Carpe Diem!

In a world in which we are reminded everyday of the importance of success, it becomes easy to feel consumed by pressure.  We want to impress our parents, make our teachers proud, and live up to the standards for which we hold ourselves, but often this pressure forces us to take action based on what we think we ought to do versus what we actually desire.  Our lives become routine, allowing us to forget that each day is an opportunity to achieve something great.

This idea of "Carpe Diem," or seizing the day, is the main tagline of Peter Weir's 1989 film Dead Poets Society.  Starring Robin Williams, this film offers countless ideas of how people can and should seek out opportunities that benefit their needs instead of trying to make others happy.  

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At an all boys prep school bursting with future Ivy Leaguers, Williams plays eccentric English teacher Mr. John Keating, who appears in stark contrast to the rest of the teaching staff.  From the first day of school Keating proves that he is not like other teachers.  He whistles war tunes and recites poetry and is clearly not afraid to criticize scholarly works with which he does not agree.  Where the majority of other classes begin with a boring lecture followed by a lengthy assignment, Keating takes his students outside of the classroom to remind them that they have the power to change the world. 

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Keating's classes soon become popular, as they become a place where the boys are allowed to explore their individuality and creativity.  Keating encourages behavior from his students which is unacceptable in any other classroom.  He has them stand on desks, yell verses of poetry at the top of their lungs, and tear pages out of textbooks, all in the attempt to get the students to become comfortable with thinking for themselves.  As they develop a habit of this, the boys begin to explore their interests without worrying about parental approval.  

In addition to these attempts to seize the day, the boys start up an old club, The Dead Poets Society, which Keating himself was a part of back in high school.  The Dead Poets Society meetings, held in secret, allow the boys to recite poetry they find convincing, drink and smoke without fear of being caught, and hang out with girls.  As the meetings progress, so do the boys' desire to find and do something meaningful.  However, the rest of the staff do not appreciate the free thinkers Keating has created, and begin to enact consequences on both parties.

As the struggle between the school's authority and the students continues, the film forces us to think about the struggle it sometimes takes to be free thinking individuals.  The majority of Keating's scenes are convincing in that they make us as viewers want to take control and seize our own lives. 

What this film lacks in visual grandeur, it makes up for in dialogue and message, as Keating's prolific lessons instill in the audience not only the desire, but the necessity to find meaning within the world.   Dead Poets Society stresses the importance of thinking creatively and not letting the pressures of authority hinder any opportunity to seize the day. 

Just How Good Are The Bad Guys?

As I explored in a previous post, gangster films have a way of captivating us because they depict a world so different than the lifestyle that everyday people live.  These films allow us to explore a world in which lying, gambling, stealing, and cheating are a natural way to obtain what everyone wants:  to live the high life.

Martin Scorsese's 1990 film Goodfellas is one of the most iconic gangster films of the 20th century, falling short only to The Godfather.  Goodfellas gives us everything we need from a gangster movie including the action, the humor, and the deception that comes with thinking that this type of lifestyle is feasible to keep up.

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The movie's protagonist, Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), has shared this captivation with a life in organized crime since his childhood, and as a teenager is taken under the wing of Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Paulie Cicero (Paul Sorvino).  From his first schemes selling stolen cigarettes, Henry learns more and more about the business of organized crime and begins to lure others into his lifestyle.  When Henry marries his fiance Karen, he opens the door to his undercover world, effectively employing her as a mob wife.  Karen too becomes comfortable with the lifestyle she and Henry are able to live, residing in a big house with the latest clothes and other luxuries, practically invincible to authority.

Through Henry's naivety, Scorsese creates an illusion of safety brought on by the mob world, fooling the characters and the audience into thinking that loyalty to the family is enough to keep everyone out of trouble.  In a way, this film glamorizes the mob by demonstrating the benefits to its members, while maintaining an air of greasy charm.

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However the nature of the supporting characters serves as a reminder that most of these gangsters are simply hotheaded, impulsive criminals that do not use rational thinking for many of their actions.  In fact, one of Henry's best friends within the family, Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) ends up killing a man in a bar fight due to a petty insult.  This, in addition to the killings, robberies, and corruption keep the viewer's mind on the fact that the actions of the characters are by no means legal or ethical.  But they do make for good entertainment, loading the film with action to balance out the scenes depicting the mundane activities of everyday gangster life.

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The movie's characters allow us to analyze multiple sides of the mob, providing a balance between the allure of luxury and security and the price at which it is obtained.  Henry's wife shows signs of being scared of the trouble her new husband is a part of, but quickly realizes that the action and drama make for an exciting life.  Henry on the other hand cannot seem to find the problem with being involved with the "bad crowd" and Goodfellas shows us the toll this takes on both his professional relationships and his family's wellbeing.

Scorsese captures the essence of the film best in one of the last scenes in which Henry frantically tries to avoid a drug bust all the while making the family recipe for spaghetti sauce.  In this moment, the film achieves its goal of building up and breaking down the glamor associated with the gangster genre by giving us characters that fail time and time again to convince both themselves and the audience that they are acting for the greater good.

Why So Serious?

