Harry Potter and the Canterbury Tales

This was a short response written for a Humanities course so when I say 'we' I am referring to what was talked about in class. If you are familiar with the Canterbury Tales then you should understand what I am talking about. Although I have realized that the word limit forced me to condense a lot and so this might be hard to follow my train of thought. 

Recently, I was watching all of the Harry Potter movies when I noticed something quite similar between Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, specifically in The Pardoners’ Tale.

 The Deathly Hallows Part 1 follows Harry as he leaves school for the first time and sets out in pursuit of the knowledge needed to defeat Voldemort, and ultimately death. I saw Harry’s journey as very similar to that of a pilgrimage, although he is not on this journey because he sinned, he is doing it for life. In analyzing the Canterbury Tales we talked about a pilgrimage being like a road, a metaphor for life. The pilgrims are on their journey to repent for their sins and to find knowledge, much like Harry is on his journey to find knowledge and this is his journey to adulthood, to find life.

We also talked about human suffering being a result of human sin, and this directly applies to Voldemort, whom has ‘sinned’ multiple times not only with murder and torture, but also by cheating death. By this time in the film series you have learned much of Voldemorts past and you know that he suffered as a young child. In Deathly Hallows you can see the transformation this has caused him, he only cares for complete power and the ability to exact revenge on those who caused him to suffer. The Deathly Hallows film focuses a lot on death, and the consequences that can lead one to death, most importantly greed.

This is very similar to the tale that the Pardoner tells. And this is seen most clearly in “The Tale of Three Brothers” scene. The tale, read to Harry in the Deathly Hallows film, shows him what he must do to defeat Voldemort but it also shows him what the consequences would be if he were to choose the wrong path. When the three brothers are approached by Death they each have to make a decision and which decision, or ‘path’, they take will determine their fate. Two of the brothers act on greed and are later taken by Death, but the third brother who takes a different path lives a long life.

In basic terms the decision is black or white, good or bad, and it is very similar to the decisions Harry has to make, and it is much like choosing a path on the road of life. That decision determines what kind of person you are and what your fate will be. In being forced to make these decisions the three brothers and Harry are similarly on the same journey of self-discovery that the pilgrims are on. In the Pardoners’ Tale the three friends are all taken by Death because of their greed for wealth and power, just as two of the brothers from “The Tale of Three Brothers” are overcome with greed. This is also Voldemort’s downfall, his thirst for power and for greed lead to his death.

The themes presented in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, mainly The Pardoners’ Tale, are the same themes in the storyline of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, interwoven between Harry, Voldemort, and the three brothers. 

Brokeback Beliefs Deconstructed

A brief essay on the ideological values of the film Brokeback Mountain, directed by Ang Lee. This is strictly my own opinions and I am quite aware that I have left a great deal out of this essay.

In the film Brokeback Mountain (2005), directed by Ang Lee, the ideological beliefs of the viewer are deconstructed. Firstly, the image of a functional heterosexual family devolves into a marriage full of anger and misery. Secondly, the idea of a homosexual male being “manly”, which is not often portrayed, shows the viewer that being homosexual does not diminish a man’s strength. Both of these ideals, the common American belief, are taken apart to create a film in which acceptance of homosexuality destroys the happiness of not only the men involved, but also the people around them.

The image of the happy, heterosexual relationship is deconstructed and the audience is presented with violence and misery. The relationship between Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Alma (Michelle Williams) is seen as very dysfunctional. Jack’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) marriage to Lureen (Anne Hathaway) is portrayed in the same way. Both marriages are constantly overshadowed by the threat of violence, either from Ennis, or from Lureen’s father. The image of the perfect American family is taken apart in the way that wife and husband communicate with each other and also by their surroundings. Both Jack and Ennis are subjected to unhappiness because of societies image of the perfect family: “And for the rest of their lives, unhappily married with children.” (Bradshaw) When Jack and Ennis are on the mountain, vivid colours and vast landscapes of Brokeback surround them. Compared to the colourless surroundings at their respective homes, it is clear that their homosexual relations are much more fulfilling than their heterosexual ones. When Alma discovers her husband’s relationship with Jack the marriage begins to fall apart; “[Alma] has a powerful scene where she finally calls Ennis on his “fishing trips.” But she takes a long time to do that, because nothing in her background prepares her for what she has found out about her husband.” (Ebert) The knowledge that she has is what ultimately destroys their marriage, and leads to multiple arguments in which either Jack or Alma walk away from the situation. The ideology of a heterosexual relationship being the only one acceptable is seen vividly in how after his marriage has ended, Jack pursues another woman. Even though this makes him unhappy he continues with it because society has made him believe it is what is right.

