Archaeologist in The Fifth Element
analytical Essay
690 words
Archaeologists have been popular characters in American Fiction at least since the 1920’s. In the movie The Fifth Element directed by Adrian Lyne an archaeologist makes a startling discovery, which kicks off the entire plot for the movie. The setting is a popular one for that of archaeologists which is Egypt in the year 1914.
The archaeologist in this movie was a professor of Italian origins. He was about fifty to sixty years old with gray hair and a beard. He was dressed in nice Italian clothes and of course had an accent. He brought along an apprentice (Billy) who was there to sketch all of the findings. He was portrayed as a bitter man. While he was trying to read the hieroglyphics on the wall, a little Egyptian boy was holding a mirror to reflect most of the light inside the pyramid. If the boy accidentally shifted the mirror or fell asleep the professor would yell at him, he was probably getting paid less than a cent an hour and had to work the entire day with barely any sleep.
The professor and Billy were trying to translate the hieroglyphics found on the wall of the pyramid. I’m sure they were there because Egypt is a great place for an archaeologist to become famous by looking for ancient writings and secret pyramids. A priest opposed the archaeologists because they were finding out very important information that was too valuable for everyone in the world to find out. The priest tried to poison the archaeologist and his partner so that the secret didn’t get out. An alien ship (The Mondochewen) had sensed this danger and showed up at the pyramids to cover up this discovery. The aliens were harmless but the shock of finding out all of this at once made him faint, it may have been a heart attack. They opened up a secret room, which no one could access without a key, and took the treasures that could save the world. The Mondochewen did not believe that the stones were safe on earth anymore so they came and put them somewhere no one would find them. These treasures were stones, which contained the 4 basic elements of life (water, fire, earth, and wind). The myth written on the wall told of absolute evil coming and that these elements gathered around a fifth (Supreme Being) would be the protection of the universe.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that archaeologists have been popular characters in american fiction since the 1920's. in the movie the fifth element, an archeologist makes a startling discovery.
- Analyzes how the archaeologist in the movie was a professor of italian origins, dressed in nice italian clothes, and had an accent.
- Analyzes how the professor and billy were trying to translate the hieroglyphics found on the wall of the pyramid. a priest opposed the archaeologists because they were finding out important information that was too valuable for everyone in the world to find out.
- Narrates how billy freaks out after the professor passes out and thinks that the mondochewen had killed him. he gave the priest one message; to pass on the key to his ancestors.
- Explains the importance of having an archaeologist present in the movie to set up the story by decoding ancient egyptian hieroglyphics.
Related
- analytical
- explanatory
- argumentative
- Ominous, monolithic wooden doors, slanted backwards to accentuate their apparent height, swing slowly and automatically outward, beckoning the carefully counted herd of visitors into a darkened room lit only with eerie blue light trickling out of hieroglyphic sconces. Doors close behind, the lights dim - so begins the visitor’s journey among the treasures of ancient Egypt. Each visitor’s Egyptian immersion, however, started long before entering the “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” exhibit at the San Francisco De Young museum. The ancient Egyptian “mega-myth” – of grandiose and opulent Pharaohs, majestic, mysterious pyramids, sphinxes, Cleopatra, Ramesses, and of course King Tut – is deeply ingrained through popular culture, glorified in countless films, novels, and even video games. So too is the mystique of the brave adventurous archaeologist fixed in every western mind, patterned after the fedora-donning and pistol-toting protagonists of “Indiana Jones” and “Tomb Raider.” The King Tutankhamun exhibit, instead of exploring historical facts and daring to counter these myths, embellishes and substantiates them, reinforcing the Egyptian “blockbuster” perception in an attempt to satisfy the preconceived notions of the average person in hopes of drawing masses to the museum.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the "tutankhamun and the golden age of the pharaohs" exhibit at the san francisco de young museum reinforcing the egyptian "blockbuster" perception.
- Analyzes how the guiding force behind the tut exhibit is profit, to attract and satisfy the most visitors efficiently. the museum curators craftily target the exhibit to reinforce the simplified and majestic popular notions about ancient egypt.
- Analyzes how the exhibit relies heavily on drama and theatrics to verify and aggrandize the egyptian mega-myth, promoting the air of majesty and mystery surrounding the pharaohs and romanticizing the ancient civilization.
- Analyzes how the collective selection and placement of the artifacts promotes sensationalism and magnifies their splendor and mystique.
- Analyzes how the written pieces describing each work offer educational value but subtly further the mysticism prevalent in the egyptian mega-myth.
- Analyzes how egypt's "golden age of the pharaohs" is simplified and dramatized because it sells and is manipulated to meet the bottom line of those who own the artifacts.
- Analyzes how egyptian archaeologist zahi hawass, who organized the exhibit, and anschutz entertainment group, which funded its tour, are viewed as grandiose and boastful.
- Analyzes how "tutankhamen and the golden age of the pharaohs," with profound influence from hawass and aeg, seeks to please the average visitor.
- Analyzes how the exhibit caters to the masses in presenting carter, the archaeologist who discovered tut’s tomb, as a heroic adventurer.
- Explains that the man behind egypt's boy king is julian guthrie. macdonald, sally, and michael rice. "phil anschutz: media wildcatter."
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that archeologists in fiction have been stereotyped according to what the public depicts them, or their field of study, to be.
- Analyzes how dick richards' "march or die" depicted an archeologist named monsieur marneau, who had a true interest in antiquity.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that the ancient egyptians had an intricate tradition of burial customs that they believed were required to ensure their reincarnation after death.
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- Explains that the ancient egyptians encased their dead with treasures and artifacts indebted to their gods.
