Movies

Movies play an important role in the process of communication that also interprets a lot of code of ethics in a society. It is important for movie watchers and goers to evaluate a movie in a right way. Analyzing a movie is not an easy task and it requires in-depth understanding and expertise in certain areas to make a critical review of movies theme and the message it carries in its different plots. There is a need of a critical eye when it comes to analyzing a movie. This paper aims to elaborate how a movie can be analyzed and discusses how a movie is interpreted in terms of its meanings. Furthermore, this paper also aims to demonstrate the method or criteria for evaluating different key concept of movies including cinematography, sounds and technical director angles etc.

There are certain key elements that are required to be thoroughly researched and observed while watching a movie. Some of the notable key elements include the intended audience of the movie, key argument accounted in the movie for the interpretation of meanings and goal of the film. Movies are always thought of source of entertainment but there are lists of projects that are associated with the movie. It is important to observe and watch all the segments of a movie with a critical eye in order to understand the meanings and message of a movie (Elsaesse  Buckland, 2002).

It is not an easy job to conclude that a movie fails or passes to transfer the intended meaning. There are some of the most important tools and stages that are important for the analysis of a movie. People who critique movies every now and then do not know much about the analysis of a movie. Analysis of a movie is more than the normal information that would be available on various mediums about the movie. A movie analyst needs to be more aware of the insight of the story with the help of his or her observation of many segments of a movie. Analysis of a movie needs to be brief and broad so that it can be easy for the viewers to rate the movie on the basis of complete analysis of the terms and segments of the movie (Elsaesse  Buckland, 2002).

There are certain tools that movie analyst must have in order to analyze the broad spectrum and meaning of a movie. One of many notable tools required before starting to analyze is the wider screen video watch.  It is important for a movie analyst to watch a movie on a cinematic screen in cinemas. There are many segments in a movie starting from a melodramatic sequence to many other segments including fighting sequence that are shot with continuous use of many of the purposes (Elsaesse  Buckland, 2002).

Initials
The initials of the movie are the casting crew, directors, producers, associate director and producer, technical teams and other significant components of the movie. This part is considered to be a beginning point of a critical analysis of the movie. This part had a very profound significance in the critical acclaim for a movie and is regarded as in terms of the quick lead (lede) of a movie analysis.

Title and credentials
The most important part of the movie analysis of the movie is the title analysis. It is important for the analyst to search the purpose behind the title set for the movie so that the people or readers can easily understand the message of the movie. Moreover, credentials are another important aspect of movie. It is the task of a movie analyst to make sure that the credentials are perfectly mentioned and researched. The board of films gives tickets to the movie that helps in listing and grading of the movie for the year. In the movie analysis, it is required to give the idea of insight that most people are not aware about (Petri, 1993).

Movie critics tend to analyze movies in terms of their analysis of storyline and context to the background of cast and crew of the movie while others analyze the movie on the basis of screen and segmentation of the contents of movie. There can be as many methods as there are angle and linking of the team of the tasks for the movie.

Critical Eye
Critical evaluation is very necessary when it comes to an analysis of a movie. It is extremely important to research and have a critical eye to analyze something creative and effective like movies. There are list of departments that together work as a team and release a masterpiece. A movie analyst must be able to understand and evaluate whether the team worked according to the goal and mission or failed to achieve success in projecting the movie the way it has to be Asking questions regarding important aspects of the movie would be an easy to answer and analyze the movie in a perfect way. Critical eye also means to create a knowledgeable background of the movie before analyzing the key factors of the movie. It is important to enlist the important components and task that a team of movie would be doing and than rate it according to your critical acclaim. Not everyone can have the sense of critical analyzing the movie as it requires determination and a well knowledgeable background to evaluate the correct interpretation of the meanings of the movie. A movie analyst needs to observe the message of the movie through different perspective and angles of viewership.

Dialogue and Story Writing
The backbone of a good movie script is totally based upon the creative mind of screenwriters. Screen writers are not given much importance as the actors, directors and producers of a film. Movie analysts much profoundly observe the dialogue and story writing in order to critique the professional screenwriters of the movie. It is important that a movie analyst must be able to extract the main theme of the screen writing as to it is adapted from another script copy or it is created as an individually original story. The dialogues must be written according to the scenarios of the movie that could easily be understood by the actors. Dialogues will seemingly be sounding artificial and wordy if dialogues will not be written according the scenarios being projected in the movie. A critical sense is required to observe these important factors of the movie.

Moreover scriptwriting should be analyzed on the basis of contrives. Answering few questions will help in the analysis of the scrip writing of the movie. Here are some of the questions that will help (Siatras, Kotropoulos,  Nikolaidis, 2008).

Does the story comprehend all the scenes to make the storyline more meaningful
Is there a lack of logical progression in the flow of scenes and dialogues
Does the dialogue sound honest

Sound, Camera and Action
Sound and cameras are often considered to be a responsibility of the technical team of a movie. The more the latest technology is used for the sound and camera shoot of the movie, the more it tends to gather recognition and sustain the better quality throughout the movie. Sound and camera techniques have the tendency to turn a usual scenic structure and design look million times different from a general scene of a movie. Similarly, sound of a movie makes it helpful for the audience to create the sense of interest within them as the background and sounds could express better screenshots and effects of the action sequences or suspense sequence in a movie.

Set designing and progression in pieces
The locations and set of background must be able to compliment the characters of the movie and the storyline. This responsibility is totally relied upon the cinematographers or director of photography. Even a minor lack in the proper atmosphere of the film would result in the deficiency of the movie. Movie analysis is not just based upon the analysis of the acting of different characters of the storyline but also the frames and the backgrounds that make the movie interesting. Movie analysts must be able to diagnose the problems in the color schemes of the costumes of the casting team to the color of the technological gadgets being used in a movie. Attention of a movie analyst is also required for the analysis of the set design and the sceneries projected in a movie. Use of a lights, contrast and shadows is able to distinguish the movie genre therefore it is also important to make note of the contrasts and schemes used in a movie. Lights, darkness, set design, scenery and costumes must be working together in one manner to create the mood of the scene of a storyline. It should be noted by the movie analyst that a good movie is one where the cinematography had been handled in way that it gives enhancement to a scene instead of overwhelming the scene (Petri, 1993). A movie analyst can ask himself these questions noted below at the time of the analysis of set design and cinematography

Does the contrast tend to merger the brightness and emotional effect of the scene
Does the set design include any distracting wall decoration that would lead the audience to focus on the background rather than the dialogues
Is there any object that does not really tend to be significantly present in the scene
Editing the counterparts

According to the professional critics, movies begin in an editing room. Sometimes, a movie which is given a lot of budget statistics and is framed accurately tends to fail the standard of a successful and meaningful movie when they are edited poorly. Editing of a movie means to edit those parts or scenes of the movie that could be potential enough to confuse the viewers. There is a possibility that a worth scene gets edit during editing resulting in a misleading or confusing editing of a movie. Professional and highly eligible editors must be assigned with the job of editing a movie because it is the most significant phase of a movie setting. Editing task could either demolish or make a movie turn into a blockbuster at the box office. A good edited movie is analyzed on the basis of editing that is invisible to the viewer. Editing of scenes is mostly needed when a character is in a conversation with another character of the movie or there is an action sequence. A movie analyst must be able to identify the flow between the scenes that are clearly a task of editor (Lders, 2009).

Directors Angle
Once the important and major features and key concepts have been profoundly analyzed, the next steps is to analyze the directors own taste and strategy to get the mission and goal of the movie to be fulfilled. Directors role is not limited to the shooting of the movie but the angle o the director comes in sight even in the ending motion of the movie when all the clues come together and helps the viewer of the movie to reveal the mystery in a flow. At the end of the movie, the credit goes to the director because a director is aware of skills, capacities and capabilities of the cast and crew of the movie. A movie analyst could easily analyze the directors angle of looking at the story line by juxtaposing with his present and past stylistic approach (Elsaesse  Buckland, 2002). Following questions could be asked in order to analyze the role of the director in the movie
What are the common symbols and elements of the movie followed by the direction
What is the signature of the director in terms of familiar actors, dialogue and camera angle
What is the distinctive feature of the director in the movie to be analyzed

By answering the questions assigned to every proportion of the movie, the movie analysts can easily analyze different segments and key concepts of a movie. The criteria of analyzing discussed above for the analysis of a movie through the help of evaluation of every term and task can be better a criteria and method for the purpose of accurate and effective movie analysis. A movie analysis is successfully in only one case when the thorough or analysis of entire movie concludes the accurate and authentic interpretation of the movie along with logical argumentation. The movie analysis continues from the main title fragmenting interpretation, followed by the observation of the plot of the storyline and then critical evaluation of each and every part of the movie that will be central to your movie analysis (Siatras, Kotropoulos,  Nikolaidis, 2008).

Concluding Remarks
On the basis of the criteria discussed above, it can be said that analysis of a movie is not an easy job and it could not be done on the basis of limited research. Movie analysis requires a great deal of research and a critical eye that is most important of the movie analysis. A single movie tends to create further trends of communication and association in a society. Thus it is important to make sure that the analysis of the movie is being done carefully and with effective observation of every key concept.

Synopsis
A movie by director, David Fincher, Fight Club has established a solid cult following after over a decade of its release in 1999. Starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt, the movies tackles several issues like stereotypical concepts of masculinity, American consumerism and the corporate prison.

A regular guy with a job he hated, Jack lived in a phoney apartment with phoney furniture. Just like any yuppie, he was caffeine drunk and sugar driven, thanks to Starbucks and Krispy Kreme. No family. No friends. No life. He thinks hell die of insomnia and his temporary fix was attending dying peoples support groups. It seemed alright until he found a girl (Elena Bonham Carter), which is just like him, touring weeknight meetings for free coffee. Suddenly, he wasnt able to sleep again. Everything seemed so unreal, again. He lived in a condominium, a filing cabinet for yuppies and widows. He worked in a car manufacturing company ran by the Grimm Reaper. He sometimes lived in a suitcase, flying from one city to another, used to single-serving sugar, single-serving Q-tips and single-serving friends.

