American History X

I was very disturbed when I found out that we had to watch this movie as the best film that depicts the American life. I had never seen this movie before but had heard about the black man that dies by having his head smashed into a curb. Needless to say, I really enjoyed every minute of this movie. I was shocked, but also touched by the overall message of the movie and even shed a few tears at the end.

Edward Norton was a phenoemnal actor playing Derek, a man who was involved in a group called the D.O.C.(Disciples of Christ). He led this group and brain washed many people into hating people from other races especially the blacks. The whole movie is really disturbing seeing how much hate consumes these followers of the Disciples of Christ. Derek's mission is to make everyone aware of his opinions on different races and make life a living hell for anyone who is an illegal immigrant or for anyone who is black. Derek is really a great leader, he's dynamic, he has charisma, and he is very passionate about his beliefs. I am not surprised that he had so many followers despite the horrible things he made them to do. Derek's main follower was his little brother Danny.

Derek and Danny both grew up in a typical loving home with a mom, a dad and two sisters. Derek's life didn't turn upside down until his father was killed. It is apparent that this was the turning point that led the family to destruction. The mom lost control over her children and suffered health problems from the stress of raising such rebellious children. There seems to be a lot of anger and resentment from Derek against even his own family. He turns on his sister, his mom and can't seem to control his temper. Derek has such a strong personality that cannot be tamed without major consequences. Derek does wind up turning his life around after spending three grueling years in prison for killing two black gang members. Prison was the best thing that could have ever happened to Derek. It was during his stay that he developed some compassion for the blacks and ironically grew to dislike the white men. It was in this terrible place that he actually opened up to a black man and began to realize the admirable qualities that they possess. Upon returning from prison Derek did a 180 and began to leave his old ways.

The story unravels when Derek changes his ways and tries to undo the harm he has caused in other people's lives, especially his little brother. Danny begins to follow the path of destruction that his older brother once followed. Danny gets in trouble at school and gets assigned a project to write a paper on his broters life. It's through the writing of this paper where we learn the history of the family and understand why they are in their current situation. This paper is very significant in causing flashbacks and details that are very essential to the story. The paper symbolizes Danny's decision to make things right in his own life and to embrace humanity.

The saddest part of this story is the realization that bad things happen to people who don't deserve it. Although Derek repented for his wrong doings he had to suffer the worst consequence of having his little brother shot. Danny was such a great kid that did not deserve what he got. Danny was the one that had a great heart, who was going to make something of himself and who decided to write this paper to redeem his history grade. Derek deserved this ill act while Danny's the one that had his life cut short. The last scene was so disheartening because Danny's future was shot just like his poor lifeless body. I keep seeing the flashbacks of the two young brothers on the beach running around with innocent smiles. This just reminds me of how sweet life can be and how it should be. Hate only leads to desctruction. Bitterness and resentment can eat away at a person's soul and damage themselves more than it can hurt anyone else. The ending was really beautiful showing the sunset and the waves. I am very happy I was forced to watch this movie. I appreciate the way it made me think and feel.

The Motorcycle Diaries

This film is a beautiful picture of friendship while two young men journey accross South America seeking adventure. The film is based off of Ernesto Guevara journals telling about the trek he and his friend Alberto Granado endured through Latin America. Although the film showed great scenery and culture, I felt rather detached throughout the majority of the film up until the very end. At the end I realized the amazing discoveries Ernesto Guevara had made through his travels and also within himself.

The first half of the movie is spent following these two boys on their motorcycle as they travel accross Argentina, Chile, Peru, Columbia and Venezuela. The trip starts off in the boys home country, Argentina. Ernesto decides to take a break from his studies eventhough he is supposed to graduate in one more semester as a doctor. I think Ernesto knows deep down that this is the time for him to discover himself before settling down with a girl and a career. It's unclear throughout the film whether he loses his girlfriend because of his decision to travel or if she met someone else. I have a feeling that she decided to move on because she was tired of waiting around for Ernesto and was ready to get married. Ernesto had to make many sacrifices to put his life on hold so he could truly find his passion. By putting his education and family on hold Ernesto clearly discovered himself and his purpose for life. I know he made the right decision in taking this journey with Alberto.

Alberto is a man who is very different from Ernesto. He seems a lot more selfish and celf-centered. Alberto is more interested in women and one-night stands while Ernesto is more full of compassion and likes to keep his word. Alberto is great at bull-shitting, he exaggerates the truth and makes up stories to get what he wants. Ernesto is also a very honest man, he tells people the truth even if he knows they don't want to hear it. Alberto is very fake, he will tell people exactly what they want to hear even if there is zero truth to it. There could not be two more opposite personalities shown in this film, however these two do compliment eachother because they are so different form one another. A phrase in the movie really describes the relationship between these two men it says, "What we had in common-our restlessness, our impassioned spirits, and a love for the open road." I believe this is all it takes to create the inseperable bond these two formed.

