Course Critique

Was the course too easy? too hard? How did the work load compare with other similar courses like Sociology, Psychology, World Religions?
The workload for this course is bearable and reasonable. Procrastination is not advised, that's a definite.
However, I thought the quizzes were hard to score. 0.5% for each question is a lot. Would prefer if its more than 20 questions. Perhaps, additional subjective questions or an essay.

What were your favorite films? Least favorite? What movies would you add/subtract from the course.
Favourite films: Night and Fog, Singing in the Rain, Chinatown, Spirited Away, Some like it Hot, Paris is Burning
Least favourite: Birth of A Nation, The Man with a Movie Camera, Dr Strangelove

What were the most enjoyable ET’s? Least enjoyable?
Most enjoyable ETs : Pandora's Box, Singing in the Rain, Chinatown, Spirited Away
Least enjoyable ETs: Birth of  A Nation, BattlEship of Potemkin and Triumph of The Will

Did you come away with a deeper understanding/enjoyment of cinema?
Definitely, especially movie sequences and the hidden meanings behind every movie. Also, I learn the key signs of every genre. Eg: Noir with dim lights, cigarette smokes, fedora etc I would not have noticed fine details of movies if I have not taken this course. In fact, I learn to analyze movies now rather than just "watching" them.

Were the lectures interesting? boring? so-so?
This is rather subjective.. It depends on individuals and their interest. For me, I like the humour and sarcasm Chairman Rey added in his lectures and Chairman is not afraid to touch on issues like sex and homosexuality. Also, I like the fact that Chairman Rey relates his personal experience as an American in his lectures. Eg: growing up in New York.

Was the blog an effective teaching tool? If not, why not? Would a textbook have been better?
I definitely prefer blog than text book because it is easy to access. Text books are long-winded. Text books are heavy and inconvenient to be carried around. Not to mention, the cost of a text book is hefty.

What would you tell another student who is considering taking the course?
- Do not procrastinate in writing ETs.
- Take this course only if you appreciate the assortment of movie genre. Do not take it if you are not adventurous in watching movie.
- Do not take this course if you hate analyzing and writing essays.
- Do not take if you are unwilling to sacrifice for screenings

What are two things you would tell me to do to make the course better?
- Increase the number of questions for the quizzes.
- Maybe, add screenings of current films or award winnings movies. Good ones of course. Eg: Forrest Gump, The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, Curious Case of Benjamin Button


Thank you, sir! I have learned a lot about movies through this course.
All the best and have a good life !

The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons

The Da Vinci Code is a controversial movie released in 2006 as it practically questions the beliefs and foundations of Christianity. The story discusses on the possibility of Jesus Christ having descendant as there are facts pointing that Mary Magdalene was carrying Jesus Christ's bloodline during his crucifixion. Meanwhile, Angels and Demons was released in 2009 and this mystery/thriller movie touches on the rise of an ancient secret society of scientists, known as The Illuminati. In the movie, it is said that The Illuminati is plotting a scheme to bring the Catholic Church down. Despite the different roots that trigger the mystery,the backdrop to both stories are similar which is the Catholic Church.

There are boundless similarities between The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. For instance, both are directed by Ron Howard, both are adapted from novels written by Dan Brown and both main character is the same known as Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist played by Tom Hanks. Apart from that, in both stories, Langdon and a female companion race across Europe in a mission to resolve the mystery. However, what I intend to discuss is how both movies mislead us in finding the real masterminds. Clearly, how the masterminds are revealed in both movies are very well thought by the writer. In both movies, the writer intelligently imposes the mastermind as allies, misleads the audience to the wrong mastermind and exposes masterminds after making the audience believe that the mystery is resolved.


