Citizen Kane

I'm really loving these old movies. This is an interesting film as far as I can tell and has a lot of cool stuff. The news reel in comparison to the more recent kind i've seen in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is less as dramatic and less technologically advance, but also less dizzying. Its interesting that the entire story is told through the news reel so you catch some of it, but cant possibly catch all of it. It gives you something to look for, and a little prior knowledge as you watch the film, but doesn't spoil it for you.

The pitch of Kane's voice and the car horn was really funny. It was done really perfectly. His words turned to street noise so suddenly i was caught off guard. Something Mr. Bennett pointed out in class was the screenwriter's diction of "hot water". In literature, if something is repeated, you need to pay attention to it because it's significant in some way. It was also a very awkward line and catches your attention. I took it to mean two things, one: He's going to get in trouble very soon, and two: hot, so like a new flame. As we watched further, I saw that it can be taken both ways, and we also knew from the start he would in a love scandal from the reel. 

Kane's character is really what makes this so interesting to watch. He's a really round and dynamic character to use literary terms. He's always out to prove himself, like what his friend said about the opera house and the quotations around Susan Alexander being a "singer". Characters that are flawed are more human and therefore more easy to relate to which makes them really fun to watch. I'm still waiting to find what "rosebud" means...

Nothing Left to Live For

It's too bad Mr. Bennett decided to not point out everything and actually make us think instead of just reiterating what was already said in class.. haha just kidding!

With the end of the film, it was clear that everyone died for nothing (existentialism). He fought and survived all these years of war, but just as they begin to talk about an armistice, he dies. Paul had nothing left to live for anyways. His home could no longer satisfy him after seeing the horrors he has seen in battle. He started from a young age, all he knows now is war. He walks around town without anything to do, dissatisfied and with no goals. He's a living corpse. His friends, almost brothers, all died in battle. He is suffering no matter where he goes. He isn't even entirely sure why he's fighting. His death was inevitable but what was the purpose of his life? Grow up, go to war, die for nothing?

He had nothing left to hope for. The untouchable beauty of the butterfly is a great metaphor in the story. The butterfly not only represents beauty, but also a sense of freedom. It can fly off wherever and whenever it pleases. The small, simple movement of Paul's hand led to his death.

There was a lot of examples of dehumanization in the movie. That scene where the soldiers find that Kat is dead was definitely a great scene. They had a corpse lying maybe 10 feet away and they were playing cards! They list off his name like he is just another person on a long list of dead. The lack of emotion is a strong example of dehumanization.

Day 4; AQWF

What I was thinking about today is that war changes a person. This is something that we focused on in what we saw today. The boots proved that now, Mueller is just looking out for number one: himself. No one else matters. His friend's death doesn't matter to him as much as getting the shoes does. The doctor can't even identify Franz as a person. Everyone is just a living corpse.
The part after the death of Franz, the guy runs back to camp, almost exhilarated. His friend just passed away but he was so happy. This bothered him and I can understand that. But I also understand the reaction. The death of a close friend really makes you appreciate your existence and that you're still alive. I think this was a really good part of the movie because it showcases something real. This is a very real reaction to death and is pretty common as well.

Day 2; AQWF

I started this film off kind of apprehensive. It was not in the best quality and the color is not what I am use to. The low sound didn't help either. But the further into the film I got as we analyzed the way the film was made, the more I got into it. I love English class and so I really like analyzing the films for the camera angles, sound effects, and foreshadowing.
We all know today, that war tears people apart and changes them forever. You will get the physical marks of war, such as scars, but you also get the mentality of war. It changes your view on life forever. The leaving of the boys in the classroom to go sign up for war was pretty significant. They were leaving the calm and order of the classroom and heading out to the chaos and ruckus of the street outside. The papers flying everywhere and throwing them up in the air is especially significant. When we throw our graduation caps in the air, it means "it's over." That chapter of our life is done with now and it's time to move on. This applies to the paper thrown up. The boys are throwing away their former lives and everything they ever learned (because the papers also kind of symbolize their education) and putting it aside for war.

That is mostly all I have to say on the subject so for and I just want to make a quick note: the death of Behn was pretty obvious.

Until tomorrow then!
Jen Luu(: