"Go tell the majestic sun to keep it's precious rays to itself, we'll teach ourselves to shine, we'll emit our own light" (Mohsin Hamid). Hamid's book "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" was made into a film in 2012. I watched that movie this afternoon and this particular dialogue really moved me. Fundamentalism is essentially a movement manifested with theories. In the book, the protagonist Changhez Khan is a Princeton graduate and works as an associate at a corporate firm in New York. The plot behind the title is beautiful. His boss uses the word "fundamentalist" pretty often, in the sense that this firm is indirectly starting a movement that is changing lives for the better. Also, later in the movie when Chenghez is back in Pakistan (his life fell apart after the 9/11 attacks, he was harassed and even his high income didn't bring him happines anymore) a terrorist leader tells him, "following the fundamentals of the Quran are essential for this struggle". As soon as he hears that word, he realises that this world is never going to change for the better if people all around the globe act like fundamentalists by supporting their own personal theologies. When he comes to this realisation, he leaves the room and decides never to resort to violence.
Here's the link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejxfDqK-kZo
I love this. Makes me think about how so many books turning into movies now are so mediocre. Most have basic, love, sex, adventure plot lines and very few have beautiful dialog and speech like this. It's incredible when a book can get its phrasing and writing into the movie. It makes it that much better.
On valentine’s day I decided to go the movies and when I got there I was utterly shocked by how many people thought of doing the same thing. I went to see the movie “Kingsmen” but everyone else in town went to see the ever so popular “50 Shades of Grey.” I knew how much attention the novel received and but never considered the enormous outcome of the showing. When buying our tickets I overheard our cashier telling someone that every showing had been sold out for the next two days! As we walked in to go to our movie there was a huge line not only to purchase the ticket but there was one just to be seated. I had never seen this long of a line. The line went all the way from the door to the actual room the movie was being played in all the way out into the street. I thought to myself, “how can so many people want to see this movie on the exact day it comes out?” but then I realized how much publicity it has gotten. In the last week I have seen more commercials for this film than any other film. I had seen twitter promotions, instagram posts and vines all dedicated to making sure people knew how to spend their valentines day. I now can really grasp the importance of social media in todays world.
I just finished the show 'Friends' and I couldn't help but think of the effort and difficulty that goes into wrapping up every plot point made in a tv show or movie. The organization needed within a script and production is astounding. This particular show spanned over quite a few years. There was incredible character development, conflict and resolution spanning over a few different seasons, and one steady plot surrounded by subplots that made the show as unique as it is. It's not just 'Friends' that manages this incredible story line. The movie Momento is based around a man with no long term memory. After an accident that killed his wife he can't register any new information, so in search for his wife's killer, he tattoos clues all over his body so he isn't to forget. The movie is broken into a few parts and skips around from past to future. I must admit it is incredibly confusing at first. However that is what's so intriguing about this film. Within the last twenty minutes every plot point that had previously been confusing is explained. It just makes me think about the incredible effort that goes into the entire production of a film or tv show. Before you begin filming you really need to outline everything. Prepare for every shot and know exactly how to explain what you want the audience to understand in the end. It's very impressive.
This is an interesting idea to point out. I also find it interesting how a production company can manage to keep a television show flowing smoothly and effectively to continue to reach out to their fans in a span of a few years. Not only that but even now it is still a popular show, although the production for it has stopped.
This weekend I saw two movies, Kingsman and 50 Shades of Grey. I believe that Kingsman was the better movie, but that is not why I am writing this blog. I am writing this blog because I want to talk about the reactions of the audience who watched 50 Shades of Grey with me. When I sat down with my girlfriend, I noticed that the majority of the audience was between the ages of 18 and 25 and female. I thought that was interesting to note considering that the majority of the people who read the book were middle aged housewives, for the most part. I also thought it was interesting to point out that almost everyone in the auditorium was extremely nervous or tense. I could tell by the way that a lot of people were obnoxiously laughing or through the inflection in some of their voices. I thought it was almost hilarious that people were so nervous to see a movie. I mean, it is something that is considered to be rather taboo, but I still found the audience and their overall demeanor to be rather entertaining, almost more so than the movie itself.
I do not want to sound repetitive but I also want to point something out about recent film that has come out, "50 Shades of Grey." To be honest I was a bit surprised on how dramatically and vividly the film "promoted" domestic violence. How at first they made it seem as if Anastasia was fine with what Christian Grey was doing to her and what he planned to do to her. From a ladies' point of view I think the film (although it was unintentional, hopefully) degraded the social status of women. For instance, her friend Kate met a guy at the club and was caught sleeping with him the next morning when Anastasia walked in the apartment. I find it offensive how Christian Grey was portrayed as the dominant sex by putting a great emphasis on him wanting her to sign the contract, not only that but also by the way he commanded her and instructed her not to do stuff. Such as smoking or drinking. Overall, the film was, in my opinion, distasteful.
I know that this post is late, but once again, I will try to see if it doesn't delete what I write. I recently watched The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, which is one of my favorite movies, and I remembered how they made an American version. I watched it and clearly saw the difference between the two styles. I could see how the American version was really focused on the way everybody looked. It made sure to hire a very good looking Mikael Bloomkvist and a very known actress as Lisbeth. Personally I preferred the foreign version because I felt it was more raw and gritty. It set aside the publicity of it and focused on the quality of the film telling the story as it is in the book. This movie also made me think of another foreign film that was remade in an American version. I don't know if my taste is just bias because I saw the foreign ones first or because it is in fact better than the American version. The thing about both foreign films is that it guides the viewer into figuring out their own interpretations of what is going on, where as the American version stated clearly plots and assumptions. Almost as if American viewers are too lazy to actually think as a film goes, so they need to be told as it goes on. I don't know if this means that I like foreign films better than American, but I would say foreign films are a bit more complex.
"Go tell the majestic sun to keep it's precious rays to itself, we'll teach ourselves to shine, we'll emit our own light" (Mohsin Hamid). Hamid's book "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" was made into a film in 2012. I watched that movie this afternoon and this particular dialogue really moved me.
ReplyDeleteFundamentalism is essentially a movement manifested with theories. In the book, the protagonist Changhez Khan is a Princeton graduate and works as an associate at a corporate firm in New York. The plot behind the title is beautiful. His boss uses the word "fundamentalist" pretty often, in the sense that this firm is indirectly starting a movement that is changing lives for the better. Also, later in the movie when Chenghez is back in Pakistan (his life fell apart after the 9/11 attacks, he was harassed and even his high income didn't bring him happines anymore) a terrorist leader tells him, "following the fundamentals of the Quran are essential for this struggle". As soon as he hears that word, he realises that this world is never going to change for the better if people all around the globe act like fundamentalists by supporting their own personal theologies. When he comes to this realisation, he leaves the room and decides never to resort to violence.
Here's the link to the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejxfDqK-kZo
I love this. Makes me think about how so many books turning into movies now are so mediocre. Most have basic, love, sex, adventure plot lines and very few have beautiful dialog and speech like this. It's incredible when a book can get its phrasing and writing into the movie. It makes it that much better.
DeleteOn valentine’s day I decided to go the movies and when I got there I was utterly shocked by how many people thought of doing the same thing. I went to see the movie “Kingsmen” but everyone else in town went to see the ever so popular “50 Shades of Grey.” I knew how much attention the novel received and but never considered the enormous outcome of the showing. When buying our tickets I overheard our cashier telling someone that every showing had been sold out for the next two days! As we walked in to go to our movie there was a huge line not only to purchase the ticket but there was one just to be seated. I had never seen this long of a line. The line went all the way from the door to the actual room the movie was being played in all the way out into the street. I thought to myself, “how can so many people want to see this movie on the exact day it comes out?” but then I realized how much publicity it has gotten. In the last week I have seen more commercials for this film than any other film. I had seen twitter promotions, instagram posts and vines all dedicated to making sure people knew how to spend their valentines day. I now can really grasp the importance of social media in todays world.
