Romeo and Juliet is a story of young love, violence, destiny, and hate. This captivating tale is told by many. One in particular is the modern day movie. Baz Luhrman directed this film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. In Baz Luhrman's Romeo and Juliet, Baz Luhrman uses both color and sound in very interesting ways by themselves and together.
The use of color in this movie is wonderful. Baz Luhrman uses color to change the viewers feelings. He uses it all the time in sets, costumes, and props. He also uses it when editing the film. These changes set an aura and tone for the scene. For example when Juliet and Lady Capulet talk about Juliet's marriage to Paris, the scene is very happy because the colors in the rooms and costumes are brightly colored. Also, in the scene when Romeo and his friends are escaping the party the scene seems harsh and scary because the color scheme is dark and clouded. I think Baz Luhrman does a fantastic job of conveying important feelings by using color.
Baz Luhrman's use of sounds and music is very interesting. He uses the soundtrack to help convey the emotion the scene should spark in the viewer. He accentuates certain noises like guns falling, shooting, cigarettes being stomped out, and, water falling. These noises are very important to the movie so he makes them excessively loud to show how important they are. He also uses the music to help send the right emotion. For example in the scene where Mercutio dies the music is pounding so it tells the viewer to feel scared. I think his use of music and sound is really great and has a huge effect on the movie.
When these two come together magic happens. He uses different colors and sounds to express feelings or tones. When he puts the sound and color together the feeling you had with each one alone becomes much stronger. For example in the scene when Romeo and Juliet kill themselves the music is soft and sad, the colors are dark in the scenery but light and white in the costumes and props. This creates a very mixed feeling. In this scene the colors and sounds create the melancholy feeling Baz Luhrman wants you to feel. These aspects of the movie affect the viewer a lot.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Identical? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
*SPOILER ALERT*
Right now I am in the middle of a Ellen Hopkins marathon! I love Ellen Hopkins and have been waiting to read a few of her books because in 6th grade when I read Crank for the first time I was scared to death for weeks. I'm not kidding. After that terrifying experience I decided to wait at least a year to read her other books. In the past weekI have made my way through Crank (for a second- much less scary-time) and am already 3/4 done with Identical. I adore Identical! It's about these two identical (duh!) twin sisters who are trapped in a crumbling family. These two girls are perceived as being two identical people, but they are so FAR from it.
Raeanne is a very complicated character. She has so many different Raeannes bottled up inside her. She claims a few time that she is unlike her sister who is frigid and keeps everything bottled up inside her, but I think she is. She has an exterior that is tough and seemingly relaxed. She is a stoner and has a series of terrible boyfriends. She is also bulimic. Her explanation was that it helps her feel in control, she says it really isn't about body image. She is using drugs, alcohol, and boys to cope with the lack of attention from her father. She is jealous of her sisters closeness with her father. She knows how sick it is that she wants a sexual relationship with her father, but all she really wants is a little love. I feel awful for Raeanne, but at the same time I want her to wake up and smell the flowers. I wish she'd just realize that there are better things to want than a sick man's love, but then again, how can poor Raeanne help it?
Kaeleigh is the opposite of Raeanne. Kaeleigh has had to deal with one of the worst things possible. Her father sexually abuses her. She has to deal with this in many ways. She closes herself off to other people by being "frigid". She is also excels in school and is involved in everything to get away. She tries to stay far far away from home. She is a binge eater. She eats because she wants curves because she wants to be the opposite of "daddy's image"and he likes thin. She eats to become her mother because that relationship fell apart. She also cuts herself to feel better. She doesn't wants any of the attention her dad gives her. She also wants her mother's love while Raeanne has given up on her mother. I have so much pity for her but as with her sister I can't help wanting to shake her awake just to try to fix her.
This book is an incredible novel, but it's really disturbing. Once you get over the initial shock of the story and all their problems you start to see the characters. This is when you see their internal problems and true differences. I want to read it again and just read to learn more about Kaeleigh and Raeanne.
Right now I am in the middle of a Ellen Hopkins marathon! I love Ellen Hopkins and have been waiting to read a few of her books because in 6th grade when I read Crank for the first time I was scared to death for weeks. I'm not kidding. After that terrifying experience I decided to wait at least a year to read her other books. In the past weekI have made my way through Crank (for a second- much less scary-time) and am already 3/4 done with Identical. I adore Identical! It's about these two identical (duh!) twin sisters who are trapped in a crumbling family. These two girls are perceived as being two identical people, but they are so FAR from it.
