Facing the Giants Review

Sara Martinez

January 30, 2010

WALLE

Facing The Giants – Review

This is one of the most inspirational movies that I have watched. It does not take a huge company to produce a movie that will touch many people. This movie was made by a small church in the south. It was directed by Alex Kendrick and the writers were Alex and Stephen Kendrick. While this movie may not be top of the line professional movie, it had a very good message. I think that this reached so many people because it was simple and many people could relate to it. We all face trials and tribulations. Coach Taylor faced many obstacles in his life. He was not making a lot of money, his job was in jeopardy, his home and car were falling apart, and to make matters worse his wife and he could not have children. Most people would have given up, and never tried to look at the positive side of things. Coach Taylor was not putting all his trust in God, and was trying to take things into his own hands. Once he trusted and gave everything completely to God, everything seemed to turn for the better. I have experienced this in my very own life. I find that, when I do not include God into my daily life everything seems to be going wrong. But as soon as I start spending time with him, and letting him work in my life everything starts to get better. It is always hard as humans to give up our future, our life, and everything else into Gods hands. We like to be in control, and at times when we give it all to him we feel out of control. But we need to remember that with him everything is possible. There is not a single thing that we cannot do if we trust in him, and give ourselves and everything we do to him.

Amazing Grace Review

Shiva Garshasbi

01-25-10

UNST Gospel According to Wall-E

Amazing Grace Review

So, this week we were given an assignment to watch Michael Apted’s movie, “Amazing Grace”. This movie is just as its title indicates: amazing. Michael Apted also directed one of my favorites movies: “Enough” with Jennifer Lopez, and to my extreme, super excitement, he is also directing the upcoming film: “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”. I believe one reason as to why I exceptionally enjoy this movie is because it takes place in the 18^th century. I guess I have a soft spot for movies that take place in older times.

This movie is about a man named William Wilberforce (played by Ioan Gruffudd) who is greatly opposed to the slave trade in England and fights for most of his life to abolish it, even though it causes his heart great stress which makes him sick. Wilberforce’s mentor, John Newton, was once a slave ship captain who repented for his sins and turned into a priest. The title of the movie comes from the name of the song John Newton had composed in reminiscence of the mistakes he had made in his life while a captain of a slave ship.

This movie is based on a biography, but does not fall solely under this category. In order to make the movie more interesting, the story of Wilberforce’s romance is highlighted. Throughout the movie, his will to fight for the abolition of slavery does wane from time to time. But he finds confidence in his soul mate Barbara Spoone, who he constantly confides in and shares the story of his constant struggle. This relationship gives the movie the ability to also fall under the category of romance.

In the beginning of the movie, there is a character named Olaudah Equiano, who is a freed slave who published his life story into a book. He gives his gruesome accounts to Willberforce, and also provides him with a reason to continue his fight. The horrid statistics and facts in this movie are extremely difficult to imagine. How could people treat another human being in such a way? What gave anyone the right to treat other beings worse than animals? It astonishes me that there was a point in time when human lives were treated as worthless objects. Even more so the fact that segregation between black and white people was abolished nearly 50 years ago. And even so, there are still, to this day, places in the South, where high school student just as old as we are, are still accustomed to have segregated proms, banquets, and dances.

Everyday, we are given a choice to do what’s right. And because we live in such a free country we can. So what’s stopping us? Unlike those who lived in England, under a monarchy, if you ever crossed a line and spoke your mind a little too freely, it would’ve been considered treason which would’ve been a violently punishable crime. God gave us a free will to use it to do what’s right and stand up for what we believe in. Just like William Wilberforce in this movie, we shouldn’t back down from our beliefs despite failure. Wilberforce was constantly shot down in parliament, and his bills were constantly rejected. It took him over 5 years to finally get his bill passed and to abolish slavery in England.

Every day, we are given tasks that test our resilience as Christians. This movie was definitely an inspiration and a lesson for us all. It just goes to show that, God doesn’t test us with anything we can’t handle. It might be a struggle at first, but the outcome is worth everything.

