Stanley Kubrick

Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick: An Analysis of His Life and Work

Biography

Stanley Kubrick, who many would describe as one of the greatest filmmakers every, was born in 1928 in the Bronx, New York. Believe it or not many would say that Kubrick was not a born writer or filmmaker, but rather one that was made. This is the result of some less than spectacular early attempts at writing and filmmaking. Though Kubrick did believe that college might be beneficial at some point in his life, he was actually not able to get into college due to his tremendously bad grades in high school (SK-TMF 1). His passions while young included "jazz drumming, chess and photography" (SK-TMF 1). Considered a "non-brilliant student," it took some time for Kubrick to begin pursing his real dream ... filmmaking (SK-TMF 1).

Kubrick made his first film at the age of 23 in 1951 (Gerrhig…… [Read More]

Stanley Kubrick the Madness of

Strangelove, put him over the top" (p. 61). The learning curve was clearly sharp for Kubrick, and he took what he had learned in these earlier efforts and put this to good use during a period in American history when everyone was already ready to "duck and cover": "The film's icy, documentary-style aspect served not only to give the movie its realistic edge that juxtaposed nicely with its broad satire, the style introduced the essential Kubrick setting" (Sharrett, 1999, p. 61).

According to Mcdouglas (2003), Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and a Clockwork Orange were all later listed by the American Film Institute as being among the top one hundred American films of cinema's first century. In addition, "Each of these films provoked heated debate and each was a box-office success" (Mcdouglas, 2003, p. 2). The popular response to Kubrick's movie, 2001, in particular, was the result of an…… [Read More]

Early Films of Stanley Kubrick

Kubrick

An Analysis of the Evolution of Kubrick's Technique in His Early Films

In contrast to his later films (A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes ide Shut), the films of Stanley Kubrick's early career may be seen as far more conventional in terms of plot, camera work, and realism. hile such pictures as "Day of the Fight" and Fear and Desire are by no means reflections of the director's early innocence or naivety, they did appeal to contemporary conservatism, whether as informational pieces or as a melodramatic war stories. Nonetheless, Kubrick's early work reveals the director's creativity, originality, and willingness to explore complex and controversial themes. From "Flying Padre" to Paths of Glory and Lolita, the first part of Kubrick's oeuvre captures a time and place in American history that is at once as stylish and straightforward as it is melodramatic and contentious. This paper will show how Kubrick's…… [Read More]

Killing Stanley Kubrick Was One

Another pattern of the film noir is the urban setting which has dark and/or wet streets. Take for example the scene when Mike leaves for the bus station, for the flower box, the street outside his apartment is wet.

What might be rather bothering is the narration, the voice is not the most pleasant one, and some may find the information in it too much. But we can not ignore that it is an important to the film's structure, the description sounds like the narrator's a reporter looking back on the past events with objectivity.

Definitely ingenious because it relies heavily on flashbacks, and is telling things out of order depending on which character is involved with the heist; in spite of these nonlinear sequences it is very straightforward, very unique for its time.

Kubrick is the master in creating tension in his plots, playing with time, he takes each…… [Read More]

Spartacus an Analysis of Stanley Kubrick's 1960

Spartacus

An Analysis of Stanley Kubrick's 1960 Spartacus

Gerald Mast (2006) notes that "as with enoir, Kubrick's social evils are human evils; the problem is human nature," (p. 542) and such can easily be applied to Kubrick's 1960 Spartacus -- despite the fact that the film cannot really be said to be his. Spartacus is more Kirk Douglas' vehicle than anything. Bought by Douglas, the story was meant to be his answer to Heston's Ben-Hur -- the same sweeping scope, the same omanic epic. (Douglas, in fact, fired several members of the crew -- including the director, which is how Kubrick, then only 30, got the job). Nonetheless, the Spartacus narrative does not shy away from the kind of lore that Kubrick would go on to make infamous. Douglas turns his Spartacus into a kind of Christ-figure (dying, of course, not for man's sins but for freedom -- liberation, after…… [Read More]

Plots in Stanley Kubrick's 1987

Everything is perfect…who knew that life was this easy? Lester and Angela agree that people in the contemporary society live in a lie and that they are unable to see the truth because they are actually in love with the imagined world and they hold on to it regardless of the costs. Lester thinks about how he was about to commit suicide just a day before, but he stopped because he realized that there was more to life than that.

