Gladiator

                                                "What we do in life, echoes in eternity!"

1.) The soldiers follow Maximus into battle because Maximus displays characteristics of nobility, courage and loyalty.

2.)The fall of Maximus is rather fast, one moment he is a roman general and then the next a slave by coincidence. Although the events that lead up to this were all caused by the Emperor, who hold a much higher role in roman than a general. The probability of this happening is pretty slim.

 3.) "We mortals are but shadows and dust" I do agree with this phrase, we do not live forever as we are mortals and not immortal and we will eventually turn to dust. Although we still hold a relevance "What we do in life, echoes in eternity."

 4.) Having the emperor figure it all out moved the motives of the story along. It let the plots of both side develop and grow to an escalation.

 5.) I believe that the Empress's eulogie and the burial of the little statues bring closure to the story. The eulogie tells the people of Rome that Maximus gave his life for Rome and that he should be honoured for it not Commondus. The burial of the statue is a symbol that Maximus is at peace with his family in a heaven, as well as it is symbolic to his freedom and the freedom of the other slaves as they can now go home and be with there families.

 6.) Gladiator teaches us both positive and negative lessons based on the human condition. Although more of it is negative because in the end our hero does die. But the fact that a general was able to become a slave and then take over the Emperor teaches us that we are truly capable of anything if we are strong and determined enough. But on the larger scale of the human condition Gladiator proves that we live in a bleak society and that we tend to show very little empathy towards one another, as well as humans are capable of doing very horrific things to one another.

Cast Away

1.) In the begging of the Cast Away Tom Hanks character Chuck Nolan is a clean cut Fed Ex employee who wears the most god awful wool sweater I have ever seen. He is in love with and on the verge of marrying his girlfriend.When Chucks plane crash lands his appearance slowly transforms into the appearance you would find in a hunter gatherer civilization. His hair and beard grow to great lengths, he shreds his clothes and only wears a piece of it over his private and his skin is tanned. Chucks appearance adapts to his surrounding. One that he is so eager to escape as he spends the whole time on the island trying to get off and back home to his girlfriend. Wilson, Chucks best friend is a volleyball with Chucks bloody red hand print on it. Chuck goes to lengths to make him appear like a human he gives Wilson a face and hair.

2.) The idea that his girlfriend Kelly is still out there missing him, waiting for him to return home to her keeps Chuck alive. The coccunt, fish, fire and shelter keep him physically alive. He also makes tools from the items in unopened Fed Ex boxes that have washed to shore.

3.) Chuck Needed Wilson, other wise Chuck would have gone insane. He need some form of companionship (even a fabricated and non human one)

4.) I would not want to leave the island, at first I would think about nothing else but getting home. Getting to sleep in my warm bed, taking a hot shower, eating my moms homemade lasagna. But after a period of time (years or decades) I would realize I have changed and if I have changed them so have the times themselves. I would not be able to function or relate to society anymore. Its like when a man spends a long enough time in prison he knows no other way of life so he goes out and commits a crime just to go back. Therefore when I got home and realized things have changed I would simply look for a way back to the island.

5.) The film is believable, Chuck surviving the plane crash and surviving being stranded on a deserted island is a believable premise, the probability of surviving those two things is low but possible. Also where Chuck is and where they think Chuck crash landed is miles apart so they cant find him that is why he is never rescued. Although in this day and age the probability of no one sighting him from sea or air is much greater. Even Chuck getting himself off the island is believable, it was almost impossible but remember the word possible is in impossible. Chuck simply seems to be a man who has many fortunes in the most unfortunate situations. Chuck is that rare one percent chance of something being possible, he is the "what if", the "it could happen to you".  

6.) I give Cast Away 2 thumbs up! The movie captures the reality of what it is like to live a life of solitude. The movie runs for 2 and a half hours most of which is on the island with only Tom Hanks.Tom Hanks performance of the solitary man is believable and entertaining. The story itself makes you question "What would I do" therefore you put yourself on the island with Hanks and you constantly try to find a way to survive and a way off of the island. Robert Zemeckis long, wide and high angled shots makes the movie visually entertaining he covers a depth with the camera that seems to never end. He places you on the island and covers all the angles of it as well as the escape in the water which give you as an audience member the feeling of Hanks characters reality. 