Thats how he met Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), the smartest single-serving friend he ever had. Tyler Durden was free in all ways that he wasnt. He made soap out of rich womens fat, edited films, those and a dozen more havoc-wreaking jobs.  Tyler also happens to be Nortons characters alter ego.

Symbolisms
When Jack joined his support groups, pretending to be dying, he met Bob. Bob was dying of testosterone cancer and because of his medications, he grew breasts. On the night Jack attended the testosterone cancer support group, he was paired up with Bob and both cried on each other, Bob on Jacks shoulders, Jack on Bobs breast. That night Jack fell sound asleep. Crying was his release. The image of Bob with his breast and Jack finding comfort in crying was the opposite of societys image of masculinity. It was the complete opposite of Tylers Fight Club.

Tyler Durden said, How much do you know about yourself if youve never been in a fight Fight Club was formed at the back of a pub when Tyler and Jack started a brawl between themselves. From there, the all-men club grew and was attended by blue-collared workers. They were waiters, gas boys and janitors. The club meet at the basement of an abandoned house. There members paired up and start fight sessions.
Somehow fighting gave men a certain satisfaction from the bruises and the cuts they get. In fighting they found themselves which they lost in their jobs waiting tables and pumping gas to the wealthy.  The movie presents us with two images of men fat, crying Bob with his breasts and ripped Tyler with his cracked lips from fighting. But both Bob and Tyler were after the same emotional fulfilment. Somehow crying and fighting both serves their needs for emotional release.

The film also tackled the social and economic issue of consumerism. Jack, despite the job he hated, found satisfaction in his Ikea furniture in his cosmopolitan apartment. He identified himself with the material things he can afford. But despite this, he was not happy. He sought the comfort of support groups. These groups provided him human warmth and attention that he yearned. Later on, he joined fight club which, again, provides him release. He released his anger, frustrations and disappointments in his life, his job and his boss. His situation is very prevalent in todays society. People purchase products that provide them identity and social acceptance. They want goods that will fulfil higher needs of personal gratification. But people, instead of defining themselves and taking control of their relationships and lives, are busy finding themselves on material goods. Tyler said it perfectly, Youre not your job, youre not the car you drive, youre not the contents of your wallet...

People work jobs they hate to buy things that they do not need. They become slaves of society. They let the materialism rule their lives. They fail to realize that society has turned them into corporate robots that work to feed the system of capitalism.

The film challenges people to free themselves from the system that has ruled their lives. When was the last time you were truly free Can one be truly free We live in a society. We have institutions that make sure we fall in line and do what we are supposed to do, even if we dont want to. It is like we are saluting an invisible dictator. We run on tracks.

Near the end of the film, Nortons character shot himself. That was the only moment he was free, he was fearless. He was free from fight club. He was free from Tyler. Fight Club is a call to fight the system, not necessarily to start an underground anarchist club, but it tells us to free ourselves from slavery. Let us not become prisoners of money and material pleasure. People should think and choose for themselves. We should fight for our very own existence. To exist means taking control of ones life. To be free means to be fearless. Freedom is choosing who you want to be, what you want to be. Freedom is existing for what you believe and fighting for what you believe.  Existing means being your own self and being own boss. Existence is freedom.

Control (2007)
To be able to watch this film, I had to borrow an original DVD from a friend who happened to have this. I preferred watching the film alone for I wanted to understand every part of it.  For an hour or so, I watched it at home and the following are my thoughts and reactions to the aforementioned film

The movie was basically about a man who, at the peak of his successful career in music, happened to have lost control of the most important things in his life. Ian Curtis, the main protagonist, is a depiction of a man who got tired of being employed under a boss who can never make his big dreams come true. In order to fulfill his biggest aspirations, Curtis made the final decision to follow his dream of becoming a band singer. While trying to fulfill this dream, Curtis falls in love with a typical girl named, Debbie, and what comes after is an immediate marriage, and eventually an offspring. However, just like any other marriage, Curtis marriage went through a serious predicament, and he eventually wandered away from his wifes company. Just when his career with the band is growing strong, he meets and immediately starts a love affair with another woman who added to his pressures. Curtis grew more pressured and confused about the several challenges he then faces that include challenges in his growing career, as well as the challenges of him being a father and a good husband. Hence, towards the end, the title of the story becomes more apparent Curtis dilemmas. In the end, the story entails that Curtis life has been a story of a man who falls short of what this story is about Control.
The portrayal of the image of the main protagonist was in itself catchy and interesting enough. It highlights the persona of a growing band front man, whose lifes complexities did not fail to justify the dynamics of the plot. The screenplay in itself was also very fresh, reflecting the contemporary dilemmas of the young society. The story also did not fail to impart valuable lessons and realizations to viewers that mostly delve on taking the right decisions in life especially in the younger years of adulthood, as portrayed by the well applauded actor, Sam Riley.

Prestige (2006)
In order to watch the full movie, Prestige, I, once again, had to borrow the original DVD from a friend. A friend lent it to me and I watched the movie at home. I also planned of watching this film alone one silent weekend morning in order to be able to focus on the details of the film. The following are my reactions and review of the aforementioned film.

The film, Prestige tells about the story of two magicians, Robet Angier and Alfred Borden whose lives have been pained by the accidental death of Angiers wife, Julia. Magic and being a magician were the central feature of the film. Angiers wife, Julie, dies in an accident while Alfred and he were performing a trick. Due to this incident, Angier blames his friend of his wifes death, and resentment has always occupied his heart from then on. The movie went on and the scenes eventually focused on the magicians plots and strategies on how to sabotage each others magic tricks and performance as they go from friends to foes. Eventually, the film turns out to be a battle for Prestige which was highlighted by the main characters obsession to pride and rivalry.

The start of the movie can be analogously compared to a person who has no sense of direction. The beginning of the movie was somewhat confusing as the director preferred going from one point of the plot, back to another, and then forward to another. Apparently, this was some kind of cinematic style however, the style ended up somewhat confusing as each scene have been filled with so much details. However, what appears interesting and appealing about this movie is the fact that the scenes were effectively teasing viewers by the frequent peeks on the future of the protagonists.  But basically, the movie can be considered notable for its interesting twists and turns. Though it might have easily confused a lot of other viewers, it displayed a smarter way of storytelling.

Deep End (2001)
I have a friend who happened to own an original DVD of this movie, and so I had to borrow it to be able to watch the movie and eventually write a review about it. At first some of my cousins were there with me as I started watching it, one Wednesday afternoon, as they were curious. However eventually, I ended up watching it alone in a silent and a very comfortable TV room in the house.

Deep End, which was originally based from Elizabeth Sanxays novel, The Blank Wall tells the story of a mother who went all the way in protecting her son from damnation. Margaret Hall is a depiction of a typical mother who is concerned about her sons sexuality and social behavior. Upon knowing about her son, Beaus affair with Darby  who happens to be gay  Hall becomes worried and upset for she fears the life of her son will not be normal again. Beaus gay lover goes through an accident and dies by the lake. Hall discovers Darbys death and speculates about Beaus relation to the crime. As what is expected from a mothers instinct, Hall covers up for her son in belief that her own son killed Darby. This kind of protection goes on all throughout the film to the extent of putting her own life and honor on the line just to save his son. Hall faces several dangers and encounters different challenges in this feat. Due to silences caused by the fear of telling the truth,  both Hall and her son Beau are caught it up in a situations at the end of the film, where both of them creates different speculations about each other in mind.

The film was evidently catchy and intriguing as it involves several scenes about gay relationships. Although relationships between people from the third sex has been considerably accepted in most societies nowadays, it still cannot be denied that this kind of content still intrigues and rouses peoples reactions on gay relationships. The thrill of the quest for truth gives sufficient sense of adventure which makes the film upbeat. The director was able to give a whole new light to the typical mother and son relationship by extending the efforts of a mother beyond its usual limits in protecting her son. The internal thoughts and speculations of the characters that were not communicated verbally in the movie can also be considered clever. This added a playful feature in the storys focus on peoples quest for truth.

Sunshine (2007)
I was able to access an original DVD of this movie from my uncles collection of Armageddon films. It was one cold Thursday evening, since I was not feeling sleepy during that time, I decided to watch this film so that I will be able to write a review on it the next day. Again, I was alone as I watch the film.

The title of the movie Sunshine, tells a lot about what is about. However, as what can be observed from the film, this title appears quite a more subtle representation of what the movie really displaces about the suns possible fate 47 years from now. It tells about the story of the sun and the earths possible conditions in the year, 2057. Similar to several Armageddon films, this story tells a really frightening account of what might happen when the sun dies. In the movie, experts are sent to navigate near the suns surface in order to fix what is then wrong with the suns natural phenomena. Several scientific attempts were set in order to save mankind from certain doom. The first attempt, the Icarus I failed. And so the experts had to send back another mission composed of more able scientists. This mission is now named Icarus II. Along the journey a lot of sabotage acts were discovered and the protagonists, who were all in a place where their lives are at risk, do everything to save mankind from possible damnation due to mere antagonistic impairments. In the end, the earth is saved after the heroic sacrifice of the protagonist, Capa.

Personally, I do think there is nothing different about this film from the other films that tackled the possible faces of earths destruction. It was similarly terrifying as it presents unimaginable events that will surely make life on earth near a dying state. Just like the other Armageddon films I have watched, this also presents heroic sacrifices from science experts who are labeled in these films as the worlds futuristic heroes. However, what appears noteworthy in this film is how it makes people understand the sun more. It was able reveal some significant information about what makes the sun very powerful in sustaining life on earth. But nonetheless, I also believe people will never get tired of Armageddon films like this for it will always terrify them about the future.