Another ideology that is deconstructed in this film is the image of the homosexual male. This male is often portrayed as a feminine character, but this is not the case for Jack and Ennis. These characters are both seen as the “bread maker” of their families. Alma tells Jack that she would be willing to have more children if he would support them. When he drops his two daughters off at the grocery store his job is also portrayed as more important then Alma’s. Jack is also portrayed as manly when he is seen riding the bulls. The viewer sees both Jack and Ennis as strong men, Jack when he participates in the bull riding, and Ennis when he is working construction in which one of the workers replays a conversation he had about the work being hard on his back. Even the beginning of their relationship is not given the average love and passion that is seen in that of one between a man and woman; “The consummation of their relationship is a brief, violent, loveless episode that over their first summer together becomes an idyll of half-naked wrestling, nuzzling by the campfire and fistfights that inevitably end in an embrace.” (Hornaday) This further increases their “manly” image because even when they care for each other they do physical damage to each other and their consummation is raw and without passion. Their violence asserts their power as men and creates the image of what society would describe as normal men.

            The ideologies portrayed in this film are the downfall of the characters happiness. Neither Jack nor Ennis are happy in their marriages because they can’t be together. This unhappiness affects all the ones around them. Alma and Lureen are both left miserable because they know that their husbands don’t love them. And the children are left without their biological fathers. Even Lureen’s father is miserable, which he expresses with anger, because he wants better for his daughter, and he believes that Jack’s homosexuality is a bad thing. Ennis’ impassionate relationship causes misery for Alma when they are married and after they get divorced. Her knowledge of his relationship with Jack, and her disapproval of it, makes her miserable because she cannot accept it. These ideologies are what create the misery and loneliness of the film. This deconstruction makes the viewer rethink the issue of homosexuality as a stigma.

            Brokeback Mountain deconstructs two main ideologies in American society, first that the perfect family consists of a man and woman, and secondly that homosexuals cannot be “manly”. The film also portrays an image in which these ideologies can destroy a person’s life and their happiness. 

Bibliography

Bradshaw, Peter. Brokeback Mountain. 6 1 2006. 1 12 2012 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2006/jan/06/3>.

Brokeback Mountain. Dir. Ang Lee. Perf. Jake Gyllenhaal Heath Ledger. 2005.

Ebert, Roger. Brokeback Mountain. 16 12 2005. 2 12 2012

<http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051215/REVIEWS/51019006/1023>.

Hornaday, Ann. Lost in Love's Rocky Terrain. 15 12 2012. 5 12 2012 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/15/AR2005121502059.html>.

An Analysis of Three Stanley Kubrick Films

This essay was for a final assignment in my Film Criticism and Theory course. It is one piece of work that I am extremely proud of and something that I put a lot of time researching into to. This is also my opinion and my interpretation of these three films. While I know there are plenty of other Kubrick films that I could have written about, the requirement of the essay was to pinpoint three films that we wished to talk about.

