Andersson American Curb Stomp

American History X is a film that speaks about the purpose of hate and racism in the world. This film is quite disturbing in parts but is incredibly well made and affects any audience a great deal. One particular scene that haunts me is the scene in which three thugs try and steal Derek’s car. Derek fully displays his rage and hate by shooting two of them and brutally murdering the third by stomping on his head. The third thug is told to put his teeth on the curb, which we see in an extreme close up. Derek then tells the thug to, “Say goodnight!” and stomps on the back of his head. This whole scene is shot in black and white, which adds to the feeling of emotional darkness. The music in the background is built up of dramatic strings. After Derek kills all the thugs, the scene switches to extreme slow motion. We see extreme close ups of both Derek and Danny’s face. The scene is top lit and very dark. Some may say that this scene fuels racial stereotypes. The thugs are all dressed as stereotypical thugs with baggy clothes and bandanas. One of them has short dredlocks, which is a common stereotype for black criminals. I do not believe that this scene’s stereotypes affects the over all anti-racial message of the film.

Andersson Good Night Red Scare

The red-scare of the 1950s, in which Good Night and Good Luck is set, is not all too different from the political situation of 2005. To me, both periods in American history are scarred with government-induced fear. In both cases the American government fabricated a false enemy that did not actually exist in order to manipulate American citizens. The title of “communist” was one of the worst slanders a person could get, when in reality most citizens in America had no idea what Communism was. Joseph Stalin was portrayed as a tyrannical leader who would slaughter anyone in his path to conquer the world. While Joseph Stalin was responsible for many horrific acts of mass murder, most Americans had no idea that their own government had supported Stalin at one time. A similar situation occurred in 2005. Americans were told to fear and loath Saddam Hussein, a leader that had long been supported by the American government. Neither dictator was a huge threat to American well-being, but both went against what the American government wanted. Americans today need to understand that their government, time and time again, has intentionally sparked fear within the country for the sole reason of controlling its people.

Andersson: Saving the Basterds

The films Saving Private Ryan and Inglourious Basterds are both WWII films about American soldiers in France but could not be any more different from each other thematically. Saving Private Ryan follows a group of soldiers sent to find a private who has been ordered to return home because both of his brothers have been killed. Inglourious Basterds follows a group of Jewish soldiers who run around France trying to terrorize Nazis and spark fear within German Soldiers. Patriotism has a great deal to with the themes of both films. The soldiers in Saving Private Ryan are willing to risk their lives for their mission of saving one soldier. The soldiers in Inglourious Basterds are essentially taking out their aggression on Nazi soldiers, committing horribly gruesome acts of torture. I believe that America’s blind patriotism glorifies the Jewish soldiers in Inglourious Basterds as heroes, when in reality they could be viewed as soulless killers. My grandfather was a Nazi soldier against his will. What if he was one of the soldiers killed by these American “heroes.” Imagine all the Germans the Basterds killed. Surely some of them were forced to fight and did not support the Nazi Regime. I believe Inglorious Basterds shows that no matter how horrific Americans act, they will still be portrayed as heroes. Saving Private Ryan deals with the theme of whether or not the life on one soldier is worth several more trying to save him.

Andersson Bartlet's Issues

The pilot episode of, "The West Wing," President Bartlet is faced with a number of pressing issues to deal with. We learn that the president has just sprained his ankle riding a bike, that there are 1,200 Cubans trying to get to America by boat, and that the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Josh Lyman, has gone on television and publicly insulted a popular speaker for the religious right. These are all pressing issues but if I were President Bartlet, my focus would go to Josh Lyman’s out-burst on television. Lyman has caused a huge percentage of people in America to feel angry towards this administration. President Bartlet needs to focus on how to apologize to these conservatives, even though they might not deserve it, so he can move on with the American people on his side. If he ever plans to run for re-election, he must get some of the religious right on his side. Also, Josh Lyman should put out a formal apology to offended viewers and reassure them that his comments were his own and not that of the president. I don’t believe he should be fired but he does need to deal with this uproar. Beyond this issue, the fact that 1,200 Cubans are floating towards America is an important issue. We have a process in America to become an American citizen but the president can’t just send these people home. At the end of the episode, we learn that the majority of these Cubans have either turned around or have gone missing. President Bartlet needs to take in the remaining 200 Cubans and allow them to become working citizens.