The film shows amazing landscape. We see all different kinds of climates, however two specific scenes from the motorcycle journey really stick out in my mind. The first being the scene where the boys run into the cows. I just love that they were out on the open road and all of the sudden they come accross a herd of cows and didn't have any brakes on their motorcyle to stop them from hitting these helpless animals. The second scene that was beautifully filmed was the scene through the mountain climate in the Andes. It was such a contrast to see all of that snow and was unbelievable that their fragile little motorcycle could even function in the snow. We come to find out that it actually can't as the boys are left to drag their motorcycle through the freezing conditions.

My favorite part of this film is the last 10-15 minutes. I love how they ended the film with the saying from the very beginning of the movie, "This isn't a tale of heroic feats. It's about two lives running parallel for awhile, with common aspirations and similar dreams. Both Ernesto and Alberto were forever changed as they were touched by their experiences especially through their connection with the leper colony. There is a strong division between the leper people and other colonies. Both Ernesto and Alberto work towards diminishing the division between these lepers and the rest of the world. They do this by refusing to wear gloves and Ernesto also does this by swimming accross the Amazon River to join the other side on his birthday. Ernesto has begun to understand the inequities he was shown throughout his journey and does what he thinks is right to bridge that gap. As Ernesto says at the end of the film, "Wandering around our America has changed me more than I thought. I am not me anymore. At least I am not the same me I was." This is a beautiful ending to a fantastic story.

Beat the Drum

South Africa is a beautiful country full of culture, farmland and cities. This film shows two aspects of South Africa as we look both at the countryside and the city. The farmland that was first shown is so simple yet wonderful. Rolling hills flow through the land and families live close to eachother. I love the idea of living on a farm, raising your own crops and providing for a family. However, we see a very sad aspect of life that is destroyed by a terrible epidemic known as AIDS. We see many families ripped apart from AIDS. The saddest part is that many think there's a terrible curse that is killing of their family members and are not aware or educated about AIDS. Musa's family is clueless about the real curse that has come over his family. His family is willing to sacrifice their valuable animals to undo the curse they think is upon them. Musa is then forced to move to the city to raise some money to but a new cow for his family.

Musa's journey to Johannesberg is a vivid depiction of Africa's landscape. We see wild animals wandering through the land. Musa seems very confident through his journey, he is just accustomed to his surroundings and shows us his bravery through his lonely travels. The roads are paved with dirt and although we mostly see brownish red dirt covering the landscape it still radiates beauty by showing us the purity of nature. I feel at peace when I see the natural beauty of Africa and see all the life that dwells among the land.

Once Musa reaches Johannesberg we begin to see the city life of South Africa. The city can be a very dangerous place to live. This city is full of crime, rape and AIDS. We also see the struggle for survival, many are homeless and frantically looking to make money. We see Musa become a window cleaner while he competes with many others for business opportunities. The city does not look like a desirable place to live. It is basically a place for people to earn money so they can send it to their families back home.

I believe the main purpose of this film is to raise awareness about AIDS. We see how so many people are ashamed to talk about it and many don't even know what it is. Prevention can't be practiced if people are unwilling to learn about AIDS and come up with solutions to keep themselves safe. Africa has lost so many people to this disease and will continue to unless awareness is spread. It's a shame that such a beautiful country is so deadly. However, we can look to the future and hope for education and prevention.

Singapore Dreaming

This film is a story about a typical family in Singapore who dream of wealth and success. The movie is centered around a lower-middle class family living in public housing in Singapore. Each person in the family has very different personalities yet each person is struggling to find the key to happiness and success. While we are watching the families success and failures we are reminded that the real thing that matters in life is love and family.

The mother in this film wants what is best for her family. She forces herbal tea on everyone, always looks for the best bargains and is constantly treated as a doormat. She lives her life to please others. The daughter in the film is very similar to her mother. She does have a career but allows her manager and family to take advantage of her just because she is a woman. There is a very clear sexist theme throughout this film, showing that men are superior and deserve more opportunities then women. The father would do absolutely anything for his son. The father is so concerned with becoming rich that he practically forces his son to go to school in America. I believe the only reason he sends his son to school is so that he will someday reap the benefits of having a son with a college education. The son is the worst of all. He takes advantage of everyone in his family. He is the kind of person that expects to get rich without putting in any effort. The son was given endless opportunities to make something of himself yet failed and still expected his family to support him financially. I felt sorry for each family member at certain points of this film. Each member of this family was just so pathetic and weak. Happiness can not be bought and unfortunately this family thought that wealth was the answer to all their problems.

