The Hurt Locker

I actually did not like the Hurt Locker. I'm not really a fan of war movies but even this one I tried to like it just had no action or suspense. The only suspense was when Will was in the car with that Iraq man to find Beckam and he was sent to the wrong house. The movie did give me a greater appreciation for the US Army, because since it is a volunteer I didn't realize how much they risk their life every day. I really liked sergaent Sanborn and William because of the way they handled everything. William was a little crazy I thought at first but I liked how at the end he refused to leave that Iraq man who had a bomb strapped to him. He tried to help him but realized he couldn't. While I really liked Sanborn because even though he hated William he still protected him and even became friends with him at the end. I don't really know the moral of the story, because I would say war. Since once William came home he was so bored with everyday life he had to return. I would reccomend this to those who are interested in war movies, not to those who aren't a fan of them. I think this applies to today because the Iraq war is going on, and how much warfare has changed today.

Captain Phillips

I really liked Captain Phillips, it was extremely suspenseful but I enjoyed it a lot. I don't know the real story of the real captain phillips so It was very shocking for me to watch the movie. I think Tom hanks, who played captain phillips did an excellent job. I think captain phillips was a hero to all. I also didn't think the somalian pirate Muse was that bad of a guy because although he did capture the ship and the captain he refused to let his other pirates kill him. I actually felt bad for him when he found out all his friends were killed. I think the moral of the story would be to not give up because even though the captain was kidnapped and abused he still set out to sea again after all he'd been through. I deffenetly reccommend this to others espesially ones that don't know the story of captain phillips. This could apply to today because of how important and how hard the navy works and the ability for them to be brave and not give up no matter what.

United 93

I really liked United 93, despite it being extremely suspenseful and depressing I did enjoy it and I'm really glad we were able to watch it. The movie made me feel 1. really scared to go on airplanes (thank god you didn't show this to us before denmark) and 2. extremely proud to be an American. The way the passengers worked together to prevent the terrorists from reaching their destination was just amazing. They decided to sacrifice themselves to protect America. It was extremely hard for me to watch the passengers make phone calls to their family members, and it made me extremely upset for the people because I knew that the plane would crash into a field and they'd all die, but as you said it is human instinct to survive. So therefore when did the passengers realize there was no hope for them? I think the moral of the story is basically teamwork, such as when the passengers all worked together. Bravery is also another one because of the brave actions the passengers took on that flight. I think that all of the characters that worked to fight against the terrorists on the flight were heros and important figures that defended America our great nation. I think that this could apply to today because of what had happened after 9/11, we went to war with Iraq, american patriotism has increased, and our national security has too. This movie and the events that happened on that tragic day made me proud to be an American.

Apollo 13

I've already seen Apollo 13 before, but I enjoyed it again a lot. I thought that the whole space mission to the moon on apollo 13 was really interesting to watch. I thought Jim Lovell, who Tom Hanks played greatly, was a really inspiring character. He realized that when the mission was aborted that it was more important for him and his crew to return home rather than to get his glory of walking on the moon. I felt really bad for his wife because even before the mission she was nervous and wouldn't even see him take off. I think the moral of the story would then be to not give up, espessially when NASA refused to let "failure be an option" and get the astronaunts home safely. Also to do what is right or moral, when Lovell decided to abandon his dream of walking on the moon to get his other members of Apollo 13 home safely. Also to trust people because when Mattingly isn't able to go on Apollo 13 anymore because he's sick days before launch, Jack Swigert has to be made apart of the crew despite Lovell having trained with Mattingly and Haise. I think the funding for NASA should continue because I think space exploration is extremely appointment to future developments in technology and for science research. It's not about competing with other countries, it's about protecting our astronaunts who are brave enough to go to space and using money for greater research and knowledge. I think it sucks that U.S. retired it's shuttle program, theres still a ton of exploring space left to do. Just because we went to the moon doesn't mean that's all there is to see in space? I don't think we should worry about staying ahead of other countries in this capacity because if we travel in space I think it should just be for the benefit of us and our country not competition. By traveling in space we are able to learn and collect information to further our technological and scientific developments.

