Midterm- Fences

Kaysha Carrasquillo
1.23.17
"Intro to Film Studies"
                                       

Fences

After reading the book "Fences" by August Wilson I expected the movie to be just like book, but in shorter detail. In the book you can sense the tension between Troy Maxson (the main character, father) and his son Cory Maxson, they argued a lot and the mother, Rose would always have to get involved to separate them even though she had her own problems with Troy. Troy was very strict, and felt that he was in control of everything because he financially maintains the household, so that would cause him to pick fights with most of the characters. I honestly didn't notice the tension that much throughout the book, but watching the film I noticed it a whole lot, but it made me question why he has something against Cory so much, when all Cory tries to do is be like his father. They repeatedly say in the film that he does sports (football) just like his father did, and the characters also tell the father this but he doesn't seem to care. On another hand I feel like Troy doesn't try to be harsh to Cory on purpose, I feel like he does this to show Cory that things aren't handed to you in life, so you must work your hardest to get/earn it. Troy is a man all about respect and he consistently mentions how he provides for the household, and everything they have is ALL because of him, I think that him saying this is to just show and teach his son but he does it in his own mean ways, only because he cares and loves his son. This is my big in take/interpretation that I took from this film/book, I feel like this was the overall message for it, I highly recommend that this film is a must see.

Crooklyn from Dara P

               Crooklyn

Crooklyn takes place in Brooklyn, New York. The story a 9 nine year, Troy Carmichael, and her family. They live in a really lively and colorful neighborhood with many unusual characters. The movie holds many nostalgia as a kid plays on the block with friends, watching TV and bickering with siblings, or refusing to eat vegetables. The tone of the movie was established with the music and bright characters. Life will be difficult, but with your family, everything is going to be fine. Troy's family was struggling financially and it was clear that the mother had tensions with the father about his profession and his unclear role in the household. Even with the household conflicts, the family bond was still strong as they defend each other when their child is accused. The first struggle that the family went through was the light out because the father failed to pay the bills. Troy was very upset that she had to go down south and live a few weeks with her relatives. The setting was unfamiliar for Troy, a city girl. However, there she friended her cousin and learned the value of friendship. The second struggle the family went through was the separation of her parents. The mother was unhappy with her husband's career, but he still wanted to peruse his musical passion so they temporary separated. The tone changed drastically, it was no longer comedic but melo. To add fuel to the fire, the last struggle and hardship the family went through was when the mother got severely sick and was diagnosed with cancer. Troy was hurt deeply and realized the importance of family. Her mother passed away, however, the children remained a strong family and continue to  look out for one another. It seemed after her death, Troy matured and was not a spoiled brat any longer.

Winter's Bone by Dara

This movie was an experience in a perspective of a young girl, Ree, looking for her former drug dealing father, and struggling to  maintain a parental role for her younger siblings. Ree became both a mother and father for her two siblings after her mother suffered from a trauma and became unresponsive. For example, she cooks them warm meals, as a mother would, but also teach them how to hunt animals and fire a rifle for survival purposes, as a father would do. Ree's father had mysteriously gone missing and she is searching for him. While asking other drug dealers, she came across some trouble as she got kidnapped and beaten. However, she now knows for sure that her father was murdered. Fortunately, her uncle, Teardrop came and save her as he known in the town as a cold blooded killer and everyone is scared of him. The movie ends with Ree telling her uncle that his brother had been killed, but he tells her not to say who had killed him. The is to show that if she said who it was, he would've indulge himself in vengeance and seek revenge. However, the last scene hinted that Teardrop will chose that path. The movie was about family. Ree became the caregiver of her mother and siblings because her father was absent most of their lives. However, Teardrop was introduced and he had a fatherly role in her life, even when he seems to be harsh and aggressive towards her, he still rescued her. In addition, Ree's dream was to leave Ozark, instead she chose to stay and continue to look after her family.

Midterm (Crooklyn vs Beasts of Southern Beauty)

Name: Gabby Jeannette
Date: 1/19/17

Crooklyn vs Beasts of Southern Beauty

The movies Crooklyn and Beasts of Southern Beauty were both very similar yet very different at the same time. Crooklyn is about a girl that ended up having to the take on the female figure in the household after her mother passes away suddenly. Beasts of Southern Beauty is about a girl that lived a majority of her life learning independence but when hard times hit she had to learn to amp up her skills and be the strong independence woman her dad is trying to raise her to be. In addition to both being independent,got that way because of the same reason. Their mothers passed away which forced them to grow up faster than a "normal" child does. Once they both took on the roles of independent figures, they had to deal with the same situations but in different ways. For example, Troy had to learn to get up and cook and clean for her brothers and Hush Puppy had to learn feed all of the animal and make sure they were in order. Even the movie themselves were similar in specific ways. For instance, they had the same type of genre. Due to the seriousness of the two movies, I'd consider both of them to be dramas.