The landscape of this movie was very urban . We see a lot of businesses with high skyscrapers. There are a lot of people that live on this island and not very much space. We can see that status is one of the most important things in Singapore. Belonging to country clubs and living in luxury is a high priority to most of the people in Singapore. There seems to be a lot of competition between jobs and status since there are so many people and not a lot of opportunities. There is just such a high standard for luxury living yet a low standard for the quality of life.

This film is a great reminder to us all to not take the simple things in life for granted. Money can be handed to you on a silver platter and there will still be struggles in life. We must remember that character is more important than wealth. I am pleased that by the end of this film most members of the Loh family developed their character and showed us a little bit of integrity.

Tsotsi

This powerful film was definitely my favorite so far. The story takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa and is about a boy and his struggles to overcome his horrifying childhood. The film unravels the development of this boy named Tsotsi and transforms him from a thug into a respectable young man who has repented for his wrong doings. It is amazing to see how such a destructive boy can transform from a dangerous fighter into a loving caretaker of a little infant.

This movie has many contrasts, especially between living conditions. The urban areas of South Africa looked very appealing. These urban areas had gated communities, a lot of beautiful houses and appeared to have strong security systems. These developed neighborhoods were full of high class people who could afford the latest security alarms to protect their neighborhoods and houses. I was amazed at how extravagant the houses were especially on the inside, I would have never expected a house in Africa to be so luxurious. The rural areas were my typical stereotype of Africa. These areas were run down shacks with metal roofs and underdeveloped neighborhoods with little technology. There were many homeless children who found homes in drain pipes and just a lot of dirty people who engaged in criminal activities. The rural area was basically a hang out for the criminals and homeless. There was a lot of dirt and dust and no trees or landscaping like the urban neighborhoods had.

Although many would think there would be a contrast between the black and white people in Africa, very few differences are shown in this film. The victims of this movie, the couple who had their baby kidnapped, are black. Eventhough this couple is black it appears as though they act more like the white class. They are very wealthy, successful and act very respectable. There are very few white people in the movie to even comment on. One of the very few characters that comes to mind who was white, is the police officer with the moustache. This officer did seem a lot more calm than the other black police officers in the film. I guess eventhough there was only a few white people in this film, these white people held possitions of authority. They were police officers who had a lot of power in South Africa.

There is no direct Apartheid shown in this film yet we know it is hidden behind the scenes. We can see the effect that it has on society, it has divided society and created a poverty infested population. Although we can't see the power behind this problem, we can see the segregation dividing throughout the areas of South Africa.

The baby is the central character in this movie, without the baby Tsotsi would be headed in the path of destruction. The baby symbolizes hope and redemption. This little baby boy has saved Tsotsi from his criminal ways and has made him into a decent human being that actually cares about right and wrong. Tsotsi now knows what it feels like to care for someone other than himself. The baby has also helped Tsotsi get over his painful childhood. The baby was someone he could care for and show the world that he is capable of loving something eventhough his father never loved him. The baby also revealed a selflessness in Tsotsi, he gave the baby back so it would have a chance at life and would have the opportunties that Tsotsi never had.

The movie is pretty vague about the future of Africa. We can conclude that there is hope for the future generations. We can be proud that at least one life has transformed and hopefully many others will follow into Tsotsi's path. We can hope for change in everyone's lives and hopefully create a better society. We can look foward to the future and try to forget the painful past that Africa has endured.

City of God

The film City of God first takes place between the 1960-the late 1980's. This movie was filmed and takes place in Rio de Janiero, Brazil and is a disturbing story of the slums throughout this city. It was filmed in the year 2000 and many of the characters in the movie are actually actors who were trained from this area. The main story line is about a few boys who were trapped in the slums or favellas and how their lives unfolded throughout many unfortunate circumstances. These slums are the result of poverty throughout this area, there are so many poor people that have very few options. I know this movie was based on a true story and that just makes it that much worse, knowing and being a part of the violence and inhumanity that goes on in other parts of the world. The director did not hold back any violent details when showing us the scenes of this movie, I assume that most of the things that happened are accurate, but I still wish that I didn't have to see so many disturbing images.

Little Dice is one of the main characters in this film, the story introduces him as just a child. When I first saw him I almost had some sympathy for him, he seemed left out eventhough he was the one with all the ideas and most of the intelligence of the group, however, I hadn't yet realized that this kid had evil in his core and was created to kill. There was no morality in his intentions, just like most of the kids in these favellas. No one seemed to have any regard for human life, everyone was just too consumed with gaining more power and would kill anyone who stood in their way.

