Amanda Knox by Brian McGinn and Rod Blackhurst documents the trial, conviction and acquittal of Amanda Knox for the murder of her foreign exchange roommate in Italy. The film includes interviews with her codefendant and ex- boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito; the attorney for the man believed to have really been the murderer; the man who led the Italian investigation and Amanda Knox, herself. From the documentary we learn that Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were wrongfully convicted of the murder of Knox’s British roommate, Meredith Kercher. Amanda Knox does an admirable job of detailing the crucial facts of the case. The film, which often plays out like a narrative thriller, takes us back to the murder of Kercher in 2007 and does so with the use of police footage of the crime scene. It takes us through the ensuing media outrage, the false accusations, the trial and appeal, with contributions from those who were there. The film undeniably takes a pro-Knox stance because of how it focuses largely on its main characters, therefore illuminating how something like this can happen to anyone. The film tries to shed light of the wrongfully committed and how being acquainted with the victim can automatically make you a suspect. The lack of communication and misinterpretation between the two suspects and the police of Italy are mainly what caused Knox and Sollecito to spend years in prison for a crime they did not commit. Knox says to herself at the open of the film: “Either I’m a
Alves, S. (2011, September 27). Lessons from the Amanda Knox Arrest. Retrieved April 13, 2012, from Indelibleinternational: http://indelibleinternational.com/index.php?pc=justArticle&ora=E0_70130&so=safety
Fruitvale Station depicts the real-life case of Oscar Grant III, a young unarmed black man shot in the back by a white police officer on January 1, 2009 in Oakland. The movie begins with cell phone footage of Oscar Grant’s death recorded by bystanders. Grant’s life was tragically cut short due to a white man’s racism and stereotypical perception of a young black man. The BART police officer Johannes Mehserle abused his authority and shot Grant for no other reason but hatred and racism. At the time of the shooting, Grant was unarmed and pinned on the ground in handcuffs. The movie then walks you through the last twenty-four hours of Grant’s life. As you watch the movie and research the aftermath of Grant’s death you a forced to ask yourself a few questions; why does the media have the right to take away Oscar Grant’s humanity? Where do we draw the line between racism and holding others responsible and will the public’s perception of black men and women ever change? Lastly, we must focus on how this case and others impacts African American society and culture. We also must focus on the necessary changes African Americans must make in order to survive in a world that does not value black lives.
The following criminal analysis shows why Aileen Wuornos was convicted for the murder of six men and what lead up to these actions. These actions were not in self-defense, but out of cold blood. This profile will analyze the following: what lead up to the murder of these men, what Wuornos’s intents were, the evidence and patterns, her personality and characteristics, and her behavior. These facts and evidence will show Wuornos’s intent and motive, and whether or not she was insane. This woman was not born to be a killer, but something in her life drove her to commit these horrible crimes, and this profile will analyze how exactly she did it and why.
Amanda Knox was a 20 year old from Seattle, Washington who moved to Perugia, Italy for college. She was a smart girl. She seemed to me to be very open with her life and sexuality. Her openness was later used against her by police, prosecutors, and media. The media gave her sexual nicknames, a few being: “… the promiscuous American she-devil…”, and “Foxy Knoxy” (HB xiii-xiv).
Police questioned Amanda and Rafaela several times over the next several days and on November 6, authorities arrested Amanda and Rafaela taking them to are the police station where police held Knox for five days. During the time at the station, police observed Knox doing some very bizarre activities. For example, at one point, authorities allowed Knox to sit on Sollecito’s lap and authorities observe him kissing and hugging on her. In her memoir, Knox claims this behavior was not odd, but just Soilecito’s way of trying to calm her down. At another point, seated across the table from each other Rafaela and Amanda are making faces at each other. Amanda insists that these behaviors were not odd, because she had
The critically acclaimed film, Goodfellas, is a gangster crime drama that features an incredible amount of talent. Household names such as: Robert De Niro (Jimmy Conway), Joe Pesci (Tommy DeVito), Paul Sorvino (Paul Cicero), and promising stars like Ray Liotta (Henry Hill) and Lorraine Bracco (Karen Hill), attracted numerous Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. That type of cast power, linked with the signature talent of Martin Scorsese as a director, made for cinematic gold. Unquestionably, the actors and actresses did an excellent job augmenting the verisimilitude of this film and compelling audiences to empathize with their characters. But the cinematography in this film plays just as large a role in having audiences feel what the characters are feeling at a specific moment. Through the use of freeze frames, we learn of significant moments that shape Henry into the man that he is. By means of first-person narration we are able to know exactly what is going through a particular character’s mind. Finally, wonderful editing made great use of point of view and multiple jump cuts, which added to the sensation that we are undergoing the same experiences as the characters on screen. I will go into further detail and specify scenes that convey these elements as the essay progresses. Altogether, Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas effectively depicts paramount scenes and allows the audience to empathize with the characters by virtue of stylistic editing and cinematography.
