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The Moonlight Film

The film industry in the United States is considered as one of the most developed film industries across the globe. The United States was the first country in the world where moving pictures were shown in theatres in late 19th century. Since then, the industry has grown tremendously. The United States produces close to eight hundred new Hollywood movies every year more than any other nation in the world. Film industry in the United States depicts the cultural practices of the people and the evolution of these cultural practices over the years. When the moving pictures were first shown in cinemas in 19th century, the common genre were comic plays but, that changed over the years and more genres including action and drama movies were introduced. Still, majority of the people who featured in these movies were white people. Film industry has grown in the United States shaping the cultural practices in the country over the years and many movies now feature the people of color as the lead characters.

Before late 20th century, black people at the time were going through the struggle of demanding for equal rights and observers intimate that there were more compelling issues that these people were more concerned about than just movies. However, it is critical to note that most of them were greatest fans of the moving pictures and most of the cinemas were actually in their neighborhood. This was because of the resistance from the white community who mentioned that the introduction of entertainment in their neighborhood would attract criminals and drug peddlers. The first African-American to make a movie in 1919 was Oscar Micheaux who resorted to establishing his own production company to make movies that would tell the African story. There were a lot of restriction imposed on the people of color and Micheaux took advantage of the popular motion pictures that were gaining moment in early 20th century. However, it is critical to note that few black people started acting in movies and the number progressively increased throughout the century (Balio).

Moonlight is a drama movie that features a young black boy living with his mother in a poor neighborhood. Chiron and his mother Paula live in Miami, a crime ridden neighborhood due to the drugs that is peddled in the area. The film starts by portraying Chiron as a young boy who struggles to find himself in a place where he is isolated and mistreated by his own mother. The mother is a crack addict who does not care about the welfare of his son. Chiron is bullied by other boys in school and the only friend he has is another black boy named Kelvin who stands with him despite being bullied by everyone else in school. Chiron finally meets Juan who takes him to his girlfriend Teresa and guides him through life and what is has to do to carve his own path. Although Juan was the drug dealer peddling drugs in Miami, this does not stop him from displaying the human side of him as a person. Moonlight has several distinct themes that are exhibited throughout the movie. These themes include masculinity, sexuality, love, race, family and identity.

The themes portrayed in the Moonlight Film tells the greater American story which makes it one of the most significant movies in 21st century. One of the notable themes in the movie is the struggle that the people of color go through in the neighborhood. Chiron who is a young black boy is abused by his colleagues in school because of the color of his skin. Chiron is too young to understand what is going on and he could not even run to his mother who was equally abusive. Finally, Chiron finds refuge in Juan’s house who guides him through the challenges he was going through. This is a story that many black people can relate to in the history if America. Historically, most of the black people have always lived in poor neighborhood that is characterized with drugs and crime. Therefore, it is not a surprise that Moonlight features black people as the main characters and portrays the kind of life that these people live in their neighborhood. Another notable theme in the movie is the act of masculinity that is displayed through the main characters. Chiron suffers abuses from his colleagues in school and even at home, he is abused by his own mother. One of the scenes where masculinity is depicted is when Kelvin tells Chiron to stop giving his abusers the pleasure to abuse him instead, he should fight and defend himself. The themes of love and family is also evident in the film. Although Chiron was neglected and abused by his own mother, he eventually finds love in Juan’s home. Teresa admits him in her house and takes care of him like his own son. This is a depiction of love. The theme of family is also depicted through Chiron’s family which is broken and the mother is a carnal drug abuser who does not care about the welfare of her son (Jordan and Brooms, 137).

In film industry there are rules and regulations that should be adhered to by the film makers to ensure that the film meets the standards and conveys the intended message. However, Moonlight disobeyed most the set rules and regulations and still managed to attract millions of viewers across the world. The movie also won a lot of academy awards. One of the rules that the movie defied is that it does not have a lot of inciting incidences that would attract viewers and leave them clued to their screens. Ideally, a drama movie should have compelling incidences that attracts viewers. Moonlight is also not a plot oriented movie. The movie concentrates more on character development before the plot is actually understood by viewers. Chiron is developed in three different scenarios where he goes through phases of growth and this takes the central part of the movie. When the movie starts, it does not explicitly telegraph the direction that the film would take and this leaves many viewers in suspense. It is also slow when it starts before gaining momentum as it progresses.

