"All the President's Men"

"All the President's Men" is a captivatingly true story about the series of events that led up to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

The film relates to the text in many different ways. The films theme refers to the constant search for truth. The elements that unify the film include the plot, the characters, and the creation of an emotional mood. The film is designed to convey the idea that people should be aware of their surroundings. The ideas presented by this film is the idea of the fact that the people and politicians and administrations are connected through media. The film's level of ambition is used to show viewers they need to draw their own conclusions and seek out truth for themselves.

The objective evaluation of a film determines if the film was able to succeed in the message it was trying to send. "All the President's Men" succeeded at this because out the way they presented the theme of the film. Throughout the film, the camera is placed in a way that makes it seem like the viewer is sitting next to Woodward and Bernstein as they unwrap the Watergate mystery. This keeps the viewer involved in the theme and has them unfolding the clues to the story right there with the characters.

The subjective evaluation of a film is the viewer's personal reaction to the film. I really enjoyed the plot line of the story, I had heard about the Watergate incident in the past, but this film really expended my knowedge of the subject matter. I liked how, even as a true story, the film was presented in a fresh way. Sometimes, when films are based on a true story it loses the viewers interest because they already know what is going to happen. This film was presented in a way that kept viewers interested even if they already know that in the end, Nixon will resign. The only thing I have to complain about in the film was the fact that it was so fast-paced. I didn't really know what was going on at the beginning or towards the middle, and before I knew it, I was already 3/4 of the way through the movie and I still didn't have a good sense of what was going on. It was only when I went back a few times in the film that I began to connect the lines.

This film was used as a showcase for the actors as well. Both Hoffman and Redford play very convincing roles as Bernstein and Woodward in the investigation. In doing research for this film, I actually found out that the two actors spent weeks and even months at the real Washington Post observing the journalists in order to prepare for their roles. I thought that this was a really cool piece of information because it showed the actors' determination to fit the roles as best they could, and they did so flawlessly.

The film was also used as the product of the director. I think the main objective of the director was to tell the story like it happened. Usually in films that are based on a true story, the director sometimes feels the need to add in extra events that didn't really happen, like extra drama or a relationship. The director of "All the President's Men" felt no need to do this. He was confident in his ability to tell the story and the film shows the end result of the director's determination.

I think that American films reflect social and cultural values. Especially prominent in "All the President's Men," the film is a response to the social and economic endeavors at the time. Because this film is based on a real story, the viewer is transitioned back in time, when this actually was what was going on in the world at the time.

"The Cider House Rules"

"The Cider House Rules" is a movie that is rampant with contraversial issues including adultery, insest, but most prominently, abortion, but it's also a movie that I truly enjoyed. Despite its pro-abortion plot line, the film is still really well done.

This film relates to the text in many ways. The theme of this film is a persons duty to his or her society. After seeing countless back street abortions gone wrong, Dr. Larch has dedicated himself to society, even if what he is doing is wrong. Eventually, Homer takes his place and fulfills his duty to society as well. I think the director's purpose in making the film was to tell the audience that we all have a duty to society that we must fulfill.

The relationship of parts to the whole is prominent in this film. This is done through symbolism. The symbolism throughout the movie is represented through the rules hung up in the cider house. These rules represent the law. When Homer started reading the rules to the people who lived there, they dismissed them right away. This is because they felt that since the people who wrote the rules dont actually live in the cider house, they dont need to follow the rules that were made for them. Mr. Rose said himself, "We are the ones who make the rules." This is referencing the fact that the people who were getting abortions also think that the rules don't apply to them because they didn't make them, even though abortion was illegal. Another piece of symbolism represented by the list of rules is when Homer burned them in the stove. This scene was going back to the beginning of the movie when Homer would go outside to the large stove and burn the post-abortion babies. This action done by Homer is also foreshaddowing the doctor's death and how Homer will take his place. Just like the doctor, Homer will continue to "burn the rules" and carry out abortions illegally.

