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.  

The Godfather

PART ONE:

The Godfather- universally recognized as the greatest movie of all time.  Oddly enough no one has every really tried to fight that- it's almost just an accepted fact- no debate has ever been required.  This American classic is a 1972 crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola.  Based on Mario Puzo's best selling novel of the same name, this mob drama definitely goes down as a classic.  Walking into this class this was the film that I was most exciting about watching- of course my luck would make it out so I had to watch it on my own time- but I am extremely pleased that I watched it from beginning to end.  My pretentious little self would just tell people that I've seen the film when in all reality I had only ever seen bits and pieces.  This movie is very complex and was indeed hard to follow at times- but lucky enough for me I have access to the internet and was able to look up the story line.  I really enjoyed the way this movie was filmed.  I think Francis Ford Coppola is outrageously talented and I think that the screenplay definitely is a major contributor of what made this movie so successful.  I also loved how this movie was never boring.  Even during parts that could probably be looked at as boring, you still weren't bored because you were trying to piece the parts together and cure your confusion.  My favorite character was the ever-so-iconic Vito Corleone.  Partly because his face is all over Little Italy for some reason- but also party because I'm obsessed with Marlon Brando and think he did a fantastic job with this role.  This movie made me feel cool honestly.  Quite a weird way to describe how a movie made you feel- but there's just something about crime movies that has this effect on me.  It also made me feel dumb because I could barely keep up with it- but hey, you win some you lose some.  This film was quite dark- which I happened to really enjoy- and it focused on the dark side of America.  It certainly wasn't as inspirational as the previous films we have watched.

PART TWO:

Vito Corleone is the "moral" center of the film because he was a family man.  He seemed like he really cared for everyone that came to him for help.  Everyone looked up to him.   Everyone trusted him.  He was truly the mastermind of the Corleone family.  He held the family together and was extremely talented with what he did.  He was a man with great power.  He broke boundaries.  He showed that you can be the strongest scariest man and be a family man at the same time.  

PART THREE:

Indeed, I think that this film being filmed entirely from the inside contributes to it being such a classic.  It makes the film very unique and fascinating.  I loved that you saw the family dynamics through all of this.  Through all of the violence and all of the crime- there was a family story behind it all.  I think that this film is a classic because of the strength of the characters.  There isn't a single weak character in this film.  Each character is even more unique and ruthless than the one before.  I truly believe that this film will always be a classic, and will continue to be passed on through generations to come.  

Cinderella Man

PART ONE:

Simply put- I loved this movie and everything about it.  100% made it to my list of favorite movies- maybe even top five.  The story of James Braddock, the washed up boxer who came back to become a champion yet again and a true inspiration for people during the great depression. This is the true story of an athlete who achieved his greatest success straight out of the most daunting times of his life.  I think Ron Howard did a phenomenal job with this film- in almost every aspect.  The aspect of entertainment was absolutely perfect in my opinion.  I always post about wanting to be on the edge of my seat in films and good gosh did this film do that exact thing for me.  I left this class yearning to come back the next day just to see what happens next.  However, this film wasn't all sparkle and shine- I think it did a fantastic job at focusing on the Great Depression aspect.  Personally, I would categorize this film as dark- and I think that the scenes that focused on the Depression were extremely dark.  They focused on how truly difficult it was for Americans during this period.  This movie showed that the depression literally hit every type of American- average Joes and major athletes.  Honestly, there wasn't anything about this movie that I didn't like.  I think it was the perfect blend of the success story and the Great Depression story. This movie made me feel fantastic.  This movie made me believe in myself.  It showed me that you can literally be at your lowest point- but still bounce up and eventually reach your highest.  I am for sure going to purchase a hard copy of this movie- I think it will be quite beneficial for me during my college years when I will probably be poor and not living off of my parents.  

                                           PART TWO:

In my opinion I think that it is that James Braddock was someone who people knew about - he was a well known name.  He wasn't just an average working man- yet he was still hit by the Great Depression- and hit hard.  I think that seeing this man go from something to nothing to something again made people flourish with hope.  He didn't have much going for him and he was the lowest of the low but he pushed and made himself, his family, and the other people going through the depression proud.  He proved that success was possible and that it was coming.  Braddock would be categorized as a symbol of hope for the masses because he broke boundaries and opened doors.  He found success even when he was so deep into despair.  