One of the central theme that causes a lot of controversy in the film is the queer identity that is depicted through Chiron and his friend Kelvin. In the United States, gays have often been associated with white people but the Moonlight movie draws a different approach and incorporates black people who are in love with each other. The director of the movie cleverly uses black actors to dismiss the stereotype that people have held for unusually long time regarding the queer family. Chiron struggles to find his identity because of the color of his skin and this act tells the American story where people of color who are part of the queer family have struggled to fit into the community partly because of the stereotype associated with gay and also because of the reception they receive from their fellow black people. According to Randolph (383), “It is always a strange sensation seeing oneself on the screen. If you are a straight white man, then this sensation is probably common and pedestrian. If you are a queer black man, then the sensation is arresting and reflective.” Despite the controversy surrounding one of the themes in the movie, the film was received positively around the world. It is a movie that depicts one’s innermost self and that one needs to rediscover and find themselves in life. The movie was also embraced by the queer family and taunted as one of the bravest films in 21st century. One of the misconception that people have had about the queer family is that it is predominantly white but this movie defuses that notion.

In conclusion, Moonlight film won several awards. One of the awards that moonlight won was the academy award for best pictures. It is evident that despite the movies departure from most of the conventional rules that guides a film’s pictures, Moonlight still won an award. Equally, the movie also won academy award for best writing. From the reception that the movie received, it is clear it had been written and executed well. The movie also won MTV Movie award for the best kiss. In the same year, the movie won several other accolades. Evidently, Moonlight is one of the best Movies in the 21st century that explains the pain of seeking to identify oneself amid racial discrimination and biases associated with one’s identity. According to Raunig “To be afforded a window into another consciousness is a gift that only art can give. To know Chiron is a privilege”

Work Cited

Balio, Tino, ed. The American film industry. Univ of Wisconsin Press, 1985.

Raunig, C. “Who is you?” on “Moonlight”, Chiron, and Identity

Jordan, Eric A., and Derrick R. Brooms. “Black and Blue: Analyzing and Queering Black Masculinities in Moonlight.” Living Racism: Through the Barrel of the Book 137 (2017).

Randolph, Robert. “Moonlight.” Queer Studies in Media & Pop Culture 2.3 (2017): 383-388.

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The Moons Navel

Raul is seen ashamed and not happy to be identified as a Mexican by Dan in the Museum. He describes his original land as a place where people who are close to giving up in life live. He sees himself as trash where he brings little or no benefit to the society. Evidence which shows exactly that Raul is against his heritage is the fact that he hates how some people pronounce his name (Ruz, 443). He completely hates the Spanish accent which most of the people use while uttering his name, ignoring the fact that most of the people who surround him speak the same language. Spanish accent, which he describes it as unpleasant to him makes him loose interest in learning the language, where he openly claims that he does not know how to communicate in Spanish. Hiding the fact that he is a Mexican simply describes his hatred for his own land, where he describes his home as a place where people who fail go to live with no struggle in their life. He calls his home a place for useless people, who have failed to achieve any goal in their entire lives.

According to Raul, reaching a certain age gives an individual the right to make decisions which directly concern their lives (Wise, 32). At that age, any person should be able to make conclusions on ideas concerning their lives by basing their decisions with what they love or feel comfortable doing. Being a gay proved to Raul that he had to struggle to make sure that people respect and accept the fact that he is not straight. Workplaces, social lives and the governmental systems of the places he lived never had a chance for people like him, so he ended up fighting for her own happiness.

Works Cited

Ruz, Tania Sordo. “A Surrealist Country.” Law & Bus. Rev. Am. 15 (2009): 443.

