The film Aguirre, the Wrath of God is a classical tragedy. It was written and directed by Werner Herzog, in the year 1972. This film tells the story of the tragic expedition of the Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro, who, in the year 1561, led an expedition into the Peruvian rain forest to search for, the lost city of gold, El Dorado. The expedition encounters a dangerous river. A small group led by Pedro de Ursua, is selected to search of food and the El Dorado city. Ursua is overthrown by power hungry Aguirre when he orders the group to return to the expedition. Aguirre appoints a nobleman Fernando de Guzman as their new leader. They proclaim their independence from King Philip II of Spain. They Travel down the river by small a raft. They crew frequently gets attacked by mysterious Indian arrows. They eventually run out of food and Guzman's leadership fails. After Guzman’s death, Aguirre then takes direct command of the disintegrated crew. His ambitious plan is to conquer El Dorado and start the purest dynasty ever known, by marrying his own daughter. By the end everyone on this expedition dies due to the harsh natural land scape and the ambition of Aguirre. I will explore the most intriguing theme of this movie, which revolves around the power of natural world and the destruction of mankind.
From the opening shot of the movie, the natural landscape dominates the characters who are trying to make their way across. The opening shot of the film shows a long line of people hiking down a steep hill into a valley. The foggy weather, the dim light, and the sad music of this shot set a toned for an expedition that is going downhill. According to Meinig, “The vault of heaven, the rock of ages, and the everlasting hills, are old metap...
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...fluence of western civilization on the Maori culture. The modernized landscape dominates the traditional Maori culture. The modern roads replace the sea travel and the interaction between of Maori people and their sacred whales. The costumes include western clothing, such as basketball jerseys, pants, t-shits, and shorts, which replace the traditional Maori clothing. The western costumes emphasize the influence of western culture, and distance between the Maori people and their traditional Maori culture. The props such as pool table, projector screen, motorboats, cars, and guns replace the Maori theater, the paddleboats, and the traditional sticks. The westernized landscape, the costumes, and the props emphasize that Maori people are literally and metaphorically disconnecting with their traditional Maori culture. In both films the landscape dominates the characters.
In the novel ‘Us Mob Walawurru’ Composed by David Spillman and Lisa Wilyuka we observe the life of a young Aboriginal girl and the dilemmas that she and the Luritja people must face. The narrative illustrates the significance of respect in the Luritja tribe. It is presented that respect is shown to all cultures and backgrounds which makes a very caring and joyful atmosphere. The Walawurru community honour their laws and guidelines, and use the land with great admiration. Although in times disrespect is shown by some of the Walawurru members, overall respect is an extremely important aspect in the Walawurru people’s lives.
In the chronological, descriptive ethnography Nest in the Wind, Martha Ward described her experience on the rainy, Micronesian island of Pohnpei using both the concepts of anthropological research and personal, underlying realities of participant observation to convey a genuine depiction of the people of Pohnpei. Ward’s objective in writing Nest in the Wind was to document the concrete, specific events of Pohnpeian everyday life and traditions through decades of change. While informing the reader of the rich beliefs, practices, and legends circulated among the people of Pohnpei, the ethnography also documents the effects of the change itself: the island’s adaptation to the age of globalization and the survival of pre-colonial culture.
One of the first representations encountered in the film Jedda is the portrayal of Australia as a tourist destination in the exposition of the film. This glorified view of the landscape is conveyed to the audience through the use of bold visual images and birds eye camera angels. The visual images, as well as portraying Australia as a tourist destination, also adopt the romanticised Hollywood view of the landscape that many American westerns use to emphasise their appeal to an audience of European background. An example of this romanticised view can be seen in the incorporation of camera shots of landscapes such as rolling planes of dry grassy land, and areas of steep rocky hillsides. This style of filming has been incorporated into the exposition to highlight the drama, beauty and primeval nature of the landscape, and to entice the audience into continuing to watch the film. The films documentary-like voice-over also contribute...
Throughout time, many people feel as if they have lost their connection to their cultural from outside influences and numerous disruptions. Disruptions to one’s cultural can be seen in the Picture book The Rabbits by john Marsden and Shaun tan which is an an allegory of the invasion of Australia. Another example is the film avatar by James Cameron. The creators of these works are expressing the effect of man on nature and disruption it brings upon the cultural of the indigenous people who are the traditional owners of the land.