42

PART ONE:

 42 is a 2013 film that follows the heroic path of American legend Jackie Robinson.  This movie not only follows the path of this great man- but also that of Branch Rickey.  Just like every other American (hopefully) I've known about Jackie Robinson for as long as I can remember.  However, I really didn't know anything about him other than the fact that he was African-American and he was an important baseball player.  This movie was the first door I opened to information on Jackie Robinson and his life story.  This definitely isn't a movie that I would watch twice but needless to say I found it entertaining and- unlike some other movies we have watched- didn't dread watching it.  I like that this film showed you a side to Jackie that most people- or at least I - didn't know about.  For example, there was a strong emphasis on his personality and quick temper.  Personally, I couldn't care less about sports- and baseball in particular- but this film was quite interesting and had a smooth and entertaining story line.  However, despite it being easy to watch it did fail to keep me gripped and off the edge of my seat- I didn't find it to be too dramatic.  Adding on, there are very few films that have lines that I remember and this movie did indeed have one.  I'm not quite sure what the exact quote is but when Jackie was told that he had to hold in his temper and he responded with " you really wan't someone on your team who can't stand up for themselves?" and was then told "we wan't someone who can have the strength not to."  I probably butchered that quote just then, but I really liked it and it made me re-evaluate my own temper.  This movie, for me, was a feel good movie that left me happy after watching it.  Jackie's determination really inspired me-even when it didn't seem like he was succeeding, or when everyone was trying to get him down- he didn't let that phase him.  He was so determined to be the best and that definitely left a lasting impression on me.

PART TWO:

I think Jackie Robinson helped this country immensely.  He broke boundaries on so many levels.  I think if there wasn't a Jackie Robinson there would eventually still be an African-American baseball player but I doubt anyone could make the impact that he made.  Not only was he the first African-American in the game- but he was a magnificent man that was blessed with the gift of persistence.  You should learn from this amazing man that quite literally anything is possible.  It is up to you to break boundaries and start new things- but you can only be successful if you put in the time and effort.   I agree with Jackie Robinson when he says "a life is not important except in the impact it was on other lives."  I believe that if you make an impact on even just one person, you have fulfilled your role as a human being.  

PART THREE:

I might use Jackie's nine values to face my own barriers knowing to never give up.  I think these values also just prove that you should be the strongest that you personally can be and continue to push yourself.  Jackie Robinson was an amazing man with an amazing message that everybody can learn from.  

Glory

Part One:

I found this movie to be extremely boring.  The movies that I end up loving and re-watching are the movies that keep me on the very edge of my seat- and this movie did quite the opposite for me.  It was just a very dull and bland movie in my opinion.  For a movie with such significant names like Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman- it was quite boring.  This is definitely the type of film that I would walk out of a movie theatre disappointed that I had just spent my money on it.  However, I did like that it took these forgotten African-American heroes and shined a light on them.  I thought it was a good film to watch during Black History Month.  Although I found this movie to be extremely boring I did however think the acting was pretty good.  Like- who knew Ferris Bueller could play such a powerful role?  Honestly though, this story did inspire me.  It's amazing to see such strong men and woman that go against the grain of normality and push hard for their country.  Adding on, I truly think that I learned a lot from this movie.  Through the history classes that I've taken so far in high school we have focused primarily on the World Wars and not so much on the Civil War.  So, although this film wasn't entirely historically accurate I still think that I learned a lot of new things that I hadn't had known prior to watching this film. I think that this movie really showed that bravery is not only extremely important- but can also change the world.  

Part Two:

I think that it takes a truly self-less person to be willing to die for their country.  Someone who views their life as something more than themselves- someone who views their life as the life of a member of something so much bigger than what's inside their head.  I think that people are willing to die for their country because they know that their death isn't going to mean nothing.  Their death is just going to be an added brick to the building that just gets stronger and stronger with time.  That one block makes the building stronger- just as that one death makes the country stronger.  

Part Three:

I believe that this story really changed America forever- and changed the way people viewed African-Americans.  I think that the 54th really rebelled against society which is why it made such a big impact.  In order for change to be made- someone has to rebel on what is currently happening.  These men had so much courage and so much bravery which in turn changed our country forever.  

War Horse

In all honestly, I was starting to feel really pessimistic about this class because I didn't really like any of the movies that we started the class off watching.  In a sense I dreaded coming to class because I didn't feel as though any of the films really captured my attention and I felt as though I didn't really understand any of the films or perhaps just couldn't keep up with them because they bored me so much.   However, this is the movie that changed my outlook on this class entirely.  I loved this movie from beginning to end.  Although still a movie about war, I feel like it is much different that the war movies we have watched in the past.  I say this because I feel as though our last few movies were just over dramatized battle scenes without a strong plot and story line.  I feel like they failed to keep me motivated to watch them because they focused more on the battle scenes than the story itself.  However, this movie really did the exact opposite.  I fell in love with how this movie was set up.  The character development was so strong and the story line wasn't rushed which I felt like the other films we have seen tended to lack.   It was a movie in which I felt like I connected with the characters- which I think is why I was so intrigued by it.  I always find the battle and war scenes boring but I think this film did a great job with that particular part.  It wasn't just a bunch of hired people running on a field- I felt as though the war scenes were much more authentic and realistic.  I liked that it didn't show just a bunch of people shooting at each other- I liked that it was sort of a "behind the scenes", if you will, look at what goes on in the war.  The movie honestly didn't make me cry once- which might make me sound awful because one is expected to cry during a movie like this but honestly this movie didn't make me sad at all.  When the movie ended I was quite shocked because I spent the whole movie waiting for the moment where I was supposed to cry.  I didn't think this movie was "depressing" at all I thought it was an amazing film with an amazing story line and an amazing ending.