WISE, Donald. “Tectonics of the Earth-Moon-Vesta Family.” 2010: 32

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The Morality of Migration” by Seyla Benhabib

In this reading, the author, who is called Seyla Benhabib, argues that President Barack Obama’s administrative order to avert deporting undocumented immigrants who arrived into the U.S. in illegal ways as minors was the perfect doing of a responsible politician. Benhabib asserts that the United States special responsibility to hospitality with two ethical principles made by the U.S. Universal Declaration of Human Rights: the people’s government to control their borders and humans’ rights to cross borders peacefully. The writer gives her arguments concerning immigrants and migration rights under her entitled contemporary ethics “The Morality of Migration,” whereby she says that President Obama did the best thing by stopping the deportation of illegal immigrants under the DREAM Act.

In her writing, she defines two ethical principles of immigrants in the U.S. as humanity’s rights to reside anywhere peacefully and the government’s rights to govern who crosses the border activities. According to her reading, immigrants are not criminals; they require someone to assist them in getting their human rights. Benhabib praised President Barack Obama for his action of saving human rights for the migrants. She wrote that there are two fundamental applicable principles for migration as legal and ethical principles. However, the foundation of a system is merely likely when people understand human rights and then decide to follow these principles.

As per her reading, it is essential to maintain people’s basic rights for living anywhere in the universe. She defines all her views from an ethical point of view. Benhabib mentioned that in the U.S., Articles 13 and 14 asserts that America ought to protect refugee and asylum rights in a way that people should get basic human rights. The United States should understand immigrants’ needs and do their duties of protecting them rather than fighting them. According to the reading, there ought not to be migratory movement since it defines imperfect justice.

Deviance

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The Most Deviantized Group in United States

Deviance denotes behaviors or actions that go against formally enacted rules or informal social customs. Formal deviance encompasses criminal abuse of legally passed laws. The major examples of deviance behaviors in the United States include murder, rape, assault, robbery, and theft. On the other hand, informal deviance denotes going against informal social customs, which are standards that have not been classified into law (Pande, 2017). In the United States, the Islamic belief system or Muslims are considered as the deviant group by the society. The existence of the Al Shabaab group that is connected to the Islam religion is the main purpose why the society considers this group as the deviant one. Al Shabaab has been involved in several deviant behaviors in different nations like Kenya, whereby individuals in the society end up being murdered (Cusack, 2016). Such behaviors violate social norms, including formally enacted rules like crime. Social stigma is much reflective that it suppresses a positive social view concerning the manner in which an individual in the Islam religion follows the other social norms. Muslims are stigmatized because of the actions that the Al Shabaab militia takes part in. The individuals feel so bad and experience blame and critics all over. Some feel that the world around them is so detrimental and unfair due to the stigma.

In my opinion, the Black American group is the most deviant in the United States. Black Americans consist of roughly 13 percent of the United States population; however, 27 percent of the major arrests in several years are normally made against blacks compared to 70 percent for whites. The whites comprise approximately 74 percent of the population. In general, saying the Blacks are much expected to be put under arrest, and when to find guilty in court, they are given a long prison term (Leigh, A., & Melwani, 2019). To some extent, the same trends can be seen for other ethnic interest groups. Black Americans receive social stigma. The cultural sentiments are dominated by the realism that the black individuals that are stigmatized have disproportionate problems of negative. The mental well-being of the Black Americans is under tension as 2020 unravels, taking to light racial differences across the state. Whether it’s anxiety or depression (or, the nastiest incident scenario, suicide), there is a long time belief of the social stigmatization that they undergo.

The United States needs to continue making changes for Black Americans to have equal rights with whites because I consider this group not deviant. For many years, the Black has been civilized, and most of them observe and follow the social norms. The Blacks are more prone than whites to embellish the magnitude to which African Americans are confined in inner-city dearth. The black nations are nowadays considered as the birthplace of the cradle of civilization and humanity (Graham, 2020). The blacks have made a great achievement in observing and keeping the social norms. As a result, they should not be considered deviants or condemned for minor offenses but they be educated on the importance of not violating social norms or observing the enacted rules. The blacks’ lives in America should be based on equality, freedom, and pursuit of happiness. Social stigmatization ought not to be part of the daily lives of black Americans.

