Sunday, November 17, 2019
The Image of the Cyborg as it Appears in Metropolis and Blade Runner Essay Example for Free
The Image of the Cyborg as it Appears in Metropolis and Blade Runner Essay The appearance of the â€Å"cyborg†in science-fiction cinema began with the emergence of the dystopian science-fiction film both events started with Fritz Lang’s silent film â€Å"Metropolis,†released in 1927 in Weimar Republic Germany, just before the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. Lang’s film, made as political allegory, shocked audiences with its complex plot, special effects, and political and religious themes. â€Å"Lang described Metropolis as a battle between modern science and the occult a kind of romantic fatalism that became the directors trademark in later works–[] scene after scene depicting a mechanized world gone madwhich influenced countless other filmmakers. †(Roberts 33)             Among these filmmakers was Ridley Scott, whose 1982 film Blade Runner (based on Philip K. Dick’s novel â€Å"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) stands as an accomplished descendent of Lang’s pioneering work. While neither film features traditional cyborgs (which are beings created from a synthesis of biological and robotic components) each film features the concept of technologically engineered, sentient life, which closely resembles human life, as a central symbol for the exploration of spiritual and moral themes.            Central to Lang’s dystopian vision is a â€Å"mechanized world gone mad,†personified by the creation of a robotic double for the film’s heroine, a Christian leader named Maria, who is opposed by an evil scientist, Rotwang. The opposition of science and religion indicated by the character’s conflict demonstrates Lang’s intention to use themes which inject modern concerns (robotics and science) into the ages-old debates that had historically been associated with religion and philosophy. Lang’s vision is of a robotic construction of artificial life, whereas Ridley Scott, in Blade Runner used genetically engineered â€Å"replicants†as an example of artificially created life. The image of the â€Å"cyborg†is, for Lang, part-human and part-The Image of the Cyborg as it Appears in Metropolis and Blade Runner                         Page -2- mechanized, a mechanical recreation of human form; for Ridley Scott, â€Å"replicants†are the image of the cyborg, being genetically altered, genetically specified humans designed by a corporation. For both film-makers, the image of the â€Å"cyborg†resulted in an image of evil and danger for humanity.             The very inclusion of modern technologies, or technologies which are closely extrapolated from existing technologies, presents a deviation from the hitherto prevailing â€Å"classical†visions of the Church. â€Å"Dystopia is very much part of the late twentieth-and early twenty-first-century mindset. We see it in films and adverts that dwell on dank futuristic images from a world where the last vestiges of individualism are slowly being expunged and machinery is our enemy.†(Mourby)            The enemy in â€Å"Metropolis,†as personified by Rotwang’s â€Å"evil†robotic doppleganger, presents a new hazard in the modern landscape: if human beings can create sentient life, what are the repercussions of this god-like power and for what purposes will this power be unleashed? The mission of Rotwang’s creation is to vilify and destroy the saintly Maria and in doing so, obfuscate her vision and her message of self-liberation to the oppressed laborers of Metropolis. Rotang aims to â€Å"ruin Maria by creating a robot in her imagea mechanical evil twinto deliver false testimony.†(Roberts 33)            Lang’s use of the robot as a symbol of oppression and of deception marks his prosecution of the film’s religious allegory: the robot facsimile of Maria is intended as an ironic variation of the Creation myth, the Biblical notion of the creation of Adam and Eve. Rotwang functions as an inversion of God the Creator, and as Man the Creator â€Å"his main evil act is creating a false robot copy of a Christian leader, Maria. In other words, he gets his minion to pass as a Christian. He The Image of the Cyborg as it Appears in Metropolis and Blade Runner  -creates the robot to foment riots which will lead to the dictatorship of the master of Metropolis†(Tratner). In â€Å"Metropolis†the robot looks and appears as human, though it is actually a mechanical construction; in Ridley Scott’s later film â€Å"Blade Runner†the replicants are indistinguishable from human beings without a sophisticated series of psychological and neurological tests.            The concept of robotics functions, for Lang, as a direct inquiry into the moral bearing of humanity and what significance human ethics play as the role of technology expands in society. If robots can be constructed so cleverly, so efficiently that they can â€Å"pass†for humans in society, then what societal consequences arise from this technology? In â€Å"Metropolis†the robot is envisioned as a minion of perverse human will; its likeness to humanity presents a special problem of evil int hat the robot, programed with foul intentions, can walk among humanity undetected for what it really is as in the (particularly Hebrew) legends of the golem. However, the robot in â€Å"Metropolis,†while being similar to the golem myth, is a distinctly modern conception and one which carried the ancient Biblical connotations of Creation Myth and the human will to power, which in both traditional Christian terms and in the context of the film â€Å"Metropolis†is portrayed as â€Å"sinful.