"Good Will Hunting" is the story of a young man tries to find his place in life. As an abused foster child, Will's philosophy on life has become hurting other people before they can hurt him. Will is a math genius and he knows it. Because of this and his ability to read people like a book, he hides behind the idea that he is perfect and that he has everyone figured out, besides himself.
This film relates to the text in many different ways. The first is the fact that the film "Good Will Hunting" is a credible story because it relates to externally observable truths and the way things really are. The director of this movie in no way sugar-coats the life of Will. Director Van Sant has no problem telling the viewers how it really is. He realizes that no one has a perfect life, so why try to tell a story that overlooks the truth. The truth is that Will is a man scarred from abuse as a child and is hiding from the world in fear that he'll be hurt again.
Another element to a good story pointed out in the text is that a good movie should be interesting, either with suspense or action. In the film "Good Will Hunting" action is used in both external and internal ways. The external action takes place in Sean's office as well as in Skylar's dorm room, when Will uses force or yelling to get his points across. The internal action takes place within Will's soul. He has a constant battle going on inside him, one part of him wants to stay as far away from others as possible, both physically and mentally, and the other side of him just wants someone to love and care for him, something he has never experienced before in his life. But again, he is afraid that if he does let Skylar in, he will only end up getting hurt in the end. Another reason why the theme of "Gool Will Hunting" is fear.
I had not watched "Good Will Hunting" before this assignment. Before I had even watched the movie, I thought that the title "Good Will Hunting" was refering to a search for good will. It wasn't untill I got into the movie that I realized that the main character's name was Will Hunting. I then realized that the title has a double meaning. The title refers to the fact that dispite all his issues, Will Hunting was a good man. The title also refers to the fact that the main character is on a never ending search for good will.
The ending of the film is also significant. Toward the end of the movie is the scene of Skylar at the airport. She frantically looks around for Will hoping that he had changed his mind and he would be there at the aiport with her. She hesitantly gets on the plane after she realizes that Will is not there. It then shows Will outside sitting on a bench and watches Skylar's plane take off. This scene refers to the fact that both Will and Skylar want to be together, but they know that they can't. At the very end of the film after an intensive last session with Sean, Will realizes what he had with Skylar. Before he leaves Boston to follow Skylar, he stops by Sean's place and drops a note in his mailbox saying that he "has to go see about a girl." This line is a parallel to what Sean told his friends when he met the love of his life. The director uses this line to tell the audience that Will has finally realized that, like Sean, he has found the love of his life.
The film "Good Will Hunting" also contains a lot of symbolism. A few symbolic references that stood out to me was the use of colors throughout the film. Everything that refers to Will is orange, which is the color of energy and change. This color references the constant confilct going on within Will and also his need for change. Throughout the movie, Sean wears nothing but warm and neutral colors. This could reference the feeling of peace and serenity that Will feels when he's with Sean. Another symbolic reference that I picked up on is the fact that whenever you see the professor, he is always wearing the same scarf. This could represent the wrap, the control he has over Will and his future. However, after Will overhears Sean protecting him in a heated argument with the professor, he realizes that the professor does not have Will's best interests at heart. Maybe this is why in the scene where Will burns his math work, this is the only scene in the movie where he is not wearing his scarf, because he realizes that he has no control over Will anymore.
"Good Will Hunting" is a classic story of a neverending struggle for truth. It's symbolism, conficts, and interesting plot line are what make this movie a truly great film.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
"On the Waterfront"
"On the Waterfront" is yet another timeless black and white film that pushes the viewer to look at the world in a different way. I actually learned something watching this movie, something that movies today sometimes have a tendancy not to do. The social and economic problems that take place in "On the Waterfront" don't just relate to the world in the 1950's, but relate to the world today as well. These problems are hard to overlook when evaluating the world back then to the world now. Nothing has changed. That is why this film in my opinion is considered to be "timeless" because it related to the world back then, it related to the world now, and in another fifty years it will probably be the same. This film helps the viewer realize this.
The thing that I enjoyed most about the film was the change between Terry at the biginning of the movie to Terry at the end. The main reason for the change is Edie, the sister of Joey, whom Terry wisnessed being murdered. Edie eventually persuades Terry to rebel against the corrupt union and bring justice to Joey death.
