Cameron Mugleston

Film & Culture

Sara Woodhouse
05/05/15
Film & Culture Final
A movie can be taken in many ways, much like paintings, music, etc. If its anything it
should do like the previous forms mentioned, is spark an emotion of some type. When a person is
feeling an emotion, they assess why they feel the way they do, and what can either be done to
prolong, or stop it, depending on the situation they find themselves in. When a film takes a
person away from all thats around them and are given one moment to tune into their thoughts,
theyre given a new way of looking at things through messages and emotions they have received
from a movie.
This is what I enjoyed about this class, discovering new films that deliver a unique
experience for the audience to observe. It was interesting to hear my classmates discuss their
similar or differing thoughts and opinions about the films weve watched in class. It really
demonstrates that we all see things our own way, and why its important for us to collect as many
different perspectives as possible if we truly want to understand something as a group.
The films watched in class served their own purpose, whether it was to show us how a
film presented itself, or an issue or topic that it was covering, and even both as well. In short, it
was important for us to understand why the film did a good or bad job of conveying the audience
in some way. Memento for example, left some of my classmates feeling confused or frustrated
the whole time, having a hard time making out the information given to them, while others were
able to follow it without difficulty. We would then have to discuss if the directors experimental
style was able to reach audiences or not.

Cameron Mugleston
Film & Culture
Sara Woodhouse
05/05/15
Before Midterm, a film I liked was El Norte. In the film, El Norte, we step into the shoes
of Guatemalan Indians, Rosa and Enrique Xuncax. We see their struggles, triumphs, and
adaptations throughout the journey to the United States. However, they find that living in the
unfamiliar territory is a challenge in itself, for their very presence could send them back to their
land where certain death awaits them. No matter where they travel, their dreams of a better life
only begin to fade into a cruel and dark reality. Their last hope is only there to taunt them.
Gregory Nava, director of El Norte, did an excellent job of displaying the hardships these
illegal immigrants face, especially when Rosa tells Enrique, In our own land, we have no home.
They want to kill us. ... In Mexico, there is only poverty. We can't make a home there either. And
here in the north, we aren't accepted. When will we find a home, Enrique? Maybe when we die,
we'll find a home. No matter where they go, theres something in the way and you begin to feel
their helplessness. The viewer will leave with a better understanding of what the reality people
like Enrique and Rosa face when theyre forced to make drastic decisions to find a better home.
Quite a significant part of the film is when Enriques father, Arturo, tells him that hes
more than just a pair of arms. About an hour into the film, we begin to see Enrique build his
own life when he starts working at a fine-dining restaurant. Whats interesting to observe is how
Enrique pays no mind to the snobbery of the customers. Hes completely content and prideful of
his job. We finally get to see Enriques happiness revealed. However, it vanishes when he is
chased away by immigration enforcement, and the decline in his sisters health. Once his sister
passes away, Enrique is back where he started, alone. We see desperation and sadness in him,
slowly watching him become nothing more than a hollow worker. He becomes the very thing his

Cameron Mugleston
Film & Culture
Sara Woodhouse
05/05/15
father didnt want him to be. Enrique is left haunted by the tragic events that unfolded upon him
and his family forever.
During Midterms, Dr. Strangelove was also a favorite of mine in class. Panic, fear, and
stupidity is stirred up when miscommunications and judgements between nations all lead to the
destruction of the world. It does a great job of depicting the red commie, fear that Americans
had during the Cold War. The satire used in the film pokes fun of the unnecessary fear and
paranoia between nations and really shows that if such a thing builds up can create unpredictable
results.
The film starts out to be straightforward and serious, making a great starting point for a
satire film. Things go awry when a nuclear missile is being sent to be dropped in Russian
territory. The President and the army must step in to solve the problem. We see events unfold
naturally, as the satire and humor begins to grow within the film. Especially by the time the
pilots pull out their specialized equipment to make the attack (Alcohol, Playboys, and other
ridiculous gag items). Also to add the generals crazed conspiracy about the Russians plaguing
water and corrupting human life. Their seriousness begins to melt into their true human nature
and personality, their professionalism vanishing as the situation worsens.
The shift in moods makes the humor much more enjoyable, mainly because the viewer
isnt expecting it. The directions Dr. Strangelove goes many ways, never knowing where things
will go next, and only knowing that the ending will be big. It unpredictability keeps things
enticing for the viewer.

Cameron Mugleston
Film & Culture
Sara Woodhouse
05/05/15
Dr. Strangelove is great way of showing how the United States believes itself to be an
indestructible super power, when its deep hatred of Communism is what kills it in the end. It
shows that too much paranoia generates irrational beliefs and stipulations of a certain country or
people and that if nothing is negotiated, assumption can cause harm, that being moronic in the
case of the film.
As the end of term arrived, my favorite film of that period was Moulin Rouge. We
discussed about the styles of Brecht before the film and were advised to notice as many as we
could. The first twenty minutes left me a little lost, but shook it off and continued onwards.
Theres never a dull moment in Moulin Rouge. Something is constantly in your face; people are
always busting out in song and dance, and doing just about anything to keep your attention. Even
with all of these things going on, I felt like they were perfect distractions to keep you from
nitpicking the films style and it was up to you to find them.
I like how the film from start to finish, ended dark and gloomy, mainly because it reflects
the attitude of the audience from the beginning to the ending of the film itself. People go to a
movie, or in this case a play, to rid of those feelings that reality gives them and try to find
happiness out of what theyre watching, but when its all over, theyre thrown back into the
stresses of life once more, showing that even the characters didnt get what they wanted in the
end either. In short, its like waking up from the best dream you ever had, realizing you have to
get ready for work in twenty minutes.

Cameron Mugleston
Film & Culture
Sara Woodhouse
05/05/15
I found myself quite satisfied with this class, and saddened its already come to an end.
This class will be very memorable to me, due to a great sense of community and not feeling
nervous or insecure talking to anyone in it. Its encouraged me to find more experimental films
and watch them on my own time with friends, gaining their thoughts and feeling from what was
presented before them.