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Literature is life's discussion
Literature as mirror of life
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Kenneth Burke compiled of this essay titled Literature as Equipment for Living where he brings up the point that literature could be interpreted through proverbs which are “designed for consolation or vengeance, for admonition, or exhortation, for foretelling.” (Burke, 301-302). Proverbs allow the audience to form judgments on situations and creates an understanding of the ways in which a movie can be expressed through proverbs. The Disaster Artist, directed by James Franco, was an example of Burke’s Equipment for Living idea because the film uses metaphors, synecdoche, metonymy, and irony to create proverbs. Tommy Wiseau was a misunderstood inspiring actor who wanted to be successful in show business. During Wiseau’s time in Hollywood, he
Question; Is it what you accomplish that makes one great, or how you accomplish it. Richard Pryor and David Adkins or “Sinbad” are two of the most notorious comedians in American culture, but the lives they lived were on extreme ends of the spectrum. They both started out in or were kind of pushed into comedy when their real hopes and dreams fell short. Both of them served their country in the army for two years, and then jumped on the comedy circuit, traveling the country to play small gigs. Their struggle to become famous was similar in that they both worked extremely hard to get where they wanted to be. Their upbringing was altogether different though.
2. According to Sobchack, contemporary screen violence greatly differs than portrayals of violence in years past. Today, violent scenes are careless and lack significance because we as audiences have become calloused and desensitized to any acts of violence. She states that there is “no grace or benediction attached to violence. Indeed, its very intensity seems diminished” (Sobchack 432). Senseless violence, gruesome acts, and profound amounts of gore are prevalent in movies today, and because even this is not enough, it must be accompanied by loud blasts and noise, constantly moving scenes to keep audiences stimulated and large quantities of violence for viewers to enjoy what they are watching. Decades ago, it was the story that was engaging to audiences and filmmaking was an art.
..., the use of literary techniques including irony, characterization and theme convey the author’s purpose and enhance Into The Wild. The author accomplished his purpose of telling the true story of Chris McCandless. He was an eccentric, unpredictable man that led a very interesting life. His life deserved a tribute as truthful and respectful as Jon Krakauer’s. Through his use of literary techniques, the author creates an intense, and emotional piece of literature that captures the hearts of most of its readers. Irony, characterization, and theme all play a vital role in the creation of such a renowned work of art. “Sensational…[Krakauer] is such a good reporter that we come as close as we probably ever can to another person’s heart and soul” (Men’s Journal).
In today’s society, we are exposed to countless amounts of compositions such as novels and films. However, when an individual reads a book or watches a movie, they subconsciously create connections to the plot as they relate it to their own lives. After the movie is completely watched one is able to sit down and ask himself, “Did I like that movie?” While an average person could give a simple yes or no answer, a professional in the field of reviewing movies and novels knows that the quality of the movie is directly related to its rhetorical effectiveness. If one were to attempt an analysis of a film or book’s rhetorical effectiveness, they would need to reference what is called the “Rhetoric Triangle” which is comprised of Ethos, Logos and Pathos. These three devices can be classified as tools for persuasion, thus, a great piece of work will have each of these tools. An excellent example of a novel that successfully incorporates each of these forms of rhetoric is titled The Lightning Thief and was written by Rick Riordan and published in 2005. Riordan made this book so successful through his vivid portrayal of a Greek mythological world hiding within reality all across America. The written genre of The Lightning Thief provided the foundation for Chris Columbus to create film adaptation of the novel in 2010. Chris Columbus’ film representation of the novel The Lightning Thief (2005), while proving to be disappointing in regards to the plot when compared to the novel, both representations were able to clearly create connections to Aristotle’s three ingredients for persuasion: Ethos, Logos and Pathos.
It is no easy task to create a work - through writing or film - that has an impact on society. In writing, one must discuss and analyze a relevant topic that will have an impact on the readers. One must also present stunning sensory images through words in order to create a complete understanding for the reader. In filmmaking it is not much different, but there must be striking visual imagery in combination with a fitting musical score in order to give the viewer of the film the full experience. There must also be historical accuracy, both in writing and film. In either case, it can take years to create such a captivating piece of work. David Guterson's novel Snow Falling on Cedars and its cinematic counterpart of the same name combine all of the aspects of good writing and filmmaking to create an emotionally provocative and historically accurate masterpiece.
Every film has elements of good and evil, two opposing forces with a decisive winner. Order and chaos works in a different manner; protagonist and antagonist can play the part of order and chaos while remaining either good or evil. However, it is not only the character that acts according to the principles of order and chaos, external elements such as history and social ideologies craft character perceptions of a disaster or paradigm shift. There are many examples of order and chaos being used to define what is "good" and other times defining what is "bad". Classic examples in Hollywood cinema of order and chaos in films are Bonnie and Clyde and Gun Crazy, where the protagonists play both sides of good and evil elements while staying true to the elements of order and chaos. The purpose of this essay is to explore elements of order and chaos in Bonnie and Clyde and Gun Crazy by analyzing: the lead couples and social-historical contexts.
Film and literature are two media forms that are so closely related, that we often forget there is a distinction between them. We often just view the movie as an extension of the book because most movies are based on novels or short stories. Because we are accustomed to this sequence of production, first the novel, then the motion picture, we often find ourselves making value judgments about a movie, based upon our feelings on the novel. It is this overlapping of the creative processes that prevents us from seeing movies as distinct and separate art forms from the novels they are based on.
