El baño del Papa

El Baño del Papa, is a Uruguayan film, that deals with two smugglers from Melo, Uruguay (Beto and his friend "Negro") who decide to build a bathroom in Beto's backyard, so he can charge Brazilian attendees of the Pope's visit to the town. He gets funds from smuggling and from his wife.

The movie shows Uruguay's strong connection to Catholicism. This history comes from the Spanish conquest of the region. The Guarani people were forced to obey the religious demands of the Spaniards. Consequently, it is the reason why Catholicism is the dominant religion.

The theme of poverty in the film, is something foreign to me. I have never had the misfortune of being impoverished. The theme of Catholicism in the film, is a familiar aspect that has been present in my life. My family adheres to Catholicism so I can relate.

Tsotsi

Tsotsi, is a 2005 film from South Africa. It follows a young delinquent and highlights some of the various robbing sprees he goes on. Additionally, it is clearly a critical analysis of South African crime culture. Tsotsi, the main character decides to keep the baby he found in the Mercedes Benz he stole, the baby whose mother Tsotsi shot.

South Africa is hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup, the world's largest and most significant sports event. Unfortunately Ireland, was eliminated by France. But, now back to South Africa, which is ridden with crime and violence, prompted by the extreme poverty they live in.

The similarities between, US and South African cultures is limited. The crime culture of each is somewhat similar, as they both involve similar structures, based upon the various cultures of each. Also, I don't relate much to the movie, because I do not belong to a gang. Furthermore, I live above the poverty line.

Cinema Paradiso

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, is a 1988 Italian film directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, which is set in the golden age of Italian cinema. The movie follows the life Salvatore Di Vita or Toto, an Italian man, who moves to Rome, but has flashbacks of his early life in Gianicolo, Italy, upon his return to the town as his friend and mentor Alfreddo has died. Alfreddo is the man who first taught Toto to operate a projector and is his inspiration to pursue his love of film. He also assumes the role of father figure, as Signor Di Vita has died in world war ii.

The culture of Italy, is immensely present in the film. A critical example is the priest who previews all movies at the Cinema Paradiso theater, and orders Alfreddo to remove all the kissing and sensual scenes in the movies, as he finds them offensive the Catholic religion. Catholicism is the most popular religion of Italy and is undeniably present in their everyday life. Other elements of culture presented in the film include the closeness of families in Italy, and not nearly enough insight into Italian Cuisine, a key part of daily life in Italy.

The movie gives a clear picture of the more complex, relaxed lifestyle of the country life in Italy, as compared to the lifestyle enjoyed by Toto in Rome. This is done in a very indirect way, principally in the scene with Alfreddo, where he orders that Toto never return to Gianicolo, because there is nothing there for him there. The comparison between American and Italian cultures, is unpresent, but anyone who has an understanding of either culture can draw the comparison between the two. The American culture, is much more irreverent, and fast paced, while Italians treasure and value relaxation time. Consequently, I can not particularly relate much to the film, because it draws a sharp contrast to what I have experienced in my life in the US.

The Host

The Host( 괴물)is a 2006 Korean horror film, about a lizard, the virus it carries, the people it eats, the people who try to stop it. The protagonist is Park Hee Bong, a fat Korean, who works for his grandfather at their corner store like stand where the sell chips and dried octopus tentacles. The film starts in a lab with formaldyhyde being poured into a river, which mutates this lizard/salmander creature, into a virus carrying death machine

The culture of Korea is present in the form of the outrageous events in the movie. The film pokes fun at the insanity and over-the-top characterization of Korean and Asian culture. This is evident through the films larger than life cinematography, which makes it feel as a sort of botched drama. This culture is lightyears apart from my comfort zone making me neither understand nor relate to any extent with the film.

Les Triplettes de Belleville

The Triplets of Belleville, Is a caricature of French culture in cartoon form. The movie deals with a family who dreams of Champion, the son, winning the Tour de France. The main characters are Madame Souza, her dog, and Champion. Champion is kidnapped and forced to participate in a mock tour de france, and where bets are placed on him.

The conclusion ends with Madame souza and her dog saving Champion from the French Mob

La Stanza del Figlio

La Stanza del Figlio (Mi dispiacque molto e no mi ebbo gustato) aka The Son's Room, is a film about how family evolves after a traumatic loss. It is a quintessential human drama. The film's plot stretches no further than the complexities of human drama and emotion, however no true cultural interaction exists, as the film only demonstrates, the emotional incompetence of Italian males and their lack of hesitance towards crying on a consistent basis. The emotion is like what would be found in Gaetano Donzinetti's famous romanza Una Furtiva Lagrima.

Run Lola Run

Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt), is a 1998 German film that follows a German woman, Lola, and her attempt to save her boyfriend Manni, by gathering 100,ooo Deutsche Marks, which he had lost on a subway, on his way to deliver them to his boss. Manni is a whitecollar criminal for the most part and he represents the general characterization of German organized crime.

Lola is a great example of innovative German cinematography, and it demonstrates the true creativity of the modern German society. The film has three seperate chains of events that pertain to the same plot rather than one single span of events. This use of flashbacks and jumps into the futre, show not only the different sides and personalities of the characters, but also have the deeper meaning of showing the viewer that there is always more than one way to view the same events, and that no story is limited to the same beginning and end. This is symbolic of the German evolution of the nation throughout the 20th century, as the metaphor shows how Lola, evolves as a character as each new chain of events is manifested, in the same way Germany has evolved into a thriving and prosperous nation.

The connections I can make with the film are minimal, because I've never been involved in German organized crime, but have experienced some of the deja vu and multilayered events that characterize the film. The story overall reveals the complexity of life and enforces the idea that in truth there are no true answers and that nothing is definite.