An obvious similarity in both movies is the writer imposes the mastermind as allies. Thus, Joseph Campbell's The Hero's Journey can be associated to both movies. In The Hero's Journey, one typical archetype that we usually see is the Allies, the characters who help the hero through the change. In The Da Vinci Code, Leigh Teabing is introduced as an enthusiastic researcher of the Holy Grail. He aligns himself with Langdon and Neveu by sharing his knowledge in the Holy Grail. In addition, he helps Langdon and Neveu to escape from the cops by his plane to London. Also, he camouflages by putting on a scene with Remy. In that scene, Remy pretends to take Teabing as a hostage, hence, making us think that Teabing is also the victim. Likewise, in Angel and Demons, Camerlengor Patrick McKenna is introduced as a papal court official, who has temporary control over the Vatican as the The Roman Catholic Church mourns for Pope Pius XVI's death. He is seen as the hero's ally as he grants Langdon's request to access Vatican Secret Archive in order for him to examine Galileo's book. Also, he plots a scheme by pretending to be the final victim of the murder in order to frame Commander Richter. Lastly, to earn a place as a candidate of the new Pope, Camerlengor plots to save the Vatican City by flying the helicopter and parachutes out from the helicopter as the antimatter bomb explodes. Thus, leaving the audience to think he is the good person.

Remy

Commander Richter

 


Apart from that, both movies mislead the audience to the wrong mastermind. In The Da Vinci Code, we assume that Remy is the Teacher which is known as the mastermind of the entire havoc and murder. This is because he releases Silas, the albino monk who murdered Jacques Sauniere. We are make believe that Remy is the Teacher because he points the gun at Langdon as he demands for the cryptex. Furthermore, we thought Remy is the Teacher because he admits that he is the Teacher when Silas questions him. This scene takes place at Temple Church. In the church, the lightings are in low key lighting where dimmer lighting is used in order to create a mysterious and dangerous mood. Likewise, in Angels and Demons, we thought that the Illuminati is the commander of the riot at the Vatican City. What leads us to think that the Illuminati is the commander of the cataclysm is because of the ways and symbols they used to create riot. Hence, I believe it is highly associated to semiotics. For instance, at the beginning of the story, we believe that Illuminati is the mastermind when Langdon deduces that the four cardinals will die at the four altars of the "Path of Illumination. The word "Illumination" have us to make assumption that it has got to do with The Illuminati. This is known as symbolic sign. The movie also successfully deceived us by making us believe that Commander Richter is part of the Illuminati as he is seen holding a gun and Camerlengor on the ground, branded with the Vatican's symbol on his chest. Similarly, this scene takes place at Vatican, a church. The lightings  used are also in low key lighting to create a dangerous ambiance.

Sir Leigh Teabing

Camerlengor Patrick McKenna

Besides that, both movies also expose masterminds after making the audience believe that the mystery is resolved. In The Da Vinci Code, Teabing's identity as the real Teacher is revealed after making us believe that Remy is the Teacher. His identity as the mastermind is revealed when Remy is dying after being poisoned. As the camera slowly tilts, we see Teabing's face then only we realized he is the real Teacher. When Langdon and Neveu are at Newton's Tomb, Neveu discovers tracks made by cane marks and as she says "Teabing was here", Teabing reveals himself and explains the sinister plan that he has plotted. When Neveu discovers the tracks, semiotics can be applied to the sequence. This is because she could instantly tell that Teabing was here just by looking at the cane marks because Teabing uses a cane to assist himself in walking. Therefore, this is known as indexical sign where an effect of relationship between sign and signified. Correspondingly in Angels and Demons, the mastermind which is Camerlengor is exposed after making us believe that Commander Richter is the culprit of the Illuminati. Camerlengor's identity is leaked when Langdon and Vetra use Richter's key to watch a security video. As the camera zooms into the screen, a flashback shows, revealing Camerlengor as the mastermind behind the murders of the original Pope, the cardinals and the antimatter robbery. In fact, the Illuminati has got nothing to do with the anarchy, instead, everything is wholly schemed by Camerlengor. Therefore, in the cases for both movies, both the Allies, Teabing and Camerlengor are then discovered to be the Shadows of the story. 


In conclusion, both movies deceive the audience by imposing the mastermind as allies, misleading the audience to the false mastermind and exposing the masterminds after making the audience believe that the mystery is resolved. As an audience, I believe that all these elements are added in order to create a twist at the ending, which leave the audience to ponder about the story, in another word, mindboggler.

Work Cited

"Angels & Demons." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2012.
"Hero's Journey." The Writers Journey.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2012.
"Lighting." Cineaste. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2012.
"Semiotics." Cineaste. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2012.
"The Da Vinci Code." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2012.
"The Shot." Cineaste. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2012.

