History of Movie Essay Example for Free

History of Movie Essay Jon Lewis claimed that the new movies that were being written and produced marked a period of time where it was the â€Å"end of the cinema as we know it. † This could be argued either way by anyone who has both watched some of the classic movies of the past and viewed the new movies of today. There are many reasons to believe that modern movies are just as great as the movies form the past. The modern movies do have some differences that are present in that there are better affects, better overall research, but still the same magical qualities and wonderful imagination that went into films of the past. Therefore it will be argued that it is not the end of the cinema as we know it. By looking at movies from the past, middle time periods and more recent times it can easily be argued that many movies of these time periods put together great plot lines, memorable characters and wonderful lasting interest among those who have watched them. In 1942 Casablanca was released. This movie introduced the world to some of the most memorable characters in film history. It was a true love story that enveloped the viewer and allowed them to feel close to characters like Rhett Butler and Scarlet O’Hara. This movie also gave the viewer a hope that love could prevail above all else. In an argument about how there are still movies made that have these same values, a great story plot line that whisks the viewer into another world and a cast of unforgettable characters one could look at the movies ET and Mullholland Drive. ET was released in 1982 and again introduced the viewer to ET and the wonderful family that allowed him to be at home in their home. The movie brought hope to many that all people could be accepted and that no matter how different one was there was a way for them to be able to gain such acceptance. Mullholland Drive also used some of these same key factors although it was released years later in 2001. This movie’s plot was a bit difference and rather than giving hope about a life that could possibly happen it instilled some fear in people about what could possibly happen if luck were to strike one the other way. However the movie was a great a film that incorporated many different aspects of film technique and it also left a memory in the mind of the viewer as David Lynch (the film’s producer) was able to portray such a real portrayal of life. When looking through movies that are from the different time periods of the American cinema it is easy to see that the times and what is going on really do affect the movies that are popularized and remembered as being part of the time period. These movies depict both current things that are happening as well as looking at the historical events. In 1949 The Sands of Iwo Jima was released and quickly became a popular hit and movie and yet is another movie that has continued to be viewed by audiences over the past six decades. This movie was a portrayal of a group of U. S. Marines that were in a battle in World War II. In light of the times the movie was a portrayal of a part of the world that was unknown to many of the people who were living in the United States. Some more modern movies, although maybe a bit more far fetched, have also looked at the times and what is going on and have drawn their conclusions from these themes. One of these movies was 1999’s The Matrix. This movie was released during one of the largest technological booms that the country has seen. This movie portrayed aspects of the new forms of technology and what could happen if the world continued to grow technologically more advanced. Another movie that looked at problems associated with modern times was Sin City which was released in 2005. This movie looked at the world of crime and organized crime as it has been able to advance in more modern times. Another way that the cinema has been upheld is through the ways that values and beliefs have been portrayed through the movies of the time. Obviously through modernization there have been changes in the way that beliefs have been looked at but through the cinema these beliefs have been marked for all future generations in great pic time pieces that look at the things that are involved. This topic of values, although still portrayed in films has changed greatly. In 1959 Ben Hur was released and it promoted the standard values and beliefs of Christianity and the morals that are portrayed in The Bible. This movie was portrayed in this way as the majority of the country upheld these same beliefs and values. In the 1970’s the morals of the Untied States were changing drastically. By looking at films and the portrayal of interest in organized crime and more cynical events, as evidenced in 1972’s The Godfather, one can see that although the morality and the values of the country were still being upheld they were changing and the films were changing to meet the demands and interests of the people at the time. Much later in 1994’s Pulp Fiction, there was still this profound interest in crime and the ways that organized crime has been ran only there were much less morals in the overall themes than there had been previously in film. This is due in part to the continued evolution of change in the morality of the citizens of the United States. There have also been monumental portrayals of creativity and imagination in the movies that have been portrayed throughout the times. There have been different types of creativity and imagination has evolved but these features have given the viewer a place to escape to and somewhere that they would like to travel by watching the films over and over again. In 1965’s The Sound of Music, one is led into a world where a wonderful nanny moves in with some rather obnoxious children and learns how to befriend and be able to do her job through the magic of music. This movie whisked the viewer away to another place and led the viewer to hope that he/she was able to have that same type of sing-song wonderful life. In 1999’s The Blair Witch Project a group of college students decided to get creative and make a movie that would end up making them millions. This movie did focus a bit on the mythical belief that there could be modern day witches or members of the occult in the world around the viewer. The film was creatively filmed in a manner that led the viewer to believe that it was a work of non-fictional filming and that the events that were happen on camera were really happening to the actors. Another great portrayal of creativity has been in The Polar Express, released 2004. This film was the cinematic portrayal of a classic children’s book that was meant to show the viewer the wonder and mystery of Christmas and Santa Claus. All of these films used creative elements and things that the viewers could appreciate and that would add a little bit of mystery and fun to the viewers’ lives. In conclusion cinema has changed and evolved over the years. Although there is no way to say that cinema has ended as it was once known. Films are still portraying the same types of things as they have in the past. There are the films that are portraying a story line and are meant to whisk the viewer away, films that are looking at historical events and evolvement, films that are looking at the values and morals of the time period in which they are created, and films that are used purely to induce imagination and creativity. It is absurd to think that there was not supposed to be any type of evolvement in the world of film however it is also absurd to think that this has to be a negative thing and that it has to end the world of cinema or film as it was previously known. Therefore it is logical to disagree with Jon Lewis’ thoughts on the world of cinema changing in a negative way.

