Linsanity is a documentary film directed by Evan Jackson Leong that tackles numerous topics such as discrimination, stereotypes, racism, and being overlooked. The documentary is about Jeremy Lin, an Asian American basketball player who rose to fame in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The story follows the life of Lin from his childhood to his success in the New York Knicks in the NBA. The film shows how Lin achieved success despite of the racism and discrimination that he received while playing in his college and in the NBA. The director’s intention does not only inform the viewers about Jeremy Lin’s life, but it also offers viewers a new image of Asian Americans in basketball. Furthermore, the film also challenges the long standing
“Awakenings” is a true-story based film made by Penny Marshall, produced by Walter F. Parkes and Lawrence Lasker, written by Steven Zaillian, and based on the book witten by Oliver Sacks, with the actors led by Mr. Robin Williams and Mr. Robert De Niro, both as the protagonist in the film. Their co-stars are Julie Kavner as the nurse who has a secret affection for Doctor Sayer, portrayed by Willams, Penelope Ann Miller as the daughter of a patient in the hospital and Leonard’s love interest, who is played by De Niro, and Ruth Nelson as Mrs. Lowe, Leonard’s mother. Most drama films portray common problems that make people reflect on their lives. However this film shows it’s viewers that for some people, life is more valuable.
In the film Glory directed by Edward Zwick, the Civil War is portrayed through the eyes of the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts regiment, which was composed of African American men fighting against the Confederates for freedom. The commander of this regiment, Robert Shaw, was born into an abolitionist family and accepted the role of the first all-black regiment in the Northeast, despite the potential threats of the South. The movie focuses on four black soldiers and their experiences during the war as well as their relationships with their fellow soldiers and commanders, including Shaw. Throughout the movie, Shaw’s perspective is also seen and the conflicting emotions he felt are demonstrated by the choices he is forced to make. While some may argue
Ethical challenges are of universal span; many people including police officers are confronted with the opportunities for violating organizational rules and norms daily. Most of the stories about police officers in the media, including Cops and Criminal Minds, are about respectable police officers, but the intense 2001 movie Training Day is not. Alonzo Harris, a veteran police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is training Jake Hoyt, a rookie officer on his first day with the narcotics unit. Harris’ character is an example of police officers’ potential for corruption. For instance, when Harris misuses the police authority and uses some fake arrest warrant seizing millions of dollars from a former LAPD veteran, now an informant
The Permian Panthers were custom to winning, but this starts to disappear when their lead tailback suffers from a life changing injury. Everyone lost hope in the team, but Coach Gaines believed that he can uplift the teens and bring them to victory. The coach has a way with the football players during the half time. In a way that he might not realize, but he does use logos, pathos, and ethos. In this essay I will go into further detail into how he did so.
The film 13th directed by Ava DuVernay targets an intended audience of the Media and the three branches of the United States government with an emphasis that mass incarceration is an extension of slavery. It is intended to inform viewers about the criminalization of African Americans and the United States prison boom.
“A moment of pain is worth a lifetime of glory.” Louis Zamperini dealt with bullies at a young age when his family moved from France to America. He began to get in trouble with the authorities, often running from them, but when his brother noticed he could run, his life changed. Zamperini joined the school track team and excelled, eventually moving on to the Olympics. However, in a twist of events, Zamperini joins the army and finds himself stranded at sea, then stuck in a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp. Will he remain unbroken, or will he fall?
Leaving last week’s class, my mind was darting in all sorts of directions. While the “Eyes on the Prize” excerpt gave me a concrete understanding of the historic events of the desegregation of Little Rock High School, “Little Rock Central High: 50 Years Later” brought up all sorts of observations and questions on race in America that I hadn’t necessarily thought to address before. I think these two films were particularly interesting to view back to back because of their difference in style, content, and execution. I have viewed many of the “Eyes on The Prize” segments in past classes and this segment, “Fighting Back”, continues to stand out to me. Through the use of first person interviews and real footage, the piece gave me, what felt like, a clear look
As a child Davis started playing football and started making headlines as a young man. Scouts started lining up to talk to Davis during his senior year of high school. Coach Schwartzwalder and former player, Jim Brown went to Davis’s hometown to recruit him to play for Syracuse. As the documentary continues the audience gets the understanding that racism is present in colleges. Not very many college have allowed black players to play for their team no matter how much potential that individual has and what they will bring to the team.
In the documentary, “Us Against The World”, it exemplifies a true story based on young adults facing racism, success, and loss. However, the teenage basketball players have to face the racism on and off the court. Each and every player in the basketball team had a difficult story to tell. They all faced diversity, the hard way. For example,
The uncanny valley concept was also discussed in 2004 in the CGI filed during the box office battle royal between two blockbuster films, Warner Brothers’ The Polar express and the Pixar’s The Incredibles. The uncomfortable feelings about the more accurate yet eerie characters in the Polar Express and the emotional warmth felt for Pixar’ stylized plastic family was subject for much critical debates because their releases coincided. The characters of The Incredible film looks like human but they cannot access a reality behind the traditional cartoon film character form. Cringing, embarrassment, exaggeration, pre-emotion are the basic principles of animation use to provide exercising joy of traditional animation between the audience and the film.
From the movie choice given, I have choose The Shawshank Redemption. This movie is a 1994 America film directed by Frank Darabont based on Stephen King’s short story “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”
Glory: Directed by Edward Zwick, Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, 1989. 122 Minutes Reviewed by Mike Edward Zwick’s Glory is a movie in which the balance between entertainment and history was perfectly managed. He uses the letters sent by contemporary Col. Robert G. Shaw to his wealthy family back in Massachusetts as the historical foundation of the movie while imagining conversations between characters. Through Col. Shaw’s eye, we are able to uncover the birth, the development, and the end of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first colored regiment fought in Civil War. Just like any other war movie, Glory has several battle scenes that were unpleasantly bloody, yet they managed to stay authentic.
The use of lighting and filters for colours is not just used for simple illumination but it is more meaningful. It helps to understand the characters and focus our attention on certain objects and actions.
In 2015, HBO aired a six-part, true crime documentary series titled, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst. Writer and director, Andrew Jarecki, examined the details of three crimes associated with Durst, including the disappearance of Durst’s first wife Kathy, the murder of his dear friend, Susan, and the murder and dismemberment of his neighbor, Morris Black. While the mini-series was met with acclaim, many – including myself – criticize The Jinx for its storytelling approach. The series seemingly blurs the lines of storytelling – for entertainment purposes – and journalism; raising many questions regarding ethics. Initially, Durst approached Jarecki regarding an interview after he saw All Good Things, a film Jarecki had released