WWII Japan had high hopes for a new country, but soon, their greed and misfortune lead them down a path of grief and despair. This is when Japan falls apart. The movie Grave of the Fireflies is accurate due to the depiction of the degrading society, wartime strategy, and conflict between U.S. and Japan. Seita and Setsuko, brother and sister, live through the difficult times, witnessing how their once caring community turned into an “every man for himself” scenario. They also suffer from the countries attempt on continuing to fight in the lost war and giving rations from their decreasing food supply. As well as inside threats, the terror of U.S. fire bombings was constant and had brutal effects on Japan.
Much of what is considered modern Japan has been fundamentally shaped by its involvement in various wars throughout history. In particular, the events of World War II led to radical changes in Japanese society, both politically and socially. While much focus has been placed on the broad, overarching impacts of war on Japan, it is through careful inspection of literature and art that we can understand war’s impact on the lives of everyday people. The Go Masters, the first collaborative film between China and Japan post-WWII, and “Turtleback Tombs,” a short story by Okinawan author Oshiro Tatsuhiro, both give insight to how war can fundamentally change how a place is perceived, on both an abstract and concrete level.
On October 4, 2016 the sustainability department at Appalachian State University presented the film The Seventh Fire. This was the 3rd of five films in the series devoted to social justice that the sustainability department is presenting. This film was an informative piece on the prevalent drug and gang issue that is common on Native American reservations. The film focuses on the White Earth Indian Reservation and two members who act as large influences in the gang and drug culture that runs rampant through this community. Throughout the documentary both Rob Brown and his 17-year-old pupil Kevin struggle with gang affiliation and the want for redemption and salvation.
Daughters of the Dust, was a movie about traditions, and the history of the women in a black family carrying these traditions. The movie starts in 1902, in an island where a family has lived for generations, since the slavery times. Part of this family, wants to leave the Island, but another part wants to preserve the traditions staying in the island. So the whole movie is about the struggle of the members of this family, in relation to leaving or not leaving the Island. The oldest women of this family, is the wisest of that family; she carries the traditions deep in her heart. Another woman, she is in her forty or so, and has two daughters, she is the other side of the coin. She wants to leave the island and break with the traditions...
Prior and during the war, the Japanese were known for their citizens’ extreme loyalty and commitment to their nation, but after the dropping of the atomic bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, some of these feelings diminished within the Japanese nation. Prior to the dropping of the atomic bomb, Over 70% of people in Japan believed that their nation could come out on top in the war even after more than a decade of constant fighting and the Japanese being on the defensive for over three years since the Battle of Midway. Directly after the use of the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the percentage of Japanese people that believed that defeat was inevitable rose to over 50%. Many people in the two cities that were bombed by the United States were affected more so than the rest of the Japanese population. For example, a 25% increase in suicidal thoughts was reported in the two cities struck by America’s new deadly weapon. This sharp decrease in morale amongst the Japanese people after the dropping of the atomic bomb coincided with an increase in Japanese fear of American and Allied power in future battles. For example, according to survivors of the bombing, whenever a lone American plane was seen over a Japanese city, people would “rush into their shelters,” and “They went in and out so much that they did not have time to eat. They were so nervous they could not work.” Prior to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki most Japanese were only scared of American aircrafts if there was a large group, but after the dropping of the atomic bomb any individual plane could wreak havoc on Japanese cities, as Elona Gay did to Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945. The use of the atomic bomb was able to spread fear amongst the Japanese people so
Japanese soldiers were trained in all types of conditions to prepare for war. People in Japan grew up with very nationalistic ideals. Many were passionate for their country and would sacrifice anything for their Emperor, even their own lives. This concept was reinforced during many Japanese soldier trainings. They were taught to never give up or surrender to the enemy. At this point, dropping the atomic bomb was needed to end the war in the Pacific, as it is the only way to defeat the Japanese. As the Japanese are very prideful in ethics, a war would occur on Japanese soil if it were not for the bomb. Japanese men would fight American troops, and ultimately, the Japanese would win the battle (The 1). The attacks on Pearl Harbor exemplify their dedication towards the war. Moreover, one can see the extent of nationalism through the negative effects of the Kamikaze pilots. They sacrificed their own lives for the better¬ o...
poster typically has the white cowboy large, presented front and center, with the antagonists and co-stars all behind him. An iconic western, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, has a poster picturing the white cowboy alone. Clint Eastwood stands there tall, stoic, and singular. Typical of most other westerns, the white cowboy is the center of attention. Here, however, there are two non-white figures presented: Bart, the Black cowboy, and a large Native American chief. This movie poster has the same style as other westerns with the color and layout, but is unique in the fact that a black man is presented where a white man would normally be dominating. Once again, this makes a statement about racial improvements. Previously having a black man at
African American representation in the film industry has always been a topic for discussion. Whether talking about character types and roles, the actors being cast or not cast, and the lack of diversity in front of and behind the camera. ‘The contemporary status of race in mainstream American culture is intimately bound to the process of representation within and through the mass media.’ (Rocchio, 2000, p. 4). Any role that was to be played by an African American kept in with the dominant stereotypes of the time of production; incompetent, child like, hyper-sexualised or criminal.
