Sling Blade
Film directed by and screen play by Billy Bob Thornton.
Theme
Sling Blade’s main theme is the redemption of Karl’s lost childhood. Karl Childer’s overly religious parents believed he was a punishment from God. They severely abused him, treated him like an animal, and forced him to live in a shed in solitude. Everyone in town picked on him and called him names. He was seen as a “retard” or slower than others. He had little to call his own. His only possessions were a Bible and several books on Christmas and carpentry. Karl was taught the Bible as a child, but it wasn’t really the Bible. The stories they told him were not in the Bible. His parents had made up their own stories and had led him astray on the rights and wrongs of life.
When Karl was 12 years old interrupted what he believed to be the raping of his mother. He took charge and killed the man with a “sling blade”. He than found out his mother had wanted it so he killed her too. When he killed his mother and her lover he thought he was doing the right thing. Karl believed that if you have to sacrifice to do the right thing than you should do it. Karl was locked away in a “nut house” for the next 25 years for rehabilitation and correction.
After Karl’s release he quickly made a new friend, Frank. The young boy accepted Karl with out question because he seemed to be more childlike than man. The two become soul mates. Karl related to Frank through his childlike manner as well as his parental setup. Frank’s mother was a widow dating an alcoholic, abusive man, Doyle. Karl saw himself in Frank and decided to watch over him. The parallelism between the two characters was shown throughout the movie. The love they shared will save them. The “boys” faced their troubles on a simple level. They avoided the complications of adult views and judgments.
Karl had read the Bible and believed he knew the difference between right and wrong, but was faced with the problem of protecting Frank from a painful future with Doyle. Karl knew that Doyle would manage to poison Frank’s life, or worse, just as Karl’s parents did to him. He tried to reconcile his own simple moral code with everything he had been taught about right and wrong, and must decide whether to stand by and watch, or step in to protect the child. He...
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... of an abusive parent or significant other is it right to take their life to prevent danger of losing your life? I don’t understand why Linda stuck around. Doyle doesn’t provide anything for her family. All he does is endanger Frank mentally and physically. It shouldn’t have taken a “retard” to get rid of Doyle. She should have gotten rid of him in a calmer fashion. That way Karl would be a free man enjoying life on the outside with Frank. The scene that affected me the most emotionally was where Karl and the little boy tell each other “I love you” and than hugged their goodbyes. I was also touched by the way Karl protected Frank and Linda. He made sure they were safe before he killed Doyle.
I thought Sling Blade was written and filmed well. It did get slow in parts, but overall it kept my attention. I picked up on minute details that on a regular basis I wouldn’t have. This paper made me see the underlying aspects such as the music, lighting, and script. It made me pay attention to what the characters were saying and how they were relating. I now look at film in a new light. I don’t just watch the surface. I dig deeper and watch for everything.
Released in 1996, Sling Blade is a movie that focuses on mental illness. The movies follows the main character, Karl as he is released from a mental hospital. Karl was first admitted to the mental hospital because she killed his mother and her significant other when he was very young. He spent his whole life at the mental hospital. Years later, the mental hospital decided that he was cured and he was free to leave. After Karl is released he is given a job and a place to stay. He also befriends a young boy named Frank. Frank and Karl share a special relationship. Frank’s mother, Linda allows Karl to stay in her garage. At Frank’s home, his mother’s abusive boyfriend, Doyle also lives with them. Doyle is abusive to everyone in the household
Kurt Vonnegut, a modern American writer, composed stories about fictional situations that occurred in futuristic versions of today’s world. His stories included violence, both upon oneself and one another, and characters who sought out revenge. In “2BR02B” and “Harrison Bergeron”, Vonnegut conveys physical violence most likely experienced while a prisoner of World War 2, as a way to show how war brings pain and destruction.
The only real way to truly understand a story is to understand all aspects of a story and their meanings. The same goes for movies, as they are all just stories being acted out. In Thomas Foster's book, “How to Read Literature Like a Professor”, Foster explains in detail the numerous ingredients of a story. He discusses almost everything that can be found in any given piece of literature. The devices discussed in Foster's book can be found in most movies as well, including in Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic, “Pulp Fiction”. This movie is a complicated tale that follows numerous characters involved in intertwining stories. Tarantino utilizes many devices to make “Pulp Fiction” into an excellent film. In this essay, I will demonstrate how several literary devices described in Foster's book are put to use in Tarantino’s film, “Pulp Fiction”, including quests, archetypes, food, and violence.
Not only was Billy Bob Thornton the leading role in Sling Blade (1996), he also wrote and directed the film. While the story line is rather predictable, nothing is taken away from the depth of this film. It is quickly discovered that the childhood of Karl Childers was unfortunate. The movie continues on to show that people, no matter the circumstances, all can relate to one another. The theme, and purpose, of this film is redemption. Individually differing while all sharing qualities creates a bond between the characters that makes this film memorable. Not to mention Billy Bob Thornton’s authentic performance.
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Sarty spent his entire life hiding behind the unspoken rule that blood is thicker than water. But, in the face of having to decide whether he should continue to overlook Abner’s amoral behavior, he chooses not to. Even though he tries to understand Abner’s reasoning, in his heart he cannot condone it. In a situation where Sarty-the child would be frightened to stand up against his father, Sarty-the man is not. It is unfortunate that he had to lose a father in order to regain his sense of morality, but in light of the situation he was in, it can be agreed, that he is better off.
When deciding what movie to do for this particular paper I faced a few issues. I knew what the requirements were, but I wanted something different and something I could have fun watching and writing as well. So, after looking around and pondering movies for weeks I finally decided on a perfect choice The 60’s directed by Mark Piznarski?
I feel one of "Slingblades" main themes is the tragedy of lost childhood which Karl explores through his friendship with Frank. Later on, Fran...
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On that forsaking day Lepold and Loeb kidnapped a youthful 14 year old boy named Bobby Franks Loeb lured the boy to the vehicle it was told that they were distant cousins. Franks felt safe to approach the car since both him and Loeb practice tennis. While Franks is proceeding to get enter the front seat of the car he is suddenly struck by a chisel in the temple and that was repeated of several times Franks was bludgeoned to death. The very next day Bobby Franks body was discovered in a culvert area again Franks was only 14 years old when he died to a senseless act of
“Get to the chopper!!!!” Said by the great Arnold Schwarzenegger, is one of thousands of famous quotes heard in cinematic films. Movies have been around for decades and are constantly evolving within each movie. In the book Everything bad is good for you by Steven Johnson, he claims how watching different films and television can actually be more beneficial compared to traditional reading. The classic boxing movie Rocky (1976) and newly released and sequel boxing movie Creed (2015) demonstrates Johnson’s claims clearly. The movie easily enhanced the story in ways a simple book could not do. The filming style forces the audience to feel what the boxer is going through and feel all the pain that every punch causes. The viewing
To begin with, this paper was written with the intent to provide a full analysis on the movie Black Hawk Down. Over the course of the following paragraphs, I will establish a base as to why I think this movie is important to history, as wells as provide an in-depth overview of the narrative, and the translation of the story into a film. Since there are many different characteristics that make up a great film, the following text will provide what I think to be the strongest elements of the narrative, mise-en-scene, character development, and overall reception of the audience.
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