Marty's Amazing Grace Review

"You know the song, now be part of the story"

'The incredible true story of one man's fight to change the world" one of the taglines that best described Amazing Grace. It was beautifully directed by Michael Apted who gained 17 wins and 11 nominations and written by Steven Knight, together they created an inspiring film that touched viewers' hearts. I thought the movie was hard to follow but it was definitely worth watching it. The story began 15 years later when William Wilberforce met his future wife and the flashback started from there. This film captured the viewers to think beyond what they could about the hardships,politics, and religion without even getting confused with the whole view of slavery. The creators made this movie as an inspiring historical drama that was up to date for the viewers' eyes. The cinematography and costumes were excellent as well. Wilberforce a rising political star who was not afraid to show his faith and integrity in public stood up to abolish slavery. I admired him for getting out of his comfort zone and tried his best to end slavery. According to many viewers they rated the film as a movie that exercised faith and hardships. Not only it covered about saving slavery but it also touched on religious prospective. God honored diligence, like Wilberforce who never gave up and God saw it. Just like Moses who did not gave up through out his hardships in Egypt. God found them and honored their years of struggles.

-Andriyah Burgos

Amazing Grace

Alexander Alonso

Wall-E

Amazing Grace Review

1.26.10

Amazing Grace

This film was very inspirational, meaningful, and makes you question what one supports. Amazing Grace, directed by Michael Apted, who also directed “The World is Not Enough,” and written by Steven Knight, who was an Academy Award nominee, had many different ways of getting attention. One, for me at least was the wigs! LOL! I want one!... Sorry, as I was saying! They used history, fact, threw in some romance, and the title itself made me want to see it. I didn’t know why the song was named amazing grace, I was blind but now I see. =) I liked this film because it took place back in the 18^th century, there is something from that time era that inspires me, and it lifts me up. I feel, when I see the fashion and manner of speaking, that anything can become a reality. Just like in the movie, William Wilberforce fought for something that seemed impossible to win, the abolition movement. Although many didn’t support him, he still fought for what was right, and at the end he came out winning. He is a true hero and inspiration to never stop fighting for what we believe! Before closing I want to share my favorite quote of the movie:

“I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior”

- John Newton

Don’t ever forget this…

-Alonso, Alexander

The Gospel According to WALL-E: Amazing Grace

I must say . . . I enjoyed this movie MUCH better than District 9. Though it seemed long and drawn out at times, I still felt that it was an effective movie. Originally, I thought that it was about the guy who wrote Amazing Grace. That was just one of the many themes/story lines that made up this film. The main story was about William Wilberforce's ongoing battle in the English Parliament to get the slave trade abolished and to make a better world for everyone. He faced many obstacles in order to reach his goal. He was in the vast minority when it came to his views of slavery. It took him 5+ years, lots of traveling, signature getting, and speaking to try and persuade people to believe as he did.

The part of the movie that really hit home for me was when he was taking the tour of the slave boat and was shown exactly what goes on behind the scenes of a slave ship. It never ceases to amaze me how cruel people can be toward one another. I had known the atrocities of slavery, but never had I really understood it until now, for some reason.

My favorite part of the movie was when the William's old pastor, who was a former slave ship captain and author of the hymn, "Amazing Grace", "recounted his sins," and said, "I once was blind, but now I see. I wrote that, didn't I?"

Amazing Grace - Review

Sara Martinez

January 25, 2010

WALLE

Amazing Grace – Movie Review

Amazing Grace, we have all heard the song. Many people know the story about the man who experienced God’s loving grace when he was a slave trader and wrote this song. But many people do not know much about the man who helped stop slavery in England. The people responsible for helping turn this story into a movie was the Director, Michael Apted and the Writer Steven Knight. They used biography, drama, history and Romance to draw people into this story. I have always like the story behind the song Amazing Grace, and when I saw this movie I immediately liked it because it gave more background to the fight against slave trade. I liked this movie because of the following reasons. First I liked it because it shows and encourages you to keep fighting and working towards what you believe in. William continued to move towards and work for the abolishment of the transatlantic slave trade. Even when no one in parliament believed in him and his chances looked very slim. I also like this movie because of the friendships. William had a group of coworkers and friends who supported him, and even though they all had their quirqs they worked together to get the job done. These two points remind me of Jesus. He kept working for us even when he didn’t have to and people did not believe him. And with his disciples help, even though they had their quirqs, they were able to do a lot. I find this movie very inspirational and a good opportunity to also learn a little more about things from the past.

