The story of Life is Beautiful starts off in 1931, with an introduction to Guido who enters a small Italian town. Guido is a poor Jewish man who has all the joy in the world and he wants to become a bookseller. Alongside becoming a bookseller, Guido wants Dora, a school teacher who literally fell out of a window, into his arms. After his first acquaintance with Dora, Guido begins to woo her using his most prominent talent; Guido is a liar, to put it simply. The largest and most important part of his gift is the fact that he believes his own lies himself. His one true goal is to bend the world to fit his wants, which makes life beautiful, no matter the situation in which he will find himself.
Consisting two parts, the movie is initially romantic, gentle, and it has an abundance of pratfalls, which create a great comedic aspect. When anything bad enters the picture, it is merely ridiculed and mocked. Eventually, though, in the second half of the movie, when true evil is introduced, Guido is forced to lie about the world again. He has to make it out to be better than it truly is, in order to keep his son from the cruelty of the world. Even more so, though, he lies to convince himself that the events going on around him are not really happening. He was a Jewish man, taken away from his life and put into a concentration camp, so that he would eventually die. He had done nothing wrong, but the fact that he was Jewish was all the “reason” needed to kill him and his loved ones.
Benigni sacrifices historical accuracy to get the plot of his story across to the audience. There were concentration camps where the men were forced into intense labour, but in no way would the men have acted as loosely as Guido had acted. If the authority and security of the camps had caught someone acting in the way that Guido did, they would have more than likely killed him on the spot. Also, when Guido steps up in the bedroom, when the officer asks if anyone is able to translate German to Italian, he is simply goofy, which would have never been the way someone would have acted in during the Holocaust.
Despite the fact that the historical accuracy is slightly off, Benigni creates a great storyline and evokes so many various emotions with his use of compassion within Guido’s family, along with the sheer depressing traits of the camp. What truly won me over was how Guido made life truly beautiful in his eyes, as well as the eyes of his son. He makes the camp out to be a game to his son, where he has to gain 1,000 points to pass through to the next level. This playful attitude makes it much less scary for his son and it helps Guido to take the tough times life less seriously and in a less harsh manner. The conclusion of the movie is pretty hard to deal with, but simultaneously, it is heart-warming to see the son back with his mother, and to know that Guido would not have regretted giving up his life for his family. The love he has for his family is not cliché or “corny,” but it’s genuine and sweet, which is the type of love we want to see in movies, because it’s the kind to which we, ourselves, are able to relate.
The film is most definitely on my list of my top five favourite movies. I first saw it when I was about eight and I fell in love with the story. Even though the basic plot is a bit intense for a large amount of people, it shows the compassion and love that real people have for one another. It shows a man who lies to make life better, which I would usually look down upon, but it makes life for his family and him much more positive than it could have turned out to be. All in all, the movie is worth while and presents a horrifying part of history in a relatively positive light. We all experience bad things in our lives, but why not describe them as being good?
Monday, February 23, 2009
HoD - Third Correspondence (My prompt)
Throughout the entirety of Heart of Darkness, Marlow changes vastly from a completely civilized state of mind to having a “savage” quality about him. When Marlow first arrives to the outskirts of Africa, his mentality is that of an enlightened European, who had been raised “properly.” On his journey on the Congo River, Marlow is absolutely terrified of the possibility of damaging his boat and having to survive outside of his comfort zone. Before his expedition, a doctor told him to “beware of irritation more than the sun.” The sun is a big factor in Africa, especially the heart, The Congo, because it is directly on the equator, but irritation, meaning affects of the uncivil traits of Africa, will be worse on Marlow than the sun. Soon after Marlow mentions his desperate want for rivets, the steamboat hits a heavy current on the river and Marlow becomes immensely afraid of the possibility that the boat could be on its last leg, so to speak, and in turn, he would have been on his last leg.
Without the boat, Marlow would have to survive off of his internal instincts, and that was considered to be “savage” and in the wrong by the Europeans. The farther into the Congo Marlow traveled, the more uncomfortable he became, but subconsciously, he gained more of a knowledge of the people in the Congo. For instance, he eventually realizes that the inhabitants of Africa are just has human as those who invaded their home. As a result, Marlow recognizes the fact that what the Europeans are doing is inhumane and not at all a way to go about colonization.
The heart of Africa is where the least civilized people live, and the more primitive and traditional tactics of life are still utilized. Initially, such tactics simply scared Marlow, but after truly experiencing the Congo, himself, he is not nearly as bothered by the primordial actions and lifestyles of the Africans. How did Marlow’s views and personal traits transform after his conquest to the Congo? What triggered him to change and how did he change? Did the recognition of true corruption change him or was it a change within himself that initiated a change of…heart?
Without the boat, Marlow would have to survive off of his internal instincts, and that was considered to be “savage” and in the wrong by the Europeans. The farther into the Congo Marlow traveled, the more uncomfortable he became, but subconsciously, he gained more of a knowledge of the people in the Congo. For instance, he eventually realizes that the inhabitants of Africa are just has human as those who invaded their home. As a result, Marlow recognizes the fact that what the Europeans are doing is inhumane and not at all a way to go about colonization.
