Monthly Archives: November 2008

A discussion of American Beauty

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I don’t know where this discussion of American Beauty comes from but it is well worth reading for revision purposes.

When you have nothing to lose you might as well risk everything. The film American Beauty shows us from the outset that Lester Burnham is in a rut. In response to a midlife crisis Lester reverts to adolescence. His sudden irreverent rebellion enrages his wife and confuses his daughter particularly when he turns a lustful gaze toward her friend Angela.

From its first gliding aerial shot of a generic suburban street, American Beauty moves with a mesmerising confidence and acuity epitomised by Kevin Spacey’s calm narration. Spacey is Lester Burnham, a harried Everyman whose midlife awakening is the spine of the story, and his very first lines hook us with their teasing fatalism and like Sunset Boulevard‘s Joe Gillis, Burnham tells us his story from beyond the grave.

The film weaves social satire, domestic tragedy and whodunit into a single package, Screenwriter Alan Ball’s first theatrical script blurs generic lines and keep viewers off balance, winking seamlessly from dark comedy to deeply moving drama. The Burnham family joins the cinematic short list of great dysfunctional American families, as Lester is pitted against his manic, materialistic realtor wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening, making the most of a mostly unsympathetic role) and his sullen, contemptuous teenaged daughter, Jane (Thora Birch, utterly convincing in her edgy balance of self-absorption and wistful longing). Into their lives come two catalytic outsiders. A young cheerleader (Mena Suvari) jolts Lester into a sexual epiphany that blooms into a second adolescence. And an eerily calm young neighbour (Wes Bentley) transforms both Lester and Jane with his canny influence.

American Beauty is English theatrical director Sam Mendes first film and he expertly juggles these potentially disjunctive elements into a superb ensemble piece that achieves a stylised pace without lapsing into transparent self-indulgence. Mendes has shrewdly insured his success with a solid crew of stage veterans, yet he’s also made an inspired discovery in Bentley, whose Ricky Fitts becomes a pivot for both plot and theme. Cinematographer Conrad Hall’s sumptuous visual design further elevates the film, infusing the beige interiors of the Burnhams’ lives with vivid bursts of deep crimson, the colour of roses-and of blood.

Schindler’s List Essay

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In this post I have added an example of a Level Two essay on Schindler’s List. The essay was written in exam conditions. Do you feel it needs to be changed to meet the requirements of Level Three? I have added the requirements of the standard below.

3.4 Respond critically to oral or visual text studied

This achievement standard involves a previous viewing and study of a visual text and developing a critical response, using supporting evidence.

You will write one essay of over 500 words on a visual or oral text you have studied in class. The essay will provide opportunities to gain achievement, merit, and excellence grades. You will be assessed on your ability to evaluate and analyse ideas, language, and evidence from the text to support a clear, controlled, and logical discussion.

Achievement

Achievement with Merit

Achievement with Excellence
Develop a critical response to specified aspect(s) of oral or visual text using supporting evidence. Develop a convincing critical response to specified aspect(s) of oral or visual text using supporting evidence. Develop an integrated and perceptive critical response to specified aspect(s) of oral or visual text using supporting evidence.

A

M

E

Analyse how one main character or individual changed to become more (or less) admirable.

In the film Schindler’s List, directed by Steven Spielberg, the main character of Oscar Schindler dramatically changed into a vastly more admirable character than when we were first introduced to him. As Schindler gained more wealth and power he had more experiences which tested his moral fibre and the decisions he made were what changed the viewers opinions of him to see him as more admirable by the end of the film.

Schindler was firstly seen as a selfish entrepreneur with a love of luxury and thrived off the profits of slave labour during World War II. His pot factory, however, soon became a haven for Jews as Schindler collected them from labour camps, mostly in Poland. As Schindler went to the labour camps he would be witness to many brutal shootings of the innocent and undeserving Jew’s. As the Holocaust worsened, Schindler heard more horrific stories which he could no longer ignore and quickly wrote up a list, with the help of his financial advisor, an intelligent Jew, Itzak Stern. With the names of hundreds of Jews. Schindler took the list to the commandant of the labour camp and demanded ‘what is one worth to you’, ‘tell me, just tell me, what is one worth!’ This is the major turning point for the character of Schindler as we see he has realised the true value of money and life. This quote shows how he is willing to pay any amount to save the lives of the Jew’s.

Schindler’s character is contrasted with the character Amon Goeth, the commandant of the labour camp. The contrast between the two emphasizes to the audience how admirable Schindler becomes. Both men reach positions of power because of the war and have many lives at their finger tips. Goeth, after a night of drinking, eating and partying, gets out of his bed and with a smoke in his mouth, idly shoots Jew’s in the camp below who are simply going about the chores they have been assigned. This horrific behaviour and brutality towards the Jew’s demonstrates how easily power can corrupt one’s mind and Goeth sees the Jews as worthless. The viewer is shocked by these scenes as we cannot understand how a human could mercilessly kill another and we then realise how ‘angelic’ the actions of Schindler are.

One of the final scenes where Schindler is leaving his factory to escape the police is a moment where Schindler’s transformation into a morally good and admirable person is concreted. With tears in his eyes Schindler exclaims this watch, one. And this car, that’s five for this car alone. As he reminisces over how many more lives he could have saved the viewer is convinced of Schindler’s transformation from a selfish entrepreneur to a selfless hero. He saved the lives of over one hundred families yet still feels guilty as if it weren’t enough. Schindler did a very admirable job at saving so many lives and many people would aspire to become what he had transformed into in such a tough situation.

Schindler went from one extreme to the other in his transformation so the change in becoming more admirable was much more dramatic to the viewer. Schindler began as a selfish man but redeemed himself by saving so many innocent lives then claiming it wasn’t enough. This made the viewer see Schindler as a character to admire by the end of the film.


The Level Three Exam

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I don’t want to freak you out but the Level Three English Exam is on Wednesday afternoon and it consists of the following papers:

3.2 Respond critically to written text(s) studied

This achievement standard involves a previous reading and study of written text(s), and developing a critical response, using supporting evidence. We of course studied a novel.

3.4 Respond critically to oral or visual text studied

This achievement standard involves a previous viewing and study of a film (or films) and developing a critical response, using supporting evidence.

3.5 Read and respond critically to unfamiliar prose and poetry texts

This achievement standard requires responding critically to ideas and language features in unfamiliar prose and poetry texts.

Assessment will require students to respond to at least one of each of the following text types:

  • prose, such as persuasive, journalistic, or literary

and

  • poetry.