Sunday, January 26, 2020
The Constant Gardener | Analysis
The Constant Gardener | Analysis Fernando Meirelless adaptation of John le carres 2001 novel The Constant Gardener is a drama film which is sure to thrill the global audience around the world. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, which includes Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, and Best Supporting Actress for Rachel Weisz, which she won. The film had a budget of $25 million but it made a huge profit with gross revenue of $82,466,670 proving to be a commercial success among the audience around the world. Story Based on the novel by John Le Carrà ©, The Constant Gardener starts with a murder, as any good mystery film does. British diplomat Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) assigned to Nairobi sees his world fall apart when his wife, activist Tessa Quayle (Rachel Weisz), is found brutally maimed in a remote area of Northern Kenya. His colleagues at the British High Commission, especially close friend Sandy (Danny Huston), believe the usually easy going Justin will quietly let them take care of the situation. Up to this point in his life, Justin has done little but quietly does his melodious job, tend to his gardens, and marry an extraordinary woman. Haunted by his past memories, and sceptical that his wife may have been unfaithful and cheating on him, Justin will no longer sit by submissively. He cannot accept what happened to Tessa, especially when he finds out that the government wants to sweep the whole thing under the rug. It seems Tessa was trying to discover somethingand was perhaps even on the verge of exposing a deadly pharmaceutical conspiracy. So, Quayle embarks on his own investigation, risking his life to uncover the truth and whether he succeeds or stopped under his tracks form the chief outline of the film. Acting Fiennes and Weisz are outstanding in this film. The Oscar winning actor Fiennes Playing Justin steals the show. He captures all the sad beauty of a man mourning for a woman he loved very much but who he also realizes he didnt know all that well. Its almost as if in investigating Tessas murder, Justin finally sees what kind of woman his wife truly wasand falls in love with her all over again. You feel his pain and feel sorry for him. For her part, Weisz has certainly proven she is more than just a sweet face alarmed by disturbed mummies. She expertly portrays a determined social activist driven to help these Kenyan people any way she can, even if it means sacrificing her own personal happiness and life. She in the end sacrifices her own life in order to find the truth and find justice for the Kenyan people. Weisz is radiant in every single shotwhich is rather an accomplishment considering that the actress was nine months pregnant, sweaty and without make-up in many scenes. You often w onder how it is these two characters ever fell for each other to begin with, but thats the true tribute to these fine actors. In their capable hands, they make Justin and Tessas opposites-attract-but-modest love story unquestionable. Danny Huston is a peculiar choice to play Sandy, Justins devious colleague. He struggles with his fake British accent and a better choice of cast would have been a better choice for the character. Direction With The Constant Gardener, Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles proves his surprise Academy Award nomination for directing the scorching City of God wasnt a stroke of luck. The guy obviously knows what hes doing and he provides energetic direction nailing the audience glued to their seats. Meirelles hands us the horrible, heart wrenching plight of the African people, focusing on the hauntingly beautiful Kenya and lovingly detailing its colourful people. Scenes of Tessa walking through barely liveable shantytowns, as bright, seemingly happy children run around her while singing, leaves a very indelible impression. He zooms in on these two people whose love is put to the test because of the circumstances they find themselves in, while wrapping up the narrative in a compact murder mystery, which may or may also involve a conspiracy of global proportions. The Constant Gardener is much more than just a mystery. Its going to make you thinkand think hard. Trivia .The novel was originally banned in Kenya because it depicts corrupt Kenyan officials. . Ralph Fiennes held and operated the camera for Justins point of view in the film. . The filmmakers installed water tanks, a new bridge and a classroom in Kibera, the slum in which the film was shot. They also built a secondary school in the desert of northern Kenya where the final scenes were photographed. My verdict The Constant Gardener is an elegant, absorbing, and suspenseful mystery with rich performances from the leads. Despite an unhurried opening, the energetic direction by Fernando Meirelles and admirable lead performances by Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz make this adapted film an exciting and suspenseful thriller 4 broccolis out of 5 COME BACK FOR LATER The Constant gardener is primarily set in Kenya loilangalani and slums on Kibera a section of Nairobi, Kenya. It follows the lives of a shy low-rung British diplomat Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) who is posted in Kenya and his beautiful young humanitarian activist Tessa (Rachel Weitz). Justin is satisfied to represent his country without questioning his boss. when his wife Tessa and an African man (who he suspects Tessa to be cheating with) are found brutally raped and murdered in a remote area in North Kenya, he did not believe the death reports that they were assaulted and harassed by bandits, and he begins to ask penetrating questions against the activities of the government, much to the astonishment of Sandy Woodrow (Danny Huston) and his other equals at the British high Commission located in Kenya. But as his inspections quickly lead