Prior to the event of Emilia V’s. death, Brady Lorenz, the accused, was in a relationship with Leon Lee. Six months ago, Brady Lorenz had discovered a conversation over text between Leon Lee and Emilia V. in which the texts appeared to be flirtatious. Brady tried to get Emilia to
The cinematic film Get Out, directed by Jordan Peele, presents a scenario in which African Americans are targeted by white people mainly for their physical advantages. The plot follows Chris Washington, a professional African American photographer who goes away for the weekend to visit his white girlfriend’s family. Chris’ best friend, Rod Williams, is a TSA agent who is concerned about Chris going to a white family’s estate. Throughout the movie, Chris discusses to Rod the strange events that occur in the Armitage house. Get out displays how two people use their intelligence and ability to identify social cues to escape from an arduous situation.
Fruitvale station, is a story about the real life Oscar Grant, a black man who was shot and killed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer in Oakland. This film follows Grant and his last days before the shooting on New Year’s Day. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale station was his first feature film. Coogler expressed that he was interested in making this film because he wanted people to get to know Grant, get attached, so that when a situation like this occurs again, people will care more about that human life (Wikipedia). In addition, the cast includes Michael B. Jordan (Grant), Octavia Spencer (Wanda Johnson), and Melonie Diaz (Sophina Mesa), amongst a few others. However, there is an underlying concept in this film. This film relates back to Double Consciousness and the internal conflict and struggles within African American men.
Get Out is a horror comedy that is very refreshing and different from other horror comedies because it is not based on the impossible or paranormal activities like all other horror comedies but it is actually based on the fears of black people with a bit of exaggeration and extremity. It is both unsettling and hysterical because it is totally unafraid to call people on their racist tendencies. The film is centered essentially around that unsettling feeling when you know you don’t belong somewhere either because you feel you’re unwanted or perhaps even wanted too much. The movie is also centered around the age-old foundation of knowing something is wrong behind the closed doors with a racial, satirical edge. The scariest thing about Get Out
“Legally Blonde” is a wonderful musical because the colorful scenes gives audience a visual enjoyment, and the beautiful music gives them a fresh acoustic experience. “Legally Blonde” is presented by Performance Riverside and RCC Fine & Performing Arts. It is directed and choreographed by Roger Castellano, and the musical director is Dennis Castellano. I went to watch this great show, which was performed at RCC’s Landis Performing Arts Center, on September 27,2014 at 2 p.m. I would like to comment on this musical in three ways: the plot, the design, and the acting.
Raitt in conjunction with Aragay’s and Gemrna’s claim agrees that adjustments, improvements, and changes from the source material to the adaptation must be mandatory in comparison to when the timeline the adaptation is set as well as its publication date to remain refreshing and contemporary in its material. Once again Raitt makes a use of the film Bridget Jones Diary by focusing on its transition from Regency era context to a more relatable twentieth- century cultural context as well as relying assertions from Aragay and Germna to support his claims. Raitt acknowlges that,
The movie I chose, is titled Legally Blonde, starring Reese Witherspoon. The movie follows the story of Elle Woods, who seems to have it all. With her stunning blonde hair, sorority sisters, and her rich, senator aspiring boyfriend, she’s sure to have the perfect life. Elle’s world gets turned upside down when her boyfriend, Warner Huntington III, leaves her in the dust for Harvard law school in an attempt to find a “Jackie O” type of woman. Instead of the shallow, unserious, and unwise, “Marilyn”, he claims Elle to be. Feeling desperate, Elle finds her way into law school in an attempt to prove Warner wrong and win him back. She then goes on to win a spot along with Warner and his new
In the film The Verdict, the opposing attorneys could not be any more different in their approaches to the case. The medical malpractice suit involves a young woman left comatose after childbirth. She was given anesthetics for the operation, after which she began to choke on her own vomit and became deprive of oxygen. Although the legal issue in the central focus of the case, the story is more about each attorney’s journey to the final verdict, rather the case itself. Frank Galvin, a hard boozing, has-been attorney represents the plaintiff in the case. In stark contrast, the high-profile, sophisticated attorney, Ed Concannon, defends the doctors of the Catholic hospital. Each lawyer differentiates himself with distinct tactics, philosophy, as well as personal style.
Explaining a mystery is an act of reassurance. It makes us feel that chaos has been defeated, and the forces of order restored. Zodiac, David Fincher's vastly intricate and dazzling drama about the hunt for the serial killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area starting in 1969, offers no such soothing closure, and that's part of what's haunting about it. It spins your head in a new way, luring you into a vortex and then deeper still, fascinating us as much for what we don't know as what we do. Reenacting one of the most infamous "cold" cases in U.S. criminal history, Fincher has broken with the fanciful mode of tawdry baroque opulence he employed in Fight Club, Panic Room, and his first serial-killer outing, Seven. Zodiac is based on piles of documents culled from police records, and it's been made in a style of