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Censorship in film and television
Essay on movie genre and social commentary
Censorship in film and television
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Cult Films, a.k.a Cult Classics, became popular around the 1970s. Cult films are known for their dedicated and passionate followers that engage in repeated viewings, quoting dialogue, and/or audience participation. In the 1970s many of this movies were considered underground films and midnight showing movies. A main feature of a cult film is that it breaks social norms or is considered taboo. Cult films are many times considered controversial and have been kept alive by their dedicated fans. Many cult films include an excess of violence, gore, profanity, sexuality, or a combination of all. This leads many films to be controversial, censored, or even banned. One of the most popular cult films is “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975), many …show more content…
people still follow this movie and it continues to capture hearts with its absurd nature. There were many cult films, many of which are still popular today. A few examples are: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Donnie Darko(2001), and Rocky Horror Picture Show(1975). The first movie that many people think of when they hear “cult film” is The Rocky Horror Picture Show, directed by Jim Sharman, this movie started out as being a not very popular film and then during midnight showings there would be chances for audience participation. For years, Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) has captured the hearts of people worldwide who have been convinced to watch it. At first glance this movie is instantly not your normal film from the 70s. “Because of its endless runs Rocky Horror became a repertory in iits own right” (Weinstock 2007; Austin 1981a) With a transsexual transvestite, the movie takes a giant leap from what was considered normal around the time it was released. In Rocky Horror Picture Show Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) are two "normal, ordinary, healthy kids"(Rocky Horror Picture Show) in 1974 from a small town. A newly engaged Brad and Janet, are stranded with car trouble on a rainy night, looking to use the phone at the "Frank-N-Furter Mansion". There are song & dance numbers that are still commonly sung today such as “The Time Warp” and “Eddie”. Tim Curry is a bisexual man dressed in drag as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, who sees his young visitors as fair game for seduction. In the end Frank-N-Furter is killed for being too “extreme” and the house disappears into the night back to Transsexual Transylvania. This cult classic has been shown as a midnight showing millions of times since its release in 1975. Like all cult films, it deals with a subject that is extreme and some consider taboo. Since this movie is about transsexuals it reflects the time period when people may have been fearful of transsexuality, so this movie helped to make light of the subject to bring people into a different world. Since this movie was such a big hit with midnight showings it continues to have a steady following of all different kinds of people. As Ernest Mathijs quotes in his book, Cult Cinema: An Introduction “The 1980s saw the rise of academic studies of cult cinema, with most attention being paid to The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (Mathijs:2011, pg.3) Mathijs is able to point out about how cult cinema was more than just an entertaining movement but it also showed things about human culture. Producer Lou Adler notes that the people who are fans of RHPS are often outcasts in the primary culture: “they didn’t have the same joys or seek the same outlets - sports, music, or romance or whatever - as other people. They found their outlet in Rocky Horror”. (Henkin 1979:35). A subculture is created by people who are looking for a solution to a problem or need that the primary culture is unable to provide. Albert Cohen defines a problem as any situation that requires a choice and may or may not involve some level anxiety, distress or disequilibrium (1955: 97). How we choose to solve the problem is influenced by our place in the world and the limits and conditions related to that place, and also by our point of view, which is shaped by our "interests, preoccupations, stereotypes and values" (Cohen 1955: 98-9). Monty Python and the Holy Grail, in many reviews this movie is the Monty Python Version of Camelot, a film that has become so popular that it has grown to be considered a cult favorite, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is an entertaining retelling of the story of King Arthur and his knights and their search for the Holy Grail.
Although it is stylized in medieval times, it is far from the traditional idea of castles and chivalry. The movie starts out with King Arthur, looking for knights to stand by his side at Camelot. He finds many knights including Sir Galahad the pure, Sir Lancelot the brave, Sir Bedevere the quiet, and Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir Lancelot. They do not travel on horses, but instead have their servants follow them around clapping coconuts together to sound like horse hooves. Through satire of events in history, they find Camelot, but after a quick song and dance they decide that they do not want to go there. While walking away, “God” comes to them from a cloud and tells them to find the Holy Grail. They agree and begin their search. While they search for the Grail, scenes of the knight's tales appear and why they have the name they have. Most of the characters die; some through a killer rabbit (which is defeated with the holy hand grenade), others from not answering a question right from the bridge of Death, or from the black knight (who is defeating but believes having his arms and legs cut off is “tis but a scratch”). In the end, King Arthur and Sir Bedevere are the only ones left alive and they are sent to find the Castle “Arrrrghhh” where the Holy Grail is located. As they approached the castle they are cut off by two British police cars arriving on the scene. Arthur and Bedevere are arrested and at least three of the officers start pushing back a crowd and confiscate an "offensive weapon". The film breaks in the projector and runs out of the gate, putting an abrupt end to the movie. For the duration of the film, there are several
minutes of organ music instead of end credits. With using organ music instead of end credits they have created a film that lets you know that it knows it is ridiculous, because of this they are able to grant themselves a creative license in producing the film that is groundbreaking. The movie is constantly breaking its own illusion of reality, helping to add to the mounting ridiculousness. In this movie’s ridiculousness it is able to portray an interesting part of history in a lighthearted way.