him to an awry trail of blackmail, dishonesty, exploitation, political scandal and global conspiracy, he revives what he represents and what made h im marry and find love for his wife in the first place forms and whether he avenges the death of his wife forms the chief outline in the film For most of the movie, which is an elegant style of flashbacks and foreshadowings, Tessa is dead, murdered in the Kenyan wilds, where she had travelled with a African doctor named Arnold Bluhm (Hubert Koundà ©), who many in the Nairobi community assumed was her lover. In that gossipy world, Tessa was always something of a scandalous woman, pricking the fake civility of cocktail parties with impolite questions about money, authority, hardships and illness of the poor people in Kenya. She favours to spend her time usually in the company of Dr. Bluhm travelling through slums and communities, during her pregnancy, where she was kind of a good figure among the native villagers. After she gets murdered Justin sets out to find who caused the death of his wife and her companion and whether he finds his solution forms the rest of the story. The actors have done a splendid job in my opinion Fiennes as the literal gardener Justin Quayle the perfect dashing and sensitive heartthrob learns how much he loves his wife and he wants to bring the big pharmacy corporation down and bring dirty secrets out. Rachel Weisz is absolutely joyful as Tessa, a brilliant and determined social activist, unwavering in her pursuit to uncover the immoral research methods practiced at the expense of indigent Kenyan citizens. Weisz is radiant in every single shotwhich is quite an accomplishment considering that the actress was nine months pregnant, sweaty and without make-up in many scenes. Danny Huston is a peculiar choice to play Sandy, Justins devious colleague. He struggles with his fake British accent and a better choice of cast would have been a better choice for the character. Despite an unhurried opening, the energetic direction by Fernando Meirelles and admirable lead performances by Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz make this adapted film an exciting and suspenseful thriller My verdict The Constant Gardener is an elegant, absorbing, and suspenseful mystery with rich performances from the leads. Despite an unhurried opening, the energetic direction by Fernando Meirelles and admirable lead performances by Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz make this adapted film an exciting and suspenseful thriller 4 broccolis out of 5
Saturday, January 18, 2020
GD Random
Chicago natives Grammar Award winner Kenya West and celebrated hip hop a artist and actor Common. Both artists provide the book's foreword as well. From convict to conqueror, pistol to pen, Ward serves as a legitimate role MO del and real life urban legend for today's misguided youth.A self made entrepreneur, politician n, community activist and leader, Ward is a native of Chicago Altered Gardens, one of the t suggest housing projects in America. The DVD chronicles his street life, criminal enter prices and rise to a life of rightful endeavors with Altered Gardens serving as the backdrop. A vivid and heart wrenching testimony to the laws of survival and success, ââ¬Å"Ga nester with a Heart of Gold: The None G. Storyâ⬠was produced by Block 8 Productions and directed by Goodie and Chick who are best known for their music video work with hip ho p artists Kenya West, Pit Bull, Ill' Jon and Moss Deft.Redrawing journalist Adam Matthews h eloped shape the film's narrative and wrote Common's script. While the film captures and portrays the essence of gang life in Chicago, Ward ââ¬Ës life growing up, family ties, imprisonment, his rise in the Gangster Disciples and his transit ion out and ended, the book is a more personal narrative from Ward offering straight fro m the streets life advice and motivation. Ward's personal story is an encouraging tale. The former gang leader has com platelet transformed his life and dedicated his path toward making a way for others t o follow.Political prisoner and founder of the Gangster Disciples, Larry Hoover, hand picked No none Ward to implement a new direction of change and betterment for the community at la urge, with ââ¬Å"Growth and Developmentâ⬠becoming the new battle cry. ââ¬Å"Street violence is not going to go away overnight,â⬠Ward acknowledges. It is difficult to understand what these young people are dealing with if you haven't been the re and lived that life. I'm not proud of my past, but it is wha t it is and because of it, I now have a unique platform to engage the possibility of change. It crushes my heart to know that it's a war zone out here.Every time a child is killed, a part of me dies with them. I'm a soldier out here now trying to make a change. If my personal story can help someone then know God is using me and I'm a better man more for it. I'm giving away my books and DVD's to help get the word out n the streets that there is a better way and we have got to end the violence. â⬠Ward is serious about pulling others up with him. Utilizing the hip hop com unity as his vehicle, he has garnered a list of noteworthy accomplishments to his credit ova re the years. He actively engages the efforts and support Of several hip hop luminaries.Cell, from NBC ââ¬ËThe Voiceâ⬠made a personal appearance at Ward's Chicago book signing race nutty and has committed to assisting with the holiday book giveaway. He partnered with race Roding artist Trey Songs to create the S ongs for Peace Foundation, joined with rapper/ actor T. I. O speak to youth in schools and hosted a toy drive for Chicago children with hip hop artist t Wake Flak. Ward's early accomplishments include working with President Barack Obama as an activist in Altered Gardens, and organizing Chicago first National Gang Summit for Pea CE attended by Russell Simmons, NFG legend Jim Brown and Minister Louis Farmhand.