Up In The Air (2009)
As it has been very difficult to find a DVD copy of this from my friends and neighbors, I opted renting this movie from the DVD rentals. As what I typically do when I watch required films for a review, I preferred watching this movie alone as well. It was one Friday morning, I just had my breakfast and then I headed back to my room to watch this movie from my personal computer.

Basically, the story captured the life of characters who have been used to flying in a day-to-day basis. Ryan Bingham, is a corporate expert on  literally  firing people. The story basically revolves around his frequent trips all over America, which the protagonist personally enjoyed. As he is bound to fire people out of their jobs, Binghams character has been crowded with antagonistic features such as being inconsiderate, non compassionate and cold. The conflict arises when another protagonist, Natalie proposes a change that will take away the most beloves feature of Bingham about his job. This feature basically allows downsizing agents to fire people through video conferencing which then takes away the enjoyable privilege Binghams job of traveling from one state to another. In order to show Natalie that her proposition is unacceptable, Bingham takes her with him in his downsizing tours. However, this just leads him to realizing how off-putting and discouraging his job and lifestyle really are.

The film appeared interesting for me as it deals with a lot about corporate affairs that include flying in business class suites and doing a not-so-ordinary kind of business. It also presents an interesting fact which is very new for the movie viewing population, and this about the downsizing industry.  However aside from these aspects of the film, nothing more appears quite catchy. Sure the endless flights to all around the country appears very attractive, as it appears to be one of the greatest privileges any employee can have, however, it failed to feature a shocking and an intensely moving part which could have possible came from drama or action. The bottom line is that, the movie stayed on the safe end, thus, failing to make any surprising uniqueness.

Every year, people are bombarded with thousands of images from magazines, movies, television, billboards, posters, flyers and the internet.  Some of these capture your attention.  Others distract you.  And still others annoy and even irritate you.  Subliminal messages from these images pass through your mind at the speed of light, and they are embedded from the conscious to the subconscious permanently like gum stuck to the bottom of a bin.  These will become part of your long-term memories whether you like it or not.  And every day, you sometimes struggle in your mind to sort these images, desiring some and avoiding others, in a constant battle between your id and superego.  These images portray roles that include gender, race, class, political divisions and so forth.  They are subjectively selected, cropped and personalized depending on the creators biases or preferences even if the images show objective reality as it is.  It is then up to your ego to mediate between the objective desires of the id and subjective aversions of the superego.

Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright (2001) write the following in agreement
No matter what social role an image plays, the creation of an image through a camera lens always involves some degree of subjective choice through selection, framing, and personalization... All camera-generated images, be they photographic, cinematic, or electronic (video or computer-generated), bear the cultural legacy of still photography, which historically has been regarded as a more objective practice than, say, painting or drawing. This combination of the subjective and the objective is a central tension in camera-generated images. (p.16)

This is indeed reality, and we shall discuss this statement point by point.  First, images play various social roles.  According to Rodney St.Michael (2009), social roles can be summarized into the Five Elements or the Wu Xing Wood, Water, Earth, Fire and Metal.  Wood includes males, Scholars, Yellows (race), moderate Democrats, etc.  Water includes females, Shamans, Small Browns, moderate Republicans, etc.  Earth includes lesbians, the Ubuntu Social Business Class, Blacks, moderate to conservative Republicans, etc.  Fire includes gays, the military, the Militant Business Class, Whites, liberal Democrats, etc.  And Metal includes bisexuals, the bi-military, the Bharat Business Class, Big Browns, conservative Republicans, etc.  As St.Michael says, the Five Elements are not only the external role of Others.  They are also internal elements of the Self.  St.Michael connects the Five Elements to the five pyramid stages of Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Metal is the physiological or basic needs.  Fire is the security or economic needs.  Earth is the social or belongingness need.  Water is the esteem, spiritual or superego needs.  And Wood is the self-actualization or ego need.  All of these needs are within the Self.  Thus, all of these elements are within the Self.  And consequently, the Self and Other are integrated and can never be truly separated.  This means that any conflict or attraction within Others is also reflected within the Self.

The harmony and conflict between these Elements are often seen, for example, among the genders, and this will be evident in the personal biases of the camera controller or photographer based on his or her own gender.  Men, for instance, may be attracted to women.  Bisexuals may desire both men and women.  Lesbians may love women.  Gays may lust for other gays, men, or bisexuals.  And women may love them all.  This attraction will form the biases of both the camera controller and the audience.  The genders will also form aversions.  For example, men may dislike gays.  So, this will also reflect in the photographers and viewers biases.  If the cameraman is male, he may avoid gays and shoot women.  But if the viewer is gay, he may want to see other gays in the picture too.  What the cameraman includes or excludes in the picture will reflect on his biases, and how he portrays the subject in the image will also reflect on his subjective judgments.  If he had to shoot gays, he may portray them in an ugly fashion and choose their unfavorable sides.  On the other hand, if he had to shoot women, he may portray them with excitement and perhaps, he may even select which women to include, to crop and to highlight.

It is not only, of course, among the genders that this occurs.  It also applies to the races.  Yellows, for instance, may dislike Whites.  Browns and Blacks may love or hate Whites.  Chinese newsmen may select and censor what scenes to take in portraying Whites.  They may choose to frame the parts that are favorable to them and avoid the unfavorable ones.  They may also portray Whites in a bad light.  The same thing is true for the other side.  The BBC or CNN may select certain world scenes that portray Asians in an ugly way even if it may not be the case.  If a riot broke out, for example, in 0.0001 of the area of a certain Asian country, CNN cameramen, being interested in making money from bad news and making themselves heroes, will select certain areas in the riot that will make it seem like 100 of the country is in turmoil.  They will crop out portions where there is no action.  They will make it appear that the people in footage are suffering more than they really are.  So when television viewers see it, many of them will think of the grossly exaggerated situation as a major problem in 100 of the country even if it is only happening in 0.0001 of the countrys area.  Some people eventually will realize that they are being conned and CNN may lose some viewers.  Others might try to evaluate in their minds how much to believe in what they are seeing in CNN.  So CNN will try to strike a balance on how much subjectivity they can portray on objective situations, still being aware that bad news sells and worse news sells even better.  They will try to maximize the amount of subjectivity without being caught.  This creates tension on both the cameramen or women and the viewers.

Next, among the classes, there is tension too.  Academics, for example, may show the military or the working class in a bad light.  Or more commonly, Hollywood-style producers may pretend to be academics, and they may create documentaries that appear scientific even if it is not so.  They may show crocodiles, lions, snakes or other dangerous animals like friendly pets.  People tend to associate size with attraction and repulsion.  If something is very big, for example, it may be thought of as repulsive.  But if something is small, people tend to think of it as cute and adorable.  So the cameraman may try to show more lion cubs or they may show a women smiling with a snake wrapped around her.  Of course, they may do the opposite if they want to portray the same animals as vicious creatures.  They could show a lion devouring a gazelle or a snake biting a mouse.

On the other hand, if the military had the camera, they could create propaganda films such as the ones from Hitler or Stalin.  They might create films that portray Jews as cockroaches.  They might show soldiers in their best uniforms at an angle that makes them appear more and mightier than they really are.  They may also select scenes where women toss flowers to the soldiers and exalt them as the saviors of the people and skip the scenes where the soldiers are ridiculed.  Of course, the cameraman again has to make it all look believable as much as possible without giving away its subjective nature.

Next, political divisions also add tension to images.  The Center Left or Center Right parties in parliament may oppose the Far Left and Far Right.  The opposite is also true.  The Far Right, for example, could portray the moderates as being too lax or too slow to action.  On the other hand, the moderates could show the Far Left or Right as radical extremists who cant control their emotions.  They may show politicians from these two wings as people who resemble Hitler or Stalin.

Nations could also add tension to images.  America could portray China as anti-American even if there are numerous American establishments in China such as McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pepsi or Hooters.  They could show China as a leader in religious suppression even if there are numerous temples, including Tibetan Buddhist ones in Beijing.  They could also show Chinese tanks, rockets and soldiers on the street even if most of China is peaceful, with tranquil villages and children running and playing on the street.
Religion could also add tension to images.   Conservative Christians could show ugly Hindu animal rituals to their laity instead of Hindus meditating.  Catholics may highlight Jews with large noses.   Christians may show Muslims as terrorists instead of peaceful men praying in a mosque.

Business competitors could also add tension.  Ford may portray Toyotas as runaway vehicles.  Pepsi may show Coke to be bitter.  American farmers may portray Chinese food to be tainted.  The Japanese or Europeans could portray American beef with mad cow disease.  The viewers then are left to decide how much objectivity and subjectivity are in these portrayals.

Furthermore, enhancements also add tension.  If advertisers choose models, they may select the ones with good skin tone.  Or they may be portrayed in a way that does not reflect their true selves in the real world. If they are too fair, for instance, a make up artist, lighting expert or tanning booth may try to make them look darker.  But if they are too dark, they may not even be included in the picture.  A hair expert may also try to rejuvenate their hair or give it some colour.  A personal trainer may also buff them up and improve their muscle tone.  So when a photographer takes photos of these models, subjectivity will be hidden beneath an objective photograph, and the photographer may try to hide the subjectivity as much as possible to make it look realistic.  The viewer then may see a shampoo ad or commercial with a beautiful woman with shiny, bouncy hair.  And some viewers may think that it was actually the shampoo that made her look that way, but others will be more skeptical.  There are even food stylists.  Pictures or films of food in restaurants or commercials are enhanced.  They use paintbrushes and food colouring to make the food look more appetizing.

The photographer or film director can also use digital enhancements or special effects to their work that alter reality.  They can remove scars, moles, tattoos or other marks from models or actors, making them appear more perfect than they really are.  They can change the color of their eyes or remove stains from their teeth.
A picture or movie may also allure the need for fantasy.  Advertisers may show scenes that attract sense pleasures.  They may show beautiful landscapes that depict freshness or streams of water that seems cool and refreshing.  Marlboro country may show the great outdoors in a relaxing atmosphere.  And a field of lovely colourful flowers may depict a smell like no other.