...sed in the first scene; the white family appear more superior over the aboriginal family, music, such as the Celtic music used in early scenes to foreground the idea of white settlement and the reluctantcy to incorporate any values or ways of life that the original inhabitants had. Her powerful dialogue seen in ‘this land is mine’ scene, which significantly empowers to audience to question whether the white settlers have failed to incorporate any of the ways of life and values of the Indigenous people. Finally, Perkins’ fine editing skills allows audiences to physically see the contrasts of the two families and their beliefs, values and ways of life. From the film, audiences can learn, and also forces them to question whether they have failed to learn from the original habitants of the land they live in today.
Although the author’s words are simple, they create a mood into the illustrations that truly emphasise the emotion of the indigenous point of view. Viewers can than feel more of what they can see, an example of this is when the authors used different sized text in “stole our children.” This text with the illustration can truly create an effect on the way it is read and viewed by, making viewers feel empathy as the size of each words shrinks defining the children’s positon as they get further away from their parent. This attains the Europeans guilt on the choices they had made as the story is seen in the indigenous point of view on how they suffered due to the past horrendous choices made by the Europeans at that
...olours of the opening scenes combines with the horrid lifestyle of Vaughn and Lena, whilst the greens and clouded with droplets of rain as they drive over the range brings in the ideas of hope and a future for both of the characters. The vital role the changing images that surrounds the pair gives insight into the influence of settings on plot and character development.
An important theme in Potiki is the enduring idea that creating and sharing stories as a central part of being human is important. It is a significant theme because the novel is heavily imbued with Maori culture, in which the stories and spoken teachings are given prominence, and also because it is a popular belief that people need narratives to give meaning, structure and value to their lives. This theme is displayed resolutely and poignantly in Potiki’s plot, characters, setting and symbolism, as the people of a small rural New Zealand community rediscover themselves through stories spoken and found in Maori carvings. The idea that humans need narratives is the core theme in Potiki, and it is used also to link other themes and aspects of the novel; it is in this way that we know the idea of storytelling is an intrinsic part of the novel’s structure.
Specific elements of the storyline that display the theme racism include: the display of animalistic treatment, enforced religious practices, and historical comparisons. The film reveals the overarching government belief that the white race is smarter and purer, to the inferior, uncivilized and misguided, darker-skinned, Aboriginals. This belief is demonstrated throughout the film and signifies the government’s attitudes toward the half-caste race as: uncivilized animals that need a trainer to discipline them. For example, the film shows the girls being transported like livestock to th...
One of the ways the story shows how the conflict between locals and tourists is through first impressions and stereotypes. “It’s not her fault she’s haole” (21). “She’s not one of us” (22). People in Hawai`i is seen as either a local and/or a haole. From a number of locals, they say that if a person is not from Hawai`i, then she or he is considered haole. Kahakauwil...
The film begins with aerial camera shots taken from a helicopter that reveal the long secluded path to the Overlook Hotel. Kubrick did this to give a peaceful and calming feeling that misleads the audience about what is soon to be the winter home for the Torrance family. As the scenery changes, the different landscapes foreshadow the end of the film. The aerial shots make the forest look like the hedge maze next to the hotel, which is a huge part of the plot and where Jack ends up at the end. The idea of a maze is crucial to the plot, as well as the confusion and feeling of being lost that “The Shini...
UVW. (2014, April 29th). TAKITIMU: The Gods of Maori. Retrieved from VIctoria University of Willington: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-MitTaki-t1-body-d1-d4-d1.html
One motif which reappears in the film is the power of nature, especially in relation to the individual. In fact, the film begins with a majestic shot of the Rocky Mountains showing its beauty and height. The beauty of nature and even friendliness of nature changes as the film develops. As the movie progresses the snow still seems white and pure, almost virgin like, but nature becomes an isolating force, not providing the family with a retreat from the pressures of modern life, but forcing the family to turn in on its dysfunctional and psychopathic self. Imprisoned by the snow and the tall mountains , the family seems weak and vulnerable.
The Polynesian peoples have a lifestyle quite different than that of any other culture, as living on an island requires a level of flexible adaptability in order to cope with such a different, sometimes difficult environment. We see the way diverse cultures build their lives around their circumstances and how they respect them in their cultural myths and stories. The Polynesian legends emphasize the physical environment that they live in. They are quite different than any other region in the world, but the beauty and individuality of the Polynesian culture is prominent as seen in their mythology.
The sun was coming up over the peaks and we were halfway there when we came to a dirt road. Because the dirt road was on the edge of a mountain, we started up the road very slowly and cautiously. When we got to the base of the mountain we got our packs and started the adventure to the top.