            The American society has suffered a great deal due to its strong history of violence. This violence can be closely correlated to male dominance and the repression of women. Many filmmakers have tried to express this bankruptcy of society in the films they create. None have managed to achieve this so explicitly as Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick intertwines thematic, stylistic, and ideological features to create visionary masterpieces that directly reflect the state of American society. This is best shown through three of his films, A Clockwork Orange (1971), The Shining (1980), and Full Metal Jacket (1987). Thematically, he often creates visions of dehumanization to express the violent history of America. Kubrick also produces a satiric image of violence within the family, as well as within society. Stylistically, he often repeats similar shots and uses different lenses and angles to portray male dominance. The techniques that Kubrick uses also contribute to the dehumanization of the characters. Ideologically, he plays off of the American dream, as well as trust in society, and the image of the perfect family. He exaggerates a lot of these ideals to further emphasize the part that male dominance and violence have in the downfall of American society.

            In many of Kubrick’s films he uses a combination of satirical and violent themes to reflect American society. He also dehumanizes his characters to illustrate how society has been affected by America’s history of violence. In the film A Clockwork Orange the viewer sees Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell), as the victim of society.  He is portrayed in a way that makes his violence seem almost humorous; this expresses Kubrick’s desire for this to be seen as satire. In a review by Roger Ebert he says that, “He [Kubrick] actually seems to be implying something simpler and more frightening: that in a world where society is criminal, the citizen might as well be a criminal, too.” (Ebert). This aptly describes Alex’s role in society within the film, but it also shows that Kubrick wanted the violence done by the character to be compared with that of societies violence. In another review written by Vincent Canby, he describes the film as a satire based on a society. Kubrick was subtly showing how American society became bankrupt because of itself, and it’s history.  In the same review Canby states: “It seems to me that by describing horror with such elegance and beauty, Kubrick has created a very disorienting but human comedy, not warm and lovable, but a terrible sum-up of where the world is at.” (Canby, ‘A Clockwork Orange’). The humor that Kubrick creates with this film makes it a satire, especially because it can be easily viewed as a microcosm to American society. It also criticizes in a violent, yet humorous way.

            This combination of violence and satire can also be seen in the film The Shining. Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) is portrayed as a violent man but he also introduces sarcasm and humor into the film. “Mr. Nicholson is also devilishly funny, from his sarcastic edge at the film’s beginning to his cry of ‘Heeere’s Johnny!’ as he chops down a bathroom door to get to Miss Duvall [Wendy Torrance].” (Maslin). The violence that Jack possesses is aimed at his family, but is simply a manifestation of America’s history of violence. The Overlook hotel is built on an ancient Indian burial ground, which is the cause of its violent past. While Jack’s violence is solely directed at his family, it is also a reflection of the violence within American society itself.

            Full Metal Jacket is also a good example of Kubrick’s use of satire to express the violence of American history and its effect on society. The training that the Marines go through can be directly associated to the effect that violence has had on society. Web Gazette LLP states, in a review: “Kubrick brilliantly shows the dehumanizing effect of both Marine Corps training and war on a soldier as the rough treatment turns most of them into killing machines.” (Web Gazette LLP). The degrading training that the Marines go through turns them into ‘killing machines’, and the war desensitizes them to violence. It can also be said that Pyle’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) death symbolizes the bankruptcy of American society. Kubrick also introduces humor during the second half of the film with Private Joker (Matthew Modine). Not only is the character named Joker, but he also wars a peace symbol on his Marine Corps uniform and has “Born to Kill” written across his helmet. This is not only satirical, but it is also ironic. They want peace and their solution is to kill. These portrayals of dehumanization and violence, as well as the use of satire, are a direct reflection of the collapse of American society due to violence.

            Stylistically, Kubrick uses many different techniques to portray the bankruptcy of American society. These techniques generally focus on male dominance and repression of women, and incorporate the violence and dehumanization of the characters and of society. Kubrick often uses a wide-angle lens in A Clockwork Orange with Alex as the center focus. This distorts what is behind him and makes it appear as if he is the normal one; “this encourages us to see the world as Alex does, as a crazy house of weird people out to get him.” (Ebert). While it is true that Alex is the one responsible for the multiple attacks on random people, Kubrick wants you to believe that really isn’t his fault. The use of the wide-angle lens forces you to view Alex as the victim of society. The editing of the film also considerably contributes to this image. In a review by James Berardinelli, he states: “There are no abrupt or jagged transitions, and the director’s penchant for long, unbroken takes is in evidence.” (Berardinelli, A Clockwork Orange). The narrative of the film is told from Alex’s perspective. The smooth flow of shots and sequencing demonstrates that his mind is not twisted or ill and that he is fact normal, while society is the one that has become warped.

