Citric of the critic a critical thought.
In both of the articles referring to Lewis neither make very good arguments in my opinion, which is the point/goal of many critics: to gain (or at least appeal to) an audience that has their point of views and to establish a reputation as a writer and a critic which develops a following and somehow makes them qualified to tell their readers what is good and/or bad. Both articles take the stance of stereotyping cultures and what they think when it comes to Jerry Lewis. Stereotyping is a problem in the world, something which I feel is the point of many critics but does not sit well with me. They take the time to watch a movie and offer their view point on the film, dissecting and diagnosing the film in
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As a critic and writer the author loses his reader in the first paragraph making it difficult to want to continue reading, “American Fascination with the French critical application of Lewis.” (Selig 42) Who cares what other countries critics view films produced in other countries? If the French like Lewis let them like Lewis, it’s their choice and opinion. American critics were worried about how the French perceived and stereotyped American’s, “undermine the presentation of a unified male subject and thus the conventional Hollywood representation of Masculinity.” (Selig 46) How the French view American males during the time is not the fault of Lewis. His work was appealing to the French (and many American movie goers) because he was making comedies to lighten the mood of the times. From the information in both articles an argument for or against Lewis got lost and became more about how American critics perceived the French interpretation of Lewis as an auteur. That is the French were more impressed with Lewis because of his style in presenting the topics within his films. American critics seemed to be appalled that Lewis was the French’s perception of what American male life was like. However, Is it ok that Americans think of the French as all having berets, wearing black and white striped shirts, riding bikes with baguettes in their basket? This is an American stereotype vs the French who may think all American males are funny and stupid acting and will do anything for love and
Friendship describes the mutual pledge to help reveal the innermost workings of a person, bringing out the hidden attributes and validity of one’s characteristics. Subsequently, the bonds and struggles of friendship are a central cause for unveiling identity as the relationship one makes contributes to long-lasting change. The acceptance of a person’s differences conveys an importance for the development of strong bonds. Moreover, hardships accompanying relationships establish times to reflect on oneself and lead to positive outcomes for growth. Furthermore, the memorable journeys embed an area in one’s mind that will change the way self-perspective is seen. Through the characters of Lewis in If I Ever Get Out Of Here by Eric Gansworth and
John Lewis has never let his 40+ arrest affect what he stands for. In Lewis’ book March, he tells his story of segregation in the 60’s and the events that shaped his life. From when he was a little kid, to an older adult, March displays Lewis deal with the segregation in the south, and the hard ships others endure. Although he experienced many events in his life, John Lewis used those events to build himself religiously and help others. Receiving his first bible, Jim Lawsons workshops, his decision not to go to college and Martin Luther King’s speech all helped him become who he is.
Citizens throughout American history have often presented the “home of the free” and the “land of the brave” as the perfect nation, filled with perfect families, and more extreme examples of how impeccable the nation truly is. No time presented the United States of America in a more splendid light than the 1950’s. The 1950’s are remembered as a decade of prosperity but as with every time period, multiple historical issues marred this time. The United States encountered political, diplomatic, and social issues throughout this decade (Hewitt and Lawson, 832). Hairspray, the 1988 film by John Waters, was set in the 1950’s and reveals depths of racism and stereotypes during this period, while presenting smaller examples of the issues of sexism, religion, and inequality.
When discussing American culture, the influence and interplay of film cannot be understated. We are a nation consumed with the media. Today, the movie business is one of the highest grossing businesses there is. We hold movie stars up as though they are super human. We closely watch their style, their dating lives, their party habits, and even their favorite restaurants, among many other things. We rely on movies to lift us up, teach us about other cultures and time periods, and even to teach us about our own culture. Often, movies reflect the time period they are filmed in and directly reflect the social tensions of that time and the film noir genre is no different. One of the most famous film noir movies out there, The Maltese Falcon,
If I had a chance to meet anyone in this whole entire world, it would be my favorite football player Ray Lewis. Ray Lewis emerged from a small town in Bartow Florida to become the best NFL most feared defensive linebacker of the modern era. He was recruited by the University of Miami back in 1996 as a first round pick for the Baltimore Ravens. He played seventeen exciting long years in the NFL before retiring. I truly believe he is the most inspiring athlete of all time. I grew up watching Ray Lewis at the tender age of 1. He has been an inspiration in my life forever.