Up & Away

I have chosen  Pete Docter's Up to be compared to Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away by. This is because both animations have very similar Hero Journey's outline. Apart from that, I chose Up because it is my all time favourite animation. It has a combination of both tearjerker and comedy. Up has a wonderful plot with an immense meaning behind the story. It's an animation about eternal love, friendship and adventure. Not to mention, I absolutely adore Russell, the stumpy lead character in Up. Sir, if you have not seen Up, please watch it. You won't regret.

Firstly, The Ordinary World stage is very similar. Both the lead characters, Chihiro and Russell are brought up in urbanized area. At the beginning of the movie, we can see that Chihiro is surrounded by materials like Adidas and dad's Audi. Similarly, at the beginning of Up, we know that Russell is a city boy because his first appearance is during the construction at Carl's place, which means that the setting sets at the city.

Secondly, both animations have the stage known as Crossing the Threshold. In Spirited Away, Chihiro crosses the threshold to a mysterious and deserted land . In comparison to Up, Russell crosses the threshold when he becomes an accidental passenger when Carl detaches his house from the land using helium balloons.

At the Approach stage, there is an obvious shift from the intended mission to a much more important mission. Initially, Chihiro's mission is to rescue her parents and to get out from the mysterious land. However, her mission changes when she decided to help Haku by paying a visit to Zeniba to return the golden seal. Likewise, Russell's mission is to earn his 'assisting the elderly' badge. However, Russell's mission shifts when Kevin, his new giant pet bird is kidnapped by Muntz. Russell gathers his courage and insists on saving Kevin even Carl refused to do so.

Both movies have very similar leading characters, Chihiro from Spirited Away and Russell from Up. Firstly, we can see that both the characters are in similar age range, Chihiro at 10 and Russell at 8. Also, both of them are brought up in cities. Besides that, both the characters are similar in terms of personality. Both Chihiro and Russell are rather oblivious and immature. In addition, both characters gained something meaningful  and valuable at the end of the story. Chihiro gains courage and an unforgettable experience from the mysterious land. Similarly, Russell becomes the real wilderness explorer, not to mention he earns himself a father figure, which is Carl.




The mentors in both animations are very similar too. Haku, from Spirited Away is always there to look after and protect Chihiro. For example, he looks for Chihiro as soon as he gains consciousness because he is afraid that Chihiro might encounter danger dealing with Zeniba. In Up, Carl is protective against Russell. When Russell left Carl to rescue Kevin, Carl follows Russell because he knows that he will be in danger. Together, they save Kevin from the evil Muntz.


Both animations portray the transformation of the characters from childhood to adulthood at the end of the story. Initially, Chihiro was a pampered and dependent girl. However, at the end of the story, she transformed into a confident and independent girl. We could see from her reluctantness to enrol in her new school at the beginning. However, after her journey, the fact that she is enrolling to a new school does not bother her any more. Similarly to Up, Russell was a young wilderness explorer scout but, a not so capable one. However, Russell became a courageous and capable wilderness explorer the end of the story. This can be seen when he is able to climb the dangling pipe in the air because he is motivated to save Carl. Meanwhile, at the beginning story, he is unable to climb the dangling pipe.

Work Cited

"Hero's Journey." Hero's Journey. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2012. <http://thewritersjourney.com/hero's_journey.htm>.

Freud in Chinatown.

"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown!" and the credits rolled. As the credits rolled, I was left speechless and stunned with the truth and ending of 'Chinatown'. Indeed, this movie left an extreme impact on me and it took me some time to process the movie. In fact, I went home, search the movie and read the synopsis in order to complete the missing puzzle in my mind. I was amazed with Polanski's work on how he leads the audience to fill in every single pieces of the puzzle. Everything linked and made sense, from the iris, to the glasses and what not, the shot at her flawed eye. Not to mention, the ending... the ending was truly powerful and left me in awed.  A true work of brilliance! As Chairman Rey discussed 'Chinatown' in the next class, he related it to Sigmund Freud's theory. Then, I came to realization that 'Chinatown' is strongly associated to Freud's theory.