Tuesdays with Morrie Essay

"Death ends a life not a relationship" I agree with Morrie when he says this. 

For my thesis I will write about relationships and how they affect us.

                                               "After I am dead you talk, ill listen."

Good Will Hunting

Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is a young twenty year old from South Boston whom has a genius level intelligence and an eidetic memory, but chooses to work as a janitor. Although out of all the janitorial jobs out there he decides to work at one of the most prestigious colleges that is known for their mathematics department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. On Wills free time he spends time getting drunk with his friends Chuckie (Ben Affleck) Morgan and Billy and finishing other students work that's been left on the chalkboard. Till one day when he is caught doing this by one of the schools professors, fields medallists winner Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard), Will flees from the scene. After an altercation Will puts himself into with a former school mate he is incarserated. Professor Lambeau arranges for Will to study mathematics under his supervision and see a therapist to forgo jail time.

Will is introduced to Sean Maguire (Robin William's) his therapist, a professor of psychology and Geralds old college roommate. Will is reluctant to agree to see Sean or any type of therapist as Will has repressed feelings from his childhood that he feels are better left in the past. But to Wills surprise Sean pushes back and Will eventually overcomes this defence mechanism and begins to open up to Sean. Will reveals that he is seeing a young woman named Skylar (Minnie Driver) he tells Sean how he doesn't know if he is going to continue to see Skylar. Sean sees this as another defence mechanism, as Will wont let anyone get emotionally close to him. Mean while professor Lambeau is urging and pressuring Will with his high expectations for Will to get a job. Sean warns Gerald that he can't keep pressuring Will, but Gerald feels that Will is squandering his potential. Gerald sets up job interviews that Will goes to and makes a mockery of. Will continues seeing Skylar, who has been eagerly waiting to meet his family and is trying desperately to connect with him. Skylar tells Will that she has to go to California for school and asks Will to come with her, this causes an argument and Will finally tells her about his violent past and that he doesn't have a family as Will was an orphan, he leaves Skylar and disconnects from her. During Will and Sean's next therapy session it is revealed that they both had experienced child abuse as boys. Sean helps Will through the fact that the abuse was not his fault. Wills friends give him a Chevy Nova for his 21st birthday and will decides to go and follow Skylar to California.

 

Good Will Hunting was ground breaking for the first time writers and stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The film was released by Miramax in 1997 and had rave reviews. The Film was nominate for 9 Academy Awards one of which for Best Director for director Gus Van Sant who brought Matt and Bens vision alive. Van Sant was already know for his work on My Own Private Idaho and To Die For. Unfortunately he did not win the Best Director award but Matt and Ben walked away with the Academy Award for best Screenplay, written for the screen and Robin Williams won for his role as Sean Maguire.

I choose Good Will Hunting because I love the writing in this film, the foreshadowing that gives such sweet payoffs, the dialogue. The scenes between Damon and Williams are so well written and acted. Matt and Ben really created complex characters and dug deep into the reality of a persons psyche and what it takes to really reach a person. They deal with the issue of child abuse and being an adult having to live with it. Sean teaches Will that overcoming and realizing the things of the past our not your fault you can lead a happy life and start healthy relationships with others, its okay to love and feel love.

 

All Things Will Die....

Clearly the blue river chimes in its flowing
Under my eye;
Warmly and broadly the south winds are blowing
Over the sky.
One after another the white clouds are fleeting;
Every heart this May morning in joyance is beating
Full merrily;
Yet all things must die.
The stream will cease to flow;
The wind will cease to blow;
The clouds will cease to fleet;
The heart will cease to beat;
For all things must die.
All things must die.
Spring will come never more.
O, vanity!
Death waits at the door.
See! our friends are all forsaking
The wine and the merrymaking.
We are call’d–we must go.
Laid low, very low,
In the dark we must lie.
The merry glees are still;
The voice of the bird
Shall no more be heard,
Nor the wind on the hill.
O, misery!
Hark! death is calling
While I speak to ye,
The jaw is falling,
The red cheek paling,
The strong limbs failing;
Ice with the warm blood mixing;
The eyeballs fixing.
Nine times goes the passing bell:
Ye merry souls, farewell.
The old earth
Had a birth,
As all men know,
Long ago.
And the old earth must die.
So let the warm winds range,
And the blue wave beat the shore;
For even and morn
Ye will never see
Thro’ eternity.
All things were born.
Ye will come never more,
For all things must die.
-Lord Tennyson

Monday, Tuesday, One Day With Morrie!