Raeanne is a very complicated character. She has so many different Raeannes bottled up inside her. She claims a few time that she is unlike her sister who is frigid and keeps everything bottled up inside her, but I think she is. She has an exterior that is tough and seemingly relaxed. She is a stoner and has a series of terrible boyfriends. She is also bulimic. Her explanation was that it helps her feel in control, she says it really isn't about body image. She is using drugs, alcohol, and boys to cope with the lack of attention from her father. She is jealous of her sisters closeness with her father. She knows how sick it is that she wants a sexual relationship with her father, but all she really wants is a little love. I feel awful for Raeanne, but at the same time I want her to wake up and smell the flowers. I wish she'd just realize that there are better things to want than a sick man's love, but then again, how can poor Raeanne help it?
Kaeleigh is the opposite of Raeanne. Kaeleigh has had to deal with one of the worst things possible. Her father sexually abuses her. She has to deal with this in many ways. She closes herself off to other people by being "frigid". She is also excels in school and is involved in everything to get away. She tries to stay far far away from home. She is a binge eater. She eats because she wants curves because she wants to be the opposite of "daddy's image"and he likes thin. She eats to become her mother because that relationship fell apart. She also cuts herself to feel better. She doesn't wants any of the attention her dad gives her. She also wants her mother's love while Raeanne has given up on her mother. I have so much pity for her but as with her sister I can't help wanting to shake her awake just to try to fix her.
This book is an incredible novel, but it's really disturbing. Once you get over the initial shock of the story and all their problems you start to see the characters. This is when you see their internal problems and true differences. I want to read it again and just read to learn more about Kaeleigh and Raeanne.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
 |
Summer, the Lower East Side, c. 1937 |
Weegee by Weegee: An Autobioography, 1961
This is a photograph of children playing in the street in the summer. I love this photograph because of all the details subtly hidden in it. The little boy running isn't wearing a bathing suit, just his underwear. In fact im pretty sure they all are just wearing clothes, not swimwear. All the kids in the picture are as Weegee says, "white, chalky faces."They all look beyond happy to be playing in the water. The adults in the background are all working and look hot as blazes. They stare at their children with adoring faces. The water they are playing in is coming from the fire hydrant. All the children look very young, except the two boys in the middle. The buildings in the background look big, but at the same time a little run down. The block looks incredibly hot and uncomfortable, but everyone in the photo looks so happy to be there.
This is an incredible photograph. I really love it. I think one of the reasons why I love it so much is because even though it only shows one social class, it explains the class system at the time (1937) These people quite obviously are pretty poor, but they love their lives. Another reason this photo is so interesting is because they are so happy. These people must have very difficult lives, but they appreciate their lives so much. I think that in the eyes of Weegee these people were just people who were too darn hot and needed a break from life. I think he wanted to show a different side of the people who were automatically judged because they didn't have a lot of money. I love the physical layout of the picture, but I also love the idea behind it.
The way these people are so happy is incredible to me. I think it's really interesting how they appreciate the little things they have, all because they don't have a lot.
Poem
The three poetic devices I used in my poem were rhyme scheme, repetition, and metaphor.It's hot as hell today
I swear the house is burning
It will burn and crisp away
Like a fire blazing
spreading far and wide
heat's really hell raising
It's hot as hell today
I'm running down the stairs
into the heat soiree
The hot air makes me feel annoyed
stuffed in and combusted
The house feels near destroyed
It's hot as hell today
I sweat like a pig
But I'll try to make my way
The water feels nice
on my steaming back
a cold patter of ice
It's hot as hell today
I swear the house is burning
It will burn and crisp away
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
AND THE AWARD GOES TO.........!
LEAH! I want to recognize Leah for writing consistently interesting engaging and thought provoking blog posts. Her writing is always sophisticated, complex, and yet somehow she manages to work magic and make everything crystal clear! I really enjoy reading her posts and she has caused me to read at least two books! Recently she wrote a great post about the book Give a Boy a Gun. Just look at the title and tell me you don't want to read her post, I dare you. All in all, if you need a fantastic mentor for blog posts Leah is your girl.