Terry is a washed-up, former boxer that never really got his boxing career off the ground. He was told to lose in fights that were fixed, therefore ending his boxing career. In the scene between Terry and his older brother Charly, Terry blames his brother for his failure saying, "... I could have been somebody, instead of a bum..." However, little does Terry know that by testifying against the corrupt union and standing up the the union leader, he became somebody. Although it wasn't through boxing, it was through heart and determination to do the right thing; he became a hero, without even putting his boxing gloves on.
"On the Waterfront," like "Casablanca," also correlates to the text. In the same list of ideas explained in the review of "Casablanca" below, the film "On the Waterfront" possesses many of those ideas. The first is moral implications. Morallity takes place in the film because Terry knows what is right and seeing past the threats of the union is he "sings," Terry still does what he believes is right, a true example of morality.
Social problems is also a big idea that stands out for the viewers of this film. The corrupt mob made life miserable for the workers and the families of everyone connected. It forces the viewer to think and feel what the characters are going through. The struggle for human dignity also makes itself know in this film. The scene where Edie's father looses his work ticket and Edie fights Terry to get it back shows a clear relation to the desperation these people faced on a daily basis. If the man in the family couldn't work, that means no bread on the table for his family, an experience that is ever-so prominent in today's society as well.
The story of "On the Waterfront" and is relation to society is undeniable after viewing this movie. It holds a mirror to American and asks "What has changed?" and it is up to the viewer to analyze the answer to that question.
The thing that I enjoyed most about the film was the change between Terry at the biginning of the movie to Terry at the end. The main reason for the change is Edie, the sister of Joey, whom Terry wisnessed being murdered. Edie eventually persuades Terry to rebel against the corrupt union and bring justice to Joey death.
Terry is a washed-up, former boxer that never really got his boxing career off the ground. He was told to lose in fights that were fixed, therefore ending his boxing career. In the scene between Terry and his older brother Charly, Terry blames his brother for his failure saying, "... I could have been somebody, instead of a bum..." However, little does Terry know that by testifying against the corrupt union and standing up the the union leader, he became somebody. Although it wasn't through boxing, it was through heart and determination to do the right thing; he became a hero, without even putting his boxing gloves on.
"On the Waterfront," like "Casablanca," also correlates to the text. In the same list of ideas explained in the review of "Casablanca" below, the film "On the Waterfront" possesses many of those ideas. The first is moral implications. Morallity takes place in the film because Terry knows what is right and seeing past the threats of the union is he "sings," Terry still does what he believes is right, a true example of morality.
Social problems is also a big idea that stands out for the viewers of this film. The corrupt mob made life miserable for the workers and the families of everyone connected. It forces the viewer to think and feel what the characters are going through. The struggle for human dignity also makes itself know in this film. The scene where Edie's father looses his work ticket and Edie fights Terry to get it back shows a clear relation to the desperation these people faced on a daily basis. If the man in the family couldn't work, that means no bread on the table for his family, an experience that is ever-so prominent in today's society as well.
The story of "On the Waterfront" and is relation to society is undeniable after viewing this movie. It holds a mirror to American and asks "What has changed?" and it is up to the viewer to analyze the answer to that question.
"Casablanca"
"Casablanca" is a movie that has changed the way I look at old, black and white films. It's a movie that challenges the viewer and pushes him to ask questions, something the newer movies are sometimes very bad at. "Casablanca" continuously surprises it's viewers by always pushing you to look at an idea closer.
The first scene that I really liked and that I thought gave some insight into Rick and Ilsa's relationship was towards the beginning of the movie when Victor Laszlo and Ilsa first arrive at Rick's. After Rick briskly walks over to Sam to ask him why he was playing the forbidden song "As Time Goes By," Rick spotts Ilsa and her husband Victor. Rick completely goes against his personal rules of never drinking with a customer and likewise never picking up the tap for a customer and does just that with Ilsa and her husband. This violation of Rick's rules give the viewer clear insight to the mysterious, unresolved relationship between Rick and Ilsa, without the actors really even saying anything about their past together. I think that this scene is one of the most well done and thought through of them all.
The other scene that surprised me as well as the first was when Ilsa had given Rick the power to decide what she does, either leave for the United States with Victor, her husband, or Rick, her long-lost lover. She is confident that Rick will tell Victor about their love and that her and Rick will be on the next plane to the States to live happily ever after. However, Rick surprises both Ilsa and the viewer when he points a gun at Louis, a French officer, and makes him sign the transport papers in Ilsa and her husband's name. Ilsa is devastated and is hesitant to get on the plane with her husband. Rick tells Ilsa that her and Victor were meant to be together and that they'll always have their time in Paris to remember.