Colors also affect people.  The cameraman or photographer can choose, frame and characterize the right color to capture the right symbolism or emotions for his or her biases.  Colors convey meaning through psychological symbolism and natural associations.  People become more comfortable when they are reminded of color associations.  For example, blue reminds them of cool water, the sky and calmness.

Green may remind them of trees and renewal.  Violet may induce harmony.  Yellow may increase creativity or clarity.  Orange may speak of vitality and fun.  White may symbolize purity.  And red may remind them of fire and blood, or it may show drive, direction, energy or courage.  The colors may also symbolize something positive or negative.  For instance, blue is the color of the sky on a sunny day, but blue also characterizes sadness.  Thats why if some people are sad, they may say I feel blue or Im singing the blues.

Color is then associated with the Five Elements.  It can be linked to gender, race, class, religion, political division, country and so forth.  The Elements come in different combinations for every individual that makes each person unique.  So the specific color associations will vary for each individual.  For example, for Muslims, green is heaven.  But in Ireland, it is linked with luck.  Green can also be associated with environmentalism or in politics, the Green Party.  It may also mean the traffic light go.  If a car is colored green, police may not pay as much attention to it as much as a red car.

Color symbolism also has several influential factors.  The specific color shade or variation can convey different meanings.  For example, light red or pink connotes tenderness whereas dark means energy.  Also, light blue is soft, whereas dark blue is authoritative.  Another factor is the quantity and placement of the color--the larger the area, the more potent the symbolism.  The next factor is the shape the color occupies.  Combining color and shape makes the symbolism more complex.  And the last factor is color combination.  Combinations create new meaning to color.  For instance, red and green is associated with Christmas in the West.

Color can also affect your body.  For example, blue is an appetite-suppressant. There was a time when blue MMs did not exist.  They were added later at the request of some fans.  So restaurants will want to avoid blue lighting, plates or blue-colored food.  Green, brown and red are more appetizing.  These are the colors usually included in food ads and restaurants.   Pink can also temporarily tranquilize aggression.  It is the color used in some jails to calm down angry antagonistic prisoners.

Color also affects taste and smell.  The condition called synaesthesia describes this.  Since each sense has a pathway to the brain and these paths are parallel to each other, the senses can work together.  Thus, seeing a certain color may trigger other sensations.  For example, Lemon yellow may trigger a sour taste or green may evoke the smell of grass.

Color can also irritate you and give you headaches, or it can soothe and relax you.  For example, pure bright lemon yellow is the most fatiguing color.  It is useful for getting your attention, but its long-term use will annoy you.

Moreover, the Five Elements including the genders react differently to color.  For example, blue and yellow is favored more by men than women.   On the other hand, women prefer red more than men.  But if they had to choose between yellow and orange only, men prefer orange and women yellow.  Women also prefer blue green more than men.  In addition, men are more tolerant toward achromatic colors (black, white and gray) than women, who prefer more variety (Guilford and Smith 1959).  If you also had to expose both men and women in a gray room, women would be more relaxed than men in that room (Kuller, 1976).  Women can also identify more specific colors than men, and they are more likely than men to have a favorite color (Radeloff 1990).  Finally, color combinations that are closely related or opposite to each other are perceived to be more balanced and pleasing (Guilford 1934).

Next, clothing or fashion can create tension.  Again the Five Elements, such as the genders, favor certain clothing styles and avoid others.  For example, gays and Westerners tend to wear clothes that are body-fit or tight, as opposed to men or Asians who like to wear baggy or loose clothes.  Western pants hug the buttocks and the contour can easily be seen from the back.  The shirt and sleeves tend to hug the body too, and they may wear ornamental clothing like neck ties or bow ties or clothing accessories that serve no real function but aesthetics.  Western fashion is designed to arouse the senses, and its sensual nature sometimes offends others.  On the other hand, Arabs may not want to see another mans buttocks and may in fact be offended by it.  They will wear loose fitting clothes to hide the contours of the body.  The Chinese also traditionally wear loose-fitting or baggy clothes.  The cameraman then tries to balance the bipolar opposition between the two.

Architecture also creates tension.  The Five Elements favor different kinds of designs based on what they value.  For instance, some people prioritize safety.  They may see tall buildings as fire, earthquake, terrorist, typhoon or hurricane hazards.  Others may see it as modern wonders.  Some will prefer a primitive natural look to their housing, but others will prefer a modern functional style.

While all these elements create subjectivity in film and pictures based on what you select, how you frame it and how you personalize it, the camera still produces more objective images than drawings or paintings.  Political cartoonists, for instance, tend to exaggerate certain features or peculiarities in individuals.  They make the ears larger or the noise pointier.  Or they can make the chin stretch further.  The head is usually much bigger than the body.

Moreover, the Five Elements will also draw or paint an image based on their own element.  For example, since the Japanese have small slanted eyes, their animated drawings or manga of Westerners tend to have very big round eyes.  On the other hand, Western cartoons of the Chinese or Japanese tend to have eyes that are only slanted lines.  They each exaggerate the others features.  Another example is the caricature of Barrack Obama and his wife by the New Yorker before he became president.  Either because of his race or political party, the Obamas were portrayed like terrorists, with Barrack wearing an Islamic wardrobe and his wife carrying a riffle on her back.  It was blasted by many critics for being very subjective.  Moreover, the Danish caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, with one being a demonic pedophile, created great controversy too because of its extreme subjectivity.

The tension between subjectivity and objectivity creates conflict, internal and external.  For example, on April 26, 2008, thousands of people surrounded the CNN center in Atlanta, San Francisco and Hollywood to protest what the people called slanderous and fraudulent news about China and the Chinese people.  People naturally expect news to be objective, but since it also has elements of the subjective, it creates tension.  Foreign ministry spokeswomen Jiang Yu urged CNN to apologize.  Eventually, CNN president Jim Walton apologized, but the Chinese government rejected CNNs explanation and demanded that CNN create more objective reports.  Clearly, media errors can even create World War III.

It would be even graver if television broadcasts were faked.  Recently, Imedi TV in Georgia triggered panic among Georgians because it aired a simulated Russian attack in the country without sufficient notice.  The show used archived footage with the anchor reporting the attack as current.  Georgians went out to the streets and prepared to flee the area.  Later the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili appeared on television and apologized for the false alarm.  The Georgian Orthodox Church said, This kind of experiment is a crime to our people and to humanity.

And during the Cold War era, the United States may have actually used photography tricks to use as propaganda against the Russians.  Some people claim that the success of Russians sputnik launch during the Cold War prompted the U.S. government to take drastic measures that is, try to land on the moon, and if it doesnt work out just use fake moon-landing photographs to cover up any failure.   Any succeeding trips to the moon would just make up for any previous failures.  Photography experts examined the original Apollo 11 landing shots and were very suspicious about its authenticity.  So some people demanded that the original video footage of the landings be released to the public.  But NASA said they lost it already and that they may have accidentally erased it.  You would think that footage that important would be treasured like gold, but the fact that they didnt arouses even more suspicion that they are hiding the truth.   The only available Apollo 11 footage today comes from grainy television recordings on earth or digitally enhanced footages from Hollywood special-effects artists.  Stan Lebar, the designer of the original Apollo camera eventually said, I dont believe that the tapes exist today at all.  It was a hard thing to accept. But there was just an overwhelming amount of evidence that led us to believe that they just dont exist any more. Tension increases when people dont know what to believe in anymore.  Even more recently, the BBC presented the story of the fake moon rock presented to Dutch Prime Minister Willem Drees by the Apollo 11 astronauts as a goodwill gift.  Xandra van Gelder, who proved it was fake, said Its a good story, with some questions that are still unanswered.

We do know that television is continuously used for propaganda.  For instance, during the Persian Gulf War with Iraq, CNN showed a U.S. military presentation about how they were going to attack Iraq.  They mentioned that attacking it by land was too dangerous and that the best way to attack them was from the sea.  Apparently, it was a trick for the Iraqis who were also watching the broadcast because the U.S. Army did the opposite of what they presented in CNN.  The Iraqis, acting on the broadcast, stationed most of their elite forces to guard a sea attack and left the land areas almost unguarded.  The U.S. Army then easily captured Bagdhad using a land attack.  This type of media manipulation and propaganda rings an alarm bell on television viewers.  While viewers who are aware of visual culture may be doubtful about television broadcasts, nave people will simply be manipulated.

Hollywood even produced a movie, Wag the Dog, about media manipulation.  In the film, the American President asks Hollywood to create a fake war for him to distract Americans and the media from his sex scandal and to win in his re-election bid. When the president doesnt give credit to the Hollywood producer later for his re-election, the producer tries to squeal to the media about their fake production, but the producer was shot by the presidents aids.

Thus, the knowledge of visual culture is very important in creating policies and designs that addresses these tensions.  People are constantly being fooled by their senses as they continuously try to evaluate the objective from the subjective.  While photographs and films are subjective based on the biases of scene selection, framing and style, it is still more objective compared to drawings or paintings which are imaginative.  When people look at these images, they question what is real and what is imagined.  And those who have knowledge of visual culture have an advantage.

