Chinese Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chinese Film - Essay Example The reasons why film is particularly suited for semi-unimpeded movement across national borders, cultural boundaries and linguistic barriers will be illustrated in this essay through reference to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Through a critical analysis of this production, the essay will expose the extent to which this supposedly Chinese film is, as with cinema in general, a transnational work. Globalisation has, undoubtedly, maximised cinema's capacity to function as a transnational medium of communication. As Lu (1997) asserts, contrary to immediate assumptions, this is not because globalisation has facilitated the movement of goods and services across borders or because it is characterised by an intricate network of transnational interpersonal communication system (internet), but because film has become transnational. Ethnic and national cinema is decreasingly purely ethnic and increasingly international in scope (Lu, 1997). The veracity of the aforementioned is perfectly evidenced in Ang Lee's 'Chinese' film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. ... Produced and released in 2000, the film won, within the context of non-English speaking cinema, unprecedented international acclaim and box office success, even scooping up four Oscars (Rose, 2001). The film's budget of fifteen million dollars was the highest ever for a Chinese language film and became the most commercially successful foreign film ever to be distributed worldwide, grossing more than two hundred million dollars in global box office receipts (Rose, 2001). Its international success cannot be divorced from the inherently transnational character of the production. As Cheshire (2001) writes, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's director, Ang Lee, was born in Taiwan, studied theatre acting and directing at the Taiwan Academy of Arts in Taipei, received a bachelor's degree in theatre at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, and continued his studies in film at New York University in the nation's cultural melting pot. By the time he made Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Le e had already completed three Chinese language films and three Hollywood projects (Cheshire, 2001). In 1995, the British screenwriter and actress, Emma Thompson, invited Lee to adapt Austen's British classic Sense and Sensibility to the cinema. Then Lee took on the American suburbs of the 1970s in Ice Storm (1997) and the war-torn American South in Ride with the Devil (1999) (Cheshire, 2001). Apart from the thoroughly transnational character of its director, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000) includes such transnational artistic talents as Chow Yun-Fat (Hong Kong), Michelle Yeoh (born in Malaysia, but began her film career in Hong Kong), Zhang Ziyi (China), Chang Chen (Taiwan), and Cheng Pei-pei (Hong Kong). The cinematographer Peter Pau and fight

French Revolution Essay Example for Free

French Revolution Essay The French Revolution marked a period that was characterized by fundamental social and political disturbances in France. The French society was initially under an absolute monarchy prior to the Revolution which occurred in the late 18th century. The French society went through ambitious transformations whereby feudalism, aristocracy and religious privileges sublimed due to spirited attacks from the political activists and the masses. There was a call to shift from the old hierarchical system and adopt the enlightenment tenets of nationality and absolute rights. The Revolution in France is said to have begun in 1789 and it was marked by various stages with the various revolutionary groups executing the much needed transformations. This paper shall explore how the various groups executed their revolutionary activities that eventually contributed towards the political changes witnessed during the time. The French Revolution The revolution was initiated by the Third Estates-General who demanded that the king undertake practical reforms in the government. The ‘constituent’ forcefully ensured that France had undergone reformations that brought in the constitutional monarch while abolishing feudal advantages and also creating a representative electorate though not a democracy. The constituent had a well elaborated law that was referred to as the ‘Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens’ which can be compared to the bill of Rights in the American constitution . Between the years 1791 and 1792, the Legislative Assembly was introduced and the King was supposed to govern hand in hand with this entity. In August of 1792, the king was forced to flee and take cover in the Legislative Assembly during the Parisian march that happened near the royal residence. The king became de facto as the Assembly took control. From 1792 to 1795, France witnessed the First Republic and grand terror in its history . This is a time when the revolution reached its peak. Terror was established as a means of dealing with the opponents of the regime and France was pronounced to be a republic in the year 1792. The somehow liberal constitution that observed some democratic tenets was introduced in 1793 but was to be shelved by the revolutionary government. France was under the rule of the Committee of Public Safety which comprised of a dozen members whose first leader was Danton . Following the execution of Danton, Robespierre took over. In the year 1794, the Revolutionary activities were intensified and it begun executing those who were in opposition to its activities. This led to the execution of its own leader, Robespierre in July of 1794 . After the execution of Robespierre, there arose what was referred to as the ‘Thermidorian Reaction’ which led to the creation of a new constitution. The reaction was in opposition to the terror and paved way for the final stage of the Revolution . In the years 1795 to 1799, the Directory regime was established in which case the executive authority was shared among five directors. The regime was unpopular but it used any means possible to cling to power. There were numerous attempts to overthrow the Directory which culminated in the final disposal of the regime in 1799 by Bonaparte. Napoleon Bonaparte’s coup led to the installation of the Consulate before Bonaparte established his dictatorial regime.  He later proclaimed himself as emperor which ended the republican chapter of the revolution. Conclusion The French Revolution was a period characterized by upheavals in the political arena in France towards the late 18th century. However the Revolution played a crucial part in European politics. The revolution ensured that sovereignty was observed as absolutism was discarded which led to the replacement of monarchy with nationhood. The French Revolution therefore marked a major turning point in human history especially in regard to the political orientation of the western society of the 18th century and the world in general.