Amazong Grace

Amazing Grace is a film directed by Michael Apted and written by Steven Knight. This movie could best be described as a historical drama that employs the use of skillful articulation and reason. Individual with prejudices would probably condone this film and not think much of it. The proponents of equality, however, would champion it as a masterpiece in all things supporting their cause. It is evident that this movie incites the emotions and passion that is the topic of equality, equal rights etc. The values portrayed in this film are ones of compassion for those individuals less fortunate. The lifestyles seen in the film are ones of excess and indifference; it takes one individual to arise the consciousness of the larger populace. This message is being sent to remind individuals of the struggles that were made for equality so many years ago. It is evident that the message of the protagonist still looms large in the current society. By taking heed and understanding the merits presented in Amazing Grace, Society can learn and be better towards one another. God is portrayed in this movie as the source of devotion and direction. He was the moral compass that guided the individuals involved in the debate for the abolition of slavery and the slave trade.

Michael Aguilar
1-27-2010
UNST- The Gospel According to Wall-E
Amazing Grace Review

Amazing Grace Review

Amazing Grace was written by Steven Knight and directed by Michael Apted. It was released in 2006 by Samuel Goldwyn Films.
What drew me in with this film was that it was how perseverance abolished slavery. It's also really interesting because of the post-revolutionary war time period.
The film was aimed for pretty much any audience in that it wasn't violent and had no coarse language, but it had a moral message to it as well.
Some lifestyles and values portrayed in this film were that slavery was just business, that it would be uneconomical to abolish it. On the other side of the spectrum, William Wilberforce was fighting and persevering to abolish slavery once and for all. It was really crazy to see how even the British were very for slavery.
The purpose of this film was to show the evils of slavery and that perseverance can do amazing things. It was unbelievable to watch how he spent almost his whole life fighting for the slaves' freedom.
I saw God in William Wilberforce because he practically devoted his life to freeing the slaves. He also didn't go all high and mighty about it. He just wouldn't stop until he had abolished it. He was hardcore.
This was a good movie. I'd recommend watching it.

Andrew Cortez

Lars and the Real Girl

The film Lars and the Real Girl was written by Nancy Oliver and directed by Craig Gillespie. This movie is both humorous and touching. As for the genre, it is considered a comedy. This movie utilized humorous situations and a touch that relates to the individual on a personal level. The fact that the protagonist, Lars, has mental issues is intriguing, and interest in the film further expands as one realizes that Lars is strange enough to buy a sex doll for non-sexual intimacy. Individuals, such as me, may have initially viewed the movie as a flop- an outlandish story meant only for absurd laughs; but as the movie progressed, it was clear that it possessed more substance than had been anticipated. The lifestyles and values portrayed in this film are those that are most commonly associated with a small town. Everyone has a strong sense of community and intimacy and is supportive of each other- even if a citizen chooses to parade around a sex doll and consider it real. This message is being sent to demonstrate that people need to be accepting of others regardless of their differences. It is imperative that individuals be tolerant of others beliefs. This movie manifests Jesus’ commandment to love one anther as we would javascript:void(0)want to be treated and loved.

Michael Aguilar
1-27-2010
UNST –The gospel according to wall-e
Lars and the Real Girl Review

Amazing Grace

Imari Palma
UNST 101
1/26/10

Review

"Amazing Grace" is a historical film based on the story of William Wilberforce and his journey, struggle, and victory to abolish the slave trade in Great Britain. This movie was produced by Jeanney Kim and Mark Cooper. The cast did a wonderful job portraying what it would have been like during that time and one could feel the passion of each character, especially the main one, of course. Wilberforce is a member of the Parliment, but also a passion for religion. He has many enemies, but also a lot of supporters. It was inspiring to see Newton and even the prime minister supporting his efforts. One of my favorite quotes of the movie was when the prime minister says, "As the prime minister, I urge you caution," Wilberforce says, "And as my friend?" prime minister says, " To hell with caution." That scene put a lot of things he perspective. The prime minister knew that Wilberforce would be stepping on a lot of feet and would have an upward battle and he even might be way in over his head, yet he knew what needed to be done and was glad that Wilberforce was one man willing to take up that battle that a lot were afraid to.

