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.