Friday, February 20, 2009
The Day the Earth Stood Still
I am actually really excited about the next film that I am watching, the original The Day the Earth Stood Still. I am relieved that there is an original to this film, I don't know how I could include Keanu Reeves into my studies. Here is a site for some info on the original: http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/filmnotes/day.html
"Freedom is not hereditary"
This interesting short propaganda film was created by the Department of Defense. I found myself silently laughing at this film in its attempts to scare Americans into imagining Communism on United States soil. The film was a warning not to take for granted all of the advantages we have under a democracy such as going to a PTA meeting. It also suggests keeping a stronger hold on your children such as allowing a daughter to marry quite young. Overall the film gave the concept of the necessity to protect personal liberties and not take for granted these liberties.
Essentially the plot is about a man names Jerry Donovan with an average family that is not participating in his freedoms such as the ability to express independent thought at a variety of meetings that his wife wants him to go to. Jerry instead wants to watch television or go bowling. He goes to sleep and wakes up to a communist run community. The red nightmare. He fights a variety of injustices that he experiences and is ultimately taken into custody for destroying a museum of communist inventions that is set up in his church. His punishment is the death sentence. He recites an epic speech talking about the righteousness of democracy and is “killed”. He wakes up and is a changed man and no longer thinks of his freedoms lightly.
Interesting Quotes:
Communist school
“Espionage as a science”
“Propaganda as an art”
“Sabotage as a business”
“Outdated capitalist way of life”
“Competitive coexistence leads to a collapse of the economy”
“Conform without resistance to the leadership of the proletariat”
“Collective character is not developed in the home life”
Bourgeois class is “diseased”
Communists, “can’t fool people all the time”
“That bullet will never reach you”
“Communist attempts at world enslavement”
“Freedom is not hereditary”
Essentially the plot is about a man names Jerry Donovan with an average family that is not participating in his freedoms such as the ability to express independent thought at a variety of meetings that his wife wants him to go to. Jerry instead wants to watch television or go bowling. He goes to sleep and wakes up to a communist run community. The red nightmare. He fights a variety of injustices that he experiences and is ultimately taken into custody for destroying a museum of communist inventions that is set up in his church. His punishment is the death sentence. He recites an epic speech talking about the righteousness of democracy and is “killed”. He wakes up and is a changed man and no longer thinks of his freedoms lightly.
Interesting Quotes:
Communist school
“Espionage as a science”
“Propaganda as an art”
“Sabotage as a business”
“Outdated capitalist way of life”
“Competitive coexistence leads to a collapse of the economy”
“Conform without resistance to the leadership of the proletariat”
“Collective character is not developed in the home life”
Bourgeois class is “diseased”
Communists, “can’t fool people all the time”
“That bullet will never reach you”
“Communist attempts at world enslavement”
“Freedom is not hereditary”
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Red Nightmare aka The Commies are Coming! The Commies are Coming!
Red Nightmare is the next film that I am to watch it is on VHS so I have to watch this one at home. Here is a website about this film:
http://www.conelrad.com/sovietamerica/red_nightmare.html
http://www.conelrad.com/sovietamerica/red_nightmare.html
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
"I like Ike!"
The Atomic Café is a really fascinating film. It gives great insight about the terror and culture of the time when atomic power was a new and important entity in the United States. The film is part historical, part propaganda and part insightful into the cult-like qualities surrounding the terror of an attack on America. Many things made me cringe and vocally gasp. Even the very beginning of the film was shocking. Film clips were shown of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Those that were in the airplane reported the monotony of the experience and that it wasn’t until the damage had been done had they realized that the destruction was massive and horrible.
1947 was the Year of Division. There was a clash of ideologies between the East and the West. The ruthless expansion of the Total State challenged the basic ideals of individual and national freedoms.
The propaganda continues as a hypothetical situation took place in which the United States became communist and we lost all of our basic rights. Then a video of a model of the Statue of Liberty blowing up then a large fist crushing residences and places of business and finally human ties and emotional ties in pillar form are pushed over.
Another thing that was interesting about tying together all of these films was that the filmmakers presented the information to you and didn’t have a specific feeling or idea that they wanted you to have making the film watching experience more interesting and more intrinsically edifying. Such as, one explanation for the Korean War which said that fighting in Korea was for National Security purposes and even so far as to say for our own survival.