It's difficult for us, in the 21st century, living in the United States to understand how people could be so cruel to other human beings. Believe it or not, if we were living back in that time in that place, the majority of us wouldn't see slavery as a bad thing. Thanks to people like Wilberforce, people have gained freedom, rights, and the chance to live like human beings and not animals.

Overall this movie was most definitely inspiring, touching, spiritual, and convicted. It is important to see how history was made and how difficult the struggle was. There are many religious correlations that can be made in this film; the film within itself is a spiritual one. Without the hand of God working in this situation, it would not have been possible.

Jesus Christ can also be correlated to Wilberforce, how one man, with many enemies, few friends, and a lot of people to save did it and made history, like Jesus has.

I Once Was Lost.... by Chris Kaatz

Amazing Grace is was directed by Michael Apted, written by Steven Knight and was released in 2007. This movie is appropriate for all audiences. This story is about a man named William Wilberforce. He is a politician and has a seat in the House. In the movie, he debates whether or not to go into ministry or to fight to end slavery. He realizes that he can do both by fighting to abolish slavery. While he works on fighting it, he becomes incredibly ill and is on medicine in order to dumb the pain. After a 20 year struggle, against all odds, he is finally able to get the House to abolish slavery.
This movie portrays the message that all men are created equal. That we should stop at nothing in order to be fair to our common man. It is also a movie of friendship and determination that against all odds, as long as you have friends and are determined you can do anything. Christians can also get a strong message to this. Everyday we face opposition to our faith. We always hit brick walls and yet we know that as long as we have God with us, we can do anything. As Christians, we need to remember that everyone is equal because it is not our place to judge others. Because of this, we need to be able to understand each other and be willing to stand up for each other. To help others because that is what God instructed us to do.

Monique Gramling
ID#924889
UNST The Gospel According to Wall-E
26, January, 2010

Amazing Grace

Written by Steven Knight, Amazing Grace tells the story of an heroic man who after a two decade struggle ended the slave trade in Great Britain. By balancing faith and filmmaking in a historical drama, Christians doing extraordinary things for their beliefs are depicted. Although in my opinion, some parts were a little "dry" overall the film avoided falling into a dull rut. It helped that chunks of the story were told from flashback experiences to add urgency and weight to the plot. The movie acquired many inspirational themes, and therefore should be encouraged to any and everyone. This film is unique in its own way because it celebrates and honors true Christian heroes which we rarely see depicted in film anymore. I think people of all age groups could agree that the main character William gave off most of the inspiration in the film. He not only was a Christian trying to do the will of the lord, but also an abolitionists fighting for the rights of all men. Watching this film really reminded me of the difficulties, and complexities that come with faith. William was persecuted in a way by the British Parliament for what he believed in; but never the less kept his mind on God. In a spiritual sense, I portrayed William as being like one of Jesus's disciples. Throughout most of the film, he seemed to stand up for he believed in while sacrificing much for the greater good.

"AMAZING GRACE, how SWEET the sound" by: Racho

Rachel Cho

UNST: Gospel Wall-E

Pastor Sam

Amazing Grace

The movie "Amazing Grace" really is an amazing movie. It gives and takes in a way that you could only imagine. It gives because it gives viewers encouragement and want for determination, and also takes because the movie takes away feelings of carelessness about what's going on in the world or what has happened already.

This movie was directed by Michael Apted, and was written by Steven Knight. Two wonderful producers. They made the movie in such a way that it makes viewers feel the pain and sorrow that William felt in the movie. His pain was that there was still slave trade going on and sorrow for how nothing was done about it. This movie uses various techniques to make viewers more interested in it. The language style they use, their accent brings out everything they say. Not only is it just words but the words are emphasized on the perfect parts of the sentence and makes it clear to the audience what the point is and what they are trying to get across to the viewers.

I really liked how William never gave up and even though everybody was kind of opposed to his opposition to slavery, he still kept on trying to get people to understand and feel what he felt.

This movie reminds me a lot about Jesus and his stay here on Earth long ago. He tried to get everyone to listen to him, he tried to preach to them, and he tried to help them, but only his disciples would listen. The rest of the crowd would do nothing and really only hated on him especially the king because there was another ruler trying to out-throne him. Jesus never gave up and all the way until he was crucified never stopped trying to get everyone to listen to him. He always loved them even though they hated him. Even on the cross he prayed to God to forgive them.

