Dead Poets Society Essay Example for Free

Dead Poets Society Essay Both The Mosquito Coast and Weir’s next feature, Dead Poets Society (1989), foreground fathers myopically invested in misguided personal aspirations. A significant critical and commercial success, Dead Poets Society is a period piece set in the 1950s in Welton College, a private boys school, at the heart of New England’s establishment. It is a study in the mechanisms with which the ruling class absorbs and expels rebellious influences before proceeding undeterred in its primary mission of reproducing itself. As in Picnic, Weir introduces eager young lives both oozing potential and straining under expectation. In both period pieces Weir deftly establishes the restrictive weight of the institution’s traditions through repeated interior, constricted compositions. Here, however, the challenge to the status quo, far from being a mysterious force, is an enthusiastic, unconventional teacher, John Keating (Robin Williams), who nevertheless will play a role in leading the boys to a traumatic awakening. Keating’s passion for literature moves his students to personal quests of self-expression: â€Å"Make your lives extraordinary†, he pleads. The film evokes the American spirit of democratic self-actualisation, as epitomised by the poet Walt Whitman, a portrait of whom Keating displays in his classroom and gestures toward when inciting the boys to emulate his free spirit. Inspired by Keating, the boys re-establish the â€Å"Dead Poets Society†, a club that Keating himself had participated in when a student at Welton. They convene at night in the romantic setting of a nearby cave and share poetry. Keating’s encouragement proves most successful with one of the â€Å"Dead Poets†, Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke), a teenager so neglected by his parents that he is fearful of human interaction, and petrified of public speaking. Weir subtly conveys the evolving effect Keating’s presence has on Todd, through dexterous camera placement in a series of scenes. In the initial scene, Todd chases his roommate, Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard), around their dorm room, trying to retrieve a poem he was composing as an assignment for Keating, which Neil is now playfully reciting aloud. The camera captures the action in a continuous spiralling, pan shot of the boys running in circles within their confined space, creating a spirited, flowing sense of movement. Later, in a long take (28 seconds), the static camera observes Todd, again in his room, as he reads his poem to himself while walking in circles. He is initially pacing at a steady rhythm and smiling to himself, animated by his work, but he then gradually slows and begins to look less sure, before ultimately stopping and despondently tearing up his poem. A cut transfers us to the boys’ classroom the next day, where they are reading their compositions. Todd cowers, insisting he did not prepare a poem, but is encouraged by Keating to usher forth inspiration from Whitman’s portrait for an improvised composition in front of the class. As Keating covers Todd’s eyes, eliciting poetry from the student, the two walk around in continuous circles, followed by the camera, which in turn circles around them in a continuous shot. The effect is a vertiginous one of dizzying movement, which captures the moment of release and rupture for Todd, as he overcomes his inhibitions and spontaneously recites a heartfelt creation, eliciting impressed silence, followed by applause from his classmates. This series of circular movemen ts, suggesting Todd’s burgeoning capacity for self-expression, represents Weir at his most subtle and sophisticated. Todd’s ability to spontaneously compose and recite is rendered all the more persuasive by the almost subliminal referencing of the previous moments of circular movement. Keating’s influence holds different consequences for Todd’s roommate, the kind and charming Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard). When Neil’s father learns that his son has discovered a passion for theatre, he forbids him from performing in the local production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Neil defies him, only to be informed after the performance that his father is removing him from Welton the next day and sending him instead to military academy, after which he will attend medical school. The news constitutes a ten-year sentence for the artistically inclined teenager, who cannot bear the prospect. That night, in a haunting sequence of elisions, we learn through his parent’s distraught, slow motion reactions that Neil has killed himself. John Keating is indirectly blamed for Neil’s death and the school authorities coax some of the boys Keating had taken into his trust into condemning his unconventional teaching. Rather than presenting a facile depiction of a repressive establishment’s collapse against the ultimately victorious seekers of self-expression (a favourite American tale), Weir explores the scapegoating mechanism through which the establishment responds to a challenge to its symbolic order. As Keating’s class sits sheepishly, listening to droll instruction from the school principal who orchestrated Keating’s dismissal and who is now teaching his poetry class, their former teacher enters the room to collect his belongings. Before Keating leaves, Todd, previously unable to talk in front of a group, boldly stands on his desk (a position Keating had occasionally encouraged them to assume in order to â€Å"change their perspective†) and turns in one last circular motion, this time to face Keating and address him with the teacher’s favourite Whitman address, â€Å"Oh Captain, my Captain†. Rousing music builds to a crescendo as the school principal repeatedly orders Todd to get down or risk expulsion. The boy stands firm, looking more composed than ever before, as various other students follow his lead. A high angle point of view shot reveals Keating, with eyes watering, from Todd’s vantage point. With this final scene of defiance, Weir suggests that the seeds of discontent that will usher in the counter-culture of the 1960s have been sown.