I especially like the US military training film clips. One of my favorites was one in which they were showing the warning signs of a communist in which a woman protesting war is ridiculed by 3 military men in uniforms. This was immediately followed by incredible chilling sound clips and images explaining the fate of the Rosenbergs.
There was an interesting clip of some kind of minister or priest speaking about the use of the H-Bomb. Normally the thought would be that any type of religiously affiliated persons would be against any type of aggressive war tactics that would potentially result in death. However in this clip a priest mentions the importance of having the H-Bomb though he thinks it must not be used he says that it is important for the protection of democracy.
I think that with the confusion of what exactly it meant to have so many new advancements in the United States it could be safe to say that the people were feeling lost and so they are more likely to have people tell them what to do. I think that it blew people’s minds that within a century we were fighting with muskets and are now involved in nuclear warfare. The film stated that we were scientifically more advanced than we could emotionally handle. Which I think played a huge role in the United State’s society during the Cold War. I think that the lies that the media and the scientists told people also were something that has greatly made an impact on the history of the Cold War and even today. Atomic power became kind of an obsession and was integrated into everyday life. In this time of high stress there was instated a Mental Health week in which a bell was rung to calm citizens and even some husbands were encouraged to give their families tranquilizers.
There was kind of a suggestion that if you followed procedure and protected yourself and your family from fallout that everything that you had lost would return to you.
The idea of *Duck and Cover* was another thing that swept the nation and Burt the turtle was sure to teach you how to protect yourself if you hear a nuclear explosion. I fail to recognize how this in anyway would protect you from something that could give you extraordinarily large amounts of radiation.
The idea of a fallout shelter was also an intensely interesting thing to me especially when bomb shelters used in WWII only suffocated and incinerated those who sought safety in them.
The final scenes, which are quite memorable, all of the propaganda shown in the rest of the film is delegitimized. There is no hiding or escape from an Atomic attack.
Interesting Quotes:
“Well I guess there is nothing for us to worry about, we have the bomb”
“Fight the war to win rather than settle it at the diplomatic table which is impossible when dealing with Russia”
“She died a lot harder” – When speaking about the execution of Ethel Rosenberg
“If you wouldn’t tell Stalin, don’t tell anyone”
“You will be moved out in time to avoid sickness. If that doesn’t happen and sterility or sickness does affect you, you will probably be killed by something else anyway.” – Army general when talking to solders about procedure when dealing with atomic explosions on the battle fields.
“If I don’t know everything then you know nothing about communism, only fear of it.” – Nikita Khrushchev
1947 was the Year of Division. There was a clash of ideologies between the East and the West. The ruthless expansion of the Total State challenged the basic ideals of individual and national freedoms.
The propaganda continues as a hypothetical situation took place in which the United States became communist and we lost all of our basic rights. Then a video of a model of the Statue of Liberty blowing up then a large fist crushing residences and places of business and finally human ties and emotional ties in pillar form are pushed over.
Another thing that was interesting about tying together all of these films was that the filmmakers presented the information to you and didn’t have a specific feeling or idea that they wanted you to have making the film watching experience more interesting and more intrinsically edifying. Such as, one explanation for the Korean War which said that fighting in Korea was for National Security purposes and even so far as to say for our own survival.
I especially like the US military training film clips. One of my favorites was one in which they were showing the warning signs of a communist in which a woman protesting war is ridiculed by 3 military men in uniforms. This was immediately followed by incredible chilling sound clips and images explaining the fate of the Rosenbergs.
There was an interesting clip of some kind of minister or priest speaking about the use of the H-Bomb. Normally the thought would be that any type of religiously affiliated persons would be against any type of aggressive war tactics that would potentially result in death. However in this clip a priest mentions the importance of having the H-Bomb though he thinks it must not be used he says that it is important for the protection of democracy.
I think that with the confusion of what exactly it meant to have so many new advancements in the United States it could be safe to say that the people were feeling lost and so they are more likely to have people tell them what to do. I think that it blew people’s minds that within a century we were fighting with muskets and are now involved in nuclear warfare. The film stated that we were scientifically more advanced than we could emotionally handle. Which I think played a huge role in the United State’s society during the Cold War. I think that the lies that the media and the scientists told people also were something that has greatly made an impact on the history of the Cold War and even today. Atomic power became kind of an obsession and was integrated into everyday life. In this time of high stress there was instated a Mental Health week in which a bell was rung to calm citizens and even some husbands were encouraged to give their families tranquilizers.
