Music and Pictures (AHA! Blog Post #3)

Today I was thinking about how powerful music can be, as well as images.  I was thinking about the power and emotion behind them when they are put together as well.  Seeing a picture of something, or hearing emotional or motivating music can be one thing, but putting them together makes a new kind of art form.  I think of the Olympics when I think of this because of the inspiring pictures of athletes paired with motivating music.  They have the “never give up” feeling to them. 

                              

                I also think of the commercials where they want you to sponsor a child.  They put sad pictures with sad music together to create an emotional response from the viewer.  Also, the commercials for the humane society are the same.  They create an emotional response.  Personally I think this is a great way to make people really think about what is being shown to them.  Although it’s kind of a “trick,” it’s a good trick.  It’s a way to show the emotion behind the stories being shown and give them recognition. 

Below are links to three YouTube videos that have emotion evoking pictures/music paired together:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9fDpfsorcw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gspElv1yvc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRVlSAetqq8

Crash

1. What do you feel is the message the director is trying to express in this movie?  Support your answer with examples.

I believe that the message that the director is trying to express is the problems with the “single story.”  We have stereotypes of people, and it effects how we treat certain groups of people.  I also think the director wanted to show how we live lives so closely related, yet we don’t know much about each other; when we “crash” into each other, it can cause issues but we can learn things that we were blind to before.

2. If applicable, discuss if you think this movie has accurate depictions of minorities or if they are situational? Why or why not?

I think that some things in the movie are situational, but a lot of the things are accurate.  One thing that is accurate is the feelings the different races have towards each other.  Another thing that is accurate is the stereotypes that are put on certain groups of people.  When the “good cop” at the end of the movie shoots and kills the black guy, I believe that was situational.  I don’t think it comes down to physical violence the majority of the time.  However, I do think that a white man with a black guy in his car may have a guard up and be nervous around them.  I do think every one of these things in this movie have probably happened in one way or another. 

3. Explain if you think the director’s ethnic/cultural/professional background played a role in directing this film?

I think that the director has had to have studied and been around a lot of different people.  I don’t know if his background played a role, however it wouldn’t surprise me if they have had similar situations happen to him.  He clearly understands the unfairness surrounded with stereotyping people and felt it was necessary to show the harm and damage that it can do. 

4. What groups (people of color, nationality, culture, class,gender etc.) may be offended or misinterpret this movie and why?

Any “group” portrayed in this movie could look at it in a bad light.  They are all shown stereotyping at one point or another.  Black people may be offended because the two main black guys steal cars.  White people may be offended because think come off in this movie as “thinking they are better than others.” Cops could be offended because they are portrayed as bad guys at certain points in the movie.  I think any race/culture/ethnicity/gender/nationality/class could be offended with this movie, but if they really look at the message that the director is trying to show us I don’t think they will be. 

5. What the movie added to your visual literacy?

I have watched this movie many times in the past, and I’ve always enjoyed the message that it sent.  I think that putting together such as great story and showing situations that could/do happen in real life effects the way I think about stereotyping much more than just discussing it.  Seeing situations happen in front of me lets myself in the characters mind more and helps be better understand my own stereotypes and the “single stories” I may have. 

6. What kind of artistic and/or visual means did the director use in the movie to focus our attention?

There was“darkness” to this movie that I noticed throughout the whole thing.  The lighting made the movie appear more serious, and give us a sense that there was something serious happening.  I also noticed that a lot of the times, the characters were shown “straight on” and not from any angle that may suggest one thing or another.  I may be making an assumption, but I believe this may have been to show everyone as equal throughout the entire movie, and to show each character as an individual. 

http://www.contactmusic.com/movie-review/crash2004

http://www.ahashare.com/torrents-details.php?id=121324

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews17/crash_dvd_review.htm

Thank You for Smoking

1. What do you feel is the message the director is trying to express in this movie?  Support your answer with examples.

I liked the quote "Michael Jordan plays ball. Charles Manson kills people. I talk. Everyone has a talent” because it sums up the movie for me.  The main character is great at debate and has made a career of it.  The message expressed in this movie is that everyone looks out for themselves in some sort of way.  Being a lobbyist for the tobacco companies has done Naylor good, while it has hurt others.  It’s a tug of war between good and evil in this movie.  It really gets you to think about the purpose of the tobacco companies and other companies that make money from something potentially harmful to others.  

 

http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/thank-you-for-smoking/2000

2. If applicable, discuss if you think this movie has accurate depictions of minorities or if they are situational? Why or why not?

I could see the smokers as minorities.  They are an accurate depiction of someone who are often taken advantage of through media and other sources that are trying to sell cigarettes as a non-harmful product.  Naylor and others that are lobbying for tobacco could also be seen as minorities because there are a lot of people against their ideas and views, such as when Naylor received threats. 

3. Explain if you think the director’s ethnic/cultural/professional background played a role in directing this film?

There is defiantly a cultural background that influenced this movie.  In our culture we see advertisements that are persuasive and often manipulative.  This movie shows the different angles you can look at this problem.  This director may have been directly influenced by tobacco companies or seen it done throughout their life.

4. What groups (people of color, nationality, culture, class,gender etc.) may be offended or misinterpret this movie and why?

Tobacco companies may be offended by the way they are portrayed.  The main character seems to make them seem “evil” and “heartless” in some instances.  Also people who are affected by tobacco may be offended by this movie.  I don’t see any class, gender, color, or nationality in particular being offended by this. 

5. What the movie added to your visual literacy?

This movie shows the effect that movies, and advertising can have on selling a product.  There are people who are very talented at making something that may be viewed as negative, seem very positive.  It’s a battle between what is good advertising and what can make our society have views that may be altered by these people and their ability to show a different side to such a harmful thing. 

6. What kind of artistic and/or visual means did the director use in the movie to focus our attention?

The cover was a great visual and it really made me interested in the movie.  I have always had a view that tobacco was a bad thing, so it made me wonder how the director could make turn it around and put it into a positive light.  

 

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427944/