According to Freud, we are born with our Id.  The id is an important part of our personality because as newborns, it allows us to get our basic needs met.  Freud believed that the id is based on our pleasure principle.  In other words, the id wants whatever feels good at the time, with no consideration for the reality of the situation. The id doesn't care about reality, about the needs of anyone else, only its own satisfaction (Id, Ego, Superego, and the Unconscious in Psychology 101 at AllPsychOnline). The Id can be associated to Noah Cross when he said "I don't blame myself. You see, Mr. Gits. Most people never have to face the fact that at the right time, the right place, they're capable of anything" (Dirks). Cross was indirectly stating that he had an incestuous relationship with her daughter, Evelyn. The word "anything" was indeed frightening. 

 "I don't blame myself. You see, Mr. Gits. Most people never have to face the fact that at the right time, the right place, they're capable of anything" 

The ego is based on the reality principle. The ego understands that other people have needs and desires and that sometimes being impulsive or selfish can hurt us in the long run.  Its the ego's job to meet the needs of the id, while taking into consideration the reality of the situation.The Superego is the moral part of us and develops due to the moral and ethical restraints placed on us by our caregivers.  Many equate the superego with the conscience as it dictates our belief of right and wrong. According to Freud, the ego is the strongest so that it can satisfy the needs of the id, not upset the superego, and still take into consideration the reality of every situation  (Id, Ego, Superego, and the Unconscious in Psychology 101 at AllPsychOnline). Therefore, it is not shocking to us that Gittes was dumbfounded with the truth that Evelyn had an incestuous relationship with her father. After all, as an audience, I was in complete surprise and in utter disgust after Evelyn revealed the truth. This is because we know that incest is probably the biggest sin one can commit and it's against all society and religion beliefs. The teachings of our religion is our superego and our ego tells us not to commit incestuous relationship.


A Freudian slip is a verbal or memory mistake that is believed to be linked to the unconscious mind. Common examples include an individual calling his or her spouse by an ex's name, saying the wrong word or even misinterpreting a written or spoken word (Cherry). An obvious Freudian Slip was the word “glass”. The Chinese gardener tells Gittes “Salt water. Bad for glass.” Actually he was pointing that the salt water was bad for the grass. He asked the gardener to fish out the sparkling object he had seen earlier but didn't have time to fish out. The object is a pair of cracked spectacles (Dirks). Coincidence much?  After realization, "glass" unconsciously linked the glasses, the salt-water, and possibly, the murderer.


The movie 'Chinatown' can be related to Freud's Life Instincts (Eros), sometimes referred to as sexual instincts, the life instincts are those that deal with basic survival, pleasure, and reproduction. These instincts are important for sustaining the life of the individual as well as the continuation of the species. While they are often called sexual instincts, these drives also include such things as thirst, hunger, and pain avoidance. The energy created by the life instincts is known as libido (Cherry). In my opinion, this can be interconnected to Noah Cross's persistence to find Katherine. Perhaps, reproduction and continuation of species is the driving force behind his desperate behavior.

A fixation is a persistent focus on an earlier psychosexual stage. Until this conflict is resolved, the individual will remain "stuck" in this stage. For example, a person who is fixated at the oral stage may be over-dependent on others and may seek oral stimulation through smoking, drinking, or eating (Cherry). In 'Chinatown', we could see that Jake Gittes is constantly smoking. Possibly, during his oral stage he may be over-dependent.

Orally frustrated?

Work Cited

Cherry, Kendra. "Freud's Stages of Psychosexual Development." About.com Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/ss/psychosexualdev.htm>.

Cherry, Kendra. "Life and Death Instincts." About.com Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://psychology.about.com/od/sigmundfreud/a/instincts.htm>.

Cherry, Kendra. "What Is a Freudian Slip?" About.com Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://psychology.about.com/od/sigmundfreud/f/freudian-slip.htm>.

Dirks, Tim. "Chinatown (1974)." Filmsite. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.filmsite.org/chin4.html>.

"Id, Ego, Superego, and the Unconscious in Psychology 101 at AllPsychOnline."AllPsychOnline. N.p., 22 Sept. 2002. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://allpsych.com/psychology101/ego.html>.

Rain or "Summer Breeze"?

