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Paper Instructions:

Movie Paper:  Students will watch the movie, Les Misérables (2012 version – Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway): a movie based on the novel of Victor Hugo. At the heart of the movie/novel is the ancient and perennial theme – The Letter of the Law and the Spirit of the Law. Upon reflection, the student will write a three (3) page, double-spaced paper, entitled “The Letter of the Law and the Spirit of the Law,” addressing the nature of the law and how the subject of morality relates to/is the law: what really is this thing called law? The movie alone, together with the students’ thinking and imagination, will be all that is needed to write the paper. There is no right answer. Students who truly struggle with the concepts do well.

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Stand By Me (1986)

Take notes while watching the movie. Look for themes that were discussed in this module, such as emotional intelligence, gender stereotypes, personality development, temperament, gender roles, and self-esteem.

Select two themes that were present in the movie, and select two scenes from the movie that best portray those themes. Write a 2-3 page paper that addresses the following:

Give the title of the film and a brief synposis
Explain Theme 1, referencing the course material and outside sources where appropriate
Describe Scene 1 and explain how it portrays Theme 1
Explain Theme 2, referencing the course material and outside sources where appropriate
Describe Scene 2 and explain how it portrays Theme 2
Summarize your paper
Include a reference page and appropriate citations for any sources used

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Instruction:
"Fire Sale" Memo
In the movie Margin Call, Sam Rogers (played by Kevin Spacey), and his boss, John Tuld (played by
Jeremy Irons) disagree about selling the firm's majority holdings in mortgage-backed securities in a
single day of trading. Sam points out they are knowingly selling something that has "no value," thereby
putting others out of business. Tuld--who predicts that a major financial collapse is imminent--insists
they must do it "to survive." He responds that most of the other Wall Street institutions won't "make it
out."
As a board member, you were listening very carefully during the meeting when the predicament was
explained and the options were discussed. Now, write a memo to John Tuld (and copy Sam Rogers)
stating your position on the plan for a "fire sale." Choose one side or the other--don't sit on the fence.
Focus your memo on the ethical implications of the sale.

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Paper Instructions:

Compare 3 movies of director Bong Joon-ho. Parasite & Snowpiercer & Memories of Murder
These three movies are all related to social structure. Can talk about what sets these movies apart to the level of attention to details. How director Bong Joon-ho creates details of the set design of these movies to express the social structure he wants to deliver to the audience.

Movie Write Up as Therapist Role

Introduction

            ‘Precious’ narrates the story of a young woman who was impregnated by her father. Precious is an illiterate 16-year-old teenager at the mercy of her abusive mother and father. When the chance to transform her life appears, she takes it. In an attempt to portray an accurate picture of the turbulence lifestyle of an obese teenager, the movie’s plot engages the audience through Precious’ determination to succeed against all the odds. Once precious starts schooling, her class teacher, Blu Rain, inspires her pursuit for better education and life. Finally, Precious acquires the ability to read and write (Precious, 2009). She then meets with a social worker named Ms. Weiss. Ms. Weiss learns of Precious hurtful past after she reveals it to her. This paper will articulately analyze precious’s condition from a therapist perspective.

Client in Context

            Precious was raised in an abusive family. Unlike other families where the parents cater to their children's needs, Precious' parents are negligent and abusive towards her. For example, her father raped her. Due to these sexual assaults, she bore two disabled children. Her devastating situation hinders her from consistently attending school. At only 16 years old, Precious works more than two jobs to meet her needs. One of the 'Precious’ children, Mongo, lives with her grandmother. The continuous abuse from her mother causes both emotional and physical abuse. A negligent mother, Mary idles all day and collects retirement benefits fraudulently. Against these abusive backgrounds, Precious has to beat all odds in order to succeed. Her mother believes that education will not benefit Precious (Precious, 2009). To escape from a life of despair and hardship, Precious often fantasizes about a better life and opportunities. Due to her pregnancy, Precious is transferred to an alternative school. The transfer turns out to be an advantage to her. It is through the alternative school that precious revives her hopes for a better life through education. While attending the alternative school; Precious acquire the ability to read and write.

            Precious betters her life and even comes to terms with her condition. This prompts her to seek professional help. Therefore, Precious has to stabilize her emotions and even form a relationship with other men and women. Her hardships tend to block her progress in other areas, such as romantic relationships. Thus, changing the environment was the right thing to do. More so, her background does not help rebuild her life. It is vital to note the rejection from the society Precious faces, which forces her to be admitted into an alternative school. Therefore, Precious goes through hell and makes it against all odds (Precious, 2009). The most memorable part of the movie is when she reclaims her confidence and achieves everything she ever wanted.

