Final Blog!

As we watch progress through the film, "The Hurt Locker", how is the idea of realism being used for this movie? What kind of effects do you think this has on viewers?

-The Hurt Locker portrays realism in a very accurate sense. You can tell by watching this movie that the director and actors did research on the subject before they started filming.  I read an interview from a man that served in the War in Iraq and he said that he witnessed the events and daily life firsthand, he watched The Hurt Locker found much of the information and events to be historically accurate.  The Hurt Locker has been called "a near-perfect war film" by many of its critics. On the other hand, some war veterans are disturbed by the fact that one of the central characters was so reckless.  It raises the question, "Would a soldier who took such a brash approach to his mission, endangering both himself and all those under his leadership, really be allowed to keep his job?" They say that when you serve in the war you have to be very careful and take many precautions.  I don't know much about the mechanics of the War in Iraq so that makes it hard for me to say whether or not the movie is real and accurately represented, but from what I saw of it the events and situated seemed to be represented well.  I feel like when they made the movie they wanted to create a sense of what it would be like to be in the war and give a little insight into what the soldiers go through.  When a movie is accurate and based off of real events, it makes it easier for the viewer to watch.  They then have time to sit back and enjoy the film instead of picking out all of the parts that were not true or unrealistic. 

What do you think your biggest take away from this class?  What would be a suggestion to make the class better for next year?

My favorite part of class was the actor/actress tournament.  I love to debate so I suppose this a major reason why this was my favorite part.  I am more of a hands on learner so this helped me to put things into a better perspective.  I think that students should be comfortable getting up and speaking in front of people so this helped us all develop better public speaking abilities.  I think that next years class should definitely have a chance to participate in this.  Another take away from this class is the new way that I have developed to watch movies.  Prior to this class, I used to just watch movies for the enjoyment, but now when I watch movies I look at the mechanics of the film and think about how much work went into producing it.  It makes me appreciate the movie so much more when I take a deeper meaning out of it.  Now it bothers me when I watch a movie that is poorly put together or does not represent true events. As far as suggestions I can't think of many. Maybe less writing papers and more in class discussion.  This class was very different than any class I have taken before and it opened my eyes to a new way of learning.

Documentary Blog

Nichols writes, "The fact that there is more than one mode of documentary film strongly suggests that the representation of reality is not an objective, cut-and-dried affair. Although there may be only one historical world, and even if certain facts about it can be agreed upon as objectively true, the ways of seeing and representing that world, like the ways of interpreting it, vary considerably."

I think that by this statement he is trying to say that there are many different ways to interpret history or events.  While the historical evidence may be cut and dry, the way the people take the evidence may very drastically.  The way one person sees it may very well not be the way the next person sees it.  Each person has their own beliefs and opinions on the matter.  We learned from the reading about the six modes of documentary.  Each mode takes on their own way of interpreting the evidence.  They all vary drastically by the way they present the information. Each different mode touches base on each of the different paths when making a documentary.  The expository mode may involve the use of a voice that speaks to the viewer directly, persuading them or feeding them the information. The poetic mode is much more structured and stressed form or pattern over an explicit argument.  The observational has a fiction-like stress on the continuity of time and space.  The participatory mode relies on recording synchronous sound and building scenes that have a strong sense of internal continuity.  On the other hand, the reflexive mode makes the viewer aware of the conventions, leaving the expectations and assumptions usually unspoken.  Depending on which mode the documentary uses, the viewer may be persuaded a certain way. 

Blog Entry #2

In our book, Nichols writes, "An attentive viewer must also be familiar with the repertoire of  choices a director faces to recognize her decisions as choices rather than as simply the product of the camera's mechanical ability to record images." What do you think Nichols is trying to say in this statement and what are your thoughts?
After looking up the definition of repertoire, which is all the plays, songs, dances, etc., that a performer or group of performers knows and can perform, I think that Nichols is trying to say that ultimately the director has the power to create his/her own film.  Depending on the the director's technique or perspective on the piece the film can vary in many ways. If a movie were to be done by a different director, there would be a totally new approach on how the film is produced and portrayed. If you watch a film simply to see how it is mechanically constructed you will see how the directors repertoire shows through. I challenge all of you to watch a movie but instead of watching it for enjoyment, watch it to see how it is constructed.

Blog 2

After reading the introduction chapter to Engaging Cinema, what are your initial thoughts as to studying the subject of film?

The first chapter of Engaging Cinema really intrigued me.  It gave me insight to a new aspect of film that I had never thought of before.  Studying film seems really interesting because there are so many different areas that you can examine.  I like how the first chapter talked about how in a coupe of hours a film can tell a whole life story.  After reading this book and taking this class, I feel like I will never look at film the way that I did previously.

Are movies a social danger or a social benefit?

I have always viewed movies as something you watch and simply that. Now that I am faced with this question, I am not sure where I stand.  If movies have good content they are a social benefit. On the other hand, if movies have bad content they may be a social danger.  By seeing something done in a movie, often times it suddenly makes it acceptable in the real world.  I feel like movies have altered our traditions and culture. Society is driven by media and movies would be a major contributor to that.  Don't get me wrong, I think that movies are a great thing, but used in the wrong way they may pose a threat to society.

Blog 1

What are your thoughts about taking the class History Through Film? What do you hope to get out of this class and what strength do you bring to the class that will help us all progress forward as we learn?

I am really excited about taking this History Through Film Class.  It will be a much different approach of learning than my other classes.  A lot of the material we cover is through technology and film.  I have never used Blogger before so this is something new. I hope that by taking this class I will be prepared for college because I know I will be taking classes similar to this there.  I can't really think of any particular strengths that I bring to the class other than that I am the only Junior in the class so I have a younger perspective on things than the Seniors.  I also currently taking United States History so it will be interesting to see how the two classes work together and if there is a different perspective on the material.