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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An idea of something better

An idea cannot die, an idea does not bleed, an idea lasts forever. Many phrases such as this are the foundations to this movie. V for Vendetta depicts a somewhat futuristic world in London where a communist government has complete control over its citizens. As such, several have tried to destroy this infamous tyranny but none have succeeded, until now. I love how the director tells us that no matter how sided the odds are against our favor, we should always do what we feel to be right. We are told that it is an idea of something better that ignites the flames of justice into action. The phrase, An idea can never die, is the main focus to this movie but it has so much more personal meaning that each viewer has to find within their selfs to make this movie reach its potential. V, played by actor Hugo Weaving, mentions that fairness, justice, and freedoms, are more than words, they are perspectives. For those who have seen this movie, how does this phrase connect the symbolism of the movie to our own lives? Also, those who have seen or not seen this movie, pay attention to the use of the letter "V" in the movie and how it portrays the sense of realization to a better cause. This movie is more than a movie, it is an idea of something better.

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Life is a journey

It seems like every time i watch this movie i understand more and more of the deeper meaning. In fact, it took me several times to realize the connection the movie is to a more modern form of the famous "Odyssey" by Homer. The Coen brothers, who directed the movie, did an excellent job in portraying the Sirens with the ladies washing their clothes in the river, to the Cyclops portrayed as a bible salesman with an eye patch, to finally portraying the city of Troy. However, there are a lot of new additions to the movie that add to its originality but enough of the original story to keep Homers depiction of a man going through an epic journey back to his family. George Clooney stars as Ulysses Everett McGill who portrays the original Ulysses that Homer depicts. The great thing about this movie for me was the intense symbolism of a mans journey to happiness, but also life in general. For those who have seen this movie, pay attention to the similarities between Homers book the Odyssey and the Coen brothers depiction. For those who have not yet partaken of the these two glorious hours, watch how he goes though his journey and how it relates to you. I simply love this movie. Enjoy.

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Offensive, or merely entertaining?

One of the best summer movies from 2007 just released it's sequel this past week titled, " Transformers, the Revenge of the Fallen." Usually my blog is about movies that shadow a deeper meaning or message and that they require deep thinking to uncover the true reason for the making of the film. Now, as much as i loved the action packed, thrill given, intense cinematography of this movie, it didn't have the deeper message i usually write about. However, after talking to a number of students who have recently watched this film, they had much more to talk about than the spectacular action moments. In fact, i talked to enough people who had strong enough comments that i decided it was worthy of addressing these issues. The issues most commented strongly about were how the movie portrayed women as stupid, insecure objects that are only worth but a piece of meat to men. There were multiple scenes in which the female gender were nothing but an object that gets in the way and is good for nothing. One issue that was brought up was the character of the mother and how some people felt she was portraying the average american parents who don't care for their children or don't provide sufficient supervision over them. Another topic of heated conversation is how the women were portrayed as a piece of meat to the men and that the men thought of nothing more of the women. So, commenters to this post will have had to seen the movie to talk about these issues. Did it seem like these topics were indeed stressed on by the directors and producers? Or, do these people take these topics the wrong way and get offended too easily?

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Saving others from a sinking ship

The Royal Tenenbaums is another of my favorite movies for its comical adventures, cinematography and its deep meaning to life. This movie is so creatively designed in every aspect to its introduction to its narrating and music to the ending scenes with the amazing heart felt message of living and saving your life and simply changing for the better. We start with a dysfunctional family ranging from three prodigy children in the theater, tennis, and business to intermarriages and relationships. It is quite an interesting movie filed with many big name actors and actresses. As the father who is at the source of much of the families problems decides to fake his fatal illness to stop his wife from divorcing him and marrying another. As time plays out the family realizes the fallacy in his actions and more problems arise. It is at the end of the movie where the message that brings the whole family together is understood if not already realized by the viewer. For those who have seen the movie what are your thoughts on what is written on his grave stone at the end and how does it relate to the movie? For those who have not yet had the chance to watch this great movie pay attention to the relationships each family member has with each other and how the father plays a part in their lives and how that is different at the end of the movie.

Eternal happiness or Eternal Misery

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite films not just because of the time period in which it is placed, or the amazing writing and cinematography, but for its message that it brings to us. The interesting thing about the movie is that everyone who has ever been wronged or lied to can re-late somewhat to the film. As many of us have seen it, for those who have not it is a tale of a man named Edmond Dantes who is framed by his best friend who then marries his fiancee when Edmond is in prison. Edmond then dedicates his life to seeking revenge on those who have ruined his life. The message in this movie is revealed while Edmond is in prison. He meets an elderly man who later encourages him that revenge will never bring him eternal happiness. It may seem at the time that those who take after revenge are happy for doing so but they will forever be within its grasps. On his prison wall, and this theme is repeated numerous times in the movie, it says, " God will give me justice". It is only towards the end of the movie that Edmond really knows that that phrase really means. I loved the realization that revenge isn't the source of true happiness that sometimes we must continue on with mercy and forgiveness however hard that may be if we do not raise to the higher pedestal we will fall forever in its misery.