It was an inspiring movie and the title of the movie really does support what was going on in the movie. It IS an amazing movie and Grace IS AMAZING.

Amazing Grace...

“Once was blind but now I see”…

The director of Amazing Grace was Michael Apted. It was written by Steven Knight.The creative techniques I always get from movies like this is the wardrobe and the type of dialogue they use. Another thing I really found interesting was how it was based behind a common song. A song everyone knows got turned into a fight for justice. I got from this movie determination and never to give up on a goal you want to achieve. I think the movie is pretty straight forward in what its showing and I think everyone else who watches this will get the same idea I did. William has a strong belief in what he believes is right and he will stop at nothing to fight for this to change. He is centered in god and knows that with his help he can get through anything. When it comes to knowing his morals, William has got that down. This message sent to show people just how strict the slave trade was back then. It was something so normal and right for the upper class. It really sends out a cry for help, it made me think about what if our country still was like this? Who would stand up and change this situation. It takes someone strong to do something like changing a law and convincing others that what you are stating is the right way. This story reminded me of Jonah. God told him to go out and spread the word and to basically change peoples minds. The other thing this story reminded me of was Jesus. The only man I know would go out to the world and keep trying and trying to preach the word to everyone about god is him. He never gave up and did everything he could to show everyone around him he was different and a man of god. William did that very thing in this movie. He showed everyone he was a man of god. In the end William was recognized and honored for the great man he was. It wasn’t really a movie I would choose to see and I expected something different but, I guess if you dig really deep into the movie it has a good message behind it.

Amazing Grace

Stephanie Lamp
UNST: wall-e
January 25th 2010
Amazing Grace


Amazing Grace was directed by Michael Apted and written by Steven Knight. It was released February 23rd 2007. This movie was a feel good movie; it’s hard to see all the drama and stupid reasons around the abolition movement they gave Wilberforce but he never gave up. Even though he had few people behind him it never really seemed to bother him. Even with him being as sick as he was at times he still pushed forward and kept researching ways to get around their rules. This is more of an adult film, I don’t think kids would really be able to relate to the dialogue of the film. It’s heart warming how he as a white man cares so much to help get these slaves out of slavery. The slaves were treated terribly on the ships being transported to their destinations. They were put in box size spaces and expected to live through week long journeys. We should never stop doing something we believe in just if most people may not agree with you. Stand up for what you believe in and be an individual. Just like William never gave up on the slaves Jesus never gave up on his people. Giving up would have definitely been much easier for Jesus. He could have just told his dad; “God these people aren’t taking me seriously, it’s their own fault I’m coming home.” We would have never gotten as far in life without Jesus’ salvation on us. William showed to be a awesome Christ like Christian man that many people honored. I think we would all like to be remembered for something like that.

Amazing Grace

This week's assignment was to watch the movie Amazing Grace. The class and I watched the movie trailer for Amazing Grace last wednesday, and it I thought it would be somewhat exciting to watch on the count that it is different for me to watch a movie of this type.Amazing Grace is directed by William Apted and came out the year of 2006.Amazing Grace is a movie about a man named William living in 19th century Britain. William in this film is held responsible for taking on the critical factors of the British slave trade. Because of this, William lost popularity within the House of commons, as well as the Members of Parliament. During the process, William gets very sick and catches "chronic colitis".At this time, William than decides to quit politics until Barbara inspired him to keep fighting for what he believes because if it is anyone to make a change in slavery it would be him. Soon after that William than marries Barbara, and continues to keep on fighting for success. Later in time William becomes responsible for the bill being passed through parliament in 1807. Once the bill passed, the slave trade was abolished in the British Empire for decades to come.This movie can definitely be recommended to anybody. It is a great movie that shows perseverance and hope for what you believe in.William took the role of somebody who can make a great change. William played the role and actions in which Jesus would have done for us. Through a lot of struggle and time, William never gave up on himself or the people who believed in him. He persevered and became successful by abloshing the slave trade. William and Jesus both committed very similar actions for a better living and brighter world.Without God, Jesus, or even William there would have been no one taking any role or action for the better.This movie showed me what leadership and integrity is truly about.I can say I simply enjoyed watching this film.