Here's the link: http://www.writinguponreading.blogspot.com/
P.S. Even if you already have a mentor READ LEAH'S POSTS!
Here's the link: http://www.writinguponreading.blogspot.com/
P.S. Even if you already have a mentor READ LEAH'S POSTS!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Do I Belong?
I am currently reading the book Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. It is incredible! I really love it! In the book Angela's Ashes, the main character is Frank McCourt himself. The book is all about his childhood and about his growing up partly in “The New World” (America) and partly in “The Homeland” (Ireland). I think a big part of this book is fitting in. A big theme is belonging. Frank doesn’t belong in New York, or in Ireland.
Frank doesn’t belong in New York, where he was born. In New York, Frank is the Irish kid. Frank is an outcast because of where his parents were born. People don’t accept him because everyone in America is an immigrant. For example, his neighbors are Jewish, and even though they are sweet people. Frank can’t really play or fit in with their son because of their nationality differences. Another example of his not belonging, is how when he is looking for his father in the bars, the men in the bars are all of one nationality or another. When he asks for a Malachy (his father’s name) they all say no because the name is not of their nationality or group. Frank isn’t really a part of New York.
Frank doesn’t belong in Ireland either. In Ireland, Frank is the ‘Yankee’ kid.
Frank doesn’t know squat about what to do in Ireland. For example in school he gets punished a lot because he doesn’t understand religious customs of Ireland. Another example of how he doesn’t belong is that when his grandmother meets him she gets angry because he is an American. Even his grandmother doesn’t accept him all because of his nationality. Frank doesn’t really belong to Ireland either.
In conclusion, I think Frank doesn’t really belong anywhere. Frank is kind of in between worlds, he is not fully Irish or fully American in a sense. Frank would need to commit fully to one world in order to finally belong completely. This idea of belonging reminds me of Funny Girl, and how in that movie Fanny doesn’t quite belong to the theatre or to Mr Arnstein , or to Henry Street, or to The Follies.
Frank doesn’t belong in New York, where he was born. In New York, Frank is the Irish kid. Frank is an outcast because of where his parents were born. People don’t accept him because everyone in America is an immigrant. For example, his neighbors are Jewish, and even though they are sweet people. Frank can’t really play or fit in with their son because of their nationality differences. Another example of his not belonging, is how when he is looking for his father in the bars, the men in the bars are all of one nationality or another. When he asks for a Malachy (his father’s name) they all say no because the name is not of their nationality or group. Frank isn’t really a part of New York.
Frank doesn’t belong in Ireland either. In Ireland, Frank is the ‘Yankee’ kid.
Frank doesn’t know squat about what to do in Ireland. For example in school he gets punished a lot because he doesn’t understand religious customs of Ireland. Another example of how he doesn’t belong is that when his grandmother meets him she gets angry because he is an American. Even his grandmother doesn’t accept him all because of his nationality. Frank doesn’t really belong to Ireland either.
In conclusion, I think Frank doesn’t really belong anywhere. Frank is kind of in between worlds, he is not fully Irish or fully American in a sense. Frank would need to commit fully to one world in order to finally belong completely. This idea of belonging reminds me of Funny Girl, and how in that movie Fanny doesn’t quite belong to the theatre or to Mr Arnstein , or to Henry Street, or to The Follies.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Two people, Two stories
I am reading the book The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. It's a book that was originally written in French. It's beautifully written and has an incredibly interesting plot. The main characters in the story are Paloma and Renee. Paloma is a genius twelve year old. She is growing up in a very rich family and really doesn't agree with their ideals most of the time. Renee is the cranky old concierge that works in the building that Paloma lives in. Even though they seem so different they actually are pretty similar in the end.
Paloma is an incredibly smart and interesting twelve year old. Her family is very rich and prestigious. She is planning on taking her life when she turns thirteen. The reason she has decided to do this is because she really hates her family. The thing is, she doesn't hate them, she almost feels sorry for them. She believes the way they act is fake and hollow. She understands why they act the way they do, but she doesn't comprehend why they believe in the things they do. Her mother fills her emptiness by taking care of plants, her sister pretends to be worldly and intelligent, and her father throws dinner parties. They are all so fake. Paloma feels like the only real person she knows. She has real interests and passions, for example she loves Japanese culture. She hates the world she lives in. Little does she know, someone real is right next door.