"Casabalnca" also has a strong relation to the "Focus on Ideas" section in the text. The seven ideas under this section focus on the deeper meanings within films. These include moral implications, the truth of human nature, social problems, the struggle for human dignity, the complexity of human relationships, the coming of age/loss of innocence/growing awareness, and finally a moral or philosophical riddle. The film "Casablanca" falls under many of these categories. One focus that was quite obvious in the film was the idea of social problems. This film took place right before World War II broke out. The Germans invaded France, which drove the main characters out of the country in search of freedom. The social problem in this movie has a direct relation to the plot and as to how the characters ended up in Casablanca.
The other idea that the film is related to is the complexity of human relationships. Right from the beginning of the movie we see that there are unresolved feelings between Rick and Ilsa. This complex relationship is later explained by Rick's flashback to the lovers' time in Paris. Just when we think the complexity in Rick and Ilsa's relationship has ended, Rick sends her on a plane not with him, but her husband. This leaves the relationship between the two unresolved because they realize they will never actually be able to be together. There is no clear resolution to Rick and Ilsa's love affair, which leaves the viewer asking questions at the end. Do Rick and Ilsa ever end up together? The film leaves the answer to this question up to the viewer.
The timeless film "Casablanca" is an emotional love story that will forever live in the world of American films and will remain in the hearts of many. It has opened my eyes to older movies, for they make you think about life in a way that some of us haven't before.
The first scene that I really liked and that I thought gave some insight into Rick and Ilsa's relationship was towards the beginning of the movie when Victor Laszlo and Ilsa first arrive at Rick's. After Rick briskly walks over to Sam to ask him why he was playing the forbidden song "As Time Goes By," Rick spotts Ilsa and her husband Victor. Rick completely goes against his personal rules of never drinking with a customer and likewise never picking up the tap for a customer and does just that with Ilsa and her husband. This violation of Rick's rules give the viewer clear insight to the mysterious, unresolved relationship between Rick and Ilsa, without the actors really even saying anything about their past together. I think that this scene is one of the most well done and thought through of them all.
The other scene that surprised me as well as the first was when Ilsa had given Rick the power to decide what she does, either leave for the United States with Victor, her husband, or Rick, her long-lost lover. She is confident that Rick will tell Victor about their love and that her and Rick will be on the next plane to the States to live happily ever after. However, Rick surprises both Ilsa and the viewer when he points a gun at Louis, a French officer, and makes him sign the transport papers in Ilsa and her husband's name. Ilsa is devastated and is hesitant to get on the plane with her husband. Rick tells Ilsa that her and Victor were meant to be together and that they'll always have their time in Paris to remember.
"Casabalnca" also has a strong relation to the "Focus on Ideas" section in the text. The seven ideas under this section focus on the deeper meanings within films. These include moral implications, the truth of human nature, social problems, the struggle for human dignity, the complexity of human relationships, the coming of age/loss of innocence/growing awareness, and finally a moral or philosophical riddle. The film "Casablanca" falls under many of these categories. One focus that was quite obvious in the film was the idea of social problems. This film took place right before World War II broke out. The Germans invaded France, which drove the main characters out of the country in search of freedom. The social problem in this movie has a direct relation to the plot and as to how the characters ended up in Casablanca.
The other idea that the film is related to is the complexity of human relationships. Right from the beginning of the movie we see that there are unresolved feelings between Rick and Ilsa. This complex relationship is later explained by Rick's flashback to the lovers' time in Paris. Just when we think the complexity in Rick and Ilsa's relationship has ended, Rick sends her on a plane not with him, but her husband. This leaves the relationship between the two unresolved because they realize they will never actually be able to be together. There is no clear resolution to Rick and Ilsa's love affair, which leaves the viewer asking questions at the end. Do Rick and Ilsa ever end up together? The film leaves the answer to this question up to the viewer.
The timeless film "Casablanca" is an emotional love story that will forever live in the world of American films and will remain in the hearts of many. It has opened my eyes to older movies, for they make you think about life in a way that some of us haven't before.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)