...that saved a wretch like me

Amazing Grace, a film set back in the 18th century, depicts the story of a man and his struggles through out his young years of fighting to abolish the slave trade in Britain. This film was directed by Michael Apted. This film was told in a series of flashbacks but ultimately ends in present day. As a young man in parliment, William Wilberforce, always had a voice. He decided to use that voice when he realized how inhumane the slave trade was! Year after year, in the fall, he would propose his plan to abolish the slave trade but never did he get enough votes. Ultimately, Britain stayed neutral on the subject, but yet hundreds of slaves were dying in these ships, and out in Jamaica, all for sugar. William ends up telling this woman about it all, after being almost set up by his friend. The two of them, after what seemed no longer than a few days, got married! I believe with the help of his wife, he found it in him to try again, and not give up. He knew he would never have peace until he saw the abolition of the slave trade through. Through trials, sickness, lost friendships, new ones, in the end, Wilberforce made it happen and had the slave trade outlawed.

this movie was very touching, especially because i grew up singing amazing grace, that was probably my first hymn. and to see the meaning behind a song that so many people know, really made me connect with the words so much more. this will definetly intrigue people because christian and non christians know this song. also because the setting, personally i love movies set in this time because it just seems so proper and classy, something we don't have as much of anymore. But people may not want to watch it because it gives them uneasy feelings in the stomachs. i know that some people dont like to talk about such touchy subjects, and that might put them off. But hopefully people will be open to see how amazing God is, and see how great he will work in us.

When william was delibetrating being a man or God or working in parliment, and his friend set up this meeting between all these people who were for abolishing the slave trade, it was true what his friend said about doing both. And when i saw that, i realized that this movie could be saying that without God there can be no righteous action, and without action there can be no real love for God. that struck me hard, and i think alot of people will get the point.

in conclusion, this movie was very good, i would recommend it to anyone, christian or not, because the message of hope, and liberation is there!

District 9 Review

District 9 was directed by Neill Blomkamp, produced by the great Peter Jackson, and released by TriStar pictures in 2009.
This movie was very strange. It drew me in with the fact that they didn't really explain what was going on at first. Plus, Peter Jackson playing a major role in the making of this film interested me.
As far as audience, this film can be taken many ways. If the audience is my mom, she wouldn't have much interest because of the aliens. To a sci-fi junkie this would probably quite interesting. And to someone who knows about the apartheid in South Africa would see some different perspectives as well.
The film is shown as an "after the fact" film, or recounting the memory of what happened, the interviewees somewhat explain some things but not everything. Then we come to our protagonist, Wikus Van De Merwe, who has been appointed to evict all the aliens in District 9, or the "prawns." However, he goes into one house and finds a tube full of a black liquid, which shoots out a little and gets on him and in his nose. After that encounter, Van De Merwe slowly turns into one of the prawns, and of course the militant government jumps on that to use the alien guns because of his molecular structure. He escapes the laboratory and is on the run, so he goes to District 9 and runs into an alien named Christopher and his son. He then finds out that he can be fixed if they get the liquid back and fly to the Mothership and go back to the alien's planet. So they do and Van De Merwe wants to be fixed but Christopher and his son want to return to their planet to help their people first. Van De Merwe takes the typical human path and takes the ship by force to be returned to his human self, but is shot down and is forced to take on an army of gangster Africans and the MNU thugs. Finally, Van De Merwe sends Christopher off to get to the Mothership while he saves them by directing all the MNU at himself. The aliens escape and go home. Van De Merwe "disappears" and becomes a prawn himself.
The purpose of this film was to show that Xenophobia and social segregation are just awful and can corrupt governments and even people.
I saw a very Christlike sacrifice in Van De Merwe. Though at first he was selfish and only cared about himself. But in the last bit of the film, he gives up his life as a human and helps Christopher escape to the Mothership and fights off the MNU. Though the movie was strange at times, that part really spoke to me. Especially since he totally turned into a prawn.
I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but District 9 was decent.

Andrew Cortez

district 9

District 9 was one of the most anticipated movies coming out in 2009. Word on the street said it was directed by Halo director, Neill Blomkamp, which brought a lot of talk on how magnificent the movie was supposedly suppose to turn out. The writers, Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, wrote a blood-splattering action flick and sneaky-funny science fiction comedy that brought intelligence and suspension into this anticipated film.