The film's level of ambition seeks to tell the audience that in some intances, abortion is not bad. The objective evaluation of the film tells us that the director has accomplished his ambition in the film. The film succeeds in what it is trying to do because of the heart-wrenching affair that is going on between Rose and her father. The director uses this approach to convince people that not all abortion is bad because there is not one person on this planet that would like to have their father's baby. The director uses insest to try to sway us to his side. However, he does fail at swaying us to his side at the beginning of the movie when mothers are getting abortions just because they don't want a baby. I think that this was apart of his plan though, to show us instances where he thinks abortion is wrong and other instances where he thinks abortion is right. 

The subjective evaluation of the film is how the viewer personally felt about the film. The overall feel of the film was pro-abortion. This kind of threw me off a little bit, for I am anti-abortion, but despite that, it was still a really good movie. The only thing that I am afraid of after watching this movie is that it will give people an excuse to get an abortion or make them feel better about their decisions because the director does give a convincing argument on instances where abortion should be allowed. This being said, I personally think it is still wrong no matter how you slice it.

In addressing the film as technical achievement, it is important not to focus on what the director is communicating, rather how the director is communicating. When referring to the film in this manner, the director does an excellent job at communicating. He uses the viewers' hearts and emotions to his advantage. He, figuratively speaking, hits us in our weak spots to get his point across, even if we don't believe in what he is trying to communicate.

The film as a showcase for the actor is displayed through Toby Maguire's acting. If Maguire wouldn't have done as good of a job as he did playing Homer, the whole film would have falled apart. He did an excellent job at his part and took his career to a whole other lever. We are so used to seeing Toby Maguire dressed up in a Spiderman suit that the role of Homer is a nice change. You really start to see his true acting skills come out when he doesn't have to hide behind a costume.

The film as a product of the director is shown through the placement of the director's morals throughout the film.In every movie a director makes, some of her personality of some of his beliefs end up in the story line. This is why I think that the director believes that abortion is only right in outstanding circumstances and cases, such as Rose's predicament.

Using the humanistic approach to the film, The Cider House Rules attempts to change and influence the beliefs that the viewer holds. Most people after seeing this movie are going to experience some kind of sympathy for Rose and what she has gone through. The film tries to change our views through Rose's character. She is a sweet, caring individual who didn't deserve the cards she were delt. This is how the film tries to convince us and also why the film is an emotional experience. However, the viewer has to keep in mind that we are all delt cards that we don't necessarily deserve. Cancer, death, and violence affect people everyday. It's just how you respond to the cards that you are delt that will determine the outcome.

As you can see through many different ways of analyzing this film, The Cider House Rules is a well made and well thought through film, despite your own personal beliefs on the topic of abortion.

"The Dark Knight"

"The Dark Knight" was a film that was so captivating for me. The story was constantly changing and always kept me on the edge of the seat. It was a film that was so packed with symbolism and hidden meanings, I had to go get a pen and paper.

Some of the most prominent symbolism in the film were the joker cards spread throughout the movie. On most of the cards, I noticed that the figure of the joker was presented as either a devilish figure or a serpant. I tie this symbolic reference in with another piece of symbolism I picked up on in the movie, and that is the fact that the Joker is constantly licking his lips and sticking his tounge out. I think by doing this, they were referencing the fact that the Joker is like the devil. Another piece of symbolism I think I may have found, although it may be nothing, is in the opening scene where one of the bank robbers is waiting to be picked up and he is holding his clown mask at his side. The car pulls up in front of him, and as the shaddows form, one eye in the mask goes black from the shaddow while the other stays white, ever though logically it should have turned black from the shaddow as well. I think that this is foreshaddowing what the film is ultimately going to be about, the fact that everyone has two sides, good and bad, and depending how we act on those sides will determine who we are as a person.

In the part of the movie where the two ferries are deciding whether or not to blow up the other ferry, symbolism lies here as well. The ferry with the civilians on it is leaning towards blowing up the other ferry more so than the actual criminals are. The criminal throwing the detinator out the window defies his stereotype and he is actually in the right. The fact that the civilians were closer to blowing up the other ferry than the criminals were sends a message to the viewer that civilians can be just as ruthless as criminals.