Mitch Albom is the narrator of Tuesdays With Morrie. Mitch was a former student of Morrie Schwartz who was a professor of sociology at Brandies University. While Mitch attended Brandies University he became close with his professor and formed a bond that would be the most defying, life altering friendships Mitch would ever experience. 

Years have passed since Mitch attended Brandies University, he hasn't seen or thought of Professor Schwartz since. But when he hears about the terminal illness Professor Schwartz has he decides to pay his old friend a visit. Morrie has developed a terminal illness called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis more commonly known as Lou Gherig's disease. 

Mitch is a changed man since his Brandies days, life has changed Mitch as he has abandoned his dreams of being a musician for material wealth and professional success. Mitch worries if Morrie will even recognize this new man as hes not the boy Morrie once knew, 

When Morrie and Mitch reunite they fall back into the old routine, they recall the stories of their past, they flourish in that moment. Mitch and Morrie spend every Tuesday together and Morrie teaches Mitch the important lessons of life, so that when Morrie is gone those lessons don't get lost with him.

In what is suppose to be the darkest moment of Morries life, Morrie accepts death and realizes he is not afraid of death but what he really fears is that people will not hear what he has to say before he dies. Morrie sees the superficial, material world we have all absorbed ourselves with. Morrie want people to know that life has a deeper meaning. We should each cherish and pay more attention to the relationships we form through out our lives as those are what are important in the end of ones life. To feel love and to be loved is what makes ones life meaningful.

 “Everyone knows they're going to die but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently.”

 “The most important thing in life is learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.”
-Mitch Albom (Tuesdays With Morrie)

We are losing our youth to apathy...to this prescribed nonsense

Donnie Darko Poem by Richard Kelly

A storm is coming, Frank says

A storm that will swallow the children

And I will deliver them from the kingdom of pain

I will deliver the children back to their doorsteps

And send the monsters back to the underground

I'll send them back to a place where no-one else can see them

Except for me

Because I am Donnie Darko.

Upon the Stair I Met a Man Who Wasnt There.....

Antigonish a poem by Hughes Mearns


Yesterday, upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
I wish, I wish he’d go away...

When I came home last night at three
The man was waiting there for me
But when I looked around the hall
I couldn’t see him there at all!
Go away, go away, don’t you come back any more!
Go away, go away, and please don’t slam the door... (slam!)

Last night I saw upon the stair
A little man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
Oh, how I wish he’d go away

Call me Kolesnikov!

In the fall of 2000 the Russian submarine K-141 Kursk  was trapped under the sea. The Captain of the ship Dimitri Kolesnikov wrote this dying message to his wife to let her know what he felt in the final moments of his life. 

 

 

Kolesnikov is clearly the kind of person who writes down his emotions. Kolesnikov and I have this in common. Although there are things that differ between the two of us, for example I am not Russian. Even though we are seperated by geography and language we are still that of the same species and we are the kind of person who write down our feelings to express ourselves. This can come from a variety of reasoning. We feel like we have no other way to express our emotions, we feel like this is the only way to be heard, we feel the need to be remembered. The need for people to know what we went through, through good times and bad.

The Man Who Created A Monster Named Chesser!

 

Mary Shelley novel "Frankenstein" was adapted into one of the most iconic Warner Brothers monster movies. The film was made in 1931 and was directed by Jame Whale who went on to direct the sequel "Bride of Frankenstein". 

 

The film stars Boris Karloff who gives his most chilling and most memorable performance as Dr. Frankenstein's Monster. 

 

The film tackles the concept that a man should never try and play God, the films tag line reads "the monster science created....but could not destroy!" 

 

The character of Frankenstein's monster is a miss understood creature, who innocence is child like. Then when things take a turn for the worst after the brutality caused by the monster the villagers and the creator himself Dr. Frankenstein rally against the monster. The audience sympathies with the monster and in the end its man himself that is the real monster.