Renee is the only other real person nearby. On the outside Renee is a cranky old concierge. When you dig a little deeper, you see a very interesting and intelligent person. She is obsessed with incredibly advanced Russian novels and Japanese culture too, like Paloma. She is sophisticated and smart, but because of these fake people's expectations, she is kept silent and seemingly dumb or stupid. Because she works for these fake people, she hides her true personality so they are happy. They are only when everyone decides to assimilate to their stereotypes. She must hate getting turned off by these insignificant people. I think it's so ridiculous that a real person be shut down like that.
I, like Paloma and Renee don't understand the fake culture that people practice everywhere. The world they live in is filled to the brim with these kind of people. I would hate to have to deal with the artificiality everyday.
Paloma is an incredibly smart and interesting twelve year old. Her family is very rich and prestigious. She is planning on taking her life when she turns thirteen. The reason she has decided to do this is because she really hates her family. The thing is, she doesn't hate them, she almost feels sorry for them. She believes the way they act is fake and hollow. She understands why they act the way they do, but she doesn't comprehend why they believe in the things they do. Her mother fills her emptiness by taking care of plants, her sister pretends to be worldly and intelligent, and her father throws dinner parties. They are all so fake. Paloma feels like the only real person she knows. She has real interests and passions, for example she loves Japanese culture. She hates the world she lives in. Little does she know, someone real is right next door.
Renee is the only other real person nearby. On the outside Renee is a cranky old concierge. When you dig a little deeper, you see a very interesting and intelligent person. She is obsessed with incredibly advanced Russian novels and Japanese culture too, like Paloma. She is sophisticated and smart, but because of these fake people's expectations, she is kept silent and seemingly dumb or stupid. Because she works for these fake people, she hides her true personality so they are happy. They are only when everyone decides to assimilate to their stereotypes. She must hate getting turned off by these insignificant people. I think it's so ridiculous that a real person be shut down like that.
I, like Paloma and Renee don't understand the fake culture that people practice everywhere. The world they live in is filled to the brim with these kind of people. I would hate to have to deal with the artificiality everyday.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
22 Humans
I saw the link to Slavery Footprint on my ELA teacher's blog and decided to check it out. (The link is: slaveryfootprint.org.) It is a program that tries to spread the word about modern day slavery. So many people worked SO hard to kill slavery off, but it's still here. I'm not talking about picking cotton for rich white southern plantation owners during the 1800's. What I'm talking about is the idea that people NOW are being forced to work for consumer's needs. When you buy something that is mass produced, chances are, unless it is a special company making the product, it has been touched by a slave. Anything from shorts to shrimp to diamonds to cars can and probably employs some sort of slave labor.
The web site gives you two options, you can either pick the "What? I have slaves working for me?" button or the "Take the Survey!" button. I first read the about page on the site, then took the survey. There was a huge variety of questions about your lifestyle. They asked about diet, clothing, sports equipment, electronics, where you live, housing, medicine, age, gender, children or not, and jewelery. At first I didn't really understand why they were asking about these things, then I began to read the facts beside the questions and I was shocked. For example, "Bonded labor is used for much of Southeast Asia's shrimping industry, which supplies more shrimp to the U.S. than any other country. Laborers work up to 20-hour days to peel 40 pounds of shrimp. Those who attempt to escape are under constant threat of violence or sexual assault.", this fact was listed next to the diet questions. The mere thought that people wouldn't get paid to do their work is shocking to me, but the idea that if they tried to escape they could be abused if unbelievable. It really makes me sick.
22. That's 22 people forced into labor without their consent. I have 22 slaves working for me. At the end of the survey they give you your results with comparisons to the average, extraneous variables, and other extra tidbits of information. I still can't believe I only have 3 people under the average "working for me". I felt awful when I read my results. In the future I will be much more cautious about how I conduct my life and my consumption of stuff that could be produced by slaves.
The most interesting part to me is the fact that if you told me this was something that happened in the past I would be angry and shocked, but my response in the end would be, "It was different back then." The problem is that when we say that slavery happened because "It was different back then,", it's ridiculous because it still happens now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)