            Precious life and background prove that an abusive childhood is not a source of perseverance. Instead, certain unique personality characteristics facilitate specific exceptional individuals to overcome suffering. Subsequently, it can be concluded that Precious adapts to her hard domestic life within a socially neglected space. Psychologists claim that Precious integrated the perceptive forms of her surroundings so that she could cope with her hardship lifestyle. The essence of her background gives psychological facts of how she can create her future by forgetting her past. 

Privilege and Oppression

            So far, Precious' father has not yet been taken to court for sexually assaulting his daughter. Also, Precious’ parents cannot meet her needs forcing her to stray way from home (Kyrölä, 2017). The fact that her mother and father are not held accountable or even charged for their actions proves that they are privileged, and they can do as they please. Every parent should ensure their children can access health, education, and even housing. Precious life is highly disoriented at a personal level because of her parents' irresponsible behavior. Also, in the movie, other students come from a well-off family hence easier to draw out a contrast between Precious and other average families. Through the application of the first-person narrative, one can tell that Precious has low self-esteem.

            On the other hand, one cannot ignore the isolation Precious has undergone due to her traumatic experience. The intentional focus on a child's ambition often creates a timeline for helping the victimized child gain newfound confidence and then put all the effort into correcting the past trauma she has undergone in the long run (Kyrölä, 2017). The probability of changing a person’s perception depends on handling pain caused by close relatives. In this particular case, identifying Precious issues will help solve her problems and find a middle ground for dealing with other psychological factors affecting her health. More so, if Precious admires other people more than her own home, she might be emotionally disturbed and emotionally absent from her routines and ambitions. The chance to live beyond other challenges and create an alternative image for the rest of the people gives Precious the ability to catapult her life into a significant success. At the same time take hold of her life. Being born to an alcoholic father and an abusive father, the only positive thing in Precious life is garnering more confidence and issuing out personal initiatives so that she can acquire education and pursue other things about her life. 

            Having personal support systems that can assist one in attaining certain personal relationships requires Precious to go to other places (Kyrölä, 2017). Keeping her in a new environment will transform her mind into a more objective-oriented individual who can turn her life around ad use the resources around her to start a new life and recuperate while doing other things. In other matters concerning how she should navigate her newly found freedom, Precious should limit the amount of time spent with her immediate family members because of the past abuses and sexual assault.

Trauma History

            Precious’ mother does not know the importance of education to her daughter. The mother collects her retirement benefits fraudulently and intentionally does not care about the plight of her daughter. Also, Precious’ mother does not stop her father from raping her and getting her pregnant. Against such a strict background, the people close to her are supposed to take care of her needs. Instead, one of the most perceptive changes is ensuring that Precious only interacts with people who will help steering her dreams to greater heights (Masla, 2019). It is good to note that Mary, Precious' mother berates her daughter, which is a disadvantage to her emotional well-being. As seen, numerous factors are affecting Precious emotional wellbeing. For most of it, Mary and her husband should be held accountable for mistreating a child and allow harm to come to their daughter. Therefore, one can personally separately Precious from the parents. More so, looking at all the possibilities, precious is obese and this has taken a deep toll on her self-image. One cannot forget that as she suffers from obesity, her mother abuses hence diminishing her self-image further. This only implies that she suffers from sexual abuse and eating disorders. The devastating and uplifting nature of her lifestyle forces her to adapt to new situations and norms so that she can forget her traumatic past and eventually live a healthy life full of memorable memories. One of the most notable things about Precious is that she has lived an isolated life. Her personal experiences differ from other people. The individuals close to her are responsible for her trauma and hardships. In the end, she opts to find a haven while pursuing an education. The only way to help her is by speaking kind but not empty words to her. Most importantly, she should have access to government social amenities that would allow her to be able to cater to her needs. In other words, Precious emerges from a poor abusive background that needs to separate from. This way, she can get to know the world she has never been to while at the same time recover from the trauma she has been facing from her parents. Based on expert research, Precious may exhibit other numerous related issues such as excessive stress and unsafe due to the memories and flashbacks. Therefore, Precious needs treatment tailored to meet her traumatic experiences in troublesome childhood. The broad understanding of her stress reactions will probably open up her common feedback to medication and preventive measures issued at the health institutions. This is an indication of hope and brings Precious closer to a quick recovery in case she starts any psychological treatment. 

