Shutter Island

I recently watched this movie after being intrigued by the mysterious/thriller context in which the trailer so masterfully presented. However, i quickly realized that this movie is not at all what the trailer leads one to expect. First of all, i have never been one for the slasher/gory horror films in which the the movie's depth only reaches names of characters. Shutter island is not that kind of movie, in fact, it is quite the opposite. As you watch the plot unravel, the think your smart for figuring out the end. But, as intelligent writers and directors sometimes are, the minute you think you understand it they bring in a whole different set of variables to factor into the equation. I guess what i loved so much about the movie was it's interpretation on the value of reality. Is it better to accept past experiences, or to convince yourself it never happened? And even then, what constitutes reality? I find it interesting that in certain cases after a traumatic experience, the brain may decide upon best judgment whether or not the memory should be preserved. Oh course, such circumstances may have been a result from malfunctions in the brain making a person go crazy. Nonetheless, how interesting it is to understand that the brain has the power to create alternate memories to deceive itself from ones so traumatic it labels them hazardous. The ending of the movie, to me, was genius. It never gives closure. I love how it almost automatically makes you watch it again after knowing how it ends to figure out the end.

Learning to become free

This movie is one of my favorite movies of all time and for this reason i have picked this to be my 20th post on this blog. The Shawshank Redemption has an amazing story line of how one man is falsely accused of the murder of his wife and sent to a high security prison. In prison Andy, played by Actor Tim Robbins, learns to overcome his problems and at the end of the movie he reaches what he was searching for. Now to talk about the deeper meaning starting with the dual message of the title. Most viewers would look at the title and think that it means being redeemed from the prison named Shawshank. How true that is, most viewers would miss the second meaning. Andy learns life in prison. He learns how to help and teach others during his stay in Shawshank so really he is being redeemed with his experience he learned during prison. As you watch the movie, pay attention to the different types of redemption he receives. Also, most of this movie occurs in the dark. At night, the prisoners are left at a very dark time with only their thoughts. The death of tommy is taken place at night as he dies in a spot light. The light signifies the truth and redemption. This is most evident at the end of the movie when Andy is freed from Shawshank. At the end of the movie their are no shadows portraying that everything is what it seems and that there are no hidden lies. Another interesting symbol in the movie is the symbolism of water. Water in this movie symbolizes purity and freedom. The journey Andy makes through the sewage pipes to gain his freedom is a journey through a corrupt sense of freedom, symbolized with the dirty sewage water, to him climbing out and standing in the rain as he is being washed of the sewage by pure rain water symbolizes his true freedom. I love how we can relate to this movie of making ourselves free from corruption and becoming pure in the light of truth.

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Changing our future

A wonderful masterpeice directed by Sam Mendes includes the action most people like founded by a deeper messeage of changing your life for the better. However, most drama movies tend to have this trend of some love or action story line founded by a deeper message, so initinally i thought this would just be an ordinary film, i was wrong. Tom Hank plays Michael Sullivan Sr. who works for a mob boss in Chicago. As the movies plays out, certain events happen that make Michael and his son also named Michael run for their lifes. The title "Road to Perdition", takes a double meaning. Most may look at the title and think that this movie is a road to hell for these people. However how true this is, the director points out that in the movie they run to a relatives house in Perdition, Michigan. I loved the connection of the double meaning. The whole movie they take this jouney to perdition in order to flee from the mob. As they get to perdition, a crucial struggle occurs and Michael Sr. realized that in the debts of despair and revenage that brought most strong men to a road that actually did lead them to perdition, his son overcomes the odds and becomes a much better man. The meaning that no matter our situation, we can always become better. It doesn't matter what our fathers have done or the expereinces we have had whether they are good or bad, we can always overcome the odds and become something more.

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The labyrinth of life

Pan's Labyrinth is a tale so beautifully written it took me a couple times watching it without being filled with emotion. It has such a powerful message of overcoming adversity and being pure. Guillermo Del Toro depicts the horrors of the Spanish Civil War using a girl as how she sees life as it is and what it should be. In this movie Ofelia, played by Actress Ivana Baquero, finds a magical labyrinth in which she enters into three magical worlds where she needs to perform certain tasks to receive the prize. In each task, Ofelia learns more and more about the real world in which she lives and she comes to a realization that fantasies are merely facing an outward problem or hiding from them within her self. At the end of the movie she decides to face the evil in the world and stay pure while chaos is all around her. The end is so beautiful as it shows that only the ultimate sacrifice of giving yourself to others even if it means your life is what entitles you to a heavenly joy. I also loved the inward journey Ofelia takes in the movie of becoming her potential. Life is full of evil, discouragement, despair, and sorrow, but we need to push through the dirt of the world to reach our grande prize. For those who have not seen this movie, watch the connection between the fantasy world and the real world. They are more similar than they appear.

