Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a very well created movie which includes a message that people should really learn: the world isn't like what they tell you in how-to books. So often people create the false conception that everything will be perfect when you meet the right person and that person will complete you. The truth of the matter is that there is no such thing as the perfect relationship, and that the only way to feel complete is to do so yourself. Instead, relationships serve as beautful moments which we remember in order to get through this confusing life.
Eternal Sunshine begins the story at the end and works backwards. As the movie progresses, you understand that Joel and Clementine were in a relationship with each other. This relationship turned sour as Clementine got bored with Joel and Joel discovered that Clementine was not the answer to everything he was missing in his own life. Joel and Clementine each go through a procedure that erases their relationship from each others minds. As Joel enters his mind and watches as Clementine is erased, he realizes that she was much more important to him than he previously realized. Joel sees that he doesn't need to be completed by her, but instead only needs to be with her. Though she doesn't make life perfect, she does make life better.
This is the lesson that must be taught. A relationship is not the answer to every problem, and a problem in a relationship does not mean it's a bad relationship. Instead, a relationship is a way in which people learn to enjoy moments with people they love.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Querube Barber - The Ten Commandments
The Decalogue is a series of 10 movies originally made for Polish
television. These movies show the Ten Commandments through life situations. The first movie of The Decalogue was about the First Commandment found in Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before me.” This movie had an interesting beginning but a sad ending. First, it was hard to figure out who was the man by the lake. Every time he was shown, this man sat watching everything. He kept a fire going. This man represented God.
There was also a father, Krzysztof with his son, Pawel. It was apparent that Krzysztof loved Pawel and had a good relationship with him. Krzysztof taught his son many things about science and computer, but he failed to follow Proverbs 22:6 which says, “train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Krzysztof never talked to Pawel about God. Once when Pawel asked his father about death, Krzysztof gave him a scientific explanation. Even though his answer was correct, Krzysztof failed to see that Pawel was looking for more than a scientific explanation. Pawel was more interested in knowing about spiritual things like what happens after death.
Krzysztof was very intelligent; however, he had no regard for God. Proverbs 1:7 says that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Krzysztof trusted his own knowledge and not the knowledge that comes from God. His computer and his knowledge were his god. This unfortunate mistake cost Krzysztof the life of his son. He told Pawel that he could go ice skating on the lake. Krzysztof trusted his calculations about the temperature of the lake. His calculation proved to be wrong. The ice broke and Pawel fell and died. Krzysztof looks for his son desperately. He found out that his son was death. This scene was very moving and painful. Krzysztof placed his faith in his own ability and left God out of the picture.
So, how does this first movie represent the First Commandment? It showed us that we cannot make gods out of things, and we should not place our faith on things but rather in the one and only God.
The second movie was based on the Fifth Commandment found in Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder.” In this movie, we saw how a young man brutally murdered a taxi driver.
At first glance, we might say that the taxi driver did not have a say in his outcome. Several people wanted to use his service as a taxi driver. He rejected them and chose to give his service to a young man who would become his murderer. He did have a choice of whom to give service. He made a bad choice. The result of his bad choice was fatal.
While watching his actions of the taxi driver, most people would have a hard connecting with him in anyway. The taxi driver was a cruel and wicked individual who mocked people. However, when he knew he was about to be murdered, he mentioned his wife. To me, that showed that he was concerned about her welfare if he was not around to take care of her. Therefore, he showed some tenderness in his heart, at least towards her.
The young murderer was also a mean individual but had some tenderness for small girls. For example, when he was at the restaurant, he was friendly and playful with the young girls outside the window. Perhaps because they reminded him of his little sister. Also when he was about to die, he was concerned about his mother.
It could be easy for anyone watching the movie to judge the taxi driver and the young man for their evil doing. Even though most of us would never consider killing a person, let’s remember that we all have our own sins. We read in Isaiah 53:6 that “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way…” All of us have committed sin and continue to sin. Therefore, we have all “fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. We all need a Savior.
There is a price to pay for sin. Because of this, many believe in the death penalty. However, others feel differently. They wonder if the state has the right to take an individual’s life as penalty for the sin that an individual has committed.
television. These movies show the Ten Commandments through life situations. The first movie of The Decalogue was about the First Commandment found in Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before me.” This movie had an interesting beginning but a sad ending. First, it was hard to figure out who was the man by the lake. Every time he was shown, this man sat watching everything. He kept a fire going. This man represented God.
There was also a father, Krzysztof with his son, Pawel. It was apparent that Krzysztof loved Pawel and had a good relationship with him. Krzysztof taught his son many things about science and computer, but he failed to follow Proverbs 22:6 which says, “train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Krzysztof never talked to Pawel about God. Once when Pawel asked his father about death, Krzysztof gave him a scientific explanation. Even though his answer was correct, Krzysztof failed to see that Pawel was looking for more than a scientific explanation. Pawel was more interested in knowing about spiritual things like what happens after death.