Parkland

I really liked the movie because JFK was one of my favorite presidents, so it was interesting to learn about his death. Although it was sad and depressing it gave me a better understanding of how shocking and serious the event was for America. I sympathized with lee harvey oswald's brother, and how he was victimized for his brother's actions. I didn't sympathize with lee harvey oswald, in fact he seemed like a psychopath in the movie, as did his mother. I was really confused at how his mother refused to accept that her son killed the president. While his brother accepted it he was still targeted by people as his brother just killed the most important man in the world. I think the moral of the story is basically that john f kennedy was a great president. and that we shouldn't target people just because of their family. you are not you're family. i would deffenetly reccomend this to others, but i think it would be more important for the people who weren't alive during Kennedy's assassination so they could realize how serious of a time it was. This applies to today because Kennedy was a president in the 20th century, assassination attempts have led to an increase of the secret service and security around the president and the U.S. government.

The Pianist

I really liked the Pianist because it followed Szpilman throughout the entire Holocaust and how he was able to survive. It had me a little scared at moments, like when he hid and ran away from the Nazis, also it was really depressing because of the scene in the Ghettos and the way the Nazis treated the Jews. The movie made me feel really appreciative of what I have and not to take anything for granted. The way everything was fine for Szpilaman's family until the last seconds of the war when Szpilaman's captured by the Russians. It also made me appreciate music, because of the way it helped Szpilaman get through the war and with his encounter with the Nazi officer. The Nazi officer was one of my favorite character's because it showed that not all German's were evil, and how he encouraged Szpilaman to play for him and gave him food and hope. It was even more touching at the end of the war when Szpilaman went to free the officer but was too late. I think there can be many morals of the story, such as always holding onto hope. Szpilaman refused to give up he kept trying to survive. Also, that not all people are just good and evil, like that Nazi officer. I would definitely recommend this to others who enjoy a story of survival and hope, but not to someone who can't handle depressing stories or violence. I think this can apply to today because we all assume that you can be just good or bad, but the theme here is that not all people or either good or evil. I think Hosenfeld realized what horrors the Nazis were doing when he saw Szpilman, and I also think he was moved by Szpilman's music, which caused him to feel sympathy. Hosenfeld might've even felt bad for what the Nazi's had done and wanted to help. I think that Szpilman had no other choice, he couldn't of ran away and he couldn't of fought back, he had to listen to Hosenfeld. I think that Szpilman also realized that he wasn't as cruel as the other nazis, and realized that just because he was in a german uniform it didn't make him evil.

Defiance

I really liked the film, espesially because it portrayed the story of the Bielski's very accurately. I thought Daniel Craig did great and I think the way everything was portrayed at the time was also accurate. It made me feel really happy and thankful, also kind of proud espesially being jewish. Because It showed how the Bielski's weren't cowards and hiding from the Germans but they would put up a fight. I was a little confused with the Russian side story, but I enjoyed it because it showed how the brothers stuck together no matter what. Tuvia was my favorite character because he was fair and held the camp, he was the leader. I also liked Asael because he was the peacemaker and nuetral one between Zusia and Tuvia. I was a little annoyed with Zusia because he kept on wanting to compete with Tuvia the whole time, but by the end they were able to come together. I think the moral of the story is to not give up, and that when you save one life you save a million. Because all the people saved by the Bielski's, had tons of children and grandchildren and generations of so forth. I think this can apply to today because it teaches us the same value, between family and helping eachother. I think "Revenge is to live" means that during that time the Germans wanted to exterminate all jews, and by living freely not in a prison camp, they were rebelling against them, they refused to be oppressed and listen to the Germans, instead they lived on their own terms in their own community. I think humanity and revenge can coexist because revenge can be for good, not for something bad all the time. I think that some people can take it too far which causes revenge not to be an act of humanity. I think revenge is good according to the situation but not when you're also becoming the bad guy.