As the couple get closer to a gas station they are about to rob, they become less enthusiastic about their condition, but they proceed with their plan. Angela needs to get the cashier's attention and influence him in abandoning the cash register while Lester moves in and silently steals the money -- they believe that it is easier for them to get money without using their guns. The plan works…… [Read More]

What Is Sexuality in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut

Moreover the shop owner is no longer upset with them and seems to be pleased with them -- implying that there may have been some financial arrangement between him and the men. Lastly, the shop owner's daughter is all but offered to Bill for sexual purposes. This behavior is certainly not in accord with conventional estern morality, and indicates that where power is concerned -- in this case in the form of money and social prestige -- sexuality and sexual acts are permitted, even with one's daughter.

Since Bill is technically a wealthy socialite in his own right, it is extremely interesting to note the occasions in which sexuality and power are used against him. Such an occurrence takes place when his wife reveals her fantasy and when he is expelled from the orgy for not having properly received an invitation and not knowing the purported second password. Yet the…… [Read More]

Historical Standpoint on Stanley Kubrick's 1960 Film Spartacus

movie Gladiator made a number of people turn their attention to what might be called the Ur Roman History Movie - Spartacus. But while most of us know the film for Charlton Heston's lean, pre-NRA president look or for the fact that it enjoys a cult standing among gay men of a certain age, very few of us have probably thought much about the real history that lies behind the movie. Indeed many people may well not even know that there was a real person named Spartacus who did in fact lead the Gladiatorial ar against Rome in the years 73 to 71 BCE.

hile some of the facts about Spartacus's life are relatively well-known, others can only be guessed at. It is known that he was born in Thrace, a region of the Southeastern Balkans that now lies partly in Turkey, partly in Greece and partly in Bulgaria.

It…… [Read More]

A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey is a masterpiece in the science fiction genre. Based on a story by Arthur C. Clarke, the film epitomizes the features of science fiction, including an overarching theme questioning the role of humanity in the universe. The film could just as well be classified as an epic, given its length and breath, as it begins with the origin of human beings through a depiction of evolution from primates, through the story of a space mission occurring millions of years later. Plot practically takes a back seat to cinematography and design in 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which Kubrick employs multiple cinematographic tools including music, mise-en-scene, editing, lighting, design, and script elements.

The mise-en-scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey is simply extraordinary, because each image captures the tension and existential angst that pervades the movie. Because the bulk of the film takes place…… [Read More]

Kubrick Impacts

Full Metal Kubrick

In the years following the Vietnam War, from 1979 -1989, many movies were created to depict this event from an American point-of-View. The genre of war movies, became inundated with new films based on this violent conflict. The purpose of this essay is to explore Stanley Kubrick's movie Full Metal Jacket as it relates to film media and how it represents this particular era in both history and art. This essay will discuss how this film played an impact on American culture and film in general.

Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick is often noted as one of the best film makers who has ever picked up a camera. His legend is based upon his intellectual capacity and his daring and innovative styles of film that never seem to become outdated and remain fresh and current despite them being decades old. Kubrick had great success as film maker in the…… [Read More]

Gender in Dr Strangelove Stanley

The 1964 film Dr. Strangelove uses the context of Cold ar brinksmanship in order to uncover a more fundamental problem with patriarchy and the maintenance of a destructive masculinity. This masculinity is under threat as a result of sexual frustration, and the characters of Ripper, Turgidson, and Kong embody three different kinds of this frustration. Ripper's sexual frustration is the most explicit, and leads to the most overtly violent reaction. Turgidson's sexual frustration is not the result of a physiological problem but rather due to pent-up energy, and thus his reaction is to cheer on the violence perpetrated by Ripper, even if he cannot engage in it himself. Finally, Kong, who is denied the kind of sexual immediacy granted Turgidson, nonetheless is able to overcome the frustration experienced by the other two men when he finally succeeds in dropping a nuclear bomb. Thus, the film suggests that the true threat…… [Read More]

Films Spartacus Directed by Stanley

Many of the other characters of the legend, such as Guinevere and Merlin are present in this film, as is the Sword in the Stone legend of Excalibur, Arthur's weapon (it was his father who removed it from the stone.

