Saving Private Ryan impact of the opening scene Essay Example

Saving Private Ryan impact of the opening scene Paper Saving Private Ryan is a film that was made in 1998. It has an impressive line-up that includes people such as, Stephen Spielberg as director, who has since directed other hugely successful films like King Kong and Lord of the Rings. Also there is Tom Hanks a very popular American who plays Captain John H. Miller the main character, in this Historical Drama, he has also taken part in some other hugely successful movies. Stephen Spielberg has decided that in this film he would go against the traditional conventions of other war film genres, and to use some other very effective techniques to create the atmosphere of war. He used techniques such as using a desaturated colour in the film to create the effect that you werent just simply looking back on History, but as if you were actually there and as if you were at threat of being shot! Back in those days all televisions were black and white therefore the news on the television would also have been in black and white, this shows us that the film is not just a made up story, but that these thing actually happened. We will write a custom essay sample on Saving Private Ryan impact of the opening scene specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Saving Private Ryan impact of the opening scene specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Saving Private Ryan impact of the opening scene specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The threat of you feeling as though you are really there fighting the war, and being scared of the opposition shooting you is also exaggerated by the use of hand-held cameras. This helps as it can show how the camera is shaking with being so scared aswell as the physical shaking of the ground from explosions. Plus, the camera is violently moving to show the chaos and how everybody is constantly on guard. Stephen Spielberg also creates a realistic nature during the battle scenes, he does this by showing the battles from both the Germans point of view, who are simply mowing down row after row of Americans, and the Americans point of view who are just desperate to avoid the constant shower of bullets. Showing this helps the audience to see how small the soldiers chances of survival are in such a big battle. There are four scenes in the opening battle sequence of the film. The first is The transition from present to past. In this scene realism is achieved by created an emphasis on the music, this is exaggerated further by using a military style of music. The music used for waking the men in the battle fields. The emphasis is created on the music by not using any dialogue. There are long shots of the massive number of graves that are in lines, this shows that there was huge numbers of deaths. This all happens as the family are walking towards the grave, but then as they reach the graves and the man kneels down the music continues but the camera gradually zooms in from a Medium shot on the man to an extreme close-up on his face. It ends up with just the mans watering eyes. From the watering eyes you can tells that obviously something horrific happened or his may have remembered something that is sad. Then as the camera stays focused on the eyes the music stops and you hear the thundering noise of crashing waves. This crashing leads us to think that there is going to be a build up to something. After this the camera changes to a close-up of a shaking hand. This shows how the person is very scared of what is coming. Also there are people throwing up showing us that they are extremely nervous and scared and are therefore getting sea sick. There is still no dialogue to emphasis watching what is being shown, how scared people are and that isnt going to be a pleasant memory, also the use of no sound creates tension. The second scene is the instant chaos as the soldiers arrive at the beach. This is shown by a sudden burst of guns being shot and bombs exploding, as the first soldiers jump off the boats. Also the soldiers are jumping of the boats and being shot before they hit the water, this shows how small a chance of survival there is. The German perspective is also shown, it shows the rows after row of Americans being shot down with machine guns, this shows how vulnerable the Americans were. Colour also plays a big role in this scene; grey skies are used to show the depressive feelings, and the camera colour is very much black and white, with the brightest colour being red, this is an effective way of showing the large amounts of blood. Throughout this scene there is a constant flood of bullets everywhere even underwater, this shows us how nowhere is safe at battle. The third scene is the initial reaction of Captain Miller. Initially Captain Miller becomes completely confused, this is shown in lots of different ways throughout the scene. Slow motion and muted sound is used to show how he doesnt really have a clue about what is going on around him, as well as the muted sound shows how he has almost gone deaf from the loud racket of firing guns. Shots of him looking in lots of different directions explains to us that he is confused, and is looking for help or for someone to tell him what to do. Millers point of view shots are also shown, they can tended to be blurred with some shots of horror, showing he is scared. There is a lot of screaming and shouting, but most of it you can not understand, this shows that his thoughts are just a big blur. The fourth scene is the end of the battle. Everything becomes more clear. You can hear the waves; this exaggerates that the noise of the battle has gone. The music slows down, this shows us that the chaos has ended. There is another extreme close-up on Millers eyes. This helps us see that he is in deep thought. The sea is also shown as being really red this shows how there is a lot of blood. There is a long shot of all of the bodies as the camera moves up the beach showing the huge numbers of killings. Then there is a close-up on an individual dead American, this helps us to see that there werent just huge numbers of mass killings but that there were huge numbers of individual killings. In conclusion I believe that Stephen Spielberg definitely succeeded in creating a shocking and realistic atmosphere. I believe that the most effective way that he did this was by using handheld cameras to create the feeing that you were there, this was extremely shocking as you could easily feel how scared the soldiers were. Also there was a high rate of death shown throughout, which helped the audience to see that there was a very small chance of survival. This really makes you think about scary it would be to have to go to war. It also is effective in making you want to watch more! I think Stephen Spielberg does a really good job with this film.

