The American President is a romantic comedy which follows the widowed President of the United States as he pursues a new romantic interest in the peak of election season. An environmental lobbyist by the name of Sydney Ellen Wade catches the eye of the President, Andrew Shepherd, when she first has a meeting at the White House to try to gain support for a bill that would reduce carbon emissions. The movie follows the pair as they pursue a relationship while trying to navigate the struggle of gaining support for the bills they wish to pass and the President’s falling popularity. President Shepherd advises his staff to deny commentary on his relationship status, but with the public demanding answers and the Republican nominee Bob Rumson gaining …show more content…
He employs the use nonverbals in the form of hand gestures such as pointing, nodding, and tapping forcefully on the podium to highlight talking points. He also acknowledges the audience of reporters to make it feel as if he is talking to them personally. The audience listens to him intently as he speaks about his opponent and his love life. After a long period of silence from the White House about his relationship status, President Shepherd finally opens up about his love life, claiming that he’s “only loved two women in his life,” which refers to his deceased first wife and Sydney Ellen Wade. He wants to make it known that there is nothing scandalous about his relationship Sydney, and that it wasn’t an exchange of sexual favors for the passage of the energy bill. He then switches topics to state that he is sending the energy bill out for consideration by congress, and that the crime bill will be thrown out. This prompts the attending reporters to reach for their notepads and copy his words for publication as he continues to reveal the details of his plan. When all is said and done, he closes his speech with the line “my name is Andrew Shepherd and I am the President,” which is a display of confidence with himself and the words he has
Of the most powerful people in the world, the President of the United States of America hits the top of the list. Even though the policy agendas that presidents set as they take office often go unfulfilled, the office of President is still one of the most envied spots to have. But why could this be? It is because the United States is the most powerful nation in the world and with the President as the leader, he is said to have the most power in the world ("Top Ten Most Powerful Countries in the World"). With power comes responsibility and with this position he must govern a country while abiding by the rules.
The movie Bernie is true story of a murder committed in Carthage, Texas in 1996. What set this crime apart from other murders was the reaction of the citizens. Bernie Tiede shot and killed Marjorie Nugent in November 1996. The people of Carthage were more worried about Bernie’s fate than his act of murdering Marjorie.
A president has to have character, right? I mean, if the leader of the free world has no substance, nothing special about him, then how do we as citizens know that he is capable as far as foreign policies go. How do we know that we can trust him to make wise decisions? How do we know that he will tell us the truth? This concept is exactly what fictional president Andrew Shepherd successfully conveys in his “Address to the Press on Bob Rumson and the Crime Bill.” In the movie, The American President, Andrew Shepherd becomes romantically involved with crime bill lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade. Many characters, including Bob Rumson, believe that the relationship between Shepherd and Wade is hindering the advancement of the country. They believe that this relationship shows lack of character, and it is made apparent to Shepherd through the side comments and actions of those opposing him. In the closing scenes of the movie, Shepherd is found defending himself and his character through the form of a rhetorical speech. He convincingly uses pathos to appeal to his audience’s sense of nationality and pride.
Saving Private Ryan starts out on June 6, 1944, which marks the beginning of the invasion of Normandy, in World War II. As learned early on four brothers from the Ryan family all go out to serve the United States, and in action three of the four are killed. This story follows a group of soldiers on their journey as they search for, the last surviving of the Ryan brothers, Private First Class James Ryan, and send him home. World War II is the deadliest and most extensive war in history that lasted six years. In World War II there were battles fought and rescue missions that took place, and the US Military showed their bravery as they went in to fight for our country.
The presidency of the United Sates of America has been an evolving office since the term of our first president, George Washington. This evolution has occurred because of the changing times and the evolution of society itself, but also because of the actions of the men who have become president. Starting in the 20th century, most have referred to the presidency as the modern presidency due to changes in both a president's power and the way that the office itself is viewed. As the office of the president has evolved so has who can become president evolved. Yet, even today there are certain individuals who because of their gender or race have yet to hold the office of the presidency. The men that have been president in our modern era have all had faults and greatness, some having more of one than of the other. The modern presidency is an office that many aspire to, but that few hold. The evolution of the office of the presidency has been one from that of a traditional role to that of a modern role that is forever evolving.