Ultimately, Arthur denounces his oman citizenship when he is disillusioned by the oman leaders and their activities, especially Bishop Germanius, and he joins the Woads to fight the Saxon Army that is attempting to gain control of Britain. In the end, many of his knights are killed in a ferocious battle, including Lancelot, and when the battle is over; Arthur has won and is declared king, with Guinevere by his side.

This film is so different from the traditional Arthur legend that is seems quite unlikely, but legends are often wrong, and so, the film could actually be based on historical fact, since new evidence comes out all the time…… [Read More]

Screening Stanly Kubrick and Full

The colors used are also drab and grey-green dominates to evoke a sense of claustrophobic death and destruction.

Another aspect that evokes atmosphere in the film is the use of music. Kubrick chooses a soundtrack which is both empty and banal yet also succeeds in emphasizing the loss of meaning and vacuity in what the young recruits have become. The director makes use of popular songs such as "These Boots Are Made for Walking" and "Surfin' Bird." The very emptiness of the lyrics tends to ironically emphasize the dehumanization and loss of identity which pervades the film (Maslin).

The theme of dehumanization is followed through in the graphic events of the battle and we also see the "…collapse of the individual into the group" (Anderegg 11). For example, when Joker tries to express his individuality by wearing a peace symbol on his uniform, he is sternly rebuked by a marine…… [Read More]

Admired Those That Have Done

Instead, he proved that art can be achieved through more than one means and that his movies would ultimately achieve great results in the film industry.

The main reason for why Kubrick has drawn many critiques for his movies is that he chose to satirize society through a series of cliches.

Similar to Kubrick, Park Chan-Wook, the South-Korean filmmaker, has intended to make movies that would bring together both comedy and drama into films that have a touch of satire of the society.

Park's films are generally recognized for the direct way that he uses to make his audience better accustomed with his work. Both Park and Kubrick have abused extreme violence and S.F. In their movies, but this only added to the dramatic feeling that one gets when viewing one of their creations. Kubrick and Park stand out from the rest of the film directors for the reason that…… [Read More]

Prestige Where Theatrical Conventions Meet

The only connection between the two worlds of Tesla and Robert, electricity and old-fashioned staged magic, is the sense of hyper-reality: of magic and stagecraft in one realm, and electricity and the 'real world' of science that makes the depiction of magic on film possible. Tesla's mad scientist hair, the bags beneath his eyes, make him look more mentally unbalanced than a rationalist -- a mad inventor of film, not a trusted authority to the eye. The viewer's apprehensiveness is dependent upon this awareness of cinematic conventions, just like the audience of a magical illusion is dependant upon their awareness that it is, in fact, an illusion.

Further unsettling the viewer's sense of Tesla's trustworthiness are the buzzing electric generators that hum like tiny bees in the background, sparking with fire. Tesla seems purely a creation of the cinema, of electricity itself. Electricity unlike staged magic is real but close-ups…… [Read More]

How Was the Cold War Represented in Cinema

Cold War and Film

Generally speaking, the Cold War has been depicted as an era of spy games and paranoia in popular films from the 1960s to the present day, but the reality of the era was much more complex. The Cold War was a period of military and political tension from 1947 to 1991, or from the end of WW2 to the collapse of the Soviet Union, in which the "politics of war" masked the business and social agendas of multinationals and ideologues. The era was marked by myriad issues: East-West mistrust, proxy wars, espionage, the threat of nuclear war, domestic and foreign propaganda, the rise of the military-industrial complex and multinational corporations, assassinations, detente, de-colonization, new nationalism, neo-colonialism, the vying for control of resources, alliances (NATO, Warsaw Pact), and an inculcation of the "deep state." [footnoteRef:1] It can be divided into five basic periods: 1947-53, 1953-62, 1962-79, 1979-85,…… [Read More]

Comparative Study Between Homer's Odyssey and the Coen Brothers O Brother Where Art Thou

O rother, Where Art Thou?

Homer in Hollywood: The Coen rothers' O rother, Where Art Thou?