†           Lang’s strategy, as revealed in â€Å"Metropolis,†is to contrast the human will-to-power as illustrated by the mad scientist, Rotwang’s, efforts to gain the power of Creation, with the human will-to-individuality and liberty, which is portrayed via the workers’ struggle and Maria’s spiritual vision. In the end, Joh and Rotwang’s scheme â€Å" backfires as the socialites debauch and the workers revolt, unleashing a flood that nearly drowns a horde of innocent children. In the end, Freder and Maria prevail, reconciling Joh with the workers with the slogan, The mediator The Image of the Cyborg as it Appears in Metropolis and Blade Runner between brain and hands must be the heart. (Roberts 33)            Lang’s ground-breaking film influenced untold subsequent film-makers and artists in all mediums; among them, Ridley Scott, whose dystopian science-fiction film â€Å"Blade Runner†incurs much debt to Lang for not only the visual and thematic ideas of â€Å"Blade Runner,†but for- the film’s central theme of genetically engineered human life-forms, which, like Lang’s treatment of robotics in â€Å"Metropolis,†comprises a symbol for ethical and religious themes.            Scott’s genetically engineered life-forms are called â€Å"replicants†and, as such, they are dissimilar from Lang’s robot in that replicants are biological, rather than mechanical, beings with physical, emotional, and mental characteristics selected and engineered by human scientists. The central premise of the story is that a number of the replicants, having discovered that they were engineered to have only 3 year life spans, escape from their assignments in the off-world colonies and become renegades on earth in search of their creators, in search of life-extension.            While Lang’s film asked â€Å"What would happen if man could create a perfect robotic likeness of man and program it to do malevolent things?†Scott’s film asks â€Å"What moral decisions would artificially engineered beings make once they realized they were alive?†The resulting narrative, with its dystopian overtones, presents a variation on the Biblical Satan-as-God’s-Enemy. Satan, being the most glorious of God’s angels, rebels against his Creator, God, because of his great pride. In â€Å"Blade Runner†the replicant, Roy, is received by his creator Tyrell as the â€Å"prodigal son;†he then proceeds to murder his creator, Tyrell, because of his existential angst, being a mortal creature with merely his subjective experience in three years as â€Å"eternity.†           Scott’s take on the â€Å"man against machines†paradigm is a near-future vison for humanity, severed from superstition or magic (where there are traces of occultism in â€Å"Metropolis†) and The Image of the Cyborg as it Appears in Metropolis and Blade Runner lodged firmly within the capitalistic, technology-driven society that is our modern experience. The idea of hostile machines seems all-too-familiar and in fact plays a central thematic role in mid-to-late twentieth century American medai: this innovation might result in  the creation of machines that would one day prove intelligent enough to attack us, an idea that lies behind such classic dystopian films as Metropolis, Bladerunner and the Terminator trilogy. (Mourby)            â€Å"Blade Runner’s†replicants evolve the notion of apocalypse as being human engineered, rather than as the will of God. Humanity will bring about its own apocalypse, and part of this apocalypse are the replicants themselves, a symbol, not of man (or Satan’s) vanity, but of his greed. For Scott capitalism and greed take the place of â€Å"evil†and â€Å"sin†in Biblical reference. Where previously men had imagined: â€Å"The end would occur when the Divine Being had finally had enough of us and it would all be pretty nasty for all except those who had managed to get on the right side of him†man must now manage (by Scott’s reckoning) to throw â€Å"off its glum medieval certainties†and dare, like Lang, to speculate â€Å" about what life might hold in store for us long term.†(Mourby)            For both film-makers, the image of the cyborg, robot, or replicant offered a glimpse into the negative capacities of technology and scientific knowledge. Because in each case, the â€Å"cyborgs†closely resemble human beings, the image of the artificially created life-form is viewed as both negative and dangerous to humanity. The lesson of the images seems to be that the act of the Creation of life, though possible for humanity, is better left to God or Nature than to mankind. Works Cited Mourby, Adrian. Dystopia: Who Needs It? Adrian Mourby Shows That the Nightmare Scenario Can Be Both Dire Warning and Escapist Fantasy. History Today Dec. 2003: 16+. Roberts, Rex. Auld Lang Syne: A Restored Print of the Silent Classic Metropolis Includes Footage Not Seen since 1927. Insight on the News 5 Aug. 2002: 33. Tratner, Michael. Lovers, Filmmakers, and Nazis: Fritz Langs Last Two Movies as Autobiography. Biography 29.1 (2006): 86+.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Sociology Observation of Two Advertisements Essay -- Sociology Essays