Get the Lead Out of Hunting

Get the Lead Out of Hunting The Lead Problem Throughout modern firearms’ evolution, lead has been the material of choice in the manufacture of ammunition. The high density of lead and its deformation characteristics give it desirable ballistic properties. For hunting purposes, lead is used to make the small, round shot packed in shotgun shells, and is the main component in the bullets used in rifles. What makes lead less than ideal, however, is that it is quite toxic. In 1991 in the United States (and in 1997 in Canada) lead shot was banned for waterfowl hunting. Up until that point, tons of lead shot had been raining on wetlands all over the continent each hunting season. As ducks were foraging for food in the sediments at the bottom of wetlands, they would ingest lead shot and many would eventually die of acute lead poisoning. Bird hunting upland, for example for pheasant, grouse, or quail, was not included in the 1991 ban. With upland hunting, the shot used does not become concentrated in discrete locations and it was not believed to be problematic to the degree waterfowl shot was. The same might have been believed for rifle bullets, which are to this day mostly made of lead. However, there are real environmental and health hazards associated with the use of lead for any type of hunting, and many hunters are changing their habits accordingly. How Lead Bullets Work In hunting rifles, the lead bullet is shot at high pressure into the target. At that point the collision with the flesh of the animal deforms the bullet, turning it into a wide, flat blob, killing the animal quickly if the shot is well placed. However, there is a key problem with lead bullets: when the bullet hits its target, it looses energy by deforming and breaking up, with dozens of small lead fragments ending up lodged in the entrails and the meat of the animal. These fragments can be as small as sand grains, and they are often found over a foot from the wound channel. Environmental Effects When a hunter guts a large mammal, the lungs, kidneys, digestive track, and other organs are left in the field, and with them tiny lead particles. These â€Å"gut piles† are fed upon by scavengers like foxes, coyotes, ravens, red-tailed hawks, eagles, and many other birds and mammals. The small lead bits are accidentally ingested as well. A very small lead fragment in an animal’s gut will be dissolved by the digestive juices, elevating blood lead levels to several parts per million, which is enough to kill a bird as large as a bald eagle. Anyone who has been in rural areas on opening day of a deer hunt can appreciate how many gut piles are left behind in the woods and imagine how many scavengers must have elevated lead levels in their blood.   Health Effects Traditionally, when big game hunters butcher their quarry they carve out the meat about two inches around the entry and exit wounds. When researchers used portable x-ray equipment to look at deer carcasses killed by rifle, they found very small lead fragments far away from the bullet wounds. These fragments then end up in the meat consumed by humans. Even packaged ground venison examined with x-ray technology showed a peppering of very small lead particles, small enough to be unnoticed by the unsuspecting eater, but large enough to cause dangerous health effects. Even at low concentrations, lead in adult humans interferes with renal function, affects learning and thinking, and disrupts our reproductive system. In children, nervous system development is impacted, and there is no such thing as a safe blood lead level. In communities getting a substantial proportion of their protein from wild meat, blood levels with significant lead levels are commonly found. The Solution For shotgun shells, various non-lead materials are now available for upland small game hunting, including steel, bismuth, and tungsten. For large game hunting, all-copper rifle bullets are now on the market for most calibers, and are gaining rapidly in popularity. These bullets retain their mass when entering an animal, without losing small pieces like lead does. Non-lead ballistic characteristics are very acceptable for most hunting situations, and the modern copper bullets have been field proven to be at least as lethal as conventional bullets. The only disadvantage of non-lead bullets is their cost, which is on average about 40% higher. In 2008, California banned lead ammunition in areas where California Condors live, as lead was identified as one of the major threats to that species’ existence. The ban will be extended to the entire state by 2019. For More Information Web resource discussing the science: Hunting with Non-lead. United States Geological Survey. Lead Poisoning in Wild Birds.

