Saturday, January 25, 2020

Roland Emmerichs The Patriot - An Open Letter to Mr. Mel Gibson :: Movies Film

Roland Emmerich's The Patriot - An Open Letter to Mr. Mel Gibson Dear Mel , Having read the avalanche of outraged articles in the UK press that preceded the UK launch of â€Å"The Patriot†, I readily admit that I was expecting to see a distinctly anti-British Movie. One such headline complains for example about a â€Å"blood libel on the British People†. Some considerable way into the film (which, putting the controversy to one side, was otherwise enjoyable), I found myself questioning whether such criticism was justified. Characters on both sides, including the character you were playing, Benjamin Martin, were portrayed as being responsible for some shameful actions. I really was beginning to question what the fuss was all about. I then watched the scene where Redcoats are depicted as sadists hanging old people. Later came the chilling episode in the Church, when Redcoat soldiers on the orders of the films main villain, Colonel William Tavington (partly modelled on the real-life Redcoat, Colonel Tarleton), deliberately locked a large number of the Colonials, including women and children, inside, before the Church was set ablaze. It was clear from the following scenes that all of the incarcerated victims were burnt to death in the most horrific circumstances. To say the least, this episode was unfortunate, as in reality, no such incident ever occurred. Are there not enough grounds for causing bad feeling without inventing atrocities purely for entertainment value? And having said that, I personally, don't even find the aforementioned scenes entertaining. The Brits are inevitably the first and sometimes the only Country to support America, whatever the circumstances or adversity. It is therefore even more disturbing that the close friendship between two peoples should be potentially damaged purely for commercial purposes. You always seem to be a decent man whenever I have seen you being interviewed. It may hopefully be the case that if indeed you have received the mega millions quoted for playing the lead role, you were perhaps unaware of the fact that history was being fabricated at the expense of the truth. According to what I have read about the history of that unfortunate period, there was surely enough wrongdoing on both sides, without having to invent such horrific events with the British being portrayed as outright sadists. I have read a comment attributed to you in a UK film magazine called â€Å"Total Film† in which you apparently made the following comment about your character†¦ â€Å"it’s based on historical fact but it’s got some stretches in it.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Comparing Pride and Prejudice to Macbeth

In the first few chapters of ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Jane Austen portrays Fitzwilliam Darcy as: â€Å"so high and conceited†, â€Å"a most disagreeable man† and possessed of â€Å"shocking madness†. This is conveyed to the audience through Elizabeth Bennet’s eavesdropping and the Bennet family’s first impression of Darcy. At the start of ‘Macbeth’ however, the central character, Macbeth, is portrayed by William Shakespeare as a hero. In Scotland he is loved, trusted and admired: â€Å"Oh valiant cousin, worthy gentleman†, â€Å"brave Macbeth†.Nevertheless by the end of both works, the audience’s own opinion of each character has changed to the complete opposite. Their opinion has been altered by the authors who try to confute the audience’s initial understanding of both characters. Many characters throughout ‘Pride and Prejudice’ change in one way or another. They especially change ot her people’s impressions of them. A good example of this is Mr Wickham. When Wickham is first introduced into the novel, he is portrayed as a good, kind man who was unfortunate enough to have lived with Darcy: â€Å"Wickham was the happy man towards whom almost every female eye was turned†¦ As the novel progresses Elizabeth begins to find out about his true characteristics. The way in which Jane Austen changes our opinion of Wickham is initially through the letter that Darcy sends to Elizabeth after she has declined his first offer of marriage. The letter she receives explains why Darcy dislikes Wickham. It tells her of the ungentleman like things that Wickham has done in the past. It explains how he became a â€Å"wild one† as one of Darcy’s housemaids told Elizabeth when she made a visit to Pemberley.On the other hand in ‘Macbeth’, the character who undergoes the most change throughout the play is in fact Macbeth himself. At first, he was a very honourable and noble man, both on and off the battlefields of Scotland. This is shown we he is appointed to becoming Thane of Cawdor: â€Å"He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor†. Macbeth however, was a very ambitious man as well, and this was part of the reason for his change of character and downfall: â€Å"I have no spur†¦but only vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself†.It was Shakespeare’s portrayal of Macbeth’s ambition that allowed him to have the ability to change the audience’s opinion of Macbeth completely. Pushed by the idea that he could become king, his growing ambition and misplace confidence in the prophecies and Lady Macbeth, Macbeth begins to become an evil, murderous tyrant lacking any sense of mind. Another way in which Jane Austen changes ideas and characters in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is through the actions and words of Mr Bennet. Mr Bennet undergoes one of the most significant changes thr oughout the course of the novel.When he is first introduced he is one of the primary characters offering comic relief and as the beginning of the story progresses, we see that his primary characteristics revolve around poking fun at his wife; â€Å"I have the utmost respect for your nerves. They've been my constant companion these twenty years. † He also stays aloof from his daughters, and does not care about serious matters of love. As the novel progresses, most especially after Lydia's elopement and arranged marriage, we see Mr. Bennet's character begin to change.The weight of his careless attitude finally sits heavy enough on his shoulders that he can no longer ignore it. While he still pokes fun at his wife, he understands that his daughters need a firm father if they are to curb their wild natures. With Lydia, it was too late, but he wasted no time in turning on Kitty and immediately laying down the law of his house: â€Å" This shows the audience that he realises that he hasn’t brought up his daughters how he wanted to and her wants to change that with kitty.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Racism In America Essay - 1515 Words