Krzysztof was very intelligent; however, he had no regard for God. Proverbs 1:7 says that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Krzysztof trusted his own knowledge and not the knowledge that comes from God. His computer and his knowledge were his god. This unfortunate mistake cost Krzysztof the life of his son. He told Pawel that he could go ice skating on the lake. Krzysztof trusted his calculations about the temperature of the lake. His calculation proved to be wrong. The ice broke and Pawel fell and died. Krzysztof looks for his son desperately. He found out that his son was death. This scene was very moving and painful. Krzysztof placed his faith in his own ability and left God out of the picture.
So, how does this first movie represent the First Commandment? It showed us that we cannot make gods out of things, and we should not place our faith on things but rather in the one and only God.
The second movie was based on the Fifth Commandment found in Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder.” In this movie, we saw how a young man brutally murdered a taxi driver.
At first glance, we might say that the taxi driver did not have a say in his outcome. Several people wanted to use his service as a taxi driver. He rejected them and chose to give his service to a young man who would become his murderer. He did have a choice of whom to give service. He made a bad choice. The result of his bad choice was fatal.
While watching his actions of the taxi driver, most people would have a hard connecting with him in anyway. The taxi driver was a cruel and wicked individual who mocked people. However, when he knew he was about to be murdered, he mentioned his wife. To me, that showed that he was concerned about her welfare if he was not around to take care of her. Therefore, he showed some tenderness in his heart, at least towards her.
The young murderer was also a mean individual but had some tenderness for small girls. For example, when he was at the restaurant, he was friendly and playful with the young girls outside the window. Perhaps because they reminded him of his little sister. Also when he was about to die, he was concerned about his mother.
It could be easy for anyone watching the movie to judge the taxi driver and the young man for their evil doing. Even though most of us would never consider killing a person, let’s remember that we all have our own sins. We read in Isaiah 53:6 that “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way…” All of us have committed sin and continue to sin. Therefore, we have all “fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. We all need a Savior.
There is a price to pay for sin. Because of this, many believe in the death penalty. However, others feel differently. They wonder if the state has the right to take an individual’s life as penalty for the sin that an individual has committed.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Greg McCracken- 300
To me, the movie 300 was about how man can make religion weak. In the two examples of religion found in the movie (the Greek halflings and the Persian god), the religion in question was shown to be weak. The Greek halflings on the mountain were told to be senseless and greedy. Even the oracle at the top of the mountain was proved wrong, since she said that Sparta would fall and no such thing happened. (Yes, Sparta lost the battle, but the city of Sparta was not taken over.) The king of Persia considered himself to be a god, but he could not defeat 300 human men with an army of 2 million. Even at the end of the movie, he bled, showing weakness. The movie is not sacreligious by any means, but the movie does bring out a great point about how human beings can really hurt the power of religion.
David Wilder - The Decalogue
Some parts of these shows were very powerful. I thought the movies did a very good job of illistrating the points and reinforcing the ten commandments. It was quite obvious that the father in the first one put his faith in science. And this resulted in the death of his son. The show implies that the father should have taken the existance of hte soul more seriously, because the physical existence wasd much shorter than he realized. It was definately tragic and you felt for him. throughout this show however, I had no idea who the homeless man was. Only after and during the discussion did I come to know that he was a god-figure. Finally, I found the way in which it was told to be interesting. The movie has a sort of ring composition, created by the Aunt watching the child run in the tv clip. In the beginning she sees the clip, and cries. She supposedly remembers the events from the show, including the part where the child is told that all that remains is their movements, how they acted, and the like. Again, the movie resolves with her watching the child in the commercial, watching how the child moves and how the child smiles.
The second one we watched was the fifth. It too was pretty powerful. This show was powerful. It forced you to hate both the murderer and the taxi driver. Both were jerks. The taxi driver could be viewed as even deserving as punishment. However, the film also implies that the death at the hands of another was not that punishment. The murderer stood trial for his horrible deed and was condemned. He was then put to death by hanging. The lawyer was there in this scene. He knew the man was guilty and had done a horrible thing. Nevertheless, he did not think that taking his life in return solved anything or made it better. It's definately something to think about.
