Blog Entry May 12th

1.) As we watch progress through the film, "The Hurt Locker", how is the idea of realism being used for this movie? What kind of effects do you think this has on viewers?

Realism in most movies today is hard to come by because Hollywood puts a twist on certain circumstances to make the viewer enjoy the movie more. Realism in The Hurt Locker is relevant in the movie based on how the bomb squad is working and how dangerous the situation these soldiers are in. The setting in the movie looks to be very accurate, being in the streets of Iraq. The only thing negative reflection that I have read about The Hurt Locker in reviews is how they portrayed the "rebel" character James. The leader of the bomb squad is seen as a "reckless" solider because he doesn't communicate with his squad and in one scene he takes off his gear in order to defuse a bomb. I think that gives a negative influence on how the US army and military goes about the Iraq War. These bomb squads are trained specifically for those missions and I don't think in real life they would allow this James character to be an actual leader of a bomb squad, being he wasn't following orders from his team.

The effects of the Hurt Locker on viewers today gives them a better outlook on how bomb squads go about defusing bombs. The movie may effect the viewer to give more appreciation to these bomb squads because they are put on very dangerous missions. It gives the viewer a good look on another aspect of the military which most people don't know about. 

2.) What do you think the biggest take is away from this class? What would be a suggestion to make the class better for next year ? 

My biggest take away from this class would be realizing how many movies out there in the world are innaccurate mainly because of Hollywood. The way Hollywood makes a film based on pure entertainment lacks the actual facts on a subject. Although Hollywood does make films more interesting in watching, sometimes the information is completely wrong, which can change one's opinion on the film completely. 

One thing I recommend for this class is to get more involved in the actual making of the film such as where is was actually filmed. Was it on a movie set in a Hollywood building or was it actually in the place where the event occurred. Also, studying the way film was introduced may play a key role into transitioning in this class, but it was very dry to read the material and I basically didn't learn anything significant from it. 

Blog entry, march 31st

After reading about the six modes of documentary films, I came to the conclusion that any film on any subject can be seen in many different ways. The ways in which we interpret the film to be is soley based on personal likening and interest. The ways in which the director portrays the topic in the film plays a major role in out opinion. For example, a director making a film on the downside of the food processing plants and how they are poorly run will change the way the film is set up. If the director is against the food processing plants, there will be a lot of one-sides arguments and many negatives about them. But, if the director were to be in favor of the plants, the film would be seen in a whole different perspective. The six modes, which include expository, poetic, observational, participatory, reflexive, and performative, all expose different ways film is looked at. 

Blog Entry Jan 30 - Feb 2

In our book, Nichols writes, "An Attentive viewer must also be familiar with the repertoire of choices a director faces to recognize her decisions as choices rather than as simply the product of the camera's mechanical ability to record images." What do you think Nichols is trying to say in this statement and what are your thoughts?


Most people watch movies for the sheer enjoyment of them, but when you look into how movies are made and how the director affects your opinion, you start to watch them in a different perspective. Looking at how I recently looked at movies before engaging in this class, I watched them only as enjoyment. I never used to watch a movie and think to myself, "how did they shoot that scene"? or "How does the directors' power affect on my opinion of a certain character?" Now that we have touch-based on some simple keys in making and directing movies, my way of thinking while watching a movie has changed. When most people, including me, watch a really good movie, they don't think about how the movie was made because they are so caught up in the movie itself.

Blog Entry- Jan. 20-24

After reading the introduction chapter to Engaging Cinema, what are your initial thoughts as to studying the subject of film? Are movies a social danger or a social benefit?

After reading the intro to the book we will be using in class, I came to the conclusion that they're are so many different ways to look at film. The intro we read had a lot of information and was tough to process, but a few main points stuck out to me. I like the way the author describes how film can be fictional and put you in a place where you will never be in your lifetime. A great example of a film that does this would be Avatar(2009). I'm really excited to start this class and get into the actual depicting of the movies. I want to see what Hollywood does to a film to make it more entertaining and I want to see if it portrays the real history of the subject or not.
I think movies can both be a social danger and a social benefit at the same time. Movies can be a social danger by telling a story about a crime so detailed, that the crime can be copied and done in the real world. This has occurred in the world before and seems to be getting more popular as time goes on. Movies can also be a social benefit because it brings people together to enjoy entertainment. Movies serve a purpose as to get a better understanding of a subject, such as if you were to watch a war movie in a history class.

What are your thoughts about taking the class History Through Film? What do you hope to get out of this class and what strength do you bring to the class that will help us all progress forward as we learn?

As I was thinking of classes to take for my second semester, History Through Films caught my eye. I have always enjoyed learning about history, even though I may not be a wiz at it. I wanted to take this class because, besides the fact I enjoy Mr. Leier as a teacher, I think it will benefit me in learning more about history. The class is based off depicting Hollywood films about history and seeing if the material in the movies are true or not. I hope to learn more about how much Hollywood strays from the actual events that happened. One strength I will bring to the class is working with others. I have a good understanding of history and hope to strengthen it as the class goes on.