There was kind of a suggestion that if you followed procedure and protected yourself and your family from fallout that everything that you had lost would return to you.
The idea of *Duck and Cover* was another thing that swept the nation and Burt the turtle was sure to teach you how to protect yourself if you hear a nuclear explosion. I fail to recognize how this in anyway would protect you from something that could give you extraordinarily large amounts of radiation.
The idea of a fallout shelter was also an intensely interesting thing to me especially when bomb shelters used in WWII only suffocated and incinerated those who sought safety in them.
The final scenes, which are quite memorable, all of the propaganda shown in the rest of the film is delegitimized. There is no hiding or escape from an Atomic attack.
Interesting Quotes:
“Well I guess there is nothing for us to worry about, we have the bomb”
“Fight the war to win rather than settle it at the diplomatic table which is impossible when dealing with Russia”
“She died a lot harder” – When speaking about the execution of Ethel Rosenberg
“If you wouldn’t tell Stalin, don’t tell anyone”
“You will be moved out in time to avoid sickness. If that doesn’t happen and sterility or sickness does affect you, you will probably be killed by something else anyway.” – Army general when talking to solders about procedure when dealing with atomic explosions on the battle fields.
“If I don’t know everything then you know nothing about communism, only fear of it.” – Nikita Khrushchev
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Atomic Café
I also have just begun to watch The Atomic Café, a film that strings together the events of America's acquisition of atomic power through news clips and government film much of which was originally propaganda. It is already proving to be as chilling as it is interesting.
Here is a website which describes the early development of this type of compilationfilm and a description of the film itself: http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/cteq/04/atomic_cafe.html
Here is a website which describes the early development of this type of compilationfilm and a description of the film itself: http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/cteq/04/atomic_cafe.html
"Mother Russia Calls"
I recently finished watching The End of St. Petersburg and I found it to be a really wonderful and beautiful film. The beginning I found to be a bit dull but as the social and political struggles became more intense I was entranced by this silent film. I began to take notes about midway through the film and I will share some things that I noticed. ( These are taken directly from my notebook)
There are obvious class separations. The farmer, the proletariat-worker, the stock-holders, the bourgeois
I found it to be very strange and disturbing that at the beginning of the film the man who lives in the country becomes aware of his wife’s terminal condition then continues with plowing the field. He then immediately leaves the rest of his family to go to the city.
Does this mean that even in the country people are losing touch with general human nature and care for their fellow man?
Many reoccurrences of water and the ocean in contrast to images of the workers in a factory setting
Peacefulness and calmness versus violence and brutality
The occurrences of the image of the baby (crying or sleeping) may also have something to do with this contrast
Architecture has iron-like texture and quality
Homes are simple
Reappearance of the statues and looking up at them rather than looking down at them seems to be an apparent theme. Never looking straight at the statue – seeing eye to eye
Mobs/ large groups of people (where the people all look the same) adorning bowler hats – mixed up, fighting, working together in the end – stock people, workers on strike, army – always looking down at mob – reading newspapers chaos – eventually the hats are taken off
Very little presence of women at the beginning – later however only women are the ones to make the farmer feel regret and shame for informing the government of where the proletariat was
None of the characters have names but are characterized by their features or by their class (the proletariat, the boy, the bald one etc.)
All characters seem to have little or no emotion then they act out with extreme emotion
The farm boy seems to gradually lose his innocence as he becomes more and more mixed up with “progress” – unresponsive then violently aggressive.
Terrifying still image of the simple seemingly peaceful farmer sought with rage which was implanted in him by capitalism or some other corruption from progress
The image has chilling clear eyes and a violently angry expression. Tears are streaming down his face making him seem more human-like.
In this fight scene “progressive things” are broken: telephone, lamp, type writer
Image of the statue shown to give the sense of authority
Everyone seems to be disenchanted by life and the head of the police department seems bored of another “common” criminal
Government believed that war would prevent revolution
Water a very common comparison – Army tank guns pointed at the city and interesting image of the guns “crushing” the city
The same iron statue was adorned with flowers – possibly a symbol of femininity or an attempt to make “things” more pleasant.
Extreme nationalism – detest the Germans and German- made products – Smashing of German top-hat and snapping walking stick – Hat meaning leader literally the “head” and walking stick phallic symbol for power.
Iron statue with flowers is show crying: sadness or joy?
Strange crucifix shown with 1917 as the date
They are martyrs for their country.