The freedoms we take for granted

This was such a wonderful film. Every time i watch it i feel this sense of overwhelming emotion and gratitude for the freedoms we have. Hotel Rwanda shows a life that existed and in other parts of the world exist. A world where people beat, rape, any even kill because they have different color of skin, belong to a different religion, or in this movie, belong to a different tribe. Don Cheadle plays a hotel manager in the country of Rwanda during the civil unrest against the two differing tribes. Some times the hardest thing to grasp is how no one seems to care about what is happening. During the movie it takes a miracle just to receive attention from other countries to pay attention to the genocide that is taken place. After living in africa for two years, i got a taste of the world seems to forget about africa and just think, " We don't care about africa". It is a hard thing to say but don't we as a people tend to think that way. Just look at the news if you don't believe me. We are so caught up in our fashions and social events that we forget about the crisis's that are happening in the third world countries.

In search of somethings never gained and gained

There Will Be Blood directed by Paul Thomas Anderson depicts a story full of greed, lust, dishonor, murder, and most importantly loneliness. In this film we have a motivated by any means man Daniel Plainview played by actor Daniel Day Lewis. In his search for oil during the early years of the American oil rush, Daniel becomes over zealous in his goal to reach god like status. For those of you who have not seen this film pay attention to the meaning of his name and how it relates to the movie. Daniel meaning the judgment of god, and Planview as his surname depicts how he sees people. For those who have seen this movie how has the meaning of complete loneliness brought out in the end of this movie? It is quite apparent when he says the finishing words, " i am finished". With everything he has gained and everything he has lost, how does it relate to achieving a prideful lust of doing anything to get what you want? All in all i thought this movie had some amazing meaning in everything during the film from the cinematography to the names given for the actors to the end scene of the film especially when Daniel makes Eli denounce his status as a prophet of his church. Trust also has a huge part in this film.

Spiritual Growth, or Spiritual Regression?

As I sat down with my bowl of popcorn to watch this movie I was entirely convinced that this was going to be nothing but a classic ghost story that leaves you with spine chilling goose bumps and eyes wide awake as you lay down for the night. As the movie played out I was the victim of the horror shivers, nonetheless, I realized that the director was really trying to show a deeper message than that of surviving the night in a poltergeist house. The movie is set with a couple that recently bought the orphanage that Laura, played by Belen Rueda, lived in as a child. As they prepare to have their open house their son Tomas comes up missing. In a desperate struggle to find their son, they find themselves six months later with no child and no leads. As Laura looks for her son, she finds interesting objects and hears mysterious sounds in the orphanage that lead her to believe her son is still alive. Towards the end of the movie, she spends three days alone in her old orphanage to find out the secret to all the mysteries she was revealing. She finds out about a freak accident that took Tomas’s life as well as uncovering a series of murders that took place at the orphanage years earlier. Now, towards the end of the movie, she is taken for a moment to the other side and has the opportunity to either spend eternity with these lost children and her son Tomas, or to go back to live her life as it was without Tomas. Laura chooses to be with her son and the other children. Some would say that this was selfish in her not accepting death, others would debate that it was a form of love and obligation for those children and that it was a form of spiritual progress through sacrificial love. Is the phrase, “ Is it better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved at all”, applied to this, or is it a deeper meaning that shows the reality of life after death and how wonderful it will be?

Can we create an ideal society?

The Village directed by M. Night Shyamalan portrays a life in which a group of people break away from normal society and create an entire new society of people in a town far away hidden in a group of woods. The reason these people created such a secluded village was to create an ideal in life. As the movie plays out, you come to find out that each of the leaders of this town had tragic stories that happened to them or their family members including murder, theft, and just horrific life styles. They then got together and decided that they would create this ideal lifestyle where they could control everything and more important stop those things from happening. To keep everyone in the town, they created this elaborate idea that there are monsters that live in the nearby woods. They said that a tready exists between them and these monsters that if you didn’t breach their borders, they wouldn’t come into the village. The interesting thing is that towards the end of the movie, with all the perfect elements of their ideal society, an attempt of murder came into play and they realized that you can’t really control a society without taking away their agency to live. I found it interesting in life that we sometimes try to create this ideal heaven for ourselves thinking that no matter what happens, nothing wrong will fall into our laps. We are mistaken that in order to create such a society where complete control is present, our agency to act is not.