- Explains that ancient egyptians created treasures to serve their highest deities and gods, and many forget to reflect on their purpose in the afterlife.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains kostof's a history of architecture:settings and rituals.
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- Cites redford, donald b, ph.d., mccauley, m, and arnold, d, building in egypt.
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In this essay, the author
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In this essay, the author
- Explains ancient egypt is located along the nile river of northeastern africa. it was a thriving civilization for more than 3,000 years, from 3300 bc to 30bc.
- Explains how the culture of ancient egypt is identified and well known for many aspects of their ways of life.
- Describes the history of pyramids in the sahara desert of north africa, where the pharaohs were believed to be gods.
- Explains how the egyptians built over 90 pyramids that we know of today. the earliest pyramid was a step pyramid with inward-leaning walls and eight levels.
- Explains that pyramids were built to house the tombs of pharaohs and their wives. the egyptians believed that a dead monarch's spirit traveled through the sky with the sun each day.
- Explains that the first step pyramid was created at saqqara in 2750 bc for king zoser of the third dynasty of ancient egypt.
- Explains that the egyptians believed in the afterlife and mummification, which was a complex process. the body was washed off and stuffed with linens, spices, and sawdust.
- Explains that egyptians were fortunate to have fertile land and the ongoing water source of the nile river. fishing was a sporting event and food source.
- Explains that women in the egyptian society led different types of lives than the males. they were expected by the age of twelve to get married and travel to male's house.
- Opines that the egyptians had one of the most complex and well-developed cultures in the world.
- Explains erik iversen's the myth of egypt and its hierolyphs in european tradition.
- Explains that ancient egypt prospered for more than 3000 years because of the pride they took in all aspects of their lives.
- Explains that hieroglyphs are a form of writing in which pictures or objects represent real life objects that form into an idea or story.
- Explains that the pyramids developed in complexity during the 5th dynasty. the pyramid was built with a limestone core and white limestone casing, antechamber, burial chamber, and annex chamber.
- Explains that the ancient egyptians took pride in all aspects of their lives. they lived in the northwestern portion of the african continent.
- Explains that ancient egyptian culture is one of the most well-developed cultures that existed at that time. their beliefs in religion and the many gods they worshiped stem from mythology.
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- Explains that ancient egypt was the most dynamic early civilization, with specific inventions and developments for survival and cultural advancement.
- Explains park, rosalind, and silverman, david p. language and writing in ancient egypt.
6225 wordsRead More - The Damming of the Yangtze Riverexplanatory essayChilds-Johnson, Elizabeth, Joan Lebold Cohen, and Lawerence R. Sullivan. (1996, November-December). Race against time. Archaeology.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the three gorges dam has been a topic for debate in the people's republic of china since the 1920s, when it was first proposed.
- Explains that the yangtze river is the third largest river in the world, spanning a length of 6,300 kilometers. with the construction of the three gorges dam, most of this beautiful scenery would be submerged and lost forever.
- Explains that the three gorges dam will stretch 2-kilometers across the yangtze river, tower 185 meters into the air and create a 600-kilometer (385 miles) reservoir behind it.
- Opines that the man-made sea created by the dam would submerge important archaeological sites, some dating as far back as the paleolithic age.
- Explains that the construction of the three gorges dam will destroy traces of past civilizations and destroy the lives of yangtze river's current inhabitants.
- Opines that the three gorges dam will inevitably cause the extinction of the chinese alligator, river dolphins, and the siberian white crane.
- Explains that sedimentation creates clear water downstream from the dam. if water from three gorges flows into such a channel, the channel will react.
- Explains that controlling sedimentation is a very uncertain process. one of china's largest dams, the banqiao dam, collapsed in 1975.
- Explains that earthquakes could destroy dams. seismologists claim the reservoir will be over a seismically active fault line.
- Opines that the chinese government's lack of foreign investment in the gorges dam project is the only thing keeping them from going full force into it.
- Opines that the chinese government is determined to construct the largest megadam the world has ever seen.
- Cites childs-johnson, joan lebold cohen, and lawerence r. sullivan.
1245 wordsRead More - The Study of Archaeologyexplanatory essayAccording to The Society for American Archaeology, the definition of Archaeology is, “to obtain a chronology of the past, a sequence of events and dates that, in a sense, is a backward extension of history.” The study of ancient civilizations and archaeology is rather ambiguous due to the primitive nature of the time period. With little imagery and even less textual evidence, professionals in the field must work diligently when studying their subjects. Naturally, archaeologists cannot see or communicate with those whom they are studying, so they must be extraordinarily meticulous when analyzing past cultures. This relates to all aspects of the ancient world including; foods, raw materials, artifacts, agriculture, art work and pottery. All of these elements can collectively provide new and innovative information to curious archaeologists who may wish to gain a better understanding of those who came before us. This information is equally beneficial for both historians and archaeologists who plan to compare the histories of societies from all around the world. In the world of archaeology, archaeologists strive to better explain human behavior by analyzing our past. Therefore, the study of archaeology is a key element in understanding a time before our own.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that archaeology is ambiguous due to the primitive nature of the time period.
- Explains that archaeologists understand the relationship between the environment and life on earth through extensive research.
- Explains that rhys carpenter, an archaeologist and art historian, determined that the environment was a likely culprit in the fall of this lost civilization. plato and aristotle also contributed to the discussion on environment.
- Explains the benefits of archaeology in unraveling history.
- Explains the relationship between artifact and archaeology in the field of art work and sculpture. ancient greece's influence was particularly significant in areas like art, sculpture, and architecture.
- Explains that archaeological investigations are useful in understanding ambiguous and vague subjects during a period of time, including various cultures considered unknown during this time period.
1055 wordsRead More