Apollo 13

Part I:  I thought this movie was very interesting to watch. I have some background on different space missions that occurred but I really did not know much about this one. I thought this movie was very good and kept me on the edge of my seat because of all of the problems that occurred. It is truly amazing that these men were able to survive despite all of the problems that occurred, and this movie gives a great depiction of what actually happened. I liked how the movie portrayed the emotions of everyone involved, including the 3 men's families. Despite how bad it looked for these guys, the main character Jim never gave up hope and his persistence on getting him and the 2 other men back home. He kept the men going throughout the film, and probably saved their lives by convincing them not to give up. Ultimately, when the men were about to reenter the atmosphere and fell into the ocean everyone was filled with joy. I really liked this movie because it was a true, scary story, yet it showed how strong these men were and how amazing it was that they were able to make it back home.

Part II: If i had to choose a theme for this movie, I would choose hope and never giving up. These 3 men were in space, and the worst thing happened to them that they could imagine. The issues they had with their spacecraft were so bad, that it was very unlikely they would be able to make it back alive. Nethertheless, the main character Jim never gave up hope, and he put this into the other 2 men. This quality is what led the men to work had and ultimately make it back home. They easily could've given up, but they didn't and I think this movie shows that no matter how hard something can become, there is always hope for better times. These men were in the worst circumstance possible, yet with hope and bravery they were able to overcome it and make it back home.

United 93

Part I: I thought this movie was extremely interesting and at the same time hard to watch. I always find it interesting to hear more about how the events of our nations worst day occurred. I think from what I know this movie gave an accurate account of the events that truly happened. It's terrifying to see how terrorists were about to successfully inflict so much destruction to our nation and take so many lives with it. This movie also showed how our government was reacting to everything that was happening which was very interesting to see. I never truly thought about how difficult and stressful it must have been on the people trying to figure out and understand what was happening. This movie showed all of the behind the scenes people, including the air traffic, the military unit, etc. I can't imagine being able to fully understand what was happening on this day as it happened, let alone being one of the people who had to figure out some kind of action to make. So many portions of the movie gave me chills, because it ultimately reminds me of how many lives were lost and it's so sad to even think about. The movie also led me with a profound respect for the people who were able to crash the one plane so it didn't hit the intended targets. Ultimately, United 93 filled me with sorrow for all the lives that were lost on this awful day in our nation's history.
Part II: This movie fills me with despair for what occurred on this day. I still cannot believe that all of that happened on 9/11. It's truly incomprehensible the destruction a group of people were able to inflict on our nation in just 1 day. I felt chills throughout the movie from different parts, and even just thinking about the amount of lives lost gives me chills.
Part III: I think "Never Forget" is an accurate statement for this day. The day was so detrimental to our nation, and the amount of lives lost in incomprehensible. Yet, what we took from this day was a sense of national and patriotism. After 9/11, our nation ultimately came together as one, and attempted to pick up the pieces. I believe this day gave people a chance to put aside any petty differences and come together to mourn the people who lost their lives. Therefore I believe that this day is a day that we should never forget, because the destruction and lives lost is something that we can truly never forget.

The Godfather

Part I: I thought that the Godfather was a great movie. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it based on the overall concept of the movie, but I really did enjoy it. I thought it was interesting to see how this family and similar families would do their business, and how the whole family was involved. It was interesting to me how friendly and Godly Vito Corleone is portrayed in the movie, when in reality the way they go about their business is not friendly by any means. Everyone looks to this man and knows that he can solve their problem. From the beginning of the movie, I had a feeling that Michael would get involved in the business at some point even though he said he wouldn't. He was the only pure one who had acted as a "true" American, by enlisting in the war and taking on a job, also dating an American woman. We see the feud between the 5 families throughout the movie, and once it starts turning bad, we see more involvement from Michael. When Vito is shot, Michael becomes involved. This kind of made me feel sad, because from there we knew that Michael's almost downfall would begin. He ends up killing 2 men and having to flee into hiding. He ultimately is alone and has to just leave everything. When he begins to be happy with a new wife, she is killed by the men who want revenge. I think this movie truly shows how dangerous mob activity truly is, which I never would've in the full believed. In all I thought this was a great movie, despite some of the gruesome scenes.

