| Papers [373-384] of 2816 :: [Page 32 of 235] | | Go to page : <— 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 —> | |
|
|
"Troy": A Mythical Remake, 2006.
A review of the 2004 movie "Troy".
850 words (approx. 3.4 pages), 0 sources, $ 30.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper reviews the mythic film "Troy" and compares it to Homer's "The Iliad", upon which it is loosely based. The paper discusses how the film bring to life mythical heroes and villains in a the great tale of love, war, loyalty, deception, honor, victory and defeat. The paper traces the love story between the beautiful Helen of Troy, who was originally the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta and Prince Paris of Troy, who secretly takes Helen home to Troy with him after visiting King Menelaus in Sparta. The paper also asserts that while the movie is not a verbatim account of the book, it is true to its essential nature as a long, vivid, colorful tale about war and peace, and about human pride and foibles.
From the Paper
"The factuality of the events told within the Iliad itself remains debatable. For instance, historians still do not know if there really was a great Trojan war of the sort described in the Iliad, , or, if so, if such a war was really about love, jealousy, and revenge, or perhaps more likely in actuality, about commerce. The Trojan War, if it happened at all, may have just used the excuse of Helen's and Paris's illicit love to restart the same tired conflict between Troy and Mycenae Greece, after a brief respite. Based on historical, anthropological, and other research, there was in fact some sort of Trojan-Greek conflict at this time. Therefore, he Trojan War, as we know it through the Iliad, was not simply a figment of a blind man's rich poetic imagination."
| |
|
The Fluctuating Weight of Renee Zellweger, 2006.
This paper analyzes the various reasons actress Renee Zellweger gained a significant amount of weight to play the title character in "Bridget Jones' Diary" and the potentially dangerous message this sends to young women.
1,120 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 38.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper focuses on the intense media attention paid to Renee Zellweger during the filming of "Bridget Jones' Diary" and its sequel. This paper discusses how the tale of a woman who is obsessed with finding a man and even more obsessed with her fluctuating weight struck a chord with women around the world. This paper explores the reasons that the usually slender and American Zellweger was chosen to play the British heroine as well as the eating plan the actress followed in order to gain the weight for the film. The writer of this paper also examines the media's praise for Zellweger's weight gain and eventual loss as well as its negative impact on actresses, such as Kirstie Alley, who gain weight due to childbearing or other reasons. This paper discusses the dangerous message Hollywood is sending young women regarding what is deemed beautiful and perfect.
From the Paper
"But when Zellweger showed her newly slim physique to the world, despite her command performance as Jones, her weight loss was what drew raves, as high in quality as her acting in the role may have been. And although, Zellweger was eager to note that she hadn't shaken her alter ego off completely. "I'd be out in the cab and asking the guy in an English accent," she sighs, shaking her head. "[I say] 'brilliant, lovely,' all those things. 'Quite,' I say 'quite' a lot now ... " she was also eager to find a film to show off her return to slenderness. Her thin sculpted frame in her next release in "Chicago" assured the world that Zellweger was still capable of high glamour. Her weighty photos for one fashion magazine never made it to print, but newly slender, she graced the cover of Vogue. When an actress such as Kristie Alley, a former beauty queen, gains weight not for a role but because of age and childbearing, the world grows uncomfortable."
| |
|
"A Time to Kill", 2006.
Presents reasons why everyone should see this movie based on a John Grisham novel.
1,128 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 0 sources, MLA, $ 39.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper presents a brief overview of the movie, "A Time to Kill" about the defence case of a black man who is accused of murdering the white rapists of his young daughter. The paper then explains why it is important that everyone make an effort to view the movie, if not only because of its strong social message.
From the Paper
"The ethical impact of this movie is relatively central to the work. The moral is not exactly straight forward. Of course the rednecks who did this terrible thing to a little girl deserved to die and her father did not deserve the death penalty for killing them. One moral is that rape and murder are both bad, but that crimes based on a sense of denied justice are more pure than those which are racist and sexist. Perhaps the most profound moral, though, is that racism and injustice in one area of life inevitably will lead to crime and destruction in others."
| |
|
Sidney Poitier, 2006.
This paper examines the life and career of African-American actor Sidney Poitier.