The use of color was done very well in this film. Color was used on the Joker's face to attract attention as well as to show expressionism. They are used to reinforce his personality and the viewer is supposed to be repulsed by his array of bright colors on his person.

In the middle of watching this film, I realized the title "The Dark Knight" has the potential for a double meaning. The title ultimately refers to Batman, but I think it could also refer to Harvey Dent. Early on in the movie, Gotham refers to Harvey as "the white knight." I think that the title could have something to do with the fact that Harvey eventually turns evil, or dark.

I also noticed a continuous motif of dogs in the movie. At the beginning, Batman is attacked by dogs and needs to upgrade his suit because of it. Throughout the movie, numerous references of dogs were used in the dialogue. At the end, the Joker was guarded by dogs. When Batman appears, the dogs attack him and knock him to the ground. The Joker then attacks Batman at the same time as the dogs are doing the same. This could maybe imply the fact that the Joker is a dog. To reinforce this theory, the last time we see the Joker, he is dangling by one foor by a rope, which could maybe reference a leash.

Perhaps the most well-done visual effect in the film is Harvey's face after the accident. The effect is done so flawlessly that even on a profile shot of the character, it still looks as though he only has half his face. This unique face in the film gives the director the perfect opportunity for reaction shots of Harvey's face. After the accident in which Harvey lost half his face, almost all of the shots of him are close up reaction shots. This is because the impact of Harvey's face on the viewer is so captivating that it makes you feel like you are living this movie.

"The Dark Knight" is filled with tons of guns, fast cars, and explosions. This means lots of sound is key to making the film as realistic as possible. The sound effects were right on, from the sound of Batman's deep voice to the chilling sound of Harvey's exposed teeth and muscules rubbing together, the sound effects done in this film are unmatchable.

Another unmatchable factor in "The Dark Knight" is by far Heath Ledger's performance at the Joker. Ledger actually becomes his character in this film, something that is sometimes hard for even the most experienced actoer to accomplish. The viewer becomes so captures by Ledgers acting that we kind of forget that it's not reality.

For the intense sound effects and incredible acting to the thoughtful symbolism and motifs, "The Dark Knight" is a film that was thought through and had a lot of time and effort put into the filming to make the film seem as real and believable as possible. I'd say, mission accomplished.

"The Graduate"

"The Graduate" is a film about an East Coast college graduate, Benjamin, who is trying to find out what his future has in store for him. However in the search for his destiny, he finds himself wrapped up in an affair with his parents' friend. This only occurs because the woman he's having an affair with, Mrs. Robinson, doesn't want Benjamin to date her daughter Elaine.

The theme of this film revolves around the idea of alienation and separation from the world. This theme is made clear through multiple symbols throughout the movie. The first symbol of alienation is the appearence of glass. Whenever the viewer sees glass in the movie, it's always separating Benjamin from the rest of the world. A few examples of this include the scene in Benjamin's room, where he looks down at the people at his party through his bedroom window, the multiple scenes of Benjamin in a phone booth, and the scene at Elaine's wedding where Benjamin is in the balcony pounding on the glass wall. Another symbolic reference to the theme of isolation is the use of the scubadiver throughout the movie. When Benjamin goes to his room to get away from the party, he sits and stares at the scuba man in the fish tank, almost like he yearns to be like him, away from the world. This symbol is also present through Benjamin's birthday present, the scuba suit. When Benjamin dives in the water, he remains under there for a period of time because he realizes that no one can talk to him. He has become the plastic scubadiver in his fish tank. The Broddock's pool is also a symbol of the theme. When Benjamin lays on the pool raft, it symbolizes the fact that he is merely just drifting through life without any goals or future. These are all symbols that reinforce the idea of isolation.

The textbook relates to the film in many different ways. An expressionistic use of color is presented to the viewer through Benjamin's clothes in order to give us a sense of what he is like as a character. All his clothes in the film are very dark or neutral colors. This could represent the fact that Benjamin is boring, he has no real personality and no sense of direction. The only thing that makes this character not boring is the affair between he and Mrs. Robbinson.