"Mrs. Robinson, you are trying to seduce me," says Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman). The Graduate, directed by Mike Nichols in 1967 is an influential satire/comedy film about a recent East Coast college graduated who finds himself alienated and aimless in the changing, social and sexual general public of the 1960s, and questioning the values of society. The theme of the film is of an innocent and confused youth who is exploited, mis-directed, seduced (literally and figuratively) and betrayed by a corrupt, self-indulgent, and discredited older generation (that finds stability in “plastics”) that I found to be quite clear and understanding, while also capturing the real spirit of the times and allows America's youth to perceive onscreen an image of themselves which they can both identify with and emulate. The Graduate is a significant film even today due to its use of abstract camera angles, telephoto lenses, excellent cinematography, and great acting. Few visual effects were used, however, matting and numerous point of view shots were used. These characteristics and the fabulous use of mis-en-scene, great writing and the era of the film all made The Graduate what it is today, magnificent.
The movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is based in the 1970s. It depicts the highly male dominated broadcast team and shows the shake up when a woman is hired as a reporter and has aspirations of becoming an anchor the television station. The particular scene shows Ron Burgundy is flustered because Veronica Coringstone is impeding on his masculinity. Burgundy exemplifies hegemonic masculinity by explaining he is a man and a professional, when Coringstone says he his acting like a baby he takes offense and explains he is a man and he his ultimately better than a women because indeed he is a man. Burgundy states, “'I’m a man who discovered the wheel, and built the Eiffel Tower out of metal and brawn. That's what kind of man I am. You're just a woman with a small brain. With a brain a 1/3 the size of us...It's science (Robertson, McKay, 2004). The clip also depicts Burgundy’s desire for Coringstone to be the typical submissive female he is used to. The articles will identify the gender stereotypes and access if they are true or false based on the research.
Although the former president was sure to be embarrassed and nervous about his infelicitous acts, he remained dedicated to truthfully inform and apologize to the American people. Throughout the speech, Clinton uses absolutely no gestures. This represents a sign of confidence and seriousness but can also be misunderstood as nervousness, as it was by many viewers. Also, the use of his straight and focused facial expression is used to portray the importance of the issue and his earnestness about his selfish mistakes. He maintains the same calm and resolutely blank facial expression throughout majority of the speech, conveying his seriousness and focus he has for this apology. Lastly, during the entirety of the speech, Clinton gazes directly into the camera to simulate eye contact with all viewers. This technique was used to establish a sense of security, trust, and honesty while also creating bonds between the viewers by making it feel as if he was talking to each individual specifically. Clintons overall purpose of his lack of movement and blank facial expression was ultimately used to reveal his focus on the issue and express his most sincere apologies for wronging the American people. Not only did his physical expressions help contribute to the main ideas of the speech back then, but today it still remains significant because it may have reestablished the trust between the former president and the
“Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get” (Zemeckis, Forrest Gump). The Academy Award Winner for Best Picture star Tom Hanks portrays the good-hearted but everlasting challenged man that deals with vast life changing dramatic problems, Forrest Gump. The drama-filled romantic comedy was directed by Robert Zemeckis and screenplay written by Eric Roth. In the film, Zemeckis illustrates Forrest as a guy that describes several messages from life lessons on love to the responsibility of ethics. A portion of the viewers may find Forrest Gump as a trivial movie while others pose a question as such: What makes Forrest Gump such a memorable human? From the moment Forrest Gump arrived on the scene of the
The movie I decided to analyze for this course was American History X (1998), which stars Edward Norton. Though this movie isn’t widely known, it is one of the more interesting movies I have seen. It’s probably one of the best films that depict the Neo Nazi plague on American culture. The film takes place from the mid to late 1990’s during the Internet boom, and touches on subjects from affirmative action to Rodney King. One of the highlights of this movie that really relates to one of the key aspects of this course is the deterrence of capital punishment. Edward Norton’s portrayal as the grief stricken older brother who turns to racist ideologies and violence to cope with his fathers death, completely disregards the consequences of his actions as he brutally murders someone in front of his family for trying to steal his car. The unstable mentality that he developed after his father’s death really goes hand-to-hand specifically with Isaac Ehrlich’s study of capital punishment and deterrence. Although this movie is entirely fictional, a lot of the central themes (racism, crime punishment, gang pervasiveness, and one’s own vulnerability) are accurate representations of the very problems that essentially afflict us as a society.