774 words (approx. 3.1 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 27.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The writer of this paper details the prolific life of academy award winning actor, writer, diplomat, humanitarian and cultural icon Sidney Poitier. This paper discusses the actor's more controversial films, including "Cry, the Beloved Country," which addresses racism and apartheid in South Africa and "Blackboard Jungle," which deals with the issue of inner city education. This paper explores the actor's views and opinions on racism in Hollywood while also citing his refusal to work on films that do not employ an increased numbers of black talent. The writer contends and explains why Poitier continues to demonstrate a high level of integrity while also discussing his various appearances before congressional committees regarding racial discrimination in the film industry.
From the Paper
"During the 1950's, Poitier made some of the most important and controversial movies of the time. In "Cry, the Beloved Country," he addressed the issues of racial equality and apartheid in South Africa, in "Blackboard Jungle," he confronted the issues of inner city education, and in "The Defiant Ones," he portrayed one of two escaped prisoners who must overcome issues of race in their struggle for freedom. Poitier returned to the stage in 1959 to star as Walter Lee in Lorraine Hansberry's play, "A Raisin in the Sun." This play, the first by a black playwright to show on Broadway, was a moving reflection of black family life that had great popular appeal. Poitier's performance was such a critical success that he was asked to star in the movie adaptation in 1961."
| |
|
Michael Moore?s "Bowling for Columbine", 2006.
A review and analysis of the film "Bowling for Columbine" and its portrayal of gun violence.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 31.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper studies Michael Moore's award winning docudrama "Bowling for Columbine" (2002), which provided an eye-opening look at the social problem of violence in the United States, particularly violence with guns. The film focused on events leading up to the Columbine High School shootings. The paper demonstrates how, from a sociological perspective, Moore effectively showed that both social institutions (e.g., the community, the school) and social relationships (e.g., within the community, between students) played a role in the Columbine tragedy. The paper also lauds Moore for effectively presenting the causes and consequences of this recurring social problem (i.e. gun violence) in an effective manner.
From the Paper
"One portion of the film that I found extremely revealing was when Michael Moore went up to Canada with his film crew for this movie, and interviewed people up there, who seemed less afraid, and said they were less afraid, than Americans he had interviewed for the film earlier. These two sets of interviews illustrated the point, very convincingly, that America has far more general fear bred into its culture, in terms of anxieties people feel just living life, than does Canada. For that reason, Moore implies, many Americans feel they need guns simply to protect themselves against the frightening elements "out there", a feeling that then feeds on itself, with more fear and more gun ownership. In contrast, Canadians who were interviewed for the film do not even lock their front doors, and most do not own guns or feel any need to own guns. Moore convincingly explored, also, how the mythology of the Wild West (e.g., Western movies starring actors like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood) are so much a part of the American identity that Americans actually also identify with guns and gun ownership as if it were needed in order to feel safe."
| |
|
"King Arthur" and the Historicity of Guinevere, 2006.
This paper analyzes whether or not the character of Guinevere is portrayed in a historically accurate way in Jerry Bruckheimer's 2004 film "King Arthur."
2,463 words (approx. 9.9 pages), 11 sources, MLA, $ 75.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This well-researched paper examines the historical content of Bruckheimer's film which the director claims is the true story of King Arthur and his relationship with Guinevere, based on discovered archaeological facts. The writer of this paper contends and explains why this is somewhat inaccurate, due to the fact that the film is based on speculation put forward by the historian Kemp Malone in 1924. This paper focuses on the character of Guinevere as depicted in this film, while comparing it to available historical data that contradicts the director's claims. This paper discusses the difficulty of pinning down an accurate portrayal of Guinevere due to the fact that she is defined primarily by her relationship with Arthur. This paper details why the film's depiction of Guinevere and her relationship to Arthur is not necessarily based on historical fact or legend, but rather on entirely speculative historical fiction.
From the Paper
"Guinevere's clothing and hands are not the only thing critics point to; they also suggest that she is being presented in a historically inaccurate way as a female warrior. In many movies it may be true that women are ahistorically buffed up - however, this is not necessarily one of those cases. While the historical Gwenhyvar is unlikely to have been a warrior, there is no historical reason to suggest that she was not a warrior. Celtic women were considered equal with the men, and many of them went into battle. An article published in Keltria: Journal of Druidism and Celtic Magic, explains how primary sources indicate that "Celtic women also took an energetic part in melee."
| |
|
"Citizen Kane", 2006.
