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.

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.

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.

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?

Querube Barber - Bridge to Terabithia

Do you believe in myth and fantasy? Do you have the ability to create magical places in your mind? Children often can do this. An example of this can be found in the movie Bridge to Terabithia.


Bridge to Terabithia was a fun movie to watch, and I really enjoyed watching it. Bridge to Terabithia is a movie about a boy and a girl. The boy, Jesse, lives with his family in an old house. They are poor. The girl, Leslie, and her parents moved in next door to the Jesse’s family. She becomes the “new kid” in school. Leslie’s parents are writers and are well off. They have a happy family. Jesse, on the other hand, does not. His family lacks the happiness and contentment that Leslie’s family has.


At the beginning of the movie, Jesse and Leslie don’t have any friends at school. While Jesse is quite, reserve and almost shy, Leslie knows how to stand up for herself. Leslie befriends Jesse. The two children seem to get strength from each other in order to face the challenges at school.


The two kids find a spot in the woods near their homes and call it their place. Leslie names that place “Terabithia.” In this part of the movie, the producer makes great use of fantasy and myth. Leslie has a great capability to imagine things. Jesse thinks she got it from her parents since they are writers. Leslie’s imagination allows her to create in her mind magic creatures out of the animals that are in the wood and giants out of trees. When Leslie tells Jesse what she sees in Terabithia, Jesse calls her a liar. She tells him that she is not lying but imagining. This reminds me of the movie “Big Fish.”


Leslie tells Jesse, “open your mind” so that he could also see all the fantastic things she sees. As soon as Jesse does, he starts “seeing” all the “magical creatures” Leslie sees in the wood. In Terabithia, Leslie is the queen, and Jesse is the king.


Jesse likes to draw and is very good at it. One day, the music teacher invites him to the museum. When Jesse comes back, he finds out that his friend, Leslie, had died. At first, he refused to believe it and has a difficult time dealing with the death of his best friend. He looks for refuge in Terabithia. At the end of the movie, Jesse takes his little sister to Terabithia and makes her a princess there describes for her all the “magical creatures” that are in Terabithia. His little sister, of course, can’t see them. So, Jesse tells her, “open your mind.” As soon as she does, she also starts “seeing” all the “magical creatures” and the giants.

300 will mccabe

The director of 300, Zack Snyder has created a great film full of visual sensations, and testosterone filled battle scenes. This film is unlike anything I have ever seen. It combines old mythmaking with modern cinematography techniques. He uses a common 35mm film camera to capture all the light and contrast. But there’s more he shoots a lot of the film in slow motion, this amplifies each blow from the Spartans, making my jaw drop at the action. Slow motion may be harder for the actors and cameramen because everything must flow, however this was not an issue in 300. A scene I like is with horsemen coming up over a ridge, you see there feet gallop in slow motion, and zoom out to the riders in front of a bright sky, full of clouds and an intense sun, and a vivid mountainous landscape in the background. One more scene that I thought was unique was the scene with the Spartans looking over the cliff at the Persian ships being tossed about during the storm. It is like it is a comic strip or a Greek painting on a wall, very artistic and clever.

Garrett Dalton-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Are our lives predetermined or do we have the ability to effect the outcome of our lives? The film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, seems to show that both are possible. A person can make choices and at other times have no control over the events in their life. The film is a great love story on the surface focusing on the relationship between the lead characters Joel and Clementine that begins well, but ends in breakup. Unable to cope with the memory of the relationship, the two characters visit Lacuna Inc. to have their memories erased. During the procedure to relieve Joel of his memories of Clementine, Joel comes to the realization that he is truly happy when he is with Clementine and he attempts to prevent the procedure's success. It is from these two events that the movies seems to show Joel's ability to make his own choices to effect his life. Joel saw a problem and tried to make a change. Ultimately, the memory of Clementine is lost. However, not soon after Joel encounters Clementine on a train and the two fall in love all over again. Despite having their memories of the past relationship erased, the two onces again seem to strike a connection and fall in love. This seems to show that their lives were driven as much by fate as they were by choice. Joel and Clementine's relationship was predetermined and no choices Joel could have made would have changed anything.