Part II: In the movie, Vito is portrayed as the moral center. He is the moral center because he is the one who basically keeps the peace and keeps everyone in check and safe. He is the one that can solve anyones problems and always knows what to do. When I died I honestly felt sorrow, because the way he was portrayed was as such a great figure to everyone he influenced. Although he did commit awful acts, he ultimately did it to protect his family. When he died he was retired and trying to make some good, and thats also why I felt sorrow when he died.

Part III: I do believe that the fact that this movie is told from the inside is what makes it such a great movie. We get to see the view of the Corleone family, and not just an outside perspective of who they were. This also enables us to feel the emotional aspect involved of everything they were doing. I truly believe this is a classic, because the nature of what the movie is about, and how great of a movie it is. 

Kill the Irishman

Part I: I thought this movie was overall pretty good, it wasn't my favorite however I did enjoy it. I think the fact that all of this took place in Cleveland intrigued me the most. I think the overall story was pretty interesting. It's weird to see how these men would just turn on people who were supposed to be close to them and have them killed. I think it's even crazier that so many bombings happened in Cleveland during a short period of time, and I had never heard about it. I liked how in the movie they included old clippings that were real from when all of this happened. Throughout the movie we see the progression of Danny Greene. At the beginning, Greene is somewhat involved in mafia actions, and he meets a girl and ends up marrying her, which seemed normal. I thought it was weird to see him married with children while he is involved in such a dangerous, violent business. As it progressed and got worse, she did end up leaving him, which I thought was completely justified, given what he was doing. I understand that Greene was deep in the business, however, he was beating people up in front of his children, which I thought was awful. Later on in the movie, he meets another girl who he begins spending a lot of time with. They develop a relationship and towards the end she tells him that she loves him. After he hears this, he begins crying because the nature of his job, and so many people were trying to kill him that he knew eventually he would have to break her heart in some way. I thought that the way Greene acted in the end was very heroic in nature. He wanted to change things up by opening a restaurant, and it turned bad by the way he borrowed money. After this, he basically had a death sentence on him. Everywhere he went people were trying to kill him, and he kept fighting to survive every day. The last scene he has a conversation with a bunch of kids before he is killed by a car bomb. I thought the way Greene went out was very brave.

Part II: I would describe Danny Greene as a man who was very brave and courageous given what he was involved. He wasn't afraid of anything, from someone hold a gun to him to bombs. I think the nature of what he did for a living was obviously very awful, but he had a lot of fame for his success in it and also how no one could essentially kill him. He didn't just give up and fought until the end of his life. 

42

Part I: I thought 42 was overall a very touching, and inspiring movie. I think the story of Jackie Robinson is truly intriguing, and his integrity throughout everything he faced was so amazing. He went to UCLA, and was exposed to playing with other white men, and excelled greatly there, achieving varsity letters in 4 sports. I think the scene where he is with his baseball team traveling to one of their games embraces what the rest of the movie will be like. When they stop at a gas station, the worker tells Robinson that he can't use the white bathroom, Robinson however does not accept that, and he without violence he is able to get the man to let him use the bathroom. This is almost symbolic with the rest of the movie. Throughout the movie, Robinson is told not to let people to get to him, and not to reciprocate any action no matter how tough it gets. Robinson does just that, and he is able to eventually show people his true, immense talent. I truly thought it was very interesting to see how much the president of the dodgers wanted to make a change in the segregation of baseball. Intially, people told him he was crazy for thinking he could achieve that successfully, but he had his mind set with Robinson. He told Robinson throughout the movie how hard it would be, but that he had to stay strong by not saying anything. I truly think that the president of the Dodgers had Robinson's back, and I thought that was so interesting to see. I think this movie just really embraces how difficult it was for African American's. Robinson's talent was so immense, and people gave him such a difficult time just because of his skin color. I thought it was disgusting how pitchers would try to hit him or give him bad pitches so he couldn't show what he was made of. However, despite all of the prejudice and un equal treatment he received, he was eventually able to overcome this and show how great of a player he was. And i think thats what makes this movie so amazing.