The use of sound is done very well in the film. In the pool scene where Benjamin displays his scuba suit for everyone to see, the viewer experiences both visible and invisible sounds. The visible sound comes from Benjamin's heavy breathing. We are pushed to experience this scene through Benjamin's and although we can see the people taking, we can only here Benjamin's breathing. Invisible sound is used when Benjamin is at the bottom of the pool, again, we can here his breathing, but we also hear other people's voices. We automatically draw a conclusion that the voices are coming from outside of the pool because the voices are muffles and we cannot really clearly understand them.

The use of a dead screen is used multiple times in "The Graduate." A dead screen is that of which there is nothing really interesting happening. This is used sometimes to emphasize sound or to just simply make a point. The scene when Benjamin insists on hearing the story of Mrs. Robinson and her husband while they are laying in the hotel room is a good example of the use of a dead screen to emphasize sound. The director purposly gives the viewer a dark screen where you can barely make out anything because he wants us to focus on the sounds rather than sights. The ending scene where Benjamin and Elaine are on the back of the school bus after running away from her wedding, a dead screen is used to emphasize sight, not sound. The two don't take to eachother nor even look at eachother. I think that this may have something to do with the fact that their lives are still uncertain and they are starting to ask themselves if they really do love the other person. Based on the blank expression on both of their faces, I'm guessing not.

Music is used frequently in this film to act as an inner monologue. The most significant song used in this film was "The Sounds of Silence." "The Sounds of Silence" is used the most in the film and is used to reinforce the theme of emptiness and isolation. This song is especially prominent at the very beginning of the movie when Benjamin is wandering the airport. This song acts as an introduction into what Benjamin's life is like. The song continues to play spiratically in the movie and is play at meaningful times, like when Benjamin goes into the hotel room bathroom and shuts off the light, the song comes in at "hello darkness my old friend, I've come to talk with you again."

On a more personal note, I thought the movie was, different. It's the one movie that I have watched so far for this class where I actually had to force myself to watch it. I found it very boring and stale; I often had to pause the movie just to get a break. I understand why the director chose to certain songs to be played in the film, however, I thought they were extremely overplayed. By the end of the movie, the only thing that was kept in my memory was "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme." Some of the scenes were very strange to me and somewhat pointless. Scenes like this include the scubadiver suit scene- why would he get a scuba suit for his birthday?- and the closing scene with Benjamin and Elaine staring blankly off, not even looking or speaking to eachother after they had just done something so rebelious. I did however like how the director incorporated the different symbols to enhance his theme of isolation. Other than that, I really didn't enjoy anything else.

"Memento"

"Memento" is a mind-bending suspense film that leaves its viewers asking questions. This was the first time I have watched the movie, let alone even heard of it. When the movie finally ended, I remember being so confused, not at the movie, because of the movie. Director Nolan actually got inside my head and made me think I was right there with Leonard. I actually felt like I had short-term memory loss just like the main character. This is something I've never experienced before and I think this is the effect that Nolan wanted to have on its viewers once the movie had ended.

An obvious visual design that was used throughout the film was the use of black and white. The director used this to separate two lines of the story that were being explained. The scenes showed in black and white were used to explain to the viewer that these events were happening in chronological order. The colored scenes explained to us that these events were happening in reverse chronological order. These events keep happening in this sequence until the end of the movie, where they finally meet in the middle and everything makes sense. I think that the black and white color scheme was also used to direct our attention to what was going on while limiting our distractions. Just like in photography, when things are in black and white, we tend to focus on the object and whats happening rather than other things like color distractiong us. Black and white was used to let the viewer know to pay close attention because something important is going to happen.

The starting point of this film is unique. This is because it is actually the ending point for the series of events that are about to occur. This means that the ending point of the script is actually the starting point in reference to chronological order.