The film CSA Confederate States of America (2004) written and directed by Kevin Willmot is a mock documentary satire that presents the history of the Confederate States of America and the truth about the racial slavery in the country. The setting started from mid-19th century when 11 southern slave states of America seceded from the United States up to the mid-20th century. It is a fictional historical account of what could have happened if events in America didnt turn out they way they did. The film primarily aims to make the viewers realize that politics is sometimes not healthy when people who are engaged in it do not have a broad understanding and value towards human rights. Additionally, the film depicts the fact that selfish interests and greed are plagues that cause conflicts and irregularities in the society and because these, the rights of the people are neglected and humanity is exploited. The aforementioned plagues are the root cause of the destruction of mankinds morality and humane nature. Even though the film is a mock documentary and satirical in nature, its impact to the social order is great and irrefutably significant. It serves as a wake up call not just for Americans but to the whole world because it mirrors the existing truth in the society  past and present. Its underlying premise is the imperialist tendency of the United States of America. It demonstrates the potential of the powerful to take advantage of its subordinates. This premise and the theme of the movie were creatively wrapped into something very interesting that the audience could not help but watch it from beginning until the end with immense anticipation. Americans and followers of history can truly relate to the film because it bluntly illustrates American culture during the century when the country was involved in several conflicts  civil and world war.

The film director, Kevin Willmot (also a film professor at University of Kansas), engaged his audience with the movie by presenting the story as if a documentary from a British broadcasting network complete with the necessary accompanying prelude. The film appears to be a documentary of American events through the eyes of the British people. The third-person perspective of the story is brilliant because it gives an impression of evenhandedness in its creation. Willmots technique is very effective because it makes the viewers extremely curious about the tale of the documentary. It gives the story a very significant front since being in a well known networks documentary means that the event is significant. In the form of words, the director of the film seems to be saying Pay attention I have something important to show you. Although there is humor in the film, as it is a satire, the idea and the message that the writerdirector wants to convey was not compromised. As a matter of fact, it made the film even more captivating. And needless to say, the technique gives the film a very good start as it indeed captures and intrigues the viewers. The initial impression of the viewers is very important because it is the stage where the premise is laid out.

Contrary to what really happened in history, the southern states emerged victorious in the American Civil War and African-American slavery was legalized. Although the said legalization of racial slavery was not constitutionally ordained, it was an unfortunate part of the tradition and majority of the members of the society accepted the situation. The inherent dramatic conflicts in the film are the racial enslavements of non-whites and the unhealthy leadership of the government as it tolerates the wrong-doings of some of its leading constituents. While the ideal foundation of the government of America was democracy and human rights, it still had its pitfalls. These are effectively conveyed in the film Confederate States of America (CSA) although in a humorous manner. The sequence of events in the film was developed in a manner that shows how the conflicts came about and the underlying possible solutions waiting to be materialized. The film may seem to be complicated because of how it attacks the core issues that it communicates however, this challenge was surpassed by the filmmakers efficiency in use of movie strategies and techniques.

The major dramatic turning point in the narrative of the film was the commissioning of the black regiment to fight in the World War II. The World War II is one of the bloodiest and biggest wars the world has seen because of the advent in technology and modernization of military tactics. The Confederate States of America (CSA) fooled the black soldiers with a promise that they would be granted freedom if they would join the war. Being so eager to regain their long lost freedom, the poor soldiers agreed. This was the point in the movie that opened the eyes of many of the protagonists. The promise was just a lie and there was no real intention of giving back the liberty of the black soldiers. There was even an issue about the black soldiers being the first line of defense of America in the war, which gained them the name Black Panthers. The war (World War II) that ended by the atomic bombing of the two major cities of Japan became a hard rock that made the protagonists think of their real situation and how they were taken advantaged of. The realization was very painful to the poor black soldiers. Their trust was betrayed and they could not bring back the fact that they were part of a conflict that could have been avoided. The event was very unfortunate and dramatic. In the war, no one emerged to be triumphant. Everyone was a victim and the pain brought forth by slavery was even more aggravated. At the end of the chaos, people from all walks of life (from civilians to politicians) had the time to assess the situation and ask themselves about the things they did and could have done to make a change.

The narrative structure of the film worked productively because it elaborated the messages that the filmmaker wanted to relay to the audience. Everything was made obvious and detailed because of the narrative structure. Since the over-all form of the film is unconventional, the chance of misunderstanding caused by misinterpretation of the viewers is high. So to avoid this from happening, the narrative structure was used for the film. This way, the ideas that were prone to misconceptions were given light and explanation. Evidently, the potential of the film to be misunderstood was balanced by the light of its narrative structure. It served as the neutralizing agent of the film. As the saying goes, The simpler, the better. Since there was no way to make the film simple because of the complexity of its issues, there should be a way to powerfully deliver the messages from the filmmaker to the audience.

The filmmakers point of view was dominant throughout the film. Nevertheless, the filmmaker must be given credit by being relatively fair to how he presented the different sides of history. He used a fictional historical event yet ironically true in many ways. The characters that represented the protagonists and antagonists in history were all given fair and just depiction. The filmmakers message was clear and undeniably striking. It seemed that the filmmaker was personally talking to his audience through his film. As a matter of fact, the filmmaker, Kevin Willmot, was brave enough to relay to the public a story that is not usually talked about and debated. What happened in the film CSA is very identical to what usually happens in reality although some issues are not dealt with, their truth cannot be denied. In this field, Kevin Willmot was brave enough to fight the battle and fortunately succeeded. His role in the academe made a great contribution to his brilliant opinions about American culture.

The filmmaker, Kevin Willmot, did a great job in being very reasonable in the presentation of what is be considered as the other side of history in the film. Evidently, he needed to consider ethical issues about the storyline of his film. He had to reflect on the fact that people may not receive the film as positively as he hoped for because the film was created in the other light that contrasted what really happened in history. Fortunately, the humor in the film created a safety net that ensures the movie will be parallel with what is ethical and fair. Certainly, Kevin Willmot expected the public to raise many questions about the film and the story it attempts to depict. Nevertheless, he did a great job in making himself and his film asynchronous to what is right and just in principle.

The films approach is subjective. As previously mentioned, the filmmakers opinion is more dominant in the film rather than the subjects. Even so, it is still justifiable. The film was created based on the opinion and analysis of a professor and a director. The film is the opposite of what actually happened in history yet the issues are the same. The film just exaggerated the issues that the maker deems to be important and valuable. The film cannot be considered as objective because of its apparent opinionated structure especially in its narrative portion

The film is entertaining from beginning until the end. Because of the many sensible materials and intriguing issues and ideas being presented, viewers cannot help but patiently wait for the next scenes hoping for enlightenment. The movie is especially great for people who love history and culture. It is something that is very intellectually stimulating. It is unconventional and a very few movie has the same unconventional format. Its structure and format is something fresh thus, viewers will be very entertained. It is safe to say that the film is a brave experiment from Kevin Willmot. Furthermore, Kevin Willmots effort paid off as the film proves to be successful and appreciated by most critiques and movie enthusiasts.

The premise and conflicts in the film had a satisfying resolution. The finale was not drastic. It came about in a series of events that prepared the audience for the resolution. There were several cues as to when and how the culmination will be. The film ends with the suicide of Senator Fauntroy V after he lost the presidential election because of a racial issue that is not true. His death serves as a message that tyranny and abuse can begin to exist at any point in time yet there is also an undeniable truth that they have an end. The film may not have the usual dramatic ending but the significance of the resolution is undoubtedly very meaningful.

As the film ends, a trail of questions and realization came into me. I began to wonder about the issues presented in the film and personally assessed their truthfulness. Firstly, I realized how difficult life was for the African-American slaves in the past. There are no words to describe their sacrifices and to relay how they must have felt during their slavery period. On the other hand, it makes me happy to see that their social stature has changed greatly overtime. This only means that the United States of America and the world had broadened their horizons and heightened their respect and belief in the equality of all.

Three hundred and fifty kilometers East of Kenyas capital, Nairobi, lies the Meru National park, less known, but one of the parks used by George and Joy Adamson in the 1966 shooting of critically acclaimed movie, Born Free. Being one of the least crowded parks in the country, the government had recently decided to use it to decongest the worlds only wildlife sanctuary located within a capital city, The Nairobi national park. For that purpose, the government transferred fifteen elephants, twenty zebras and a few antelopes to the reserve. As is the case whenever there is a transfer of wildlife, a special unit was formed to take care of the wildlife until the management was sure that the wildlife has acquainted itself with the park.

Johnson Zuma, one of the veteran rangers in the park was tasked to head the team that was to carry out a manual count of the new animals every day. For Zuma however, his job was to reconcile radio communication figures he got from his field officers and make sure that the totals he got tallied with number of new animals in the park. Wednesday, a week and a half after their arrival, elephant went missing. Immediately, Zuma sent out a distress signal to the Kenya Wildlife Service headquarters in Nairobi and assembled all officers in the park for an emergency meeting.

A few minutes later a helicopter from the headquarters had arrived, and all the parks land rover vehicles were traversing the reserve and the neighboring community. Everybody was on high alert, including the villagers, who by now were getting thrilled by the attention the park, and by extension, their village was getting given the many television cameras in and outside the park. Zuma was at the point of briefing the media when a radio communication came through informing him that the animal had been sighted outside the park.
He did not even bother finishing his last sentence, instead he rushed to his Land Rover and followed the radio communication, only to find the animal fatally injured from arrow wounds inflicted on him. As he prepared himself for confrontation, a villager volunteered and narrated how the animal had invaded their farms at night and destroyed a good portion of their crops. Given the countrys outdated compensation policy, Zuma was left with no option but to ask for a medical unit to assist the animal. Zuma then came down and appealed to the villagers to be compassionate with the animals, something the villagers responded to by asking that the government either reviews its compensation policy or fences off the park completely. Zuma left the scene a dejected man he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

While horror films are not my usual cup-of-tea, Edward Scissorhands, directed by no-less than Tim Burton, offers lessons about life that every bully in society should listen to.  Edward is played by Johnny Depp who also now stars as the Mad Hatter in Disneys Alice in Wonderland.  His crazy fairy-tale personality is very apt for his role as Edward, a Frankenstein-like monster created by a mad inventor (Vincent Price).  His love interest is Kim (Winona Ryder).    Kims boyfriend is Jim (Anthony Michael Hall).  Her mother is Peg (Dianne Wiest).  Her brother is Kevin (Robert Oliveri), and her father is Bill (Alan Arkin).  Edward is also seduced by Joyce (Kathy Baker).

