age of 6, Stephane has inverted dreams and reality. This secret intrigues Stephanie to discover more hidden secrets behind the imagination of her counterpart Stephane.
This film kinda reminded me of Plato's Allegory of the Cave, because in some ways the plot presented the idea of dualistic views. Going back between the idea of what is real and what is reality.

The Sweet Smell of Success

The Sweet Smell of Success is a 1957 film noir directed by Alexander Mackendrick and produced by James Hill. Tony Curtis plays Sidney Falco, a manipulative PR man, who will do anything to get publicity for his clients. The main plot takes place when Falco sees the opportunity to ruin a career the career of a jazz musician who wants to marry Susan Hunsecker the sister of New York newspaper columnist, J.J. Hunsecker. There a few characteristics of this film nior that need to be recognized. I think that the themes of the film show the dark side of New York City's glamorous night life. This intense film shows the sides of greed, betrayal, and revealing brutality of what the media is really like and what any one will do to win a successful image.

The black and white cinematography shows the harsh and dark shadows of a corrupt city, which also emphasizes the corrupt environment of wheeling and dealing among wrongdoers. I believe that realism was capture through a on location shot of mid-Manhattan, which captures the restlessness "the city that never sleeps" and the hustle and bustle of big city life.

Singing in The Rain.

Singing in the Rain is a classical 1950's musical that makes references to the hardships of love and Hollywood. Released in 1952, the film stars Gene Kelly as Hollywood heartthrob, Don Lockwood and opposite Debbie Reynolds, as the girl next door, Kathy Selden. The main plot of the film revolves around Don Lockwood and his battle with being a recognizable actor in film while trying to win his one true love, Kathy. Lina Lemont plays the opposition as on of the most annoying "voices" on screen. The public also believes that the romance between Lina and Don is true, but Don sees it otherwise. The film industry starts to make a revolution with the talking picture, and Don must rise to the occasion to prove that he does has the talent of a true star. The problem is that Lina Lemont can't sing, act, or dance. Her annoying "voice" could spell disaster for the new musical "Dancing Cavalier." This is where Kathy's talents are proven to the world, where the film executives use her voice over to put in the film. The question is will Kathy get her recognition? Could this ruin or jump start her career as a film star?
The film has great choreographed dance numbers and incredible vocals to match. The film does a great job of playing against the action with all the dance numbers. Gene Kelly and Donald O' Connor who plays Cosmo Brown really make a great impact with their crafted choreographed numbers as a duo. I really did enjoy watching this film and believe it that musicals are an increasing genre of play/film production in today's generation.

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Here is my film blog. I will start posting when I see a film this week.