Could a Hollywood filmmaker adapt Homer's Odyssey for the screen in the same way that James Joyce did for the Modernist novel? The idea of a high-art film adaptation of the Odyssey is actually at the center of the plot of Jean-Luc Godard's 1963 film Contempt, and the Alberto Moravia novel on which Godard's film is based. In Contempt, Prokosch, a rich American dilettante film producer played by Jack Palance, hires Fritz Lang to film a version of Homer's Odyssey, then hires a screenwriter to write it and promptly ruins his marriage to rigitte ardot. Fritz Lang gamely plays himself -- joining the ranks of fellow "arty" German-born directors who had earlier deigned to act before the camera (like Erich von Stroheim in Wilder's Sunset oulevard, playing a former director not unlike himself, or…… [Read More]

Full Metal Jacket Certainly in

Meantime my favorite character is James T. "Joker" Davis, who is the main protagonist, and also the narrator. He eventually becomes a reporter for the Army newspaper, Stars and Stripes, and true to Kubrick's style of developing fascinating characters, he's a paradox: he wears a peace sign on his uniform but on his helmet it says "Born to Kill." A colonel sees Davis' peace symbol and the following funny dialogue takes place. The Colonel asks, "Marine, what is that button on your body armor?" "A peace symbol, sir." "here'd you get it?" "I don't remember sir." "hat is that you've got written on your helmet?" "Born to Kill, sir." "You write 'Born to Kill' on your helmet and you wear a peace button. hat's that supposed to be, some kind of sick joke?" "No sir." "You'd better get your head and your ass wired together, or I will take a…… [Read More]

Rur and AI More Human

Kubrick himself suggested the baton be passed onto Spielberg due to that director's unique abilities.

The play was originally-based Brian Aldiss's short story "Supertoys Last All Summer Long," on which a.I. is based, in 1983 (Corliss 1-3). In the Kubrick formulation, the world is a lot darker and Gigolo Joe is much more aggressive. According to Corliss in the "Joe was much more aggressive, more twisted." Here he is, in Spielberg's word, David's "scoutmaster." Spielberg did this to solve many of the problems Spielberg had with the text, Joe being one of the biggest problems. By softening things and making them more human and less dark, he provided solution to the problem (Ibid 1). The Flesh Fair and Rouge City are vintage Kubric and remained a part of the body of the work. Garish scenery completes this menagerie Spielberg identifies himself with the abandoned child (ibid 2).

It is the…… [Read More]

Film Directors Everywhere Have a

An American Alex would be against classical music, with anarchists normally being associated with hard rock music. Moreover, he would find it perfectly normal to use drugs instead of drinking milk in a club that has dummies for tables. The reason for which a Hollywood producer would not have his psychotic character drinking milk is that he or she would unquestionably find such a scene to be sick, and, thus, not to be presented to a general public.

Most American movies presenting young people fighting for anarchy want to teach a lesson. They want people to understand that society is good and that it is not worth fighting it, since you only harm yourself in the process. In contrast, Kubrick shows that the system is bad and obsessed with maintaining control over people. After Alex is freed from prison, he can no longer be free, as his mind continues to…… [Read More]

Full Metal Jacket Is a 1987 Academy

Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 Academy Award nominated film made by Stanley Kubrick about the Vietnam ar. It is based on the novel Short-Timers, by Gustav Hasford and it follows a group of recruits through their basic training and eventual deployment to Vietnam. (Hasford) The movie is divided into two parts: basic training and Vietnam. hile this movie is not accurately depicting any one particular person's experiences, it does give an accurate overall portrayal of the U.S. Marine Corp basic training and the experiences of U.S. Marines in general during the Vietnam ar.

The film begins with a group of young marine recruits entering basic training at Paris Island South Carolina. Paris Island is the actual Marine Corp training facility for all make enlistees who come from east of the Mississippi. Those from west of the Mississippi go to California for training. Today it is the same for male…… [Read More]

Artificial and Human Identities in Literature

Artificial Intelligence / Robotics

Robot Outline Name: Complitar (aka the LoveBunny 3000).

Personal Statement: Greetings, human. I am the LoveBunny 3000, and I offer advice on relationships and also sex. You are here gazing at my glass containment because you are troubled in your relationship, or you seek advice for how to drive your lover wild, or perhaps you just need concrete advice for how to find a lover -- although in these days of social media and nonstop connectedness, if you can't find someone to sleep with you, you're doing it wrong. And that's where I come in. You can ask me any question pertaining to the relationship genre.