Strength and Resilience Areas

            One strength and resilience area in Precious’ life is her hope for education. After her father impregnated her, Precious moves into an alternative school where she meets Blu. While learning in that alternative school, she get more experience and knowledge hence forcing her to improve her life. The perspective and attention she gives to the situation is an indication that lets one know that she is ready to accept change and pursue knowledge and information (Hamid, 2012). Thus, Precious is already making progress through her education and seeing a nurse on the side. Also, one windy and snowy day she comes across a church. She fantasizes about singing in the choir. The perceptive nature of Precious gives her an edge over her condition. She is hardworking and hopeful. Also, Ms. Rain is supportive of Precious condition. For example, Ms. Rain finds Precious and her daughter in the classroom, instead of chasing them out, she quickly ensures that they are safe their needs are catered for. There is nothing as important as a support system in a troubled person's life. Another strength and resilience she exhibits is the courage to chase her dreams and seek treatment from third parties. Ms. Rain gives her a place to stay and she is appreciative and even kind towards Ms. Rain. The only distinguishing quality she has is the ability to understand herself and what her situation entails. This implies that she must be treated respectfully. In summary, Precious has a reliable support system for teachers and other concerned parties. Additionally, she is usually actively involved in bettering her condition and initiating strategies to make her life better than the previous occasions. 

DSM Diagnosis

            Precious diagnosis depends on the rate at which she adapts to her situation. In case she does not give in to her situations, she always finds some alternative ways of dealing with her emotional and social issues (Hamid, 2012). Her issues revolve around feeling unloved loathed by other people. Parental abuse from a parent needs counseling and three-hour sessions containing the mood. From her condition, the following are some of the possible diagnosis

• Precious suffers from anxiety and worry due to her violent background
• She  succumb to stress due to her feeding disorder
• Her biological father raped causing her anguish and pain
•  Excessive eating is a coping mechanisms for stress
• May experience attention deficit when interacting with her parents

Routes of Engagement

            Precious is a teenager and the best way to approach her situation is through people close to her. For example, Ms. Blu should learn of her therapy session and contribute to her recovery plan. The more people come to terms with her condition, the more convenient her condition becomes hence enabling other people around her to contribute to her wellbeing. It is vital to note that Precious’s obesity and eating habits are part of the treatment. She excessively eats as a coping mechanisms. If she is to regain her complete health she needs to feel loved and the newly acquired relationships around the school. Similarly, Precious has to open up to the people she trusts. The establishment of trust can only be enforced through people she loves and cares for. Therefore, the grandmother will play a crucial role in ensuring that there is a connection between the therapist and the client. Looking at her situation holistically tends to give an accurate perspective of the issues he passed through. Playing part in her life only means that her entire life is based on her worries. It would be wise to make decisions out of Precious’ life background. Connecting her therapist based on her past.

Therapeutic Interventions

Emotional freedom technique is a substitute medication for physical pain and responsive sorrow. Precious needs this medication to relief her pain and balance her energy system. Energy disruption causes her pain. This therapeutic intervention will reduce her anxiety levels and post trauma (Schwarz et al., 2016). These specific therapeutic mechanisms will assist in restoring her energy levels and regain her consciousness. Any imbalance in Precious body might cause her body sickness.

 The second therapeutic intervention brain spotting. Any child who has been through parental abuse needs to change her thinking patterns and the best way to achieve this is through brain spotting (Masson et al., 2017). In order to define, process and release emotional stress and other emotional imbalances, Precious has to undergo brain spotting therapy. This therapeutic intervention integrates body and sensory strategies to restore social relationships in the life of the victim. Brain spotting relies on focusing on positive matters and naturally make new experiences from the old ones. More so, brain spotting affects parts of the brain that cannot be medicated through customary therapeutic approaches. In summary, Precious needs to regain a healthy emotional state and an active social life away from her abusive parents.

References

 Hamid, A. (2012). A Grammatical analysis of African American vernaculas english in precious movie.

Kemit, I. E. B., & Susetiyo, P. B. (2015). The Stereotype of African American Women in Lee        Daniel’s Precious Movie (2009) (Doctoral dissertation, UNIVERSITAS AIRLANGGA).

Kyrölä, K. (2017). Feeling bad and Precious (2009): Black suffering, white guilt, and       intercorporeal subjectivity. Subjectivity, 10(3), 258-275.

Masla, D. H. L. P. (2019). An Analysis Of Miss Rain's Teaching Method In" Precious" Movie By Lee Daniels (Doctoral Dissertation, University Of Muhammadiyah Malang).

Masson, J., Bernoussi, A., & Moukouta, C. S. (2017). Brainspotting Therapy: About a Bataclan Victim. Global Journal of Health Science, 9(7).