The story of Edward is told like classical mythology.  Kim, now as an old woman, narrates to her granddaughter the origin of snow, and in the process, Edwards tragic life and their love story unfold.  There was once an inventor like Dr. Frankenstein, who created a machine, later remodeled to resemble a boy.  The boy had scissors for hands, but the inventor created human hands for him.  Unfortunately, he suddenly died of a heart attack before he could replace Edwards scissor hands with human ones.  So Edward was left unfinished.  Lonely and miserable, he lived on a Gothic mansion on a hill until he met Peg, who took him into her home.  Pegs family and neighbors eventually adjusted with Edward, who used him for trimming and cutting hair.  But Jim, Kims boyfriend, and Esmeralda, a religious fanatic, hated him.   He is also seduced by Joyce, who wants to set up a salon with him.  But he manages to get away.  Later, Jim involves Edward in a crime by using his lock-picking skills to break into his parents house.  The burglar alarm sounds and everyone escapes except Edward.  He is arrested, but is later released after examining his state of mind.

Fortunately, the law enforcer was kind to him, but Joyce accused him of rape.  This made his neighbors fearful of him and the family who took him in.  During Christmas, he autistically creates a detailed sculpture from a block of ice, while ice shavings fall, producing snow.  Unfortunately, Edward accidentally cuts Kim and Kevin as a result of the recklessness of Jim and his drunken friend.  The neighbors think that Edward did it on purpose, so he had to flee back to his hill-top mansion.  But Jim organizes a mob to run after him.  Kim gets there first, but Jim eventually catches up and attacks Edward.  Unfortunately, Kim gets involved, and because Jim hurt her, Edward retaliates and kills him.  Kim confesses her love for Edward and convinces her neighbors that Jim and Edward attacked and killed each other.  Edward continues to live and creates snow which falls upon the valley.

Depps gentle portrayal of Edward is deeply moving.  Although he is a machine, his acting made it very human.  His tender love story with Kim, combined with his family scenes is truly heart-warming.  One can really connect with him and feel his sorrow.  Ryder was also fantastic.  They had great chemistry together.
The technique of using color highlighted the difference between his world and the world around him.  His mansion and his clothes are dark, grey, somber and dull.  While the clothes, cars and houses of his neighbors were very colorful.  Furthermore, the background music surrounding Edward was strange and dreadful, but other people had lively music.  The costume and make-up also made him look frightening yet gentle.
In the end, this is a film for everyone to see.  It makes you realize the bipolar world that we live in, and it helps you to understand the marginalized sectors that people hurt.  If only people could be more kind and respectful of each others differences, then maybe the world could be a better place.

The Godfather and Goodfellas share a definitive regard in the film industry and the whole film-viewing audience for their aesthetic accomplishment and technical precision.  They consequently earn the distinction of glamorizing and deglamorizing the Mafia and its immediate counterparts through their Shakespearian method of painting family, crime, and culture  each with their own significant hues.  It is important to note then that the crimes, as a central element in both films, however, have a differing exemplification dependent on the concept of morals suggestive of the two films.  The Godfather employed crimes with a more stringent hue characterized by the films lucid romanticization of the Mafia while Goodfellas welcomed the luminous and stylish illustration of crime in a rock star lifestyle fashion.

Francis Ford Coppolas Godfather depicted the tragedy experienced significantly by the family but less on their victims.  It stressed the strong cohesive familial bond within the family that must be preserved and upheld at all cost despite the infinite strings of challenges and struggles caused by their business rivals who were the other five New York families, American politicians, and the consequences of the decisions made by the children of their patriarch, Don Vito Corleone.  Crime in The Godfather film was a justified tool as well as a divine right to punish the familys enemies including those who betrayed them and take vengeance on those who offended and disrespected them.  The scenes of the execution of Paulie Gatto, Michaels meeting with Virgil Sollozo and Captain McCluskey, and the killing of Carlo Rizzi  all illustrated this and espousing the moral eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.

Crime also became a more rational means for Michaels goals as evidenced in the killings of all the heads of the five rival families as well as the murder of Moe Greene.  The concept of the end justifies the means with the reinforcement of the juxtaposed scenes of Michael attending the christening of his nephew advocated a warm hue on the take of crime as an accepted and justified act as well as a divine right of the ruling family of the underground crime world and the New York society as a whole.  This legitimation is due in fact because the Italian-American Cosa Nostra are more likely to ingratiate themselves with political, economic, and religious elites by mediating local elections, inviting officials to their banquets, and policing small-scale troublemakers in the name of peace (Schneider et al., 2008 p.363).  The Goodfellas also emphasized the importance of family and its preservation comparable to The Godfather.  Seasoned by Scorseses adaptation of the equality of genders as illustrated by Henry and Karens relationship, and sometimes the overpowering and unrestricted extension of influence of the wife over the husband and his criminal activities.  What is interesting to note is that Henrys confirmation to Karen of his crimes to be of no big deal depicted crime simply as a normal thing as with the sex, drugs, and rock n roll lifestyle of a rock star.  Crime then is a cool thing to do when you are a gangster and it is a tool decisive to your survival in the underground crime world.
Coppolas The Godfather and Scorseses Goodfellas provide a clear experience of the Mafia life from the Mafiosis point of view.  Although they have differing hues in depicting the Mafia life and its consequences  especially when pertaining to the employment of crime as a major tool to achieve ones goals  both films display a common reality in the life of crime.  Crime in the Godfather has a warmer hue due to the Corleones supposedly divine right to use it as a means to their objectives.  Crime in Goodfellas is a normal, realistic, even prestigious part of the Mafia life.

The location somewhere in midtown Manhattan. The place the character lives in is large and spacious, the original owner obviously did not build this with a home in mind it is a space better-suited as an office or a small warehouse. The large metal double doors are slightly ajar and the murmurings of conversation can be heard floating through.

Upon entering the doors, to the far right there is a metal staircase leading to a small loft. Along the railing is a long and high shelf, filled with various random objects some of these are rows of books, a few cookie jars, a mother cat with a new litter of kittens, a pile of receipts, a wig, a couple of hats, a camera, a can of paint, even a mummified foot and a human skull. There are two large closets with clothes spilling out of them, a few stray jackets and shirts are draped on the railing. Beside the bed is a nightstand, on the top of which rests a pad with barely legible scribbling, a pen, and a pair of tinted glasses. In the large and simple bed, nestled in dark red sheets, the character sleeps soundly.

Directly below the loft, around the edges of it, hangs a heavy black curtain, effectively sealing off a room. Where the curtain parts a red light bulbs hangs, right now it is turned off. In front of the doors is a makeshift living room, a grouping of red velvet furniture with large soft-looking cushions. On one couch sits a man with slicked-back hair, and he is talking closely with the petite girl with big hair that is sitting on his lap. On another seat is a small man wearing a suit and sunglasses, smoking a cigarette and absentmindedly stroking the cat on his lap. The small black and white coffee table in the middle is covered in ashtrays, half-empty glasses, and Polaroid pictures. Hanging from the ceiling above is a chandelier made from pieces of Coca Cola bottles.

Further inside, around the glass-and-metal dinner table, three other people are immersed in conversation, one of them leaning back on his chair playing a guitar. On the wall to the left of them is a white marble kitchen counter, with the sink discolored by bright hued stains. There are no dishes in the metal dish rack beside the sink only glasses and black, white and red painted coffee mugs. On and around the counter, and beside the three people at the table are piles of boxes of canned soup with two cats playing among the boxes.

Separating the rest of the apartment from the area at the very back of it is literally a wall of pictures. Hundreds of Polaroid, black-and-white, brightly-colored, blown-up, framed pictures cover the divider a few pictures of everyday people, but most of the hundreds are glamour and candid shots of movie stars.
In the back area, sunlight streams brightly through the large open French-style window on the far wall, and falls on an easel and the polished concrete floor. The window seems to be a relatively newer installation as the bright red paint of the window frame contrasts with the faded white of the walls. It also seems a little crooked, and closer inspection of the frame shows the workmanship to be rather shoddy, as if someone had taken a sledgehammer and just made a hole big enough for the frame to fit into. The window sill is wide enough for a person to sit on, and it seems that someone does just that as beside a sleeping cat there is a faded spot on the sill and it is decorated with coffee cup stains and a couple of stray cigarette butts.

On the corner of this closed-off area are boxes of canned soup, and a large pile of taped-up cardboard boxes on the top of the latter is an opened box full of vinyl records. The rest of the space of the back area is taken up by art. Brightly-painted canvases are haphazardly leaning on the walls, strewn on the floor, and hanging on the walls. A disassembled yellow scooter, and a few half-finished sculptures are scattered around the paintings. Cans of vivid (almost neon) colored paint, rags, and paintbrushes are on the floor beside and on top of a paint-stained table. Also on the table and taped on the walls are sketches of myriad subjects, from cartoonish everyday objects to celebrities. On the stool in front of the sunlit easel, a cat yawns and stretches before going back to sleep.

The films Casablanca and The Proof of Life depict the male leading characters as cynical and almost apathetic men who in the end, were forced to choose virtue over love for the greater good under difficult circumstance. In Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart plays Rick Blaine, an American expatriate, who runs an upscale joint in the French-occupied city during World War II. The bar is a watering hole for refugees who want to exit war-torn Europe and gain entry to America. He soon has his life complicated when an old flame, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) re-enters his life with excess baggage in tow. He soon finds out that the reason Ilsa left him back when they were in Paris was because she found out that her revolutionary husband, Laszlo (Paul Henreid), was actually alive and not killed in a Nazi concentration camp, as she initially thought. The plot thickens when Ilsa asked for the two exit visas that Rick has in his possession, even pointing a gun at him.
But she soon breaks down and confessed her undying love for him. Just when everyone thinks that the two ex-lovers would be reunited for good, another twist turns. Proof of life is set in fictional town of Tecala, South America, where Peter Bowman (David Morse), is kidnapped by guerilla rebels, leaving his wife, Alice (Meg Ryan) to seek help in order to rescue him. As Peters company insurance does not cover kidnapping incidents, Alice hires an ex-Australian soldier, Terry Thorne (Russell Crowe) to facilitate search and rescue operations. Romantic tensions soon developed between the two and it even escalated when Alice received misinformation that her husband is dead. What I want to state here is movie writers, from then and now, have the good guys finish, almost always, last in scripts involving love triangles.