Women showing aggressiveness – fighting for bread
Baby is shown once again wailing – Fast images - not clear as to whether the baby is nursing or just nude or maybe both
Cannons and Guns dripping – similar to the statue that was “crying”
The war was almost like a performance –the thunderous applause – trying to please the people
My favorite scene – shoot the traitors and they shoot the government men – excellent cinematography execution bringing intensity
Proletariat’s wife crossing fallen soldiers and sharing bread with them
Woman nurturing and building their government again
Woman goes into the Winter Palace? Comparison between ornate building and beaten broken pail of bread carrying nutrients
Interesting/Repeated Quotes:
"Mother Russia Calls" – Repeated
“In the name of Tsar, fatherland and money”
“What are we dying for”? – “Three years and we don’t know what we are fighting for”
“Transaction completed when both parties are satisfied”
“A Coalition Government”
“The government puts itself under the protection of the people and the army”
Government doesn’t protect itself – puts its trust in those that they are supposed to protect.
“The proletariat has risen and is waiting for you”
“Long live the city of Lenin”
There are obvious class separations. The farmer, the proletariat-worker, the stock-holders, the bourgeois
I found it to be very strange and disturbing that at the beginning of the film the man who lives in the country becomes aware of his wife’s terminal condition then continues with plowing the field. He then immediately leaves the rest of his family to go to the city.
Does this mean that even in the country people are losing touch with general human nature and care for their fellow man?
Many reoccurrences of water and the ocean in contrast to images of the workers in a factory setting
Peacefulness and calmness versus violence and brutality
The occurrences of the image of the baby (crying or sleeping) may also have something to do with this contrast
Architecture has iron-like texture and quality
Homes are simple
Reappearance of the statues and looking up at them rather than looking down at them seems to be an apparent theme. Never looking straight at the statue – seeing eye to eye
Mobs/ large groups of people (where the people all look the same) adorning bowler hats – mixed up, fighting, working together in the end – stock people, workers on strike, army – always looking down at mob – reading newspapers chaos – eventually the hats are taken off
Very little presence of women at the beginning – later however only women are the ones to make the farmer feel regret and shame for informing the government of where the proletariat was
None of the characters have names but are characterized by their features or by their class (the proletariat, the boy, the bald one etc.)
All characters seem to have little or no emotion then they act out with extreme emotion
The farm boy seems to gradually lose his innocence as he becomes more and more mixed up with “progress” – unresponsive then violently aggressive.
Terrifying still image of the simple seemingly peaceful farmer sought with rage which was implanted in him by capitalism or some other corruption from progress
The image has chilling clear eyes and a violently angry expression. Tears are streaming down his face making him seem more human-like.
In this fight scene “progressive things” are broken: telephone, lamp, type writer
Image of the statue shown to give the sense of authority
Everyone seems to be disenchanted by life and the head of the police department seems bored of another “common” criminal
Government believed that war would prevent revolution
Water a very common comparison – Army tank guns pointed at the city and interesting image of the guns “crushing” the city
The same iron statue was adorned with flowers – possibly a symbol of femininity or an attempt to make “things” more pleasant.
Extreme nationalism – detest the Germans and German- made products – Smashing of German top-hat and snapping walking stick – Hat meaning leader literally the “head” and walking stick phallic symbol for power.
Iron statue with flowers is show crying: sadness or joy?
Strange crucifix shown with 1917 as the date
They are martyrs for their country.
Women showing aggressiveness – fighting for bread
Baby is shown once again wailing – Fast images - not clear as to whether the baby is nursing or just nude or maybe both
Cannons and Guns dripping – similar to the statue that was “crying”
The war was almost like a performance –the thunderous applause – trying to please the people
My favorite scene – shoot the traitors and they shoot the government men – excellent cinematography execution bringing intensity
Proletariat’s wife crossing fallen soldiers and sharing bread with them
Woman nurturing and building their government again
Woman goes into the Winter Palace? Comparison between ornate building and beaten broken pail of bread carrying nutrients
Interesting/Repeated Quotes:
"Mother Russia Calls" – Repeated
“In the name of Tsar, fatherland and money”
“What are we dying for”? – “Three years and we don’t know what we are fighting for”
“Transaction completed when both parties are satisfied”
“A Coalition Government”
“The government puts itself under the protection of the people and the army”
Government doesn’t protect itself – puts its trust in those that they are supposed to protect.
“The proletariat has risen and is waiting for you”
“Long live the city of Lenin”
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