Movie Analysis (Summative)

There are many different layers in this film which convey evil parts of the story. The filmmaker conveys it through plot, by showing the many horrible actions and motives of Scar. Scar himself is a character that, along with his hyenas, represents evil. This is done through his actions, and enhanced by his appearance. While all the other lions are golden coloured with bright red manes, Scar has a black one and a scary looking scar on his forehead, not to mention his name is Scar. There is dark, creepy imagery within the animation of the movie which also conveys evil. Gloomy colours, dark images, and dead things are common in the imagery, and in the setting too. The expression of darkness that had the most impact on me was the “Be prepared” song, when Scar rallies support from the hyenas in his plot to kill Mufasa and Simba. The greenish coloured, dark setting and eerie lyrics create an evil atmosphere, while Scar`s wicked scheme sends chills up my spine.

This film can be connected to children around the world. When Scar convinced Simba that he killed his father, he scared him into believing it. Scar was big, strong, intimidating, and older so Simba wrongly believed him. This can connect to children around the world who are forced into believing it’s their fault when it is not, by an adult who, at the time, seems wiser and smarter. This can even go for abuse and violence victims who never speak up because of the shame and blame put on them by the abuser. I find that the Lion King can also connect to Mulan (presented by Madison). The betrayal of Mufasa by his brother is much like the betrayal of Mulan by General Shang when he found out she was a woman. In both cases the betrayers have deep relations with the other. For instance, Scar is Mufasa`s brother, and Shang had been fighting alongside loyal Mulan for months. Both somehow seem to see past this, and break the bond they shared deep down.  

Scar`s plot to overthrow his noble brother as King connects to one of our EQs: what does power have to do with fairness and justice? Scar ends up becoming one of Pride Rock`s most unjust leaders, yet he manages to overtake the King and remain King for quite some time, thanks to his power. Without his defiant persuasive speeches to get the hyenas on his side, he wouldn`t have any enforcers or friends. Without the hyenas, he has no power, which means he couldn`t have been unfair. The Lion King shows the rather dissapointing truth: the more power and influence you have, the more and more you tend to be able to get away with injustice.

The Lion King Excerpt

An excerpt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ6cw_MuTDE

               

"The Destructors" Response Questions

           A character can represent darkness through their actions, and, if told to the reader, their feelings. In "The Destructors" by Graham Greene, the main protagonist "T" (Trevor) represents darkness through his twisted, dark persona. He wants to completely destroy the house of a man who has done nothing wrong to him. In fact, T knows this. T says "There'd be no fun if I hated him", much to the surprise of the reader and his fellow characters (page 2). It is only natural to think vandalizing someone's home would be in hatred or in vain, yet T seems to think of the destruction as some kind of creation: a masterpiece he is eager to create. This twisted outlook that T has on the whole situation gives creepy vibes to the reader, who senses his dark personality through the pages of the story. In this story, T is evil but doesn't really notice it all that much. He's in a gang and is not polite, but he appears unaware that his plan is one of pure evil. T appears evil from the common person's perspective, after all he doesn't think destroying "Old Misery's" (Mr. Thomas) house is wicked.

          Graham Greene conveys the evil and darkness through vivid imagery. He intricately describes the demolition of a beautiful, antique house; this includes the broken glass, smashed walls, sawed railings, and ripped fabrics. He also has images of literal darkness, like when he describes Mr. Thomas' view from his outhouse penitentiary: "between the cracks in one of the shutters he saw a light, not the light of a lamp, but the wavering light that a candle might give" (page 3). The setting also creates a feeling of darkness since the site of the demolition is in a resolute, abandones area: giving the reader a sense of hopelessness. A memorable passage that vividly captures the essence of darkness was when Joe, a gang member, dropped a penny down the well filled with rubble and it "cracked and span amongst the broken glass" (page 3).   

             There are many layers of context and setting that convey darkness on many levels, giving this story its depth. There are obvious parts to it that give us a dark, gloomy feeling. The gang, the sketchy characters, and the plan to destroy an innocent man's house all are obvious indicators that this isn't a cheery story. However, on many other levels Graham Greene subconsciously gives the reader that eerie feeling. This is done through his lonely, spooky setting, his somber descriptions, and the twisted mind of the protagonist T; it makes it seem like evil is almost a form of art to him. The final touch that really disturbs is the end when the 'driver' laughs at the rubble that once was Mr. Thomas' house. It makes it seem like more people find this destruction good than find it absolutely evil.

Response

How true that we do need a balance. Unfortunatley that is what are society since the beginning of time has created the need for. That is all we know. We have never known a society that is all pure. It is something sometimes that one would like as an ideal do you not think.
You have raised many good points in your reflection and you brought in a general example to support what you were saying.

Why is there darkness in humanity?

              As every human knows, there is darkness in humanity. No matter how much we try to abolish it, or how much we try to convert evil forces into good ones, darkness will always exist. Darkness is in the world for a reason: so good can exist. Honourable deeds can only be recognized if we have experienced bad ones. For instance, one cannot say they have had a good day until they have had a bad one. If every day was wonderful, it wouldn't feel wonderful anymore. It would feel neutral and dull, since there would be nothing to compare it to. Pleasant feelings can only be felt if we have felt the darkness of sadness. Basically without darkness we would not have the contrast necessary to recognize good in our world. Thus, although the human race regularly despises darkness in humanity, we should remember how essential it is to our lives.