            Kubrick’s solid stylistic techniques can also be seen in The Shining. The combination of title cards and mise-en-scène create an atmosphere that portrays Jack, and the Overlook, as the effect that the bankruptcy of society has had. It also promotes male dominance and stresses the dehumanization that violence is capable of. Reviewer James Berardinelli writes that; “The combination of unimpeachable set design, perfect shot selection, long tracking shots, and impeccable score (comprised primarily of a selection of classical pieces) creates an atmosphere in which suspense and dread ferment.” (Berardinelli, The Shining). The atmosphere in which the film is presented imitates American society. It also imitates societies history of violence and the repression of women. These three things combined create a very dark image of what Kubrick believes society to have become. The use of title cards also refer to the collapse of society as well as the repetitiousness that is seen in daily life and even more so in the American military. “The early cards refer to mere moments…and then turn into a reference to time…Then Kubrick whittles it down to individual days…which show how repetitious and demanding this life has become to Jack.” (Perry). The repetition that Jack is faced with is also present in the lives of your average employee and in some cases this can lead to violence. This also connects to the repetition and precision that is seen in the military, which attaches the repetition in the film to violence. It also dehumanizes Jack because he is no longer seen as an individual but part of the repetition that is his job. The title cards and mise-en-scène in this film promote the image of a bankrupt American society, as well as indirectly forging a connection to its history of violence.

            America’s history of violence is front and center in the film Full Metal Jacket. The Marines themselves symbolize America; “Sometimes the characters come alive, other times they seem like so many props for Kubrick’s smoldering landscapes and tracking camera movements.” (Howe). Kubrick uses the Marines to show how violence has affected American society. The further they delve into their violent natures to complete the tasks they must to survive, the further they lose their humanity and become a part of the landscape. Everything was meticulously put together to create this representation: “Kubrick has layered sound and image leaving no shot, click or segue to chance.” (Howe). Everything from angles to sound is used to effectively to contribute to Kubrick’s interpretation of American society.

            Kubrick also incorporates ideologies into his films. He often exaggerates male dominance and repression of women to satirize it. The idea of the ‘American Dream’ is also integrated into the films to show how selfishness and the need to suppress others can go horribly wrong. A Clockwork Orange encompasses these ideas into a satirical story of violence and oppression. According to Ebert this film is an “ideological mess, a paranoid right-wing fantasy masquerading as an Orwellian warning. It pretends to oppose the police state and forced mind control, but all it really does is celebrate the nastiness of its hero, Alex.” (Ebert). This film does both of these things; it does oppose the police state, and ultimately government control over society. And it also manages to celebrate the ‘nastiness’ of Alex in a way that portrays him as the fighting force against the ideologies of society. When Alex succumbs to societal pressure and allows himself to be suppressed by the government via the Ludovico Technique the consequences are much worse then he could have predicted. Alex’s image rejects the idea of the American Dream, which depicts him as the only normalcy in a world full of people fighting for the ‘perfect’ life. “A Clockwork Orange is about the rise and fall and rise of Alex in a world that is only slightly less dreadful than he is – parents, policemen, doctors and politicians are all either evil, opportunistic or simpleminded.” (Berardinelli, A Clockwork Orange). The aspiration for the American Dream and the ‘perfect’ life has all driven these people to become worse then the crimes that Alex commits. This blatant rejection of these ideologies is encompassed in the way they are portrayed in the film.