1. What factors supported racism in the United States in the time of Jackie Robinson’s birth? a. During the time of Jackie Robinson’s birth the United States was seeing lots of racial tension. The racial tension during this time had many different factors that seemed to lead up to it. Much of it began during World War I when many African American people moved from the southern states to the northern states to compete for jobs. With many of the white men being away at war, it left many job opportunities open for the African American people. Many of them mainly went to the city of Chicago to take the open jobs that were there. When the white men returned from war they were enraged that all of the jobs they had before were took by African†¦show more content†¦People begged officers to arrest the assailant of Eugene but the police refused. This sparked riots in many other cities which lead to 23 African deaths, 15 white deaths, 537 injured and left over 1,000 homeless due to the arson. 2. What factors made Jackie Robinson’s prospect so grim when he was born in Georgia in 1919? a. When Jackie Robinson was born, things around him were not so bright. Racial tensions were at an all-time high, a horrendous flu epidemic had broken out killing over 550,000 people in the United States alone, and the Ku Klux Klan was running rampant once again. One of the grimmest factors was about a year after his birth, his father decides to leave his mother for the woman next door and leaves his mother alone to support him and his other siblings. Also, during this time the Ku Klux Klan could perform public lynching on African American people. They would burn down houses, hang men, shot them, and humiliate them in front of crowds of lower class white people. These factors made living during this time very grim. 3. Why did Robinson choose UCLA for his final year of college? Why did not finish? a. As his time at Pasadena Junior College drew closer to an end many great universities began to pursue Jackie Robinson because of his ability to play sports. Stanford was one of leading colleges that was very interested in recruiting Jackie to play forShow MoreRelatedRacism In America Essay816 Words   |  4 PagesParliament attempted to impose order with various laws. A more unified American character and identity began to emerge in the colonies. The Enlightenments political thought influenced Americans and its followers scientific inquiries created a sense of America as a place profoundly different from Europe. Colonists did not begin to grow apart from Britain until they participated in Englands North American wars with the French and SpanishÂâ€"especially the French and Indian War. The colonists suffered heavyRead MoreRacism In America Essay1559 Words   |  7 PagesI n the 1960’s racism was alive and well continuously gaining traction in both Australia and America, people of colour had to fight for their rights and equal education. Lucky times have changed†¦ right? Before the American Civil War, according to the 1860 census, there was a staggering 3,950,528 slaves in the US. However, thanks to the Union of States, the Civil War was won. This allowed the government to pass various acts of legislation allowing African-American people the right to work and quiteRead MoreEssay On Racism In America1326 Words   |  6 PagesRacism in America Since President Barack Obama In 2009 the first African America president was elected. Barack Obama, an American politician who served as our United States president from 2009 until 2017. During his time there has been a controversial discussion about how racism has begun its last mile. Many question, if racism now is worse now than it was in the 1960’s and has America entered a post-racial era? If so where does America stand on the race issue and what challenges have occurred inRead MoreEssay on Racism In America1586 Words   |  7 PagesRacism In America Racism (n): the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other race (Wordnet search, 1), a controversial topic in today’s society, a subject that many people try to sweep under the rug, but yet a detrimental problem that has been present in America since the colonial era. Will this dilemma come to a halt? Can all Americans see each other as equals despite their skin color and nationality; and what role has it played in past generations versusRead MoreRacism in America Essay1121 Words   |  5 Pagesthough America prides itself on being this melting pot racism is still alive and well today. America is supposed to be the land of opportunity, the country that calls to so many; calling to them with the promise of freedom and prosperity, to live their lives as they see fit. As stated in the National Anthem, America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. America is the country where dreams can come true. So if America has emerged as a single people and nation, why does racism stillRead MoreRacism in America Essay1075 Words   |  5 Pagestimes more likely to wind up in prison than white youths arrested for the same crime under the same circumstances. Many people are unaware how constant racism has been throughout the years. It is important to understand the problems of racism because it is relevant to society. Racism in America is very real and Americans need to know it. Racism is a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the ideaRead More Covert Racism in America Essay1109 Words   |  5 PagesCovert Racism in America Racism is still a very current issue in America today. By no means is racism as overt as it was fifty years ago with enforced segregation, but today racism is more covert and often hides behind closed doors to only strike out when least expected. Racism has been deceasing and will continue to be decreased only through education. Hopefully, one day racism will cease to exist. But, that day if possible is many years away. Racism still exists in America today. This isRead MoreRacism in America Essay3742 Words   |  15 PagesRunning head: RACISM 1 Racism in Our Society Liberty University Online HSER 509 Multicultural Issues in Human Services Dr. Lawrence Katz Betty J. Saby December 16, 2012 Racism in our society Racism in our society has a long deeply rooted history. It has been in every part of our society and appears not to be getting any better. In order to fully understand racism one must look at the root cause of racism and the effects it has on an individualRead MoreEssay On Racism In America1904 Words   |  8 PagesRacism is one issue that is most current and at the same time most ancient issue that American has been experiencing. There were many attempt to abolish racism; however, action of treating and judging one for his or her’s skin color never did got abolished but occurred in different forms. This issue was ‘assumed’ as resolved in the modern days; however, it was only neglected from being spoken by the people. Famous black comedian, Jordan Peele, produced his newest and first movie Get Out to inflameRead MoreRacism in America Essay2479 Words   |  10 Pagesof interracial young persons maturing in present-day America. Society seems concerned with the is sue of where the embodiments of multi-races belong as well. Where in the pecking order of society are products of miscegenation placed? For an adolescent already searching for an established sense of self, this impression of being an outsider nationally due to an interracial background significantly affects the coming of age quest. Life in America is built upon a foundation of connections; an intricate