Importance of Speech in Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Nights Dre

Importance of Speech in Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Richard III Speech is often the strongest indicator of personality and motivation in Shakespearean histories and comedies. Each turn of phrase is a small insight into the essence of the character. Stringing together each line from the mouth of the character allows the audience to discover each nuance created by Shakespeare. By connecting the actions to a manner of speech, which mirrors those actions, Shakespeare is able to create more believable and dynamic characters. Examining Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Richard III, certain archetypes emerge, each with a specific way of speaking. Villains with their quick and underhanded remarks contrast with the silence of the submissive women who are, in turn, foils to the strong willed and outspoken women. By developing stock characters, Shakespeare is able to use stereotypes as a starting point for all of his characters. Matching the speech with the actions of the stereotypes further cements the prototype and gives the audience a clear understanding of the character without detailed background information. Through speech and the development of archetypes, Shakespeare is able to create a more complete picture of his characters. The most developed and fascinating characters in Shakespearean histories and comedies are usually the villains, while they often lack an apparent motivation (beyond their immediate needs for either amusement or power). These characters reveal little to those around them and only uncover their schemes when alone or accompanied by their henchmen. Speech, for these villains, is usually very short with choppy phrases interjected into t... ...d. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Rutter, Carol. Clamorous Voices. Shakespeare's Women Today. New York: Routledge, 1989. Schanzer, Ernest.   "_A Midsummer-Night's Dream."   26-31 in Kenneth Muir, ed. Shakespeare: The Comedies: A Collection of Critical Essays.   Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1965. Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night's Dream, ed. Brian Gibbons. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Vaughn, Jack A. Shakespeare's Comedies.   New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Company, 1980 Watts, Cedric. Much Ado About Nothing. London: Penguin, 1986. Wells, Stanley & Gary Taylor, General Eds.   _William Shakespeare: The _Complete Works.   New York: Oxford University Press, 1986. Young, David P.   Something of Great Constancy: The Art of A Midsummer Night's Dream.   New Haven: Yale University Press, 1966.

