Apocalypse Now- Analysis of Colonel Kurtz

Colonel Kurtz is an extremely fascinating character and his actions warrant a thoughtful analysis. After being dissatisfied with the horrors of war, Kurtz decides to completely turn his back on morality. He acts as a God and exercises complete control over a village in Cambodia. Kurtz resorts to using barbaric techniques in order to maintain his power. He essentially gives in and embraces the brutal disorder of nature. It becomes clear that he wants to die and he wants Captain Willard to do the deed, however he wants to bestow knowledge upon Willard before he passes away. He wants to expose Willard to the savagery of war and hopes that he too will denounce it. The last words that Kurtz utters are "The horror... the horror." Kurtz has seen horrible things in his life and to for him, death is the escape from the horrors of this earth.

Exploring Film Technique pt 2

The clip from The Wall that I found most intriguing was the scene in which the oppressive nature of the British school system is explored. The vocalist along with school children belt out the words “we don’t need no education, we don’t need no thought control.” These words of protest are heard while the viewer sees the children marching into a machine which transforms them into faceless dummies. The face is the most unique physical element of a human, so when the children go through this machine, they are essentially losing what makes them unique. This transformation is meant to be a metaphor for the oppression that the children are forced to experience. Rather than encouraging creativity and individuality, the teacher in the film seeks to produce a class of homogenous individuals. The way in which the school system restrict its students is particularly damaging to the film’s main character, Pink. It results in “another brick in the wall” being added to the emotional wall that he has build to separate himself from having meaningful relationships with others. He is mocked by his teacher when he tries to express himself creatively by writing poems in class, so he imagines himself and his classmates rebelling against the abuse they are forced to face day after day. This furthers the theme of oppression which this iconic scene is meant to illustrate.

Decalogue

The first film in the Decalogue series is very engaging and emotional. It examines the first commandment of the bible- “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.” In the film, Krzysztof and his son Pawel are infatuated with a computer. The father, more so than the son, places his faith in the computer rather than in God. This ultimately ends tragically. Krzysztof trusts his computer program when it informs him that it is safe for his son to skate on the pond, but when Pawel goes skating on the pond, the ice breaks and he drowns. Pawel’s death made me wonder if the filmmaker was trying to illustrate God’s wrath. Did God take Pawel’s life to teach Krzysztof a lesson? Will Pawel’s death cause Krzysztof to develop faith in God? Initially Krzysztof took a very scientific approach to death, but now that death has affected him so closely, will he put aside his faith in science and pursue a faith in God?

Requiem for a Dream

Aronofsky's film explores the inherent evil that exists within our world. His films takes the viewer through an intensely emotional journey. Most films recognize evil in the world but focus on the good that ultimately triumphs over evil. This is not the case in Requiem for a Dream. Evil wins the battle against good in this story. The four main characters, consumed by their addictions, end up as shells of their former selves. In a fiercely cathartic sequence of events in the last ten minutes of the film, we see the tremendous amount of damage that drug abuse has had on the lives of these characters. They succumb to evil temptations and ultimately lose themselves.

Reflecting on Religion

Reason and the reality before us is not enough to explain why we are here. It is not enough to explain our purpose, or if we even have a purpose. It is not enough to explain what awaits us after death. Because of this, human decide to look beyond what sits before them. Many search for purpose and meaning, and religion provides meaning to those who seek it. Religion is used as a means of explaining the unknown. The reality is, we cannot know anything for sure. This is where the concept of faith comes into play. If humans were to be certain in the existence of god, faith would be unnecessary, and the thousands of religions that exist today would be needless.

Life of Pi

Life of Pi is a film that explores the concept of faith. As an old man, Pi tells the fascinating story of his life. However he tells two stories; One story involves animals and other fantastical events and the other one involves humans and is rather gruesome. Pi admits to his audience that neither story can be proven so he asks them which story they prefer. They decide that they prefer the story with the animals, and Pi responds by saying “and so it goes with God.” Pi is suggesting that a life with God is preferable. If the meaning of our existence cannot be explained, isn’t it better to have faith in a story that makes life more beautiful? Having faith in a religion can enhance an individual’s life, and this is what Pi teaches us through this film. 

Memento

I found the film Memento to be very thought provoking. This film revolves around a man, Leonard, who has suffered from a traumatic brain injury. This injury destroys his short term memory and he is unable to make new memories, so often times throughout the film, Leonard forgets what he is doing. He must to rely on notes, polaroid photos, and sayings that he has tattooed on his body to achieve his goal of finding the man who killed his wife. Leonard’s memory is unreliable, so what makes up his identity… isn’t it our memories that make us who we are? This idea is also examined in Blade Runner. When Rachel discovers that she is a replicant and her memories are entirely false, her world is shattered. She has no clue who she really is. Leonard is able to remember the events leading up to his injury, so that is all he has. He knows who he was, but doesn’t really know who he is.