...very once in a while to maintain the formality of the speech and to convey imperative messages to his audience. Interchanging between the short sentences and the lengthy sentences grabs the audience’s full attention, permitting Kennedy to most persuade them that he qualifies for his position as U.S. President.
It is really hard for me to choose only three films out of my favorites. After a thorough selection, the three winners of my favorite films are Forrest Gump (1994), Memento (2000) and Shutter Island (2010).
Breakthroughs in technology throughout the twentieth century similarly morphed the institution of the American presidency. Embracing and adjusting to changing technology is a key attribute of the modern presidency, for the use proper use of technology makes the presidency appear strong. While mass media was an available medium during the presidency of Herbert Hoover, it was not effectively used until the Roosevelt administration (Thompson, 9/11/2014). The use of technology has enabled presidents to effectively address the nation, developing the modern presidency’s paternalistic role, in both times of crisis as well as presidential elections. Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s use of the radio to address the nation during the Great Depression and World War II demonstrates the paternalistic use of media in the modern presidency, creating a stronger connection to the American people. The 1960 Presidential Election further demonstrates the importance of the modern presidency adapting to technological advancements. The televised debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy shows the importance of technology to the presidency; for Americans who watched the debate and those who listened to the debate had different perception of who won (Thompson, 9/18/2014). Incorporating technology is a major element of the modern presidency, the use of mass media has greatly strengthened presidential administrations as well as the image of presidential candidates
Wall Street is a movie that exposes corruption and disguises all values, beliefs, and other ethical philosophy. Throughout the movie, Wall Street shows how ethics adapts to a person’s personality by power and wealth alongside honesty and truth. Bud Fox, a young stockbroker is looking for a way to make a name for himself. He is determined to get as many clients as he can to become successful. He later meets a ruthless man named Mr. Gekko where learns how to reach to the top by illegal actions such as insider trading. Bud Fox was an honest living man who had good ethics but was later showed what true power is became money hungry. The power of greed is fascinating the code that everyone lives by is inevitable once money comes into play. There are five types of interpersonal power; reward power, coercive power, legitimate power, referent power, and expert power. These types of power will be used to correspond relationships throughout the movie. In Wall Street we realize how Gordon Gekko uses Bud Fox for his benefit. In this paper I will show the types of powers that are used by Gordon Gekko and how they are used. One clear type of power that Gordon Gekko uses in his relationship with Bud Fox is the Referent power base. This power stands out because it is clear that Bud wants to become a top notch in the industry. Bud is striving to be successful when he exposes what he’s able to do at the meeting with Gordon Gekko he instantly become closer to his goals. There were scenes where Gordon had legitimate power. His knowledge and information was what made him rich. Bud Fox had to listen to what Gordon was telling him in order to become successful. This was an example of Gekko having legitimate power over Bud Fox. Expert power which is an ...
In the modern day era, we find in society a ubiquitous usage of technology that seems to be never ending and forever growing. Included with this notion, the broad subject of surveillance is of course included. Contemporary surveillance, or more specifically technological surveillance, has been described as ambiguous; meaning that it is often misunderstood or open to different interpretations. The representation of surveillance within popular culture has played an impacting role on how we as a society perceive it and this raises certain questions that may reflect back on to society. The 1998 film Enemy Of The State directed by Tony Scott, Starring Will Smith, Gene Hackman and Jon Voight is considered to be a ‘spy-thriller’ blockbuster. Its central themes explore a range of surveillance techniques and equipment and also provides some insights, no matter how realistic or unrealistic they may be, into the real life security organisation; The National Security Agency (NSA). Using this film as an example and analysing how these themes are represented will hopefully allow us to key these ideas back to modern surveillance theories and practices.