Johnny Cash’s life has been documented not only in autobiographies and books but in films as well, as we have seen from the three films shown in the module – Walk The Line, a feature film, Johnny Cash: The Last Great American, a documentary, and Walk Hard, a satire film based on the plot of Walk The Line. In Walk the Line, Johnny Cash’s life is recounted in the form of a feature film, or a biopic. The film aptly covers most of Cash’s life, showing us aspects that made him the man that he became, such as his childhood in the cotton fields, his relationship with his brother, his strained relationship with his father and his rise to success as he nails a record deal with Sam Phillips. The film also covers heavily Cash’s love life, from his marriage …show more content…
However, as a satirical film, it provides us with criticism of Walk the Line and the biographical film genre in general. The plot of the film parodies the plot of Walk the Line, with the character Dewey Cox having a similar backstory to Cash. However, many elements are exaggerated to the point of unrealism – such as Cox slicing his brother in half with a machete. Cox’s relationship with his first wife in the film is also an exaggerated parody of Cash’s relationship with Liberto in Walk the Line, essentially acting as a form of critique as it brings to light how Liberto was simply portrayed as disdainful of her husband’s career (exaggerated in Walk Hard such that she offhandedly insults his musical aspirations) and merely the bearer of four of his children (exaggerated in Walk Hard to over twenty). With Walk Hard, we see that there is much less censorship going on, without any intention to portray an individual in a flattering manner on purpose. What this means – and is also evident in the film – is that as a satire film, there is space to bring the most contentious issues to light and provide commentary on it without much repercussion – in this case, the portrayal of Johnny Cash in Walk the Line as the main issue. Without contextual knowledge of the subject of satire, however, satire films like Walk Hard fail to provide the audience with a better understanding of the subject – in this case,
Norman Mclean’s A River Runs Through It explores many feelings and experiences of one “turn of the century” family in Missoula, Montana. In both the movie, directed by Robert Redford, and the original work of fiction we follow the Mcleans through their joys and sorrows. However, the names of the characters and places are not purely coincidental. These are the same people and places known by Norman Mclean as he was growing up. In a sense, A River Runs Through It is Mclean’s autobiography. Although these autobiographical influences are quite evident throughout the course of the story they have deeper roots in the later life of the author as he copes with his life’s hardships.
This week’s readings of the reviews of Spike Lee’s ‘Do the Right Thing’ and Marilyn Fabe’s “Political Cinema: Spike Lee’s ‘Do the Right Thing’, raised a number of questions regarding not only the moral issues the film addresses but also the intention of the artist. This dialectical opposition, which Pamela Reynolds suggests “challenges the audience to choose” (Reynolds, p.138) between the narrativized hostility shown between that of the hero and villain. More specifically Lee’s portrayal of violence vs passive opposition. This can be perceived through Lee’s technical employment of contradictory quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcom X at the conclusion of the film, which not only highlights this concern but also deluges further into themes of political opposition. Marylin Fabe discusses this where she states that Spike Lee’s film carries a “disturbing political message” (Fabe, p.191). Arguably, ‘Do the Right Thing’ acmes themes of racism (Black vs White); with underlining motifs of imperialism (colonisers’ vs colonised), psychoanalytic (power vs powerlessness) and even Marxist theory (ownership vs public space/consumption), with Clarence Page stating that Lee provides a “public service… (not trying) to provide all the answers, but raising the questions.” (Reid, P.144). In saying this we explore this concept of the role of the artist, with Georgopulos stating that the role of the artist is to create a consciousness within the audience by revealing a fraught set of truths about the human condition. Thusly, the reactions and responses to the films reveal Lee to be successful in conveying his intentions, which back in its zenith, explored this issue of racism in a way that had rarely been seen, and presented the ways in which t...
When one thinks of a gangster they may think of speakeasies and classy cars or maybe drive-bys, but they will always imagine a man who is not afraid to get his hands dirty to grasp for a higher place on the social ladder. They will think of a man portrayed in a genre of cinema more American than any other, the gangster film. This genre began in the early thirties and has been re-adapted each decade to fit a new time. Although gangster films may mold themselves to fit into a certain cultural era, they still stay deeply tied to the foundations of the genre and its historical relevance to the american dream. This is apparent when comparing the differences and similarities between The Public Enemy and American Gangster. To better understand this comparison one needs to understand the origination of some of the classic conventions of the gangster film genre.