The Yellow Wallpaper as an Attack on Radical Feminism -- Yellow Wallpa

The Yellow Wallpaper as an Attack on Radical Feminism  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† explores mental illness and, through this exploration, presents a critique of the place of women in a patriarchal society. Interestingly, Charlotte Perkins Gilman never intended the latter. The primary intent of her short story is to criticize of a physician prescribed treatment called rest cure. The treatment, which she underwent, required female patients to â€Å"’live as domestic a life as possible’† (Gilman). This oppressive treatment, however, parallels the oppression of women. As such, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† has been interpreted as a feminist work. In the story, Gilman comments on the status of women, the nature and source of their confinement and the possible modes of escape. Afflicted by hysteria and â€Å"nervous depression,† the narrator in this story, symbolic of all women, is confined. The condition of the narrator is such that she is â€Å"absolutely forbidden to ‘work’† and unable to â€Å"relieve the press of ideas† through creative endeavours. The narrator makes continued reference to immovable objects and thereby, creates a sense of confinement. â€Å"Hedges and walls and gates that lock† seem to enclose the colonial mansion and hereditary estate. The garden is â€Å"full of box-bordered paths.† Everything is structured, rigid and restrictive. The windows of the nursery are barred. The narrator sleeps on a â€Å"great immoveable bed† which â€Å"is nailed down.† Yet, the nursery is a paradox of images; the images of confinement are contrasted with descriptions of the nursery. The nursery is â€Å"a big, airy room† that has â€Å"windows that look all ways, and air and sunshine galore.† and was, at one time, a â€Å"playroom and gymnasium.† The use of contrasting image... ...front her confinement the wrong way. It is through these events in the story that Gilman does seem to be criticizing women for seeking their freedom at the expense of men. Gilman, while attacking the repression and oppression of women, seems also to attack radical feminism by pointing out that contempt for the opposite sex does nothing to further the feminist cause. Feminists, therefore, should be examples of proper conduct. They should continue to strive for equality but in a manner, that does not alienate men and other women.    Works Cited Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† The Harbrace Anthology of Literature. Eds. Jon Stott, Raymond E. Jones, Rick Bowers. 2nd ed. Toronto: Harcourt Brace, 1998.    Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. â€Å"Why I wrote the Yellow Wallpaper† [reprinted article]. URL: http://fmc.utm.edu/~lalexand/reply.htm   

Perfume Essay

This essay will compare and contrast the various methods used by the author and director of the novel Perfume. Perfume, written by Patrick Suskind and adapted by Tom Tykwer, is a dramatic, crime thriller about the life of a murderer. Born and raised in Paris, Jean-Baptiste survives the most gruelling childhood; his father unknown and mother executed for attempting to kill him, rejected by the wet nurses in the village and when finally taken in by Madame Gaillard at the orphanage, the children endeavour to kill him. They fear he is dangerous because of his lack of personal scent. However Grenouille survives through even their best efforts, survives the measles, dysentery, chicken pox and cholera. It is clear that this child is special not only because of his amazing ability to endure the most appalling conditions but also because of his exceptionally talented sense of smell. The title â€Å"Perfume† gives the reader/viewer a good idea of what to expect from the very beginning. Trying to translate Grenouille’s olfactory language into visual picture was from the beginning a mammoth task than is expertly accomplished by the director through the use of audio and several visual components. It is however much easier to do in a book because the reader can be manipulated through their personal experience with smell. Therefore from this point the book is mildly better even though it is at a disadvantage because the reader has no visual aid. The main themes of Perfume are black humour, emotionally/mentally challenged people, hatred of humanity and seeing importance in others life only when they affect your own. These themes are portrayed well throughout both the book and film. The most prominent is seeing importance in others life only when they affect your own. For example, Madame Gaillard dies in a tragic way shortly after she sells Grenouille. In the book she dies of cancer