Mississippi Burning

Following a report on 3 missing persons, special agent Ward and Mr. Anderson arrive to the small town of Mississippi to carry out an investigation. The first scene of the movie had already revealed that it was the doing of the Deputy Sheriff, and other officers but it was interesting to watch how they dealt with the press, how they denied any suspicion towards them and how they still proceeded with their cruel deeds despite the presence of two influential figures. Ward came across to me as the kind of agent that did everything by the book, followed a systematic approach, and took the law very seriously. This was proven by the way he would react to Anderson's assertive, hostile and street-savvy methods to acquire information. Although Anderson had numerously pleaded Ward to pack up and leave the town, for he believed no positive outcome would derive from the investigation, Ward's intuition, suspicion and determination only propelled him further to solve the mystery (eg. frenzied and angry townsmen, sheriff's department officers and the council regarding the uncontrollable press , how the hostility towards the blacks doubled since the interference of Ward and Anderson) regardless of how bad situations were getting.

After a series of unfortunate events, namely, the attack of Pell's wife by Pell himself, Ward surrendered the the situation to Anderson and agreed to carry out matters his way. So why abandon all rules and succumb to coercion and  illegal methods to finish the job? It seemed as if they were guided by something on a more personal level. Perhaps the consequences that derived from Pell's wife and Anderson's rendezvous was the last straw and Ward knew that if he didn't agree to let Anderson take matters into his own hands, Anderson's one-man-show would create an even bigger mess. But could their actions be justified? In this case, fighting fire with fire yielded victory for the most part. But maybe in the real world, this might not always be the case.

I liked what Pell's wife said in one of her passing statements about hatred. That it is taught and if you tell it enough times, you grow up believing it. Some of the experiences I have had and witnessed confirms the idea of brain-washing and the teaching of blind hate. It baffles me though, how some people from the same environment are able to seek the truth and question the belief system, whereas some end up just like their teachers.

So why racism? What had the blacks done so wrong to deserve such treatment? Why were they hauled all the way from their motherland, treated as slaves, then later frowned upon for merely being citizens of the population that mistreated them in the first place? How can the constitution brag about freedom for all when blacks were not given the same rights? In the movie, it was mentioned that if the blacks were to be cut, they would shed blood of the same color as the whites. It gave me the notion that in that era, time and place, the blacks were viewed as severely flawed human beings and an error in creation (religiously).

Many theories will explain how the superiority complex plays a role, how the detection of threat can spark such behavior, how the battle for resources is the primary reason behind conflict between in-groups and out-groups, and how anesthetic and biological qualities come to play. But in the movie, the blacks seemed oppressed and voiceless. Why was there still a need to further discriminate, attack and murder? When the press interviewed some of the townsmen, even the "justifications" they provided seemed like it was plucked out of thin air, and contained no sound and concrete rationale. Merely stating that one is deserving for what has come after them is in no way moral and seriously lacks premise. I suppose this is where education and exposure comes into play. If one were to be born and bred in the same place, especially a small town where collectivism is imperative to survival, and there is a lack of exposure to what lies outside familiarity, even the littlest bit of differentiation and distinction among people can be so very apparent. Perhaps that is how segregation became what it was in the movie.

It was horrifying how the leader of the KKK during a press interview stated that they stand against everything and everyone who do not share the same beliefs as them; the Jews, Orientals, the Muslims, the blacks and so on and so forth. It sounded more like "We sort to demolish all who are not us" to me.That was exactly how Hitler thought and taught, and 6 million people met their demise. People cannot choose their family, their race and skin color. But what they can do is be tolerant of one another and respect diversity.

Like Santayana once said, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. 

Forget Paris

Frankly, this movie was not memorable at all. In fact, compared to all the other movies shown in class, I had forgotten most of the scenes while driving home. Once I had reached, it was completely flushed out of my system. I suppose I found the story very predictable and the acting rather cliche (exaggerated emotions ect). The main character, Mickey had a very child-like sense of humor and innocence about him which made me wonder why the somewhat strong and ambitious Ellen found him attractive in the first place. In my opinion, they were a bad match from the beginning. Sure, it was all fun and games and laughter and romance in the city of love in the beginning. But what was Mickey expecting? A happily ever after in Neverland? Every romantic escapade must come to an end. Thats when life together really begins.

Even as a viewer, their relationship was exhausting to watch. Although both were undeniably stubborn about their views of the ideal relationship, I found Ellen a little more sacrificing compared to Mickey. I mean, she left her job in France to start something completely new and out of her comfort zone only to find herself jobless and alone most of the days. I felt she had every right to feel the way she did. What difference would it had made if she was still in France? Eventually Mickey gave in and took a break from his job but that made him the miserable one. He began to feel desperately unhappy when their free time clashed and he began to see less and less of Ellen.

