This was a simple story, even though it portrayed Will's life as complex, and it kind of had a poetic justice to it. You wanted Will to conquer his demons and although the evil isn't punished in the film, you felt that if Will could overcome his fears that somehow the evil was being punished.
Internal truth is central to the film's structure and external truth plays a supporting role. You wanted to believe this story was true because Will had suffered and deserved a chance at a good life (internal truth), but you also knew that this was life as it is (external truth), and that sometimes bad things just happen (The Art of Watching Films, p. 46).
The story was told using linear structure, so the internal conflict of Will does not become apparent until the complication (The Art of Watching Films, p. 55). The major conflict of the film is Will himself. Will can't adjust socially because of his past. His character would be onsidered a developing character because he is not the same person at the end of the film as he was in the beginning. He has overcome his demons (The Art of Watching Films, p. 68). Will would also be labeled a round character because of his uniqueness and complexity (The Art of Watching Films, p. 72).
The title of the film, to me, could be taken two ways: one as Will Hunting being good and one as goodwill hunting, that Will is hunting for the good. Either way, the title named the theme of the film.
The scene that appears three time in the film, Chuckie going to pick up Will, is symbolic in that it shows Will as a symbol of success for the working class. In the beginning, Will believed that he didn't deserve any better than janitorial or construction work, and the third time the scene appears, it leads you to believe that Will finally believed in himself and that he deserved better.
In the article Coming of Age in American Films & Novels, it said that some felt director Gus Van Sant had lost his edge as a leading director. I felt that Van Sant's directing gave a sense of being there. He did an excellent job of giving a good understanding of Will without overdoing it.
Definitely two thumbs up!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Bully
Ugh! I am almost embarrassed to say I watched Bully as my second movie for the week. The movie was a lot more explicit than I expected, and not something I enjoyed watching.
The theme of the movie was social problems and dealt with teenagers that seemed to be in self-destruct mode, combatting problems of teenage sex, pregnancy and drugs. I would describe them as social outcasts.
Bully was based on a tru story that happened in California about a bullying teen that was struggling with his own sexuality while trying to live up to his father's expectations. He took out his anger on his best friend and was cruel and hurtful to all teenagers who came in contact with him. I feel that Bobby was portrayed as a very evil person by the author.
Other than Marty and Lisa, the other teenagers involved were just followers because they had nothing better to do. All received rather harsh sentences, some not so deserving of what they got. Since the film is based on the truth, and only the ones involved could tell their side of the events that lead up to the murder, it is hard to say whether the author portrayed each side unbiased. The author did, however, portray Marty and Lisa as immature and having no conscience, deserving of their punishment.
I would not recommend this movie. I feel that all the sexually explicit scenes were unneccessary and added no value to the theme and lessened the impact of the story. I'm sure the author wanted to show how careless these teenagers were and how they never thought about consequences, but this could have been done without constantly showing us them naked.
The theme of the movie was social problems and dealt with teenagers that seemed to be in self-destruct mode, combatting problems of teenage sex, pregnancy and drugs. I would describe them as social outcasts.
Bully was based on a tru story that happened in California about a bullying teen that was struggling with his own sexuality while trying to live up to his father's expectations. He took out his anger on his best friend and was cruel and hurtful to all teenagers who came in contact with him. I feel that Bobby was portrayed as a very evil person by the author.
Other than Marty and Lisa, the other teenagers involved were just followers because they had nothing better to do. All received rather harsh sentences, some not so deserving of what they got. Since the film is based on the truth, and only the ones involved could tell their side of the events that lead up to the murder, it is hard to say whether the author portrayed each side unbiased. The author did, however, portray Marty and Lisa as immature and having no conscience, deserving of their punishment.
I would not recommend this movie. I feel that all the sexually explicit scenes were unneccessary and added no value to the theme and lessened the impact of the story. I'm sure the author wanted to show how careless these teenagers were and how they never thought about consequences, but this could have been done without constantly showing us them naked.
On The Waterfront
My first movie was On The Waterfront. My first thought afterwards was that I wondered what the significance of filming people putting a cigarette in their mouth was. It appeared that they put one in their mouth after a stressful situation such as the priest on his way up with Dugan when he was killed or the bartender after Terry was not a threat with his gun anymore in the bar. Maybe that was the significance.
Anyway, the movie was about human dignity and standing up what's right, but I didn't exactly see it that way. I saw it as union and labor corruption and felt that Terry was never really sure if he wanted to do the right this; and his fellow union brothers didn't appear to be in much of a hurry sto stand behind him once he did stand up to the union. I think that Terry's reasons for fighting back were for revenge, not for doing what was right. He wanted to hurt the union for what they did to his brother more than for what the union was doing to the laborers.
Kazan wanted to make films based on his personal experience, and he wanted to tell the truth as he saw it for what was going on at the waterfront. Kazan wanted his films to reflect his own struggles, such as testifying at the House Committee on Un-American Activities as a witness.
Kazan wanted to show the struggles of the lower working class and the corruption of the unions in On The Waterfront and I think he did a good job of making it realistic. He told the human story of Terry Malloy and showed us right away in the beginning of the movie that Terry had a conscience and liking Edie only made him want to do better.
Anyway, the movie was about human dignity and standing up what's right, but I didn't exactly see it that way. I saw it as union and labor corruption and felt that Terry was never really sure if he wanted to do the right this; and his fellow union brothers didn't appear to be in much of a hurry sto stand behind him once he did stand up to the union. I think that Terry's reasons for fighting back were for revenge, not for doing what was right. He wanted to hurt the union for what they did to his brother more than for what the union was doing to the laborers.
Kazan wanted to make films based on his personal experience, and he wanted to tell the truth as he saw it for what was going on at the waterfront. Kazan wanted his films to reflect his own struggles, such as testifying at the House Committee on Un-American Activities as a witness.
Kazan wanted to show the struggles of the lower working class and the corruption of the unions in On The Waterfront and I think he did a good job of making it realistic. He told the human story of Terry Malloy and showed us right away in the beginning of the movie that Terry had a conscience and liking Edie only made him want to do better.
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