This observation assignment has been very interesting, in that it has made me more aware of advertisements. The two that I chose are Gentleman's Quarterly (GQ) and Vogue, both from September 2014. The ads that I chose are a representative cross-section of the typical ads you would find in these magazines. We will start with Vogue. In Vogue #1, (an ad for Ruddenberry of London) there seems to be outdoor party of some sort going on. There is a man pouring tea with a fake smile. There's another male on seated on a horse, next to a younger female wearing a Mardi Gras mask. At the bottom is a young girl wearing the kind of wig that Thomas Jefferson wore. Most of the characters seem to be younger middle-age characters, and they would seem to be rather wealthy. I can't really make a guess at the occupations, but the guy pouring tea looks like a lawyer of some sort. They seem to have placed the one child character to the bottom of the page, perhaps indicative of the importance of children in this society portrayed. It's also intriguing to note that although we can see the full face of one and almost two more male characters, there are no women showed with their full face: either their head is turned, or their wearing a mask. It would seem that the men are the more important of the sexes in th is ad. This ad is meant to play towards the wealthier crowd, and it is probably meant to make one think of England. There are no other races portrayed in here except for Caucasian, so Ruddenberry is betting on the white crowd to buy their clothes. Vogue #2 (an ad for Kenar, once more a clothing company) portrays the "perfect" family from the 1950's. They all have fake smiles, and this picture of the model family is one ... ...e a musician and the rest of the character's occupations are not clearly defined. This ad is designed to make people feel uncool, so that they go out and buy this fragrance to feel cool. Jazz is very cool right now, and this ad shows that jazzy people wear this fragrance. The two characters in the foreground confused me. They don't seem to fit with the rest of the ad. From these six ads that I've selected, it's obvious that the two magazines I chose were primarily marketed for white consumers. Unless an ad is overly offensive or stereotypical, I don't think many people would get too upset looking at ads. The majority of my two magazines were ads, and most of those were one model standing there, looking beautiful. These ads were a little more interesting, and this observation will cause me to never look at magazine advertising the same again.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Comparison of Traditional and Contemporaryâ€the Music in China
Traditional Chinese music, generally speaking, is Chinese folk music. China is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural nation and music plays a significant role in the revolution of Chinese culture. The traditional music, passing through thousands of years of development, still maintains it's unique characters and brought about a series of massive effects on contemporary music as well. In this day and age, music in China, mixed various elements which including classical and modern, from western and traditional music that has enriched the contemporary music, making it more colourful and charming.Therefore, the comparison between traditional and contemporary music has always been a popular topic. This essay will demonstrate and compare the differences and similarities between them from a general point of view. Initially, both traditional and contemporary Chinese music share a common root which is originally form folk music. Apparently, the majority of contemporary Chinese style music is based on folk music which is the same as the tradition music and we can still find the shadow of the folk tunes in both of them.Music is cathartic and has been seen as a way in which to release human emotion, similarly whether from the past or present, the original idea of producing music all concentrates on expressing the emotions of individuals. Moreover, while playing a piece of music, both in contemporary or traditional ways, more than two different kinds of instruments are tended to be used , which often consists of orchestral instruments and percussion. Apart from these similarities mentioned above, there are a myriad of differences between traditional and contemporary music.One of the main ways in which they differ is in the expression of music. Traditional music uses traditional instruments, such as the erhu, the pipa, the Chinese zither and the sona. Conversely, contemporary Chinese music makes more use of the guitar, drums and keyboard, which belong to the typical western instru ments, and it has been stated play an essential role in conveying popular music. Furthermore, the gamut, in ancient China, of music is quite limited, which merely has Do, Re, Mi, So, La, these five different tunes without Fa and Ti.In contrast, this is not a weakness of contemporary music which has a wide range of musical notes and there will be an increasing amount of music created by using and mixing this infinitive musical range. The other way in which traditional music contrast with contemporary music is the difference in connotation. Admittedly, traditional music expresses abundant emotions of individuals which is similar to contemporary music. Traditional Chinese music, notwithstanding, frequently focuses on displaying a sensibility of endearing eudemonia, take happy lives and sweet love for instance.Unlike contemporary music, which not only considers happiness, but reflects dissatisfaction with politics