I never really quite comprehended why he felt he had every right to express his dissatisfaction about his loneliness, when Ellen, once in that position, was viewed as petty and unreasonable? Things got heated up when her father came to live with them. And that too got me wondering. Why was it so unbearable in the first place? He was a sick, old man for goodness sake. Perhaps of Mickey's relationship (or lack of) with his father contributed to his lack of understanding towards the matter. Then came the baby-making problems, which only added salt to injury upon their already foundation-less relationship. Many goodbye's and tears later, they suddenly reunite and join their friends at the restaurant. The only time where Mickey gets epiphanies about his fondness towards Ellen is during games for some reason. And when she's millions of miles away. Like they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder. But not stronger.

My guess? They'd probably broken up 2 weeks after the last scene.

Whale Rider

This movie sparked my interest immensely. The characters were each distinct from one another, all carrying different perspectives about their culture, and somehow colliding with one another to create that edge and conflict that the film represents and aims to explore. Tragically, the only heir, or 'prophet' to carry on the traditions of the Maori dies, leaving behind his twin sister, Paikea. The traditionalist and possibly the only individual still concerned about the culture's future, Koro, was from time to time disappointed from all the setbacks he had to endure : death of grandson, his eldest son's refusal to assume leadership and Pai's refusal to withdraw from the idea that she could lead, which according to tradition, is severely unacceptable.

Koro I would say, possesses strong and impenetrable views on what is right and wrong, a somehow conservative perspective about the traditions and culture of the Maori people. One could not fault with that trait, as it is rather admirable to be so headstrong and determined, even when it was so evident how the people of his village hardly shared the same beliefs, namely his eldest son.

Porourangi, despite his father's wishes, broke away from customs and made his mark as an artist, and settled down with a girlfriend. All hell breaks loose after the slideshow where Koro displays his dissatisfaction to his son, and later lets out that Pai is of no use to him. I suppose years and years of resentment and bitterness lead to that final outburst, and even more now that Porourangi's girlfriend was pregnant; it meant that he was drifting further and further away from Koro's ideals. I would say that Koro's conflicts were mainly with himself. No matter how evident it was that Pai was the only child in the village who possessed the qualities he desired, and how well she was able to carry out the tasks and practices meant for the boys of the village (eg. finding the whale tooth), he considered her actions and capabilities as unworthy and a curse to the success of his training. I cannot help but think that his depression and bitterness resorted from his own rigid mindset, unrealistic expectations and his unwillingness to reconcile with his beloved granddaughter. 

Pai, I would say, possesses a mystical demeanor. Only 12 years of age, she is portrayed to be wiser than her years, and is gifted in matters of empathy, discipline and compassion. Throughout the entire show, she never once came across as a regular child with not a care in the world. Instead, she often carried a weary and wounded expression, as i believe, is the result of immense helplessness in dealing with the entire situation, namely, the disappointment of her grandfather. I would say that she possesses an old soul. Even as such a tender age, she is able to display such a deep understanding of her grandfather's emotions and her surroundings.Furthermore, she seemed as if she was one with the culture, as their religious and spiritual beliefs applied so naturally to her. I would predict that her source of inner conflict derived from the fact that she could not go all out in worshiping the holy ancestors, the way men could. Through the lenses of this little girl, leadership should be taught to all, so all may thrive in the knowledge and make for a better tomorrow. That to me, was very well said, and if I may say-spoken like a true leader. Secondly, she was very upset with the way Koro was treating and regarding her. The scene where Porourangi and Pai were seated on the dock after the slideshow incident made it clearer to me just how very opposite they are; Pai's heart lied with the culture and gaining the acceptance of Koro was of high importance, but she understood how she could never be given the opportunity express her true desires (conflict), and Porourangi who has the position of leadership on a silver platter, wanted nothing more than to flee from it (conflict).

I wouldn't say that Pai rode the whale into the sea. I think it was all just a matter of great timing that the whale decided to head back. But perhaps to the Maori people and Koro, it could be interpreted as symbolic to their beliefs of their ancestral legends, which I think what this film is mostly about.Nevertheless, I couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed with Koro. It took him the near death of his granddaughter to finally wake him up from his spell and to finally accept her with positive regard. It made me wonder about Koro's values; how was it possible to cut off from one's own flesh and blood, all in the name of tradition and customs? Was it fair to cast off Paikea merely because she wanted to be a part of something larger than life? I felt that it contradicted Koro's belief system and actions in trying to unite the people of Maori toward one goal, when he himself could not accept certain notions. Secretly, I wish the film ended with her riding into the sea, right after she said 'I am not afraid to die'. That could have provided for a more mystical and left-up-to-own-interpretation ending for the viewers. Besides, the look on Koro's face while she was drifting further and further away from the shore was priceless.