Friday, January 10, 2020
In what ways do Leonardo and Bazarov act as catalysts inchanging family structure in the texts Blood Wedding and Fathers and Sons?
In this essay, I will be focussing on the characters of Leonardo and Bazarov, in their respective texts, and how they act as catalysts in changing family structure, so that by the end of the text, the family unit is different from what it was in the beginning. I will also analyse their characters and examine their impact on the plots of the two texts, and their role in plot development. In particular, I will analyse the character's words, and the tone of voice in which they speak; this will help in analysing their specific character traits. This analysis will help me in understanding their impact on character and plot development, which leads to them acting as catalysts in changing their respective family structures. It should be noted that while the text Fathers and Sons features many families that are important to the plot, I will be specifically looking at Bazarov's impact on Arcady's family; as well as the impact on his own family. In the text Blood Wedding, I will be looking at Leonardo's impact on his family and on the Bridegroom's family. In the text Fathers and Sons, when Nicholas is waiting for Arcady, we see him as a very happy person as he eagerly anticipates the arrival of his son. However, when Arcady introduces Bazarov, we notice a change in Nicholas's character. He appears to be withdrawn, and he does not converse as openly with Arcady as he would normally. There is one incident when Bazarov offers Arcady a cigar, Arcady accepts it and when he lights it, Nicholas turns his head away. This foreshadows that the introduction of Bazarov, to the Kisranov family, will cause a gap between Nicholas and Arcady. Similarly in the text Blood Wedding, the text opens with a conversation between Mother and Bridegroom. The conversation leads to the topic of knives that involves the Felix family of which Leonardo is a member. The topic of knives foreshadows the violence and bloodshed that is to arise. The mention of the name Leonardo Felix leads to a small dispute between the Mother and the Bridegroom. Though the dispute is small, it hints of the trouble that Leonardo is likely to cause. In the text Fathers and Sons, when Bazarov has left with Arcady to go freshen up, Paul talks to Nicholas about Bazarov. We get the impression that Paul does not like Bazarov very much. Even though it may not be Bazarov's fault directly, we can see that his presence causes some tension in the family; it causes some change in Paul's mood. As we can see from the following quotation, Paul does not focus on welcoming Arcady, but he focuses on criticizing Bazarov. ââ¬Å"Is he staying with us?â⬠â⬠¦ ââ¬Å"That hairy creature?â⬠â⬠The use of the words ââ¬Å"Hairy creatureâ⬠are spoken with a tone of contempt thus creating an overall sense of tension and hostility. In the text Blood Wedding tone is also important for example when the Neighbour and Mother are talking, the Mother finds out that the Bride had a relationship with Leonardo. At the mention of the name Felix, the mother flares up in anger. It's not Leonardo's fault that he is a Felix but the fact that he is a Felix causes great anger in the Mother and a drastic change in her mood. The mother does not ââ¬Ëwelcome' the marriage with complete love and affection, but instead with hostility and animosity. In the text Blood Wedding there is a section where Leonardo, Wife and Mother-in-law are having a conversation. In this particular conversation the girl comes in and tells them what the Bridegroom is buying for the Bride. Leonardo is very rude and unpleasant. ââ¬Å"What do we careâ⬠ââ¬Å"Did I ask for your opinion? ââ¬Å"Leave me aloneâ⬠ââ¬Å"Why can't you just shut up?â⬠These are four of his lines in that particular scene. As we can see his words are very harsh, and he employs a very defensive tone, by the use of questions. He ignores his wife's pleas and just storms out of the house without a word to where he is going. It seems that Leonardo does not really care about his family at all. This indicates that Leonardo's family is breaking down; we can see abrasive feelings between Leonardo and mother-in-law. However, change is not always negative. In the text Fathers and Sons, Bazarov changes Arcady's family structure in a positive way. Bazarov persuades Arcady to accept an invitation meant for Nicholas. Arcady accepted and he went with Bazarov into town. While the two were having lunch at Eudoxia Kukshin's residence, she mentioned a name; Madame Odintzov. Bazarov was interested in Madame Odintzov, as she was described as very attractive; and Sitnikov said that he would introduce Bazarov and Arcady to Madame Odintzov. It is at Madame Odintzov's abode where Arcady met Katya, whom he ends up marrying. ââ¬Å"â⬠¦it was noticeable that Nicholas Petrovich had already become devotedly attached to her.â⬠We can see that Katya has ââ¬Ëfitted-in' with the Petrovich family. So we can therefore say that Bazarov is indirectly responsible for Arcady's marriage to Katya, hence changing Arcady's family. In the text Blood Wedding; after the bride and bridegroom have left for the wedding, only Leonardo and his wife remain. They have a conversation that shows distance between Leonardo his wife. Wife wants to go to the church by cart and Leonardo wants to go by horse. They have a short argument that is clearly symbolic of the unhappy, troubled marriage between the two of them. ââ¬Å"WIFE: And I have no intention of going to a wedding without my husband. I can't take much more of this. LEORNADO: That makes two of us. WIFE: Why do you look at me like that? As though you had a dagger in each eye.