Precious. (2009). Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-cWrqmiVkw

Schwarz, L., Corrigan, F., Hull, A., & Raju, R. (2016). The comprehensive resource model: Effective therapeutic techniques for the healing of complex trauma. Taylor & Francis.

“Enemy of the State”

Summary

"Enemy of the State" is about the government surveillance and in particular the work of the National Security Agency. The U.S congress wants to pass counterterrorism legislation that supports the expansion of surveillance powers.  Hamersley is against the legislation as he believes that it will destroy the privacy of the citizens. On the other hand, an NSA official Reynolds supports the passage of the bill as he is the aware that once the bill is passed, he will get a promotion within the NSA (Scott, 1998). For this reason, Reynolds and other NSA agents kill Hamersley and move his body near a lake. However, near the lake, there is a video camera that a wildlife researcher use to monitor bird migration. When Daniel Zavitz hears the new report about the murder, he retrieves the videotape and informs a journalist.  However, Reynolds’s team attempts to remove the tape but Zavits converts the type into a DVD and moves to stay with his friend Will Smith (Scott, 1998). However, he is hit by a fire truck and this is where he meets his death.

            Up to this point, the movie clearly shows that the government officials are using the governmental powers inappropriately or in other words, they have a self-interest. Rather than using the power to meet the security needs of the citizens, they want to benefit themselves. For example, Reynolds is a self-interested character since he is acting in a manner that he wants to take care of his needs but not to bring great good to many. Another important point to note is that in a high-tech world, technology has changed every aspect of life. Thanks to computers, video cameras, and other technologies that have a positive influence on national security. However, the movie reveals the negative side of the technology in that there is a data misuse by the respective authority and this is an indication that the government is unable to prevent external threats (Masco, 2014). There is a lack of internal control and the movie clearly shows that the authorities are practicing corruption and abuse of power. It is evident that national security agencies are the "bad guys'.

Critique

  The terrorist attack on September 11 made the Americans put security as a number one priority than civil liberties. However, the issue of concern is about personal privacy as the citizens argue that national security policies restrict people from enjoying civil liberties. Even though citizens agree combating terrorism is an important step, they argue that government monitoring or in other words they have raised privacy concerns arguing about government intrusion (Masco, 2014). A point to note is that the First Amendment granted individuals civil liberties or free exercise and therefore the government should not use the latest techniques to control the lives of citizens as shown in the movie. Thus, the citizens are against constant surveillance, or in other words since the September 2011 attack, the government has imposed extreme surveillance and the citizens think that they are not exercising their rights. To understand the key message of the movie, Masco (2014) introduces the state for the U.S national security. Masco (2014) says that the cold war politics established the National security Act for intelligence-gathering activities. From the movie, it is clear that the national security agency dictated security strategies that have brought dramatic destruction in the U.S. Note that the U.S  fear the cold war threat but the National Security Agency has brought new volatility and crisis through the creation of own democratic principles.  

Masco (2014) argues that America experienced the fear of the cold war and today, Americans are experiencing fear from the national security agency. The film also reveals the effect of globalization which has enabled people to move from one place to another yet the National Security Agency has anonymous forces to control human movement and actions.  However, the challenges associated with S&T are that there are no uniform policies to control the technical information.   Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, citizens argue that they do not access information that might help them become aware of the terrorist attacks. The new control policies restrict the technical information and if that is the case, there should be classification based on the information to be released to the public and the information that should be retained to protect national security (Knezo, 2006). Note that in the movie, the National Security Agency has access to personal data, or in other words, other words it has the power to monitor and control the daily lives of Americans. Individuals' lives are under the surveillance systems and this raises the issue of individual rights over national security. Since individuals cannot escape surveillance, there should be a new surveillance program that classified top-secret information.

In "survival is your business", Masco (2008) states that after the Cold War, America focused on nation-building. For example, the atomic bombs were a military technology that promotes security in the nation as well as in individual lives. In general, the U.S initiated a techno scientific project that could protect the nation from internal and external threats. However, the movie reveals that technology is associated with civil defense but it possess nuclear fear in contemporary American society. It is worth saying that the Cold War nuclear project has created a U.S security culture that has increased fear. This is because the National Security Agency uses nuclear weapons which are contributing to an unending threat (Masco, 2008). The move reveals that there is a continuity of nuclear threat in that the National Security Agency under the Obama administration uses a massive invasion of privacy and strong security measures. The agency is violating the constitutional rights using audios, videos, data-mining tools to access individual's information.