The setting is very important in this film. It is used as a determiner of character through the environment. Environment has a huge effect on the development of a character in a film and especially in "Memento." Leonard's surroundings shape who he is within the movie. He is easily fooled and lied to because of his memory loss and these play a huge impact on the development of his character.

Setting as a reflection of character is also present in this film. The place where Leonard stays is a run-down motel. There is nothing special about this room, except the fact that he has taped up a poster board filled with reminders of what his life is. The things that take place in this room sometimes give the viewer great confusion, this is why I think the color blue is present everywhere in the place he is staying, to create setting as an emotional atmosphere. The door, walls, and comforters are all blue. I think Nolan did this to help calm the viewer down because it is such a confusing movie at times.

Period pieces are used in the film to let the viewer know if this scene is in the past. For instance, the bruises on Natalie's face. When a scene came up and the bruises weren't on her face, then we know that this scene is from the past. These pieces are used continuously throughout the movie to help the viewer better understand what is going on.

Leonard is placed in a fantasy world in this film. He is constantly on a search for his wife's murderer. However, once he has killed the murderer, he sets up another person to pretend is his wife's murderer so he can constantly be involved in his little game. He can not think clearly so he actually thinks that his wife's murderer is still out there, even after he has killed him already.

The use of Sammy Jenkins in the film was a way for Leonard to remember what happened in the past without him realizing that he was actually Sammy Jenkins. His wife was the diabetic and he was the one who overdosed his wife on insulin and put her into a coma. This is just a different way for him to remember what happened without actually having to take the blame for his wife's death.

The use of movement was constant throughout the film. There is not one time that I can remember that the characters in this movie stood still. I think that Nolan did this to constantly keep our eyes moving and our brains thinking. Something that I noticed about the camera shots in "Memento" is that like Leonard and the rest of the characters, the camera is always in motion and it very rarely stands still. This also contributes to the sense of confusion throughout the film. This never really gives the viewer a chance to completely grasp onto what just happened. I think that this helps the audience become more entangled in the film and helps you feel that you are right there with Leonard. This is how Nolan leaves you questioning your own reality when the movie is over. He completely wraps you up in what is going on that you actually believe that by the end of the film, you're the one with the memory loss. something I truly enjoyed while watching this movie.

"Amelie"

"Amelie" is the story of a young French woman's journey through life. In the film, she discovers courage, happiness, and even love. This quirky and hilarious film captured my heart within the first five minutes and will do so to anyone who watches it. Amelie is portrayed as such an innocent girl with a quiet but strong personality that viewers can't help to fall in love with. I can honestly say that "Amelie" has now become one of my favorite movies.

The character of Amelie is almost impossible to not connect with. Director Jean-Pierre represented the character of Amelie as a girl trying to find happiness in her life. She is always used to blending into the background and constantly placing others before herself. However, thoughout the film, she realizes that although helping other people is a very rewarding thing, she also needs to do what makes her happy.

The character of Amelie is explained through the representation of the girl with the glass of water in the glass man's painting. In the beginning of the film, he finds it impossible to get the girl with the glass just right. Later on, we understand that this character in the painting is Amelie. The girl with the glass doesn't seem to stand out enough in the painting, like she is lurking in the background, just like Amelie. I think the glass of water the character in the painting was holding represented what Amelie's heart would become if she didn't start paying attention to her needs. At the end of the film, you see the glass man working on the painting, and suddenly, the character stands out from the painting and is finally united with the rest of the world, as does Amelie at the end of the film.

"Amelie" uses many visual design effects within the film. The film begins with Amelie as a little girl. She is pictured performing random things such as eating raspberries, peeling glue off her fingers, and cutting figures out of paper. This explains to the viewer that Amelie enjoys the simple things in life as a child and also will as an adult through helping people. This is a point that says something about us as Americans. We as a country sometimes forget to enjoy the little things in life. We constantly want everything bigger and better and tend to overlook the things that really make people happy, even if it's as simple as skipping stones. This film should be a contsant reminder for us to slow down, take a deep breath, and enjoy life.