My form is that of a classic automaton -- a spooky sort of robotic doll that performs certain functions within a limited and circumscribed physical field. Some may recognize my appearance from a standard fairgrounds type fortune-teller or more specifically…… [Read More]

Paths of Glory Directed by

This film is supposedly based on a real event, and that makes it all the more frightening - that commanders are willing to sacrifice and jeopardize their men for their own selfish ambitions.

The court-martial itself was also extremely troubling, because it was so clearly unfair and did not represent the appeals of the men at all. The judge was clearly biased or influenced, and the men were doomed from the start, something that seemed impossible in real life, but could be all too true. The entire situation was frightening because it seemed so real, and it was not at all difficult to believe a situation like this could occur. It made me think about the men and women fighting in Iraq today, and how many of them could be facing the same issues of poor commanders and situation that are not all on the up-and-up. If our people are…… [Read More]

American Beauty Lester Burnham the

The fact that he commits suicide supports the belief that he is unable to live with his memories in boot camp, given that he was permanently traumatized. The film's general character changes significantly after the sergeant and Pyle die and one can almost say that it turns into a typical war movie from that point on.

The Hurt Locker Although the action in this film revolves around the Iraq ar, it is not actually meant to discuss this conflict. Its main purpose is to have people acknowledge the effect that war has on soldiers and on their failure to integrate society properly consequently to taking part in a conflict. hile the film uses the character of illiam James to exemplify a soldier's experience during warfare, it can be considered to portray sentiments felt by soldiers everywhere. The masses typically see soldiers as fierce warriors capable to make it in any…… [Read More]

Karl Marlantes' Matterhorn Karl Marlantes' Novel of

Karl Marlantes' Matterhorn

Karl Marlantes' novel of the Vietnam War, Matterhorn, seems to want to offer the reader an immersive approach towards the experience of Vietnam. If we can say of earlier Vietnam narratives -- whether in film, such as Oliver Stone's Platoon or Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, or in fiction, such as Tim O'Brien's novels Going After Cacciato and The Things They Carried or Gustav Hasford's The Short-Timers (a cult classic of Vietnam fiction and the basis for Kubrick's film) -- that they have a sort of expressionistic technique, seeking to capture the experience of the war in a series of vignettes, we can see the originality of Marlantes' approach in greater relief to what has come before: his approach is not so much expressionistic as it is encyclopedic, an attempt to catalogue (in fiction) every single aspect of the one small event, the movement of a Marine…… [Read More]

Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Independent Films

Flew ver the Cuckoo's Nest"

Independent films have become such a mainstay of American cinema that it is difficult to tell what should be considered independent and what should be considered a major production these days. Small, independent film studios can gain such a following that they are soon producing movies that are seen by millions. f course, this was not always the case because the reason there are indie films is because of the rebellion over the control of the large studios. In the case of the movie "ne Flew ver the Cuckoo's Nest" it was an indie film, but it was seen by a large audience. Like many indie films of that time and this though, it had a flare that could not be seen in major motion pictures. Since major motion picture studios were interested more in the bottom line and worried about turning a profit for…… [Read More]

David Bowie

Bowie

olling Stone describes David Bowie as the "consummate musical chameleon" because the superstar musician continually reinvents himself and appeals to a fan base wider than most artists ("David Bowie: Biography," n.d.). Bowie was born David obert Jones in Brixton, South London, in January 1947. He started playing the saxophone at age 13, and played in several different bands during his teenage years, including the Konrads, the King Bees, David Jones and the Buzz, the King Bees, the Manish Boys (featuring Jimmy Page as a session guitarist), and Davey Jones and the Lower Third ("David Bowie: Biography," n.d.). As Crocker (2011) points out, Bowie slipped easily into London "mod" scenes as a teenager, and quickly developed his artsy chameleon style that characterized the meat of Bowie's career. Gender-bending, avant-garde performances, and avant-garde music were the cornerstones of Bowie's identity and image throughout the late 1960s and 1970s. David Bowie came…… [Read More]

Editing Analysis of Selected Movies

Of note, Out of the Past was released in Europe and Great Britain as Build My Gallows High. It seems that both films could have been subtitled with this alternative note, particularly when we focus upon the editing -- each piece is but a plank in the construction of the gallows and when the camera has had enough of these nefarious people they are then cast aside as they do others (Homes).