as well as complaining about some defective social phenomenons. Additiona lly, it is not hard to identify that the style of traditional music is always soft and elegant, a tranquil atmosphere was often formed by the beautiful tunes. Nowadays, whereas, Rock music, R&B, Rap these kinds of stylish type of music has became the main trend in the music stage and been accepted and recognized by a growing number of people all over the nation.In summary, traditional and contemporary music both possess their own features, it's hard to say which of them provides better entertainment and different people may give different answers. From my stance, Chinese contemporary music should include more ethnic characteristics, while traditional music could be more stylish, and vice versa. They should develop themselves by overcoming their own shortcomings through learning form others' strong points. As a result, Chinese music, in that case, will ultimately bloom out a dazzling brilliance shining over the world stage.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Ideological underpinnings of a movie Essay
An expectation has arisen among film-critics and audiences, that movie-makers will deal with the serious issues, such as racism and violence, at a serious level. In other words, it is expected by critics and film-goers alike that films will have meaning. However, if meaning is expected  what precisely creates and communicates meaning in a film? As Louis Giannetti points out in his book, Understanding Movies (2008), the presence of ideology in a film impacts the film in its entirety, from tone to theme. In Giannetti’s estimation, â€Å"ideology is another language system in film†and this language is largely conveyed through â€Å"code†(Giannetti, 453). In order to help illustrate the way that ideology influences films, Giannetti offers a series of categories into which the influence of ideology in film can be functionally divided. The following discussion of the film 300 (2007) will use Giannetti’s ideas as a support-structure to show how meaning in film is ultimately determined by the film’s prevailing ideology. In any discussion of meaning in film, it will be important to distinguish between what might be considered â€Å"overt†or even propagandistic meaning and thematic or expressive meaning. Of course this distinction is quite artificial and the two hypothetically divided types of meaning are often one and the same. That said, there is often a conspicuous difference between a film which has an explicit propagandistic agenda than a film which is based on generating thematic and emotional subtlety. The movie 300 offers, even to the most casual viewer, an example of what Giannetti calls â€Å"Explicit†ideology (Giannetti, 449). In this category of ideological content, a movie serves, at least partially, as obvious propaganda for a viewpoint or cause. That 300 functions as a form of propaganda is easily arguable. However, it is slightly more difficult to pinpoint exactly what specific cause or theme is being forwarded by the film’s ideology. In order to determine the film’s ideological bearing, closer attention must be paid to its content and its artistic tone. Giannetti mentions that tone in a film can be one of the most important aspects of presenting the film’s ideology. What Giannetti means by tone is â€Å"its manner of presentation†(Giannetti, 489). For example, in the movie 300, any number of important scenes, if played with a â€Å"comic†rather than a â€Å"heroic†tone, would create a different response in the viewer and therfore communicate a different ideological vision. Imagine the scene where Leonidas kicks the Persian messenger down the well: if the well had sounded out a loud burp after swallowing the messenger, the tone of the scene would have mocked the idea of Spartan pride and Spartan loyalty rather than celebrating it. The reason that tone is so important in a film is that it defines the way the audience will evaluate and judge the characters and scenes of a film. Because as Giannetti insists, â€Å"Tone can strongly affect our responses to a given set of values†(Giannetti, 489), tone is closely connected to ideology and theme. In the example given above, Leonidas kicks the Persian messenger down the well and this scene is presented in a heroic tone. From the outset of the film, the viewer is cued-in to understand that the Spartans are heroic and that they operate from a sense of pride and fearlessness. The tone of heroicism is conveyed not only through the action of the scene, but through the stylized representation of the characters as muscle-bound heros. The Mise-en-scene of the film is connected to the visual color-schemes of comic books and graphic novels. The sense of legend permeates the film, as it permeates the actual historical event. Therefore, the most dominant or controlling tone of 300 can be considered â€Å"heroic. †The fact that a movie has a controlling tone does not mean that other types of tones are not present in isolated scenes. In fact, the opposite is generally the case. The shifts against the dominant tone also help to convey meaning and ideology in a film. If the controlling tone of 300 is heroic, then the scenes that play against this dominant tone, such as the scene where Theron rapes Queen Gorgo, serve to reinforce the film’s dominant tone and ideology. When Theron tells the Queen she will not enjoy what is going to happen to her, the tone of the scene is