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Turning back the clock

Benjamin Button was one of those movies that i had to watch twice to understand most of what was being presented in the film. This could be mostly blamed on the fact that this movie was extremely long and in some parts very drawn out. However, even with the slow and long parts, this movie had quite a message to portray. Benjamin Button is about a boy, played by Actor Brad Pitt, who was born old instead of young. As the movie plays out, he grows younger and younger as everything around him grows older and older. The main message that this movie has is the message of, "turning back the clock". Instead of complaining about the thought of if i was younger i would do this, we need to get in the habit of doing those things now and learning from others examples. We also learn about the irrelevance of physical appearance and that of age to the meaning of life. To often we as human sheep tend to follow the call of a controlled society in which we are told how to live our past, present, and future. This movie teaches us that no matter our age or appearance, we can still do and become what ever we want. Enjoy life, and you will find that you received much more than you could have ever expected. For those who have not yet seen this movie, pay close attention to the attitude he has even with the situation he holds in life.

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A Road of Destiny

This movie is so rich in many ways its difficult to find anything wrong with it. The love story rips at your heart strings as the battle of survival makes you cry with sympathy at the same time. A beautiful story of how two orphan brothers grow up in the ghetto slums of central India and how one of them learns what really is beautiful and worth living as the other brother fights to save the few people left in his life. I absolutely loved the comparisons between his life and the game show, " Who wants to be a millionaire". I don't want to spoil the ending for those of you who have not yet seen this movie, but i can't help but comment on the realization the brother Siad has at the end. The whole movie he is blinded by the world and his lust for fame, but it finally dawns on him that a good life is worth sacrifices. Its not about the money or the fame, it's about the people you meet and the relationships that last forever that truly define your success in life. Life is worth the hard parts. For those who have not yet seen this movie, connect the things they have learned to the blessings they have received and pay attention to the principle of how anyone can gain a better life.

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More than seeing dead people

This movie would have to be one of the best mystery/surprise movies i have ever seen. The phrase, "I see dead people", is one of the most popular movie sayings to this day. Yes, the movie is about seeing dead people for those of you who have not yet seen this film, but it holds much more meaning than that. The movie is about a small boy who has the gift of seeing dead people. Putting the symbolism of the color red aside, although it plays a very huge and interesting role in the movie, i would like to consider the fact that this movie is more than its initial scary appearance. This movie does an excellent job portraying human behavior and the relationships we have between each other. Next time you watch this movie, watch the relationships between Dr. Malcom Crow and Anna Crow played by Bruce Willis and Olivia Williams. Also, pay attention to the relationship between Cole Sear and Lynn Sear played by Haley Joe Osment and Toni Collette. I love how their relationships grew out of the problems that they were faced with. Like all great movies, we can take what we learned from them and put them to action in our own lives. Relationships need to be strengthened not just over one experience, but through a never ending devotion. I recommend this movie to any top 25 list.

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Does the end justify everything else?

Does the end always justify the means? That is a question that we as learning humans must ask ourselves often. Blood Diamond, Directed by Edward Zwick, shows life as it is in some parts of africa. It shows how rebel forces raid small villages taking them as slaves to work in the diamond minds. Before i lived in africa for two years, i really didn't understand how that could be possible. I didn't understand how life could possibly be like that for people in this day and age. I never witnessed anything quite as horrific as what is portrayed in this movie, but it does in fact occur in select regions across africa. There are over 200,000 child soldiers across africa dealing with illegal business transactions against their will. After watching this movie i had an interesting conversation with a group of people and to my surprise some of them were for child labour laws. So, in accordance with the movie, should children be able to pick up a rifle and fight for their country? I am curious to see what everyone has to say since i received almost an equal amount of votes for each side. However, whether you are for or against child military laws, watch this movie because it shows how much justifying the end for the means can ruin a whole nation.

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