Video analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Video analysis - Essay Example The speaker has a very interesting way of introducing her speech. She begins by providing a real statistics of the world’s population that live in the cities. This serves to draw the attention of the audience as many people are not aware of such statistics. She delivers key facts that serves to prepare the audience on the topic as well as making them aware that she is well versed with the topic she is about to speak on. Most of the global challenges that are facing the world such as global warming, gas emissions, excessive energy use, and poverty among others occurs in the cities and are thus city problems. Therefore the city dwellers are responsible for the changes needed to improve on such poor conditions. Three approaches that can be used to address such problems include engagement, inclusiveness and the ability to live happy and fulfilling lives. Engagement relates to participation in activities such as voting that has witnessed a downward trend in the major cities of the world. Inclusiveness is based on the level of inequality that exists within the cities. The ability to live happy lives has been compromised in the cities by the manner of habitation in the cities. People have become less interactive and not concerned about one another leading to lack of joy and happiness. Steps towards building cities that care about its inhabitants include active participation revolution and collective decis ion-making process on matters such as utilization of resources. Citizens need to come up with their own structures of participation without waiting upon the government to act. Individual initiatives can help transform lives of many people living within the cities of the world provided that we are willing to act. She has employed problem-solution pattern of organization in her speech. This approach is very effective in that it seek to persuade the audience which

Nutritional guide to my plate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nutritional guide to my plate - Essay Example The best energy giving foods that a person should consume are the grains. They have the energy contents that are essential for boosting the energy level of people. Moreover, eating the grains is very healthy and effective for males who do jobs that are tiresome and tedious. On the other hand, mothers should always put protein on the table in every meal for as proteins help in the body repair of an individual. Moreover, proteins are essential especially for young girls who are in puberty stage and loss of weight during their monthly periods. Proteins are very important in body repair and body building. Conversely, protein is needed by everybody in their lives and everyone must ensure that they consume some good amount of the proteins. However, proteins are categorized into different groups. The first category of protein is the animal protein. The next category of proteins is the plant proteins. The animal protein includes flesh. Flesh can either be red meat or white meat. White meat includes chicken and fish while red meat includes beef. It is prudent for one to consume a white meat than red meat. Red meat has very many health problems as compared to the white meat. The plant protein includes such foods as green grams and soya beans. On the other hand, fruits include things like banana, oranges and water melons. In conclusion, good health begins with a proper diet. Another important thing that one must consider is a number of the meals that they consume. The quantity should be proportionate as listed above.

Child Protection Task Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Child Protection Task - Essay Example sores, serious nappy rash and urine scalds, significant dental decay. Compromised standards of hygiene i.e. child consistently unwashed. Poverty-stricken complexion and hair texture. No adequate supervision for their age. Searching or stealing food and focus on basic survival. Extensive stays at school, public places and other homes. Longs for or erratically seeks adult affection. Rocking, sucking, head-banging. Poor school attendance (Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect). Signs in children due to physical abuse: Streak marks on face, head or neck, other staining marks depicting the shape of the object that caused it e.g. belt buckle, hand print etc. the child show drowsiness, vomiting, fits or pooling of blood in the eyes, suggesting that the physical abuse has resulted in head injury. Some may display adult bite marks and scratches and in severe conditions fractures of bones, dislocations, sprains, twisting, burns and scalds encompassing cigarette burns. In some conditions child may complain about the abdominal pain caused by broken internal organs, swallowing of poisonous substances, alcohol or other harmful drugs (Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect). Possible signs of sexual abuse depicted by the child: bruising or hemorrhage in the genital area, suffering from STD (sexually transmitted disease). In female child, bruising to breasts, buttocks, lower abdomen or thighs may be depicted. Child telling about the sexual acts, sexual knowledge shown by the child not appropriate for her age. Fear of going to bed and if going then with full clothes. Signs of bed wetting or soiling, showing changed behavior pattern of self destruction, attempting suicide, anorexia or over-eating, adolescent pregnancy, child not able to explain about the accumulation of money and gifts, enduring running away from home (Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect). Possible signs of psychological abuse: Any kind of abuse, gives a great impact on the psychology