Neill, Alex. “Empathy and (Film) Fiction.” Philosophy of film and motion pictures : an anthology. Ed. Noel Carrol and Jinhee Choi. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. 247-259. Print.
When reading a novel or watching a movie, the audience often looks for a guiding light; a character that steps up to take the lead when all hope is lost. It is not uncommon for that beacon of hope to be a complete stereotype, all too often, the hero of the day is a strong, virile, ruggedly handsome man, but what if he was not? What if he was just an average man, or not even a man at all, but a woman or a child? When reading fiction, the imagination is allowed to run wild, painting vivid pictures interwoven with personal life experiences, relatable to the characters in the novels and to one’s own life experiences. The most memorable content of both The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, and World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, by Max Brooks, leaves a lasting impression due to strong lead characters, their resolve to survive, no matter what obstacles may wind up in their paths, and the simple truth that they are human and flawed, but still resilient and willing to push forward as an example to others, both in the novel and in the target audience.
In Wim Wenders’ 1984 film, Paris, Texas, we find its theme of loneliness harboured in Travis Henderson, but very much so in the film’s imagery, eloquently captured by Dutch cinematographer, Robby Müller, “When I choose to work on a film, the most important thing to me is that it is about human feelings. I try to work with directors who want their films to touch the audience.” And his imagery does just that in Paris, Texas.
Everybody has got a dream, regardless of how big or how small. Some individuals want to be rich and famous; others just have that dream of seeing their favorite band live. Greg Sestero’s dream was simple, he just wanted to do what he loved, act. His entire life he attempted to pursue this dream, never giving up, and one day he caught what seemed to be a lucky break. A man named Tommy Wisaeu opened an acting door for him. He offered Greg an unnamed sum of money for a simple task, act in his film. Greg did not care about the money; he just wanted his name out there so he took the deal. Little did he know he would be put through grueling hours of work and pain to have to be a part of this film. And even though he considered quitting more times than countable, he stuck through it. Not for the money, not to get his name out there like he once wanted to, but to finish what he had put his blood, sweat, and tears in to. And even though the flick turned out to be one of the worst of all time, he was still proud of what he did and what he went through. Through his perseverance he did something other people could possibly never do. Perseverance of can help a person chase their dreams, finish a harsh, unwanted task, and make them successful.
In Slaughterhouse-five, Kurt Vonnegut expresses the idea of Postmodernism through irony commenting on a Postmodernism belief of life being disillusioned and superficial. When Billy and the Americans are crossing the theater and about to watch the Cinderella, Billy touched the “stove”, and describes it as “cold” as “ice” (184). Vonnegut uses irony to describe the stage of the theater, because people usually associate stove as being hot and warm, but he used cold and ice to describe the temperature of the stove. The ironic descripition makes the whole set up of the theater seems disillusional, and due to the fact that theater is becoming more commonly seen during the mid-twentieth century, further demonstrates how Postmodernism perceives life
He has shot “almost every street corner” in the city (Weide, Woody Allen: A Documentary) and can thus set forth on a long overdue adventure. Allen aspired to follow in the steps of Bergman and Fellini and make more dramatic and unusual films but there was this constant struggle, as he states early in the 90s, “my conflict is what I really am and what I really would like myself to be. I’m forever struggling to deepen myself and take a more profound path” (Lax 285). This statement applies to Woody Allen the filmmaker as well as the actor, as he refers to himself as an actor with a small scope (cf. Lax 250) and that he could never be a grand filmmaker like his idols. The tragic events of September 11, the series of unsubstantial films, and his decision not to play the leading man any longer, has “opened a new creative space in his cinema” (Macready 96). He seems to have realized that death can be imminent and unforeseen, just like the attacks, and that we only have a limited time on this planet; time that can be taken away within an instance; wherefore he must have the courage to just make the kind of films he always dreamt of. The wound of the attacks was still too present, so it was time for a new style and a new
When asked to define a hero, society responds by listing the attributes of their role model. A four year old boy may explain his insane theories on why Superman can fly, whereas a Christian may preach on the gift of Jesus Christ. Whether they are baseball players, or Goddesses, many share a similar compassionate, daring, wise, and bold nature. As a modern director, Steven Spielberg challenged the rules of entertainment, assisted the underprivileged and demonstrated a welcoming personality, allowing him to become known as one of history’s greatest directors.
In today’s world adversity is a part of everyday life. It can come in small doses or be dropped like a ton a bricks on an unsuspecting victim. In the face of all this adversity it is important to stay strong and set goals. The goals help to measure achievement and once someone had overcome their adversity and come out on the other side even stronger they have truly triumphed. To triumph over an adverse situation is to achieve such a large amount of success that it goes beyond original goals or expectations. In John Lee Hancock’s The Blind Side and Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity triumph over adversity is a common theme. Certain aspects of their movies, including camera shots, dialogue, and symbolism are used to demonstrate situations where not only is success found in adverse situations, but triumphed over. Hancock and Cuaron both show how attempts to triumph over adversity can be manipulated by social contest and how the resulting triumph can alter personalities and situations.