Reference

Cusack, C. M. (2016). Twins and Deviance: Law, Crime, Sex, Society, and Family. Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Pande, B. B. (2017). Unit-1 Concept Of Deviance And Crime. IGNOU.Leigh, A., & Melwani, S. (2019). # Black Employees Matter: Mega-Threats, Identity Fusion, and Enacting Positive Deviance in Organizations Academy of Management Review, 44(3), 564-591.

Graham, R. (2020). Race, Social Media, and Deviance. The Palgrave Handbook of International Cybercrime and Cyberdeviance, 67-90.

The most important person that has helped me succeed throughout my college career is Mrs. Frank. Mrs. Frank is the main teacher that help shape me into the person that I am today. She taught a lot of classes during my high school years and only after graduation did I realize the ways in which she helped direct me to the success that I am currently experiencing today.

Mrs. Frank was always a very positive and caring person. Even though she doesn’t look like it, she has this unique vibe that makes her different. During my first two years in college, I decided to take many non-science classes. I decided on this decision because I thought that I would find it easier to connect with each class by taking a humanities class, (in reality it didn’t matter on what level Mrs. Frank taught).

I am planning on doing a lot of fun things over the spring break. I am going to have a lot of fun, and I will be very full of energy. In fact, I am going to be such a giant hike, I will probably be able to take a month’s worth of walking-around time. Anyway, I have been doing some thinking. What I have been thinking, is that I may make a few bets. There are a lot of things in this world that make me laugh. I will spend my spring break exploring Hawaii with my best friend, Amanda. When we were young she insisted on coming and I didn’t want to spend the whole week without her, but I didn’t know how and I really needed to save my money. Anyway, on my birthday, she gave me a hundred dollars.

That’s when I thought about spending my spring break in Hawaii. I was so surprised because I can even afford a flight either by myself or with Amanda. I told her about my thoughts and she said would like to go to Hawaii but she couldn’t afford it either. It turned out that my hundred dollars could buy what I expected. Amanda said she wasn’t sure that I needed to spend spring break with her. She had a lot of other friends and could go to Hawaii with someone else. I persuaded her to go with me because I know she’s been alone since she moved away, and I would love to spend some time with her.

One song that I can’t stop listening to right now is “The Gambler” by Kenny Rodgers. The song is short but has a strong and vibrant rhythm. I like the way the song sounds like. The song is a blessing to me and this feeling it gives me is what I love and appreciate most in life. The song is about a man giving a son some advice. The best line in this song is “Every gambler knows That the secret to survivin’ Is knowin’ what to throw away and knowin’ what to keep”. I like everything about the song. The melody of it is fantastic, it’s one of those hooks that is so good actually makes you not want to listen to anything else while the song is playing. The beat is great and the lyrics and the message is relevant with my life right now. As each year goes by, I find myself trying to find someone who can teach me lessons so I’m read up on my own knowledge. I try to learn from the song every day. The song reminds me that I move forward with myself and how I should trust my feelings and my gut about a situation. It keeps my feelings in check and tells me to move forward with what I know. I also want to share with you my favorite memory of a song.

The most important thing is not life, but the good life

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Introduction

“The most important thing is not life, but the good life” is a statement that says life is not the most important thing, instead it is living your life with meaning and purpose. Perhaps living a life that is just in society would make my life worth living, but if we do not have a purpose to our lives then we will just be mere physical bodies, having no soul and therefore no meaning. In Greek mythology, Socrates was pointed out as having a good life, and his death was because of how important he thought the most important thing in life was (Corlett, 2018). This essay will investigate and find out what made Socrates’ good life so special. It will also explore why this statement is true. If you live your life with meaning and purpose, then your life is worth living because it gives you a reason to keep be alive.