The History Of The Conflict Perspective

The History Of The Conflict Perspective The conflict perspective is one of two major sociological theories. Also known as the conflict model, it gives sociologists explanations for happenings in history and in society.The conflict perspective was planned by Karl Marx (classical founders of social science) in the middle 1800s. It is totally based upon the work of Karl Marx even though there are many scholars who have contribute in developing this perspective. Marx believed that conflict defined the happenings of society. His conflict perspective believed that the class conflict and class exploitation as the major moving forces in history. This view was revived by C Wright Mills, Lewis Coser, Raymond Aron, Dahrendorf and others. They see a society as held together through the power of dominant groups or classes. C. Wright Millss views, (the founder of modern conflict theory) in social structures are created through conflict between people with differing interests and resources. Conflict Theory: Conflict theory generally surrounds the idea that most struggles in society happen because of conflicts between different social classes or groups. Each group struggles to achieve more resources and because resources are limited, they must struggle with other groups. Groups try to protect their own interests, therefore blocking the progress of other groups. Individuals have aggressive impulses and these impulses are expressed in all relationships. Litarature review Marxism: Karl Marx (1818-1883): as a humanist, Marx wanted all individuals to reach their full human potiential. He belived that capatilism was economic system design to keep power in the hands of the few ,the owner of the means of the production, while the masses were forced to abide by a social system created by the privileged.Marx believed that all of history is characterized by an economics struggle between the haves and the have-nots. Marx was attempting to combine material and ideal factors or structural and cultural factors, and to illustrate their mutual relationship. The importance that Marx placed on using the historical method reflects his evolutionary ideas about human society. He explained how humans separated themselves from animals once they consciously realized that they could produce their own means of subsistence, rather than depending on what nature provided. According to Marx, Class struggle became the next to be expected step in the historical process of human development. Marx stated that class distinctions are heavily influenced by the ownership of personal property. Marx believed that once the exploited became conscious of their plight and misery, they would unite in revolution. The new society would be characterized by communism which was to be the economic and philosophical force that would remove class struggle. Marxs primary ideas of communism are described in the communist manifesto (1848), co written by Marx and Engels. In brief, Marx and Engels believed that the world would be a better place under communism. They believed that class inequality would end with the collective control of property and with the growth in size and power of the working class. The governmental abuse of workers would end with the take apart of government.  [i]   Max Weber (1864-1920): Weber agreed with Marx that ecnomics was an important variable in determining power differential among individuals in society. However, he believed that social divisions were based on two other factors as well: social status and political influence. Weber believed that someone how possesses a great deal of social status and yet is economically poor can still hold power in society. Additionally, Weber argued that social group would identify themselves not merely according to wealth, but more deeply by ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and by shared styles of life'. Weber belived that conflict underlies all social relations and determines power. The control of power is a critical element in conflict theory and power is a central aspect in Webers work on the types of athurity. According to weber, the distribution of power and athority is the basis of social conflict.  [ii]   Elite Conflict Theory (C. Wright Mills): (1916-1962) Like other cflict theoritists, Mills were deeply influenced by the idea of Karl Marx. Political power and class differences were the focus of Mills publications. Mills wrote that the working class is not a revolutionary class capeable of overthrowing capitalism. He did not believe that the rank-and-file workers were a militant force, and that they were more concerned with basic daily issues then with seeking loftier goals. Furthermore, Mills concluded that labor leader did not work in the best intrest of worker and were instead coopted by business and government. He believed that the lack of leadership, the working class could never become a revoluntary force. Power: Power is the critical element of analysis for all conflict theorists. Mills (1958b) described three types of power: Authority: Power that is justified by the beliefs of the voluntarily obedient. Manipulation: Power that is wielded unbeknownst to the powerless. Coercion: The final form of power is where the powerless are forced to obey the powerful. Mills acknowledge that in the modern era, power is more likely to be authoritarian. And yet, the reality remains that most people will always be relatively powerless. The power elite: Mills says about the power elite that the power elite is composed of men whose position enable them to transcend the ordinary environments of ordinary men and women; they are in position to make decision having major consequences. Mills (1958b) explain the unity of the power of elite in psychological and economic terms. The members of the elite generally share a similar origin, education and life style, and because of their similar social type, they easily mix together. Additionally, they are the society elite so they share economic goals. Mills acknowledge that the power elite were not solitary rulers. From the Marxist perspective, Mills felt that the people were subjected to, the will of the bourgeoisie. History has shown that when extreme conservatism is meet with a dramatically change society, conflict is inevitable.  [iii]   Parsonian Conflict Theory (Dahrendorf): (1929) Dahrendorf 1959 believed that sociological theories should be divided into two parts: those that concentrate on issues of consensus and those that concentrate on issues of conflict. Dahrendorf believed that conflict and consensus are both evident in any society. In fact, there cannot be conflict unless some degree of consensus has already been established. When a consensus has been reached, conflict disappears, temporarily. Dahrendrof 1959:162 refer his conflict theory as the coercion theory of society which can be reduced to a small number of basic tents: Every society is at every point subject to processes of change, social change is ever-present. Every society displays at every point dissensus and conflict; conflict is ubiquitous. Every element in a society cause to be contributions its disintegration and change. Every society is based on the coercion of some of its members by other. Dahrendorr believed that power implies the coercion of some by others but recognize that in organization and associations, the power held by certain persons is lawful authority. In making a distinctions from Marx, however, Dahrendrof suggest that authority is not bound by property rights and therefore believed that class conflict is best seen as arising out of a dispute over the distribution of authority in a given authority structure.  [iv]   Conflict theory of Randall Collins: (1941) Conflict theory generally emphasizes the role of power that one group, or person. Kemper and Collins (1990) argue that power and status are fundamental relational dimensions at the micro level of social interaction and perhaps at the macro level as well. Collins (1975) assumed that there are certain goods, namely, wealth, power, and prestige that people in all societies will pursue. Furthuremore, all people dislike being ordered around and will therefore that what they can to avoid the subordinate role. Thus, conflict is inevitbale, for everyone is in pursuit of scarce resources and the roles related to these desired resources. Collins (1975b) concluded that coercion and the ability to forceothers to behave a certain way are the primary basis of conflict. Collins developed five principles of conflict analyses (Ritzier, 2000c:130); Conflict theory must focus on real life rather than abstract formulation. Material arrangement effect interaction. . In some situation of inequality between persons, those who possess the power position generally attempt to exploit those who back resources. The role of culture phenomena, such as beliefs, values, and norms believe must be examined in term of their interest, resources and power. There must a firm commitment to the scientific study of stratification and every other aspect of the social world. In his conflict theory, it is clear that Collins focus on individuals and their inner struggles reveals a micro orientation.Collins believed that sociological research should be aimed at solving concrete problems in the world.  [v]   Feminist conflict theory: Conflict theory has been used by feminists to explain the position of women in society. Feminist conflict theorists argue that women have traditionally been demoralized so that men can benefit from positions of power, wealth, and status. These theorists would argue that the conflict over limited natural resources is what led men to relegate women to domesticity. This interpretation of conflict theory also leads to the idea that men cannot be trusted to give power to women because this gift would conflict with their inherent nature.  [vi]   Conclusion: So it concluded that mans struggle for power, be it family or work place, play group or politics, man wants to achieve the higher and authoritative position. It starts from personal level to national level. There are various groups and communities of people in society belonging to different classes, religions, and ideologies. All of them have different perspectives and values. The clash between these various perspectives leads to conflict between these groups. This conflict can arise from the desire to own the means of production, to own the power or land, or to own the realm of political power, and can be revolutionary. Under the conflict perspective we can say that the basic form of interaction in society is not cooperation, but competition, and this leads to conflict. Because the individuals and groups of society compete for advantage, there is constantly conflict for change. When there are large groups competing the outcome are often major social change. So conflict perspective i s all about the differences between social groups in the society.  [vii]  

