The Elephant Man

"The Elephant Man", directed by David Lynch, is the remarkable 1980's film inspired by the true story in the streets of London during the Victorian Age and is based around the life of John Merrick, the man ridiculed by his owner, Bytes, and others, and known to all as 'The Elephant Man' due to his hideous deformities.

The film follows John Merrick's life in a relatively faithful way from the time that Sir Frederick Treves finds him working in a Victorian freak show. After he takes him to the hospital, Treves discovers that behind 'The Elephant Man', there is a human being that deserves to live with the same dignity as any other man. John Merrick's efforts for having a normal life, his struggle to adapt to society and Treves' doubts on his intentions are the core story of David Lynch's film.

The beautiful black and white tone mixed with the sad and sinister dark lighting gives the film a gentle horrifying and, yet at the same time, calm mood.

With this film, David Lynch grasps his viewers and stretches them to a new parallel of an emotionally capturing film in showing John Merrick beaten, abused, harassed, humiliated, and tormented. Treves somewhat saves Merrick from those who persecute him for being a freak, for being a monster. One powerful scene of tension and curiosity, Merrick screams out, 'I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!' This scene is incredible and it ties in with the whole focus of the film itself, emotion and human dignity.

The final scene of the film finds Merrick committing an act of lying on his back to sleep, which he is aware will kill him. After examining a painting of a small girl lying flat, he imitates her in a final attempt to be 'normal,' resulting in his implied death. He drifts off to sleep as the words of his deceased mother ring out in his head. 'Nothing will die.'

"The Elephant Man" is a great film. It is sad and depressing, yet it is brilliant and very moving. It makes you cry for John Merrick, not just for pity but for sympathy. It makes you realize that we are all human, despite our disadvantages. It also makes you realize that one man knows that despite his condition, he knows he's all right.

Lizzy   =)

Cape Fear

Director J Lee Thompson's 1962 suspense thriller "Cape Fear" is a perfectly crafted film from the black and white shooting by Sam Leavitt to help create a sordid and dark atmosphere to the spine-tingling musical score by the master Bernard Hermann to the excellent cast, such as Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, who provide exceptional performances.

Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) is a lawyer who is happily married to his wife, Peggy, with a teenage daughter, Nancy. He has a quiet life and little worries to care for until released convict, Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) is seeking revenge against him. Cady blames Bowden for his 8 years of imprisonment because Bowden failed to get him an innocent verdict in court by testifying against him for a serious crime he was accused of (and he had committed). Cady starts by stalking Bowden and his family by showing up wherever Bowden and his family go but always stays within the confines of the law while making life miserable for Bowden. Throughout the film, Bowden does everything legally possible to protect his family but he finds he is powerless under the law. He then has no other choice but to get down and dirty in order to deal with a totally amoral man in order to protect his family. It all ends in a showdown on the river of Cape Fear.

Robert Mitchum stands out with his outstanding performance as the relentless villain. His character, Max Cady, is already frightening, as he is just not a lunatic, but a clever and ruthless fiend who is careful and meticulous in every detail of his diabolical schemes.

Lizzy   =)

The Deer Hunter

The 1978 drama "The Deer Hunter" is a powerful, disturbing, and compelling look at the Vietnam War through the lives of three blue-collar friends, Michael, Steven, and Nick, in a small steel-mill Pennsylvania town before, during, and after their service in the war.

The beginning of the film establishes the lives of the characters as it opens with a beautiful wedding and introduces Michael, Steven, and Nick and their friends. After partying and staying up all night, the early morning has the men getting ready to pack up for one last hunting trip before they're off to war. While hunting, the men share moments of bonding with long talks filled with laughter and wisdom of how life really is. The three are shipped out to Vietnam and the film goes straight to the war sequences. The three are captured and kept in a POW camp where sadly, they are used in a game of Russian Roulette, which consists of having to point a gun to your own head and pulling the trigger and hoping that the bullet won't go through your head. They manage to escape but unfortunately are separated on their way home. Michael returns home safely. Steven has lost both legs and ashamed of going home, decides to stay at the VA Hospital to recover. Nick has remained in Vietnam. Michael, not feeling like home is the way it should be without his friends, decides to go and retrieve Steven and then travel back to Vietnam to find Nick and bring both of them home. He successfully talked Steven into coming back home. Bringing Nick home was a more difficult task. He found Nick in an underground gambling ring playing, none other, than Russian Roulette. Michael pleaded with Nick to remember who he was but Nick was unable to recognize him. It was Nick's turn at playing Russian Roulette but when Nick suddenly remembered Michael, he pulled the trigger and the bullet went through his head. Back home, there was silence among all the friends sitting around the table. They made a toast in Nick's honor and out of the blue, sang "God Bless America", ending the film on a peaceful note.

The film is extraordinary and the performances are incredible.

"The Deer Hunter" is a film about real life. It's not just a war movie and it's not just a simple life movie. It's a balanced story made to compare and contrast the characters' lives surrounding the Vietnam War and the consequences of war itself in the eyes and emotions of the characters involved.

Lizzy  =)

Glory

Glory is the 1989 drama war film based on the personal letters of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. The story is based on the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first formal unit of the US Army to be made up entirely of African American men, as told from the point of view of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, its commanding officer during the American Civil War.

Great war movie with a unique viewpoint, detailing the battles and setbacks suffered by the men of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment which lead to their ultimate test: a frontal assault over open terrain against a fortified enemy.

The Attack on Fort Wagner is doomed from the start. Colonel Shaw and his men know they have little chance of succeeding or even surviving. When Shaw volunteers his men for this suicide charge, there is not one negative voice among them. Armed with their rifles and bibles, the men know their sacrifice will prove their critics wrong: black men can fight like real men.

