Held an Overall Captive of Prisoners
Written by Aaron Guzikowski and directed by Denis Villeneuve, the film Prisoners, was released in the fall of 2013 (IMDb). While the film offers a universal theme of “what would you do if your child went missing?”, has a substantial plot that is riddled with religious references and symbols, filled with twists and turns, and a superb cast of well-known actors, the movie fails because of its plot predictability, an unsatisfying ending and portrayals of characters that fall into unflattering stereotypes.
Written in 2007 Guzikowski states that Prisoners began as a “little short story I wrote for my own amusement,” (qtd in Prison Break). In the Prison Break interview Guzikowski reveals that the script for the movie has been around almost as long as the story itself and unlike most films, the script remained intact and unchanged. After several years, with several different directors, and actors in mind, the film finally came into fruition when Denis Villeneuve came on board (Prison Break). Guzikowski and Villeneuve made “a few changes together” (qtd. in Prison Break), and in the interview, Guzikowski says, “I enlarged the detective character a bit more and made it a little more of a two-hander, but beyond that, it never really changed at all.”
The idea for the film is based on every parent’s worst nightmare. The concept based-plot is filled with twists and turns, captivating the audience. This film succeeds in creating the desired feeling of suspense with its sound score and creates heightened emotions by filming on location and often in the dead of night. Filmed in realistic color, the storyline takes place on Thanksgiving and the days after. The scenes are often filmed outside, in the cold ...
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...iliar in film with examples August: Osage County and Blue Jasmine, both of which were also released in 2013. Although the viewer has been given enough clues and details to surmise their own conclusion at the end of the film Prisoners, it is an unsatisfying ending. This conclusion may be just another subtle reminder of the title, as the viewer is left psychologically detained by the unfulfilled resolution of this particular film.
Works Cited
Adiamor Diamonds & Fine Jewelry. Advertisement. Masonic Ring, The Meaning And The Symbol On It 31 Dec. 2012. Web. 07 May 2014.
“IMDb.” Rev. of Prisoners, dir. Denis Villeneuve. IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc. 2013.
Jensen, Todd. “Prison Break” WGA.org. Writers Guild of America, West. 20 Sep. 2013. Web. 05 May 2014.
Prisoners. Dir. Denis Villeneuve. Perf. Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal. Warner Brothers. 2013. Film.
All in all, Kerman’s year sentence in jail opened her eyes to some of the many problems within the federal prison system. She witnessed favoritism, abuse, health violations, etc. that helped her realize that she never wanted to go back to prison, despite all the true friendships she made. Through her use of rhetoric, mainly ethos, Kerman showed her audience a firsthand account of what an actual prison sentence is like. She also explored the idea of how one bad decision can change a person’s life forever.
After reading the book I have gained a new understanding of what inmates think about in prison. Working in an institution, I have a certain cynical attitude at times with inmates and their requests. Working in a reception facility, this is a facility where inmates are brought in from the county jails to the state intake facility, we deal with a lot of requests and questions. At times, with the phone ringing off the hook from family members and inmates with their prison request forms, you get a little cynical and tired of answering the same questions over and over. As I read the book I begin to understand some of the reason for the questions. Inmate(s) now realize that the officers and administrative personnel are in control of their lives. They dictate with to get up in the morning, take showers, eat meals, go to classes, the need see people for different reason, when to exercise and when to go to bed. The lost of control over their lives is a new experience for some and they would like to be able to adjust to this new lost of freedom. Upon understanding this and in reading the book, I am not as cynical as I have been and try to be more patient in answering questions. So in a way I have changed some of my thinking and understanding more of prison life.
In this documentary series, 30 Days: Jail, directed by Morgan Spurlock, Morgan questions whether the system is proper and effective, or whether they need to change and reform the system. The 30 Days: Jail is a true story, therefor the story is nonfiction. The details and events that transpire in this documentary series are facts. The 30 Days documentary film series are short films, which each episode last roughly thirty minutes long. Morgan Spurlock has filmed three seasons of the documentary series 30 Days. The reason why Morgan filmed these series of 30 Days was, because he wanted to put himself in other people’s shoes to show their life experiences and what they go through on a daily routine. Morgan is a writer and director, he has other works such as Supersize Me, Mansome.
The group of inmates, without the presence of Irwin, wasn’t very cohesive and though they were classified as a single group in the eyes of Colonel Winter, the prison’s warden, they acted as individuals and only looked out for themselves. A scene that really exemplified lack of cohesion between the inmates was at the start of the film when the inmates began fighting over a game of basketball over a petty argument. They really didn’t like ...
A Psychoanalysis and Story Analysis of Rick Bass 's Characters In “The Prisoners” Using Psychology And Sociology
The authors begin the book by providing advice on how a convict can prepare for release from prison. Throughout the book, the authors utilize two fictional characters, Joe and Jill Convict, as examples of prisoners reentering society. These fictional characters are representative of America’s prisoners. Prison is an artificial world with a very different social system than the real world beyond bars. Convicts follow the same daily schedule and are shaped by the different society that is prison. Prisoners therefore forget many of the obl...
“The Long Goodbye: Mother’s Day in Federal Prison”, written by Amanda Coyne depicts the struggles of parents and family members with the emotional trauma children go through due to the absence of their loved one. The story tugs the heart strings of readers with its descriptive account of Mother’s Day in a minimum security federal prison. Coyne describes the human emotions and truly gives an accurate account of what being in a visitation room is like. “The Long Goodbye: Mother’s Day in Federal Prison” makes the reader question the criminal justice system and convinces him or her to adjust their way of thinking towards the definition of criminalization through the logos, pathos, and ethos demonstrated throughout the text.
A common theme in many of the stories is that of self-preservation, because for most of the prisoners, focusing one oneself
Early in the film , a psychologist is called in to treat the troubled child :and she calmed the mother with a statement to the effect that, “ These things come and go but they are unexplainable”. This juncture of the film is a starting point for one of the central themes of the film which is : how a fragile family unit is besieged by unusual forces both natural and supernatural which breaks and possesses and unites with the morally challenged father while the mother and the child through their innocence, love, and honesty triumph over these forces.
Dodd, Vikram. "Why Prison Education?." . Prison Studies Project, Teaching Research Outreach, 16 Jan. 2010. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. .
Knowing and understanding the author’s purpose, we see where he is coming from and what his “point of view” is. We see that the author is someone that does not agree with the activities that occur in the native prison. It makes the author feel uncomfortable with the establishment and its procedures.
In this film they have many celebrations than people on other side of the town, they are really care free, nobody ever cries, they are always happy and theirs is lots of drinking, fireworks and fun. Until a big hurricane comes and they were all aware that it would come one day the children were told in school that one day there would be no bathtub it would all be swallowed up in the ocean from giant rain and ice caps would melt. as the hurricane hits everything is covered in water. Hushpuppy and the others gets around by
difficult relationships present that day in the prison, and emphasizing with detail on a few inmates
This film really focuses on the characters. Their thoughts, anger, distress, and mistakes become part of your mistakes. This deals with a father’s s priority and how he will achieve that priority by using unethical ways like torturing an innocent man. Bringing up child abduction and torture are
There is very little variation from the prison routine. Basically from the time an inmate starts his term till the time his term ends there is hardly any variation from his routine. The prisoners can either work every day or refuse to work and be locked in their cells during working hours. Obviously most choose to work and not be locked in their cells. “‘I just seem to go through the motions every day. It doesn’t take much though to wake up when the bell rings, go to chow, when the bell rings, go to work when the bell rings, and go to your cell when the bell rings. There really isn’t much choice or alternatives; you either do or you don’t.’” (Jones, 90)