            The Shining delves into the repression of women and male dominance. The portrayal of a family where the male is the sole contributor is expressed and then satirized. Berardinelli describes Wendy (Shelley Duvall) as the “kind of meek wife who follows her husband’s lead and never makes waves.” (Berardinelli, The Shining). She is the image of the perfect American wife who does her husband bidding and presents no struggle against Jack’s demands. This submission also reflects societies resistance to dissolve the ideal of male dominance. Throughout the first half of this film this is how Wendy is seen, until the turning point in which the female becomes the stronger part of the relationship. This turning point is symbolized when Jack enters room 237; “And his father [Jack], as the camera tracks slowly into the room in a frenzy of anticipation, is confronted by one of Mr. Kubrick’s most heart-stopping inventions, an image halfway between eroticism and terror.” (Maslin). This image transforms the viewer’s image of women from one of beauty and submission, to one of terror and authority. Kubrick satirizes this image to further reject the idea of male dominance. The viewer is not only disgusted by the change from beauty to eroticism, but the viewer also finds it somewhat amusing.

            The same thing is seen in Full Metal Jacket. The image of women is first presented as an object that men are meant to control. “They sleep with their rifles, to which they’ve been ordered to give girls’ names.” (Canby, ‘Full Metal Jacket’). The Marines also objectify women when they are in Vietnam and purchase one of the native women for sexual purposes. Throughout this film the idea of male dominance is prominent until the very end when a female sniper kills many of the Marines. The death of these Marines also symbolizes the American Dream gone wrong. They joined the Marine Corps, which in many minds is the most patriotic thing you can do for your country. This patriotic action lead them to their dehumanization as well as further strengthened their ideals of male dominance. Furthermore, their trust in the government leads them to believe that this violence and repression is what society needs to accomplish peace. When the sniper murders the Marines, this ideal is abolished; they are punished for the repression of woman.

           

            The combination of thematic, stylistic, and ideological features in Kubrick’s films very evidently reflect American society. More specifically, they present a bankrupt society that has been torn apart by a history of violence and repression of women. The satirical way that these features are presented portrays a world in which dehumanization is caused by violence and vice versa. Kubrick also plays off of the idea of the American Dream, and his portrayal of how the desperation of people to achieve this leads to violence. In the films A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket Kubrick effectively reflects the current state of American society and the reason behind its bankruptcy.

Bibliography

A Clockwork Orange. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Perf. Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee. 1971. Warner Bros., 2000. DVD.

Berardinelli, James. "A Clockwork Orange." Reelviews. 5 12 2012 <http:// www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=1480>.

—. "The Shining." 18 February 2009. Reelviews . 17 October 2012 <http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=1482>.

Canby, Vincent. "'A Clockwork Orange': Disorienting But Human Comedy." 9 January 1972. The New York Times . 16 October 2012 <http://www.nytimes.com /library/film/010972kubrick-orange.html>.

—. "Kubrick's 'Full Metal Jacket,' on Vietnam." 26 June 1987. The New York Times. 16 October 2012 <http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/062687kubrick-jacket.html>.

Ebert, Roger. "A Clockwork Orange." 11 February 1972. Roger Ebert Movie Reviews. Chicago Sun-Times. 16 October 2012 <http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/

pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19720211/REVIEWS/202110301/1023>.

Full Metal Jacket. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Perf. Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D'Onofrio. 1987. Warner Bros., 2007. DVD.

Howe, Desson. "'Full Metal Jacket'." 26 June 1987. Washington Post. 16 October 2012 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/

videos/fullmetaljacketrhowe_a0b0d0.htm>.

Maslin, Janet. "Nicholson and Shelley Duval in Kubrick's 'The Shining'." 23 May 1980. The New York Times. 16 October 2012 <http://www.nytimes.com/

1980/05/23/movies/052380shining.html>.

Perry, David. "The Shining." Vers. 3.43. Cinema Scene. 6 12 2012 <http://www. cinema-scene.com/archive/03/43.html#Shining>.

The Shining. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Perf. Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd. 1980. Warner Bros., 2001. DVD.

Web Gazette LLP. "Full Metal Jacket." Movie Gazette. 6 12 2012 <http://movie-gazette.com/15867/full-metal-jacket>.