United 93

PART ONE:

I think that United 93 was by far the most toughing movie that we have watched.  Obviously, seeing as this class is 'history through film', each movie is about a historical event.  However, I think this movie was the most toughing because this happened in our generation.  Although we were too young to remember what happened, this affected our parents, our cousins, our aunts and uncles, our grandparents.  This was the first film that really had a direct impact on the people that we are still surrounded with.  Honestly, I never really knew much about 9/11.  This might be the most embarrassing thing I could say and I know that I should be ashamed of myself for this, but up until watching this film, I was unaware that there were four planes on 9/11.  My completely ignorant self thought that there were only two planes that crashed into the two twin towers.  However, in my defense, I do think that that is what people first think of when they think of 9/11.  I liked that this movie, though, brought light to the not so talked about part of 9/11 that was still extremely important and tragic.  I also liked how real this movie felt.  Although I don't think it was necessary to show a three minute clip of a woman putting on her lip balm, I do like how the director focused on showing that these were regular people.  Regular people boarding a regular flight doing regular things.  None of them knew what was coming.  They were all average Joe's.  I think that is why this film was so powerful.  It was so crazy to think that this happened and that it wasn't fiction made for pure entertainment.  This movie left me shaking and really opened my eyes what 9/11 really was and how awful it was.

PART TWO:

This movie filled me with hope.  Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a tragic event to feel safe, but now I can say that I never feel unsafe on a flight.  This event showed me that our country is extremely strong and capable of anything.  We live in one of the strongest countries in the world, and although on 9/11 it didn't seem that way, I know in my heart that we have gained the skill and intelligence needed for a catastrophic event like this to never happen again.  

PART THREE:

We should never forget the lives we lost that day.  We should never forget the vulnerability and sadness that an entire nation felt that day.  We should never forget how weak the entire nation was that day.  In order to be strong, to prosper, to move forward, we need to remember our weakest points.  If we forget about this, we will forget about everything we gained from it- which were the tools needed to make this country safer and stronger.  

The Shawshank Redemption

"Andy Dufresne- who crawled through a river of sh*t and came out clean on the other side."

The Shawshank Redemption.  A timeless classic.  It may be a bold claim to say that this is on everyone's top movie list- but I can say safely that it is on a large majorities.  I loved this movie.  Everything about this movie.  From beginning to end.  I have absolutely not a single negative thing to say about it.  This movie taught me valuable life lessons because to me this film is a film about patience and loyalty.  I loved that this movie was narrated through Red's point of view.  In part because, like many others, I have an odd obsession with Morgan Freeman's voice, but also because I loved seeing what the character of Andy Dufresne was like through his eyes from the start of the story to the end.  This movie hit absolutely every emotion in my body.  It gave me hope, but not exactly a hope you feel good about, almost a false sense of hope.  It gave me sadness, sadness over the unfair and harsh realities of the world.  It gave me happiness, a happiness that you feel when you accomplish something you've been working hard at- or when you finally get to hug someone you've been thinking about endlessly after a while of not seeing them.  But above all, this movie made me feel good.  Now, when I listen to the soundtrack all those emotions, that were experienced throughout the course of a three hour long film, rush to the very surface of my body, and I feel like this is the only movie that has been able to accomplish that for me.  I've seen this movie once before, but broken up into parts.  Finally watching it from beginning to end was definitely a different experience and had a different impact on me.  I've already ordered the hard copy of this film (sorry dad) and am very excited to pass it around to my friends and family until everyone that I associate with can successfully say they have experienced the film The Shawshank Redemption.

 PART ONE:

The Lone Survivor, was a film that got amazing reviews.  I can see why this film got amazing reviews and got many awards but I personally did not enjoy it.  I am a very picky person ,especially with movies, and I just didn't happen to like this movie.  I will admit that it was a good movie- but I personally didn't like it (which probably doesn't make sense).  Basically, I believe that the acting was pretty good, the way the movie was filmed and edited was good, and the screenplay was good.  However, that being said I still wasn't very entertained while watching it and it is certainly not a movie I would watch again.  I think Mark Wahlberg is very talented but this movie just didn't do it for me.  Plus, his character tried to take the kid at the end which just didn't make sense to me at all.  It's a child not a dog you can't just point and be like "it's coming with me."

PART TWO:

When it comes to our nation's military, I think the greatest pitfall of not portraying it accurately is that hollywood disrespectfully takes a story that has so much meaning and strength and just works around it to make money.  I believe that this is disrespectful because people were fighting for their lives and while it is a very good thing that hollywood is telling these stories, it is still wrong that the main goal is money.  I think it is highly insensitive. 

The Hurt Locker

 PART ONE:

The Hurt Locker is a film based on the personal wartime experience of journalist Mark Boal.  This film is a thriller that is set in the Iraq War.  Personally, I didn't really enjoy it.  First of all, I didn't know of a single actor in this film.  Maybe it's just me, but sometimes I tend to enjoy movies a little bit more when I know the actors that are in them.  Indeed, there were some parts that gripped me and had me interested- but for the most part I found this film to be quite boring.  This definitely isn't a film that is going to make a lasting impression me and honestly I doubt that I'm even going to really remember this movie when this class is over.  I hate to place sexist stereotypes but I feel like this movie is in many aspects a "boy movie"- which is perhaps why I didn't enjoy it as much.  I felt like this movie was very dull as far as character development was concerned.  There wasn't much storyline- it was just a war movie to me.   