tragic rather than heroic, and Theron’s status as a villain is cemented in the audience’s minds. The scene, by depicting graphically, the rape of Sparta’s Queen reinforces the heroic sacrifice of Leonidas and his men. Another aspect of films that influences ideological language is the cultural context in which a given film is made and shown. Cultural context is a crucial aspect of a film’s ideological meaning. The expectations of a given audience rest on the fact that â€Å"Every nation has a characteristic way of looking at life, a set of values that is typical of a given culture†(Giannetti, 465). The movie 300 is an American movie made for American audiences. ecause of this it would be hard for anyone to miss the obvious connections between contemporary world-events and the ideological themes that are shown in the movie. Comparisons with recent events are more or less easy. Any observer could see the present-day war against terrorism as a stand for freedom and to view the Battle of Thermopylae as a sort of allegory for the modern-day struggle against tyra nny. Obviously, the movie 300 forwards this connection through the kind of â€Å"code†that Giannetti describes. Still, as Dennis Behreandt points out in his review of the film from The New American (2007) the movie â€Å"serves to buttress the American mythos that our present-day warriors are likewise fighting for freedom in Iraq†and also that this is most evident in the scene where †Gorgo addresses the Gerousia, the Spartan Senate†when her speech could only remind any aware person of the â€Å"recent troop surge in Iraq†(Behreandt). This kind of cultural context would, obviously, be of less significance to someone who lived out side of the U. S. han to someone steeped in to American values. In addition to the cultural context of a film, there is usually a predominant political context. The political context of a film, for Giannetti, can loosely be divided into one of two categories: left and right. Left-leaning films are those that show multiple viewpoints to issues and propose more flexible responses to issues and problems. Giannetti describes leftists as people who â€Å"believe we ought to be flexible in our judgments. †By contrast, right-leaning film-makers are those who embrace a more stringent world-view. The rightist film-maker is â€Å"more absolute in judging human behavior [†¦ ] Right and wrong are fairly clear-cut and ought to be evaluated according to a strict code of conduct†(Giannetti, 457). In the case of 300, the designation of â€Å"Rightest†is, obviously, the most fitting for the film due to its tone and cultural perspective. Loosely, according to the discussion above, the following observations about 300 can be made in light of Giannetti’s criteria for evaluating the ideological underpinnings of films. First, that 300 is a film that relies predominantly on a heroic tone. Second, the film 300 depends on the specific cultural associations of American society to find its full ideological impact. Third, that 300 represents a â€Å"Rightest†political ideology. The three conclusions, taken together, along with the initial determination that 300 is an â€Å"explicit†communicator if ideology, beg the question as to whether or not 300 is more a vehicle for entertainment or propaganda. One of the opposing aspects to this idea is the fact that 300 is based on history. The idea that historical realism balances out the â€Å"poetic licesne†often taken by Hollywood regarding tone and presentation is one that, for better or worse, many film-goers probably believe. In addition to the idea that a culture could exert such self-discipline in its military caste and instill within each soldier a sense of bravery and fearlessness was a very powerful concept in 300 , which seems to resonate deeply with modern times. It is hard not to be fascinated by the Spartans, to wonder what made them as strong and resolute a they were and to wonder just as Xerxes â€Å"†What kind of men were these Spartans who in three days had slain before his Majesty’s eyes no fewer than twenty thousand of His most valiant warriors? †(Pressfield, 8). However, the fact shades of realism exist within the largely stylized or expressionistic â€Å"flavor†of the film only serves to elevate its power to transmit equally stylized (or stereotyped) ideologies. For example, the difference between vanity and pride seemed to have a great deal of influence on the Spartan conception of bravery as it was portrayed in the movie 300. Modern-day leaders would never think of putting themselves in direct danger like King Leonidas: his pride rather than his vanity dictated his actions and pride stems from a sense of civic (or national) unity. Loyalty is another important concept in the movie. It becomes the central most important idea, given that Spartan military power evolved out of the phalanx, which required the utmost loyalty and steadfastness of each warrior in the unit as a whole. The idea that â€Å"a Greek traitor showed the Persians another path, which enabled them to come round behind and encircle the Greeks†and that this ultimately led to the wholesale destruction of the Spartans at Thermopylae shows how important loyalty was to the Spartans. After Leonidas is killed †his men fought on with redoubled fury under the Persian arrows, as much to defend the fallen body of their King from the savagery of the barbarians as to show their valor†(â€Å"THE GREATEST WARRIORS†). The historical basis