The city in this movie is portrayed as such a dangerous place. I would be scared to step foot in this city for even five minutes. There are kids hijacking trucks for goods, people killing in the streets, the police have no control over anyone. There is just no order in the City of God, no one respects authority. People run from the cops, yet the cops are also bad people who accept bribes, no one can be trusted. Everyone is just struggling to get by, if you are not a thief, you may not survive. People kill just for the sake of killing, or most importantly to show them that they have more power. The economy also seems almost nonexistent, no one has jobs, there are no shops, restaurants or anything around the streets.

The landscape outside of the favella is beautiful beaches, full of lush palm trees and sparkling waters. It almost felt like I was watching two different movies, first your looking at these run down neighborhoods full of crime and commotion, then you're looking at peaceful beaches full of sand and laughter. Also the landscape outside of the favellas just looks a lot safer, there are actually businesses, nicer houses and more transportation. It looks like a typical city with normal people that are not so involved with hate and crime. Along with a more developed city comes more developed individulas who have a more peaceful existence. The countryside is basically just shown as an escape from the favellas to a safer environment.

Class structure is very evident in this movie. We are shown two sides of life. The favelas show us the poor side of the city, this side is full of illegal substances, guns, killing, crime and danger. All the power in these favelas are held by gangs. These gangs decide who will live and who will die, they force others into gangs and hold the lives of the city in their hands. They also have the power to control the wealth of the community. Outside of the favelas we are shown others that are not involved in gangs, such as the police. Although the police are supposed to protect us from harm, they cannot help but to also be influenced by these gangs. The police flirt with danger as they accept bribes from the wealthy so they can also become richer, creating a violent circle. What a violent and corrupt existence the City of God is under!

Veer-Zaara

Veer-Zaara is an amazingly long movie full of color, dance and incredibly cheesy singing. I was very surprised at how fake the singing voices were, how bad the lip synching was, and somehow how fake the backgrouds looked. Yet despite all of these negative perceptions, I was pleasantly satisfied with the overall story about passion, integrity, and reconciliation. The love story between the two main characters presents an inspiring example of two people keeping their word and carrying on eachothers legacies.

This love story all begins with the conflict of two seperate populations split by British influence. This split was also the result of many cultural and religious differences between these two countries. Veer is a Hindu Indian while Zaara is a Muslim Pakistani. Zaara has already been promised to another man set up by her father. However, Zaara had no idea how real love felt until she met Veer. Zaara is a passionate young girl who is very determined to take her nanny, Bebe's ashes to a sacred river in India. Zaara is a woman of her word, she will not let anything stand in her way. She threatened her own life just so she could keep her promise of returning Bebe's ashes to this body of water. While Zaara is on her journey she comes accross a handsome young man named Veer, these two hit it off within the first day and set themselves up for a lifetime of passion for eachother.

The English language is woven into this film very peculiarly. It seems that English was suddenly spoken only if a character was very passionate about something, if they were yelling, crying or happy they would suddenly speak English. Maybe speaking in English emphasizes emotions to them and helps them get their point accross more directly. I don't think it's uncommon to take certain words or phrases from different languages and adopt them to your vocabulary, yet these were not just words or phrases, it was conversation. I believe that this was also happening in attempt to modernize India and Pakistan by applying English in their culture.

Most of this movie was set in the beautiful countryside that at times appeared unreal because of the vibrant colors of the land. Rolling hills flowed throughout the scenes, I believe this is the first time we've seen a film with such an amazingly lush landscape. The countryside was full of life, sugar cane was grown as well as rice in these fertile fields shown throughout the movie. There didn't seem to be any pollution in this rural landscape mosly because there was very little transportation by cars. This film rarely shows any urban spaces, which is surprising since India has one of the top poulations in the world. I expected to see a lot more people bustling through the streets like they did in Japan or China, but from what we saw the population seemed very scarce.

Unlike the west, singing and dancing is clearly very important to the Bollywood style. Most movies are not three hours in length and I think in order to make such a long film you have to include some fillers, such as music and dancing. These musical scenes provide an opportunity for many more characters or extras to enter the film. Only about five percent of the people shown in this film actually had speaking roles. This tradition also allows us to take a look into the culture of India. I'm sure there are a lot more get togethers in India that include some sort of dance parties. India is the largest producer of films in the whole world and I wouldn't doubt that movies or film making is their primary source of entertainment, which may also explain why they involve so many actors/dancers in their films.