San Diego Mormon Temple and the Chartres Cathedral in France Essay

San Diego Mormon Temple and the Chartres Cathedral in France The San Diego Mormon Temple bases its architecture on gothic roots; where the epitome of early gothic architecture is the Chartres Cathedral in France. The Mormon Temple is made of white aggregate stone and stucco, very angular and massive, built as a Gothic revival temple. Designed by William Lewis, Jr., the architect took into consideration Mormon temples in Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C. Hugely bulky at the base, the Mormon Temple rises from an enormous mound of earth, that conceals the lower floor. Built for the Mormons residing in Southern California, this temples marks the forty-fifth Mormon temple in the world. However, since its closing to the public in April 1993, only Mormons in "good standing" are now able to enter and use this massive structure. Situated in a suburban community of La Jolla/University City, the 59,000 square foot building is surrounded by shopping centers, residential areas and office buildings. There is no escaping the "angular, white monstrosity's" impact on the city. The gothic/space age temple capitalizes on an elevated sites that is close to the freeway, where thousands of motorists pass it daily. The original Chartres Cathedral was designed by Fulbert and lasted until 1194, when a fire destroyed almost the entire church. The townspeople pulled together to make a large contribution to the reconstruction of the cathedral (Miller, Malcolm, Chartres Cathedral, Riverside Book Company, 1980, p.5). The present Chartres Cathedral is largely the work of the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. However, there are substantial remains of older monuments, notably in the crypt and on the wes... .... The rituals and ceremonies that occurred in that time, fit the design of the church. Similarly, the Mormon Temple's unusual shaped rooms and structures fits the uses intended for them by the Latter Day Saints. The San Diego Temple is not by any means a duplicate of the Chartres Cathedral. It merely borrowed some aesthetic features characteristic of the Gothic style of architecture. The Chartres Cathedral can be seen as the bridge between the early to high Gothic periods back in medieval times, a classic. The Mormon Temple, however, is only a conglomeration of architectural elements designed to meet the needs of the Latter Day Saints. It cannot be put in the same class as classical Cathedral of Chartres. The two churches, while both drawing attention to themselves, one does it in a classical way, the other, making a spectacle of itself. href=index.html> back to va11

