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.

Persepolis

Persepolis is 2007 animated film, from France, directed by Marjane Satarapi. The movie deals with the evolving history of Iran in th 1970's, 80's, and early 90's. The focus is the character Marjane, an Iranian girl, who watches her grandfather and uncle, punished and executed by Iranian revolutionaries.
Her uncle in particular influences her and instills a socialist ideology in her which she promotes, for the majority of her life. Her grandmother also empowers he as a woman, by passing down her feminist attitude to young Marjane, which is contrary to the beliefs of society and the laws created in Iran at the time.
The film maintains, a western, predominantly French view on the political evolution of Iranian law. The filmmaker Marjane Satrapi, presents, the pros and cons of how socialism and Shariya (Islamic law) have been implemented in Iran throughout history, in a manner that suggests that neither is the right method of government for Iran. The French liberal political ideology that has manifested itself throughout the 21st century, is a sharp contrast to the disorder and conservatism of Iranian politics.
I can't really relate very much to the film, because I know nearly nothing about French or Iranian politics. I also live in a country which has a relatively stable political system and I can only relate to the family's closeness in the film. I have the same cooperative relationship with my family.

Maria Full of Grace

Maria Full of Grace (María llena eres de gracia) is a 2004 Colombian Film. The protagonist Maria is a 17 year old woman, living in Colombia, a nation corrupted by the International drug trade. Maria is prompted to become a mule after she receives the offer and is able to escape her job at a flower plantation.

The story told by the film is the story of the Colombian nation as a whole, which to this day, even with a democratic government, is controlled by drug lords. This has been the case ever since the infamous Pablo Escobar, created the world's largest cocaine operation in the 70's, the Medellin Cartel, which is responsible for more than half of the cocaine that is imported annually in the US. Escobar may have been a criminal, but ironically he was also a philanthropist, giving money to not only, the poor Colombian peasants, but to various charities as well until his assassination in 1993. At one point Escobar was the 6th richest man on the planet according to Forbes. His influence, and his buisness, however live on, with the Medellin cartel still operating today as one of the world's major suppliers of illicit drugs. The traffickers often commit acts of terrorism to deter government intervention.

The influence of the trade continues to affect the peasantry of Colombia. Many like Maria, are commissioned by the cartels to carry drugs to the north, and are often willing to do so to provide for their families. This, however is a risky undertaking, as failure can mean, death or imprisonment for they and their families.