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, a 1987 novel by Fannie Flagg was the basis for the movie by the same [slightly shorther] name. When Evelyn Couch visits a nursing home, she befriends Ninny Threadgoode who tells of a story from her childhood of Ruth and Idgie, two very good “friends”. Looked at through the lens of the encoding/decoding model, we can track the presence of the heterosexual will to not know in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) through the films’ particular uses of the butch/femme trope and through its use of specific camera shots that capture the tension between Ruth and Idgie.
The film "Garden State" is an eccentric drama; in addition, a romance comedy, with a slew of complex, innate cast of characters, each deeply entrenched in profound emotional and psychological scars, ascending from the regrets of their past. The film is a reflection, on rediscovering yourself after years of goalless ambiguity. Writer/Director Zach Braff, stars as the films’ chief character, Andrew Largeman. In James Berardinelli’s movie review, he said: “Garden State is one of those movies that fails to stay with the viewer for an extended period of time. It 's a forgettable film featuring a throw-away story with unmemorable characters and unremarkable performances.” I must disagree; although "Garden State" can be a tad somber, moody and too subtle for many viewers. Yet, the film is fantastically intriguing, by arousing viewers thoughts, and stimulating ones emotions, and that 's exactly what draws viewers in. Since the storyline requires viewers to dig deeper into the subtle undertones and symbolisms
The Bad and The Beautiful (1952) and State and Main (2000) are films within films that unmask Hollywood Cinema as a dream factory and expose the grotesque, veneer hidden by the luxury of stars. The Bad and the Beautiful, directed by Vincent Minnelli, is a black and white film narrated in flashback form. The films theatrical nature requires more close-ups than wide-screen shots to capture the character’s psychological turmoil. For example, Fred and Jonathan’s car ride is captured in a close-up to signify their friendship; however their relationship deteriorates after Jonathan’s deceit. While the camera zooms out, Fred stands alone motionless. Here, Fred is captured from a distance at eye-level and he becomes ostracized by the film industry and
How does it feel starting over in a completely new place? In the movie “The Karate Kid”, Daniel, the main character, and his mom moved to the California from New Jersey because of his mom’s new job offer. Daniel started going to school in California and met a girl named Ali, whom he started to like. He started going out with her. Daniel was getting beat up by some bullies; one of them was Ali’s ex-boyfriend. They knew karate very well, but Daniel did not. So Daniel decided to learn karate. Daniel and his mom were living in an apartment and one day he discovers that the handyman at his apartment, Mr.Miyagi, knows karate very well. He asked Mr.Miyagi to teach him karate, and Mr.Miyagi became his karate teacher. It was hard for him to make new friends in a new place and he believed that Mr.Miyagi would be the only best friend he ever met.
When looking at the aftermath of the atomic bomb in both Nagasaki and Hiroshima the devastation it caused is evident. The majority of the population in Japan could have never imagined such a catastrophic event. On August 6, 1945 and August 9, 1945 massive amounts of lives were changed forever when an atomic bomb fell from the sky and created an explosion as bright as the sun. These two bombs were the first and only accounts of nuclear warfare. (“Atomic Bomb is…”) The impact that the two bombs left on the cities of Japan was tremendous. The bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima devastated the country through structural damage, long term medical effects, expenses, and the massive loss of life.
The war production wasn't the only bad thing happening in Japan. After Japan’s successful attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, war was no longer a possibility; it was a certainty, and it was one that Japan eagerly anticipated. The nation, its leaders, and its military were all prepared to wage war on the United States – and biological warfare was at the heart of those plans. In the months that followed Pearl Harbor, the Japanese began readying different plans for biological-based attacks meant to cripple the U.S. population.Like the United States in the years and months before the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan was also preparing for the possibility of waging an entirely new type of war on its enemies. However, Japan didn’t want to target just any Allied nation – its political and military leaders wanted to strike on U.S. territory yet again, this time on its mainland. Upon the request of Japan’s Emperor, military experts developed a plan named Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night, a plan that would devastate Southern California with biological warfare. Though the intended operation was never enacted, its development was careful and its intentions severe.The secrets of Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night detail what might just have happened had World War II come to a different end, one in which Japan was named the victor. One Japanese pilot, Shoichi Matsumoto, recalled that orders were to send two gliders over the
Besides an initial voiceover narration introducing Ray Kinsella (Kevin Cosner), his beloved wife Annie (Amy Madigan), and their young daughter Karin, this is the first scene in Field of Dreams, released in 1989 and directed by Phil Alden. The voice-over establishes the expectation of the film as being a sensible story about a loving couple trying to run a family farm in Iowa, and the subsequent scene (pictured above) quickly deconstructs that expectation. While working in his field one night, Ray hears a voice whispering “If you build it, he will come.” From then on, there are no more misconceptions about Field of Dreams being anything but an unapologetic fantasy in which an Iowa farmer mows down his fields to build a baseball diamond where
This paper will include the analysis of the movie Hope Floats. It will start with a short summary of the movie describing the characters and the plot. It will then discuss the family dynamics that are shown in the movie based on the class discussions and the readings. It will also include a variety of issues that are shown throughout the movie. This paper will discuss three key family system’s issues that includes the family concepts, assessing one from Bowen’s concepts, one from Minuchin’s concepts, and one from General Systems Theory/Anderson and Sabatelli concepts. There are many different scenes and examples in this movie that will give a better understanding of the many different family dynamics, family issues, and family system concepts.