Editing Example 2 -- Geometric vs. Sound-Based Editing- Geometric editing is essentially a technique that uses the positions of the camera, one following each other, when put together, form a geometric shape or picture of the action. For example, the interaction of close ups (when the policemen are talking, for instance) with long shots, of traffic and the city, in The Line Up. In addition, the geometry of the editing moved from box to box, almost in a…… [Read More]

Mahler and Strauss Both Gustav

In fact, in 1968 Stanley Kubrick chose Strauss's tone poem "Also Sprach Zarathustra" as the theme music for the science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Strauss's inspiration for the tone poem also happened to be avant garde fellow German philosopher Friedrich Nietzche.

Strauss's and Mahler's willingness to be innovative and creative led to considerable criticism as well as acclaim. The compositions of both Strauss and Mahler are filled with an emotional intensity that reflects the troubled times and political chaos they lived through. Richard Strauss's "Metamorphosen" was purportedly composed as a reaction piece to the Nazi bombings. The emotionality present in the works of both composers places them squarely within the late Romantic tradition.

One of the most noticeable characteristics of a Mahler composition, especially evident in his symphonies, is layering, polyphony, and eclecticism. A Mahler composition wanders through peaks and valleys of different terrains, even shifting key and…… [Read More]

Scorsese's Journey Through Film Scorsese's

Scorsese equates him with "a magician enchanted by his own magic." This freedom allowed Welles to create from narrative techniques and filmic devices a masterpiece that is self-aware of its own form. It intends to communicate this self-consciousness to the audience, thus contradicting the classical canons of filmmaking whereby the camera ought not to be noticed and the shots should be seamless. In other words, Welles expanded the art form of cinema, using the camera the way a poet uses a pen. He even created fake news footage in unique ways to enhance the film's appearance. His immense influence can be seen more on the art form as later with Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Censorship was still rife in Hollywood. The league of decency suppressed adult themes. Elia Kazan's adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) was censored. What we would see now as almost innocent -- a…… [Read More]

Spartacus the 1960 Film Spartacus

This enables both Crassus and Gracchus to seem courageous. He sits on his horse, looking strong. Yet it is important to point out that unlike Spartacus, Crassus does not actually lead his horse into battle. Moreover, Spartacus and his army use creative methods such as the fire logs to launch an offense. Even if their offense might fail, Spartacus is willing to do what it takes to achieve his goals. Of Spartacus, Crassus, and Gracchus, Gracchus is the least courageous because he commits suicide at the end of the film. His suicide shows that Gracchus did not have the bravery to face reality. Spartacus, on the other hand, remains strong even when he was going to be crucified. Spartacus's bravery is one of the main reasons why he is the most outstanding leader of the film.

Spartacus also remains true to his ideals, unlike Crassus or Gracchus. For example, Spartacus…… [Read More]

Wachowski Auteur the Wachowski Brothers

" (p. 78)

This leads us to the very question that the achowskis struggle with in their work, casting figures such as Neo and Trinity, or Violet and Corky, into a struggle for individualism against a culture defined by demands for uniformity and male-driven values of violence and domination. here Bound relies on highly grounded visual effects to express this idea, the Matrix explores the very same themes using innovative and ground-breaking special effects. It is in this way that in the Matrix, as we become more aware of the fake things that once were presented as reality, that ripples begin to appear on the screen. hen Neo-is 'located' in the Matrix, the scene begins with his being absorbed into a mirror. The mirror ripples unnaturally and in a way that jars with the physical rules of the real world. This is a visual effect that is repeated throughout the…… [Read More]

John Woo Ng Yu-Sum as

"

Hard Target, 1993 -- His first Hollywood movie.

Face-off, 1997 -- John Travolta and Nicholas Cage helped create Woo's first real Hollywood blockbuster on the third try.

Mission Impossible 2, 2000 -- Tom Cruise. Pure, unadulterated action and thrills in true Woo style.

Windtalkers, 2002 -- discussed earlier. Critically excellent. Not a big box-office hit.