The movie Monty Python and The Holy Grail is based on stories such as Beowulf and Sir Gawain and Green Knight. The movie tells the basis of the stories by revolving around a technique called satire. Satire: the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to tell something in a funny tone or in a way that creates laughter. Satire was used in the film Monty Python and The Holy Grail to turn common medieval themes such as Chivalric code and Knightly behavior, characteristics of a noble quest and role of religion into a corny, yet laughable manner. Monty Python exemplifies many similar themes when comparing the movie to readings such as Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
The Arthurian cycle shows a sporadic awareness of the impossibility of mere humans fulfilling all the ideals that Arthur and his court represent. The story of Lancelot and Guenevere, Merlin's imprisonment by Nimu‘, and numerous other instances testify to the recognition of this tension between the real and the unrealistic.
T.H. White is directly referenced within the film and Malory’s idealization of the glory of chivalry can once again be seen. In my essay, I will show how chivalry is used in all the texts above as a bonding agent between all Arthurian knights. As Arthur’s knights honor and respect chivalry they remain as one cohesive group, but once they begin to abandon chivalry the Round Table begins to crumble and chaos ensues. Annotated Bibliography Sprague, Kurth “Conclusion.” Arthuriana 16.3 (2006): 129-152.
The film Monty Python and the Holy Grail satirizes the medieval “epic hero” through parodying actual heroes in medieval literature. The comedy film displays important medieval values in a humorous light and pokes fun at Arthurian legends. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and other tales of Arthur’s Knights of the Round table are heavily parodied through out the film. The medieval tales often include the knight errant, or a knight who wandered the lands in search of chivalrous adventures, and throughout the film Arthur and his newly formed gang portray the knight errant as foolish and cowardly.
The story begins during the New Year's feast in King Arthur's court. Then a green knight enters asking all of the knights in the court if they would like to play a game. The game is he will allow which ever knight that chooses to challenge him one swing with a battle ax to try and chop off his head, but in order to play the game, the accepting knight must meet the green knight one year later at the green chapel. The brave knight Sir Gawain accepts to the challenge of the green knight. Sir Gawain takes one swing and chops off the head of the green knight. Right after the green knight's head is chopped off he gets up immediately, picks up his head and leaves. Once a year passes, Gawain sets off on a journey to find the Green Chapel. He arrives at a castle in which a lord welcomes him to stay for several days (Gawain only needs to stay there for three). The next morning the lord makes an agreement to share everything he gets during these three days with Gawain, but Gawain must agree to do the same. During days one and two the lord's wife tries hitting on Gawain, but he only allows her to give him a few kisses. At these days Gawain shares what he got to the lord for what he has hunted those days. On the third day, Gawain finally accepts to take a magic girdle from the lord's wife, but he didn't share it with the lord. This magic girdle helped Gawain survive the three fatal swing's of the green giant's ax, only leaving him with a little nick. After Gawain survives these 3 swings at his neck, the green knight then reveals his identity and explains that he is Bercilak, the lord of the castle. He also said that the three blows were taken at him in regards to the three days of their agreement.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail In Monty Python and the Holy Grail, logic is used in an unfamiliar way. This logic does not deal with the nature of life, but deals with the more complex forms of logic that require the filling of blanks to make things work out. Although, for the most part, certain things did not make sense, but yet they did express logic. They used environmental attributes to make sense of the complexities they faced.
“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” is a satiric comedy about the quest of King Arthur. The movie starts out with Arthur, King of the Britons, looking for knights to sit with him at Camelot. He finds many knights including Sir Galahad the pure, Sir Lancelot the brave, the quiet Sir Bedevere, and Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir Lancelot. Through satire and parody of certain events in history (witch trials, the black plague) they find Camelot, but after literally a quick song and dance they decide that they do not want to go there. While walking away, God (who seems to be grumpy) come to them from a cloud and tells them to find the Holy Grail. They agree and begin their search. While they search for the Grail, scenes of the knight's tales appear and the reasons behind their names. Throughout their search, they meet interesting people and knights along the way. Most of the characters die; some through a killer rabbit (which they defeat with the holy hand grenade), others from not answering a question right from the bridge of Death, or die some other ridiculous way. In the end, King Arthur and Sir Bedevere are left and find the Castle Arrrghhh where the Holy Grail is. They are met by some French soldiers who taunted them earlier in the film and were not able to get into the castle. The movie ends with both King Arthur and Sir Bedevere being arrested for killing a real-life man who was a historian.
