Shawshank Redemption

Starting off, I did not think I would like Shawshank Redemption. I figured that the movie would drag on as Andy just goes about a normal prison life, with no real adventure. Though, I was wrong. Andy used his brains to do the tax returns for the security guards of the prison, and even wrote to the government to get them to fund a library for the prisoners. I couldn't understand why a brilliant man like Andy would throw away his life by killing his wife and her lover. Though, I soon came to find out that it was truly not Andy who killed his wife. I felt terrible for him, being wrongfully accused and thrown into a prison for life. Though, he truly made the best of his time spent there, and made many strong relationships. It became his home. I did not get a chance to see how Andy escaped, but I was thrilled that he did. For someone to have had a great life and be wrongfully accused of a crime is not fair, thus I feel that Andy was justified in his escape. I felt that Shawshank redemption was truly a great movie, and Andy's story was very inspiring.

United 93

United 93 was an extremely touching movie. When I watched it, I put myself in the shoes of those on United flight 93. Had I been on the plane, I would have hyperventilated. I would have immediately jumped to the conclusion that we were going to die, and no thought to fight back against the hijackers would have crossed my mind. Though, the passengers had the courage to push any fear they had to the back of their minds and come up with a plan to overcome the hijackers. I thought this was remarkable. In a situation of such terror, the people of United flight 93 were able to keep calm enough to fight back.

United 93 filled me with hope. Yes, the terrorist attacks on our country on September 11, were horrendous, but that a group of people were so passionate about their country to take down four terrorists (one supposedly armed with a bomb) was truly inspiring. The passengers of United 93 were truly united in the way that they worked together.

What we should never forget about September 11, 2001 is the patriotism that our country was submerged in after the attacks. Instead of our country and the people within it deteriorating, like the terrorists had hoped, it was filled with patriotism afterward. The pride people had for our country was endless. Our country was able to recover from the attacks and emerge better than it had been before, with a strengthened security system, and patriotism off the charts.

The Lone Survivor

The title of the movie is so intriguing, that it is what pulled me in to want to watch more.  As soon as the navy seals went out on their mission to kill a Taliban leader, I knew that only one of them would survive. After coming to realization that the movie was based on a true story, and that the navy seals who went on the mission had real lives at home, I was more attached to the characters in the movie. I wanted them to survive, but sadly they did not. The most interesting thing that I took away from the movie was that the people of the Afghan village did not like the Taliban,  even if they came from their country. They hid and protected the navy seal from the Taliban, while I expected them to side with the Taliban.

I feel that the greatest pitfall in not portraying the events of our nation's military correctly is that during the time of battle, soldiers are so caught up in what they are doing, they cannot relay exactly what happened to movie producers and in books. They only have an image of what they think went on around them inside their head, when in reality, they were so caught up in battle at the moment, there is so much they probably missed. Therefore, the military cannot be portrayed in great detail and the events that happened within the military cannot be depicted exactly in movies.

The Hurt Locker

I heard of the horrors of the war in Iraq, but I had never seen depictions of the brutality and warfare that truly goes on there before The Hurt Locker. Watching the soldiers in action and seeing what they deal with on a day to day basis left me awestruck. Every time the soldiers leave their base they are in a toss up between life and death. What I was most astounded by in the film is the type of warfare the soldiers fought. There was no real tactic to it, they just went through the streets, open alleys, and into buildings to search for the enemy. There was also no real place for the soldiers to hide as they fought in cities, and their main weapon was bombs. Watching the movie gave me a greater understanding of what war in Iraq is like.
My parents have been hounding me to apply to a military based college next fall. They have even gone as far as to discuss it with Mrs. Petronsky. I have been thoroughly considering their wish. Though, watching The Hurt Locker made me realize that I do not have what it takes to be a soldier. I am not mentally or physically capable of doing what they do. To even be a doctor on their base would be frightening. I now am aware of the fact that I am not fit to be a soldier.
Throughout the movie, I tried to figure out what the "the hurt locker" actually was. After much internal debate I decided that it did not literally mean a school-like locker that was damaged. I think it is the area in the kill-zone of a bomb. If you are in it, you are in the "hurt locker". Though, I truly am unsure of what it is.

Apollo 13

Apollo 13 was one of the only movies that after watching, I proceeded to talk about to my family for days on end. The movie kept you on your toes the entire time. After class, I even took the time to google the fate of Apollo 13 because I was so curious as to how the movie would end. I felt extremely sympathetic towards the passengers of the spacecraft, and wanted to see how they would manage to survive. Their story was extremely compelling, and I nearly teared up when the capsule that held the passengers landed in the ocean. It was truly an awesome story. 

The theme that I would attach to Apollo 13 is that with teamwork anything is possible. The crew was thousands of miles from Earth in the spaceship, and could only do so much to fix their problem. They worked smoothly together with the NASA base on Earth, and amongst themselves to get through the hardships up in space. Had Apollo 13 not have had such a determined and intelligent crew on Earth, they might never have made it back to Earth. 