The Godfather

I really enjoyed the Godfather. I think it was because it took place during the postwar time which I really enjoyed, and I liked how it told the story about a mafia family from the inside rather than the outside. I think marlon brando was my favorite, and played the godfather greatly. I also enjoyed michael, tom, and even sonny. There was nothing I didn't like about the movie, actually probably that the godfather died was the only part I didn't like. I think the godfather depicted how a crime family works greatly, and I thought it was interesting how they refused to get into the narcotic business, but the other mafia families said that times were changing, which they in fact were at the time. The moral of the story I guess would be probably to stick by your family. Because even michael said to his brother never to take sides against the family again. I would deffenetly reccomend this to others, except people who hate long movies because it was pretty long. I think this applies to today because gangs still exist, they might not be like the Corleone's but they do exist today and they deal with different issues instead of gambling, like the Tattalia's said, narcotics. Which is really popular in the gang world today. Vito Corleone is the center of the film because he is the godfather, he is who everyone comes to for their problems. They ask him for a favor and Vito will later ask them to return it. I didn't know how organized crime was perpetuated, or how it was organized. I didn't know there was a head man and a Consilierge, and how the different gang leaders interacted. I actually found it quite interesting when all the head of the families met with each other.

Miracle

I really liked Miracle, because it connected something that we all love, the USA olympic team, to an important time in history, the Cold War. I thought that Herb Brooks was portrayed greatly, but why was it so important that the US beat the Soviet Union? I feel like it might've been overdramatized a bit, but then again I didn't live in that time so I have no idea. The movie made me feel proud to be an American and it made me have more respect for Olympic athletes, espessially hockey players. Because they go through so much training, yet they might not even be playing in the Olympics! It gave me a greater idea on how serious the conflict between the Soviets and Americans were at that time. It made me wonder why was this so important? It's just a hockey game. Obviously it would be great if America wins but it's not the end of the world. Like in the movie everyone was putting so much pressure on Herb to win against the Russians, why was it such a big conflict? I really liked Herb's assistant coach, Craig, he was smart and I think that he connected with the players well. Also I liked the hockey players because they became and even admitted that after working together being strangers then training for the olympics they became a family. The moral of the story would be to never underestimate the underdog, because America was the underdog against the Russians and even ended up winning gold. I would deffenetly recommend this to others, espessially NHL fans. This applies to today because with the Winter Sochi Olympics going on we had similar conflicts. The Russians living quarters for the athletes were horrible, and there's still tension between Russia and The U.S., just not as serious as it was back then. I think some of the themes include the cold war, its effect on culture, and how serious it was at the time. The "Miracle on Ice" was when the US Hockey team beat the favored Russian Hockey team during the height of the Cold War. The Cold War was a silent war between the US and Russia that took place during the majority of the 20th century. It took place during the 70's, where the Cold War was heatening up. When Iran held American diplomats hostage, Jimmy Carter boycotted the Summer Olympics, so this was a very serious conflict between the two countries. I think the only event that can relate to this conscience on the American public would be 9/11. Because just like the paranoia in the Cold War, many americans experienced paranoia during this tragic event. Security was tightened, americans became more distrustful of strangers, our relations with the middle east have been weakened, and conflict between the middle east and America has risen.

42

I think 42 was one of the best films we watched so far. I really liked how not only did it show Jackie's struggles, but also Rickey's.  I thought it was interesting how the racism effected him and how he was forced not to fight back. I really liked how Rickey was such an important character because it shows that Jackie didn't do it alone. I think that Jackie helped this country because he was willing to take the first step to challenge segregation. After he did, more people continued to do the same. All it takes is one person to challenge something, then everyone else leads behind them. I think Jackie's values would help me challenge my barriers, even though they are quite different because I will be able to relate them to my life. I think courage and integrity are the most important. If you don't stick to your values while they're being tested, they're not values, their hobbies. And that's exactly what Jackie thought. "A life is not important except in the impact is has on other lives," meaning that by making a difference in the world will effect others, whether or not it's good or bad. You're only remembered for things unless you challenge or do something. Our lives and actions affect other people, by acting to help others our lives become more and more significant.