Enemies in the state

            In the theme of government surveillance, the movie reveals that the National Security Agency is the enemy of the state and it becomes an enemy by using the government power and surveillance technology to keep citizens under constant surveillance (McGrath, 2014). The surveillance technology should be used for crime prevention but in modern Western societies, the surveillance practices have gone beyond what is expected. Critics are experiencing fear and social conflict merely because the National Security Agencies have a capitalist spirit that allows them to turn the nation into a world of atomistic. Note that U. S is a capitalist society and such a society is associated with inevitable conflict.  Another important point to note is that in the 20th century, America believed that nations should form mutual support and provide collective security. The coming together of the nations and forming the league to nation provided better security. However, after the September 11 attack, the U.S realized the need for national security and developed the National Security Doctrine that gave the military the power to protect humans (McGrath, 2014).  The U.S could provide political, economic, and military support to the National Security Agency and as a result, the NSA strengthened the security state to an extent of restricting individuals from enjoying their civil liberties'.

Focusing on the state of national security, it is worth noting that the National Security Agency is violating America's rights. The agency is using unconstitutional surveillance such as the use of the internet without a warrant. The government justifies its actions by arguing that its attempt to target terrorism but Americans argue that their privacy is affected since they also use the technology to communicate with their family and friends. Even if the government justifies its actions for protecting the nation, it is important to put into consideration privacy rights and be sure that the individuals enjoy their civil rights. Thus, security in Western society possesses many challenges, and maintain national security will not make any sense if the government will not review the Fourth Amendment. The government should understand that accessing an individual's information will not maximize security but the act will violate the fundamental rights and citizens will be restricted from speaking and expressing themselves. The government should make smart decisions that do not make people fearful. The government should be aware that the current national security is generating fear simply because those within the authorities are acting in a hostile way.

References

Knezo, G. J. (2006, December). " Sensitive But Unclassified" Information and Other Controls: Policy and

Options for Scientific and Technical Information. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC

CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE.

Masco, J. (2008). “Survival is your business”: engineering ruins and affect in nuclear

America. Cultural Anthropology, 23(2), 361-398.

Masco, J. (2014). The theater of operations: National security affect from the Cold War to the

War on Terror. Durham: Duke University Press.

 McGrath E. John. (2014). Loving Big Brother: Performance, Privacy and Surveillance Space.

Psychology Press.

Scott Tony.   (20 November 1998). Enemy of the State.

Spotlight Movie Reaction

Introduction

‘Spotlight’ charmingly manages the vivid information of its fact-dependent storyline while fighting the urge to idolize its protagonists. This captures the attention of the viewers and brings to life the real-life situations. The movie narrates the thrilling true story of an award winning investigation which revealed a crisis in one of the world most trusted entity. When a team of journalists embark on an investigation to unveil a ten year old cover up at Boston’s governmental institutions, the world was shocked and brought to its knees (Atiyas, & Thoyibi, 2018). This movie tells the story in an old fashion way hence revealing not only usual comparisons but devotes to capturing the struggles reporters go through on a daily basis.

The Theme of Journalism

 Based on the ‘Spotlight’ movie, the main work of a journalist is collect information, research, inscribe, direct, proofread and file new stories and articles. Their work can be then be used in television and other media outlets. For instance, in ‘Spotlight’ Robby oversees the activities of a team of a reporters (Barnes, 2015). All the reporters in the movie are local residents and they are all members of the Catholic Church. When Marty Barton arrives, he is welcomed into the town as a newcomer. When Barton meets Robby, he suggest a story that would damage the image of the Catholic Church. Robby easily convinces Barton to abandon the story and focus more on other stories relevant to the newspaper company. In simpler terms, a journalist should pursue the truth no matter what.

Advocacy and Justice within the Court System

 Journalists investigate issues which inform on the plight of children. Telling the world the stories of children helps children get help from different institutions. The movie informs on milestone Supreme Court cases as a confirmation of the professional value of journalism within a self-governing community (Barnes, 2015). The reporters are able to follow up on the systematic child abuse by priests and then stand against the abuse. This act of courage helps to inform the community on child protection regulations. At the end of the day, the film gives the audience a strong argument on safeguarding the voice of reason and press liberty. In addition, the journalists can find solutions to any challenges the child face on a daily basis. When the Boston investigation unveils the extensive child abuse in catholic institutions. Even though child abuse was for a long time a secret, journalists bring it to light and expose the perpetrators of the heinous crime. The church is supposed to protect the weak, journalists rose to the occasion when they revealed the crime.