Parkland

Watching Kennedy's death unfold from the perspective of the government was very interesting. I thought that the screenplay was very well done. The scenes in Parkland Hospital where the medical crew was trying to revive Kennedy were very realistic. I strongly felt for Abraham Zapruder. He was an ordinary guy whose life was changed for taking the footage of the assassination of the president. Putting myself in his shoes, I realized how hard it must have been for him to have taken the footage and deal with the consequences of doing so. Watching Parkland caused me to want to know more about Kennedy's assassination and truly question whether it was a conspiracy or not.

I called my grandpa to discuss Kennedy's death. At the time of the assassination, he was giving someone a haircut. It was about noon that the news of the shooting came on the radio. Everyone in the barbershop was extremely upset, and the radio announcer almost started crying when he told the news. My grandpa says that he didn't understand why they took Kennedy to the hospital after he was shot in head. He thought it was silly because if he was shot in the head, he was most likely automatically dead. He thinks the shooting was a conspiracy, and that Lee Harvey Oswald was not the only shooter. and that there were more people responsible for the death. At the time, Kennedy was clamping down on the mafia. My grandpa is convinced that Oswald was put up to the mission by the mafia leaders.

Kill The Irishman

I particularly found the movie interesting because of the fact that Danny's story took place so close to home. It was easy to picture where Danny was killed, and I felt that that made the movie seem so more realistic. It was also very interesting to watch how Danny was able to dodge getting killed and see how crime oriented Cleveland used to be.

Describing Danny Greene to someone, I would definitely label his as courageous. Danny had a surreal amount of guts to do the things he did. He was smart in the ways that he schemed and knew much about how to play with people's minds.

The Godfather

I have always heard people talking about what a fantastic movie The Godfather is. Initially, I thought I would not like it because I didn't think a story about the mafia would completely capture my attention. I was wrong though, and I came to see why people deem it as a "classic". The story line of the movie is so complex and well thought out that it is truly amazing. There are so many people that tie into the story, that it was somewhat confusing to follow at times, but the intricacy of the story is what makes it realistic. The movie always kept me on my toes, waiting to see who or what would deteriorate next.

I felt that Vito Corleone was the "moral" center of the film because he was the man that everyone looked up to, that everyone feared yet loved. He was the ring-leader, the mastermind, of the Corleone family. Vito was the one that dealt with all the business in the Corleone family, he was the one that everyone from out of the family came to with their issues. He was what held the Corleone family intact and kept them running. When Vito died among his tomato plants, the world did not become a better place. It lost a strong man with great power. Regardless of the crimes that Vito administrated, he was a family man, with a large heart. Killing was his job, he didn't do it as a passion. I truly think that a "giant" passed.

That fact that the story was told from the inside rather than out makes it so much more interesting to watch. You really get a feel for the motives and reasoning behind what the people in the mafia did. From the inside, you can see the planning that went into the mafia's actions. You were also able to see the strong family bond and relationships that the families had while partaking in the mafia, and how upsetting it was when one of the members died. I feel that the film does deserve to be called a "classic.

42

I found it very intriguing to watch Jackie Robinson's story in the movie 42. To watch how an African American man with such courage could defy the odds of the time and play on an all white baseball team was truly amazing. Robinson was torn down repeatedly for his race. He was bullied and made fun of, even by his own teammates. Better yet, his team was denied access to hotels and restaurants because of his race. Robinson showed immense courage and determination as he was able to get past these obstacles and focus on what he needed to do for his team. Eventually, his teammates began to accept his race and Robinson for who he was as a person. The movie very accurately depicted racism back in the day, and showed how slowly whites began to accept African Americans as their equals. 

Robinson's story was a large step towards creating the tolerant society we live in today. People at the time were extremely prejudice and thought that blacks were inferior to whites. Jackie Robinson showed the country that regardless of his race, he was a team player for the Brooklyn Dodgers and he wouldn't let anything stop him. He didn't let what people thought of his race effect how he played baseball, and that is what made him so fantastic. The whites of the country were moved by his courage and began to grasp the fact that blacks were no different from them, and wanted to succeed in life just like they did. One mans courage can move a whole country. 

I agree with Jackie's statement, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." In life, really all it comes down to is if you helped other people with their lives. That is how people are remembered. They are remembered for what they did for others, not what they did for themselves. 

Jackie had very important values that are useful in anyone's life. I feel that integrity will help me face many barriers. In today's society it is very common for people to succumb to the pressure of other's as they try to get them to act or speak out in a way that they want. Though, I feel it is very important to have integrity so that no matter what anyone wants you to do, you can act in accordance with what you believe is right. When people and the media try to get me think or act a certain way, I think it is very important that I maintain my integrity. 

Cinderella Man

Cinderella man was such an interesting movie to watch. How the Great Depression was able to bring so many lives into turmoil is outrageous. I felt it was very interesting to see how ordinary people could be affected so much by a sudden change in the economy to the point where their entire lifestyles change. The situation that many of the people in the movie were in is very relatable being that an economic crisis like the Great Depression can happen at any point in time and affect anyone. James Braddock's story was inspiring though as he didn't stop fighting mentally and literally to keep his family safe and take care of them. In such harsh times, he didn't give up, even when he knew he was hurt. He was a true fighter, in and out of the boxing rink.