â⬠The wife says that she can't take much more of this, this signifying the marriage. Why can't she take more of her marriage? It is because of Leonardo. He has not been shown to be a very attentive husband, as depicted by his choice of words. The wife can't take much more of the marriage and Leonardo replies by saying that he feels the same. We would expect the husband in a marriage to counter the wife when she feels this way, however Leonardo just agrees with his wife. The fact that he can't take much more of the marriage shows that he wants to break free of the bonds of marriage. This is an implication of things to come later on in the text. Leonardo is implying that he wants a divorce or another wife, and by doing so he is proceeding to change his family structure. The metaphor used by the Wife (dagger in each eye) goes only to emphasise the distance and hostility felt by Wife from Leonardo as well as foreshadowing the violent conclusion of the play. Leonardo is still in love with Bride, and the wife is all that stands between him and the Bride. Thus he looks at the Wife in such a way that she might leave him alone. At the end of the text, Leonardo does achieve what he wanted; freedom to do as he pleases without worrying about the rules of society. However, this freedom came at a great price to Leonardo ââ¬â his life. And it is through his death that he changed his family structure. Similarly in the text Fathers and Sons, Bazarov's death inadvertently changes his own family structure. After his first visit home, he leaves too soon; we see this has an impact on his parents, they are saddened and depressed. Bazarov's death finished the change; he was the centre of their life and now he is gone; it is no longer a family, just a husband and wife. His parents as shown when Arcady and Bazarov first visit Bazarov's home were once very lively and full of energy, and very excited and joyful. However, after his death (towards the end of the last paragraph of the text), we see Bazarov's parents as being very quiet and withdrawn. They no longer have that motivation (their son) to live. All they want to do is linger by his grave reminiscing over the memories they have of him as is shown by the quote: ââ¬Å"â⬠¦unable to tear themselves away from this spot where they feel themselves so close to their son and their memories of himâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ The use of hyperbole goes to show the extreme love that Bazarov's parents had for him and the extent to which their lives have changed now that he is gone. So in conclusion, we see that Leonardo and Bazarov do act as catalysts in changing family structure in their respective texts. Although they cannot strictly be called catalysts because they do not remain unchanged; their presence in the respective texts does have an impact on the characters, as well as the plot.
Thursday, January 2, 2020
Many Famous People in U.S. History but Andrew Jackson Made...
There are many famous people that are in US history. Abraham Lincoln; never told a lie. George Washington; our first president. Martin Luther King Jr.; fought against racism. Rosa Parks; took a stand for her race. Andrew Jackson; one of the most popular presidents who was democratic. Andrew Jacksonââ¬â¢s democratic views are shown in what decisions he made as the president. Andrew Jackson grew up in very sad conditions. Soon after he turned 13 he was drafted into the Revolutionary War and as he got older became a general and became a national war hero. Jackson soon got more popular and Americans loved him, so in 1828 he ran under the new party, Democratic, and was elected president. Then as a result of his popularity, got re elected in 1832. Andrew Jackson was a democratic president because he promoted democracy, revoked the Second National Bank, and he listen to the people on the Indian Removal Act. First, Andrew Jackson was a democratic president because he encouraged democrac y. During the election of 1828, Jackson came off as a ââ¬Å"common manâ⬠and a lot of the Americans felt as if he would make the US more democratic by having less power given to the government and more power given to the people. The people felt that he would make the commoners feel equal to the wealthier people (document 2). Evidently, Jackson was a democratic president, for he gave more power to the people and less to the rich and thriving. He opened a whole new door of opportunity for common men. He saidShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Indian Removal Act Of 18301607 Words à |à 7 PagesMrs. Sheperd AP US History 8-9 B 18 December 14 How The West Was Lost In response to the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which expelled Native Americans from their homes, President Andrew Jackson said, ââ¬Å"It will separate the Indians from immediate contact with settlements of whites; free them from the power of the States; enable them to pursue happiness in their own way and under their own rude institutions; will retard the process of decay, which is lessening their numbers,â⬠(Jackson). Itââ¬â¢s safe to sayRead MoreEssay Political Corruption in the United States2518 Words à |à 11 Pagesinclude bribery, extortion, and the misuse of inside information. It exists where there is community indifference or a lack of enforcement policies.