Since their inception, superhero stories have generated passionate fans.  Not only does the action make for good entertainment, but the concept of a superhero is also reassuring to audiences.  The idea that someone could use special powers to bring about justice is comforting in that often we as normal citizens feel powerless in too many situations.

Christopher Nolan's 2008 film The Dark Knight, depicts Batman as a hero who although does not technically have superpowers, still has the means to bring about justice for the city of Gotham. Following Nolan's 2005 film Batman Begins, The Dark Knight picks up Batman's story as he must defeat the infamous Joker while maintaining his secret identity as Bruce Wayne.

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However, the thing that makes The Dark Knight so appealing to viewers lies less in the idea of good conquering evil because let's face it—would you expect anything else from a superhero movie? Rather, this film puts a heavy focus on outlining the psychology behind good versus evil.  Although Batman's character means well, he, like any good hero, has plenty of flaws that make Bruce Wayne/Batman a complex character, especially as his city declares him a vigilante rather than the hero he is trying to be.  

Similarly, Harvey Dent, an acquaintance of Bruce Wayne's, displays this complexity through his actions as the District Attorney of Gotham.  Dent rises to fame as a hero as he rounds up many the notorious criminals that plague the city.  As Dent becomes known as a "White Knight" to the city, it appears that his sole purpose is enforcing justice.  However, this film shows the relative ease with which people change their motives.  In the case of Harvey Dent, the loss of his love interest, a burn across half his face, and an encounter with the Joker are enough to turn this once "White Knight" into the villain Two-Face who seeks revenge rather than justice.

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While characters like Batman and Two-Face are intriguing because of their complexity, easily the most interesting character of the film is the Joker.  From the beginning of the movie it is clear that the Joker does not play by the rules.  Right off the bat, this lends the film to an unpredictable character in opposition with our hero.  This unwillingness to play by anyone's rules other than his own creates a character that is both maniacal and clever, oddly demanding respect for this villain.  While the Joker is the obvious bad guy, it is hard not to be impressed with the amount of chaos he able to conjure up. The Joker plays countless mind games on the police, civilians, and even those who work for him, acting as though he makes things up as he goes, but proving that each move has been carefully thought out.

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While the Joker's character alone is interesting enough, Heath Ledger does a brilliant portrayal, complete with the iconic maniacal laughter that accompanies many of his most intense scenes.  The Academy celebrated Ledger's performance by awarding him with the Oscar for Best Performance of an Actor in a Supporting Role posthumously.

The actions of the Joker allow The Dark Knight to put an emphasis on the psychology behind a supervillain in contrast to that of a superhero.  Interestingly enough, both parties are willing to take responsibility for the harm caused to their city, but for different reasons.  While the Joker thrives off the chaos, Batman recognizes that the people need someone to blame and is willing to be that figure if it means bringing justice in the end.

And the Oscar Goes To...

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably heard that Leonardo DiCaprio finally won a long awaited Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role at Sunday's 88th Academy Awards.  Along with the rest of the Internet celebrating what seems like an award two decades overdue, it only seemed fair to dedicate this post to one of Leo's more powerful, yet lesser known films.

Scott Kalvert's The Basketball Diaries (1995) depicts DiCaprio as high school basketball star Jim
Carroll.  Based on the real Carroll's autobiography of the same name, The Basketball Diaries tells the story of Jim's fall from star player on an unbeatable team to heroine junkie living on the streets.

Jim, who attends a Catholic school in New York City, has the talent to make a career out of his sport after he graduates.  However, after Jim's best friend loses his battle with cancer, Jim spirals into depression that leads to drinking away the pain of such a loss.  Jim and his friends, including a boy named Mickey (played by Mark Wahlberg) simply view their coping as a way to have fun and also begin to dabble in drugs, eventually trying heroine.  Through the voice over narration, we see Jim's addiction growing stronger despite his claims that he could "stop anytime he wanted."

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Eventually things spiral out of control; Jim stops going to school so he can get high and is kicked out of his home by a mother that refuses to support a junkie.  Life on the streets forces Jim to fend for himself by stealing, mugging, and even prostituting himself in order to avoid starving to death and allow him to feed his addiction.

The story takes a heart wrenching tole on the viewer, as Leo himself was only eighteen during the movie's filming.  Actually being as young as the character he is playing allows the audience to truly observe the loss of innocence that Jim's character experiences as he feeds his addiction through any means necessary.  In a heart breaking scene, we see Jim beg for his mother to forgive him, when in all actuality he only needs money to keep him out of trouble.


At this moment we remember just how young Jim actually is, and it seems both unfair and wrong that he allowed himself to be put in such a situation.  The movie sheds a light on the horrors of drug addiction, portrayed most effectively through DiCaprio's acting in which the authenticity brings such a powerful message to the screen.

Despite the lack of popularity that The Basketball Diaries earned versus many of DiCaprio's other films, in my opinion it is one of his most commendable performances because of the power behind it. As we see how pathetic Jim's actions become, we implore him to get clean so as to avoid the misery he keeps putting himself through.  DiCaprio's acting through these tough to watch scenes are what make the movie so effective, as it is obvious that he really is just a kid. This power leaves a lasting impression on the viewer, as it sheds light on the cruelties of the world, but also reminds us that there is always hope when the outlook is bleak.