But there were also some differences that stood out clearly to any viewer, the fact that Troy was raised in a household with supportive and loving family, despite their arguments. But Hush Puppy wasn't, she grew up in a make shift home in uncleanly conditions with a father that tended to show his temper in poor ways to her and drank a lot. Also they way that the movies were filmed were different. For instance, in Crooklyn the opening shot was the one that set the tone for the movie. But in Beast of Southern Beauty, the cut away shots about boars, ice burgs, etc set the tone of the movie for me. 

All and all even though Crooklyn took place in a different time than Beast of Southern Beauty they ended up in the same place metaphorically, as movies about two young girls that grow up with there own problems but grow stronger and more independent though those struggles. This goes for many movies representing the fact that a theme can be shown in many ways. In this case the mutual theme was independence. 

Caitlin Willis - Midterm (Crooklyn v. Rocky)

Caitlin Willis

Intro. to Film Studies

Mr. Monahan

Midterm

Crooklyn and Rocky

          Crooklyn and Rocky are my two favorite movies that we've viewed in Film Studies so far. Though they're both very good, they're both extremely different. The themes alone are extremely different. Rocky's theme is the American dream, while Crooklyn's theme is a strong female protagonist. The main character of Rocky, Rocky Balboa, an Italian boxer, is the complete opposite of Crooklyn's main character, Troy, an African American little girl. The similarities of both characters shine through as the movies play on.
          Both personalities had great character development as their films progressed. Rocky went from what everyone called a "bum" to a successful, nationally known fighter. At first, he'd collect money for a local lone shark, but he was too nice of a guy to even do that right. He was also too old in many people's eyes to make it big in boxing. It seemed as though he felt that he wasted his life away. But when the opportunity to fight a professional boxer came around, he was a bit hesitant to go through with it. His confidence was down and he didn't think he could do it. In fact, he was positive he'd lose. But as the story went on, he grew a bit more confident in his abilities and eventually grew to feel he had a chance in winning, or at least putting up a good fight, against Apollo Creed, one of the best fighters at the time. Troy's story was similar; she went from being just another little girl growing up in the city, learning how to shoplift and be a kid, to becoming a mother figure for her brothers, both older and younger, after the death of her mother.
          Both characters grew into strong protagonists, despite their very evident differences. I recommend these movies to those interested in watching movies with great character development and interesting plots.
         

Midterm Compare and contrast Winters Bone Vs. Beast of the Southern Wild

           

                 The two Movies, Beast of the Southern Wild and Winter’s Bone both have many similarities with the characters and the plot of the film. With both of the movies having a strong female protagonist main character. They both lean to solve problems on their own witch shows independence. In the movie Winters Bone the main character Ree played by Jenifer Lawrence, is show to be independent from the beginning when she is has to take care of her mother and siblings on her own while at the same time has to find her father in order to keep her house. She does this with no support from any of her family. On the other hand with Beast of the Southern Wild, the main character Hushpuppy played by Quvenzhane Wallis is tough to be independent by her father throughout the film as the struggle to keep them safe after a major storm hits them. After Hushpuppy's father dies she knows a lot about independence and how to survive from her father who makes her prepare for the world by her. With these two movies and these two characters they both share similar traits such as being independent, solving problems on their own, and taking care of others. I also noticed that with the two movies the father made the movie what it is. In Winters Bone Reed finding her father was the important and main plot of the story. Same with Beast of the Southern Wild. Without Hushpuppy's father she would not learn to be independence and wouldn’t make the film what it is. I believe these movies are very alike.

Midterm

I decided to compare and contrast these two movies because I feel like they share similarities but are very different when you watch the film. Rocky was took place in the urban area of Philadelphia, rocky was a amateur fighter (boxing) that seemed that his life was going no where, he got the opportunity to fight the world heavy weight champion Apollo Creed.This movies showed how Rocky changed his life around over one big fight. He dedicated his time that he had to actually be in shape and train for the fight. 

On the other hand, Sugar took place in different in various places at first the movie started in the Dominican Republic at a baseball camp, Miguel ( Main Character) very dedicated to play baseball in the majors. He was one of the top pitchers in his camp, he got an offer to play with a Double A team in Arizona. He dedicated his whole life to one sport.

These two movies were we different in ways because in the film Rocky, he ended up losing he still showed that he didn't give up on anything he stood there and fought Creed for the whole fight. He took into consideration at the end of the movie that everything out side the boxing ring it was going his way. On the hand, in sugar once he got to play in the double A team they cut him off the team and he was devastated but he knew he could morn on that forever he need to have perseverance to find a new life other than playing baseball. 

This is why I consider these two films have many differences because the both show different types of perseverance in order to proceed and be successful.