Garrett Dalton-The Jacket

The Jacket was, in this viewer's opinion, one of the most fulfilling films shown in class thus far. Though neglected by the public at large, the film contained not only a fantastic mystery/suspense feel but also had an intrinsic value found by those that looked hard enough. Jack Starks, played by Adrian Brody, is a Gulf War veteran turned drifter after his return home after suffering a severe head injury. Starks is quickly caught up in a homicide after hitching a ride with a felon, which lands him in a mental institution. Starks is there the victim of secret experimentation by the staff of the asylum. Tied up and imprisoned in a confined space, Starks discovers his ability to transport himself to the future. It is in the future that Starks falls in love with Jackie, whom he met years ago, and learns of his eminent death at the asylum. Starks takes it upon himself to not only discover the cause of his death, but to change Jackie's life for the better. The average movie goer may see this as a sci-fi twist, but the movie contains several religious ties. Siberian shamans were said to have the ability to transcend the normal plain of existence while undergoing extreme stress in order to help others within the tribe. Starks could also be seen as a Christ figure. In the movie he is born on December 25 and undergoes suffering in order to help others. In the end, that suffering would ultimately cost Starks his life, however this again is a parallel to Christ. Starks sacrifices himself in order to make a better life for the one he loves.

David Wilder - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

This was actually the second time I've seen this movie. In all actuality, the first time I saw it I didn't enjoy it very much, neither did I pick up on many of the existential points made in it. However, this time I understood more of it and grasped the plot better, and I didn't mind it so much. Fate vs free will certainly seemed to be at each other's throats throughout the whole movie. It was difficult to pull the two together at times in fact. Joel and Clem had their relationship and it turned sour. They erased the other from their memories, met, and started a relationship. Within the movie, the doctors represent fate, a controlling aspect. They make sure things go as expected, as they've been planned out, and according to the map. However, despite their influence, the patients still try to hold onto their connections from their previous lives. Joel and Clem reunite. Even Mary, who had her love for the doctor erased, fell in love with him again. But is this true free will? Surely she isn't following the fate the doctors had planned for her. The final scene of the movie was incredibly powerful for me. Joel and Clem walk across the snow filled beach. The snow could represent a purity, a new start, clean slate. However, my point is in the reoccurrence of the scene. After the two pass out of sight, the scene restarts and they once again cross the beach. It implies to me that the two grow tired of each other, have each other erased, and for a third time begin a relationship, hence the "eternal" sunshine. But if they continue in this supposedly chosen loop of circumstance, aren't they still fated? They are fated to remain in this constant unfullfilling cycle. They will forget and meet, forget and meet, without escape and without a doubt. Their actions and fate appear to be sealed. Just like how Mary will continue to fall in love with the doctor. She's fated to.

Jeff Pfeiffer -- free blog

"This is as much as to say that religious man can live only in a sacred world, because it is only in such a world that he participates in being, that he has a real existence. This religous need expresses an unquenchable ontological thrist. Religious man thirsts for being. His terror of the chaos that surrounds his inhabited world corresponds to his terror of nothingness. The unknown space that extends beyond his world -- an uncosmicized because unconsecrated space, a mere amorphous extentinto which no orientation has yet been projected, and hence in which no structure has yet arisen -- forreligious man, this profane space represents absolute nonbeing. If, by some evil chance, he strays into it, he feels emptied of his ontic substance, as if he were dissolving in Chaos, and he finally dies."


The scene that struck me the most in the movie the Seven Seal, was when Block entered a confessional in a Catholic church and cried out for knowledge that God was real, for proof that God was all that he had ever dreamed of the sacred to be. He cries out to be assured, to be given proof of God. He could no longer bear to live on faith alone. The mystery of God or the ‘mysterium’ as Otto refers to it in Ideas of the Holy, was too much for Block to handle. He lives for nothing else but to ‘know’ that God is real.
An interesting addition to the scene was the fact that on the other side of the confessional was not a priest it was Death, who would later use Block’s weakness against him. The scene was a perfect representation of a dark time in my own life, when the world I built around me could no longer be held by faith alone. I felt I needed more, I needed to KNOW that I was living in reality and not a world of illusion. It was the hardest time in my life. I cried out in the same way as Block did. I felt that no one was listening or even worse my enemies were listening and using my doubts against me.
What is it about humans that we will search our entire lives to touch sometime that God has touch, to come in contact with something sacred or even the sacred itself? The Bible states it as having eternity written on our hearts. Why does the mystery of God scare us so much?