Gomorrah

In Matteo Garonne's film Gomorrah, there is a strong struggle amongst the men, not only socially, but I believe internally as well. There is a struggle amongst themselves over the question "what is masculinity and how can they fulfill that status of a true man". Even though this struggle amongst themselves is not clearly stated, it can be seen through their interactions with one another. It's as though they are constantly trying to "prove" themselves to one another and one up each other. Everything is a competition and a challenge. At the beginning of the movie, when one of the gangs initiates one of the young boys, they tell him that "now he is a real man...".  This initiation process involves putting a shield on the boys and shooting them in the chest, which bruises the younger boys up. Also, in the film, the two young teens get so caught up in trying to prove something to the men around them, that it leads to both of their deaths at the end of the movie. The movie ends not really answering all of the men's questions about what makes a true man, but it just feeds into the vicious cycle of violence that boosts their egos.

It's Time to Vote!

Since it is that time again to vote, I thought it appropriate to watch Jay Roach's The Campaign.  Although I found it to be an absolutely hilarious movie, I noticed one thing in particular about this film...the role of women, specifically in their sexuality. I found myself being particularly aware of the way that women were being portrayed mainly because I'm writing my final research project on the role of women.  I found myself getting really frustrated at the way that women were presented in the movie. Every single woman in this movie is seen as either a sex symbol or someone that is easily allured into having sex. Basically, all the women are seen as weak individuals that cannot retain some self-dignity and respect and that they do not have any self-control. They are seen as almost animalistic and manic. Most of the women in this movie have the cliche physical appearance of "big boobs, big butt, and skin-tight clothing". All I can say is that even though women have come a long way socially in that they are able to vote and that they are able to run for office, women have fallen a long way in other aspects. In the older movies, men respected women, and their interactions with each other went deeper than just lustful, one night stands. Audrey Hepburn was the epitome of a classy, yet respected woman. She still was completely independent and had a mind of her own, but there was something deeper to her than just having sex with men and than having those men move on to the next girl with an attractive body.  She showed self-control and was seen a self-respected woman. In my opinion, even though women can vote and voice their opinion in society, they have not progressed in respectability and classiness at all. They are just falling deeper and deeper into the feeding and growth of a man's sexual fantasies.

Stereotypes/ Political Agendas

In Drew Goddard's film Cabin in the Woods, he successfully draws all aspects of different horror films into one movie. His desire is to make this "horror" movie into a sort of comedy. It is making fun of the all of horror films that our society has been exposed to. He has the stereotypical zombie, the stereotypical ghost, and every stereotypical nightmare creature ever to have been thought of. He also has the stereotypical group of teens that fall prey to this nightmarish cabin...the blonde, the virgin, the pothead, the athlete, and the scholar. They of course all spend a night of hell in this cabin being chased by these creatures. Drew Goddard combines the horror genre and the comedy genre to make a perfect combination of a movie. Honestly, when I first watched this film, I thought that it was a stereotypical horror film that would be incredibly predicable and that it was not a very well made film. I was completely wrong however because there is such a deeper message to the movie. The whole film is so witty in its humor and in the way that it pokes fun at different genres of movies. Another aspect of the film that I found incredibly witty and clever was the political viewpoint. The people in the control room who are trying to control the teens represent the government. They hold such a tight grip on those teens, and they try to force them into making decisions that they want them to make. Although this "government" seems successful at first, it becomes very apparent by the end of the film that this leads to nothing but chaos. All of the creatures get out of their cages and end up eating and killing all of the people of this "government". Maybe Drew Goddard is trying make a point about our governments control over society. Sometimes it seems like they have such a tight grip on us as individuals, which according to the movie, will eventually end in total chaos and in the government's ruin. Throughout the movie, there is a revolutionary element in it that makes this film very unique. I enjoyed this film, and all of its witty and clever undertones.

No Lights

In the movie Shortbus,  there is a lot of sex and a lot of very uncomfortable moments for the viewers.
 I found myself cringing in my seat thinking of how inappropriate the scenes that I
was watching were. However, there is a deeper message to the movie...a message that is deeper
 than seeing a lot of naked people running around having sex. This movie is all about being open
to new ideas and different groups of people, and it uses sex and sexual identity as a means
 to convey this message. Throughout the movie, the electricity in the city keeps going off and on.
It is constantly flickering and not offering enough light to live in. This "electricity problem"
coincides and is parallel with Sophie's , as well as James' and Jamie's, search for freedom and liberation in their sex life. It is not until the end of the movie, when all three of them come to the realization
 that it is okay to experiment and try new things sexually in order to fulfill their happiness, that all of the electricity comes back on. Sophie, James, and Jamie are finally able to see the light. In other words, people are going to be blind in life by limiting the world around them and limiting other people. They will not be able to truly "see" unless they are open  and not judgmental towards the world around them. People should find freedom in the world that they live in, and they should not be limited by judgments. Once Sophie, James, and Jamie realize this,  it is only then that the electricity turns back on and illuminates the life around them. 

Feminism and Violence

   In the movie Lady Vengeance, there is an element of feminism that is seen and portrayed
throughout the movie. Even though this movie's theme is primarily violence, there is a subtle message that is being conveyed throughout the movie concerning the power of women. Lady Vengeance in this movie portrays at first the submissive and objectified woman. She seems so gentle on the surface and feeds into male's sexual lusts by offering her body to them. However, by the end of the movie, Lady Vengeance breaks the "submissive woman" mold. She goes to the man that ruined her, and shoots him in the feet and brings others to slay him. She no longer is seen as this submissive, gentle angel, but she is seen as someone with spirit and an independent spirit. This movie explores not only the issue of violence, but women committing the violence. It is uncommon, and Lady Vengeance is breaking the stereotype of a woman. She is clever and has a brain, and even though the males in this film believe that they have  power over her, she proves them all wrong in the end. In this movie, she is triumphant over males, and she can be a representation of female potential in society. The feminism in this movie can be clearly seen through the character Lady Vengeance.

Hunger

   In the Steve McQueen movie Hunger,there is a beauty in the production of that movie because of its ability to take and absorb viewers into the movie.  The director did such a good job of capturing the emotions and the pain of the characters in the movie, so that in our minds, we become that character. When all of the men in the Maze prision are beaten, we feel as if we are beaten. When they are feed mush, we feel as if we are eating and gagging on mush. When they are forced to run through the gauntlet, we run through the gauntlet and feel the intense pain that is resonating throughout their bodies. When Bobby Sands goes on a hunger strike, we feel as if we had not eaten in days.  I know that as I watched this film, my stomach was growling and making noises like crazy during those scenes. I felt like I had not eaten in days. I admired Bobby Sands and his ability to starve himself so that he could support what he believed in, and he inspired me to stand up for what I believe in more than I do.  Everything about that movie makes the viewer feel like they are there. The noises of pain as the men are being beaten in the gauntlet are incredibly realistic and frightening. Even the music in the background all enhance and support the emotions that the viewers are experiencing. This movie is a great movie, and it really makes me feel like I have been through the Maze prison and that I was a part of the 1981 historical Irish hunger strike.

Double Identity

In the movie Fight Club, there is a theme that resonates throughout its scenes regarding personal identity. It is a convicting film for the viewer because it makes them question who they put their identity in. Throughout the movie, there are subtle hints that whisper traces of that theme. For example, even from the very beginning of the movie, when the narrator attends several of those support group clubs, he is revealing his lack of personal identity. He soaks up the identity of those around him. When he is with the cancer support group. he feels as if he has cancer. When he is in the alcohol support group, he feels as if he is a recovering alcoholic. Basically, whoever is around him, he becomes that person. He becomes so confused over who he really is that he does not really understand his actions and what he is doing. Throughout the movie, Tyler becomes the narrator's voice. Anything Tyler says to do, he does it. This movie spoke to me about the importance of being grounded in who I am as a person and knowing what I believe and having my own opinions. There is a lot of danger with soaking up the viewpoints of those around me and just accepting what they say as truth. Even the people of Project Mayhem had a lost sense of identity. They all talked in unison. They did what they were told. They believed what they were told to believe. They even all looked the same and shaved their heads the same. This lack of individuality ultimately lead to their ruin, and it will lead to our own ruin if we just accept the beliefs of those around us so easily