“Society of broken promise, economies war citizens whores, political pimps leaving us flat on our backs, creating today waiting for the promise land” (Trudell). The U.S government intends on taking what they want from the Indians with resistance. John Trudell, who was a Native American wanted his voice heard. He spent a decade moralizing to stand up to politicians and to appeal the reason for why he did not trust nor approve of the political system. “The government has been literally the most bloodthirsty, brutalizing system ever imposed upon this planet, that is not civilization” (Trudell). The film proclaims Trudell to demonstrate the appeals of persuasion to reinforce the message to viewers exposing the mistrust upon Trudell and government officials, which, consequently, manipulates the viewer to question whether the government is full of broken promises or want to acquire ultimate control over society associating with the American Indians utilizing the land and their
Tom Paine’s “Scar Vegas” takes place in a cheap Las Vegas hotel in the late twentieth century and shows the depressing life of a lonely ex-con. Traveling from Texas to Las Vegas for his sister’s wedding, Johnny Loop emerges as a simple, unlucky, depressed cowboy. Time after time it seems that Loop gets the short end of the stick. His dysfunctional background shapes his attitudes and interactions with others. Ironic, but a depressing ending leaves him helpless, alone, and frustrated. Sadly, it becomes obvious that he is not going to be able to turn his life around.
Million Dollar Quartet was an exciting, fun-filled, electrifying experience that left the audience dancing out of the theatre. It captures Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins’ experience as they made rock n’ roll history on the night of December 4th, 1956. The artistic director had a clear vision of what had occurred that night, and he portrayed it well using lights, incredible stage props, and soulful music that we, to this day, love and reminisce on.
McCarthy’s plot is built around a teenage boy, John Grady, who has great passion for a cowboy life. At the age of seventeen he begins to depict himself as a unique individual who is ambitious to fulfill his dream life – the life of free will, under the sun and starlit nights. Unfortunately, his ambition is at odds with the societal etiquettes. He initiates his adventurous life in his homeland when he futilely endeavors to seize his grandfather’s legacy - the ranch. John Grady fails to appreciate a naked truth that, society plays a big role in his life than he could have possibly imagined. His own mother is the first one to strive to dictate his life. “Anyway you’re sixteen years old, you can’t run the ranch…you are being ridiculers. You have to go to school” she said, wiping out any hopes of him owning the ranch (p.15). Undoubtedly Grady is being restrained to explore his dreams, as the world around him intuitively assumes that he ought to tag along the c...
the history of MGM Records. As proud as he was of being the son of Hank
One of the more prevalent themes of this movie is racism, and how prejudicial mindsets ultimately lead to one’s own demise. The movie outlines how racism, among other things, can adversely affect someone’s judgment. After the father died, we see how the family gradually deteriorates financially as well as emotionally after Derek (the older brother played by Edward Norton) turns to a neo Nazi gang for an outlet, which eventually influences his younger brother Danny (played by Edward Furlong) to follow down ...
In the movie And the Band Played On, stakeholders’ interests stymied public health efforts to research and implement health policy to control the rapidly emerging disease, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The stakeholders within the movie, those whose interest would be impacted by policy change, included the affected populations, scientists, state and federal public health officials, and organizations including blood banks. Early in the epidemic, the Center for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were tentative in disclosing vital information – many homosexual men were becoming infected in the bathhouses (Pillsbury, Sanford, & Spottiswoode, 1993). Despite having the supporting evidence of patient zero and a sexual cluster
5. Dimon, Laura. “Crip Walk: The Pop Culture Sensation That Came From Violent Gangsters.” Policy Mic. 3 Dec. 2013. Web. 20 May 2014.
The movie I chose to do my report over was, Walk the Line. This film is about the life of the late, musical legend Johnny Cash. In the beginning of Walk the Line, they introduce the traumatic event that shapes the rest of Johnny’s life. John and his brother Jack planned to go fishing one day, before they could go his brother had to finish splitting wood. Johnny was getting impatient and Jack told him to go ahead and would catch up with him as soon as he was finished. While Johnny was fishing, Jack had a fatal accident with the wood splitter. Johnny’s father blamed him for the death of Jack, because he was not there to help him. He had a very rough childhood, because of the broken relationship he and his father have.
Many modern films revolve around a life-changing event or series of events, or follow a character’s experiences thru a particularly stressful or new situation. The Film School of Rock (Aversano, Nicolaides, Rudin & Linklater, 2003) includes an assortment of these elements, among others, as it focuses on the struggle a rock musician turned substitute teacher encounters as he advances through a rocky stage in his life with the support of his new students.
The movie “John Q” narrates a story of the financially constrained character John Quincy Archibald who ensures that his nine year old son at the brink of death, secures a heart transplant by any means possible. Throughout the movie, there is a compelling display of the love shared by a family and this is seen in the great lengths John went to save his son, however unlawful. The main characters are John, Michael and Denise Archibald, Rebecca Payne, Doctor Turner and Lt. Grimes.
‘Our interest in the parallels between the adaptation inter-texts is further enhanced by consideration of their marked differences in textual form,’