'Isn't this a lovely day' is choreographed accordingly by the event Jerry wanting to win Dale's heart. The event starts off by Jerry and Dale stranded under a gazebo due to the rain. Initially, Dale does not favour Jerry but she shows interest as Jerry progress by singing to her. When Jerry stands up, Dale gives in and starts mimicking Jerry's moves. Eventually, both of them dance in similar motion which means that Dale is favouring Jerry. As the thunder strikes, the dance gets even more aggressive which result them to dance together, with physical contact. This indicates that Jerry has successfully capture Dale's heart. On the other hand, 'You were meant for me' is choreographed in conjunction to Don wanting to express his love and sincerity to Kathy. Don brings Kathy to a studio setting and then confesses his love for her by making use of the apparatus in the studio. The ambiance is romantic even though it is artificially and electronically achieved. He starts by singing and inviting her to dance with him. Kathy is doubtful but she gives Don and herself a shot. In the dance, Don leads Kathy and it implies that she is willing to give this relationship a chance.

 'Isn't this a lovely day' begins by both, Jerry and Dale sitting on a bench. The first approach by Jerry on chasing Dale is by singing to her. Then, he stands up and starts whistling. The first imitation is when Dale whistles after Jerry whistles. From there, Dale starts to imitate Jerry's dance steps which later leads them to dance in synchronize. The thunder alarms them but they continue dancing and hence, it leads to physical contact. The physical contact somehow signifies that Dale gives in and accepts Jerry as her admirer. The musical number ends by both sitting on the floor with legs folded after a lively dance together. 'You were meant for me' begins by Kathy standing on the ladder. Similar to 'Isn't this a lovely day', Don initiates by singing 'You were meant for me'. Then, Don invites Kathy to dance by holding her hand. Kathy's willingness to dance with Don signifies that she trusts him and Don has successfully convinced Kathy that he loves her whole-heartedly. At the end, Don stands on the ladder indicating that he will take the lead in their relationship and that she can count on him.

The general meaning of the lyric 'Isn't this a lovely day' is, despite the bad weather, it is still a lovely day because they are trapped in the gazebo together. Jerry is also trying to convey that it does not matter if it is raining as long as Dale is with him. In my opinion, the honeyed lyric is sang by Jerry to win Dale's heart by convincing that even if life mistreats him, he will still be contented as long as she is with him. In contrast, the overall meaning of the lyric 'You were meant for me' is, Don telling Kathy her importance in his life and he is grateful that they have met. In my view, the lyric conveys a hidden meaning that Kathy's existence is the most sincere thing in Don's life as the life of a celebrity is pretentious and full of shenanigans.The tempo of 'Isn't this a lovely day' is andante (moderate pace) in the beginning when Jerry is singing. However, when he stops singing, the tempo  increases as they tap-dance simultaneously. The tempo is allegro (quick) during the alternates of the music and the dancing. At the end, it is presto (very fast) when the couple finally makes body contact and starts spinning, dancing together. On the other hand, the tempo of 'You were meant for me' remains slow (adagio) when Don is singing. The tempo increases as they started to dance together.'Isn't this a lovely day' is a fun, energetic number as the music has an upbeat tempo. What makes the music energetic is that it has elements like whistling and fast tap-dancing beats, Not to mention, noises from the background which is the thunder contributes to the energetic spirit. Meanwhile, 'You were meant for me' is rather lethargic as it has a slow tempo which creates an amorous and romantic sensation. Moreover, the beats of the tap-dancing is softer and slower in comparison to 'Isn't this a lovely day'. Therefore, it is least energetic.
                        

My preference would be 'Isn't this a lovely day'. This is chiefly because of the playful mood evoked by both the dance and song that puts a smile on my face. I especially enjoy the first two minutes where Jerry tries to woo Dale. Jerry's charming yet flirtatious way of approach to charm Dale creates an affection from me towards Jerry. In my opinion, the chase emits puppy-love type of romance, very playful yet innocent. Also, Dale's facial expression is priceless because you could see the fondness that gradually blossoms in her face as Jerry sings to her. On the other hand, 'You were meant for me' is leaning towards the sentimental romance which is touching but not as entertaining. In my view, Kathy's facial expressions do not vary in comparison to Dale's. Perhaps, this is due to Debbie Reynolds (Kathy) scarce experience in acting as she was only 19 years old. Nonetheless, "You were meant for me' is a great number as it is well sang and performed by the casts. However, I will still root for 'Isn't this a lovely day' as it appeals to me for I tend to adore light-hearted musical numbers compared to the sentimental ones. Therefore, Rain wins! 

