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Reviews
Owned: A Tale of Two Americas (2018)
Excellent Film
Excellent film that succinctly addresses the racism baked into decades of our land use and housing policies. The only way to improve the film would be to incorporate the experiences of Latino, Asian, and Native Americans for whom the housing market has also been titled against.
300 (2006)
Spartan Glory
The Battle of Thermoplyae, 300 characterizes the Spartans who fought there. When studying Greek history it is often too easy to focus only on "the philosophers and boy lovers," Athens, and its intellectual achievements, while labeling Sparta as a barbarous, war-mongering city-state. 300 shows Thermoplyae in all its gruesomeness, but it too shows a Sparta otherwise overlooked; the politics of its council, the corruption, the adherence to the will of the Gods.
As portrayed, the battle is not necessarily historically accurate. However, since it is recounted by a survivor, it must be viewed as a work of propaganda to galvanize Greece. The bigger than life elephants are what one would imagine while listening to the stories of how Leonidas and his 300 Spartans held off the armies of Persia.
The cinematography is amazing. Colors are dulled for an older feel. Shadows that were such a success in Sin City are again used. Most noticeable are slow motion fight scenes. A Spartan charges, normal speed, reaches the Persian, a slow motion kill. The juxtaposition of slow to fast emphasizes the speed of the battle, while pausing to show the severed limbs.
If war movies or history is your interest this film is a must see.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Profound
I just watched the movie for the first time tonight 5/11/06 on AMC, and the fact that my brother and I enjoyed it as much as we did attests to how it is able to stand the test of time. I hardly noticed that it is a black and white movie as the plot was constantly advancing. It presents a philosophical question that it is as true today as when the movie was first produced. If only modern-day leaders were open to its message, perhaps this world would be a safer if not better place. Sure it lacked the special affects present in the action-packed space thrillers of today; its presentation is unique and well-crafted. I have seen the new Star Wars that is filled with countless digital images, but they lack the dialogue. This film is able to paint a picture with words if not always with the most realistic images. Yet what truly makes a movie is the talent to keep the viewer entertained and absorbed, as a way to escape the drudgery of the world around him or her. This film is exceptional in its ability to command attention in an era when we are constantly seeking the fast or easy way. When I could have easily continued my search past the old black and white movie, I stopped and stayed on the channel to the end. It is my hope that anyone who has not seen this film, rent it, and if nothing else leave it with new ideas surrounding the world around us.