Argument supporting the thesis

Thesis statement: If you live your life with meaning and purpose, then your life is worth living because it gives you a reason to keep be alive. Socrates refused to make decisions himself, however he would rather ask somebody else who could make a better decision than him. It is because of this, that one day Socrates would shortly question what it is that makes life so special anyway? “The most important thing is not life, but the good life”. Socrates believed that if you lead your life with purpose and meaning then you were living the good life. He had the ‘Golden Mean’ theory. This theory is one where a person chooses to be morally and ethically good rather than being bad (Corlett, 2018). Socrates believed that this was the best way to do things because it was considered a golden mean where there is no excess or deficiency in good morals. This is always going to be right because it has no excess or deficiency of virtues, therefore it can never end up being wrong in any situation.

Assessment of objections

There are many objections that can be raised against this argument. One is that if we all lived the good life we would have no progression in society. This is because everyone would be too busy doing good to do anything else, therefore nothing would be done. If everybody did what was right and proper then it would not result in any harm because there will be no excess or deficiency of virtues, therefore nothing will ever go wrong. However, it could lead to a breakdown of society because people just do not want to do what is morally good anymore and always want more things.

Conclusion

Socrates believed that the most important thing in life is knowledge, which means that there are a lot more things in life that are of consequence than just one’s physical health. Knowledge is a matter of inquiry, which means it has to be investigated by way of searching. It is of utmost importance to one’s good life (Vallor, 2018). In order to properly understand Socrates’ theory, one must first comprehend what he means by “good”. He is saying that if a person knows what they are doing, and they do it as a service to others or themselves as a result of doing what they want, then they are achieving the good life.Reference

Corlett, J. A. (2018). Legal Obligation in Plato’s Crito. In Interpreting Plato Socratically (pp. 133-168). Springer, Cham.

Vallor, S. (2018). An introduction to data ethics. Course module.) Santa Clara, CA: Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.

Based on the presentation and PE, what do you think is the most likely diagnosis?

The most likely diagnosis would be Basal cell carcinoma. The diagnosis was made because the bump occurred in an area that is usually exposed to the sun and its UV lights. Basal cell carcinoma is usually characterized by a waxy or pearly bump. The cancer is also characterized by bleeding that returns. To confirm the diagnosis, a skin biopsy is required for testing to determine if the skin has cancer.

Briefly discuss the guideline for sun exposure protection to decrease skin cancer.

The risk of skin cancer is increased with increased exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. The sun, though important for stress reduction and as a source of vitamin D, it is also a source of UV light. Although the amount of UV light is more during summer, it can occur all year round. The amount also varies during the day with the peak hours being around 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. There is a UV index that categorizes the different levels of UV. UV light amount can also be forecasted such that people can make arrangements about how to protect their skin from high levels of UV light. Usually, protection is required for UV light above 3 according to the UV index. There are various ways through which the skin can be protected from extreme exposure the first one being sheltering. Staying indoors or under a shelter limits the amount of UV light that reaches the skin. The type of clothing also affects the amount of UV light that reaches the skin. Usually, long-sleeved shirts and long skirts and pants offer more protection. On the other hand, dark-colored clothes also offer more protection than light-colored clothes. For additional safety especially when the UV light is elevated is to use hats and sunglasses. Additionally, different types of sunscreens could also protect from UV light.

The Most Successful President

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The Most Successful President in the United States

During the period course of George Washington to Andrew Johnson, Abraham Lincoln is over and over again well-thought-out to be the most successful and greatest President for his governance for the period of the American Civil Warfare and his articulateness in discourses, for instance, the Gettysburg Address. In several political surveys and studies that have been conducted to create historical rankings of the achievement of persons who have served as the President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln is thought of as the most successful. Ranking schemes usually are established on reviews, analysis, and studies of a political scientist and academic historians or common opinions. The ranks are based on presidential leadership qualities, achievements, faults, and failures. Abraham Lincoln was selected as the best and most successful United States president in a survey where approximately 100 biographers and historians rated past Heads of state based on leadership qualities.

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th Head of state of the US and is considered one of America’s greatest protagonists due to his starring role as redeemer of the emancipator of the enslaved people and the Union. His coming from humble beginnings to succeeding in the most incredible office in the state is a notable story. He was a legal representative and applied his knowledge and understanding of the law to extend presidential power’s reach vastly. Abraham Lincoln turned out as one of the initial concepts of American administration on its Head by the ending of the slaves. He led the state through a political crisis, most great morals, and a constitutional crisis. He succeeded in bolstering the federal government, modernizing the United States economy, and preserving the Union. Lincoln’s profound rooted desire to preserve the Union was as a result of the influence of the farewell expressions of George Washington.