PART TWO:

This movie opened up my eyes to war.  I felt like it was extremely realistic in that aspect- which also scared me.  This movie made me feel very appreciative that we have men and woman brave and strong enough to fight for our country like this.  The most memorable scene was probably when Sgt. J. T. Sanborn was talking about wanting a son.  This scene was the only scene I felt that held a substantial amount of emotion.  It made you realize that these men have feelings and aren't just people shooting guns.  These men endure so much physically and mentally.

PART THREE:

I think "hurt locker" is meant to symbolize a period of physical and emotional pain.  I think it means a bad and painful place.  Based on the events of the movie, I definitely don't think it symbolizes anything that is tied to happiness. 

Apollo 13

 PART ONE:

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM. There really was no reason for me starting this blog post off like that but I just couldn't resist the temptation.  Apollo 13 is a Hollywood drama that takes the viewer through the events that occurred during  the Apollo 13 lunar mission.  I loved this movie for a countless amount of reasons. To begin, every film that we have watched has been a historical film- hence the class being called "history through film."  However, I feel as though most of the films we have watched have been glamorized by hollywood and in turn have lost their sense of authenticity.  This movie was fantastic because because it was authentic.  I really felt like this film did a great job at taking you back to the time period.  Everything from the outfits, to the way it was filmed, to the editing. It really captured the essence of the early 70s aesthetically.  I also feel as though it captured the political aura of this time period in an extremely realistic manner.  I don't think that this film was over-dramatized.  It really felt as though you were watching the space mission as it was happening.  This movie taught me about the reality of space travel.  Honestly, I was and still am extremely ignorant on the topic but this movie taught me that it isn't even close to being as easy as I always imagined it to be.

PART TWO:

If I were to attach a theme to this movie I would say that this movie is a political adventure about hope and perseverance.  A political adventure because it highlights one of the most important things that was happening in the country at the time.  Hope, because without hope, the three men on the space shuttle could have given up far before they should have.  Perseverance because hope can only take you so far, and this movie shows that intelligence and continuos hard work are key factors.  Never giving up is a key factor.  

Parkland

 PART ONE:

Parkland- a look back at one of the most chaotic events in American history.  This film centers around what happened in Parkland hospital briefly after the assassination of probably the most important man in the world. Quite possibly one of the most infamous moments in history- one that anyone who was alive at the time will be able to tell you exactly where they were when they received the news of this catastrophe.  Personally, I really enjoyed this film.  It caught my attention and kept it.  This film is a recreation of a historical event and often time those films can be quite boring.  Normally, it just feels as though you are sitting through a history class when watching films that fall into that genre.  However- and probably due to the fact that the real life story was so chaotic and dramatic- this film was extremely entertaining to watch.  I loved the attention to detail and how this films main focus was to make it as historically accurate as possible.  This film- and I say this in complete seriousness- kept my heart racing.  I think that that was mostly because I was thinking in my head the entire time that this was actually something that happened.  There was a time in America where this was happening.  It really frightens me that someone could kill a president.  I like that this film gave you the "behind the scenes" glimpse into what was happening during one of America's saddest days.  It was interesting to see how the government reacts to such a shock.  This movie brought a sense of shock to my body.  I obviously always knew that President Kennedy was assassinated- but I never really thought much of it until I watched this film.  I also feel as though this film brought be a sense of patriotism.  I'm extremely lucky to be living in America and I hope nothing like this will ever happen again.  

PART TWO:

For this interview I interviewed my math tutor.  He was a kid in school when this happened.  He says he doesn't remember much but he says that he knows his mother picked him up from school and that he could feel that she was extremely upset.  He says that she was crying and that when his father came home they had a moment of silence.  He says that this event had a major impact on everyone for a while and that it was the first time he saw his mother cry.  

Kill The Irishman

 PART ONE:

Being a from Cleveland and being a fan of crime movies- I took great pleasure in this film.  The true story of Danny Greene, a strong Irishman working for mobsters during the 1970's- this film was highly entertaining.  I found that the acting was fantastic.  Probably my favorite part of the movie was Christopher Walken.  I love Christopher Walken.  I feel as though this film did a great job at staying true to the time period that it was set in.  I think the screenplay was very well done.  However, I feel as though this film was poorly edited.  The explosions were just so fake looking to me and I think that it seemed as though this film wasn't a high budget film.  Honestly, at times it was laughable.  That being said, I still thought the film was very entertaining.  I wasn't ever bored watching it- I was either laughing at the editing or just entertained by the story line.  This movie was particularly entertaining because of the fact that it basically took place in our backyards.  It was almost hard to believe that this took place in Cleveland because Cleveland just seems so boring to me and this storyline was anything but.

PART TWO:

After watching Kill the Irishman, I would describe Danny Greene as someone that had immense amounts of strength.  He was so persistent and kept going.  He was so strong and powerful.  He portrayed the image of success at all times and really didn't let anything get to him.  He stayed relaxed and put together through everything that was going on- and that is a huge sign of strength.