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The Big Trail (1930)
Brilliant visuals, good movie, a critical essay follows
Released towards the end of 1930 across the United States to an early depression era audience, Raoul Walsh's The Big Trail is a fictitious documentation of the crossing of the Oregon Trail by a large convoy of settlers and trappers. The episodic narrative details the trials and adversity faced by the immigrants, often in the form of hostile terrain, extreme climate and the threat of violence from indigenous tribes, as they are guided by scout Breck Coleman from the banks of the Mississippi river to a fabled land 'north of Oregon'. In this essay, we will observe the utilization of Genre and Representation by the filmmakers and the resulting effects they have on the message and meaning of the film and their impact on the audience.
A large number of immigrants, seeking freedom and land, collect on the banks of the Mississippi river to decide where to go. Breck Coleman, a young man without family or allegiance who has lived for long among the natives of the land, takes onto the wagon train as a scout when he learns that the men who he suspects to have killed his friend may be on it as well. Amidst the fury of nature and other hardships faced by the wagon train, Coleman keeps a lean eye on the suspects who attempt to murder him several times. The film ends as the suspects run off when Coleman finally decides to strike back against them, and choosing between his love interest newly settled in the valley he had led the immigrants to and chasing after the murderers, Coleman decides to avenge his friend before returning to his lover.
In 1929, the collapse of the American stock market quickly led, due to the failure of banks and businesses, to a rise in unemployment from 3.3% to nearly 12% by the end of 1930, which is when The Big Trail was released. Films of the Western genre usually present the audience with a historical fantasy allure, and films recent to the time such as The Iron Horse and The Great K & A Train Robbery were entertaining, often grandiose productions that explored heroics and frontier lifestyles while being largely irrelevant to the era at hand. The release of The Big Trail coincided with a period when such escapism would be keenly sought by an economically bereft public. Instead, however, the film-goers were presented with the plight of a people not unlike themselves, opting out of situations of unemployment and poverty for an escapism of their own. In the old west culture where means of income were limited, the ownership of land was a huge step towards respect and power. In fact, only white land-owners were allowed to vote until 1870. Moving away from established townships and cities enabled the commonest of labourers to transform their fortunes and live in a society where they could establish themselves and have a say in its functioning. Indeed, the images of the many assembled wagons assembled repeated throughout the film closely bear a striking resemblance to images of squatter camps found across the US in this period.
Throughout the film, title cards are displayed to describe the hardships they are to face. While perfectly applicable to the film's plot, they also reflect, often obtusely, their significance to the plight of the American people at the time. The directness of some of these title cards result in expanding the message beyond usual ideological functions of genre into the realm of blatant didactics
"The central theme of the genre became the conflict between the civilized order and the lawless frontier" write Bordwell and Thompson (2006). As significant as this statement is in the macrocosm of the plot and story, with thousands of wayward settlers battling against forces of nature and other threats domestic to the territory, Coleman participates in the trail to seek revenge for the murder of his friend at the hands of Red Flack. At one point Coleman proclaims, "I am the law"Chapter 25, 1:32:36. It is his wish to avenge his friend, and thus provide a fitting punishment for Flack's lawless actions. The civilization versus wilderness theme is continued in the microcosm of the exodus, manifested by Coleman as a frontier judge chasing after the 'renegade whites' that murdered his friend.
Coleman also finds this central conflict to exist inside of himself as he chooses between remaining with Ruth wrapped deeply within the arms of civilization or hunting down Flack in the free and relentless manner of the noble savage.
Fred Camper (1988) writes of The Big Trail's imagery, "His (Walsh's) images, with their emphasis on landscape as texture rather than on landscape as geography or as human character, produce in sum a kind of mental image of a weighty mass, like the surface of a rock, or of the ground, or even of the dust-filled air. This mass is also empty, in the sense of being devoid of detail, a true metaphor for trackless wilderness. It is this emptiness that our civilization has devoted itself to filling, both materially and mentally." This sense of purpose and utilization is the motivation of the thousands of immigrants, best reflected in the leader of the Missouri outfit, Pa Bascomb. He represents the facets of society the whole train wants to see prosper at the other end of the trail. He manifests a clear sense of law and democracy, as evidenced by his insistence on a fair trial for Red Flack after his failed attempt to murder Coleman. He also embodies a deeply religious spirit which the entire wagon train shares, there is a mass prayer at the beginning and end of the journey.
