I have been so busy with school work the last couple of weeks. I just haven't had as much time as I would like to write all my blogs. This is what I get for taking 3 English classes in a semester. Lots of reading and writing. I do love them especially my film class.
I took my first History test today, and I did not do well. I know it. UGH! Some of the questions were super easy, but then many of them were very obscure. The best part was the ones that contradicted themselves. Like what is NOT a way this happened and all the answers were wrong and then we got a all of the above were ways. HUH?! Everyone looked stressed and worried so we shall see. I am so screwed as I have to take four classes to graduate and I only took four. I can't add a new class as it's way too late, and I can't drop. I guess I'm going to have to really buckle down for this class. I know I haven't received my grade yet, but I already checked some of the ones I remembered and it's not looking that great.
On a happier note, I am totally acing all my English classes. That makes me very happy. I had to read the Great Gatsby and watch Jane Campion's The Piano. I will say I liked the Great Gatsby, but I was finding it a bit hard to keep up with the changes of the narrator. Some parts became a little confusing as to what was going on, but overall I do see many parallels of the Jazz period to our own. I guess each generation thinks the world is going to hell in a hand basket. The moral decay of society, the materialism, and extreme consumption. We always think some parts of the country are more tainted than others. I would like to read Tender is the Night soon.
I am taking a film class called Three Female Directors. This is a very interesting class as there aren't many female directors in Hollywood. I never knew about Dorothy Arzner was the first Hollywood female director to make sound movies. There were a few female directors who made silent movies, but Arzner directed both silent and sound movies. She was the only one at the time. Our other main discussion is about "the look". In other words, the theory is we as movie viewers watch the movie through a man's point of view. Since the majority of movies are made by men, then we view women through a man's perception. We as women do this not only in movies but all media including advertisements and print. I won't bore everyone with all the details, but we are watching movies that do seem to defy this theory especially in movies made by females.
The Piano is one where we do see the women as an object to be sold and traded in the Victorian age where women did not have rights. I found the way the story does unfold uses male nudity to make you, as a spectator, feel awkward watching. It is curious to me how as a society, we are mostly fine with seeing women naked, but not men. Even many men feel strange to see a man nude on screen. The more I watch Campion's movies, the more I see how complex the characters are as well as this way of turning that gaze back on the audience. I really connected to Holly Hunter's character and the acting was very well done. I loved the cinematography as well as the costumes. I can see why this movie won Best Original Screenplay.
I do want to write more posts about my film class including movie reviews. I also want to discuss more about the theories were learning in class. I haven't been able to do as much with all this school work. I am getting a couple of papers done this weekend which will help lighten my load a bit.
UPDATE: I just got back my history grade and I made a B! YAY! I will try harder for the next ones. I have three so I am determined to get an A. I won't lose sleep if I end up with a B for the semester. I think I can, I think I can. Now I can stop stressing about dropping it. Whew! That is a huge relief but I will just have to do more studying for this class. He likes to trick you. Maybe his next one won't be so hard.
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