Seeing Signs

As I watched the movie Signs directed by M. Night Shyamalan, I love the comparison it makes between seeing signs, and really seeing signs. The whole movie portrays the fact that aliens are coming and that Mel Gibson has lost his faith in God because he lost his wife a few years back. Because he lost his wife, he stopped his practice as a priest and stopped all affiliation with god. There is this amazing part in the movie where he gives a speech about two groups of people. Group A see’s signs and think that what ever happens, they are always being watched over so what ever happens it will always turn out ok. Group B see’s signs and they know that whatever happens they are alone. Mel Gibson considers himself in group B when his brother is considered to be in group A. Towards the end of the movie, Mel Gibson learns that everything happens for a reason and that God really was watching over him. I loved the lesson we all need to learn that no matter what happens in life we need to know that we are always being watched over.

operation failure

It’s amazing how influential the Nazi regime was with the people of Germany and the world. The movie valkyrie starring actor Tom Cruise, portrays the life and reality of the shear tyranny and brutality of the infamous Adolf Hitler. Its interesting how operation valkyriewas perfectly planned and yet due to a series of minor mishaps the entire plan collapsed. What’s interesting to me is how only a few men compared to the army Hitler so easily controlled realized the true intentions of his plans. The awful reality is that they did not succeed in their attempt to assassinate Hitler during one of his counsel meetings. I thought about the outcome of the final moments during the attempted assassination and I would bet that the officers must have pondered the thought that would killing Hitler really do that much of a difference if his elite officers still pursued the same intentions. I also think that the main officers in charge of the operation valkyrie somewhat new that even if they succeeded with their operations, there would be a very small chance they would get away with it un recognized. I think they should have just pulled the gun when they were in close contact with Hitler. Sure they would have been killed and called a traitor, however, as it turns out, that is what happened anyways.

We as a society have crashed

It isn’t very often you come across a movie that is so deep with emotion it tugs at your heartstrings nearly the entire time. A movie that portrays life as it is and not as an ideal, a movie so meaningful that when the credits start to roll you find yourself pondering the message over and over again even into the late hours of the night. Crash, directed by Paul Haggis shows racial discrimination taking place in Los Angeles with multiple happenings depicting the very real melting pot in which we exist. It is interesting the history of our nation with racial discrimination starting with the African American slaves to the Irish emigrants. It seems that no matter the situation there will always be some form of discrimination based on our heritage, looks, language, or simply a family name. Its also interesting the thinking of whether or not these thoughts can be extinguished or not? Is it possible that we as a human race can stop all racial discrimination? I believe that because of our differences we have many wonderful things in life, but also with our differences, we have created many wars and conflicts with the shedding of blood just because of those diversities. The movies makes you think there will be a resolve to these discriminations, but the movie ends with a scene starting a conflict of racial differences all over again. We as a prideful human race will never see the day that racial discrimination will be completely eliminated from our life’s.

Seven pounds as a principle

I recently watched the movie Seven Pounds directed by Gabriele Muccino ( the pursuit of happiness) that stars Actor Will Smith (Tim Thomas) who, at the beginning of the film, is involved in a terrible accident that kills his wife and six other people from the other vehicle that he hit. Blaming himself for the death of these seven people, he quits his job and devotes his life to finding seven other good people who are in need due to differing circumstances, and changing their life to overcome their life altering problem.
Towards the end of the movie, he has already helped five people by donating his lung to his brother, a bone marrow transplant to a young child, his house to family, and part of his liver to an elderly woman. As tim pretends to be an IRS collector in his pursuit to find the last two, he comes across Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson) who has a rare heart disease. As they learn more about each other, Tim learns that Emily will soon die if she does not have a heart transplant. Due to the type she is, and the rarity of it all, she has a 13 percent chance of receiving a heart. This is where the climax of the movie begins, Tim decides that he is going to kill himself so that she can have his heart in order for her to continue living. In the end, she lives with his heart and he completes his goal of saving seven people.
Now, was his actions in killing himself appropriate in his circumstance? Or in other words, according to the bible, would he be condemned for committing suicide in order to save Emily? One of the ten commandments states that ye shall not kill. Along with that, the bible states that there is no greater gift than that of laying down your life for a friend. So, will God condemn him for taking his life? I don't think God would condemn him for his actions because it is the principle in which he took his own life. I think commandments protect principles, not the other way around. I thought this movie had a great message and principle that we can apply to our own life.