It is interesting to think that one of Hollywood's first sound Westerns had such a resounding ideology, one it delivered upon its audience hearkening them to remember the qualities of America's founding fathers and involve their ideals into their own lives.
Rocky Balboa (2006)
The true great inspirational work of the century, ROCKY
The true great inspirational work of the century, ROCKY
Though there are many contenders to the given title like Rushmore or The Lord Of The Rings, ROCKY is the only one we've all seen happen, or rather not happen, to almost each one of us. I call the Rocky movies noble. They incite hope in us. 'Keep going' they say, 'keep going'. I think that the reason for it's greatness is that besides the actual boxing, it has little to do with boxing. It's about the boxer, it's about the guy. So these movies are not about something, they're about someone and they're about all of us. They're about human kindness, compassion, persistence, the longing to be recognized, acknowledged. They're about one man's dream and what he did about it. Now about his great finale, where all things finally come to a close. It's like a walk down memory lane. It's like revisiting your childhood home. It's personal. I, who missed all the movies between 1 and 6, felt deeply saddened by Adrian's loss, and in Rocky's few private moments by her grave, or that scene by the side of his house, I felt his loss too, almost like a loss of my own. This story is one about his final quest to, whatever he may say, do justice to himself by finding out what would otherwise haunt him till the end. I'll explain. Rocky is old now. All those wins from his past are just memories. Can he still do it now? Is he lesser a man than he used to be? So rather than condemning himself into remembering and wondering, he goes out for one final shot.So does he have to prove it to himself? Is that all? Yes. And no. His victory would not be his alone, but shared with all who matter so much to him. So would his defeat. But why doesn't he just not fight? Because he doesn't want to rot away in doubt, and because there is so damn much to fight for, and as his old friend Paulie points out, with. As a film, of course 1 was just pure brilliance, but this is not 1. This is 6. And it's still standing. Full of pleasant old surprises. I seriously recommend anyone who has not watched 1 NOT to watch this first. And of course, the score brings back memories of its own. Thank You, Mr Stallone.
Cube 2: Hypercube (2002)
unnerving
Cube 2 is like Donnie Darko meets Requiem For A Dream meets bad acting. I'd say it is an amazing movie, but that isn't really a compliment. Cube was a great movie, the finest of its kind. Cube 2 is a step into the unknown. A fairly good one too, because it does what it was probably supposed to do, get you thinking. The theoretical mess Cube 2 is made of is in itself quite fascinating, things we've all thought about, but never hard enough. Now, we're watching these things happening to a handful of irritating characters and wondering, thinking, about what, I can't say, but my mind is whirring anyway. The movie, quite boring if you don't give a sh1t, is not an entertaining one. You were not meant to leave the theater or the couch or the computer screen jolly hearted and all warm and fuzzy. This movie is going to creep the sh1t out of you, take that as a warning or if you want your brains kicked, an invitation. I'd recommend it to anyone who can stand sh1tty acting and dialog, Cube 1 fan or not (I don't think anyone who watched Cube 1 is not a fan). Don't expect anything Cubish, it is NOT AT ALL like the original, but still worth a shot. And the ending (not a spoiler), though supposed-to-be-sad, is a very satisfying closure, and pretty happy too, considering the rest of the movie. Hey, I'm writing another sequel, but relax, it's pretty good. I think I'll call it RETURN OF THE CUBAZOID, following the tradition.
Starsiege (1999)
Perfect
I don't know what people actually look for in a game, but this one has everything (except for a romance, unless you consider brotherly love) a game can ever hope for. Intense action sequences, BRILLIANT story with an entire history and lessons in morality. This game shows how far people have to go before they realize where they belong, together. I'd love to spell out the entire story, but for your sake I won't. Go out and get this game, it'll add to your life. This is the only game I've played offline for more than twelve hours without a break. Thiis game is like the very best I've ever played, along with Max Payne and Metal Gear Solid. Do yourself a favor and find it, if you can.