Role of Research and Highlighting Evil in the Society

 The role of research in advocacy according to ‘Spotlight’ movie is the team’s investigation made child abuse a national issue forcing justice systems to act. The journalists’ articles and the victims’ testimonies facilitated the much awaited justice in the corridors of power. This movie was a reminder of the importance of liberty and the ability of journalists to go out of their way to fight powerful institutions without any fear or favor (Scott, 2016). Later, a $3 billion settlement was reached and other survivors are still awaiting justice from the law courts.

Elements of the Movie

 One of the most important element in the movie is the reliance of a real-life story.  The producers ensured that the chronological flow of the movie heavily relied on ideal real-life patterns and maintained a steady style of narrating the story. Just like real-life, the protagonists were not the center of attention and their professional role was highlighted more than any other aspect of the movie. While the audience might have noticed the dramatic, the movie won an award under the best picture category (Atiyas, & Thoyibi, 2018). Also, the film chronicles the struggles journalists go through on a daily basis while working on various pieces. The movie opens up with a prologue set within a law enforcement surrounding. In the first scene a mother is convinced not to file a law suit against a priest. A vital aspect noted in the movie is corruption and the inability to act without coercion. Besides, journalists make time to follow up and make tough decisions which open up to inner settings of the crime and other factors such as increasing the voice of the prejudiced. Further, the movie consistently tries to entertain and educate the audience hence they subtly bring to the table to enlighten on the work ethic and restrained needed to carry out a highly insensitive story.

 In summary, the movie only sets the mood for justice. Journalists who cover intensive and sensitive stories tend to be targets of criticism. Yet, they go out of their way to do all the work in order to bring to light injustice and hidden systematic failure in the justice system. The movie exposes child abuse within the Catholic Church. These crimes went unreported for a long time and the journalists unveil a cover up and patterns of stifling justice hence ending up bringing justice to the people.

References

Atiyas, J. N., & Thoyibi, M. (2018). Sexual Abuse in Catholic Church in Spotlight Movie (2015) Directed By Tom Mc Carthy: A Reception Theory (Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta). http://eprints.ums.ac.id/62181/1/ARTICLE%20PUBLICATION.pdf

 Barnes.H., (2015) Spotlight: the reporters who uncovered Boston's Catholic child abuse scandal. Guardian News & Media Limited https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jan/13/spotlight-reporters-uncovered-catholic-child-abuse-boston-globe

Scott A.o., (2016) Review: In ‘Spotlight,’ The Boston Globe Digs Up The Catholic Church’s Dirt https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jan/13/spotlight-reporters-uncovered-catholic-child-abuse-boston-globe

My Wife That Night (1930)

 This film has been able to survive all through the years. The ability to remain relevant and actionable makes it a classic film among most of the people. During its era, the theatrical motion pictures were in form of scene editions from various plays. This made the visuals more appealing to the viewers. The heroic theme of the film chains suspense to emotional domestic production and carefully applies neatly evocative cinematography. Revolving the film around morality and crime for the sake of supporting family systems and shaping out the moral dilemma of authorities is one of the most memorable part of the film. The opening images are covered in extensive darkness and exposes skyscrapers and well-built city. Having to later consolidate the movie into a one room scenery awakens the scenery and aesthetics of the film.

 The opening scene of the film occurs in a darkly lit street. A shadow is seen hastily walking along the streets before a person’s figure appears and leans on a wall. On the other side of the street an officer takes his personal belongings as he prepares to leave a police station. The officer waves to a friend who is still working on some of the day’s assignments. The condescending nature of these two scenes forces the viewer to critically think and bring to light the correlation of the actions taking place. Meanwhile as the picture shifts attention from the smoking officer to another one making a call, the images steadily drifts away and darkens before closing in on the image. This kind of cinematography maintains attention and traction of the story.

The film does not drag its storyline as things happen in quick succession hence bringing to light the director's ability to closely follow through the script and ensure that no part is left behind or overshadowed by redundancy scenes. Integrating imagery, speeches, and culture into one set also makes the film memorable and its message clear. Further, the mastery of the different plots makes the film educative and worth the watch. Some of the scenes displayed at the beginning of the film signify the turns and twists found within the plot because the thief is gets a chance to escape punishment at the end of the film. Eventually, the familiar context of the entire film resonates with the stretched features manifesting into a relevant movie that can captivate any audience no matter the age. For instance, the scenes switch from the police station to another location where the film maker introduces an assailant pointing a gun at a terrified man. The film integration does not allow the viewer to tell the exact location of the violence. The thief runs out of the office after stealing the money and remove the clothes he used to perpetrate the crime.