Setting is a very important factor in the film. It is used to create emotional atmosphere. Everyone knows that Paris is the city of love. The fact that the film is placed in Paris and is portrayed the way Paris actually looks in real life gives the viewer a whimsical feeling and faith that Amelie will find love. Setting is also used as a reflection of character. There is a scene in the movie after Amelie realizes that she needs to help her father. She goes to his house, the house where she grew up, and stands infront of her old home. The camera then begins to decend to the ground as it's filming Amelie standing infront of the house. This give the feeling that the house is looking down on Amelie, making her look inferior and overwhelmed by the house. This camera angle could be referencing the fact that Amelie had a tough childhood in this house or it could be getting at the fact that Amelie is beginning to feel overwhelmed with the urge to help people. Amelie's childhood house is the complete opposite of the apartment she lives in now. It has more of a warm, welcoming feel to it and is completely characteristic of Amelie herself. Everything in the apartment is red. This choice of color could indicate the passion she has discovered to help other people.

One of my favorite symbols in this film is the garden gnome. The gnome represents Amelie's father's dream to travel. The gnome was kept in the tool shed for most of Amelie's life because her mother hated it. However, it's also because her father had to put his dream of traveling aside because he could not leave his daughter alone because of her "heart defect." Her father finally takes the gnome out of the shed, representing that he is thinking about traveling again. However, he cements it to his wife's shrine indicating that he's not going anywhere. It's only when Amelie breaks the gnome off the shrine and sends it on a trip around the world that her father realizes it's time to make his dream of traveling a reality.

Costume is an element that is very effectively used throughout the film. It is no secret that the main colors in "Amelie" are red and green. One can tell that these colors were deliberatly chosen because of the fact that the two colors are opposite on the color wheel; red and green are the complimentary colors of one another. This means that when red is placed against green and vice-versa, the other color will stand out. This explaination is used flawlessly throughout the film. What I noticed in the film that the use of red was mainly used in the setting or surrounding. For example, Amelie's apartment, the movie theater seats, and the red shoes in the photobooth. Red is mainly used to represent the surroundings. Green is also sometimes used in the surroundings, but the color is mainly placed on Amelie through her clothes. These two colors work together throughout the movie to act as a harmonizing agent, when red is overwhelming in the environment, the color green is always there to tone it down. For example, when Amelie and Nino are in her apartment. All the surroundings are red, but Amelie is wearing a green sweater. This play on colors calms the scene down a little bit and helps Amelie stand out from the red, making her the focus of the scene.

Movement is contantly taking course throughout this film. It appears right at the beginning, when the mother and father are being introduced. The constant change of scenes keeps out eyes moving. This method is used throughout the film when introducing new characters into the plot. Movement is also used at the end of the film, where the chopping sensation of movement captures Amelie and Nino on the motorini. I think the director chose to display such great amounts of movement in this scene because he used the same amount when introducing new characters. This point makes me think that Jean-Pierre was trying to introduce new characters in this scene of Amelie and Nino as well, the new and improved, and finally happy, characters of Amelie and Nino.

Lighting and color is also used in this film. I think the most dominant example of this was Amelie in the movie theater. Her almost white complexion completely stood out from the dark background of the movie theater. This use of light and dark draws one hundred percent of the viewer's attention to Amelie. Another method that is used in the same movie theater scene is the use of panning. The focus goes from Amelie, who is the center of attention because of the use of light and dark, to the audience and the expressions on their faces. The camera moved its line of sight to include not just Amelie, but her and the hilarious expressions of the audience sitting behind her.

The obvious use of subtitles in the film may scare some people, however, I think the use of subtitles and the use of a different language only help the viewer experience the culture of this different country. I think that subtitles are sometimes necessary to let people know that there are other languages out there and that not every movie experience has to be viewed in English. It's a reminder for us that we aren't the only language that is out there and that we sometimes need to experience that different language or culture in order to understand it more deeply.