Lincoln’s humor was depicted as an illustration of his humanity; his many pardons showed his great soul, and his mournful character mirrored the encumbrances of his lonesome journey as the Head of a sinful and blundering people.

Abraham Lincoln made great struggles to get knowledge while laboring on a plantation, keeping store at New Salem, Illinois, and splitting handrails for fences. He was the commander in the Black Hawk Warfare, took a period of eight years in the Illinois administration, and led the path of the court of law for several years. One of his law partners told him that his drive was a little locomotive that did not recognize any rest. As Head of state, he made the Republican Union into a better nationwide organization. Additionally, Lincoln rallied several northerly Republicans to the Confederacy basis. On January 1, 1863, he gave the Emancipation Proclamation that constantly professed freedom to those slaves within the Union.

For the reason that he was dedicated to conserving the Union and hence defending democracy no matter what the penalties to himself, the Union was certainly saved. Since he comprehended that culminating slavery needed careful timing, patience, and an iron resolve, bondage and captivity were indeed finished. In the process, he managed to outline a better Union’s establishment in terms of economic equality and liberty that supported the citizenry in him. He knew that triumph in all great roots relied on visionary and purposeful presidential governance in addition to the practice of governmentally suitable ways. Lincoln left behind a legacy in the United States that was equally free and whole.

As the most outstanding activist Head of state in history, Abraham Lincoln changed the President’s title role as the commander in chief and chief executive into an influential and dominant different position, enabling the Head of state highest over both the Congress and the courts. His activism started practically immediately with Fort Sumter after he called out nation paramilitaries, commanded the capture and military confinement of suspected traitors, used up $2 million without congressional appropriation, expanded the navy and army, put off the writ of habeas corpus in a number of locations, gave the emancipation declaration on New Year’s Day 1863, shut post offices to rebellious correspondences, and blockaded of the Southern ports. Indeed, Abraham Lincoln was one of the most successful and influential leader.

On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was murdered at Ford’s Auditorium in Washington by an actor known as John Wilkes Booth, who, one way or another, though he was assisting the South. The reverse was the outcome, for, with Abraham Lincoln’s death, the likelihood of amity with generousness died. His bequest of decision-making power did not endure past his passing, and over the following forty years, both the courts and Congress outshined the White House in influence and power. Still, the greatest long-lasting achievement credited to Lincoln is the vindication of democracy, the preservation of the Union, the end of slavery, and all done by the methods in which he dealt with the difficulty that most surely would have finished in a different way with a smaller man in the ruling. His biggest accomplishment, historians say, was his capacity to mobilize and energize the state by alluring to its finest principles while acting with hatred towards none, the search of a more just, more enduring, and perfect union. There is no Head of state in American history who ever faced a bigger crisis, and now Head of state ever done as much.

President Lincoln underwent extraordinary heaviness throughout the long Civil War. He never gave up on in spite of generals who were not prepared to battle, power struggle, murder threats among his Cabinet associates, resistance from groups such as the Copperheads, and a big loss of his life on the battlegrounds. Though he continued being persevered and brave, He did not give in to the end and into the war’s pressures early. He continued fighting until the Confederacy was overpowered. A smaller individual would have surrendered and quitted the warfare before the objectives had been attained. Abraham Lincoln did not do this. The Emancipation Proclamation did not instantly set free the slaves since it was only practical to territories not under President Lincoln’s influence. The real element is that legal liberty for all slaves in the US did not come till the final reading of the Thirteenth Amendment in December of 1865. Abraham Lincoln was a good enthusiast of the amendment; however, he was killed before its ultimate representation.

ReferenceBrownson, Jennifer. “First Opinion: Evidence of Democratic Principles in Abraham Lincoln’s Dueling Words.” First Opinions, Second Reactions 13, no. 2 (2020): 4.

Brownson, Jennifer. “First Opinion: Evidence of Democratic Principles in Abraham Lincoln’s Dueling Words.” First Opinions, Second Reactions 13, no. 2 (2020): 4.

Ginn, Emilie E. “Abraham Lincoln, the United States, and Mexico: The Implications of Memory in a Continental History.” (2020).

Griffin, Marian Olivia Heath. Achievements and Accomplishments of African Americans: Before and After the Civil Rights Movement. Xlibris Corporation, 2020.Decker, Marsha. “Civil society and civil discourse: Eloquence and hope in the communications of presidents Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Barack Obama.” PhD diss., 2020

Martinelli, Owen. “Abraham Lincoln: Making a Man of a Legend.” (2018).

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Introduction

The motion picture 300,directed by a seasoned director Zack Snyder, written by an experienced writer Frank Miller, talks about how a group of about 300 Spartans led by their king Leonidas (played by Gerard Butler) decided to confront the Persian army in combat of Thermopylae. The Persian army was under the command of Xerxes (played by Rodrigo Santoro). The combat was as a result of Leonidas’ rebuff in accepting the demands of the Persian army leader. King Leonidas and the Persians were able to keep the soldiers from reaching where they were for three days, and the Persians managed to keep off the Persian army by using a narrow passageway called the Hot Gates.

As the fighting was in process the king’s wife, Queen Gorgo (played by Lena Heady), was trying to persuade the Council of the Spartans to send more troops to go and assist the King, and the other Spartans who were fighting the Persian army. The council refused to allow more troops to and assist the King, saying he had gone into battle without the blessings from the Oracle. The King had broken the law by going into battle and, to bear the consequences. The Persians were on the verge of winning the battle, were it, not for the disloyalty of a man called Ephialtes. Ephialtes was unhappy by the refusal of King Leonidas, to allow him fight in the battle against the Persians because, of his malformation. He went to the head of the Persian army, and told Xerxes of another passage which they could use to attack the Spartans.

Throughout the battle, the Spartans knew that the chance of coming out of the battle alive was not there, but as their leader, King Leonidas told them. Even though they were going to be killed by the Persians in the battle, they were going to die defending their motherland, and their sovereignty which according to the King was an honorable death.

The standard, of the visual effects makes the movie to be splendid. The Imposing combat scenes are done in quick successions, but, at the same time the viewer has the chance to see the fighting techniques, which the Spartans male poses, through the use of slow motion. Apart from making use of a variety of video speeds, the Producer uses technology, specifically the CGI (computer-generated imagery), to amplify the appearance of the clothes, the sky, and the enormous numbers of the Persian army. The way the CGI has been used in the movie brings out the scenes exceptionally beautifully that some of the scenes can be mistaken for paintings, especially the colors of the sky, clothes, and the enormous Persian army led by Xerxes.

Conclusion

Finally, the use of violence in the movie is used to draw attention to the social, historical, or cultural realities. Violence is used so as to make more people aware of the forces that either shape or destabilize the world. The violence representation in the movie is significant with the chronological time of the movie. The director of the movie gives more than unrelenting violence as he takes time to explain the background of Leonidas, as a male Spartan whom was taught never to fear or accept defeat. What makes me more attracted to the movie is the way Leonidas lived. His bravery and love for his wife the queen, he also believed that all male and women in the Kingdom were equal. He proves this by saying to the Persian messenger, who was sent by Xerxes. That in Sparta every one is held accountable for his utterances right from him the King to the Messengers.