An analysis of the structure, theme, and cinematic elements found in the film "Citizen Kane".
2,467 words (approx. 9.9 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 75.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper summarizes and analyzes the famous film "Citizen Kane" and explains how it reflects a wide variety of American values through the actions of Kane and others in the film. The paper also explains that much of the originality of "Citizen Kane" came from a synthesis of techniques that, while they had been used in other films before the making of "Citizen Kane", had never been brought together as they were in in this particular movie. The paper further discusses and analyzes the plot and structure of the movie as well as the dramatic realism of the film and the use of of non-linear methods and expressionistic choices to tell the film's story. Finally, the paper discusses the film's effective and impressive use of visual elements and sound.
From the Paper
"The primary American values sought by Kane in the beginning are truth, honesty, idealism, and individuality. These continue to be the primary goals he has for the country and the citizenry as he enters politics and offers to fight the corrupt political machine then running the city. The scandal into which he falls is a personal one, but it becomes a public one, showing how the voting public often confuses private morality with the public values of a political figure."
| |
|
The Image of Los Angeles, 2006.
This paper analyzes the image of 1930s' Los Angeles, as seen through the eyes of two authors, Nathanael West and James Cain.
1,378 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 2 sources, APA, $ 46.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper reviews and examines James Cain's "Mildred Pierce" and Nathanael West's "The Day of the Locust." Both authors give a detailed view of Los Angeles, which has been shaped by various writers over the years, as well as by film and television depictions of the city. The writer of this paper analyzes both authors' perception of 1930s L.A. which was a different sort of city than it is today. Los Angeles in the 1930s was a city beset by a corrupt administration in City Hall, a corrupt police department and a citizenry, affected as was the rest of the country, by the economic failures of the Great Depression. This paper reviews Nathanael West's "The Day of the Locust" which is a realistic portrayal of a sub-culture in Hollywood in the 1930s which includes a non-realistic vision of the horror hiding behind the surface in that society. The writer contends that in West's novel, Hollywood represents a target, the place where people flocking to the city believe their dreams can be fulfilled if only they could get hired and be seen by the public. The writer also discusses the issue of social class as an important motivating force in the plot of Cain's "Mildred Pierce." The writer of this paper details the plots and main characters of both novels.
From the Paper
"Social class is an important motivating force in Mildred Pierce and is a particularly strong force in the life of Veda Pierce. Mildred, her mother, has fought to build a business in a world where women rarely manage to accomplish this feat, let alone do so with the success that Mildred achieves. The Los Angeles of this novel is the area to the north, with an area of old money in Pasadena upholding an old idea of social class, and with successful entrepreneurs like Mildred creating a new moneyed class emerging from the working world and suggesting the power of the American dream for those able to make it a reality. The denizens of Hollywood want the same thing with less overt work, while people like Mildred fight their way up from strength of character and personal talent."
| |
|
Comparative Film and Perspectives on History, 2005.
Examines three movies ("The Best Years of Our Lives", "Seabiscuit" and "Malcolm X") to show how they have successfully and accurately portrayed events in history.
2,460 words (approx. 9.8 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 74.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The trouble with filmmakers using history as a genre to appeal to the mass audience is that most times the view of history is skewed to fit the status quo perception of the event. Fortunately filmmakers like Spike Lee, Gary Ross and William Wyler have brought it upon themselves to attempt to make movies that tell a history in the correct framework of historical context. This paper examines the three films: "The Best Years of Our Lives", "Seabiscuit" and "Malcolm X" to show how these filmmakers worked to bring the stories of historical events to light and used different film techniques to accomplish this feat.
From the Paper
"Because for much of his racing career the horse was considered undersized and therefore the underdog, this movie is considered a feel good film for today's audience. The movie takes place during a time of the American economy at its worst, during and after the Depression. The movie effectively paints the picture of how bad things were for people by using a grey color scheme and grey urban settings. The only time the viewer sees color such as reds and browns are in the context of the rich or the businessman's home."
| |
|
"Fight Club", 2006.
This paper reviews and analyzes the underlying themes of violence in David Fincher's film "Fight Club."
1,856 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 59.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The writer of this paper contends and explains why David Fincher's film "Fight Club" is a sincere narration about the lost generation of 1990s. This paper analyzes Fincher's film, as well as the main character of Chuck Palahniuk. The writer describes Palahniuk as a victim of civilization and of his own prejudices and alienation, who is unable to find satisfaction in his own life. This paper details the plot of this dark and violent film as well as the characteristics of Palahniuk who begins to lose himself upon his realization that he's unable to enjoy his life. This paper also discusses the importance of Tyler Durden in Palahniuk's life. Durden is a free person, whose inner freedom, natural charisma and self-dependent eventually take over and conquer Palahniuk's self esteem. The writer of this paper explains why the dark atmosphere and violent fight themes in the film are similar to the conditions that existed in fascist Germany in 1930s.
From the Paper
"The victim of civilization and more over of his own prejudices and alienation is the narrator of the story Fight Club Chuck Palahniuk. He doesn't get any satisfaction from life, as it's usual and routine: he is an average manager in the car company, no one pays any attention to his existence, he is not respected either by his boss or by his co-workers. His personal life is not successful too. The narrator tries to spend all his money on luxury attempting to create an illusion of a happy and wealthy young man but he fails, as he can not achieve self-realization and happiness. Moreover he starts to suffer insomnia and finds out that he there is no medical support to overcome this disorder."
| |
|
Empowerment Through Film, 2006.
This paper reviews and examines several films based on real events and actual educators who have empowered their students, while focusing in particular on "Coach Carter" starring Samuel L. Jackson.
1,009 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 5 sources, APA, $ 35.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The writer of this paper details how Hollywood takes the examples of real-life educators to provide them with their plots. This paper discusses several such films in this particular genre, including: "Standby By Me," "Lean on Me," and "Remember the Titans," while focusing on "Coach Carter," starring Samuel L. Jackson. "Coach Carter" is a prime example of how students can be empowered to change their lives for the better. This paper describes the plot of "Coach Carter," in which the coach is shown as a human being and not just a savior. Carter attempts to put down student fisticuffs and fighting by using positive encouragement rather than intimidation to enforce discipline while at the same time inspiring his players to respect one another, as well as respect him as an authority figure. The writer also discusses how films like "Remember the Titans" and "Friday Night Lights" tell the tale of student empowerment through sports.
From the Paper
"Of course, films like "Remember the Titans" and "Friday Night Lights" also tell the tale of student empowerment through sports. But these football films are more intent upon showing the dark side of sports, rather than seeing sports as having any potential for becoming tools of empowerment for young people, when in the right hands. The use of football in these films is a tool more for the empowerment of the coaches, fans, and outsiders such as the depressed people of the town rather than students. In contrast, the students of "Coach Carter" are taught to succeed for themselves and to advance their own interests."
| |
|
Journalism vs. Sensationalism, 2006.
This paper analyzes the decline in newspaper readership as well as the issue of real journalism versus sensationalistic reporting of the news.
2,314 words (approx. 9.3 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 71.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The writer of this paper presents a critical analysis on the decline of newspaper readership. This paper details the statistics, the attempts by newspapers to attract readers by turning to sensationalism and the opinions of experts in the field about how to increase readership. The writer also proposes an ethical solution to the problem that avoids sensationalism, yet, still provides the readers with what they want. Newspaper readership has declined. It has a tremendous amount of competition to overcome. Maintaining strong ethics, targeting the young adult and providing more investigative, celebrity and health and fitness news are all ways that readership can be increased and maintained. This paper discusses the issue of ethics in journalism while comparing it to the recent popularity of sensationalistic reporting. This paper also delves into electronic newspapers on the internet and their impact on readership.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Introduction
Readers' Needs and Wants
Solution
Conclusion
Works Cited
From the Paper
"The ethical question of using sensationalism to attract readers continues to be asked. Are newspapers simply giving readers what they want to keep their attention, or are they stepping over an ethical line in a desperate attempt to maintain their readership? It is a question that is debated nationwide in the industry. A few years ago, rag news such as the National Enquirer and the Star were laughed at by "real" journalists. Today however, "real" journalists find themselves in a position of having to lean more toward celebrity gossip and sensationalized stories to attract readers to their work."
|
|
|
