Research Korner: Movie Review Sample

CASABLANCA

"Casablanca"               Casablanca is one of the greatest Hollywood movies of all time because of many things. The characters were not the typical hero and villain because the characters were able to redeem themselves in the end; the plot captures the complexity of human relations; and the ending was realistic enabling people to identify with the characters and the situations.               One key character in the movie is Rick, an American that fled the German invasion of Paris and settled in Casablanca. He is also the owner of the largest bar and restaurant in the area, where most of the scenes happened. As a person who despises the transit dealer Peter Lorre, who held transit papers that allows passage to two people to go to America, Rick was interestingly entrusted by Lorre with the papers. However, since Lorre was arrested and later on executed, Rick became an important man for people desperate to have the transit papers in order to save their lives, especially those who are members or related to members of the underground anti-Nazi movement. With a number of women offering sexual favors to Rick for the transit papers, he then faced the dilemma of who to give the transit papers. Although, he chose to give the papers to Ilsa, a woman that enamored him, he also helped another woman and her husband wind in the roulette in the casino that he owned to help them pay for transit papers.             However, a greater dilemma involved the decision of Rick on the issue that he loved Ilsa but he also knows that Ilsa’s husband, who she thought died, was actually alive. With the knowledge that her husband is alive, Ilsa also faced the dilemma of choosing with whom to travel to America since there were only two transit papers. It becomes apparent in the film that she loves her husband and it was in behalf of her husband that she sought the transit papers but she also fell in love with Rick especially with her knowledge that her husband may have died. On the part of Rick, he knows that Ilsa’s husband is alive and she still loves him but that he also loves Ilsa. For him, the dilemma is whether to choose personal gain and convince Ilsa to choose him or to sacrifice his personal wants and let go of Ilsa.               Rick is a noble character in the movie because he loved Ilsa too much that he couldn’t take her being trapped in the dilemma of choosing between the two men she loves. Rick decided on her behalf by urging her to go with her husband and create a new life in America. Rick resolved the ethical dilemma by sacrificing his personal wants and allowing the couple to live peacefully in America. In this sense, there was a semblance of consistency in Rick’s character of being a person of honor with the propensity of siding with the option that fits the greater good. Rick’s resolution of his personal dilemma and the dilemma of the woman she loves expresses his honorable character.                           The film ends with Rick and Ilsa separating. The ending represents the ethical principle of choosing the greater good that is a core principle of a democratic state and a society of conscience. On the greater scale, the Nazi invasion represented the suppression of democracy that limited the freedoms of many people while the existence of the resistance meant there were still people who care for democracy as the system that best support the achievement of the greater good. Although the film only captured a segment of history, we know that in the end democracy won with the defeat of the Nazi invasion. On the smaller scale, Ricks option to convince Ilsa to come with him constituted personal interest that is not in line with the greater good since Rick’s pursuance of the affair would sacrifice the life or freedom of Ilsa’s husband who a writer of the resistance while his option to let go of Ilsa constituted his sacrifice of personal interest for the greater good. Achieving the greater good entails a degree of sacrifice of personal interest.               In the end, Rick chose the right thing. What is right is relative and often times in conflict with personal interest. However, in life people need to sacrifice and give up some personal interest in order to ensure that other people—including loved ones—or more people benefit. In the end, those who make the necessary sacrifice end up benefiting through feelings of contentment for doing something good or by achieving peace and order in the community.

CASABLANCA

"Casablanca" Casablanca is one of the greatest Hollywood movies of all time because of many things. The characte...

Review: Tears of the Sun

Review: Tears of the Sun   The movie centers on the central character of Lieutenant Waters who is sent by his commanders to the aid of a Dr. Lena Hendricks (Monica Bellucci) among a war inflicted Nigeria. Nigeria is experiences unrest due to a civil war. All occupants of the country are rendered in hazardous situations. Upon contact, Dr. Hendricks refuses to leave the side of her clients who are now in refugee status. Waters is given into a compromising deal wherein Dr. Hendricks to be seen out of the country with the escort of her clients. Waters is then faced with the dilemma of actually leaving all the others instead of taking them also. The main theme of the movie is the clash between right and wrong. In moral terms, what is right may be seen as sticking to the rules, which was only to take Hendricks and not to meddle with the country’s internal issues. The other side is to base the right thing into taking one;s own instincts and attempting to save all the human beings who are in danger of absolutely perishing ones he leaves them. However, another dilemma complicate the situation when it turns out that helping all the others may result for the team to be in danger as well,  with the possibility of the mission being jeopardized, because of the decisions he makes. It is set on the wilderness of Nigeria which takes its audience into a thriller nature expedition whilst battling internal conflicts of moral bounds. The movie Tears of the Sun is about the tragic gray areas in a movie. It portrays a situation wherein citizens of a developed country move in the aid of refugees residing inside a developing country under civil war. It places a lieutenant and a doctor into a situation where they chose to help refugees in Nigeria, under civil war, and forced to face consequences for their actions. They may be seen as taking a side in the ongoing battles and this provokes other militant forces into taking actions against the supposed third party participants. The movie tackles the many issues that may be involved in diplomatic arenas wherein a third party or a simple arbiter party‘s position is compromised through decisions they make to help the injured, innocent or otherwise. The movie Tears of the Sun seeks to state a deeper message. Although it may commonly be seen as a typical action film, a deeper more emotional moral is being sent out to its audience. One message that comes across its audience is a question. It poses its queries on the diplomatic and political discourses seeking to understand the philosophical and moral dilemmas one needs to answer in times of war. With the recognition of humanity the doctor awards her refugee clients, a dilemma into which side should they be taking, or are they supposed to take sides at all? The moral question posited by the film is very interesting and it is one that is underrated. Most people, especially in peaceful centers of the world, would not be able to actually see the situations ongoing in war torn areas of our planet. Films such as this, although quite minimally, showcase the happenings and the faces of war that most people would happily spend their lives without any knowledge of. This facet of the film is expressed widely in the beginning. This in turn leads the audience into expectations which the film fails to deliver in the end. However, the message is seen to be completely lost in the haywire firings and bombings. After all, it still is an action film. After spending most of the movie’s minutes dwelling into the issues, one may see how it succumbs to the call of media pressure of selling and eventually turns into a full blown action film. As for cinematography and technicalities, the director, Antoine Fuqua (Bait), fresh from Training Day does exemplifies his eye for visual aesthetics; especially with the film, being fortunate enough to have been able to sign in one of the better action film performers Bruce Willis. Willis is one of the few artists of his craft who can effortlessly switch between genres of action and drama, notwithstanding recognition that he may have some reservations on the latter genre. The main protagonist was able to witch between the two genres which illustrate the three-dimensionality of character that is not often seen in action inspired flicks. The actor was able to present a new facet of character which plays with action film enthusiasts without boring other consequential critics.

Review: Tears of the Sun

Review: Tears of the Sun The movie centers on the central character of Lieutenant Waters who is sent by his commanders to the aid ...