 In order for the audience and even the filmmakers to make sense of a film, the film must be able to entertain, educate, and stitch together normal issues that affect the current society or world. The reverberations of the actions need to not only appeal but also lay bare the challenges people meet in everyday life. Furthermore, blending magic in the robbing scenes was abrupt and well thought and made it even more interesting to the audience. In other words, the fighting scenes made the film engaging not perfect but worth the watch. For example, the assailant pushes a man into a room full of captives and the scene immediately changes into an outside scene with cars on the road. The juxtaposition and the timely alterations makes the film more interesting and the plot thickens as the scene with the captives returns. In actual sense the lack of words in the movie makes it interesting and drives attention of the viewer.

 Additionally, the education role was pivotal in driving the narrative throughout the entire film. The audience had to know that the world has good and evil and it is the sole responsibility of man to make the right decisions and do what is deemed right in the eyes of everyone. For instance, the scene where the robber steals money after tying up the men. The film lacked a commentary and this was because the directors of the film made the message of the film obvious and understandable to the audience. Still, capturing the attention of various people and then taking into account actions, emotions, and trying to interpret everything for the audience came out as dull but it had the desired effect on the film. Everyone wants to watch an understandable film. The film does not try to alter locations as they only depict rural locations. Moreover, the film took advantage of the geographical landscape apart from the human settlements even though the directors never fully emphasized it, it still made a lasting impression on the viewers. The natural sceneries assisted to build up the actual context of the film as the story unfolds and becomes more intricate. Another key point of the film was an emphasis on social relationships in creating functional family values where people can achieve anything due to the right mindset and keen skillsets. Breaking down stereotypes and pushing forward humane issues give the film a unique angle and relevance that will stay with it over time.

Continuity system in The Cheat Movie

The continuity system in The Cheat Movie enables the viewers to use their brains to conjoin the images. Even though the images are noncontinuous, people perceive the images as fragmented or in other words, they believe that there is a progression of images (CHAPTER 2). The continuity system promotes an explicit narrative action. It avoids awkward jumps, which may cause distraction or confusion. For example, The Cheat film employs the following powerful techniques to ensure a temporal continuity. These techniques ensures a coherent and a clear story through creating a smooth flow of space, time, and location.

Crosscutting- The movie contains parallels or two actions happening at different places at the same time (Classic Films, 1).  Viewers develop suspense and compare the story. During cross-cutting, the viewer's expects the actions to happen later, or in other words, the line of actions will be joined together.

Analytical editing- In the movie, the shots are organized in a way they have spatial relations. In other words, shots are established in a way that the subsequent shots gives the viewer a sense of the scene (Classic Films, 1). This prevents disorientation. The film has a continuity of time, and this gives the viewers well-defined information. In general, analytic editing does not withdraw attention since the viewers do not realize how things are occurring.

Contiguity editing- the film has dramatic lighting that shows a good contiguity editing.  In the film, the viewer can notice that the characters go out of sight and then re-appears.  For example, the audience can maintain spatial relations since the motion pictures are put in a consistent direction (Classic Films, 1). This creates a sense of reality and avoids confusion and inconsistent.  Note that ‘The Cheat' is a fast-paced movie and gives an immediate subsequent shot.

Work cited

CHAPTER 2. THE PROBLEM OF NARARTIVE CLARITY.

Classic Films. Cecil B DeMille The Cheat 1915 full movie. 2015

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Reaction 1     

The video ‘A passion for Justice’ by Ida B Wells sheds light on the forms of injustice that African Americans were forced to endure as a result of racism, social class and gender. When describing the events that occurred after the abolition of slavery, the narrator comments on how African American men were allowed to vote two years after the abolition. Despite being human beings that deserve equal rights, African American men were still regarded a more important than women and this demonstrates the extent in which race and social class prevented African American women from enjoying their rights and freedoms. The exclusion of women from the right to vote is similar to how the contribution of African American women in the fight for equal rights is often left out or forgotten when documenting history. Lack of acknowledging the role that African American play in society contributed to the lack of information regarding African American women contributions in women black women studies as mentioned by Barbara Smith and Gloria T Hull.

Reaction 2

            Another point that is worth noting is the way the whites reacted after the decline in the economy following the abolition of slavery. Since there was no free labor to do all the work, the economy took a negative hit and the whites accused the poor state of the economy on the African Americans. The whites were of the opinion that African Americans were a genetically inferior race and that, if let free, they would result to violence and other acts that could be responsible for the decline in the economy. Rather than admitting that boosting the economy would require whites doing some of the work, the whites considered themselves too superior and that the poor economy was a matter of race rather than lack of workers to produce products that would later be sold to consumers. The negative stereotype is similar to the misconception that whites and some African American males had reached a new level of emotional control. According to Wells, the belief that people from a specific race or gender were superior to others greatly contributes to the existence of stereotypes that discriminate against others in the community especially African American women.

