After reading this book, I have decided that I really like the layout. One of the things that I like about it is that at the beginning of the book it goes over the court case. This allows a reader who otherwise would not have known about Leonard Peltier and his story, to catch up and be able to go right into the actual book. It was nice having seen the film of this story in class, because I could get both sides of the story, instead of just the defendants side as is in the book.
Once the case is gone over at the front, it goes into the story after Peltier is convicted. Life did not seem very fun. It is hard to read Peltier's troubles in prison and then look at the picture of his cell. It is interesting to me that he can have so many personal belongings in his cell. From the looks of it, he is at a minimal security prison, which seems weird since he was charged with two counts of murder. To me it seems as if the government is saying here have a nice place to live since we screwed you over.
The main thing that won me over was the chronology in this story. I like it when a story is easy to follow and there is not a lot of hopping around. I really enjoyed these last two books more than the first three. I don't know if it is just me, but the picture of Peltier really reminds me of Ron Jeremy. It is just the long hair and the creepy mustache.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Class Video with Leonard Peltier
I really enjoy class videos and this video of the story of Leonard Peltier was no different. One of the main reasons why I liked this video is because I am a history major. This story was right up my alley, I love learning about old stories like this where different people or groups had showdowns with the government. The beginning of the video was very catchy, but as the video wore on I became more and more angry with the story and how the government could charge an innocent man in my eyes to a lengthy stay in jail.
The government officials in this documentary pissed me off. It seems to me as if they knew this man was innocent but still made up lies about Peltier and his friends just so they could frame someone for the deaths of their coworkers. One of the officials bothered me in that he was smiling when talking about Peltier being charged and put in jail. It was as if he had been brainwashed or something into believing all the lies that had been made up to frame this man.
Not only was Peltier charged wrongly, but he has been given the shaft. I think it was you who said that Clinton had promised to release him from jail, but he got preoccupied and did not end up doing it. I would be so angry if I was told I would be released and then not let go. I also don't think this is all the governments fault because Peltier knows who killed the officials yet he will not tell the government who. This just seems dumb to me, but I am not an Indian and from what the men said in the video, they don't tell on others.
The government officials in this documentary pissed me off. It seems to me as if they knew this man was innocent but still made up lies about Peltier and his friends just so they could frame someone for the deaths of their coworkers. One of the officials bothered me in that he was smiling when talking about Peltier being charged and put in jail. It was as if he had been brainwashed or something into believing all the lies that had been made up to frame this man.
Not only was Peltier charged wrongly, but he has been given the shaft. I think it was you who said that Clinton had promised to release him from jail, but he got preoccupied and did not end up doing it. I would be so angry if I was told I would be released and then not let go. I also don't think this is all the governments fault because Peltier knows who killed the officials yet he will not tell the government who. This just seems dumb to me, but I am not an Indian and from what the men said in the video, they don't tell on others.
Two Old Women
This book was probably one of the easiest readings that we have had to do for the class. I also enjoyed this book more than the others so far. This story was interesting in that it was the most like the Native American stories I have heard, in that it has a moral to the story. The other books we have read so far are just written by Native Americans, this one has the feel of a real Native story. I found it mean that the group of nomads left the two old women to fend for themselves, but I also understand the decision because the group did it to survive. I feel that if I were in the situation I would have had a hard time leaving them there, knowing that they were almost certainly goners.
I also think that if the two women were my relatives I would have left them things behind, just like Ch'idzigyaak's grandson left his ax for the women. If I didn't leave anything for my relatives I would feel horrible and probably be haunted of the decision to leave them there.
One of my favorite parts of the book is when the two women hunt a moose. I get the funniest picture of old women sneaking up on a huge moose and then ambushing it and chasing it around. Knowing my grandma's I don't think they would ever be able to get the guts to do something like that.
The last thing that I like about this book was that there was actually a happy ending to it, all the other books we have read have been dark and had unhappy solutions for the most part. These two women are pretty bad ass in my opinion.
I also think that if the two women were my relatives I would have left them things behind, just like Ch'idzigyaak's grandson left his ax for the women. If I didn't leave anything for my relatives I would feel horrible and probably be haunted of the decision to leave them there.
One of my favorite parts of the book is when the two women hunt a moose. I get the funniest picture of old women sneaking up on a huge moose and then ambushing it and chasing it around. Knowing my grandma's I don't think they would ever be able to get the guts to do something like that.
The last thing that I like about this book was that there was actually a happy ending to it, all the other books we have read have been dark and had unhappy solutions for the most part. These two women are pretty bad ass in my opinion.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde was probably the most violent movie that has been shown in class so far. There were many scenes that went over the line set by the Code Committee. Besides breaking the code in many places, the movie was made in color, and based more on history.
The first thing that I noticed when watching the movie was the lack of care for the Movie Code. Even though it said that the shooter and the victim can't be in the same shot, this movie did it anyway. The first time that this happened was when the man who worked at the bank jumped on the get away car and Clyde shot him into the face. Another time was that this happened was when the cops were shooting up the house in Missouri and everyone bails. Buck has to keep the cops from attacking him, so he shoots one in the belly with a shotgun.
Another way that the makers of this film broke the code was through partial nudity and scenes that could be considered sexual. This happens right at the beginning of the film when Bonnie is naked and moving around in her room. Although the audience never sees her naked due to well place props in the room, we can assume that she is naked. There are scenes later in the film that give the audience the idea that sex is happening, like when Bonnie and Clyde are out in the field and then we come back to the scene and Clyde is buttoning his shirt up.
The only thing that I didn't like about the movie was that it was not very accurate. In the film it made it seem as if they were not making (stealing) a lot of money, when in reality they were able to acquire lots of money. Another thing that I didn't like about this movie was that the gang was always hanging out in houses and buildings, a good portion of this gangs time was spent out in the countryside hiding in caves and other things. These hideouts were also where they would hide their loot. I'm not positive on whether the ending of the movie was accurate, because I have heard that the two were going to pick up the mail and were ambushed at the mailbox. I could be wrong but that is what I have heard.
Overall though I liked this movie, it was full of action and had its funny moments. With a little more accuracy with the history, I believe the movie would have been better, but this could be my historian side coming out.
The first thing that I noticed when watching the movie was the lack of care for the Movie Code. Even though it said that the shooter and the victim can't be in the same shot, this movie did it anyway. The first time that this happened was when the man who worked at the bank jumped on the get away car and Clyde shot him into the face. Another time was that this happened was when the cops were shooting up the house in Missouri and everyone bails. Buck has to keep the cops from attacking him, so he shoots one in the belly with a shotgun.
Another way that the makers of this film broke the code was through partial nudity and scenes that could be considered sexual. This happens right at the beginning of the film when Bonnie is naked and moving around in her room. Although the audience never sees her naked due to well place props in the room, we can assume that she is naked. There are scenes later in the film that give the audience the idea that sex is happening, like when Bonnie and Clyde are out in the field and then we come back to the scene and Clyde is buttoning his shirt up.
The only thing that I didn't like about the movie was that it was not very accurate. In the film it made it seem as if they were not making (stealing) a lot of money, when in reality they were able to acquire lots of money. Another thing that I didn't like about this movie was that the gang was always hanging out in houses and buildings, a good portion of this gangs time was spent out in the countryside hiding in caves and other things. These hideouts were also where they would hide their loot. I'm not positive on whether the ending of the movie was accurate, because I have heard that the two were going to pick up the mail and were ambushed at the mailbox. I could be wrong but that is what I have heard.
Overall though I liked this movie, it was full of action and had its funny moments. With a little more accuracy with the history, I believe the movie would have been better, but this could be my historian side coming out.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
A Place In The Sun
This movie was probably the longest that we have watched all semester. Although it was a long movie, it was full of interesting things. One of the things that I payed attention to while watching the film was the use of music and sound. While listening I found many interesting things. After watching the movie I felt as if George could have done many different things to have got himself out of trouble.
The sounds and music used in this film were used in a very interesting way. Overall, this movie was pretty quiet except for certain scenes that used dog barking and sirens. Other than those two noises, there really wasn't much going on audio wise. Music was another thing that was used uniquely. The times that music was played when George was around his relatives and the rich people, it was classic slower music. This was probably done to show that these people were sophisticated and used to the finer things in life. When George was with Alice though, the music was of a different genre. Instead of slow classical music, it was fast paced, upbeat popular music being played. This was probably done to show that these people were younger and had a different kind of likes and did not feel like they had to stand for the moral standards of others.
Of all the characters in the film, I did not like George, I guess he rubbed me the wrong way. Even at the beginning I did not like him. When he first walked in in that ugly suit he was slumped over. This drove me crazy because I hate it when people slouch when they walk. The other thing was the suit, I could not get over how bad it looked.
As the movie progressed, I grew to dislike George even more. I thought that George should have followed the rules that were set at work and not got involved with Alice. Later, after the two got serious George should have ended the relationship with Alice as soon as he started seeing Angela. People that can date two people at the same time are horrible and selfish.
I also feel that if George would have talked to his Uncle about the situation, he would have been on his side. His uncle really liked George's work and wanted him to be successful at the company. It seems to me that George's uncle would have kept George on after the situation, maybe demoted him, and then fired Alice. These are just things that I thought might happen from watching how people interacted during the movie.
Overall, I thought this film was pretty good. The only thing that I would have liked to be different was the outcome of the case. If I was on the jury I would have had to say not guilty because there was reasonable doubt, or at least the way the movie went there was. It was possible she hit her head on the boat and drowned. George is not responsible for saving her life, even though it would have been the nice thing to do.
The sounds and music used in this film were used in a very interesting way. Overall, this movie was pretty quiet except for certain scenes that used dog barking and sirens. Other than those two noises, there really wasn't much going on audio wise. Music was another thing that was used uniquely. The times that music was played when George was around his relatives and the rich people, it was classic slower music. This was probably done to show that these people were sophisticated and used to the finer things in life. When George was with Alice though, the music was of a different genre. Instead of slow classical music, it was fast paced, upbeat popular music being played. This was probably done to show that these people were younger and had a different kind of likes and did not feel like they had to stand for the moral standards of others.
Of all the characters in the film, I did not like George, I guess he rubbed me the wrong way. Even at the beginning I did not like him. When he first walked in in that ugly suit he was slumped over. This drove me crazy because I hate it when people slouch when they walk. The other thing was the suit, I could not get over how bad it looked.
As the movie progressed, I grew to dislike George even more. I thought that George should have followed the rules that were set at work and not got involved with Alice. Later, after the two got serious George should have ended the relationship with Alice as soon as he started seeing Angela. People that can date two people at the same time are horrible and selfish.
I also feel that if George would have talked to his Uncle about the situation, he would have been on his side. His uncle really liked George's work and wanted him to be successful at the company. It seems to me that George's uncle would have kept George on after the situation, maybe demoted him, and then fired Alice. These are just things that I thought might happen from watching how people interacted during the movie.
Overall, I thought this film was pretty good. The only thing that I would have liked to be different was the outcome of the case. If I was on the jury I would have had to say not guilty because there was reasonable doubt, or at least the way the movie went there was. It was possible she hit her head on the boat and drowned. George is not responsible for saving her life, even though it would have been the nice thing to do.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Double Indemnity
This movie was one of the most interesting that we have watched so far this semester. There were many different things that made this movie different from others that we have seen. The first difference that I observed was the fact that this movie was narrated. None of the other films were done this way, so this film was unique. Walter came in at the beginning of the movie as an unknown character and started telling his story. During breaks in the movie, it goes to shots of Walter talking into the recorder to tell his side of the story. It was interesting to see how the movie and narrative transitioned into one another.
To go along with the narrative point, the movie was an entire flashback. Walter the main character came into the office and went into Keys' office and started a recording. In this recording, Walter admits to the murders of Mr. Didrikson and Phyllis. He also tells his side of the entire story, so nobody else, mainly Nino. This was the first time that I had seen an entire movie as being a flashback. I had seen short scenes in a movie that were flashbacks, but not the entire or majority of the film.
Another thing that I noticed was the equipment that Walter used when recording. From the looks of it it was a wax cylinder. This is interesting because it shows how old the film was, because wax was used before records were made and recorded on. I might be wrong about this, but they looked like wax cylinders.
When Walter got to the scene where he and Phyllis killed Mr. Didrikson, is where the film got interesting. This film followed the code because it did not show Walter killing Mr. Didrikson, it went to Phyllis' face and you could only hear Walter killing the man. I found it very odd that Phyllis was smiling or smirking when Mr. Didrikson was being killed, it showed how heartless she was. This was also the point where I knew that Walter was in over his head and that he was probably going to be gotten rid of too. Whoever played Phyllis did a really good job, because I really never got the sense that she was a good person or not up to something.
As the film went on, I noticed how Phyllis wardrobe changed. In the beginning of the film she wore a white gown, but as her plans started to develop to kill Mr. Didrikson her wardrobe gained more black and lost the white. I think that this was done to represent her as being evil or that she was not pure. What got me was at the end when she was wearing her white gown again, I thought that that was strange. The only explanation that I could come up with was that she was trying to recreate her first encounter with Walter.
Overall, I thought that this film was pretty good. I liked the fact that it was different from the other films that we have watched so far.
To go along with the narrative point, the movie was an entire flashback. Walter the main character came into the office and went into Keys' office and started a recording. In this recording, Walter admits to the murders of Mr. Didrikson and Phyllis. He also tells his side of the entire story, so nobody else, mainly Nino. This was the first time that I had seen an entire movie as being a flashback. I had seen short scenes in a movie that were flashbacks, but not the entire or majority of the film.
Another thing that I noticed was the equipment that Walter used when recording. From the looks of it it was a wax cylinder. This is interesting because it shows how old the film was, because wax was used before records were made and recorded on. I might be wrong about this, but they looked like wax cylinders.
When Walter got to the scene where he and Phyllis killed Mr. Didrikson, is where the film got interesting. This film followed the code because it did not show Walter killing Mr. Didrikson, it went to Phyllis' face and you could only hear Walter killing the man. I found it very odd that Phyllis was smiling or smirking when Mr. Didrikson was being killed, it showed how heartless she was. This was also the point where I knew that Walter was in over his head and that he was probably going to be gotten rid of too. Whoever played Phyllis did a really good job, because I really never got the sense that she was a good person or not up to something.
As the film went on, I noticed how Phyllis wardrobe changed. In the beginning of the film she wore a white gown, but as her plans started to develop to kill Mr. Didrikson her wardrobe gained more black and lost the white. I think that this was done to represent her as being evil or that she was not pure. What got me was at the end when she was wearing her white gown again, I thought that that was strange. The only explanation that I could come up with was that she was trying to recreate her first encounter with Walter.
Overall, I thought that this film was pretty good. I liked the fact that it was different from the other films that we have watched so far.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Sullivan's Travels
This movie was probably my favorite that we have watched all semester. This could also be due to the fact that I love comedies and enjoy laughing. There were lots of things that I saw going on in the movie. Sullivan's Travels had many different parts to it, it had a movie within a movie at the beginning of the film, and then the movie flipped from serious to comedy.
One of the first things that I noticed in the film was the short film at the beginning of the movie. At first I thought it was the real movie, but as quick as it started it was over. But during that short period of time, there was a fight between the two men on the train. One of the men pulls a gun and is shown shooting the man and then the man who was shot has blood coming out of his mouth. Both of these things were against the production code. I don't have the date of this film, but I'm assuming that it was made towards the end of the period where films had to be subjected to the code.
After moving on from the short film, I started noticing weird or odd things in the films. The first of which was when Sully was meeting with his friends/bosses. While they are talking Sully puts on or removes his jacket and you can see that he has his tie tucked into his pants. I was trying to figure out whether it was in style at the time or if it was done to get laughs. I got the feeling that it was more for laughs than anything, because none of the other men wore their ties like that. Later in the movie I noticed how Sully walked with the girl. They never walked side by side or hand in hand, Sully always had his hand firmly grasping the girls arm. It never looked like they were companions, it looked more like she was in trouble and he was walking her to meet someone to be punished. It just looked awkward to me.
Other than these weird moments, I noticed the switching between serious and humor. It was like the movie or producers could not make up its mind on what it was supposed to be. The movie became serious when there were scenes about Sully being a tramp or when he was in jail. The film would switch to comedy whenever he was on the move during his trip to get into trouble, like when he was staying with the creepy lady or during the pool scene.
Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. I was laughing quite often and I hope that we have more comedies in the future.
One of the first things that I noticed in the film was the short film at the beginning of the movie. At first I thought it was the real movie, but as quick as it started it was over. But during that short period of time, there was a fight between the two men on the train. One of the men pulls a gun and is shown shooting the man and then the man who was shot has blood coming out of his mouth. Both of these things were against the production code. I don't have the date of this film, but I'm assuming that it was made towards the end of the period where films had to be subjected to the code.
After moving on from the short film, I started noticing weird or odd things in the films. The first of which was when Sully was meeting with his friends/bosses. While they are talking Sully puts on or removes his jacket and you can see that he has his tie tucked into his pants. I was trying to figure out whether it was in style at the time or if it was done to get laughs. I got the feeling that it was more for laughs than anything, because none of the other men wore their ties like that. Later in the movie I noticed how Sully walked with the girl. They never walked side by side or hand in hand, Sully always had his hand firmly grasping the girls arm. It never looked like they were companions, it looked more like she was in trouble and he was walking her to meet someone to be punished. It just looked awkward to me.
Other than these weird moments, I noticed the switching between serious and humor. It was like the movie or producers could not make up its mind on what it was supposed to be. The movie became serious when there were scenes about Sully being a tramp or when he was in jail. The film would switch to comedy whenever he was on the move during his trip to get into trouble, like when he was staying with the creepy lady or during the pool scene.
Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. I was laughing quite often and I hope that we have more comedies in the future.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)