Introduction to film 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to film 2 - Essay Example Compared with other media, the distinctness of film is verisimilitude (Metz, quoted in Lechte 1994: 78) – creating a definite kind of credible resemblance or similarity to the real world (Kuhn 1985: 269). Unlike theatre, which is too real, film obtains its real power from its ability to produce reality by crossing unreality. Ironically, it is on this basis – creating an illusion of reality – that film achieves its realism, because it is this capacity of film, that the attitude of the spectator of ‘suspension of disbelief’ is achieved and where the power of film depends (Lechte 1994: 78). This â€Å"experience of realism in cinema is intricately tied to the impression, that the events and persons depicted are somehow real† (Riis 2002: 93). Here also lies the paradox of films: despite the knowledge that films are only screened, spectators still genuinely felt the portrayed events are genuinely happening (Riis 2002: 93; Kuhn 1985: 268). Also, thi s ‘impression of reality’ – the film’s defining mark, gives film the privilege to challenge analysis (Lechte 1994: 78). Films usually use three different styles in screenwriting: narrative/linear – tells the story chronologically, non-linear – defies chronology for example Quentin Tarantino’s â€Å"Pulp Fiction† (1994) and documentary – presenting reality in real-time (Niche Express.net 2009: 1-2). Fiction usually utilises linear and non-linear, while documentary film the documentary. Although realism principally characterises both fiction and documentary film (Kuhn 1985: 269), they still differ in their notion of representation, verisimilitude, realism, and reality, distinguishing them from each other. Documentary films are â€Å"strictly speaking †¦ non-fictional, ‘slice of life’ factual works of art †¦ [also] known as cinema verite† (Dirks 2009: 1) – in French means ‘cinema truth’ (Niche

John Locke and His Influence on the American Revolution Essay

John Locke and His Influence on the American Revolution - Essay Example At the core of his ideology is the principle that people are, by nature, equal. There is no one who is above others in terms of economic, political, and cultural power. Because of this, no one also has the right to harm other people. In Two Treatises on Government, he wrote that people a natural state â€Å"do not have to ask permission to act or depend on the will of others to arrange matters on their behalf† (Locke 70). Apparently, such theory introduces concept that challenges the validity or the relevance of the government and laws. In line with his concept of individual freedoms in relation to the laws and the government, Locke also has a critical view on taxes imposed on the people. For him, taxes are similar to stealing a portion of the fruits of one’s labor. However, despite his expositions that greatly diminished the relevance of the state’s existence, Locke never went to the extent of calling for its abolition. Nevertheless, his ideas inspired other thi nkers of his time and after to develop the concept of modern democracy. Among these is the concept that democracy’s core is the will of the people. ... These were reformist in essence. These aimed to appeal to the rulers’ conscience in the hope that they mend their ways of governing. Locke, however, was not a reformist in his views. He went to criticize the roots of oppression and tyranny, the doctrine of divine right of kings. For him, it is not the king or the ruler as a person that is the problem but the principles that upholds, defends, and promotes his existence in human society. What makes this political principle radical is that it strikes at the roots of the problem of oppression which is the concept that monarchs are chosen by God and that, therefore, their authority cannot be questioned. Locke, of course, did not directly confront the English throne himself. However, by presenting his radical views to the public through his written works, particularly Two Treatises on Government, he laid the foundation of the belief that the struggles against oppressive social structures are not only justified but also legitimate un der the laws of nature. Locke’s ideas were definitely revolutionary when these are appreciated in the historical context of his time. When he questioned the validity and the legitimacy of the rule of kings and other monarchs, a great majority of the world’s nations were ruled by royal families and absolutist regimes. These basically violate the essence of the individual freedom that Locke advocated. His concept that essentially calls for the downfall of such rulers is undoubtedly revolutionary. However, it must be pointed out that the â€Å"Lockean notion of revolution is certainly a form of mass political participation, but it is an activity that derives its moral authority from an irreducibly