Reaction 3

            Lastly, the part in the video regarding the idea of marriage between African Americans and whites was interesting as it exposed the way in which whites view people from other races. Despite the abolition of slavery and the fight for equal rights for African Americans, whites were outraged by the meagre suggestion of marriages between African American men and white women. On a racial basis, it exposed the negative way in which whites viewed African Americans. In relation to gender, it exposed the different treatment that African American men and women receive despite belonging to the same ethnic group. Similar to Barnett’s argument that women failed to get recognition for their contributions due to their gender and social class, the video further shed light on how African American women were treaded as inferior to even their male counterparts. The discrimination against women made it difficult for researchers and writers to document achievements from African American women because their contributions, despite the impact they had, were often considered irrelevant. African American men were given some sense of recognition depending on their achievement and position held in society and thus became the focus for publications about African American’s fight for equality.

Criminal justice

Show: CSI

 CSI or crime scene investigation is a crime drama about Las Vegas forensic investigators. In the show, the primary role of the police in solving crimes. Police are required to solve crimes through conducted investigation to search for evidence (FANDOM, n.d).  In specific, police are required to use forensic science or scientific methods to find physical evidence at crime scenes.

 The aspects that seem realistic are that the show presents the actual world by using real people addressing social issues. For example, the show presents the Las Vegas Crime Lab’ and use forensic evidence to solve a crime. In general, the show focus on real life, common problems, and the need to make tough decisions (FANDOM, n.d). However, the show has some aspects that make it unrealistic. For instance, the show presents gratuitous graphic violence, sexual content, sexual pleasure, and other images which are unacceptable. Another unrealistic aspect is the police procedure.  In this case, the characters investigate crime scenes and play the role that could be played by detectives (FANDOM, n.d). Note that both detectives and CSI solve crimes but they differ in the knowledge used to find critical evidence. In addition, it is unrealistic that the use of forensic science takes a short period or in other words, and it is associated with speedy resolutions.

 CSI has affected various areas including the jurors; they not only rely on forensic evidence but they need more categorical proof. Jurors argue that forensic evidence is a little knowledge that cannot be applied in the real world.  This is because, it is associated with errors and thus, there should be futuristic technology (FANDOM, n.d). Jurors require ultra-high-tech tests and empirical evidence

 The representation of the policy in the television makes the public create distorted perceptions. For example, after watching the show, people are likely to overestimate the serious crimes, they may have a negative perception about the judicial system, people also receive the world as scary, they fear being victimized, and they feel insecure (FANDOM, n.d). However, the influence on public perception is a good thing since people are inspired to study forensic science, participate in society, and find reality.

Reference

 FANDOM. CSI:Crime Scene Investigation. Retrieved from: https://csi.fandom.com/wiki/CSI:Crime_Scene_Investigation

 Game of Thrones

Introduction

Culture combines many elements to create a unique way of living for different people, these elements include symbols, norms, language and values. Having watched the famous show Game of Thrones airing on HBO, I can identify the components of culture from it. the first element of culture identified from this show is the Iron Throne which is a symbol that stands for power, whoever sits on it rules the kingdoms, language is another component of culture, in the show there are actors speaking Valerian and English, this identifies them with a certain culture. Values is another component of culture that has been seen on Game of Thrones, loyalty is a value that is highly displayed on the show, the subject to the rulers display a high degree of loyalty. Norms another component of culture is very visible in the show, bending the knee to show complete surrender to a ruler is something that has been followed for a very long time in the show (HBO, n.d).

Cultural values are the core principles on which a community is based (Crowell, n.d).  Loyalty is a value; it is a strong feeling of support or allegiance. From the start of the program to the end loyalty is very visible. Those acting as hands to the kings and queens in the show display a high degree of loyalty to these rulers. The soldiers also display loyalty when in the battle field they stand by their rulers and die fighting for them. A sub culture or counterculture are values and norms of a group of people that are different from those of the mainstream society, in the program there is a group of people that are referred to as the “Dothrakis”, they have been defined by the norm of fighting from the back of their horses something they have done since the beginning of the show till the end (HBO, n.d).

References

Crowell, L.E. (n.d). Elements of Culture: Explanation of the Major Elements That define culture. Retrieved from; https://study.com/academy/lesson/elements-of-culture-definitions-and-ideal-real-culture.html

HBO. (n.d). Game of Thrones. Retrieved from; https://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones