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Mythology of all cultures
Cultural myth analysis
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When watching a movie, the watcher isn’t usually thinking of the meaning behind the movie. The movie could be following a story told in a book, a myth, or just for entertainment. With that being said, watching a movie is learning a story and knowing the meaning behind the story. For example, if you look at the movie Moana and analyze the characters features and characteristics, you will realize that they are Polynesian. The movie Moana follows Polynesian culture which leads to the myths behind the culture. The specific myths the movie follows are two of the characters named Maui and Te Fiti. With information given from the movie and finding information about the myths, we can make an analysis by comparing and contrasting the two characters.
Additionally not only knowing the historical, social, and political background of a film and how the ideas in this film were form,but also how this film affected the society and the point of view of individuals,because after all film is not only affected by the context in which it is created ,but the film also affects individuals are catalyst for change in societies and cultures.
The movie teaches us to look beyond the cover and into who someone is as a person. We also learn that sometimes contact with people makes us reconsider our judgement towards them, to find out the real person underneath.
Before taking this course, I always looked at films and read books just as the average person does; interesting plot and how long will it hold my interest, but this course gave me an entire different perspective when watching films and reading books. Now that I have taken this course and have watched the required films, the most important thing when watching other movies and reading books, is the meaning behind each scene and how they relate and affect our world. For this paper, I will discuss a book that I read a long time ago, which is She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb and how this book relates to this course.
Hawaiian is unique among the fifty states, especially in regards to its native music form, which is still preformed, and captivates audiences even today. Hawaiian chanting, music, and dance are not only key parts of life on the island, but have also become cultural icons as well as profound symbols of nature and religion in Hawaii. Hawaii has a rich history, beginning with the early settlers from Polynesia who brought their traditions and religions to Hawaii. Over the years, the inhabitants took those traditions and adapted them to their new home, creating the definitive culture that, even with Western influences, still is a captivating force within the society.
The Polynesian peoples have a lifestyle quite different than that of any other culture, as living on an island requires a level of flexible adaptability in order to cope with such a different, sometimes difficult environment. We see the way diverse cultures build their lives around their circumstances and how they respect them in their cultural myths and stories. The Polynesian legends emphasize the physical environment that they live in. They are quite different than any other region in the world, but the beauty and individuality of the Polynesian culture is prominent as seen in their mythology.
The only real way to truly understand a story is to understand all aspects of a story and their meanings. The same goes for movies, as they are all just stories being acted out. In Thomas Foster's book, “How to Read Literature Like a Professor”, Foster explains in detail the numerous ingredients of a story. He discusses almost everything that can be found in any given piece of literature. The devices discussed in Foster's book can be found in most movies as well, including in Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic, “Pulp Fiction”. This movie is a complicated tale that follows numerous characters involved in intertwining stories. Tarantino utilizes many devices to make “Pulp Fiction” into an excellent film. In this essay, I will demonstrate how several literary devices described in Foster's book are put to use in Tarantino’s film, “Pulp Fiction”, including quests, archetypes, food, and violence.
Bryan Nelson, the author of the Polynesians seafarers discovered America long before Europeans, says DNA, mentioned the idea that sweet potatoes founded in Polynesia created a theory that the Polynesians reached the Americas first. Many theories began to circulate around the 1960s due to an excavation site that gave a link to Norse explorers discovering America before Columbus. However, new evidence like the sweet potatoes emerged to complicate the theories. Nelson states “it was actually the Polynesians” who discovered the land we call South America.
People can feel better about themselves after watching these types of movies. Using these elements together, it makes the movie better, but not only that, but each element helps each other out in the scene to make it a very good movie
A set of practices concerning the narrative structure compose the classical Hollywood Paradigm. These conventions create a plot centering around a character who undergoes a journey in an attempt to achieve some type of goal (). By giving the central character more time on screen, the film helps the audience to not only understand the character’s motivation but also empathize with his/her emotional state. Additionally, some antagonistic force creates conflict with the main character, preventing immediate success(). Finally, after confronting the antagonist, the main character achieves his or her goal along with growing emotionally(). This proven structure creates a linear and relatively easily followed series of events encompassing the leading character and a goal.
Ashton, starting out with a quote from Jay Ruby and analyzing it is a great way to begin your post. The significance of anthropology and communication is very important, especially when viewing a film of another culture. According to Ruby, “one of the primary goals of an anthropological communication is to make viewers or readers aware of their words, the general purpose of an anthropological communication is to alter the relationship between Westerners and the Other” (Ruby 2000, 186). That is, as a viewer, one has the ability attribute the meaning of the film based on one’s cultural lenses. As a viewer, one’s culture plays a vital role in interpreting visual context. Ruby mentions that the “primacy of culture in the construction of meaning
Film and literature are two media forms that are so closely related, that we often forget there is a distinction between them. We often just view the movie as an extension of the book because most movies are based on novels or short stories. Because we are accustomed to this sequence of production, first the novel, then the motion picture, we often find ourselves making value judgments about a movie, based upon our feelings on the novel. It is this overlapping of the creative processes that prevents us from seeing movies as distinct and separate art forms from the novels they are based on.
...verything around us is made by our actions. Positive or negative they cause an effect that will ultimately lead to a different story base on how we interpret life. Narrative elements are used as a bridge by the directors in their film to create any master plot that is currently known. Any modification at any narrative element used by the director at important moments inside the story can help you portray a different master plot. This used of narrative elements can be best described as an ever changing process that takes place inside an individual’s head. Depending on the individual that may be exposed to those narrative elements can create different meanings. This new interpretation can be different for everyone. We have to be aware that one change in the surface scenery can lead to many ideal outcomes in our minds and that is the main power the audience has.
When you stop to think about it, our ability to understand what goes on in a typical Hollywood film is shocking. Images jump from one to the next with little to no linearity. Perspectives jump around as if a person is spinning and floating around, and music and sounds emanate from nowhere and everywhere at once. The lights dim. Your body shifts about to get comfortable. It’s not bed time however. It’s time for a movie! The strong correlation between our film watching setting, and our dream making setting is too closely tied to be considered mere coincidence. Colin McGinn, author of The Power of Movies, in chapter four titled “Dreams on Film”, says “A child has to learn to read before a literary narrative can be processed, but watching a film requires nothing much beyond the capacity to dream” (113). McGinn argues that the reasons we are able to understand film so easily and readily, is because of our ability to dream. In dreaming, we create visual fantasies that seem to reflect memories and images we experience in our own lives. We might wake up in a heavy sweat, a confused state of mind, or a smile on our face, and it is these same emotions that can be brought about by film. Our ability to create and consume film stems from our innate ability to imagine and understand dreams. Robert Rodriguez’s film adaptation “Sin City” is a perfect case study of how film and dreams are interrelated.
The American writer Dennis Lehane has rightly said that to compare movies and books is like comparing apples and giraffes. These two are completely different genres. The curious approach to compare the two, lead us to many perspectives and fruitful relationships. Movies and literature mingle/blend in such a nice way that they go on nourishing each other. And the result is a treat for receivers. We come across many adaptations of books into movies. The nature of adaptation is such that it enfolds and elaborates the same story of previous generation to the next in modern style. Many a times, the splendor of the message lies in the singer, and not the song itself. The song or the story is told again and again, till it remains alive among humans for centuries. This age old art of adaptation of literature is recreation. The story which is rejuvenated by different media and has seen various generations bears the knowledge and experience which is useful for all. While creating different forms of communication, slowly we come to the beginning of this relationship:
Books and movies are similar as they tell a story, have the same structures, and have a main idea or theme hidden beneath the story. Movies display their story through audio and visual scenes with professional actors and technicians who put the movie together piece by piece. On the other hand, books make their stories come to life with descriptive words that enhance the plot and with prolonged suspense that can keep a reader hooked till the end. Furthermore, books and movies give the audiences and readers the same feelings after reading or watching about the stories. A reader can feel sad after reading a story in a book and the audience can also feel sad after watching the same story in a movie. For example, the book titled ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’ by John Boyne had a dismal resolution causing some readers to feel sad. Likewise, the movie ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’ also gave audiences the same emotions; the feeling of sadness. Regardless of their form, books and movies are built using the same structure. They will both have a beginning, initial incident, rising actio...