In the last remaining scenes in Casablanca, where Ilsa wanted to remain in Casablanca with Rick, but instead he convinced her to fly to exile-state Lisbon to be with Victor, once cant help wonder why Rick cant bear his conscience and have his love lost again, and maybe forever. When in fact, he already did a dozen good deeds when he helped the couple escape German army, obtain exit visas for them, and drive them to the airport. He even killed a German general in the process. Rick already had the chance to be reunited with his love, a woman who turned his heart into stone the first time they met, but he chose the higher road and had her go with her husband, whom she confessed she didnt love. Dont you think this will do more harm in the process Also, in The Proof of Life, Alice heard from a co-kidnap victim that Peter was already shot dead during an escape attempt. Of all people, it was Terry who convinced Alice that he had a feeling that her husband was still alive and he would still continue looking for him. Alas, during the course of the search, Terry was able to find Peter and has him reunite with Alice.

I am not really complaining about the outcome of these movies or other movies with similar story lines but if these were to happen in real life, I think any true-blooded man would do anything to keep their loved ones at any cost. They go to the extent of risking their lives but in the end, they still end up the lonely heroes they are. Theres too much mushy overkill in this type of movie and I would love to see a film one day where the protagonist says, Screw it, they can take everything but not my girl. But I guess movies were made a good purpose, to have the viewing public feel good about themselves and also have them pondering when they dive back into the real world from the reel one.

Giant
A film directed by George Stevens and starred by Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean, depicted the life and culture of Texas in the 1950s.  The story primarily revolved around three lives.  Bick Benedict, the Texan owner of a vast ranch of 595,000 acres.  The socialite Leslie, who came from Maryland and later became Bicks wife.  Jett Rink the handyman of the Benedicts who later struck oil in his tiny land and became very wealthy  even wealthier than the Benedicts.

The story began with Rick going to Maryland to buy a horse.  There he found himself enchanted by the beauty and style of Leslie and realized he was to leave with the horse and its owner  as his wife.  Rick brought Leslie to the vast nothingness of Texas the brown bushes and the dusty winds.  Leslie took to herself the mission to prove to Rick that she is now a Texan and is very willing to adapt to the harsh life Texas has to offer.  Also depicted in the film is the racism and ill feelings towards the Mexicans by the Texans  which Leslie found repulsive.

The story also tells about the handyman, Jett, who, by a fortunate-unfortunate event, was blessed with a tiny part of the huge Reata ranch (the ranch owned by the Benedicts).  Jett refused to trade his land for money twice its value.  The film emphasized the importance of land over money as was evident in their dialogue and the decision Jett made.  In his Little Reata, the name he gave his property, did he build his home.  It was not so long until he found out that the land, despite of its bareness, contained something more valuable than gold.  Oil.

On the second half of the story, we see Jett Rink now very wealthy.  He owns a huge oil company, an airline business, and a hotel business.  Rich.  Rich.  Rich.  Now Jett Rink is more powerful than the American politicians who are constantly surrounding him trying to gain his favor.

The story reaches its climax at the party hosted by Jett and with him and Bick on their stances for a fist fight.  Jett could barely hold himself upright due to being very drunk.  Bick realized one thing about the very drunk Jett and said Youre not even worth hitting.  Youre all through..  Jett was left in the party all alone, bitter, and miserable.

Written On The Wind
A film directed by Douglas Sirk and starred by Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone.  Similar to Giant, the film depicted the lives of a wealthy family who owned one of the oil businesses in Texas.

The story centered on four persons, Kyle Hadley the playboy  alcoholic son of Texas oil baron Jasper Hadley Marylee Hadley the self-destructive nymphomaniac sister of Kyle Mitch Wayne the every loyal best friend of Kyle Lucy Moore the New York City executive secretary who became Kyles wife.

How far can a friendship endure when both men fall in love with the same woman  In pocket books and love stories, the woman usually chooses the better man.  But in reality, as was portrayed by the film, it is the one with the money and power who always wins the girl.  Although Lucys character portrayed a woman who prefers not to be lavished by gold but instead sees through the gold and finds the diamond inside Kyles heart.  The two fell in love and got married while Mitch secretly suffers the pain of his unexpressed love for Lucy.
Marylee on the other hand witnesses all this and seeks to capitalize on the situation to gain Mitchs attention and affection.  She practically falls at Mitchs feet begging him to love her as she loves him.  Marylee remembers the childhood moments with her confessing her love to Mitch.  She finds ways to steal Mitchs time so they can spend time together hoping Mitch will be able to reciprocate her feelings.
But Mitch loves Lucy.

The story reached its climax with Kyle depressed and drunk over the news that he had a low sperm count.  Lucy learning it was wrong after the doctor announced her to be pregnant  But despite the news, Kyle was already buried in his despair and his mind muddied by alcohol.  Accusing Lucy of having an affair with Mitch and that the baby was not his but Mitchs, the struggle began and eventually ending with Kyle lying on the dirty pavement outside their mansion with a bullet in his belly.  Dead.

Comparative Analysis
How do these two films compare and contrast regarding the manner that they have portrayed the rich in the 1950s era  Probably the answer to that question is that they are not so different in their portrayal of the rich.  If we look at the two main characters of each film, Jett Rink and Kyle Hadley, they had everything.  Money, power, name, connections, popularity, bright future, and most specially they had the luxury of time.  They were both young and vibrant with men and women falling at their feet.  Surely they couldnt ask for anything more.

Yet they feel they have nothing.  Inside they are empty and miserable.  Miserable that they felt they didnt have the love of the people who mattered most to them.  Jett Rink later on confessed that the cause of his despair is the painful fact that the only woman she has loved became Mrs. Benedict.  Kyle, on their first conversations with Lucy, confessed about his being a failure in the eyes of his father and how he thinks the limelight was stolen by his best friend, Mitch.

The two films portrayed the rich in the 1950s to be those whom everyone envy and would kill to be in their shoes  at least on the outside.  In the inside these rich people, if misguided, are more miserable than the beggars on the streets.

Female Archetypes
If we look at the two female heroines in each film, Leslie and Lucy, how do they compare and contrast  Not very much, I would say.  In general each character is portrayed as an individual full of integrity, honesty, compassion, and love.

Leslie, despite of the bareness of Texas and despite of the ill-treatment she received from her sister-in-law, was still determined to be a good and loving wife to her husband.  She was determined to be strong  even physically  to prove to be sufficient for her husband and that she could withstand the harsh demands of the Texan life.  She also displays her abhorrence to racism and sexism.  She was polite, grateful, friendly, and helpful to their Mexican servants despite the fact that being such is unheard of in the Texan culture.  She was extremely offended when being brushed off during her attempt to join the mens conversation on political events.  She portrayed a concerned and caring mother, a loyal and loving wife, and a good friend.

Lucy on the other hand portrayed a character of dignity.  Despite Kyles display of fortune and wealth during their first date, she displayed her respect for herself.  As Mitch said, If she wasnt (different), shed be spitting on your eye.  explaining to Kyle how she wasnt like the other women Kyle has been involved with in the past.  Her display of dignity was strongly proven when right after the moment Kyle turned his back, she hurriedly left the beautiful suite Kyle rented for her and headed to the airport.  This however intrigued Kyle more and soon found himself to be truly and sincerely in love with Lucy.

Social Criticism
The film Giant illuminated the life in Texas during the 1950s.  This included the life of the wealthy  those who owned hundreds of thousands of acres of land, the poor and lowly life of the Mexican servants, the racism towards the Mexicans from the Texans, the friendship and camaraderie that existed within the community, and the overall culture of the Texans even the gender roles and restrictions.  The film also showed the fortune and wealth that the oil business provides.  The film showed the improvement of  not only the land owners lives but also  the community and the people within it.

The film also told about the war and how it affected the lives of the wives and families that were left behind to wait.  There was even a part in the story that was narrated in a very subtle manner.  I am not sure if it was the directors intention but for my interpretation it told about the story of the Mexican boy.  This little boy, who somehow impressed Bick Benedict, grew up to be a fine man.  He joined the army, went to war, and later came home inside a box.  It was a subtle narration of how the war went on with fewer Americans dying but more Mexicans and African-Americans coming home inside a box.

The film emphasized heavily on racism.  Since from the beginning of the movie with Bick Benedict coming down from the train and scolding one of his Mexican servants, his constant plea to Leslie not to associate with the servants and befriend them, to the fist fight with a cook who refused to serve their Mexican customers.  In the end the hero of the story, Bick Benedict, realized the fault of racism and decided to mend his ways by standing up for the Mexicans.  The film also ended with Leslie expressing her admiration towards her husband for defending those whom the Texans considered to be the lesser race and telling him that at that very moment did she realize that  you (Bick) were at last my hero., and that Well, after a hundred years, the Benedict family is a real big success..

Structural Analysis
With Douglas Sirks works in the 1950s and the trend of the melodrama, a question arises whether the film Giant falls under this category

Considering the elements and factors involved that comprise a melodramatic story, the film Written On The Wind displayed plenty of it while Giant displayed only but a few.  Since the main element of a melodrama is the melody and  or the musical scores that accompany scenes which the director feels or wants to accent in order to touch the audiences emotions, Giant only has a few of these musical accompaniments.