Leadership and Management Paper Essay

At a very young age, George Washington Carver took a strong grip on his destiny. This dynamic leader prevailed over getting born without a name into slavery, overcoming poverty, and prejudice to commit his life in helping others achieve a better livelihood. Through his actions, he was able to earn high levels of respect of self-worth, dignity, honor, and infinite achievement. Booker T. Washington was the first president and principal of the Tuskegee Institute in 1896. Booker T. Washington sent an invitation to George W. Carver to reside over the Agriculture Department. For 47 years Carver developed, taught, and applied constant research in working to develop several methods from using crop-based materials. Carver was the innovator of going green. Through his tenure he worked with two additional college presidents that supported the zealous work of Carver. His discovering and teaching methods of crop rotation while introducing several alternative money crops for farmers that simultaneously improving the soil of heavily cultivated cotton fields would motivate and inspire many Black students to follow suite in his techniques. (Kouzes & Posner, 2009) â€Å"A leader’s dynamic does not come from special powers. It comes from a strong belief in a purpose and a willingness to express that conviction.† In leadership, Carver designed a mobile classroom that brought education to the fields of the farmers. His so-called ‘Jesup wagon’ (named after Morris Ketchum Jesup), well honored for Mr. Jesup a philanthropist and New York financier fully supported and funded the program. Leadership functions Carver had many duties as an administrator, such as administer the Agriculture Experiment Station Farms. He manages the sale and production of farm products that generated revenues for the institute. His academic career as a teacher and researcher was stellar. What made Carver different from other professors and administrators is his determination to fulfill what he believed to be right. There were many times Booker T. Washington would voice his frustrations through letters to Carver because to the way he would administer his duties, Washington would always praise Carver for the great discoveries and hard work that has taken place. (G.W. Carver, 2011) Education is the key to unlock the golden door of opportunity.† This is how his leadership is different from the rest. He proves exactly what he stated to his life. His work became very high profile because of his more than 300 uses for peanuts, pecans, sweet potatoes and soybeans with the majority of his accomplishments of conquering the mundane. Every invention came after hours during peaceful nature walks, observing, and later testing in his laboratory. After Carver came to success, he did not cite ingenuity, though he was very blessed with it. On the contrary, he remarked that 99% of the failures come about people who have the habit of making excuses. Carver also well notes that, â€Å"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world† pg. 143 of Frontage Magazine. Obstacles George W. Carver is someone whom many can only look up too when problems come into our lives for comparison sake. Carver beats the odds so well that his name should never had been heard of. His mission, determination, and story defy the odds. Being born into slavery a raider kidnapped him as an infant, and was not expected to live past the age of 21 because of poor health and being a Black scientist in the harsh times of racial segregation is beyond the norm. After the death of Carver, the United States Government erected the first national monument to honor someone other that a president. Effective Leader – Common Measures George W. Carver was best known in his time as a man of faith who believes in God as science as a gift from God. He would constantly acknowledge that his work was inspired by the works of God and God’s inspiring, and guiding him in his work. When those who wanted things from Carver such as his  secrets without the desire to work for the knowledge, Carvers replay would be, ‘God refuses to reveal the secrets of the humankind and the universe. Within the readings and teachings of the text, Carver proves his effective leadership skills for success present. To be a leader whom everyone will want to immolate, it takes the extraordinary levels of strong will, determination, someone who can listen and follow, and the ability effectively to move those whom you lead in a positive direction fostering a successful outcome. Conclusion Carver’s faith was his concern of character that his students whom he regularly taught would follow a set of cardinal virtues: ââ€"  Do not look up the rich nor down to the poor ââ€"  Be clean both inside and out ââ€"  Win without bragging ââ€"  Lose if needed but without squealing ââ€"  Be too brave to lie ââ€"  Always be considerate of women, children, and other people ââ€"  Be too generous to cheat ââ€"  Take your share of the world and let others take theirs. The world needs more women and men like George Washington Carver – people who cannot complain, strive hard and overcome adversity while focusing on the finish line ahead. Everyone does not possess the skill and knowledge of George Washington Carver but he has left us a milestone of character traits that can allow us to use as a guide while striving to achieve our goals here in this life. I like what Langston Hughes states on page 159 of Through the Fire, â€Å"Hold fast to dreams, for it dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.† This goes back to how George Washington Carver spoke about excuses; they are just that, an excuse to fail. Live right, stay positive, follow the plan, persevere, and finish the race, you will for sure win. References Carver, G. W. (2011). Greatest Leaders of America History. Frontage Magazine, 32(4), 112 – 113. p.113 Kauzes, J., & Posner, B. (2009, April). See what today will bring when you are done thinking. Whole and Complete Places, 8(13), 78 -84. p.83 Livingstrom, J. T. (1974). Through the Fire (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Harper Collins. p.154