in a crowded bed, in the film she is slit at the throat as she returns home. Monsieur Grimal falls into the river on his way home from celebrating the sale of Grenouille. Giuseppe Baldini’s house falls into the river not long after Grenouille leaves for Grasse. All these deaths symbolise that Grenouille can only value human life if it has something to reward him with; when this is done they no longer exist in his mind. This also explains why Grenouille can kill the innocent girls, take what he wants and leave without feeling any remorse for his actions. One of the best adapted scenes is the opening chapter, Grenouille’s birth. Suskind does an extended description of the putrid place where Grenouille was born. â€Å"The streets stank of manure, the courtyards of urine, the stairwells stank of mouldering wood and rat droppings, the kitchens of spoiled cabbage and mutton fat†, this quote goes on for a considerable amount of time yet it is necessary because there is so many rotten smells included that everyone can relate to at least one. This provokes the reader to think of the most revolting smells they have ever experienced and then try to imagine them worse. In the film, Tykwer uses a fast moving, rolling shot to show the reader the various scents that inhabit the area. And he uses shots of typically revolting objects such as rats, fish guts, sick and rotting vegetables. These smells are relatable to humans and so the viewer can appreciate how bad it smells, however this may not be as powerful as the smell that the human imagination can fabricate from the book. Also he employs the sound of a heartbeat and rapid breathing of the new-born babe to humanise the situation and to portray the struggle the baby has to survive. The heartbeat makes us anxious and so we wonder whether the baby will survive. The baby breathing rapidly makes us question if it can continue. However regardless of this the baby lets out a scream. The audio effects stop and this could symbolise that as soon as the baby chose to live it ended the life of his mother and shows that the world is not the same. Obviously some scenes from the book have had to be cut to stay within a reasonable screen time, one of the scenes cut is the scientific study that is carried out on Grenouille nevertheless this is not missed and the film makes up for such scenes in other aspects. One of the biggest advantages the film has over the book is that it can use the best actors suited to the role. The actor that plays Grenouille, Ben Whishaw is perfectly suited to the character. He has a childlike voice that represents his innocence, not that his soul is innocent but because he has been void of all love for his whole life. His life was only valued by those wanted something from him. His character is also very good because his expression can be changed in an instant. In one scene he can appear helpless and angelic while in another he can be closer to the devil than a human. The way he sets himself into the role is nothing less than perfect; he scuttles as he should, hunches as he should and does everything as weirdly as is should be. Grenouille is a disturbing character and this is very well portrayed by the actor. In the book Grenouille doesn’t say much because the book is written in third person. This is used so that the reader can get close into the minds of all the characters instead of being limited to one. This also means that we can observe events happening in all the different places. In the film this is done through the use of a narrator. However the narrator does tend to disclose information that as viewers might have preferred to interpret ourselves. So even though the narrator is used in both the book and film the effects are far better in the book. To conclude, there are many similarities between the book and film adaption of Perfume that are equally as good as each other but some aspects such as the narrator are stronger in the book. Equally particular aspects of the film are better, for instance the ability to use actors. One of the primary differences is the character change of Grenouille from book to film. The book shows him as a conniving parasite that is very good at manipulating people. The film shows a man who is unaware of the effects of his actions and is somewhat innocent. The strongest parts of the book are the descriptions of the in-depth break down of the various scents and how deep into Grenouille’s mind the reader gets, since spoken language is not Grenouilles strength. The best bits of the film are casting decisions and the superb adaption that captures the soul of the book and enhances it through captivating music and images. It’s like smelling with your eyes.