Cinderella Man

I think "Cinderella Man" is appropriate because it was about an underdog who was able to strive to achieve great things. It made me feel happy, because this guy lost everything and wasn't expected to win until he proved the odds wrong. I liked James Braddock because he didn't give up, when people didn't believe in him he still kept on trying. When Max threatened him he refused to let it get to him. He was able to overcome what the great depression did to him and was able to become a great boxer. I think a lot of people deal with issues such as unemployment today like Braddock, the work force is getting harder to get into. Most people who get out of college now struggle to find jobs. I know my generation will struggle, I hope that by the time my children's generation needs jobs the workforce will be better. I probably would steal if we haven't eaten for a week because I wouldn't want my family to be starving. I think that the ethics can be altered concerning issues such as starvation. I don't think they should've portrayed Max that way. It did make the story more interesting but it still wasn't right for them to do that. I think it was just a way for hollywood to put a bad guy in the film. It was supposed to make Braddock look more like the underdog. I think it says that Braddock will forfeit his pride because he cares about taking care of his family. It's not pathetic, it's admirable, most people wouldn't have the courage to do something like that. It defines Braddock as a Cinderella Man because it shows how he's still willing to do as much as he can.

Tombstone

I didn't like Tombstone at all. I found the plot hard to follow and made that time period very uninteresting. There were too many characters. The only character I actually liked was Wyatt but then he cheated on his wife so I didn't like him after that. The movie was too predictable, but I did like the fighting scenes between the Cowboys and the men. I did like Wyatt because he was able to help the people and protect them from the cowboys. I did think that the fighting was exciting, espessially the final one after they killed Ringo. I also enjoyed the costumes, espesially Josephine's. I don't think there was any moral to the story, but if I did learn something it would be that the good guy will always win in the long run. I don't recommend this to others, mostly because I didn't like it, but I thought it was too hard to follow. It also gave me a bad impression of the Wild West and that era, basically depicting it to be too uncivilized. Some of the themes I think it included was a Western story, a fight between the heros and the villains, and the need to protect civilization. I think this event was legendary because it narrated one of the most famous battles of the Wild West. I think this makes it a legend because it's known and not forgotten, if this was just an insignificant event in history we wouldn't be learning about it today. I don't think it applies to any of the characters, if any it applies to Wyatt, but still I feel like his character was over exaggerated a bit. There is no part of the Wild West that appeals to me, in fact it is my least favorite part in history. I think the un civilization and cowboy fights are uninteresting and not fun to watch or learn about. I'd rather learn about urban tales of excitement rather than the empty western frontier.

Glory

I liked the story of how the first african american unit was formed, because I enjoy civil war history but I didn’t know anything about the Massachusetts infantry. I didn’t like all the violence and fighting, I wish there was less of it and more focus on the story and history. I also didn’t like the ending because I was upset at all the deaths and how Shaw died, but of course that couldn’t be fixed because it was based on a true story. The movie honestly made me feel very pissed off at people who didn’t believe blacks could fight. I think that we shouldn’t prevent people who are willing to fight for their country, and that the paranoia of blacks fighting and using guns seemed very idiotic to me. I understand it was a different time, but it made me very passionate against racism towards the black soldiers. I liked Shaw, especially the way Matthew Broderick portrayed him, and Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman when they played Silas Trip and John Rawlins. I liked how Shaw didn’t give up on his Infantry and pushed them to fight and helped train them and believed that they had a right to fight for their country despite the color of their skin. I think the moral of the story is that everyone deserves a chance to fight for something they’re passionate about, as long as they’re brave enough to, just like the Massachusetts infantry felt. I wouldn’t recommend this particularly, just because it was very historical and a bit dull, but if you want to see an accurate portrayal of the Massachusetts infantry I would definitely recommend it. I think that this relates to issues today because I believe that racism still exists in our country and in that there are still some narrow minded people that don’t think blacks should have rights. For instance, the Trayvon Martin case was centered around whether he was considered a threat just because of the color of his skin, sparking a racism centered debate. I do think that we’ve come a long way from the Civil War but I still think racism exists today and it’s about time we stop it. I think some of the major themes include bravery, courage, trust, and tolerance. The way Shaw was able to trust and encourage his men to fight and be prepared showed the disappearing portrayal of white men during the civil war.