Johnny Tremain,” by Esther Forbes is a book about a boy that lived before and during the Revolutionary War. In this book, Johnny Tremain experienced many things as a boy, apprentice, a silversmith, a messenger, and a revolutionary. While Johnny was getting older and time past by, Johnny experienced love, changing, and betrayal in many ways. Johnny changes during the story, as well as experience love and betrayal right in front of him. Although Johnny went through many hardships, he was still able to overcome the obstacles that came to him. After reading “Johnny Tremain,” Johnny never gave up, and people should never give up just because there is a barrier ahead of us. “Johnny Tremain” has many historical figures that allow the reader to know
Every person experiences specific points in their life that shapes who they are. This can be exhibited in the book March. Throughout the book the life events of John Lewis are displayed and it is clear to see that these events changed him. Even though many of the events in his life may have changed John Lewis, the turning points in John Lewis' life helped make him a more inspired man and more influential in the civil rights movement. John Lewis receives a bible, goes on to be inspired by MLK’s speech, gets arrested for his protests, and stops going home to his family as much all of which motivated him to help and support the civil rights movement.
In the book March: Book One and Two, the main character John Lewis takes part in the civil rights movement in 1960’s. While it's true that many events in his life did not increase his devotion to the civil rights movement and religious beliefs, I believe that John Lewis's beliefs and determination were reinforced by the turning points in his life. I believe the gift of his bible helped him grow stronger in religion, which helped him bring a sense of connection to the civil rights movement through Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words. Through that he started going to nonviolent workshops where he learned more about nonviolent protests, which started him on the road to joining the civil rights movement. This eventually pushed him to join the freedom riders.
Scott Mendelson in his review writes “the film fails as a study of individual humanity, as both of its stars are presented as broadest and most clichéd class-related stereotypes imaginable… There
To begin the novel, Morrison quotes a “Dick and Jane” book, a children’s book describing an ideal, happy family. Immediately, Morrison provides an example of how American children are bombarded, as soon as they learn how to read, with ideas about what it means to be beautiful. As well, in the first chapter, she exemplifies how American children, both black and white, view beauty, from Claudia and Freida giggling when they are called the names of beautiful white actresses to Freida and Pecola’s admiration of Shirley Temple. In contrast to the broad examples of Polly’s and Cholly’s childhoods, the examples of these 1940s children are discrete and relevant to the period which Morrison wrote the novel. Evidently, Morrison criticizes the effect of the whiteness of American ideals on children, in particular American movies which define societal standards; however, Morrison also makes an important point: these effects are not the same for every individual.
"Ordinarly there is a great deal of snobbery from American film critics, they will accept a film by Stanley Kramer as a work of art before they see it, or a film from a European director...but they unloose their ire against low or medium budget Hollywood productions"3
Quentin Tarantino’s film Jackie Brown, released in 1997, challenges the pervasive stereotyping of not only blacks but specifically black women. Nowhere is the cinematic devaluation of African Americans more evident than in images of black women which, in the history of cinematography, the white ideal for female beauty has overlooked. The portrayal of black women as the racial Extra has been fabricated through many semblances in the history of American film. Film scholars and feminists alike have long been plagued with lament for the negativity and stereotyping that sticks with black women in American cinema. In this paper, I will argue that Jackie Brown highlights and stresses the racial variance of the female African American protagonist,
All of the critics were writing for the public sphere, which is characterized by Inch and Warnick as containing arguments that are "intended for public or general audiences" (52). In this case, the argument for the public sphere is directed toward movie-going audiences. The argument field is the evaluation of films during the 1990's, and could more specifically include historical films created in the 1990's. The argument field is an important point to my argument because historical film contains many debatable points, all of which will be discussed after the reviews are summarized.
Genre is a reflection of society. Film noir is a genre that has a distinctive relationship with the American society from 1941 - 1958 because it reflects America’s fears and concerns from when they experienced major upheaval after The Great Depression and during World War I. In particular, the unstable atmosphere from the aftermath of World War 1 as Bruce Crowther, author of the book ‘Film Noir: Reflections in a Dark Mirror’, elaborates on how Film Noir films produce “a dark quality that derived as much from the character's depiction as from the cinematographer’s art.” These dark moods are transparent through the key features of the femme fatale, the film techniques and the impact of the Hay’s code on American film and American society.
Regardless of the object being reviewed, there are a number of essential features of writing a review at a professional standard. This essay will examine each of those features with reference to two reviews of films which explore a specific theme.