Part One:

I feel as though even if I had the bravest heart I still would be incapable of tolerating this film.  Seems a little harsh- I'm aware- but hey, it's better to be honest right? This 13th-century scottish epic, staring Mel Gibson failed to hook my attention during most parts of the film.  Many critics categorize this film as a "romantic adventure" but I however disagree with this categorization.  The romance was sped up and too overdone in such a small period of time that you can barely look at this entire extremely lengthy film and categorize it as any sort of a romance film- in my opinion.  Honestly, I think my favorite part of the film was Mel Gibson.  That is a very vague thing to say considering Mel Gibson plays the main character and is in almost every single scene; and I already previously mentioned disliking the movie- however, Mel Gibson just did it for me. I felt his acting wasn't cheesy or fake at all which probably could have easily been done by an American playing a Scottish character.  Personally, I think that despite his personal life- Mel Gibson is a talented genius and honestly I doubt I would physically be able to tolerate this movie if he wasn't the main character.  I think Mel Gibson made his character powerful and strong yet witty and quirky.  William Wallace carried the entire story line and made you want to root for him. William Wallace mattered to everyone and he was such an important role and I think that this film actually did a great job in capturing that. I liked that he was so absorbed with wanting freedom that he didn't really care about his personal prestige.  I'm not sure why I disliked this movie so much- I wish I had a straight forward answer- but I think overall it just wasn't my type of movie and was definitely a movie that I would never want to re-watch.  I left the class every day excited to not have to be watching the movie anymore and entered the class dreading completing it-- which sounds awful but that's just how the movie made me feel.  As much as I disliked the movie- I really do think that it has strong content applications to today.  I look at the world around us and although it seems like we have complete freedom- the sad truth is that we don't.  I think that this movie highlights the importance of fighting for freedom and never giving up until you have complete freedom, whatever freedom may mean to you.

Part Two:

"Every man dies. Not every man really lives."  You know, I have seen several variations of this quote all over social media- which shows that it has some resonance with all eras.  However, this quote applied to the Scottish quest for freedom from English Tyranny doesn't exactly match up to what teenage girls are trying to imply when they put it as the caption on their instagram pictures.  In this film, I think the quote means that even if they die- they die knowing that they died fighting for their freedom.  You can exist but not truly live if you are not free.  To "live" means so much more than to just being a breathing creature on earth.  It means that you have purpose and meaning in this world and to the Scottish, they did not have purpose or meaning if they were not free.  To live is to not feel trapped- because if you feel trapped, what's the point of living?  To me, I think I feel trapped by the norms that society sets and I feel that for one to "live" in this day and age, one has to break from the norm and do what they truly want to do from the bottom of their hearts instead of following the path that society has set.

The Gladiator

Part One:

"The Gladiator" is a classic film that takes a complex yet simple story line and transforms it into a movie with beautiful scenery, filming, direction and score.  There were parts of the film that I adored and parts that I could definitely do without.  Personally, I loved the battle scenes.  I could tell that there was so much effort that went into the production of those scenes and I honestly felt that it was real.  However, there were parts of the movie that I disliked- like the opening scene.  I felt as though the opening scene was quite boring and confusing.  The movie didn't make me feel any type of way.  I didn't walk out of class thinking "wow that film changed me."  I felt as though the film was purely for entertainment value and didn't really have any deep imbedded meaning.  However, I did really enjoy the film and it is a film that I would definitely want to watch again- perhaps I would enjoy it a bit more now that I understand the story line.  I think Commodus was the most interesting character in the film.  He brought a sense of evilness into the film while stirring up the entire story line and making the film worth watching.  Honestly, although it was a great movie, I don't think any of it can really be applied to today.  Again, I feel as though this film was purely for entertainment value and I can't imagine this movie being applicable in any sense to the modern day world.

Part Two:

I think that the theme of this film is to finding your inner strength.  Maximus was put at the lowest of the low, and not only that but he also had his family taken away from him and his power was taken away from him.  However, he didn't give up- he found his inner strength and became powerful.  Overall, that's what I took out of this film.  We all have inner strength and even when it doesn't seem like there is any hope for us to find it- we can.  

Initial Thoughts

To be entirely honest, the initial reason that I took this class was to fill a space in my schedule.  However, there were reasons for me to choose taking this class as opposed to the other electives Mr. Favazzo was listing off on some random day in May.  I'm very interested in history- it has always been my favorite subject in school.  Also, I've always fancied films-especially classics.  I feel as though this class is going to be a class where we watch the "must-see films" and not only find them entertaining, but also gain knowledge through them as well.  I'm also excited to jump into my creative side a little bit with the blog posts.  I hope I learn from this class and I hope that in the future when someone brings up one of these movies I will be able to have an intelligent conversation with them about it.