Funeral Blues Essay

Funeral Blues â€Å"A METEOR FROM the universe of Wystan Hugh Auden flashed into the atmosphere of American culture in 1994 when â€Å"Funeral Blues,† a poem written in 1936, was recited in a eulogy scene in the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral. † (Johnson) Many people have wondered what it is like to lose someone they love; if one does not know the feeling they are very fortunate. Some people think that without that certain someone, their life will cease to exist. In W. H.Auden’s poem â€Å"Funeral Blues,† a woman loses her lover and cannot even imagine how she is going to get on with her life; she puts her deceased companion on a God-like pedestal; and she loves him so much that she believes that he is her whole world. In â€Å"Funeral Blues,† Auden makes the bitter attitude of the speaker toward the subject of death apparent to the readers through the use of symbols, imagery, and metaphor. In the first verse, the speaker states â€Å"stop all t he clocks, cut off the telephone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Auden Line 1).The clock being stopped may signify the fact the man who died has run out of time, or possibly to ask those who knew him to stop what they are doing and grieve. With the idea of the telephone being cut off, she wants to show the deceased the respect he deserves by honoring him with a moment of silence. In the second verse the speaker states, â€Å"let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead† (Auden 5). She uses this metaphor to reveal the pointlessness of her life. What is the point of planes flying in circles? They do not get anywhere flying in a circle. She is comparing the pointlessness of flying in circles to her life without her partner.The persona in the poem talks about her deceased partner as if he is on a God-like pedestal. The reader realizes just how important the deceased is to the speaker when reading the phrase â€Å"†¦He is Dead†. (Auden 6). The use of the capital letters displays the incredib ly close relationship between the two lovers. She talks about the aeroplanes scribbling sky messages, it is very doubtful that someone that is not in the limelight is going to have sky messages at their funeral that rarely happens at a celebrity funeral, let alone at a funeral of someone who is not in the limelight.To show the God-like significance, â€Å"He† is capitalized when she is talking about the writing in the sky. She also thinks that the funeral procession is going to be so long that they will need a police officer directing traffic. The persona in the poem continues to describe the intimacy between her and her lover, claiming that he was her â€Å"North, South, East, and West† (Auden 9). She has just realized that because of her companion’s death, along with everything else, her love has also come to an end.Like before, she commands the reader to carry out impossible tasks. â€Å"The stars are not wanted now: put out every one; Pack up the moon and d ismantle the sun† (Auden 13-14). She also begs for the oceans and forests to disappear. †Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood. † (Auden 15) Without her lover, she feels like her life is meaningless. The speaker honestly believes that because of this tragic event, â€Å"†¦nothing now can ever come to any good. (Auden 16) She cannot picture her life without him, almost like she does not want to survive without him. W. H. Auden does not want one to find the meaning of the poem, but to feel the grief on how this person does not believe in living anymore since her loved one has passed away. It shows that she wants everything to stop and for everyone to feel what she’s feeling and mourn together with her. She put her lover on a God-like pedestal and thinks that he is just as important to everyone else like he is to her.Auden’s choice of words draws the reader into a greater understanding of the intensity and depth of feelings experienced upon the loss of a loved one. The symbolism used by the poet pulls us into the actual world of grief as the speaker searches for ways to mourn this passing. Works Cited Auden, W. H. â€Å"Funeral Blues. † Literature and the Writing Process. 9th Ed. McMahan, Elizabeth, et al. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2011. 614. Print. Johnson, Jeffrey. Christian Century 4 September 2007: 47-48. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 February 2013.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving IN WHAT WAY IS THANKSGIVING A CEREMONY? REPETITION "‚“ Thanksgiving Day REPETITION "‚“ at Rebecca's HouseWeston, West Virginia (about 2 ÂÆ'‚‚Â ½ hours North) Lewis County REPETITION "‚“ November 22, 2001 WHO "‚“ My friend, Rebecca Pickens Family. This includes Rebecca, her mother, Opal, her father, Donald, her sister and her husband and their two kids: Sherri, Skip, Taylor and Corey Mitchell. I was there also. Her sister and her family showed up around 10:00 a.m. and I showed up around 11:00 a.m.SPECIALIZED ROLES/SET ORDERING OF EVENTS "‚“ Opal and I began making dinner on Monday (November 19, 2001). We went to the Kroger and bought a turkey and other cooking aids. I am unsure of exactly what was bought, however, I do know that Cream of Tarter, bread crumbs, and, vanilla pudding was bought when I was there. The night before Thanksgiving (November 21, 2001), we began to actually make the dinner at about 9:00 p.m.REBECCA MARINOWe began by making dessert, which included Pumpkin, Graham Cracker, and Apple Pies. Rebecca made a dessert called Tiramisu; making a pudding and covering coffee flavored ladyfingers soaked with Kahlua make it. Opal and I then began to make the devilled eggs and made cranberry salad. We stuffed the turkey and sat it back into the refrigerator. After I left, at 2:00 a.m. I went home. Opal woke up at 5:30 a.m. and put the bird in the oven. I woke up at 9:00 a.m. and turned on the Golden Girls on the Lifetime Network. It was a marathon. I went in the shower at 10:00 a.m. and was ready by 11:00 a.m. I left my house then. I am not sure of who did what, but when I arrived at Rebecca's; around 12:00 p.m. the dinner was ready.For dinner,

