American Film Essay

Film-makers do seem to focus more on violence and other dramatic aspects of life in movies, such as The Gangs of New York or 12 Years a Slave, rather than the mundane due to the strange attraction audiences have for violent entertainment. However, this doesn't refute the possibility of life truly being as harsh as the two movies showcase, especially considering that these movies were based on true stories and real people. It's quite difficult to imagine anti-Irish sentiments in America today, considering

John Hughes was the creator of the nationwide known classic movies of the 1980s. From The Breakfast Club to Home Alone, Hughes produced a wide variety of movies in order to satisfy his viewers. His films highlighted the talents of the actors and the relatable dramas of society. Inspired by the movies, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It’s a Wonderful Life, Hughes decided to write movies that viewers could relate to. Even 30 years later, Hughes’ movies still inspire and entertain its viewers through

part of American culture because it visually brought our stories to life. Without the black independent film movement, there would be very few black films today.” The 1970’s and the 1980’s marked a the entry of a new generation of Afro American directors like Haile Gerima, Charles Burnet, Larry Clark, Pamela Jones, Jamaa Fanaka, Julie Dash, Robert Townsend or Spike Lee. They want to stand out and always required more artistic and financial control. Furthermore the emergence of the Afro-American director

More than just a parodic take on suburban life, the film American Beauty speaks about looking closer at what we desire and believe will bring fulfillment. It depicts the perspective of very different characters, in which many share the similarity of chasing these beautiful dreams in an attempt to replace their weaknesses. As these characters get a glimpse of their dreams, they begin to discover how deceptive their idea of beauty is. For the audience, these dreams demonstrate how they are nothing

This semester, I chose to write my essay about the many obstacles that refugees experience while trying to achieve “the American dream.” I was inspired to research this topic after hearing my own family’s story and watching a film called, “Lost Boys of Sudan” and another film titled, “God Grew Tired of Us.” Both films are documentaries that tell the story of teenage boys as they travel from refugee camps in Kenya and Sudan to America. When they arrive in the U.S., they meet their adoptive families

analyze a different culture, I watched the film Selena. The film tells the life story of the famous singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. Not only does it just tell personal stories from her life, it also gives insight to the Mexican-American culture. Her whole life she lived in the United States, specifically in Texas, but was Hispanic and because of that both her and her family faced more struggles than white singers on the climb to her success. Even though the film is a story about a specific person, it

During the course of history, African Americans have played a major role in the enhancement of film and television production. African Americans have enhanced not only the technology of television and film but also enhanced the story line of American Television. As contributors, African Americans have made the kind of changes that affected television and the outside world. These shows were made to relate to the average African American family. However, over the past few years, the so called demographic

African American Women in Early Film       In early film many African American actresses portrayed roles as mammies, slaves, seductresses, and maids. These roles suppressed them not allowing them to show their true talents. Although they had to take on these degrading roles, they still performed with dignity, elegance, grace and style. They paved the way for many actresses to follow both blacks and whites. These women showed the film industry that they were more than slaves, mammies, and maids

Stereotypes and generalizations about African Americans and their culture have evolved within American society dating back to the colonial years of settlement, particularly after slavery became a racial institution that was heritable. However in the clips we watched and from my own viewing of the movie Carmen Jones the movie explains two media stereotyped roles present in films with black characters, the black jezebel and the integrationist hero. Their representations of these roles have many implications

The film “American Sniper” is about Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL and the U.S. military’s most lethal sniper. The film takes you through his four tours in Iraq and his life when he comes home to his family. He suffered from PTSD, but with a lot of hard work, he eventually overcomes it. After recovering from PTSD, he decides to help veterans who are also suffering from PTSD. PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a mental health condition that is triggered or brought on by seeing or experiencing something