Part II: I truly believe that Robinson had a great impact on this country. He helped show people that segregation was not right, especially in sports. He was a great example of why people should not be judged based on their skin color, and I think he completely helped people to see that. I think an important lesson that can be learned from Robinson is the fact that nothing will ever come easy. Everyone will always have situations where they are judged and put down, but with hard work and determination we can be as successful as we want.
I agree with the quote that Robinson made- "A life is not as important except in the impact it has on other lives." This is definitely something Robinson lived by. He affected so many lives, whether it be white people changing their views, African Americans with no hope for equality, or little boys who had dreams of being famous athletes one day. This quote embodies what a true hero is, and I think that's a goal most people have. It's important to try to make an impact on other people throughout your life.

Part III: Jackie's values and barriers are something that can be applied to anything, whether it be sports, school, or work. The importune of persistence, never giving up on your goal, while managing integrity and justice is very influential. I've used goals like these throughout my high school volleyball career. I've always had to fight for my position when trying out for higher level club teams, and there were times I wanted to give up. But, I used the ideals of courage, determination, and persistence and I truly believe it did help me to get pretty far.

Cinderella Man

Part I: I think so far Cinderella Man has been my favorite movie. It really depicted what life was like during the Great Depression, and showed a personal story and how his boxing career tied into that. I found the character of Jimmy Braddock so admirable throughout the movie. He was a person who never game up, not even if he physically should not have been still fighting. When the Great Depression hit, he wanted more than anything not to have to send away his kids, and he promised his son that. So he did everything he could to avoid that, even boxing and working with a broken wrist. It was also very eye-opening to see the little amount of food they actually could eat during this time, especially for the young kids who should be getting nutrients and core foods but they couldn't because of the Great Depression. Throughout the story, Braddock's wife remained a strong character. Boxing is extremely dangerous, and every time Braddock left to go to a match she would face the thoughts that he could be seriously injured. While it was a source of money, there was always this great fear that something awful could happen to me. Especially when it came the time for Braddock to box Max Baer, a man who had killed 2 men in a match before. By this time, Braddock had this huge drive to win that made him so successful. When he broke his wrist he had his boxing license taken away, and thought that wouldn't be a possibility again. Then when he was given the chance to fight again, he proved himself. His inspiration came from the effects of the Great Depression. His motivation was so strong that it made him incredible, and he was able to box again. And finally when it came to the hardest match against Max Baer, he proved this motivation again by winning the match. I think ultimately that this movie shows how strong people had to be during this time. Parents were having such a hard time finding work that they could no longer provide for their kids, and would have to often send them away. This movie shows how Braddock never gave up in despite of it all, and come on top and proved himself to be a great boxer when no one thought he was.

Part II: Braddock clearly inspired many people who were in a similar situation as him, and brought a source of hope for tons of people. I think it was the idea that Braddock was in the same situation as many other people during this time. He represented someone who went through so much. He was hit hard by the Great Depression and had to scramble for work to feed his family. Everyone lost hope in him as a boxer, and he came back with a sense of motivation that made him better than ever. To the masses of people, he represented something that these people could be. He came from nothing and proved everyone wrong, and was able to beat Max Baer. I think to all these people he represented hope for the future, because that was something no one had at this time. He was an example of someone who had gone through the worst circumstances and was able to come out of them, and that was the inspiration that he installed in everyone who supported him.