I think that most men and women that fight for their country do it because they are passionate about a cause and want to do as much as they can to defend their country. When you are extremely passionate about something nothing, not even the fear of dying can keep you from taking action. I have never felt that way about anything before yet, so it is hard for me to relate. I believe that the people who serve are country are brave and a great example to good and dedicated Americans. The men of 54th Massachusetts are heros because despite all the discrimination they were exhibiting during that time they were still willing to die for their country. While Shaw was able to lead them in doing so develop loyalty and trust with his Infantry, where most white men and some white Union soldiers refused to help. Shaw serves as a great example of tolerance and a great leader to his men. 

The significance of the story centers around how not only did White men fight for their country during the Civil War, but black men did too. In having the ability to defend their Union, african americans were able to gain more respect, and some of the White northerners learned about tolerance. I think the ending, where the confederates refused to give the union soldiers a proper burial was disgusting yet significant because it portrayed the view of black soldiers and those who led them during that time. It showed how paranoid some white people were during that time and didn’t trust letting blacks fight for the same country they fought for. It shows how as long as you are passionate about something, you should be able to act, no matter what color your skin is. 

My Introductioin

A word that would describe me would be spontaneous. I like trying new things and experiences, and I'm not afraid to be different. I'm very open to the outside world and I like to put myself out there. Some of my interests include art, fashion, history, politics, and old movies. I plan to go to art school to major in fashion design. I like being able to see my friends and take cool electives like this class, in school. I dislike how the school is run and the amount of rules used to oppress the students. I dislike how if you have money you are able to get away with anything you want, when in the real world that is not how it works. I also dislike how I get in trouble for voicing my opinion even though I am 18 years old school should be teaching me how to express my opinions not oppress them. Some qualities of my favorite teacher include understanding, able to make material interesting to learn, not too laid back but not too strict, and able to connect with the students. I am very interested in history, I love watching movies and reading books about it, whether it be american or european or from the 1500s or the 20th century. I have a high interest in history and I'm very excited for what I will learn in this class through films.
I am very disappointed in humanity. I believe that humans are not born good or bad, but they have a choice to be good or bad. Sadly, most humans are dumb and do not act with good intentions. It's natural human instinct to be selfish, but it shouldn't be at the expense of other humans. Slavery is an example of this, humans actually used other human beings as slaves for hundreds of years. How is that right? And they would try to justify it. Also, we fight tons of pointless wars based on idiotic disagreements such as not believing in the same god or we want more money or a piece of land. Humans need to grow up and learn to get along and stop being sensitive little babies. I hate how humans are taught that violence is the answer to everything. Why do humans have to be out to get each other all the time? We should be loving each other not fighting each other. Additionally, humans care about dumb things such as power and money. They are ungrateful and always greedy, they can't help but complain if someone has something they don't. Additionally, humans are mean, I do admit that there are some nice ones but the mean ones outnumber the nice ones. Also, humans only care about their guns even though it may endanger others, which is another example of selfishness. If humanity was still pure we would not have idiots killing each other over dumb issues. If only we could be proud of humanity, but we still have a lot of work to do.