Missing

As the attorney for the Horman family I would like to simply inform the jury of three reasons why the U.S. Government should be held accountable for the death of Charles Horman.

1. The government falsely arrested my son. The U.S. government arrested my son Charles without probable cause.
2. The government also did not allow my son contact with a lawyer or contact with family members. Not only did they arrest my son unjustly but they also caused stress and grief amonst my family. No one new where he was. The only way we were able to link his disappearance to the police was because the neighbors saw him being taken away.
3. The third of many reasons, is they murdered my son. After Charles was taken he was killed while in the custody of the U.S. government. They were complicit in his death becuase they were responsible for him while he was in there custody. They also buried his body and had to retrieve the body in order for it to be sent back to the U.S. to be buried by his family.

A Dry White Season

A Dry White Season was a movie that tried to illustrate to the viewing world the injustice taking place in South Africa. I believe it did an excellent job in doing just that. By looking at the lives of the Ngubene family, the viewer is allowed to see how the injustices of South Africa have taken the lives of many of it citizens as well as taken the lives of caring, loving and hard working family. The injustices expressed in the film though they may not have been perfectly true to the novel were purposeful. The directors and screen writers were trying to drive home the shocking reality of the people who are faced with these travesties everyday. The one thing that I would say that was not true to the book but purposeful was the ending of the film. In the book, Stanley disappears without having the satisfaction of having vengeance on Captain Stolz. Even though this may not have been the actual case, by the end of the movie the viewer needs to feel some sort of gratification after the death of so many.

The Day I Became a Woman

There were several scenes that were poignant in the film, The Day I Became a Woman but if I had to choose 3 they would be:

1. In the first vignette when Hava gives her scarf to the boys in order to get the floating fish toy is such a poignant scene. The trading of the scarf symbolizes Hava’s child-like innocence. She trades her scarf a symbol of her femininity and subservience for they toy. This act shows that she is still very much a child and really unknowing of cultural rules. Also she gives her scarf to the boys in order for them to make a sail. The sail represents freedom.
2. In the second vignette when Ahoo says to her husband that he can go ahead and divorce her it said so much about her determination. Ahoo’s entire vignette was all about freedom and moving from tradition to more modern vantage point. Her husband rides up on a horse while Ahoo is riding the bike. There modes of transportation show the difference in the two. Ahoo is determined to continue in the bicycle race while her husband issues an ultimatum to either leave the race or be divorced. It is a struggle between her freedom and new ways of thinking and their traditions and customary ways of thinking.
3. The last scene is the last scene of the movie when all of the vignettes come together. You see Houra sailing away with all of her coveted new possession symbolizing her finally being allowed to have those items she has been forbidden for so many years. Then you see the young girls who lost the bicycle race. This symbolizes the Iranian woman’s conflict with tradition and the cultural standards placed on them. Finally you see Hava and her mother watching her scarf sail away as the boys ferry Houra’s items to the boat. This shows Hava’s loss of freedom and her embrace of the traditional women’s head covering.

Paradise Now

So far in this course, Paradise Now has been the most difficult film for me to watch. I stopped the movies several times and came back to it, but with the other films for the course I glued to my seat. I asked myself what was different about this film. Was it less interesting? No. Where the characters bad actors? No. Was the historical and cultural connotations less stimulating? No. Was the script or plot lacking. Again I answered no. What I discovered was that it was my own personal unease about the content.

I found myself sympathizing more with the petition against the movie. I have to agree that had the content been about the planning and bombing of an American bus or locations, it would have been recieved with less enthusiasm. It is important to me try to understand both sides of the story, but terrorism is terrorism. Many people have strong religious beliefs, family grudges and feuds but that doesn't mean that they have the right to violence. I also understood by the counter petition that the movie is not condoning violence but just seeking to educated the viewer in the other side of the story, but irregardless of this point the film made me uncomfortable.

