1. As we watch progress through the film, "The Hurt Locker", how is the idea of realism being used for this movie? What kind of effects do you think this has on viewers?
As we watched the movie, we are presented with scenes that some say are very similar to true events in the war. The film does not sugar coat things but shows more truth than fiction. I do not believe we realize just what our nation's soldiers encounter and because this film's realistic scenes, we are able to imagine, to an extent, what it is like. Because of the film's showing of the brutal outcomes of war, us viewers gain more patriotism and feel more support for our nations' protectors. As I watched the film, I gained more patriotism but i also gained more hate towards the terrorist that have cause thousands of deaths over the past years. Seeing surprised attacks and people being filled with fears, I felt useless. We say we support our troops yet we continue to complain that our coffee is too cold or our food was not prepared right. We should feel ashamed for such complaints when our soldiers actually have something to complain about. Former soldiers of this war that have watched this film probably become overwhelmed with sadness having to remember those conditions they had endured.
2. What do you think your biggest take away is from this class? What would be a suggestion to make the class better for next year?
I believe the greatest take away is the knowing how inaccurate Hollywood films can be in terms of historical events. It is amazing to see how Hollywood filmmakers change history to follow a more interesting story line that the viewers will enjoy. I would suggest focusing more on the history of films and less on how films are created. I felt that learning about the art of film making was more suited for an actual film art class not a history film class. Don't get me wrong, I do believe being educated on the evolution of film was important in the class but the information of point of view, camera positioning, types of documentaries, etc. was irrelevant.
Cole, I love some of the comparisons you made in your first question. When you said, " We say we support our troops yet we continue to complain that our coffee is too cold or our food was not prepared right.", I completely agreed with you. We don't realize what we have here and what the soldiers that are fighting in the war don't have. I'm sure for many of them this movie does bring back memories that none of us can even imagine. I also agree with what you said in the second question. The stuff we learned in the beginning would be more geared towards a film class rather than a history through film class. However, maybe if this class is a full year next year, one semester can be focused on the art of films and the other on history.
ReplyDeleteCole, I like how you say you have gained more patriotism. In this blog, I think you make people realize that we really don't have a reason to complain when the people who protect us go through everything they do. Like you said, this movie does show what life is really like for a soldier and that we should not complain when they don't even complain. I think knowing the inaccuracy of Hollywood films is a good take away, but I do think the reading part was essential because now we can realize that filming isn't as easy as it seems to be.
ReplyDeleteGreat Blog! I really liked how you said that watching the movie caused you to feel patriotic. I feel like we take for granted our freedom and don't appreciate those people who work so hard to protect our country. The amount of work and dedication that they put into their job is very humbling. I was well was shocked by how much that Hollywood alters the story line of films and puts their own twist on things. I agree that the class should focus more on the film itself and less on the details of producing it.
ReplyDeleteI really like your answer to the first question. It's true that the people who aren't over fighting for out country are the ones complaining about simple things. That's very accurate in my eyes because I believe the same thing is happening.
ReplyDeleteCole, you are completely right with how you answered your first question! We take things for granted and will never truly understand what it is like to live differently than we do now. We should be ashamed of ourselves for complaining about stuff we can fix ourselves instead of worrying about the hardships others have to face that are way worse than what we face.
ReplyDeleteThe way you talked about how we complain about such small, useless things everyday is a very true statement. Soldiers deal with way more difficult problems everyday to keep us safe. Some people need to realize what these soldiers do for us an appreciate them more.
ReplyDeleteCole, I agree that we do complain about some stupid stuff. I think that we just need to enjoy the little things in life and learn to be grateful for what we do have. If we only think about the things we don't have how can we ever be happy. I think we as a people need to be thankful for what we have every day, because we never know when it could be gone.
ReplyDeleteCole, I agree that we gain patriotism for our country and hate for terrorist when we watch movies like this. I do notice how people complain about unimportant things when people, like soldiers, have things to complain about that are much more important and even then may not complain about it. It definitely shows strength, unpretentiousness, and being unspoiled.
ReplyDeleteCole I completely empathize with your answer to question 1. I believe that we as Americans have no idea what our soldiers across seas are feeling, and honestly I think the reason so many go back is because no can understand what they have went through throughout their time across seas.
ReplyDeleteI like how you point out the fears these guys and women over came on a daily basis. i also like your comment on how ungrateful Americans are about these soldiers. How we complain about simple things that don't matter when they are risking there lives. Its something I never really think about. I also strongly agree with your comment about how inaccurate Hollywood tends to portray events through film. Its something i never thought of before this class.
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