A random notion of mine came up that Gene Kelly and Ginger Rogers would definitely make a fantastic couple in musicals. Both stars are good-looking, almost similar in age, not to mention, both are flamboyant dancers. What do you think?

Gene Kelly and  Ginger Rogers. What do you think?

Play with Music, literally.

The movie 'M' by Fritz Lang has haunted me as it did not give me a sense of closure at the ending. Hence, I was driven to do more research about 'M' to understand the movie better, probably was hoping to find closure. When I saw ET 10, I knew I was going to write it as I have done an ample research on it. I associated 'M' with the key characteristic of melodrama and did some in-depth analysis. So, is 'M' a melodrama?

According to Dirks, Melodrama Films are a sub-type of drama films, characterized by a plot to appeal to the heightened emotions of the audience. Melodrama, a combination of drama and melos (music), literally means "play with music." However, in 'M', there wasn't any adaptation of music. Throughout the movie, the only "music" heard was the whistle of Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre), who is whistling "In the Hall of the Mountain King". Therefore, this has reinforced that 'M' is not a melodrama.

Commonly, melodramas possess a characteristic of reinforcing social order of the world in which we live - the cops always catch the bad guys and the legal system always favors the innocent - very much a "rose-colored glasses" perspective of the world ( Whitlock). However, at the ending of 'M', the shot cuts to three of the victims' mothers crying before the sentence is announced. Hence, we do not know if Beckert is executed which eventually did not give a sense of closure to the audience. If 'M' is a melodrama, the story would have ended by Beckert sentenced to death because it is typical in melodrama that the good are always rewarded and the evil always punished. Therefore, this supports my point that 'M' refutes the genre of melodrama.

Another fundamental characteristic of melodrama is clear-cut issues of right vs wrong. However, this characteristic is not portrayed in the last 15 minutes of 'M' as I could not tell what was right or wrong. When Beckert defended himself in the kangaroo court in anxiety, psychopathic mask, he cries out: "I can't help myself! I haven't any control over this evil thing that's inside of me! The fire, the voices, the torment!'' He tries to describe how the compulsion follows him through the streets, and ends: "Who knows what it's like to be me?'' Beckert's speech was overwhelming and he successfully put me in his shoes which eventually led me to question "Is he to be blamed for committing such distorted act?" Perhaps, it was not entirely his fault because this man needed medical attention. Besides that, the sane side of him actually tried to repress from his desire to commit dreadful acts on children. Then, it made me ponder.. "Is Beckert the villain or victim?" 

villain or victim?

In addition, there is a confutation on clear-cut issues of right vs wrong by the criminal mob in the kangaroo court. So, were the "juries" right because they caught Beckert and Beckert was in the wrong for murdering children?  To be frank, the "juries" consisted mostly criminals and who are they to judge if Beckert's wrongdoings deserved to be punished? The situation did not give them rights to sentence Beckert just because he murdered children, after all Beckert has an excuse for being mentally-ill. In contrary, the criminals have no excuse for committing other crimes. Thus, it can be seen that there are confusions on right vs wrong in the last 10 minutes of 'M'. After reading an article by Robinson, the same question arose in my head: should we kill someone we find evil just because we think it will make us feel better?

After an in-depth analysis, I conclude that 'M' is not a melodrama.

Works Cited

Dirks, Tim. "Melodramas Films." Melodramas Films. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. <http://www.filmsite.org/melodramafilms.html>.

Robinson, Cassidy. "An Analysis – The Unresolved Legacy Of Fritz Lang’s “M”." The MacGuffin. N.p., 26 Jan. 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. <http://www.macguffinpodcast.com/macguffin-spotlight/an-analysis-the-unresolved-legacy-of-fritz-langs-m/>.

Whitlock. "Melodrama." Text + Genre. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. <http://myweb.csuchico.edu/~klwhitlock/TEXT/Melodrama/melodrama.html>.

The Rebellious Beauty.

What is it about Louise? Her performance in Pandora’s Box inspired powerful reactions from the public and the censors?


In my opinion, Louise Brooks has a peculiar personality that is distinctive from women of her era. In my opinion, Louise Brooks somehow contributed to the "flapper era" - Flappers were a "new breed" of young Western women in the 1920s who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior. Flappers were seen as brash for wearing excessive makeup, drinking, treating sex in a casual manner, smoking, driving automobiles and otherwise flouting social and sexual norms (wikipedia). Before " flapper era" women were more conservative as they did not dare to have short hair nor  wear make ups.