of the film is incorporated into the larger and more important â€Å"myth†of the movie that is conveyed in heroic tones that simplify historical subtleties and create a fictional paradigm of idealism. Therefore, the fact that realism in films can be construed into a propagandistic function, is the reality that filmmakers, and especially American filmmakers, are subject to the prejudices and â€Å"blind-spots†which are inherent to the social position they occupy and to which they owe their ability to make high-profile films. Elizabeth G. Traube’s Dreaming Identities: Class, Gender, and Generation in 1980s (1992) offers background to the mores and machinations of the filmmaking industry in America and her observations are important for understanding that movies are, in fact, propagandistic and often they represent the experience of only a very small segment of American society. This narrowness is obscured, according to Traube, beneath a veneer which can be thought of as a traditional moralistic package. Traube points out that, in reality, â€Å"audience preferences are only one of many factors that influence production decisions. Producers also shape their work to conform to dominant sensibilities and values, including those of the producing community itself†(Traube, 69). This reality combined with Traube’s complex but insightful understanding of â€Å"fairy-tale†motifs in movies is crucial to elucidating the way that anger and racial conflict are expressed propagandistically in film. All fables rely on a straightforward, linear narrative due to the fact that complex stories tend to obscure the thrust of the intended moral. Because the author of any fable is able to transform â€Å"topical news and politics into universal predicaments†(â€Å"Haggis’s Fable†38), a fable carries with it the dangerous connotations of stereotype and oversimplification. The movie 300 stands as an heroic statement about the importance of protecting liberty and freedom. The ideological message that bravery and loyalty are essential aspects of preserving freedom and rather than Sparta, now â€Å"it is America that faces the threat from Persia†and by telling this story so forcefully and with so much passion the film embrace the â€Å"mythos of the battle rather than the historical truth of the era,†which is strongly conveyed in the film. (Behreandt). The ideological underpinnings of the movie 300 are based in a rightist, conservative set of political values that celebrate military capacity and force of strength. he films’ ideological message is one of social and civic duty as well as xenophobia. The film is geared toward an American audience in a time when America faces military challenges on several fronts and as such plays to the expectations of its audience. The tone of the film is heroic and its political ideology is conservative. The most logical conclusion that can be drawn from these facts is that, as mentioned by Giannetti, the ideological language of the film emerges as the most important aspect of the film as a whole. Further, the â€Å"code†that is used in the movie is comprised of historical truths and cultural stereotypes. The film blurs the line between entertainment and propaganda. It is accurate to suggest that the film, stripped of its propagandistic functions, would cease to exist. The unity of the film, in terms of narrative, editing, staging, costuming, scene construction and even music is derived more from a unity of ideology than from a unity of style or form. The movie follows a traditional fairy-tale arc of narrative to reinforce an already existing set of ideologies in its expected audience. Therefore, the best way in which to interpret the movie 300 is the method demonstrated by Giannetti that isolates and categorizes the ideological code of a film and makes the ideological language much more understandable for the average film-goer.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Essay on Film Critics, Gone with the wind (1939)
Essay on Film Critics, Gone with the wind (1939) Essay on Film Critics, Gone with the wind (1939) Essay on Film Critics, Gone with the wind (1939)Gone with the Wind is an example of great artwork in the history of the American cinema. David O. Selznick’s version is touching and deep, while Victor Fleming, a virtuous director, even despite the fact that he was replaced by Sam Wood because of the nervous exhaustion, creates his vision of Margaret Mitchell’s story brilliantly. Max Steiner is responsible for gorgeous music which helps to make the right accents and makes the scenes so emotional.Talented actress Vivien Leigh combines all necessary features for Scarlett’s character: tender beauty, real and sometimes childish emotions, intelligence and strong character. She creates such a bright image that Scarlett stays in our thoughts and hearts with her suffering about Ashley, ignorant and even selfish attitude to Rhett and struggle to survive   before and after the Civil War. Rhett Butler of Clark Gable is another bright character. He is torn between his pr agmatic common sense and Scarlett – the woman whom he really loves.The background of the story is the Civil War between the North and the South and Scarlett’s long and twisted way in this movie symbolizes the way of the whole civilization – the Old South. This is a long way of changes and transformations, sometimes dramatic and even dreadful, but very meaningful and necessary as we see at the end of the story. As well as Scarlett restores her broken life from ashes as Phoenix bird, the old southern civilization collapses and then starts a new page in the united American history.Despite the fact that the end seems not so much optimistic, Scarlett OHara proclaims with hope and confidence: After all, tomorrow is another day.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Methyl Definition (Methyl Group)