SHALL WE DANCE ? LIFE AS A DANCE FLOOR? :: essays research papers

You expect a ‘comedy’ to tickle your funny bone so you can walk out chuckling. Yes, Shall We Dance does raise laughs. But - it also raises some interesting questions. The DVD says it’s ‘A New Comedy About Following Your Own Lead’ and a pun like that is bound to appeal to the individualistic age we are supposed to be living in. It does indeed – and yet, what is happiness and contentment? Is it a lovely, loving and loved spouse and all the trappings of a comfortable settled life? Can there be a sense of incompleteness in spite of having ‘everything’? Is that then ingratitude? Should one be allowed to pursue individual goals? At what cost? John (Richard Gere) and Beverly (Susan Sarandon) Clark are comfortably married. They have two children, and he a good job as a lawyer. Yet, he is not ‘happy’. He fills the void in his life by impulsively shooting out of his commuter train seat up the stairs of Miss Mitzi’s Dance School after being captivated by Paulina (Jennifer Lopez) gazing out of the school window. A clumsy, shy, reluctant dancer at first, he taps a hidden side to his personality and blossoms into an accomplished ballroom dancer. All very well, except none of his family is aware of this chrysalis bursting open in this way. In roughly one hour and forty-five minutes, the film turns all expectations and predictability on their respective heads. With all the action building up towards the climactic Chicago Tattinger Trophy who could blame you for expecting a neatly wrapped package at that point: Clark rewarded for his accomplishment, all revealed and settled? But - it is its aftermath that has much to say. Yes, there is dance as the mating ritual. Bobbie (Lisa Ann Walter), earthy, vivacious, loud, generous-hearted, is disappointed at Clark’s treatment of Rumba, â€Å"the dance of love†. Paulina with her smouldering, controlled, Latino (stereotypical?) passion sets him straight. Yes, there is the hinted sexual attraction, even tension. But - there are also the bonds forged of friendship, camaraderie and candour. Life and people are given a direction by and through dance. John Clark is able to put his life in perspective, while Paulina unearths a lost spirit to chase her dreams. Beverly, a â⠂¬Å"romantic† with her sense of romance probably buried under the laundry, jackets at the apparel division where she works and the whims of two teenage children, is very understandably miffed but finds her feet again – and how!