I felt that Braddock's story was an encouragement to those in his community and elsewhere because of his immense coursge. People saw that Braddock was like any common man with a wife and kids even though he was a boxer. They were encouraged by the fact that although he initially had had money, he was affected by the Great Depression like anyone else. He thus had to work his way out of poverty, even with a broken hand and many other obstacles, he didn't stop trying to win in boxing to support his family. People felt that he was just like them in the fact that he was sucked into the depression, and they were inspired by the way he worked his way out. He was a hope of the masses as people felt they could work their way out of poverty like he had done. 

War Horse

I really enjoyed watching War Horse. The incredibly strong bond between Albert and Joey was what pulled me into the movie. When Joey was taken away from Albert, who had trained and raised him, he was devastated. He was especially upset knowing that he there is a possibility Joey could not make it out of the war alive. The ending was remarkable though. It was so well drawn out, how Albert was unable to see with a rage over his eyes from the poison gas, and how Joey knew the sound of his voice. Through everything, and despite the chaos of the war, Joey and Albert were able to make it back to each other.

What really touched me in the movie was how the horses were treated in the war. They were not regarded as animals as they were treated like property. The soldiers claimed them, and then failed to actually care for them. The horses were forced to pull items of extremely heavy weights, and were worn out from their treks. They were not treated properly for their fatigue and injuries, and often died in travel. I felt terrible for the horses, and now understand why there were so many casualties among them.

Glory

I absolutely loved the movie Glory. I felt the whole story line was enthralling. To create an army of all African American soldiers was unthinkable to most at the time of the Civil War. Colonel Robert Gould Shaw actually having the courage to implement one was inspiring. He risked his life and his personal reputation because he believed in the Union. Matthew Broderick played a great Colonel Shaw as he accurately portrayed his character as very serious and determined. The only part of the movie that I did not care for was the ending. It was very upsetting to work myself up thinking that the 54th Massachusetts Regimen would be successful in taking Fort Wagner. When most of the soldiers ended up dying I was taken aback and sad.

I think people are willing to die for their country because they feel it is honorable and courageous to be able to protect and defend their nation and the ideals in which it stands for. I felt that the 54th Massachusetts regimen and Shaw were all heroes. The regimen and Shaw stood up for their country and what they believed what was right for it, thus making them heroes. They even died for their cause.

The significance of the story in Glory was that people of the time the movie was set in felt that African Americans were inferior and incapable. The 54th Massachusetts regimen proved everyone wrong as it was extremely disciplined and determined. All of the African Americans in the regimen risked their lives for America, and it eventually brought justice to African Americans.

Braveheart

I was not very fond of Braveheart. I found it very difficult to follow being that the battle scenes did not particularly capture my attention. They seemed to drag on and were extremely gory. Though, it was very interesting to learn about the Scots attempting to gain freedom from the English. We have not covered this time period in any history class I have been in so I was unaware of the Scottish War of Independence. Also, I thought Mel Gibson playing the part of William Wallace was perfect. He is a great actor to play the role of such a strong leader.

I really love the quote, "Every man dies. Not every man really lives." In regard to the movie, Wallace saying it meant that everyone can go through the motions of life without purpose. Though, if you truly want to live, you must live fighting for something or doing something that means a lot to you. In his case, it was fighting for Scottish independence and the freedom of the Scottish people. The same words can be applied to my life in the fact that I should live with a purpose, doing what means the most to me.

The Gladiator

The Gladiator was filmed with such vivid scenery and costumes that watching it made you feel like you were actually within the Roman Empire. I was very fond of that aspect of it, the producers really made the scenery come to life. The costumes especially were very realistic, with the fancy wear of Commodus, to the gladiator apparel of Maximus. The story was also portrayed in a way that would come alive to the viewers. From the beginning, I was enthralled with Maximus's character, and wanted so badly for him to succeed. Commodus on the other hand creeped me out, and ignited a hatred in me for him. The only part of the movie that I really did not care for was the ending. I had anticipated Maximus becoming the emperor of Rome making for a cliche happy ending. This was not the case though as he died, both upsetting me and cheering me given that he ended up with his family at last.

The theme of The Gladiator would definitely be something along the lines of "never give up no matter what you go through." I think this is so because no matter what hurdles he had to overcome, Maximus was always on his toes ready to take them on. Even when his family perished, he did not let it bring him down, he knew he must fight to survive. When he had to face Commodus, who thought he was dead, at the Coliseum, Maximus bravely unmasked himself and remained calm. Maximus displayed great strength and compassion in everything he took part in.

Initial Thoughts

I took this class in order to expand my knowledge of history through the movies we watch.  I felt that watching reenactments of events throughout history would ultimately give me a better understanding of them than just reading them. Since I never have the time to actually sit down and watch a movie out of school, I also thought that this class would give me a chance to relax.

I expect to learn much about history through the films that we watch, and to earn a new respect for film making. I also expect this class to be one where I can just kickback and enjoy myself while watching the films.