Monsoon Wedding And East Is East Film Studies Essay

The ‘ethics of regard ‘ in both movies was coming from different positions. Monsoon Wedding, the regard was an insider and East is East the regard was an foreigner. The professor in the talk spoke about how Monsoon Wedding was about a Punjabi household and the scene was in New Delhi, India, which is a familiar district for Mira Nair, the manager of the movie. This may besides be one of the grounds why Monsoon Wedding has an insider ‘s position to the Indian Punjabi civilization. An illustration of the insider ‘s position is when the nuptials planner/decorator Mr. Dubey fell in love with the artlessness of the amah and the simpleness of her character. This was a small hard for me as a spectator to understand because the construct explored much traditional Indian civilization which a western audience may non be familiar with. This movie shows the positions of secondary characters and the viewing audiences as the others. An illustration of this is, when Aditi â⠂¬Ëœs cousin who has come from a Western state to go to the nuptials, he is shown as ‘out of topographic point ‘ in footings of civilization and ethnicity, which this movie captures attractively through music, linguistic communication, nutrient, idiosyncrasy, and apparels. The film showed many struggles through the emotions of the characters. An illustration of this is when Aditi was acquiring engaged, it was a happy juncture but her facial looks gave away her emotions of unhappiness. This directs the spectator ‘s understandings towards the characters and forces us to mime the emotions by acquiring the audience ‘s empathy. Many of the emotions of the characters are expressed through lighting and camera work. An first-class illustration of this is the scene where Aditi ‘s male parent and female parent go into her room where she is kiping and look at their girl, how grown up she has gotten. This scene was shot at dark, but the lighting and camera captures the male parent and the female parent ‘s facial look in such a elusive manner that the viewing audiences might non detect, but they are emotionally sympathizing with the male parent. East is East on the other manus was filmed through an foreigner ‘s position. I surely felt that when watching the film because foremost the scene of this film was in England in the seventiess. Second, the secret plan showed the Muslim Pakistani civilization in a satirical manner which I believe may do the position of the film as the foreigner. The professor mentioned in the talk that the construct of ‘the other ‘ is shown as alien and beautiful in East is East. The regard in this movie is of the other and hence all characters are shown as being invariably measured by the viewing audiences. This movie touches upon many sensitive issues such as ethnicity, faith and marginalisation of civilizations. As an immigrant myself in Canada, this film aroused my emotions for all the characters including the male parent. At first when watching the movie, it seemed that the male parent was shown as a negative character, but subsequently on in the film I sympathized with the male parent. That is, he is shown to be torn between two civilizations and keeping on really tightly to each. Issues of individuality are profoundly explored in this movie and are shown a small through each character. The character of the female parent is shown to be really loving and lovingness, this I believe is the lone character which is shown to be impersonal and non in struggle in footings of civilization. An illustration of this is throughout the film, the female parent ‘s character did non confront any personal cultural struggle. Her kids were called ‘half strains ‘ but she was ne'er faced with any direct cultural struggle since she had assimilated in the Pakistani civilization ‘s unhappiness. This in bend directs the spectator ‘s understandings with her and makes her a character that the audience hand clapping for. The camera work, music, costumes and sound effects emphasized the secret plan and helped the audience to the full understand the characters emotions. I peculiarly liked the costumes and music in the scene, when the girl is dancing with the broom. She is have oning the saree but in a manner that is western and listening to an Indian vocal and dance. The audience can non assist but smile because the facial looks of the girl are extracted towards the audience. The camera work and make-up are done attractively for the amusing scene when a household had come to run into the two boies for their girl ‘s matrimony. The girls near ups were nicely shot ; that full scene had good camera work capturing everyone ‘s uncomfortable emotions unusually. To reason, both movies Monsoon Wedding and East is East have showed different positions. The regard in both movies directs the viewing audiences ‘ attending to characters and their emotions. The camera work and proficient facets of the movie helped both Monsoon Wedding and East is East gaining control the narrative and emotions of each character.Mention PageHelfield, Gillian. â€Å" Week 1 – East is East / Monsoon Wedding. † 06-01-2010. Web. 1 Feb 2011. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //webct.yorku.ca/SCRIPT/2010_FA_FILM_W_1701__3_M_EN_A_INTR_01/scripts/serve_home & gt ; . Mira, Nair, Dir. Monsoon Wedding. 2001, Film. O'Donnell, Damien, Dir. East Is East. 1999, Film.