The 54th Massachusetts lost over half its number in the assault on Fort Wagner. The supporting white brigades also suffered before withdrawing. The Fort was never taken.

As word of the bravery spread, Congress at last authorized the raising of black troops throughout the Union. Over 180,000 volunteered. President Lincoln credited these men of color with helping turn the tide of the war.

Lizzy  =)

Matewan

In American History class, we watched the 1987 drama "Matewan".

Independent filmmaker John Sayles creates one of his more artistic works with this period feature about a volatile 1920s labor dispute in the town of Matewan, West Virginia. Matewan is a coal town where the local miners' lives are controlled by the powerful Stone Mountain Coal Company. The company practically owns the town, reducing workers' wages while raising prices at the company-owned supply and grocery. The citizens' land and homes are not their own, and the future seems dim. When the coal company brings immigrants and minorities to Matewan as cheaper labor, union organizer Joe Kenehan scours the town to unite all miners in a strike. As the crisis grows, strikers and their families are removed from their homes by two coal company mercenaries, and the situation heads toward a final shootout on Matewan's main street, also known as the "Matewan Massacre".

Sayles' simple but telling screenplay brings to light the treatment of immigrants and minorities in the early 20th century South, and it draws sharp parallels between the Matewan labor battle and the Civil War some 50 years earlier.

Lizzy  =)

To Kill A Mockingbird

Based on Harper Lee's 1961 classic novel, "To Kill A Mockingbird" is the 1962 film adaptation following Atticus Finch, a lawyer in a racially divided 1930's Alabama town. He agrees to defend a young black man, Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a white woman. Many of the townspeople are against Atticus defending Tom but Atticus decides to go ahead with the trial.

The story is told through the eyes of Atticus's daughter, six-year old "Scout", a feisty young girl who lives with her father and her older brother, Jem.

While Robinson's trial gives the film its momentum, there are plenty of other occurrences before and after the court date: Scout's ever-strengthening bond with her older brother, Jem, her friendship with precocious young Dill Harris, her father's no- nonsense reactions to such life-and-death crises as a rampaging mad dog, and especially Scout's reactions to, and relationship with, Boo Radley, the reclusive "village idiot" who turns out to be her salvation when she is attacked.

I enjoyed the character of Scout. Since the story is told from her point of view, the situations are presented without adding an explicit opinion. The viewer is left to make sense of events and come to their own conclusion.

I enjoyed the character of Atticus Finch as well. He represents morality and kindness. He serves as a guiding light for his two children, always calm and patient. He allows them to come to the understanding that, although evil exists, one should not dwell on that but should instead realize that the existence of this evil is a sign that there is work to do, and progress to make.

"To Kill A Mockingbird" is a timeless classic. 

Lizzy   =)

The Outsiders

Based on the classic teenage novel by S.E. Hinton, the 1983 film "The Outsiders" takes place in Oklahoma around the mid-1960's and follows the story narrated by 14-year old Ponyboy Curtis, while living with his two older brothers, Darry and Sodapop Curtis. There are two rival gangs from opposite sides of town -- "Greasers" (kids who come from poor families) and "Socs" (kids who come from rich families) who are always fighting with each other.

The movie begins with Ponyboy, a member of the "Greasers", along with his two friends and other members, Johnny and Dallas, heading for the drive-in to watch a movie. While watching the movie, the three boys run into Cherry Valance and her friend, Marcia. After the movie is over, the boys walk with both girls until their boyfriends, Bob and Randy, members of the "Socs", arrive and take the girls away.

On his way home with Ponyboy, Johnny refuses to go inside his home due to his parents arguing so they both walk to the park and fall asleep. Waking up and realizing how late it is, Ponyboy heads home. Darry is up and begins to yell at Ponyboy for being late. Ponyboy runs out of the house and goes back to where Johnny is sleeping. They both start walking through the park until they notice a car full of "Socs" driving towards them. Bob and Randy, along with other "Socs", being to argue with Ponyboy and Johnny. They start beating up Ponyboy. Johnny grabs a knife and ends up killing Bob in order to save Ponyboy. All the other "Socs" run away.

Scared and not knowing what to do, Ponyboy and Johnny decide to run away. They ask Dallas for help. Dallas gives Johnny a gun and some money and tells them about an abandoned church they can hide out in. He tells them to stay there until he can get away and meet up with them. They stay at this abandoned church for about four or five days. While their stay, Ponyboy and Johnny buy food, supplies, and the book Gone with the Wind to read to pass the time. They also decide to cut their hair and Ponyboy ends up bleaching his hair blonde. Dallas comes up to the church to let them know that Cherry Valance will testify that Johnny killing Bob was in self-defense. They go out to eat and then return to find the church on fire and children are stuck inside. Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dallas go in to rescue them. Once they get all the children out, Johnny gets caught in the fire and gets burned really badly. Johnny and Dallas are hospitalized. The three of them are praised for the heroism but Johnny is charged with manslaughter.

Since the killing of Bob, there has been a rumble challenge made between the "Greasers" and the "Socs" to end this once and for all. A violent fistfight occurs, which the "Greasers" win. Dallas drives Ponyboy to the hospital to let Johnny know they won the rumble. Johnny whispers to Ponyboy to "stay gold" and then he passes away. Dallas starts crying and runs out. Unable to bear Johnny's death, Dallas robs a convenient store and gets chased by police. Unable to get away, Dallas gets shot by the police.

As the story ends, Ponyboy is sitting at his desk. He then picks up the Gone with the Wind novel and finds a letter inside written to him by Johnny. He reads what Johnny wrote and then opens his notebook up and starts writing about his experiences.

Lizzy    =)