Methyl Definition (Methyl Group) Methyl is a functional group derived from methane containing one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms, -CH3. In chemical formulas, it may be abbreviated as Me. While the methyl group is commonly found in larger organic molecules, methyl may exist on its own as an anion( CH3−), cation (CH3), or radical (CH3). However, methyl on its own is extremely reactive. The methyl group in a compound is typically the most stable functional group in the molecule. The term methyl was introduced around 1840 by French chemists Eugene Peligot and Jean-Baptiste Dumas from back formation of methylene. Methylene, in turn, was named from the Greek words methy, meaning wine, and hyle, for wood or patch of trees. Methyl alcohol roughly translates as alcohol made from a woody substance. Also Known As: (-CH3), methyl group Examples of Methyl Groups Examples of compounds containing the methyl group are methyl chloride, CH3Cl, and methyl alchohol or methanol, CH3OH.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Christian Perspectives on Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicides Research Paper
Christian Perspectives on Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicides - Research Paper Example Since then, the ethics of the practice has evolved, and so have the reasons for proscription. Nowadays, the proscription is based more upon practical concerns then scriptural ones – concerns such as the introduction of a slippery slope; the possibility that the person might be cured and miss his or her chance for this cure; and the need to create a culture of life that values everybody in society, even the infirm and terminally ill. Still, the belief remains that God has sovereignty over life and death, and man cannot usurp this. St. Thomas Aquinas was one of the first religious figures to advocate this, and the traditional Christian proscription for the practice has been based upon this ever since. Although some individual Christians may take issue with the official church teachings on the subject, for a variety of reasons, in the end the practice should be banned because of the practical concerns listed above. Discussion According to Fontana (2002), there have been a variety of traditions throughout the ages concerning the ethics of euthanasia. For instance, in Ancient Greece, Hemlock, a common poison, was made available for individuals who desired a â€Å"good death,†after an appeal to a tribunal. In fact, ending one’s life was a festive occasion for the elderly and the infirm, as they drank ceremonial poison at a banquet that honored their lives. It was similar in ancient Rome (Fontana, 2002, p. 147). Of course, these practices were prior to Christianity, and the advent of Christianity caused these euthanasia practices to be outlawed (Fontana, 2002, p. 147). In particular, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine declared such practice a great sin. However, an increase in secularism during the Renaissance period and Enlightenment in the 18th Century caused a resurgence of Greco-Roman beliefs regarding the practice, and this greater tolerance continued into the 19th Century when social philosophers advocated for the practice. However, even though there was great tolerance for the practice, it was not entirely accepted as it was in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, because the church still had some sway, and, as the church believed the practice to be sinful, this had some impact on society and the laws regarding euthanasia even during the Renaissance and Enlightenment (Fontana, 2002, p. 147). Euthanasia may be either involuntary or voluntary. Involuntary euthanasia occurs when there is brain death or the person is otherwise incapacitated. In that case, especially if there is some kind of directive from the person, in that he or she signed a living will or a â€Å"Do Not Resuscitate†order, then that person will be allowed to die. Voluntary euthanasia, however, is more active and involved, therefore more controversial. Voluntary euthanasia is when an individual who is of clear mind chooses to end his or her life with assistance (Nayernouri, 2011, p. 54). Nayernouri (2011) further delineates the practice of euthana sia from suicide. As she explains, suicide is an act that one takes by oneself, without assistance, and this is not as controversial as euthanasia as the act of suicide is presumably one’s right, although the world’s religions, including Christianity, Islam and Judaism view this act to be one of great sin (Nayernouri, 2011, p. 54). The secular rationale against euthanasia are that the patient may be treated therapeutically for depression or pain, which are the major reasons why individuals choose euthanasia. It is for this reason that the American Medical Association (AMA) has come out against the practice. The AMA’s stance on euthanasia is inconsistent with its other stances which conflict with the traditional pro-life views regarding abortion and
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