Free Essays on Different Effects Of Education

Life is a struggle, sometimes you have to lose something in order to get something, but it’s always your choice to consider what you want or need the most. If education improves people’s life style and social environment, it also affects our lives in an undesirable way. I know education is essential in almost every aspect of our lives, but do we really want it to entirely take our place? That is, should we give priority to education only and put everything else behind? People see education from different aspects, but one thing about education that everyone agrees on is that it has done so much, socially and politically, for us. Considering all the improvements and differences that education has made, we are unable to see what it has done to us. Today we see education simply as academic success but that’s not all there is about education. Being yourself, valuing your culture and identity, and remaining in family are the key issues that we should consider when thin king of getting education. The more we are trying hard to achieve academic success, the more we are starting to grow apart from our love ones and it is changing everyone in certain way. According to Jimmy Santiago Baca in, â€Å"Working in The Dark,† â€Å"Only by action, by moving out into the world and confronting and challenging the obstacles, could one learn anything worth knowing.† Usually we have to go out in the world in order to get education and even face lots of problems, but don’t you think sometimes it becomes dilemma for us that we have to chose education over our family or family over education, because there are so few people who get education by not going to school. I am aware of the fact that not all the people have to suffer through these things because who doesn’t want to get education and still remain in culture and family? But it doesn’t always happen this way. Things change, people change. The way we live and where we live doe s affect us in some w... Free Essays on Different Effects Of Education Free Essays on Different Effects Of Education Life is a struggle, sometimes you have to lose something in order to get something, but it’s always your choice to consider what you want or need the most. If education improves people’s life style and social environment, it also affects our lives in an undesirable way. I know education is essential in almost every aspect of our lives, but do we really want it to entirely take our place? That is, should we give priority to education only and put everything else behind? People see education from different aspects, but one thing about education that everyone agrees on is that it has done so much, socially and politically, for us. Considering all the improvements and differences that education has made, we are unable to see what it has done to us. Today we see education simply as academic success but that’s not all there is about education. Being yourself, valuing your culture and identity, and remaining in family are the key issues that we should consider when thin king of getting education. The more we are trying hard to achieve academic success, the more we are starting to grow apart from our love ones and it is changing everyone in certain way. According to Jimmy Santiago Baca in, â€Å"Working in The Dark,† â€Å"Only by action, by moving out into the world and confronting and challenging the obstacles, could one learn anything worth knowing.† Usually we have to go out in the world in order to get education and even face lots of problems, but don’t you think sometimes it becomes dilemma for us that we have to chose education over our family or family over education, because there are so few people who get education by not going to school. I am aware of the fact that not all the people have to suffer through these things because who doesn’t want to get education and still remain in culture and family? But it doesn’t always happen this way. Things change, people change. The way we live and where we live doe s affect us in some w...