It's a transfer of power, one that has been in the works for months (if not years) now, and dodged three times before this day. Yemen's President and leader of 33 years, Ali Abdullah Saleh, has succumbed to the subject of protests lasting ten months: he has signed a formal agreement to step down from power and yield his title to current Vice President Abd Rabu Mansur Hadi, which will lead its way into an election process.
There's a catch, of course, because it couldn't be perfect or seamless: Saleh is guaranteed a 'Get Out of Jail Free' card, otherwise known as immunity from prosecution following the change in power. This doesn't seem to settle well with the public, and as author J. Dana Stuster notes the Yemeni Revolution is far from its ending chapter. In fact, this is only the beginning towards a supposed better future for the country.
Stuster, without being patronizing and pushy to her readers, is informative and catches the audience up to speed on the conflicts that have been building in the Middle Eastern country so as to give the events covered in the article a good context. This strategy was especially helpful to me while reading, as I had followed Libya and Egypt as they went through their revolts and transitions, but I haven't been following many news stories lately due to a lack of time management.
The whole world watched as Egypt overthrew their government, and as Libya became a battleground plagued with death and riots-- and for the most part, regions of the two countries still are. While war between the countries isn't going to break out, the events remind me of the 'powder keg' idea behind what sparked World War I. The Black Hand has Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand assassinated and the next thing you know, all of Europe is in an all-out war. In this case, however, it seems as if countries in the Middle East and surrounding areas are starting to revolt one by one, inspired by the progress other nations have made in hopes to better their country for future generations. While I'm definately not an expert on the subject, I can still say that it's a bloody road these nations are choosing to follow. However, change is never easy; no one ever said it was peaceful.
They (or rather, Jimi Hendrix) say that when the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. Too many souls on this Earth, it seems, are hell bent on gaining power and control for this ideal to be realized. Some people may say that the rebels are barbaric in their ways following revolts. But take a step back, and realize the situation these people are being faced with. Also, remember this, America: We're a first world nation that has it far better off than these countries. Who are we to judge those who are merely fighting for what we believe in? Wind the clock back a bit. While the scenery and situations are parallel, we were wearing a similar pair of shoes two hundred years ago ourselves.
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/11/dictator-pledges-to-step-down-but-yemens-crisis-is-not-over/249052/
Published 24 Nov. 2011.
Term Two, Week Two. (Nov. 20-26, 2011) Post Two.
Showing posts with label Week Two. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week Two. Show all posts
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Director of 'The Artist' on How to Make a Modern Silent Film
The idea of silence in a movie theatre is virtually unrealistic. Many people can attest to the fact that often when enjoying a film at the movies today, you can hear another action or adventure flick playing in the theatre next to yours-- and, you can hear the cacophony of crashes and explosions that are common in just about every movie these days. But for Michel Hazanavicius, this idea isn't so much a pipe dream, as he's made it a reality.
Save for the responses and reaction of laughter and the like from audiences, Hazanavicius's The Artist is a contemporary black and white film. It tells the story of a director who blossoms the career of an actress in silent films, and when sound comes into the picture, she advances in her fame and popularity-- all while the director is stuck in the past, unable to forget the ways of soundless cinema. The actress, however, still knows she owes her career to the director for giving her her big break. Oh, and the entire film in silent.
You've probably heard of it, or maybe not. Depending on how often you watch the news, you may or may not have seen a report on it. I know I have, as that's why this article appealed to me. I'm personally interested in directing, because although I wish to be a writer, I often envision what a film version of my stories would look like so I can accurately describe everything essential to a scene, without going overboard and overloading my readers.
Most of the article comprises of an interview with Hazanavicius, who admits to author Robert Levine that a foreign director making a foreign movie could never dream of being a buzz for a foreign awards show. But still, The Artist is an American movie, having its premier in both New York and Los Angeles theaters. And it's true-- the modern day silent film has been granted quite the deal of Oscar buzz for its unique characteristics, compared to the newest addition to the family of never-ending movies made from toys and games *coughcoughTransformersandBattleshipcoughcough* Sorry, frog in my throat...
But what do movies have anything to do with the study of rhetoric and language for an AP English course? In my opinion, any media of storytelling relates to English. This particular piece is void of language, whether it would have been english, french, italian, or otherwise-- making the work have a seamless transition between cultures and audiences across the globe. While I've yet to be able to see the film myself, I look forward to when I can. The silent film, in my opinion, is much like the opposite of a book. In a book, we are given the words, but not the pictures or sounds to go with it. In the silent film, the audiences has the picture-- but no color or sounds or words. If you actively watch a movie such as this, your creativity comes alive. Only you can decide how their voice is, if they say a certain word funny, what word the character is saying. It's an idea I find highly attractive; if only more directors saw the world of cinema through at least the glasses Hazanavicius wears.
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/11/the-director-of-the-artist-on-how-to-make-a-modern-silent-film/248878/
Published 22 Nov. 2011.
Term Two, Week Two. (Nov. 20-26, 2011) Post One.
Save for the responses and reaction of laughter and the like from audiences, Hazanavicius's The Artist is a contemporary black and white film. It tells the story of a director who blossoms the career of an actress in silent films, and when sound comes into the picture, she advances in her fame and popularity-- all while the director is stuck in the past, unable to forget the ways of soundless cinema. The actress, however, still knows she owes her career to the director for giving her her big break. Oh, and the entire film in silent.
You've probably heard of it, or maybe not. Depending on how often you watch the news, you may or may not have seen a report on it. I know I have, as that's why this article appealed to me. I'm personally interested in directing, because although I wish to be a writer, I often envision what a film version of my stories would look like so I can accurately describe everything essential to a scene, without going overboard and overloading my readers.
Most of the article comprises of an interview with Hazanavicius, who admits to author Robert Levine that a foreign director making a foreign movie could never dream of being a buzz for a foreign awards show. But still, The Artist is an American movie, having its premier in both New York and Los Angeles theaters. And it's true-- the modern day silent film has been granted quite the deal of Oscar buzz for its unique characteristics, compared to the newest addition to the family of never-ending movies made from toys and games *coughcoughTransformersandBattleshipcoughcough* Sorry, frog in my throat...
But what do movies have anything to do with the study of rhetoric and language for an AP English course? In my opinion, any media of storytelling relates to English. This particular piece is void of language, whether it would have been english, french, italian, or otherwise-- making the work have a seamless transition between cultures and audiences across the globe. While I've yet to be able to see the film myself, I look forward to when I can. The silent film, in my opinion, is much like the opposite of a book. In a book, we are given the words, but not the pictures or sounds to go with it. In the silent film, the audiences has the picture-- but no color or sounds or words. If you actively watch a movie such as this, your creativity comes alive. Only you can decide how their voice is, if they say a certain word funny, what word the character is saying. It's an idea I find highly attractive; if only more directors saw the world of cinema through at least the glasses Hazanavicius wears.
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/11/the-director-of-the-artist-on-how-to-make-a-modern-silent-film/248878/
Published 22 Nov. 2011.
Term Two, Week Two. (Nov. 20-26, 2011) Post One.
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