The second one we watched was the fifth. It too was pretty powerful. This show was powerful. It forced you to hate both the murderer and the taxi driver. Both were jerks. The taxi driver could be viewed as even deserving as punishment. However, the film also implies that the death at the hands of another was not that punishment. The murderer stood trial for his horrible deed and was condemned. He was then put to death by hanging. The lawyer was there in this scene. He knew the man was guilty and had done a horrible thing. Nevertheless, he did not think that taking his life in return solved anything or made it better. It's definately something to think about.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
David Wilder - 300
While I didn't make it to see 300 on Tuesday, I managed to see it last Saturday. It was very interesting, contained wonderful cinematics, and even some religion. A lot of this religion was the believe in the Greek gods. The city of Sparta didn't want to go to war without the blessing of these gods and sought the advice of the priests and of the priestesses. This was a very important part of the movie, and caused the majority of the city to turn against the King when he saw the need to defend the city. Another reference to religion is that of the King of Persia. He considered himself a god and addressed himself as such countless times. In fact, his elite bodyguards were called Immortals. The Persian prided himself of this so much that the Spartan general vowed to make him bleed and thus know his own mortality. The scene in which this occurred was the climax. A spear grazed the foreign emperor and he was shocked at the sight of his own blood. In the end, it became apparent that the Spartan army succeeded against the Persian onslaught, even without the blessing of their gods. Overall, the role of religion is pushed to the rear in the movie, and the abilities and strength of humans is pushed.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Garrett Dalton-300
The movie 300 is one of the most visually stimulating films I have ever watched. A combination of live action and computer generated models and scenery were used to tell the reproduce the feeling displayed in Frank Miller's comic by the same name. The film focuses on 300 Spartan warriors as they defend their homeland from the invading Persian army. Though both the movie and the comic were based upon true historical events, little actual historical accuracy was represented in the film. However, this was not the point of the movie. 300 was meant to be an action packed film that uses the latest CG animations to show and awesome display. Surprisingly, a portion of this movie reminded me of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. On the surface the two movies are completely different, but both have aspects dealing with fate and free will. King Leonidas consults an oracle to determine whether the Spartans should defend against the invading Persians. The idea of the oracle is based upon the idea of fate. The oracle merely told one what was going to happen in the future, thus making ones fate predetermined. However, King Leonidas ignores the oracles advice and fights anyway even though he has the added advantage of knowing what the future holds in store. Although the oracle is proven right in the end and the Spartans are killed to almost the last man, King Leonidas' actions show that one can make choices that effect one's life.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Querube Barber - Free will versus fate
Do we have free will, or does fate determine our destiny? Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, even though it is a movie, it is also “a parable of existentialism.” Existentialism emphasizes the idea that we, as individuals, make choices. So each individual has the responsibility of shaping his own destiny by the choices he/she makes. These choices will shape who we are. Existentialists take responsibility for all their actions.
The moral of the story presented in this movie relates to us as human beings because it is about choices we make. In this movie, Clementine was afraid of making choices because she was an insecure person. Yet, at the beginning of the movie, it is Clementine who approached Joel at the shore. She chose to talk to him. Then when they are in the train, she chose to sit close to him and talk to him. Joel and Clementine fell in love. But as time progressed, their relationship deteriorated. So, Clementine chose to have all memory of Joel erased. This is heart breaking for Joel because he still loved her. Now it is Joel who chose to go through the same procedure to have his memory of Clementine erased.
In this movie, there are several symbolisms. For example, the doctor is a symbol of a controlling instrument. He tries to change the destiny of these two people. By doing this, the doctor is acting as a controlling god. Another symbol is the sand at the beach which changes all the time just as we change all the time. We can’t remain the same for ever.
While Joel is having his memory erased, he came to the realization that he wanted to make choices, and he still loved Clementine. So he wants to stop the procedure. Did Joel succeed in keeping memories of Clementine? Or, were the memories erased? The two got together again and again. Were they making choices or was it fate?
The moral of the story presented in this movie relates to us as human beings because it is about choices we make. In this movie, Clementine was afraid of making choices because she was an insecure person. Yet, at the beginning of the movie, it is Clementine who approached Joel at the shore. She chose to talk to him. Then when they are in the train, she chose to sit close to him and talk to him. Joel and Clementine fell in love. But as time progressed, their relationship deteriorated. So, Clementine chose to have all memory of Joel erased. This is heart breaking for Joel because he still loved her. Now it is Joel who chose to go through the same procedure to have his memory of Clementine erased.
In this movie, there are several symbolisms. For example, the doctor is a symbol of a controlling instrument. He tries to change the destiny of these two people. By doing this, the doctor is acting as a controlling god. Another symbol is the sand at the beach which changes all the time just as we change all the time. We can’t remain the same for ever.
While Joel is having his memory erased, he came to the realization that he wanted to make choices, and he still loved Clementine. So he wants to stop the procedure. Did Joel succeed in keeping memories of Clementine? Or, were the memories erased? The two got together again and again. Were they making choices or was it fate?
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