The film brought great attraction with the understanding of it being a “sleeper hit” for its unrecognized cast and low-budget production. The film also brought great interest in my eyes as it included a mind-wondering plot line. District 9 was a little confusing to understand at first but towards the middle of it all things started coming thru with a change of knowledge as understanding of the film came into place.

Viewers to this sci-fi film might accept it to be a violent concept towards the “prawns” and support how they were being treated while I saw it as an act of unkindness. The “prawns”, I believe, should be treated the way we’d want ourselves to be treated. District 9 showed a poverty-lived lifestyle for the aliens and it also showed a way of how humans attempted to take control over the “prawns” by confining them in an area and later attempt to evict and relocate the aliens into a different location. The leader for this eviction is WIkus Van De Merwe. He later determines how the aliens feel as he himself transforms into one himself by accident. He is later forced into using his new self in libratory testing as a weapon against the aliens. Wikus later understands the horrible lifestyle taken place by the “prawns” and turns out helping them out.

The main theme or message of District 9 in my opinion is that showing how someone who is absolutely convinced that they are different from others can end up being just like them in the end. In a sense it is brought up because it serves as a warning to the viewers to not act unkindly and brutal to others, also that humans are responsible to not inherent violent and prejudice towards others. District 9 has a spiritual input towards the viewers, such as when Wlkus Van De Merwe sacrificed himself to save the "prawns" is the same idea when Jesus sacrificed himself and died in the cross to save us from all our sins.

Andriyah Burgos

Marty Baugh District 9 Review

District 9...

District 9, directed by Neill Blomkamp, is a story that takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2010. In 1982, this huge spaceship comes to a halt and simply hovers over the city of Johannesburg. With no activity coming from the ship the human curiosity kicks in, as well as the gung-ho “let’s find out what’s in there” attitude. The humans decide to pry their way into the space ship and they find a whole colony of aliens. The aliens are malnourished and seem to be dying. At first the humans try to help the aliens out, but then things get a bit out of hand. The aliens are them confined to the slums knows as District 9. Under the operation of Wikus van der Merwe, the main character, the MNU, also known as the Multi-National United is forcefully evicting the aliens from the slums of District 9 to some concentration-like camp. Wikus is accidentally infected with this unidentified alien fluid. Then and only then is he forced to seek help from the aliens to save himself.

I wouldn’t say that the creative technique in this film was the use of another species because it seems that nowadays every movie is using that. I am not really into the whole sci-fi thing but I can tolerate it but I simply did not enjoy this movie. I understood the concept; however this particular movie didn’t do it for me. I think the main idea of this movie is that humans always stat off with good intensions to help those in need, but is quickly overwhelmed by some sort of greed and need for power and superiority. I don’t know what more I can possibly elaborate on the spiritual aspect… God sent his son to this earth to live among us and though he was or savior we treated him like trash. Same with the aliens and Wikus, the aliens had the power to save Wikus but he was too stubborn and only had himself in mind.

District 9

Monique Gramling
UNST: The Gospel According To Wall-E
Assignment #2
1/19/10

District 9

District 9 would have to be considered one of the most interesting films that i have seen in the past decade. Written by Neill Blomkamp, and Terry Tatchell, I could definitely see what they envisioned in creating it. The directors used the mistreated aliens to portray now secretive and unfair the government can be in certain situations, and also how people treat foriegners that they know nothing about. With South Africa being known for segregation and discrimination, people who faced similar curcumstances could relate and therefore be drawn in to watch. Forexample, the government and citizens of Johannesburg had no remorse for the stranded aliens and treated them as inferiors. District 9 had captivating moments, and be considered an action, and drama film. At some point i forced my tears from falling to the ground, as the entire world that Wikus knew fell apart. I would not advise children to see this movie due to the large amounts of gore and violence, but teenagers might feel less compassionate towards the aliens because of their lack of understanding to world monstrocities. Adults however, should know exactly how discrimination and prejudice can make individuals feel whatever their species. Loyalty definitely plays a large role in the bible, and this was something Wikus struggled to keep. Time and time again he betrayed his alien companion Johnson, but in the end he redeemed himself by allowing himself to trust. Judas could have redeemed himself by trusting that Jesus Christ would remember him in paradise, but through his misery he doomed his own life. Everything the government was doing was exposed, and Wikus was left waiting for his chance to obtain a normal life, once again, after sacrificing the past one for the greater good of another.