â⬠(Encyclopedia Britannica). Today political Corruption in all forms exists in every country in the world. In some countries it is more prominent then in others, but no matter where you go it still occurs. Recently in mid 2013 some political corruption was brought to light in New York. ââ¬Å"Since 200 7, state senators have been more likely to be arrested thenRead MoreThe Process of Becoming a Marine Corps Officer1506 Words à |à 7 PagesAmerican soul. Marines have battled on land, in air, and at sea for their country and many brave men and women have lost their lives in the line of fire. These brave soldiers are lead by intelligent officers who are strong leaders, quick decision makers, and possess great mental toughness. The young men and women blessed with the privilege of being officers in the Marine Corps face many hardships on their journey to greatness, yet many travel down this road and benefit from the experience greatly. The MarineRead MoreEssays for the American Pageant, 14th Ed.11068 Words à |à 45 Pagesof England, the English feared the French settlers more than those from the other countries, until the French colonies came under English rule in 1763. The Dutch originally controlled the Hudson River valley as a separate colony, but this had been absorbed by New York by the 1700s. Dutch names remained important there and Dutch social customs were influential. The relative poverty and the independent spirit of many of the Scots Irish settlers is demonstrated by their tendency to settle along theRead MoreSlavery And The Slave Trade Essay2064 Words à |à 9 Pagesbrought to America. The journey from Africa to America was not that easy though. Many of them died on the way to America because of the brutal condition of the journey. They risked their life to come to America with the hope of getting a better life in America. However, will they be accepted well and treated equally by new people in Am erica? Will the new land give them new better life? Will the new land be actually better than their homeland? The treatment of slaves in America depended on slave ownersRead MoreEssay Immigration6923 Words à |à 28 PagesDec. 1999 History 101 Dr. Tassinari Immigration: The New American Paul Kalapodas 8 Dec. 1999 Immigration For many, immigration to the United States during the late 19th to early 20th century would be a new beginning to a prosperous life. However there were many acts and laws past to limit the influx of immigrants, do to prejudice, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act. Later on into the 20th century there would be laws repealing the older immigration laws and acts making it possible for many more foreignersRead MoreThe War Of 1812 And The Declaration Of Independence3767 Words à |à 16 Pages Angel Perez History 101 7/28/14 Ã¢â¬Æ' Intro For my top 10 history I have chosen the Louisianan purchase, Sons of Liberty, Bill of Rights, The Declaration of Independence, The war of 1812, Abraham Lincoln, Eli Whitney, Jamestown, Baron Von Steuben, and Benjamin Franklin because I believe these people and events had a big effect on America. I chose the Louisiana Purchase because it was a major deal that in the end has given us 15 states. The sons of liberty were a rebel group that was a symbolRead MoreEssay on The Many Contributions of Abraham Lincoln2940 Words à |à 12 PagesAbraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States of America and is still one of the most highly respected presidents of our country. He grew up with very little and he was no stranger to hard work. Abraham Lincoln never wavered from striving to better himself through reading just about anything he could get his hands on, to just simply being honest. Often times pitched as the ââ¬Å"Great Emancipatorâ⬠for his work on the Emancipation P roclamation, he took the first presidential step in the officialRead MoreSports17369 Words à |à 70 PagesIntroduction Conceived as a supplement to Sportscasters/Sportscasting: Principles and Practices, this collection of exercises adds to the pedagogical mix. Following the outline of a broad approach to understanding the topicââ¬âwhich includes the history, economics, audience, media, sociology, practicality, and future concerns of sports and sportscasting, it has this general outline: Chapter l. Introduction to the study of sportscasters and sportscasting Chapter 2. The historical development of sportsRead MoreSports17363 Words à |à 70 Pages Introduction Conceived as a supplement to Sportscasters/Sportscasting: Principles and Practices, this collection of exercises adds to the pedagogical mix. Following the outline of a broad approach to understanding the topicââ¬âwhich includes the history, economics, audience, media, sociology, practicality, and future concerns of sports and sportscasting, it has this general outline: Chapter l. Introduction to the study of sportscasters and sportscasting Chapter 2. The historical development of sports
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)