The Story of Amelie's life has completely captured my heart. I can relate to her in so many ways, and I am positive that I'm not the only one who feels that way. She is a constant reminder that the world sometimes needs to slow down and appreciate life for what it really is, beautiful.

"The King's Speech"

"The King's Speech" is a film that focuses on the fact that every individual has a flaw, even royalty. Albert, the Duke of York, has had a speech impediment since about five years old. His wife, Elizabeth, constantly tries to find a cure for her husband. She finds Lionel, a child speech therapist. On their first meeting together in Lionel's home, he asks Albert when his speech impediment started. When the prince replies that he has been this way all his life, Lionel states that no one is born with a speech impediment, it is only developed at a young age. We later find out that Albert has not had an easy life. As a child, his nanny rarely fed him, resulting in stomach issues. Albert's older brother and his father, the King, contantly moked Albert for his speech. The King realized that his eldest son, David, will disappoint his family and his country if he inherites the thrown. The King's life long frustration with his son's speech is obvious in the scene where he orders Albert to read the speech that the King himself had just read. When Albert struggles, the King yells out without hesitation, "Just read it!" The King's disappointment in both of his sons is made completely obvious throughout the film.

The credibility of this film is told through the idea of the way things really are. No one is perfect, most people are alright with grasping onto that idea, but this film focuses on the flaws not of a commoner, but of royalty, a soon to be king. This brings the main character down to our level and allows us to examine him not as royalty, but as one of us, a person going through the stuggles of everyday life, just like us. This examination of Albert's flaws both inside and out help us connect with him. This is also re-enforced when Lionel refuses to call Albert "Your Royal Highness" or anything like that. This is because it brings Albert down to Lionel's level, to our level, so we can see that Albert has weeknesses just like us. This makes us sometimes forget about the fact that Albert is indeed royalty when having his sessions in Lionel's home office.

Just like "Good Will Hunting," the action displayed in "The King's Speech" is presented both externally and internally. The external action that takes place within the film are characterized by Albert's frequent outbursts of swearing and vulgar opinions. The internal action again takes place within the main character. Albert is fighting with himself. He does not consider himself worthy of the thrown because, "A King is the voice of his country, and I can't speak." This ongoing battle is only put to rest at the end of the film where, with the help of Lionel, Albert flawlessly delivers one of the most important speeches of his life. He then realizes that he does deserve the thrown because of the perseverence he possesses.

The significance of the title "The King's Speech" also has a double meaning. The title refers to the fact that the King's speech is not very good because of his speech impediment. It also refers to one of the most important speeches in the new King's life, the declaration of war on Germany. Both meanings are very different, but are also connected in a very meaningful way. The double meaning refers to the fact that even though the King does have a speech impediment, he overcame it and delivered the best speech of his life.

Characterization through dialogue is also very prominent in the development of the main character. We learn about Albert through his struggle with his speech. We then realize that not only does he struggle with his speech, but he also struggles with the negative views everyone has on him because of his speech impediment. We begin to relate to him through the use of characterization through dialogue.

Characterization through choice of name is also made reference to in "The King's Speech." When Albert realizes that he will become king because his older brother gave up the thrown, he is asked what name he will take up. It is suggested that he takes up George the VI, after his father. Although he does take up his father's name, Albert has no intention of doing some of the things that his father did as king, such as the Christmas speech. This lets the viewer know that even though Albert does not plan on doing some of these things, he still respects his father as the King before him.

Albert and his older brother David are two completely opposite characters in this film. This distinction makes David the foil of Albert. We start to develop this idea throughout the movie through the presentation of David's risque lifestyle, but we start to completely understand the role of David as the foil when their father dies. Everyone in the room realizes what has happened, but everyone remains calm and remains strong, except for when David breaks down and starts crying, stunning everyone, and runs out of the room. This scene gives us a clear distinction between the two brothers, telling us that David is weak and is in no way fit for the throne like his younger brother Albert is.

"The King's Speech" is a film that focuses on both the internal and external conflict of an individual we least expect, a King. Through watching this film, we begin to examine our own conflicts and develop ways to overcome them, just like Albert.