Red Cliff, 2009 -- his first movie back in Hong Kong after a long stay in Hollywood. Critically, perhaps his best effort ever (Yahoo).

Impact on Asian Cinema

To say that John Woo has had massive influence on Asian filmmaking would be appropriate. His thought-provoking style of making action films with a lot of blood, and yet containing them in a movie that projects humanity, chivalry, and sensitivity was unknown.

He brought dramatic, yet "poetic" action to action films and moral expression to filmmaking in Asia. The meticulous and disciplined narrative style of a…… [Read More]

Modernism and Postmodernism Question 2

93)."

That the post modernists rejected the psychotherapy of the modernist era is by no means suggestive that the artists of the era have escaped psychological analysis. Because of the extreme nature of the pop culture, it has presented a psychological windfall for study in excessiveness. It is represented by an excess of economic affluence, drugs, sex, and expressions of behavior. The excessiveness is found not just in the music industry, but also in literature, film, and paintings and photography. It is all encompassing of all art expressions.

One important definition of the post-modern, as a radically sceptical and questioning attitude of mind, is that provided by the philosopher Jean-Francois Lyotard (1984), who wrote of it in terms of 'the death of grand narratives', with Marxism and Freudianism particularly in mind. Lyotard would see as futile attempts to consider the modern and post-modern in terms of historical periodisation. For him,…… [Read More]

Curtis Lemay Military Success Political Demise

Curtis LeMay:

Using Hersey-lanchard leadership theory to analyze LeMay's strengths and weaknesses as a leader

Situational leadership theory and LeMay

The Japanese campaign

The Cold War

Vietnam

Contrasting military and civilian leadership

How first, personal successes influence leadership

Four-star General Curtis LeMay is one of the most controversial figures in the history of the modern U.S. Air Force. LeMay's philosophy can be summed up as follows: it is more advantageous and ultimately more compassionate to use massive levels of force against the enemy. This results in a quicker victory and ultimately preserves more civilian lives. However, LeMay's legacy as a military leader is complex. On one hand, he is credited with speeding the end of World War II, thanks to his superior leadership style, tactical ability and boldness. However, as a political leader and advocate of U.S. interests, his legacy is mixed. "When he retired in 1965, LeMay was widely…… [Read More]

Film Comparison

movies Gladiator and Braveheart both focus on the highly popular and time-honored, classic theme of humankind's unending struggle for freedom. Braveheart and Gladiator share numerous similarities, but are very different movies, in several important ways. In both movies, the average man becomes a true hero, after he is horribly wronged, and is thereafter forced to fight for freedom for both himself and others, against what seem to be almost hopeless odds.

In these movies, the average man becomes a hero, both through circumstance, and the strength of his individual character. The average, unassuming man who evolves into a classic, but tragic hero is charismatic. It is this charisma that allows him to attract loyal followers, against their common and powerful opponents.

In both Braveheart and Gladiator, the tragic and unassuming hero ultimately suffers a horrible and dramatic death, as a result of his struggle for freedom and justice.

Certainly, both…… [Read More]

Cold War Era Films

Cold War Era

Many films about the cold war era, especially the early films, speak out against its ideals, while others support these ideals. elow is a consideration of selected Cold War era films, and how these were influenced by the Cold War.

Dr. Strangelove

Dr. Strangelove is subtitled "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the omb." Its producer/director is Stanley Kubrick and the film was released during 1964. The film is a satire with the aim of exposing Cold War politics that could result in absurd accidents such as a nuclear attack. The more serious film Fail-Safe, released during the same year, has often been compared with Dr. Strangelove. This is discussed in more detail later.

Part of Dr. Strangelove's theme is the evils of technology. This is the culprit causing the disastrous accident. It is interesting that a disclaimer had to accompany the film's release shortly…… [Read More]

Film Spartacus Its Historical Background the Significance

film Spartacus, its historical background, the significance of the movie being made and shown in 1960's America, the real-life events occurring in the U.S. In the 1960's, the historical significance of the slave revolt of Spartacus, how gladiators and slavery in Rome relate to the movie, and background information about Rome at the time of Spartacus, including the slave revolt, and the rise of Roman generals to positions of power.