The story of Ethan Fromes life - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1166 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/08/02 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Ethan Frome Essay Did you like this example? In Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, the story of Ethan Fromes life leading to his present circumstances is evaluated by the narrator, a man trapped in Starkfield, Massachusetts due to one of the areas infamous storms. When discussing Ethan, the narrator proclaims, Guess hes been in Starkfield too many winters. Most of the smart ones get away (Wharton 4). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The story of Ethan Fromes life" essay for you Create order As the narrator explains, the winters in Starkfield are extremely rough and seemingly never-ending, having an extremely detrimental impact on its inhabitants. Throughout the novel, Ethan expresses the desire to leave Starkfield and start a new life, yet he is trapped in his life of unhappiness, similar to how the winter storms trap the residents of Starkfield in their homes. In Edith Whartons novel, Ethan Frome, the harsh winters of Starkfield symbolize the depression and imprisonment that Ethan experiences through his marriage, revealing the isolation that the physical environment of Starkfield has caused for Ethan and its detrimental effects on his life. The main impairment in Ethans life is his wife, Zeena, and her illness. Due to the fact that the story is mostly told in Ethans point of view, the reader vividly sees Ethans opinion on his wife. He seems to despise her, describing her as harsh and cold. The winter has once again forced him to be trapped in a life he does not want due to the fact that he married Zeena after his mother died to avoid being alone during the cold winter months. Taking care of her is a chore to him, and disables him from leaving Starkfield and living the life he dreams of. Wharton says, His wifes retort was like a knife-cut across the sinews and he felt suddenly weak and powerless (48). The simile used by Wharton to describe the relationship between Ethan and Zeena exemplifies the theme of the impact that the winter has had on Ethan. Zeena, like the winters in Starkfield, has imprisoned Ethan. He is unable to leave Starkfield and pursue a career in engineering which was the dream of his youth. Eth ans relationship with Mattie and his yearn to commit adultery with her deepens his resentment towards Zeena. When Zeena kicks Mattie out of their house, Ethan truly realizes how trapped he is by his wife; Ethan looked at her with loathing. She was no longer the listless creature who had lived at his side in a state of sullen self-absorption, but a mysterious alien presence, an evil energy secreted from the long years of silent brooding (Wharton 48). Zeena exemplifies winter in Ethans life, a cold and unloving state that imprisons him in his house and misery. Ethans descriptions of Zeena portray the idea that she is an impediment on the improvement of his life, disabling him from happiness. In stark contrast to Zeena is Mattie, the warmth and light of Ethans life. When Mattie enters Ethans life in order to take care of Zeena, there is a revolution in Ethans world. His life has seemed to gain meaning, and he idolizes Mattie due to the fact that she is the polar opposite of Zeena. Wharton says, It was a fact that since Mattie Silvers coming he had taken to shaving every day; but his wife always seemed to be asleep when he left her side in the winter darkness (18). Once again, Zeena represents the winter to Ethan whereas Mattie is like summer through her warmth and appeal. When he is with Mattie, Ethan takes care of himself and enjoys living, yet he cannot escape the coldness of Zeena. This is reflects the idea that the residents of Starkfield cannot escape the cold, ongoing winter months. Opposing the negative descriptions that Ethan gives Zeena such as her being old and unfeminine Mattie is presented to be young and endearing. Her wardrobe exudes warmth, includin g a red decoration symbolizing the passion that Ethan feels for her. Wharton explains, He kept his eyes fixed on her, marveling at the way her face changed with every turn of their talk, like a wheat field under a summer breeze (38). Similar to how the plants thrive and grow during the summer months, Ethan is growing as a person when he is with Mattie. Through Mattie, Ethan sees the opportunity to leave this imprisonment and truly be happy, something that was never a possibility to him in the past. The emotions that Ethan has been feeling towards Mattie as well as his increasing distaste for his wife come to a climax when he goes sledding with Mattie. After Zeena has proclaimed that Mattie must leave, Ethan is left heartbroken and furious. He decides that he will bring Mattie home, and when they leave they decide to go on a sleigh ride. This is extremely ironic due to the fact that the cold environment caused by the winter in Starkfield up until this point has been a burden on Ethan. When he is with Mattie, however, he is able to enjoy his life despite the cold and the snow through this sleigh ride. The confirmation of Mattie and Ethans feelings for one another enables Ethan to be truly happy, and he does not want to return to the coldness of his marriage with Zeena. Ethans attempted suicide with Mattie exemplifies the severity of his dissatisfaction for his life before her. Ethans decision to steer the sled away from the tree, however, shows that like the people of Star kfield, no matter how hard Ethan tries he cannot escape the detriments of winter. When he begins to lead the sled into the tree, he sees a vision of Zeena; but suddenly his wifes face, with twisted monstrous lineaments, thrust itself between him and his goal, and he made an instinctive movement to brush it aside (Wharton 69). Ethans decision to not commit suicide was fueled by his imprisonment to Zeena, and once again shows that like winter snow on a house Zeena has left him emotionally buried and unable to escape. The isolation of Ethan portrayed through the brutal winter of Starkfield is an extremely important theme throughout Ethan Frome. Ethans current life with Zeena is representative of the coldness and severity of the winter months in Starkfield. Ethan desperately wants to escape the winter that has imprisoned him into an unhappy life in Starkfield, and the opportunity to do so is presented to him through Mattie. Mattie embodies the exact opposite of Ethans current life; she is warm and inviting and encourages Ethans happiness. Like the people in Starkfield undergoing the seemingly constant winter weather, however, Ethan is unable to escape the reality of his life. This is shown in the fact that he does not follow through with his suicide attempt and is forced to live a life where he is trapped with Zeena taking care of him and a paralyzed Mattie. The cold, bitter winter symbolizes Ethans dissatisfaction in his current marriage and life, and the harsh truth presented at the end of the novel is that he is unable to escape it.