War Horse

Part I:
I really really liked War Horse. I thought the overall story was so touching and it really showed the powerful impact an animal can have on a human. I thought it was very interesting and difficult to see the treatment of horses doing war. It's definitely something that I had never really been aware of until this movie, and the true statistics were so shocking. I think it was awful how they treated the horses, and put them through such difficult labor and situations where they were almost guaranteed to die. The part where they were going to kill Joey when he was badly hurt from the wires was also something difficult to see, because he could have been nursed back to health. But I thought the way they portrayed the relationship between Joey and Albert made the movie so amazing. I loved the part where Albert was able to save Joey's life because his horse recognized the sound that Albert trained him with, and also the part where Joey is being sold off, and runs right back to Albert. I truly thought that portrayed the human animal relationship so well, and it was such a touching story to see.

Glory

Part I:     I truly thought Glory was a great movie with a great message. I thought the leading characters in this movie, including Denzel Washington Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick, played their roles incredibly. I think the movie truly represented what it was like for African Americans at the time that this took place. African Americans were still not treated equally after they received their freedom, and this is heavily prevalent in the war aspect. They were still looked down upon as if they were not equal to the white men, and this caused them to not get the opportunities to fight that they wanted. The strong cast of this movie really showed the emotion that men of this time were feeling. All they wanted was a chance to represent their country and fight for it, however they couldn't do that because of the color of their skin. The main character Col. Robert Shaw, really hit me emotionally. He is put in charge of a regiment of all black men, and he took this role whole heartedly. You see this in the way he cares about the men. When the men receive less pay, he says they all won't take the pay. When the men really need new shoes, he fights for his way to get them. When we meet another colonel in charge of a regiment later in the movie, we see how much he disrespects these men. Shaw can't understand this, and he wants to give his men the opportunity they deserve. The most important part of the movie was when Shaw fights right with his men at the end, and loses his life for it. I think Shaw's character was so essential to this movie, because he represented someone who was very radical for the time. He went against the norm, by leading his black regiment with heart, and treating them with equality.

Part II:
I think our country enables us to have a strong sense of pride from where we are from. This pride combined with bravery and passion enables this strong will for people to go to war. When someone has these combined traits, I believe that it makes them completely willing to fight and die for their country. I truly believe that the men of this regiment from the movie are heroes. Most of these men had been undermined all of their lives because of their skin color, yet they wanted the ability to fight and risk their lives for their country. I think this aspect is so incredible. They didn't want to just sit aside and do the labor of war, they wanted to do the fighting, even if it meant they would probably lose their lives. I believe that Shaw is also a great hero. He went against the norm, and whole heartedly took pride in this regiment, and treated them with the equality that they deserved. He cared about his men, and when they finally got their opportunity to fight, he fought along side with them. He risked his life even though he didn't need to, and I think this all makes him the greatest hero in the  movie.

Part III:
The significance of this story is in the history of African Americans in war, and also the bravery of all of the characters. This movie accurately portrays what it was like for African American men who wanted to be in war. The movie portrays the racism that occurred, and also men like Shaw who wanted to go beyond skin color. Shaw was different for this time, and acted beyond the pressure of everyone around him who truly didn't care about the race issue. I think this movie is so significant in it shows the history of African American's in our country, and also people like Shaw who wanted to be beyond all of it.

Braveheart

Part I: Braveheart was an interesting movie for me. I thought it proceeded fairly slowly to the action of the film. I think the overall plot was pretty decent, however, the movie wasn't very favorable to me. Most of the movie was fighting and I kind of had a hard time following what they were actually doing in the film. I hated at the beginning how the English officers thought they could use the girls, therefore I really liked how Wallace's secret wife really fought back and didn't take what they were trying to do to her. I think although she died towards the beginning of the film, she was really the whole protagonist of the film, and her character stuck with me. I also believe that Wallace's attitude throughout the film is very admirable. Initially everything that Wallace does is out of the desire for revenge from the execution of his secret wife, and after she is killed I think he truly feels he has nothing to lose. I think Wallace's cause is very admirable, he truly wants freedom from the repression of the English, and the wrong that they have done to the Irish people. I thought it was very interesting how Wallace had a minor affair with Isabella considering all he had done for the revenge of his secret wife. However, I think my favorite part of the movie was the ending. Wallace could have easily given up and surrendered, but his cause stayed true to him throughout the whole movie. When he was being tortured at the end, he held on to everything he believed in, and ultimately screamed freedom as his last words. He hallucinated his dead wife as he was dying, and I think that really tied in with the whole idea of why he did what he did. He fought for the freedom of the Irish, however it was instigated by the death of his wife. With everything that happened throughout the movie, instead of surrendering he found his time to do, where he would meet his wife again. Although I overall didn't really like the movie, I think there were good aspects to it and the overall plot was pretty good.