The film was almost bare and at times dragging with very lengthy and slow-paced conversations with almost just two camera angles.  The audiences were not primarily moved by the melodies accompanying the scenes but rather with the main story itself that runs through in the dialogue.  The power of influencing the audiences emotions did not heavily rely on the obvious advantage of musical accompaniments.  That power was achieved by the story telling that film director George Stevens has so effectively inculcated in the movie.

The film Giant, with its subtle narratives and story telling and with all factors to consider, would still fall under the category of the 1950s melodrama.  Quiet similar to the second film, Written On The Wind, Giant touches the emotions of its audience with such power as to remain in our hearts for decades.

F.W. Murnaus Nosferatu is widely regarded by horror movie fans and critics alike as one of the best vampire movies of all time. Believed by many to be the first horror movie featuring vampires, it is said that Nosferatu paved the way for horror legends like Bela Lugosi to put their unique stamp on vampire characters like Lugosis interpretation of Dracula. Nosferatu remains popular nearly a century after its original release due in large part to its ability to be scary and shocking in spite of its being a silent, black and white film. Murnau manipulates the characters, settings and the narration screens in such a way that the story remains vital and fear-inspiring to modern viewers. Nosferatu remains a relevant film in the horror genre because of its use of awe-inspiring nature scenes and its particularly grotesque title character, which were revolutionary at the time of the films release and have become legendary since. The wide nature and countryside scenes that Murnau uses, along with close-up shots of the vampire and his frightened victims all represent elements of Romanticism. The film incorporates many elements of Romantic art and the Romanticism movement to convey senses of awe, shock and fear in the viewer which are still effective and evocative today.

The Romanticism movement came about as a negative reaction to the Industrial Revolution and centered on an appreciation and love of nature and awe of natural beauty and the power of natural elements and God. The emotions of awe, fear and comprehension of beauty are all important aspects of Romanticism. Nosferatu incorporates many of these Romantic Movement ideals. Murnau uses several scenes of wide open ocean and shorelines when the vampire is traveling on the ship. This is similar to the technique used in Romantic art of posing human figures or representations of humanity like houses or boats in small scale to enormous mountains, oceans, or hill sides to represent the grandeur and enormity of nature. One scene where this technique is particularly evident and effective is the scene of the shoreline with dozens of handmade crosses planted in the sand. This scene gives the viewer a sense of the enormity of the ocean and the helplessness of the ships crew both against the oceans power and against the evil of the vampire lurking among them. The human figure seated in the center of the frame appears small and vulnerable because the scope of the shot makes the beach and the ocean much larger than him. He is also surrounded by crosses, which symbolize mans mortality in sharp contrast the enduring, immortal power and strength of nature.

Another scene that effectively incorporates elements of Romanticism in the film is the close-up of Nosferatu when he is emerging from his coffin. As the narrative screens that interspersed the silent film tell the viewer about dirt-filled coffins, the viewer is given a close-up view of the monsters face. As Nosferatu breaks through the coffin, he emerges in all his fearful and awe-inspiring glory. He is pale and bald, with giant fangs protruding from his mouth, beady evil-looking eyes, and crooked fingers with huge curling claws at the ends. He is the embodiment of the thing that the viewer fears outside the bedroom window or hiding in the closet, and he is represented in stark detail in this shot. Filling the screen with his gruesomeness is a very effective way to convey the awe and fear of evil and monsters. It also represents the concept of the alien and unknown, another Romantic theme. This is a monster that no viewer has ever encountered before. Murnau follows this shot closely with Jonathan Harkers reaction to the discovery of the monsters existence, and his terrified face further inspires fear in the viewer. This close-up view of the embodiment of evil, along with the reactions of his helpless victims, utilizes Romanticism to convey fear and awe at the evil vampire.

Film directors play a big role to influence audience. Their masterpieces illustrate culture and values which make people retrospect about their societal roles and ideological concerns.

The trilogy film Godfather is perhaps the greatest American gangster film. Though the film may seem to celebrate Mafia and violence in Sicilian and Italian heritage, Coppola hit upon the idea of making the film more of a metaphor for American capitalism. This particular film made Coppola very popular in his film making career. Although the film did not greatly glorify violence due to its little manifestations, Coppola managed to create a legendary film whose political messages are very timeless and realistic. It reflects the needs, fears and hopes of American culture. Through this film, Coppola initially created his own identity due to his unique directorial styles despite the limited resources.

Director Coppola from the God father 1, II and trilogy seems to value the dynamics of family. He incorporated in these movies how people work together. There is distinct progression from godfather Vitos family, Vitos rise to power and Michaels fall which manifests Copollas ability to explore his directing talents. The movie reflects cultural idealism that mirrors family, loyalty and honour. It reveals how the Corleone family consolidates their business power to protect their familys honour. It is highly anticipated and perhaps critically examine because the movie setting is an also a description during the rise of American economic success where Mafia as a powerful group are great contributors. It is a story of gangster genre where power is very important. The Godfather despite its low budgeted production has an enduring artistic legacy-where the film speaks for itself.

All three movies of Godfather are also dominated by paternalistic rule where men are superior. This affirms that the movie is done during Copollas earliest career where sexism topic is not really explored and debated.
Copolla acquired a classical and traditional style of filmmaking during the Godfathers the making. The film is very long and it is obviously low budgeted. Another unique structure of Copollas movie in the Godfather is the use of flashbacks as further psychological depths of analysis to the character and themes. Coppola took the risk of making part 2 in Godfather. Making part 2 during Copollas earliest time is a no, no in the production industries because theories says that audiences usually lose interest in part twos but Coppola successfully made it almost perfect that made him won Oscars. It was truly a magnificent movie. Coppola is a born talent. Every scene makes a perfect sense. Coppola made a good job with the way he develop his characters. The character of Vito and Michael seems quiet and theres coolness in its nature however, Coppola artistically made an evolution for them as a cold blooded killers that made them stronger force. And I found the background colours satisfying. The colours scheme alone will say that the future involvement of the characters will be dark experiences. The movie is a complete material of different variety of elements from music, to colours, setting, and plot structure and character development. It is a perfect blend of elements where in the variety of scenes were linked together from different time period and created emotional momentum and revelation. The movie though simple and traditional showcases creativity and richness.

Sciendlers List, on the other hand is one of the most celebrated films of Spielberg. It is under the genre of war-drama film that illustrates the story of a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand Polish Jewish during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The story itself is very authentic  about a Nazi saving Jews who suddenly risked everything he had earned and put it all in the service of saving the lives of some Polish Jews. It was dangerous but will it be worth it Sciendlers List ideally illustrates the horror of the Holocaust combined with Spielbergs tender humanism. This film differ from other Holocaust films that preceded Spielberg, yet the finished product remain faithful to the unforgettable images of more than six million massacred Jews.

In this film, one can truly see a very passionate film maker who did not ultimately concerned himself with the profit but primarily created the movie for artistic fulfilment. The product became an inspiration for the future American film makers. The crew shot the film at the real life locations though the PBaszw concentration camp had to be reconstructed due to the post-war changes to the original camp. Moreover, the film crews were forbidden to enter Auschwitz and so Spielberg created a replica instead outside the camp. Spielberg, aside from totally conforming to the book where he basically based the film, personally interviewed survivors, went to Poland and spent time with the people to speak to the Jews who had come back to Poland after the war. Spielberg basically spent a great deal of research to depict the story in a more credible way.

The film is shot in black and white which effectively use shadow and light, meticulously limiting the application of hue. The opening scene, one little girls jacket appears red so that she stands out, and the closing sequence, a pair of candles burn with orange flames, however are in color which make a point and impression. One can say that it has an artistic and effective device for presenting the films story. Spielbergs identity in this film is that is has a documentary quality with its virtually black and white color. Though Hollywood is not known for its accurate depictions of historical events but no one can question Spielbergs efforts to confront factual matters in a fictional way.

The film Last of the Mohicans on the other hand directed by Michael Mann depicts Old American culture and heritage. The story of the Last Mohicans is about war stories, adventure, frontier romance, pioneer life and racism. The film is a historical fiction that takes place during the third year of the Indian and French war in 1755-1763. Indians play a very significant role in Indian and French since some of them became the French ally to help them explore the wild forest frontier of western New York. The story though didnt focus much on the detailed events of the French and Indian War, but on the consequences of the interracial friendship and romance, revenge, nature and combat scenes in the wilderness. Mann emphasizes the tensions between nature and culture, between nature and man and between the Whites and Native Indians.

The title itself Last of the Mohicans symbolizes the death of the native Indian Culture in the encroaching approach of European civilization. The death of Uncas particularly laments the end of the Mohicans civilization. The title itself determines the ultimate tragedy of the novels plot. The novel was fruitful contribution to still remember that once in American frontier there came an ancient civilization that must be saluted with their expertise in the wilderness and pioneer life. The story of Mann is non fiction but the characters were created in the novel especially the Indian tribes has historical context. Though the land itself where the setting took place is as dangerous as the Indian tribes but Mann also highlighted and justified the good sides of the natives. The setting is in the woods that fills Indian tribes. Their expertise in conventional battle in the wilderness fits their potential. The setting and nature conveys that the story is to introduce the native Indians. When the whites came, Cooper through the characters he created contributes to the depiction on how Indians are treated outside the Frontier. The film also showcases the weakness of the Europeans in their lack of understanding in the dangerous forest. At the very beginning, whites were expressive that they need Indians expertise to invade the land. Indians are fierce and dangerous though but it is for them to continue their legacy and civilization. Their keen awareness of racism made them defensive.This film makes American audience retrospect about their heritage.

Apparently, all the three directors created films that illustrate part of history and human reality. Spielberg and Coppola, left a great legacy with their unique and passionate styles in film making. Through them, other American film makers were inspired to create films that are not only profit oriented but films that should also depict reality with artistic innovation. Both directors illustrate the extent of American liberated minds, whose artistic expressions and freedom are unrestricted. It was somehow a fulfilment of American dream where arts enthusiasts are encouraged to express their creativity.