The heart of Africa is where the least civilized people live, and the more primitive and traditional tactics of life are still utilized. Initially, such tactics simply scared Marlow, but after truly experiencing the Congo, himself, he is not nearly as bothered by the primordial actions and lifestyles of the Africans. How did Marlow’s views and personal traits transform after his conquest to the Congo? What triggered him to change and how did he change? Did the recognition of true corruption change him or was it a change within himself that initiated a change of…heart?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Heart of Darkness - Second Response
Though I, myself, have not read anything by Chinua Achebe, many people have stated that there is a direct correlation between “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad and Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart.” Heart of Darkness is a frame story that embodies a journey Conrad, himself, had taken to the Congo. Representing Conrad, Marlow, an Englishman, takes part on an expedition to Africa, not fully knowledgeable of what to expect. Various questions may arise when merely reading the title of the book; what is a “heart of darkness,” for example. A heart is usually thought of as a symbol of love and/or passion, while darkness immediately evokes thoughts of evil and possibly distress. Even as children, we didn’t like to be alone in the dark. We were terrified of “monsters” that could have been lurking around us.
Throughout the story, we come across multiple meanings behind a “heart of darkness.” The heart of darkness, as Marlow finds out, is something within all of us. We may not know whom or what has the capability to elicit or trigger the heart of darkness, but it is something we try to avoid encountering. Such an issue is a perfect example of a conflict involving man versus himself. The story has so many psychological issues within it, along with so much symbolism, that it is absolutely impossible to avoid a bit of psychological tampering while reading it. Another way to interpret the meaning of a “heart of darkness” is to look at the basic story line, itself. Marlow travels to the Congo, or the heart of Africa, and has a bit of trouble with stepping outside of his comfort zone, which we know is his boat. The boat has become his home, and if anything were to happen to it, Marlow is terrified that he would eventually gain savage tendencies and become more like those who inhabit the forest of the Congo.
Unfamiliarity scares us all to a degree. For example, when we step foot into a new school, where we know absolutely no one, it is a natural instinct to sort of draw inward and keep to ourselves. The unknown, so to speak, is a relatively scary thought. Marlow comes from England, where everyone is civil and where the British are thought to be superior to everyone else. Belgium colonized the Congo, but all of Europe saw Africa as uncivilized and savage. Imperialism was led by three main motives: economical improvement, political advancement, and morality. With respect to morality, the Europeans sought to “better” the lives of the people of Africa. Africans were supposedly not living correctly, and the Europeans felt entitled and stepped in on people’s lives, simply because these people’s lifestyles differentiated from those of the Europeans.
Today, people see colonialism as wrong, but during the era of imperialism, the Europeans had actually come up with a way to justify their invasions – social Darwinism. Social Darwinism was based on Charles Darwin’s thoughts of “survival of the fittest.” Europeans saw themselves as “the fittest,” and automatically took on a responsibility to “improve” the lives of others. In all reality, the pure drive that led to imperialism was sheer avarice; nothing but selfishness could have, in any way, driven people to treat people, yes PEOPLE, in such a manner. The Africans were not seen as equal, even though they were just as human as anyone else on Earth.
Conrad does refer to life in the Congo as a “living nightmare.” Imagine the worst possible thing that could happen. The people of Africa were stripped of their own lives; the Congo reeked of dehumanization. The Africans were beaten on a regular basis, but once they were released, they would go into the depth of the forest. Though such an action may be seen as “savage,” it was their home. It provided them with the basic commodities they required to live and the forest sufficed. Nothing more was needed, so why would the Europeans have intruded as they did?
Why did Marlow go on his expedition to the Congo in the first place? How does Marlow change throughout his journey, and what caused these changes? I guess we’ll find out.
Throughout the story, we come across multiple meanings behind a “heart of darkness.” The heart of darkness, as Marlow finds out, is something within all of us. We may not know whom or what has the capability to elicit or trigger the heart of darkness, but it is something we try to avoid encountering. Such an issue is a perfect example of a conflict involving man versus himself. The story has so many psychological issues within it, along with so much symbolism, that it is absolutely impossible to avoid a bit of psychological tampering while reading it. Another way to interpret the meaning of a “heart of darkness” is to look at the basic story line, itself. Marlow travels to the Congo, or the heart of Africa, and has a bit of trouble with stepping outside of his comfort zone, which we know is his boat. The boat has become his home, and if anything were to happen to it, Marlow is terrified that he would eventually gain savage tendencies and become more like those who inhabit the forest of the Congo.
