Student Example with the use of personal voice.

Question:

Feature Films do nothing but entertain the masses; they are mindless
fuel for people in need of distraction from the world. Respond to this
statement with reference to at least one visual text you have studied.

Disillusioned, disconnected and ultimately bored with our trawling of Video Ezy,
my younger brother, Ringo, groaned and moaned throughout the fantasy aisle.
Cant we just watch football? he sighed, movies do nothing but entertain the
masses; they are mindless, uninspiring fuel for people in need of distraction from
the world and really important things, like Essendon losing to Melbourne. Can we
leave? Shocked with this abrupt outcry, I set out to prove him wrong. Ringo,
films do more than entertain us; they are a reflection of the values and beliefs of
the society in which we live. Scouring for evidence, I picked up a worn out DVD
case of David Yates fantasy-meets-teenage angst epic, Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows Part 1. I held it in front of him and explained how, Harry Potter,
whilst being incredibly lapped upon the masses, is able to shape and enhance
views of society, promote human rights, and promote the democratic values of
the right to challenge authority. A very confused Ringo manages to cynically
state, But Ive seen Harry Potter and its just a movie about angsty teenagers
fighting against an even angstier, un-nosed freak! To increase the flow of traffic,
I dragged Ringo to the documentary section.

Ringo, Harry Potter, is a powerful piece of modern cinematography, which does

more than entertain, but, can shape, enhance and reflect the free society we live
in. Films are cultural artefacts, and Harry Potter is no exception- the overarching
battle against Voldemort and his minions? The hope placed in Harry to liberate
the Magical World from the dark side. These all enhance societys view of
freedom- democratic freedom enabling everyone the right to control our own
lives. Do you remember the opening scene, where the Minster for Magic tells a
distressed magical world, we, ever your servants, will continue to defend your
liberty and repel those forces who seek to take it from you? The Minister assures
the society that the widely accepted right of freedom will still remain. Ringo, you
are meant to, as the audience, have a greater understanding of freedoms place
in our society, proving films do more than entertain. He just grimaces and sighs,
I wanna go home.

Ah, come, on! Dont be like that- hey, at least you have rights as a human which
conveniently brings me to my next point. Ringos eyes continue to roll as I
explain how movies do more than entertain, as seen in Harry Potter which
reflects the value that is placed on human rights in our society. I remind him of
everyones favourite tear-jerker and comic relief, the liberated house elf- Dobby.
Dobby manages to break free, with some help from our titular hero, from being
kept as a slave, a symbol of human rights overpowering that notion of
enslavement, reflecting what we are as a Western democratic society. Ringo, as
an audience member of a democracy, you are shown how important human
rights are in society through Harry Potter, proving movies do more than
entertain. I break out of my train of thought to see Ringo head for the door.

I jump over a table selling ex-rentals calling to Ringo to slow down, as Im not
finished explaining films do more than entertain us they reflect the values we
hold dear in our society, as seen in the idea of the right to challenge authority
reflected in Harry Potter. A democratic society is built on the idea that
leadership, authority and oppression can be challenged. Dobby in Harry Potter
epitomised this idea through battling oppression and being freed from
enslavement, challenging so successfully that Harry says he died a free elf- an
important symbol which reflects societys ideal of challenging authority. Ringo, as
the audience, you see how through the actions of characters such as Dobby,
films do more than entertain but reflect democratic values such as the right to
challenge authority. Ringo takes a deep, assessing stare at me and tells me to
get a life.

As we walk across the street toward home, I remind Ringo how films are not just
mindless fuel for the masses. It is clear films do more that entertain us; they
reflect the values and beliefs of the society in which we live. This is evident in
Harry Potter where the values and ideas of freedom, human rights and the right
to challenge authority are conveyed. Ringo stares at me with eyelids almost as
sunken as the sunset we bathed in and tells me, Well, there goes my childhood!
I tell him that he hasnt even started Year 12 English yet, as we race into the
lounge room to watch the footy.