Spartacus was a slave, who is famous for having led a revolt 'the slave revolt' against the Roman Republic, from 73 D to 71 C. Spartacus was born in Thrace, a region northeast of Greece, and was a member of a group of nomadic herders and later served in the Roman Army (Sinnigen, 2003). Spartacus deserted the army, but was captured and enslaved, following which, the Romans trained him as a gladiator to fight other gladiators and wild beasts in…… [Read More]

Gravity's Rainbow and Other Cold War Literature and Film

Cold War dominated American culture, consciousness, politics and policy for most of the 20th century. Even after the fall of the Berlin Wall, which symbolized the fall of the Iron Curtain and therefore finale of the Cold War, Cold War rhetoric and politics continued especially in the War on Terror. Depictions of the Cold War in American literature and film parallel the changes that took place in American ways of thinking about its own domestic policies as well as American perceptions of the alien enemy or "Other." Tracing the evolution of American film and literature from the end of World War Two until the 1980s reveals trends in thought. Early depictions of the Cold War were modernist in their approach, with clear distinctions between good and evil and no moral ambiguity whatsoever. Clear delineations between right/wrong and good/evil prevailed, a form of political propaganda and even brainwashing that prepped the…… [Read More]

2001'space odyssey film analysis

Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey is a masterpiece in the science fiction genre. Based on a story by Arthur C. Clarke, the film epitomizes the features of science fiction, including an overarching theme questioning the role of humanity in the universe. The film could just as well be classified as an epic, given its length and breath, as it begins with the origin of human beings through a depiction of evolution from primates, through the story of a space mission occurring millions of years later. Plot practically takes a back seat to cinematography and design in 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which Kubrick employs multiple cinematographic tools including music, mise-en-scene, editing, lighting, design, and script elements.

The mise-en-scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey is simply extraordinary, because each image captures the tension and existential angst that pervades the movie. Because the bulk of the film takes place…… [Read More]

Full Metal Jacket

Metal Jacket" Analysis

How does the director use the elements of the film, such as music, photography, sets dialogue, etc., to give the story a sense of realism? Give example to explain. "Gunny" on the History Channel's "Mail Call" was a former drill sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps; his language is fairly reflective of that used by the drill sergeant in Kubrick's production, only Gunny's language is cleaned up for public consumption. Kubrick, though, makes it clear that notwithstanding General Patton's reprimand for slapping a combat-fatigued Army soldier, the U.S. Marines would curse you and beat the hell out of you if you did not shape up to their standards. The language, brutality and downright cruelty shown by the drill sergeants in this movie were all highly effective in communicating a sense of in-your-face realism about what was taking place; further, the military base sets used for the training…… [Read More]

Genre Theory

The Godfather is the quintessential example of the gangster genre, which includes “films that deal with organized crime, often with mob families,” (Chapter 4). In fact, The Godfather also fits squarely within the gangster genre because it is nostalgic and romanticized, offering “recreations of past eras” in which Italian-American mafia families like the Corleones did dominate both licit and illicit business activities and politics in American cities. A sub-genre of the crime film, gangster movies like The Godfather are unique because the audience is rooting for the bad guys, not the cops. Even when the protagonists of the film kill people, they are still tragic heroes. “Many gangster characters then had a certain mystique that made them appealing, almost heroic, in their ability to overcome youthful poverty and oppression to rise in power and wealth,” (Chapter 4).
In The Godfather, Michael Corleone did not necessarily overcome poverty, because he was…… [Read More]

Cultural in the United States

Cultural in the United States

Compare and contrast what Morris Berman, Frank Capra, and David Fincher present as the flaws in our culture's pursuit of material self-interest.

Morris Berman, Frank Capra, and David Fincher present the society in postmodern consumer where the masculine identity is lost: the gray-collar male personnel and the satisfaction socially created by the society focused in materialism. Technology is the baseline for Berman's argument. The argument goes well-known to Neil Postman, and McLuhan Marshal it is not normal, not only does it change the way we connect with the rest of the world, but it also gets our brains wired (Berman 21). A normal brain of a person who has been print raised differs with a big margin from that of a person who, most of his time is corrupted by the internet.

However, the significance of the internet is making a reduction to our understanding…… [Read More]