Unfamiliarity scares us all to a degree. For example, when we step foot into a new school, where we know absolutely no one, it is a natural instinct to sort of draw inward and keep to ourselves. The unknown, so to speak, is a relatively scary thought. Marlow comes from England, where everyone is civil and where the British are thought to be superior to everyone else. Belgium colonized the Congo, but all of Europe saw Africa as uncivilized and savage. Imperialism was led by three main motives: economical improvement, political advancement, and morality. With respect to morality, the Europeans sought to “better” the lives of the people of Africa. Africans were supposedly not living correctly, and the Europeans felt entitled and stepped in on people’s lives, simply because these people’s lifestyles differentiated from those of the Europeans.
Today, people see colonialism as wrong, but during the era of imperialism, the Europeans had actually come up with a way to justify their invasions – social Darwinism. Social Darwinism was based on Charles Darwin’s thoughts of “survival of the fittest.” Europeans saw themselves as “the fittest,” and automatically took on a responsibility to “improve” the lives of others. In all reality, the pure drive that led to imperialism was sheer avarice; nothing but selfishness could have, in any way, driven people to treat people, yes PEOPLE, in such a manner. The Africans were not seen as equal, even though they were just as human as anyone else on Earth.
Conrad does refer to life in the Congo as a “living nightmare.” Imagine the worst possible thing that could happen. The people of Africa were stripped of their own lives; the Congo reeked of dehumanization. The Africans were beaten on a regular basis, but once they were released, they would go into the depth of the forest. Though such an action may be seen as “savage,” it was their home. It provided them with the basic commodities they required to live and the forest sufficed. Nothing more was needed, so why would the Europeans have intruded as they did?
Why did Marlow go on his expedition to the Congo in the first place? How does Marlow change throughout his journey, and what caused these changes? I guess we’ll find out.
First Response - Heart of Darkness
The title, Heart of Darkness, alone, can bring up a vast amount of curiosities. For instance, what is a “heart of darkness?” The term “darkness” automatically elicits thoughts of negativity and, in a way, causes us to draw back, but it also can peak our interest. A heart, though, is recognizably a good thing; it is associated with love and compassion. Therefore, thinking of a heart being related to darkness can cause a good bit of questioning.
Conrad pulls the title and the book, itself, together perfectly in various ways. Heart of Darkness is based on a journey Joseph Conrad actually took, himself, during the European colonization of Africa. Marlow, representative of Conrad, is an enlightened and civilized man, who initially sets out to gain a more personal insight of Africa. He travels to the Congo, the center, or the “heart,” of Africa. The title ends up showing itself to be somewhat of a multi-entendre; it is meaningful in many ways. While Marlow stays on his boat, which he considers his comfort zone, he is afraid to step foot into to real heart of Africa, because it is dark and unfamiliar to him. On a more psychological note, we see that the “heart of darkness” is in everyone, but we face conflicts with it and wonder if it is avoidable when all is said and done. During the Scramble for Africa, Europe used motives which seemed selfless, when in reality, they were completely selfish. The selfishness of Europe is a factor of the darkness within each of us. The motives were supposedly economic, political and moral, but in the end, Europe’s intentions were to gain economic support and power over different pieces of the world. Imperialism was most definitely hypocritical and took no one’s feelings into account. Marlow’s primary fear is that he will somehow become influenced by Africa in a negative manner and take on more of a “savage” persona, which drives him mad, in a way. Imperialism has driven Marlow to believe that the farther into Africa one goes, the more savage and primal instincts begin to emerge. Having come from civilization, Marlow had a set idea that Africa is wild and that its inhabitants are doing things in an uncivilized manner; essentially, Marlow sets foot into the heart of Africa and realizes that he is just as corrupt as the European colonial leaders.
Conrad pulls the title and the book, itself, together perfectly in various ways. Heart of Darkness is based on a journey Joseph Conrad actually took, himself, during the European colonization of Africa. Marlow, representative of Conrad, is an enlightened and civilized man, who initially sets out to gain a more personal insight of Africa. He travels to the Congo, the center, or the “heart,” of Africa. The title ends up showing itself to be somewhat of a multi-entendre; it is meaningful in many ways. While Marlow stays on his boat, which he considers his comfort zone, he is afraid to step foot into to real heart of Africa, because it is dark and unfamiliar to him. On a more psychological note, we see that the “heart of darkness” is in everyone, but we face conflicts with it and wonder if it is avoidable when all is said and done. During the Scramble for Africa, Europe used motives which seemed selfless, when in reality, they were completely selfish. The selfishness of Europe is a factor of the darkness within each of us. The motives were supposedly economic, political and moral, but in the end, Europe’s intentions were to gain economic support and power over different pieces of the world. Imperialism was most definitely hypocritical and took no one’s feelings into account. Marlow’s primary fear is that he will somehow become influenced by Africa in a negative manner and take on more of a “savage” persona, which drives him mad, in a way. Imperialism has driven Marlow to believe that the farther into Africa one goes, the more savage and primal instincts begin to emerge. Having come from civilization, Marlow had a set idea that Africa is wild and that its inhabitants are doing things in an uncivilized manner; essentially, Marlow sets foot into the heart of Africa and realizes that he is just as corrupt as the European colonial leaders.
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