Raise the Red Lantern

I was blown away by watching Raise the Red Lantern. It was cinematographic masterpiece. I have to agree with reviewers that the house of the master is definitely a character within the movie as well. This elaborate setting provides the stage for a very striking tale of power, deceit, and manipulation. Though Meishan was not the main character of the movie she interested me the most. The ex-opera singer who decided to marry the feudal lord. The movie never said why, but it is a thought provoking question. Why did the successful singer who had even been recorded, decide to leave her promising career. She was definitely a worthy opponent in the power struggle. She was younger than the first two wives and she possessed an amazing singing talent. She used this to her advantage more than once. She was crafty and intelligent her strategy to gain the master's favor, but she was also wanted a love that was all her own. I think this desire for a love that she wouldn't have to share brought her in to the fatal love triangle with Dr. Gao. Even though Songlian accidentally betrays her to Zhouyun, it is still betrayl in my eyes. When Zhouyun discovers Meishan and Dr. Gao in a compromising position in the hotel,it puts Meishan in irreprable downward spiral. Meishan is punished and put to death for her affair, and her death is never even acknowledged by the family. As the servant said "What must be done, was done." in accordance with the custom. A horrific death by hanging for Meishan.

Assignment Unit 3

For this assignment, I wasn't fortunate enough to be able to get my hands on the preferred film, but I was not disappointed. The movie I viewed was entitled "Water." It was a fantastic rendering of the 1930's hindu law regarding women. I found some very helpful reviews, but the most helpful was found at this website:

Read a review'>http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=161622&page=2">review of Water from Channel 4 Film.

I enjoyed this particular review the best because it stated the background necessary for understanding the film. It gave a nice overview of the plot without giving too many details. It also critiqued the actors and some of the minor film dificiencies. Most importantly it gave the director the deserved accoladades. It also gave background on the directors and the difficulty of making such a controversial film. It took 5 years to shoot this film do to all the negative cultural feedback and surrounding issues. It was finally completed in Sri Lanka. I also agree that though the love story was an addition to the plot of the story, the plight of the women who live in the house of widows is most clearly depicted as the viewer watches Shakuntala's struggle between the laws and rules she followed all her life and the growing realization that these rules may not be just.

Assignment Unit 2

If I had to choose 3 poignant scenes from L'America these are the scenes that captivated my attention:

Scene 1: The last scene of the movie--Spiro and Gino are on the boat headed to Italy
Analysis: It stuck in my mind because the scene is an excellent example of juxtaposition. The writers and directors purposefully put both characters in the scene together to show a distinct difference in their character. While Gino is dejected and deflated from his arduous journey through Albania, Spiro is filled with a buoyant hope for a better life in America (even though the ship is headed to Italy). I think this scene was important to the movie because it not only brought the conclusion of the film, but it also marked the end of Gino's eye opening experience through Albania.

Scene 2: Spiro is no longer the director and encourages Gino after he loses his position as well
Analysis: This scene shows Spiro's relentless hope. Throughout the movie the script and the directors work to show the lack of Albanian nationalism and their faith in Italy, but they also strive to show Spiro's unconditional faith. While imprisoned the guard said that he continued week after week to walk out to the gates with the belief that he was going home. I believe that portraying Spiro in this way is essential to the movie because it adds to the irony that he is in fact not Albanian, but also that he embodies a characteristic most of the Albanians in the movie share. He is their hope personified,

Scene 3: Gino is arrested by the Albanian police and his pass port is taken
Analysis: Throughout the movie Gino is a visitor in Albania, but his respect and treatment of the people and culture is lacking. He parades around the country with a arrogance courtesy of his Italian citizenship. It is almost as if because he is Italian the laws and standards do not apply to him. This all comes to a crashing halt when he is arrested for his involvement in the shady business venture. His passport is confiscated and he wants to know how he will get around with out his passport and the response from the Albanian officer is basically if you are in Albania you don't need one. This scene is important to the movie because the passport is Gino's only proof of his Italian citizenship. It also the only way he can legally travel back to Italy. This in turn is how he ends up on the immigrant ship to Italy at the end of the movie

If I could have he directors power and end the movie anyway I would like, I would have preferred a happier ending for Spiro. I would have maybe taken the "sappy approach" by showing him reunited with his wife or son.