Part II: To me this quote completely envisions what Wallace's character was about. Wallace truly fought for his freedom, he easily could have just gone by with each day as every Irish man did, but he had a vision, and he wanted to live for it. With this quote he is saying that every man dies, but not every man lives. Wallace wants to really live by fighting for what he believed to be right. This is completely applicable to the fight from Irish freedom from the English tyranny. All of these men could've gotten by being under the control of the English, however, with them fighting for their freedom, whether successful or unsuccessful, would enable the Irish to truly live a life not wondering what if. They could fight for their freedom and maybe be unsuccessful and die, but at least they would be fighting for what they truly believed in and wanted.
I think the same thing could be very applicable to my life. Everyone wants to have a life filled with adventure and doing different things that you truly love. I want to experience everything I can while I have the opportunity and truly live my life to the fullest. I think this includes taking advantage of my last months in high school, going to college and finding something to pursue that I truly love, and then doing that after college. I think the biggest thing for me with this quote is that I want to live a life when I'm older that I'm happy with. I don't want to have a job that I hate. I want to do something that I truly love, which would enable me to truly live. This quote ultimately symbolizes everything I hope for in my life. When I'm old and on my death bed, I hope I can say that I truly did live by experiencing everything to the fullest and doing things that I loved.

Gladiator

Gladiator is an overall great movie and I think it really shows the integrity of the main character, Maximus. I love how ancient Rome is depicted in the movie. I've taken latin for years and this movie has many qualities that stay true to history of the Romans, and I think its so interesting to see a lot of qualities in this movie. I love seeing the scenes with the Colosseum and the gladiators, and gaining a sense of what entertainment was like for the Romans back at this time. I think the whole story of Maximus enables the audience to feel his pain and gain a strong compliance towards him. The events in the movie make me feel bad for Maximus in all that he has to endure. Marcus Aurelius entrusted Maximus so much, and knew that Rome would be taken care of very well with Maximus succeeding Marcus. When Commodus takes his father's life, you can feel the fear for Maximus. At the moment is when you begin to hate Commodus, and throughout the movie Commodus shows more and more awful qualities. He appears so creepy to his sister and her child, and overall comes off as an overly emotional man who should not be in charge of leading an empire, which his father knew. When Commodus has Maximus' family killed, I could truly feel the pain in Maximus. Throughout the movie, however, Maximus shows his integrity and doesn't stop fighting. Even at the end when he kills Commodus, he always dies with dignity and a sense of pride. I think this movie overall shows the hardships one man goes through and his integrity throughout the movie, while at the same time depicting a great history of the ancient Romans.

I think the moral of Gladiator is the integrity of Maximus. Maximus begins as an amazing gladiator for the Romans, and we can see his loyalty from his relationship with the emperor. When he is taken prisoner and his family is killed, he doesn't give up. He becomes a gladiator, and fights for himself, the Roman people, and what the emperor of Rome truly wanted. He endures so much throughout the movie, and you can truly see how strong and brave he is from the beginning, all the way to his death at the end.

Initial Thoughts

Why did you take this class and what are you expectations for the semester?

I took this class because I heard about some of the incredible movies that we got to watch in it from friends who have previously taken the class, and also because I love Burk. I expect to learn interesting parts of history from good movies that show different accounts of events that have occurred.