This article analyzes the narrative of the film Love Letter based on Vladimir Propp’s character function theory, and explores how the main characters overcome the bondage of their past memories through letters to each other and return to their daily lives. Introduction We’re often asked questions like this in our lives. “What’s your favorite movie?” It’s a...
Michael Moore’s films critique the structural contradictions of American capitalism, highlighting issues of poverty and labor. Rather than denying capitalism itself, he argues that we should use democracy to correct its negative aspects and move toward a better capitalism. I have a favorite filmmaker. He was very influential in changing the healthcare system in the United States...
Unlike loud cries, the sisters’ whispers in the movie delicately express their pent-up fears and feelings of alienation, and serve as a powerful medium for sharing their deepest feelings with each other. We usually think that suppressing our inner voice and repeating ourselves in whispers is bad for problem solving and mental health, but in movies, shouting is often represented by...
The Act of Killing examines the 1965 Indonesian coup d’état from the perspective of the perpetrators, who are hailed as heroes for the massacres they led in the name of anti-communism. The film sharply exposes the violence of social structures and power, and asks what lessons we can learn from it. During the 1965 coup in Indonesia, the military secretly killed more than one million...
The movie GATTACA sheds light on the benefits and risks of genetic manipulation and raises concerns about the possibility of an unequal world in which genes determine human class in the future. I watched the movie GATTACA. From the first moment I saw the title, it stuck with me. GATTACA, which is also the name of a top aerospace company in the movie, is a combination of the human DNA...
The movie Inside Out sheds new light on the importance of grief, exploring why it’s important to express emotions openly in a society that often suppresses them and what positive changes we can expect from it. I’ve never been a fan of animation, but I mustered up the courage to go to the movie theater to watch Inside Out on my own after my friends highly recommended it. When I...
The Hunt explores the dangers of confirmation bias, stereotypes, and witch hunts from a psychological perspective as one man’s life is destroyed by small lies and collective prejudice. The movie makes you think deeply about how destructive the biases and misconceptions we face in our daily lives can be and what it takes to overcome them. The Hunt is a movie that has a lot to offer on...
In the movie Transcendence, the main character is reborn as an A.I. and gains transcendent knowledge, which leads to a loss of humanity. If A.I. can perfectly mimic human genetic information and cultural elements, it is necessary to philosophize about how human identity and raison d’être will change. In the movie Transcendence, Will Caster, a genius scientist, succeeds in...
Saw (2004) is a movie of tense psychological battles and shocking twists! Let’s take a deep dive into the hidden meanings and messages the movie is trying to convey. What kind of movie is ‘Saw’? Saw is a franchise that spans 10 movies in total, including 3D. In fact, it’s probably better categorized as a B-movie than a mass market movie. I don’t think...
The movie Interstellar explores wormholes and black holes and crosses the boundaries of time and space. But what does the movie have to say about Einstein’s theory of relativity? Let’s explore the core of relativity through the scientific concepts in the movie. Interstellar is a movie about the search for a habitable planet in space to overcome the problem of food shortage on...
In professional sports, money tends to dictate rankings, but the Oakland Athletics overcame this by using a new analytical approach called sabermetrics to win 20 straight league titles. The movie Moneyball is based on this true story and follows William Beane’s challenge to find a new way to succeed through change and belief. In the current world of professional sports, it seems that...
Considering the choice between virtual reality and reality given in the movie The Matrix1, this course explores whether living in virtual reality can preserve human free will and reality. It addresses the conflict between sensory control in the virtual world and authentic existence in the real world, and discusses the importance of intrinsic choice. The world of the movie The Matrix 1 is...
This article focuses on the life of Coco Chanel and her fashion philosophy, retracing her personal life and journey as a designer through the film Coco Before Chanel. It sheds light on the design innovations Chanel pursued and the impact she had on the fashion world, and explains why she is still so beloved. Although Coco Before Chanel was not a box office success, Coco Chanel was a...
The movie follows Andrew Neiman as he develops as a drummer through blood, sweat, and hard work under the tutelage of his harsh professor, Terence Fletcher. The movie raises questions about whether Fletcher’s harsh teaching philosophy is right and whether genius is born or made, and the suspenseful plot leaves a lasting impression on the audience. The movie Whiplash was written and...
The movie 8 and 1/2 follows director Guido as he tries to find his artistic identity through the pain of creativity and inner conflict. Guido’s journey goes beyond mere failure and signifies his maturation as a human being, and the movie delves deeply into the inner struggles of an artist and the complexity of the creative process. Guido, a renowned filmmaker, is mentally and...
In the movie The Three Stooges, Farhan is forced to follow his father’s and society’s expectations to become an engineer, but he refuses to give up on his dream of becoming a photographer and ultimately fulfills it. The movie delves deeply into the balance between social pressure and personal freedom from a psychological perspective, and provides important lessons through the...
Billy Elliot, a young boy living in a coal mining town in England, becomes enamored with ballet instead of boxing and pursues his dreams despite strikes and conflict. The story of Billy Elliot, who pursues his passion despite his father’s disapproval, is a deeply moving portrait of what it means to grow up in a world of social and artistic contrasts. In 1984, a boy named Billy Elliot...
Toy Story 3 is a movie about growing up and maturing, and the relationship between Andy, the owner, and his toys is a story of life change. The toys meet new owners, and Andy matures as he parted ways with his precious memories. The emotion of separation is reminiscent of the relationship between parents and children. When I was younger, I went to the movies with my mother and uncle. I was...
Humans have a long history of sacrificing animals for the advancement of science and technology, but some question whether this is justified, and argue that humans should seek sustainable development that respects animals and nature. For thousands of years, humans have been constantly advancing science and technology and changing their lifestyles. At least within the framework of human...
Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds is an in-depth exploration of human anxiety and fear through the lens of female vulnerability and the fear of the unknown. The film shows how this anxiety affects our behavior and thinking, revealing our instinctive response to fear. Alfred Hitchcock is revered for his mise-en-scène, and his work has been recognized for his psychological thrillers and his...
Through Forrest Gump’s life of overcoming obstacles, success in war, sports, and business, the movie Forrest Gump shows how doing your best in a given situation can pay off. The movie Forrest Gump opens with a monologue from a man. This man is the main character of the movie, and his name is Forrest Gump. He seems like an ordinary man living in a small town, and as he reminisces...
Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine argues that America’s gun problem goes beyond mere legal regulations and reflects deeply ingrained fear and mistrust in society, and calls for greater social change. I don’t live in the United States, and I don’t plan to. But sometimes I imagine myself living in the United States. The reason I stop myself from doing so is...
This article is an analysis of the documentary Dior and I, which is an in-depth exploration of how Raf Simons reconciled and innovated his minimalist philosophy while respecting the traditions of the House of Dior. As far as I’m concerned, and as far as I know, a documentary is a factual, informative film. However, since a documentary has a director and cannot show a vast amount of...
‘Scissorhands’ is a movie that harmoniously combines an origin story, a modified hero myth, a fantasy melody, and a horror parody, criticizing the small-minded life of modern society and bringing beauty to the world through a sad love story. Introduction The Scissorhands is a very rich movie. There are so many elements in it. Contrary to what we often remember...
A discussion of why robots with emotions should be respected as human-like beings, drawing on the movie A.I. to explore the potential for robots as agents that can provide emotional comfort to humans. Machines are getting smarter. It may not be too far in the future before machines, and more specifically robots, have the ability to be intelligent and make their own decisions. The 2001...
When spring arrives, theaters are filled with romantic comedies, and audiences experience love amidst the humor and conflict of the genre. Through different approaches, such as screwball comedy, romantic comedies balance love and social conflict with a middle-of-the-road aesthetic. Introduction As spring slowly makes its way into the colors of the season, theaters are beginning to...
This article analyzes the characteristics of the fantasy genre and explores how Death Note combines elements of fantasy, mystery, and thriller to create a unique narrative. It examines the film’s genre characteristics, focusing on elements such as wonder and fantasy, reality reconfiguration, cerebral battles, and suspense. Characteristics of the fantasy genre When you hear the...
The myth of Oedipus and the movie Gattaca explore the limits of humanity from a fatalistic perspective. It warns that human endeavors to transcend the fate determined by oracles and genetics, as well as advances in science and technology, could lead to a new fatalism, and asks whether there is a possibility of true free will. To begin, I’d like to introduce you to the myth of...
This article uses the world of Minority Report to explore the dangers of a surveillance society as technology advances. It discusses the potential for personal information to be collected and misused in exchange for convenience, the limitations of data leaks and surveillance systems, and questions whether this future is a good one. You walk into a department store to buy a new pair of...
The movie Eternal Sunshine centers around the technology of memory erasure and the love between the two main characters, Joel and Clementine. The movie explores the impact of memories on our identity, questioning whether erasing memories can free us from hurt and pain, and whether we can achieve true happiness. Valentine’s Day, 2004. A man wakes up, his name is Joel Barish...
This article explores the nature and value of contemporary art, the identity of the artist, and our responsibilities as consumers through the movie “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” and delves into the impact of art on society and individuals. The title of Exit Through the Gift Shop made me think a lot. I started by thinking about why a gift shop would be in the title, and why did the director...
Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue explores the identity confusion and psychological struggles of Mima, the main character, as she transitions from idol to actress. The movie explores the complexity of identity by skillfully blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, creating endless confusion for the viewer, and showing how Mima loses herself in her quest to find her true self. I was...
In the movie An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore exposes the seriousness of global warming, citing population growth, economic and environmental imbalances, and late recognition as the main causes. He warns of water shortages and ecosystem destruction due to rising carbon dioxide emissions and shrinking glaciers, and offers actionable solutions to combat them, such as using public transportation and...
This article discusses the reality that heroic characters in superhero movies commit crimes with disregard for the law and ethics, yet their actions are condoned because they are heroes. Using Ant-Man as an example, the article analyzes how the unethical behavior of heroes is hidden from the audience or rationalized in movies, and offers a critical perspective on this. Introduction...
The name “Frankenstein,” commonly known as the name of the monster, is actually the name of the doctor who created it. The nameless monster, created using the brain of a criminal, is a tragic result of a lack of research and a lack of meaning, illustrating the dangers of rushing into scientific endeavors. Do you know who ‘Frankenstein’ is? If you think of a green monster with a...
Horror fantasy is a genre that subverts real-life oppression into fantasy to reveal hidden desires. The film Perfume embodies the characteristics of horror fantasy by fantasizing the repression of love and existence through the material of smell and expressing it through Grounouille’s tragic life and serial killing. About horror fantasy Horror fantasy is a subsystem within the...
The movie Equilibrium examines the need for emotion and discusses how the development of drugs to control emotions and their use impacts social values and individual freedom. In the movie Equilibrium, humanity establishes a unified government of Libria after World War III. About five minutes into the movie, soldiers are shown arresting the person hiding the Mona Lisa and burning the Mona...
In the movie The Shawshank Redemption, the main characters Andy and Red overcome the hardships of prison and move on to a new life through their desire for freedom. Andy’s hope improves his situation in prison through education, while Red overcomes his suicidal thoughts through a promise to Andy. Hope also resonates with audiences by delivering a positive and hopeful message. In the...
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