It is impossible to deny the similarities of characters, setting, cinematography and more, between The Return of the Secaucus Seven by John Sayles and The Big Chill by Lawrence Kasden. This paper will focus on the similarities and differences in the themes between the two movies. Specifically, focusing on relationships, aging, and death. The two films differ in many aspects but parallel in other ways. Impacts of these themes within the two movies are important to recognize because they are relevant to everyday life, relatable, and realistic. Contrasts in the films are immediately recognizable. The Return of the Secaucus Seven is young and new; the film begins with a young girl and boy, Mike and Katie, who live together and are preparing for …show more content…
In The Return of the Secaucus Seven, while waiting for the others to arrive, a kerfuffle occurs between two of the individuals that were dating, Jeff and Maura, which is the end of their relationship. One of the friends, Irene, is bringing her new boyfriend and wonders if her long-term friends will accept him. As a representation this time period, relationships are highly focused on sex and sexual interactions. It is nonchalantly discussed and taken part, whereas previously these actions would have been absurd. Immature relationships and conversation between the characters are another representation of the carefree undertones in the movie. However, in The Big Chill, the relations are matured. Couples are married and have children together such as Harold and Sarah. Some of the friends have not seen each other in years, and others have moved away and are in their careers. Many of the characters, even being adults, are unhappy with their lives or are trying to change …show more content…
We never believe it will happen to the ones we love or us. In The Big Chill, these aging friends are facing that death is becoming an aspect of their lives. They have reached an age where individuals who are not typically in their lives very often anyway, are taken from their lives forever. As a result of this aging dynamic, when people get older they move away and create their own lives. The relationships they have built are made distant, and as a result, they begin to lose touch with one another. The friendship is still there, however, because of the maturity and growth these relationships are
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.
characters felt the need to settle down in life and both saw the image of
One could easily dismiss movies as superficial, unnecessarily violent spectacles, although such a viewpoint is distressingly pessimistic and myopic. In a given year, several films are released which have long-lasting effects on large numbers of individuals. These pictures speak
A noticeable difference in the way movies have changed over the years is evident when comparing and contrasting two films of different eras which belong to the same genre and contain the same subject matter. Two vampire movies, Dracula and Bram Stoker's Dracula, present an interesting example of this type of study.
From the beginning of the novel, we see how separation and distance affect the emotional aspects
Starting at a young age, the main characters lives are intertwined. They form a special bond, which have both positive and negative affects on their relationship. At the time when Jim and Antonia are growing up, a rigid social structure exists in Nebraska. This social difference contributed to the creation and alteration of their friendship; in part, it is responsible for their behavior toward one another.
From a structural perspective, movies and novels appear as polar opposites. A film uses actors, scripts, and a set in order to create a visual that can grab and keep the attention of their viewers. However, an author strives to incorporate deeper meaning into their books. Despite these differences in media, 1984 and The Hunger Games present unique, yet similar ideas.
Martin Scorsese has made a reputation from making movies that show a profound perceptiveness of human nature through their images of toughness and violence. On the surface, one would be hard-pressed to find a story more unlike Raging Bull or Goodfellas than The Age of Innocence, which seems better suited to a Merchant-Ivory production. However, Scorsese has placed his indelible stamp on this picture, not only through the camerawork, but in the potent tension that builds between the main characters. For while blood has often been Scorsese's method, the characters, and what exists between and within them, have always been his ends.
Before taking this course, I always looked at films and read books just as the average person does; interesting plot and how long will it hold my interest, but this course gave me an entire different perspective when watching films and reading books. Now that I have taken this course and have watched the required films, the most important thing when watching other movies and reading books, is the meaning behind each scene and how they relate and affect our world. For this paper, I will discuss a book that I read a long time ago, which is She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb and how this book relates to this course.
Any generic film hero is a model of their community and culture. They help to clearly define and outline the community’s values and cultural conflicts by embodying prime characteristics in their persona. The western hero, like Ethan in The Searchers, is always a figure for civilization amongst the savagery of the wild west. By portraying the roles of a civilization, the hero ...
In the last part , the story got twisted where they both exchange their thoughts to leave the gang and plan to go on lake with their chicks in one boat. They became friend. This change in both characters comes only before the “last spin”. It seems they don't have any personal problems with each-other it was an out come of what they were settled for their gangs..
Being one of the world’s most popular art forms, it was inevitable that these archetypes would find their way into film as well. In this essay I will argue that the films Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver, Watership Down, and Trainspotting are all versions of The Hero’s Journey, consequently demonstrating just how prevalent these archetypes have become in modern cinema. And that mythology and storytelling are important parts of each culture because they prevent the darkness in our hearts from spreading.
Barsam, Richard. Looking at Movies An Introduction to Film, Second Edition (Set with DVD). New York: W. W. Norton, 2006. Print.
Barsam, R. M., Monahan, D., & Gocsik, K. M. (2012). Looking at movies: an introduction to film (4th ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Co..
“Entertainment has to come hand in hand with a little bit of medicine, some people go to the movies to be reminded that everything’s okay. I don’t make those kinds of movies. That, to me, is a lie. Everything’s not okay.” - David Fincher. David Fincher is the director that I am choosing to homage for a number of reasons. I personally find his movies to be some of the deepest, most well made, and beautiful films in recent memory. However it is Fincher’s take on story telling and filmmaking in general that causes me to admire his films so much. This quote exemplifies that, and is something that I whole-heartedly agree with. I am and have always been extremely opinionated and open about my views on the world and I believe that artists have a responsibility to do what they can with their art to help improve the culture that they are helping to create. In this paper I will try to outline exactly how Fincher creates the masterpieces that he does and what I can take from that and apply to my films.