Assignment 2: The Missing Picture and A Peripheral View of World Cinema

With the prize for outstanding foreign language film, Rithy Panh’s Missing Picture was recognized for its depiction of the filmmaker’s own struggle to re-imagine the memories of childhood. As a primary target of the Khmer Rouge administration, Pahn’s parents and siblings were slaughtered in labor camps, forcing him to battle memory problems. This is a very well-known remembrance of one of his nation’s worst moments. The filmmaker worked on a documentary for several years, which analyzed the crimes done in the course of Khmer Rouge’s era. An orientation to Panh’s viewpoint is provided through the use of old cinema canister photographs as opening titles, which is a self-aware and self-reflective opening to Panh’s perspective. After then, the scenes are just like crashing waves against the lens, reminiscent of past memories that were previously forgotten. These opening sequences indicate the beginning of the Ruminative Masterful Cinema section, and they also demonstrate the seriousness of the subject matter. Because of a strong sensation of grief, the remainder of the image is carried away from the subconscious feeling. The live-action segments serve as a prelude to the fundamental concept of the film. A tough and emotionally demanding subject, the crimes committed against the people of Cambodia by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, is tackled by Panh in an intimate, imaginative, and at times strangely beautiful manner.

As a result of his observations and observations of catastrophes, Panh conveys them in a manner that they appear disturbingly accessible: He constructs massive dioramas out of clay figurines that have been meticulously hand-carved and lovingly painted. There are hundreds of photographs, each with a unique set of emotions and perspectives: females carrying produce, boys running with a dog, armed personnel, and starved, dying laborers as the army advances on the Cambodian capital city, among other things. He regularly juxtaposes and seamlessly combines these data with official propaganda videos, demonstrating the disparity between propaganda and truth, as well as with newly discovered video footage of day-to-day existence in the concentration camp. The result is striking in its originality, with impressionistic imagery, lyrical narration, and a fascinating sound design that draws the viewer in.

A Peripheral View of World Cinema is an anthology that seeks to address such fresh and ever-shifting alignments of cinema, nation, historical experience, globalization, and identity. The concept of ‘periphery’ in connection to the practice and conception of cinematography and cinema history is the book’s starting point. Dina Iordanova, David Martin-Jones, and Belén Vidal, co-editors of the book, advocate for critical encounters with “irregularities in history” that provide historiographic challenges to entrenched hierarchical views in cinema appreciation (3). Thus, their book proposes and implements media/film research that uncovers and celebrates a dynamic collection of different voices and ways of communicating that originate and reside above and beyond the popularly acknowledged cultural centres (3). The central theme addressed by Panh’s Missing Picture is that of war crimes and ways to reenact history through film and art. Iordanova, Martin-Jones, and Vidal advocate for the uncovering of previously unrevealed facets of cinematography and cinematic creation. Panh does exactly this by using an unusual method to tell a story and a side of history previously ignored.

It’s more difficult to categorize The Missing Picture. It’s can be said to be both a documentary as well as a personal essay. yet, it has all the elements of a historical reconstruction, featuring video poetry, and a therapeutic practice in one. Panh’s endeavors to vaguely remember a contemporary Cambodian civilization that was viciously disrupted by the Khmer Rouge regime and now would seem as forgotten as Atlantis. The film is largely an individual recollection of the Khmer Rouge period and its atrocities.  On a decomposing, imploding spool of ancient film, a traditionally costumed female performer sinuously shifting into what is likely a modern film variant on old steps. The dancer, who appears briefly in Panh’s film, degree of consistency, enjoyment, sexual orientation, religion, art, and cultural history. The film is exactly what Iordanova, Martin-Jones, and Vidal describe as a new wave of cinema production that opens up the world of cinema to imagination and innovativeness.

Because actual photos of these times do not exist, The Missing Picture’s idea is that the film’s horrible history, as well as the brighter era that came before it, must be recreated using whatever basic items are suitable. The Khmer Rouge obliterated not only contemporary Cambodian society, but also its culture and visuals of itself, whereas the regime’s own filmed images are deceptive: scripted misinformation vignettes of Pol Pot, his innermost circle, and his ostensibly loyal multitudes, but never accurate depictions of the conditions wherein Cambodians have been made to live. Instead, Rithy Panh creates clay figurines, seemingly childlike squatting relics colored to imitate actual or representative persons and organized in realistic surroundings, to re-create authentic representations of the world he recalls.

Works Cited

L’image manquante/The Missing Picture (Rithy Panh, 2013, 92m) Film.

“Introduction: A Peripheral View of World Cinema,” Dina Iordanova, David Martin-Jones, Belén Vidal. Reading