ReplyDeleteI was able to see both of those movies this weekend. I thought that Kingsman, while being less popular of a choice, was the better movie
DeleteI just finished the show 'Friends' and I couldn't help but think of the effort and difficulty that goes into wrapping up every plot point made in a tv show or movie. The organization needed within a script and production is astounding. This particular show spanned over quite a few years. There was incredible character development, conflict and resolution spanning over a few different seasons, and one steady plot surrounded by subplots that made the show as unique as it is. It's not just 'Friends' that manages this incredible story line. The movie Momento is based around a man with no long term memory. After an accident that killed his wife he can't register any new information, so in search for his wife's killer, he tattoos clues all over his body so he isn't to forget. The movie is broken into a few parts and skips around from past to future. I must admit it is incredibly confusing at first. However that is what's so intriguing about this film. Within the last twenty minutes every plot point that had previously been confusing is explained. It just makes me think about the incredible effort that goes into the entire production of a film or tv show. Before you begin filming you really need to outline everything. Prepare for every shot and know exactly how to explain what you want the audience to understand in the end. It's very impressive.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting idea to point out. I also find it interesting how a production company can manage to keep a television show flowing smoothly and effectively to continue to reach out to their fans in a span of a few years. Not only that but even now it is still a popular show, although the production for it has stopped.
DeleteWould you say you prefer television shows to films then?
DeleteThis weekend I saw two movies, Kingsman and 50 Shades of Grey. I believe that Kingsman was the better movie, but that is not why I am writing this blog. I am writing this blog because I want to talk about the reactions of the audience who watched 50 Shades of Grey with me. When I sat down with my girlfriend, I noticed that the majority of the audience was between the ages of 18 and 25 and female. I thought that was interesting to note considering that the majority of the people who read the book were middle aged housewives, for the most part. I also thought it was interesting to point out that almost everyone in the auditorium was extremely nervous or tense. I could tell by the way that a lot of people were obnoxiously laughing or through the inflection in some of their voices. I thought it was almost hilarious that people were so nervous to see a movie. I mean, it is something that is considered to be rather taboo, but I still found the audience and their overall demeanor to be rather entertaining, almost more so than the movie itself.
ReplyDeleteI do not want to sound repetitive but I also want to point something out about recent film that has come out, "50 Shades of Grey." To be honest I was a bit surprised on how dramatically and vividly the film "promoted" domestic violence. How at first they made it seem as if Anastasia was fine with what Christian Grey was doing to her and what he planned to do to her. From a ladies' point of view I think the film (although it was unintentional, hopefully) degraded the social status of women. For instance, her friend Kate met a guy at the club and was caught sleeping with him the next morning when Anastasia walked in the apartment. I find it offensive how Christian Grey was portrayed as the dominant sex by putting a great emphasis on him wanting her to sign the contract, not only that but also by the way he commanded her and instructed her not to do stuff. Such as smoking or drinking. Overall, the film was, in my opinion, distasteful.
ReplyDeleteI know that this post is late, but once again, I will try to see if it doesn't delete what I write.
ReplyDeleteI recently watched The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, which is one of my favorite movies, and I remembered how they made an American version. I watched it and clearly saw the difference between the two styles. I could see how the American version was really focused on the way everybody looked. It made sure to hire a very good looking Mikael Bloomkvist and a very known actress as Lisbeth. Personally I preferred the foreign version because I felt it was more raw and gritty. It set aside the publicity of it and focused on the quality of the film telling the story as it is in the book. This movie also made me think of another foreign film that was remade in an American version. I don't know if my taste is just bias because I saw the foreign ones first or because it is in fact better than the American version. The thing about both foreign films is that it guides the viewer into figuring out their own interpretations of what is going on, where as the American version stated clearly plots and assumptions. Almost as if American viewers are too lazy to actually think as a film goes, so they need to be told as it goes on. I don't know if this means that I like foreign films better than American, but I would say foreign films are a bit more complex.