The Gray Ghost Colonel John Singleton Mosby

Born December 6, 1833, in Powhatan County, VA, John Singleton Mosby was the son of Alfred and Virginny Mosby. At the age of seven, Mosby and his family moved to Albemarle County near Charlottesville. Educated locally, Mosby was a small child and was frequently picked upon, however he rarely backed down from a fight. Entering the University of Virginia in 1849, Mosby proved to be an able student and excelled at Latin and Greek. While a student, he became involved in a fight with a local bully, during which he shot the man in the neck. Expelled from school, Mosby was convicted of unlawful shooting and sentenced to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Following the trial, several of the jurors petitioned for Mosbys release and on December 23, 1853, the governor issued a pardon. During his brief time in jail, Mosby befriended the local prosecutor, William J. Robertson, and indicated an interest in studying law. Reading law at Robertsons office, Mosby was finally admitted to the bar and opened his own practice in nearby Howardsville, VA. Shortly thereafter, he met Pauline Clarke and the two were married on December 30, 1857. Civil War: Settling in Bristol, VA, the couple had two children prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Initially an opponent of secession, Mosby immediately enlisted in the Washington Mounted Rifles (1st Virginia Cavalry) when his state left the Union. Fighting as a private at the First Battle of Bull Run, Mosby found that military discipline and traditional soldiering were not to his liking. Despite this, he proved an able cavalryman and was soon promoted to first lieutenant and made adjutant of the regiment. As the fighting shifted to the Peninsula in the summer of 1862, Mosby volunteered to serve as a scout for Brigadier General J.E.B. Stuarts famed ride around the Army of the Potomac. Following this dramatic campaign, Mosby was captured by Union troops on July 19, 1862, near Beaver Dam Station. Taken to Washington, Mosby carefully observed his surroundings as he was moved to Hampton Roads to be exchanged. Noticing ships bearing Major General Ambrose Burnsides command arriving from North Carolina, he immediately reported this information to General Robert E. Lee upon being released. This intelligence assisted Lee in planning the campaign that culminated in the Second Battle of Bull Run. That fall, Mosby began lobbying Stuart to allow him to create an independent cavalry command in Northern Virginia. Operating under the Confederacys Partisan Ranger Law, this unit would conduct small, fast-moving raids on the Union lines of communication and supply. Seeking to emulate his hero from the American Revolution, partisan leader Francis Marion (The Swamp Fox), Mosby finally received permission from Stuart in December 1862, and was promoted to major the following March. Recruiting in Northern Virginia, Mosby created a force of irregular troops which were designated partisan rangers. Consisting of volunteers from all walks of life, they lived in the area, blending in with the populace, and came together when summoned by their commander. Conducting night raids against Union outposts and supply convoys, they struck where the enemy was weakest. Though his force grew in size (240 by 1864), it was seldom combined and often struck multiple targets in the same night. This dispersion of forces kept Mosbys Union pursuers off balance. On March 8, 1863, Mosby and 29 men raided the Fairfax County Court House and captured Brigadier General Edwin H. Stoughton while he slept. Other daring missions included attacks on Catlett Station and Aldie. In June 1863, Mosbys command was redesignated the 43rd Battalion of Partisan Rangers. Though pursued by Union forces, the nature of Mosbys unit allowed his men to simply fade away after each attack, leaving no trail to follow. Frustrated by Mosbys successes, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant issued an edict in 1864, that Mosby and his men were to be designated outlaws and hung without trial if captured. As Union forces under Major General Philip Sheridan moved into the Shenandoah Valley in September 1864, Mosby began operating against his rear. Later that month, seven of Mosbys men were captured and hung at Front Royal, VA by Brigadier General George A. Custer. Retaliating, Mosby responded in kind, killing five Union prisoners (two others escaped). A key triumph occurred in October, when Mosby succeeded in capturing Sheridans payroll during the Greenback Raid. As the situation in the Valley escalated, Mosby wrote to Sheridan on November 11, 1864, asking for a return to the fair treatment of prisoners. Sheridan agreed to this request and no further killings occurred. Frustrated by Mosbys raids, Sheridan organized a specially equipped unit of 100 men to capture the Confederate partisan. This group, with the exception of two men, was killed or captured by Mosby on November 18. Mosby, promoted to colonel in December, saw his command rise to 800 men, and continued his activities until the end of the war in April 1865. Unwilling to formally surrender, Mosby reviewed his men for the last time on April 21, 1865, before disbanding his unit. Postwar: Following the war, Mosby angered many in the South by becoming a Republican. Believing that it was the best way to help heal the nation, he befriended Grant and served as his presidential campaign chair in Virginia. In response to Mosbys actions, the former partisan received death threats and had his boyhood home burned down. In addition, at least one attempt was made on his life. To help protect him from these dangers, Grant appointed him as US Consul to Hong Kong in 1878. Returning to the US in 1885, Mosby worked as a lawyer in California for the Southern Pacific Railroad, before moving through a variety of governmental posts. Last serving as Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice (1904-1910), Mosby died in Washington DC on May 30, 1916, and was buried at Warrenton Cemetery in Virginia. Sources Civil War Home: John MosbyJohn S. Mosby Biography