The world of Arthurian literature is filled with magic and adventure that enchants readers of all ages. T.H. White has done a fantastic job of turning the childhood adventures of Arthur by turning his narrative into spellbinding, cartoon like interpretation of the sword in the stone legend. Moral values are apparent from the beginning of White’s novel. White has cleverly connected all the educational adventures of Arthur, along with the people and animals encountered to the pulling the sword out of the stone. This marvelous amalgamation of key elements not only ties the loose ends of Arthur’s adventures together, they also solidify the reasoning behind Arthurs’ predetermined path to becoming the king of England.
There are many common themes mocked in the movie “Monty Python the Quest for the Holy Grail”. Religion, Knightly Behavior, Noble Quests etc. I believe the movie showed how the old stories and plays kind of exaggerated these themes, and they aren’t as mighty as they are made out to be. I think Knights and Kings weren’t really as bold and courageous as stories told and this movie kind of showed it. There are exceptions though, as in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, he took the challenge and stuck his neck out so no one else would have too and he did it bravely (he had a little bit of a scared moment) but he also admitted he was wrong for messing with the Green Knight’s wife. But in Monty Python, it showed how Knights also did things cowardly, as when Lancelot went to save the “damsel” in distress and killed almost everyone in the castle.
Professor’s comment: This student uses a feminist approach to shift our value judgment of two works in a surprisingly thought-provoking way. After showing how female seduction in Malory’s story of King Arthur is crucial to the story as a whole, the student follows with an equally serious analysis of Monty Python’s parody of the female seduction motif in what may be the most memorable and hilarious episode of the film.
Dissimilar to King Arthur’s opulent and boyish description, the Green Knight appears earthly, like an overgrown lumberjack in a debutante ball. His very entrance to the narrative aims to shatter Camelot’s superficial relationship with earthly trials. While Arthur seeks pleasure in hearing tales “of some fair feat” (92), the Green Knight undermines all formality known to be chivalrous challenging the king to a life risking game. With a “broad neck to buttocks” (137), (opposed to Arthur’s’ court depicted in the ever regal color red,) the Knight is clothed in green, the color of nature. He appears with no armor other then his faith, merely a utilitarian woodsman’s ax. While Green Knight is described like an animal who is said to have “wagged his beard” (306) yet understands the cyclical nature of life and truth of mans futility, it is only after Sir Gawain proclaims his lack of strength (though he says it at that point as a matter of chivalry) that he is able to ...
The passage (130-202) of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight describes the appearance of a strange knight in King Arthur's court. The anonymous author of the epic describes the rider in great detail, emphasizing the importance of this character. The passage is intended to arouse readers' curiosity, and at the same time, to introduce the mighty danger that the main character, Sir Gawain, will have to face. Furthermore, the strange knight is shown to be a test or trial for King Arthur and his knights. Finally, the passage presents the actual dynamics of Arthur's court as incompatible with the poet's initial praising of nobility, justice and chivalric ideals.
Gawain's travels in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight suggest a world in which home--i.e., Camelot--is "normal," while away--the opposing castle of Hautdesert where Gawain perforce spends his Christmas vacation--is "other," characterized by unfamiliarity, dislocation, perversity. And in fact the atmosphere at Hautdesert appears somewhat peculiar, with various challenges to "normal" sexual identity, and with permutations of physical intimacy, or at least the suggestion of such intimacy, that are, to say the least, surprising. The typical journey of medieval romance juxtaposes a "real" world where things and people behave according to expectation with a "magical" world in which the usual rules are suspended. According to this paradigm, we might expect that this poem would place Hautdesert outside the bounds of tradition, separated by its difference from the expectations that govern Camelot and the remainder of the Arthurian world.
Lancelot, Bors, and Perceval all strive to become more like Galahad, and the author effectively uses these characters to teach his readers lessons about spiritual chivalry and personal salvation. The author provides each of these knights with a series of monks and hermits who counsel and guide him in the ways of spiritual chivalry, for only the most pure Christian knights have any hope of finding the Grail. The adventures of Perceval are very straightforward and easy to interpret, so he provides readers with a suitable introduction to spiritual chivalry and the importance of virginity, asceticism, and complete faith in God. The author faces Bors with more complicated challenges and visions than anything Perceval must handle; since the author tells Bors' adventures after Perceval's, readers should be more prepared to interpret their meaning and significance with regard to spiritual chivalry and personal salvation. The advice Lancelot receives from his series of monks and hermits shows readers the importance of confession and penance, but the author makes it clear that readers should not emulate Lancelot's life of sin and vice.... ...
Mathijs, Ernest, and Jamie Sexton. Cult Cinema: An Introduction. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. Print.