Besides that, I think Louise is phenomenal in front of the camera. The versatility of her facial expressions drew me to her. Her skills need no words as every expression is portrayed outstandingly. In fact, effortlessly. Brooks' style was so natural that critics complained she either couldn't or didn't act. (Louise Brooks: Life and Times of the Silent Movie Star). These are the critics:

 "Miss Brooks is attractive and she moves her head and eyes at the proper moment, but whether she is endeavoring to express joy, woe, anger or satisfaction it is often difficult to decide." - Quinn Martin

 "It does occur to me that Miss Brooks, while one of the handsomest of all the screen girls I have seen, is still one of the most eloquently terrible actresses who ever looked a camera in the eye."- Hall

Louise Brooks' performance in Pandora's Box triggered powerful responses as her character in the movie known as Lulu was controversial. The movie, Pandora's Box elicited controversial issues regarding sex, lesbianism, prostitution and murder which were highly "unchristian" during that era. Lulu's promiscuous role went against society norms of that era. No doubt, the controversies have provoked censorship.


What makes her sexy? What makes her dangerous? Refer specifically to her performance in the film.

When the word "sexy" comes into our mind. We think of Lilian Russell from the 1920s, Jean Harlow from the 1930s, Rita Hayworth from the 1940s, Marilyn Monroe from the 1950s, Elizabeth Taylors from the 1960s, Farrah Fawcett from the 1970s, Madonna from the 1980s, and Pamela Anderson from the 1990s.

Noticed the similarities among them? Yes, most of them were blondes and they had curly, voluminous hair. Not to mention, they were full-bust and often wore skimpy clothes to accentuate their figures.

Here's a picture on how "sexy" is portrayed: 

Jean Harlow from the 1930s

However, Louise Brooks gave the word "sexy" a different dimension. She had dark, bobbed hair, she was flat-chested and often wore loose clothes. In another word, she looked slightly androgynous. To me, her distinctiveness made her sexy.

Here's a picture of Louise Brooks:






In the movie, Pandora's box, Lulu's intelligence, promiscuity and feisty traits mould her into someone dangerous and cunning.
Lulu is intelligent for making use of her strength which was sex appeal. This can be seen when she threw tantrums at Schön when he demanded her to dance for Charlotte, Schön's fiancee. She played her forte by using her sex gestures to stimulate Schön. For example,she flagged her leg and exposed her back to seduce him. Eventually, Schön fell for it and kissed her intensely, witnessed by Charlotte.

Lulu is promiscuous as she does not reject love from anyone, including love from a woman and love from her husband's son. She lives her life as she pleases even if its against the general public's norm. 
The serial killer known as Jack The Ripper drew her curiosity further. Hence, she invited him into her lodge to make love to her without a penny to pay. This shows that she craves for men's attention.

In addition, Lulu is feisty because she took no orders from no one, including Schön. She shot Schön at the order of Schön ordering her to put a bullet through her head. 


Is Pandora’s Box an immoral film that deserves to be banned or cut?

In my personal view, Pandora's Box shouldn't be banned nor cut. Yes, controversial issues has been provoked in Pandora's Box. However, at the same time, this movie conveys moral values. It conveys a message that promiscuity and murder will only lead to self-destruction. Lulu's involvement in prostitution has eventually led Jack The Ripper to murder her. Not to mention, Lulu's act of murder has taken her wealth and glamour away. Personally, this movie had me pondering on how women should carry themselves and it made me realized that being unfaithful will only lead to catastrophe. I am sure this movie will have similar impact on other girls. Therefore, I conclude that Pandora's Box should not be banned nor cut as it is a great learning channel for girls and women. 





Work cited:

"Flapper." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Nov. 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flapper>.

Gladysz, Thomas. "Louise Brooks Is Lulu in Pandora's Box." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 Mar. 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thomas-gladysz/frank-wedekind-pandoras-box_b_1363956.html>.

"Louise Brooks: Life and Times of the Silent Movie Star." Louise Brooks: Life and Times of the Silent Movie Star. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.pandorasbox.com/biography.html>.