District 9 by Chris Kaatz

District 9 was an awesome movie! It was directed by Neill Blomkmap. This movie should not be viewed by younger audiences because of the violence that is involved in this movie. The basic plot of the movie is that an alien spaceship hovers over the city of Johannesburg. After little activity from the ship, the humans decide to drill into the ship in order to see what is inside. What they find, is an alien race that is without order, sick , and malnourished. The humans throw them into a ghetto and call it District 9. To keep the aliens in, walls are built and a security force is given the task of keeping the aliens inside. One man, after starting to change into an alien, risks his life to save an alien and his son.
The basic ideal that one can take from this movie is the need to understand other people before we jump to conclusions and judge them. We need to walk around in their shoes for awhile and see what it is like before we criticize. Other people may seem strange to us, but that is only because we do not understand them fully and don’t take the time to.
For a Christian, this movie should be a wake-up call. Far too often do we quickly judge others when we should open our arms to them. Jesus, did this. He came down to this earth as a child. A poor little baby and healed the blind and the sick. Jesus walked in the shoes of mankind. He is God. He is divine and yet He decided to come down to this earth to save us. To sacrifice all that he had. A Jesus character I see in this movie is the MNU agent. He saved us just like the MNU agent saved the aliens. The agent sacrificed his old life in order to save someone else’s. We should all take this lesson and love others as we love God and ourselves.

In the late year of 2009, the film, District 9 was animated onto the big screen in theatres virtually all across America. It was an instant hit at the box office bringing in 37 million dollars on its opening weekend. It was directed by Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson. The cast were unknowns starting with Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James.
District 9 had a unique style and appraoched the film in a different way. It was shot in a documentary style that caught my attention perosnally. The graphics used also brought out the film as innovation and captivating. Each scene filled the viewer with anticipation and a longing for more. I believe that District 9 had an amazing action packed that never left space for a dull moment. Each character in the film has their own persona that brings different elements and standpoints to the film.
People may view this film differently. In some way I felt for the aliens as they treated inhumane, and weredegrated and seperated. I felt like the aliens were misinterpreted. However, some people did not see this viewpoint at all, and would completely disagree with my past statement.
Overall in District 9 the lifestyles were those of aliens being sectioned off in a part of Africa where they were restricted to reside. It portrayed the lifestyle of Americans being in the presence of an out of earth encounter and there decision with what to do with the aliens. It presented the question of wonder.
I believe that this message is being sent in order to provide the viewer with the idea of judgment and what our actions can inflict upon others. We do no take the time to understand people different from us and we are not always accepting of the new and "strange." We are too quick to critize and need to see the beauty in all people and things.
I see a great deal of spirituality in the film . Our judgements, and false accusations of all that is foreign to us comes with a price. Jesus however, our savior came to us in order to help us, in order to save us. Just as the agent in the film sacrificed himself for the lives of the aliens, Jesus sacrificed his life for ours.

District 9

Lloyd Pressley
1/19/10
923934
UNST
D-9 Review

Neill Blomkamp is the director, and Peter Jackson is the producer for the movie District 9. I thought that I would really enjoy this movie, but I wasn't too into it like I thought I would be. Although it didn't catch my interest very much, I still saw certain themes and symbolic representation throughout the viewing of this movie. This movie is about these aliens who come to Earth. These aliens had no intention of any harm to anyone on earth. They were facing a difficult struggle with figuring out how they can get back to their spaceship. Because of this, the aliens were forced to hide themselves from Earth and the socierty of people living. All of the hatred was put on the aliens for the fact that they are different. The humans completely treated the aliens horribly. This movie can be intrepreted in many different ways of being negative and positive. I see this movie as a message to show the viewer that the aliens are intrepreted in a way that the are different. Different such as being a different animal,species,race,color presented. God brought everyone into this world. For that, everyone should treat eachother for they would want to be treated. We are all God's children, there should be no reason to exclude or hate anyone for being different.

The Gospel According to WALL-E: District 9

Honestly, I don't even know what to say about this movie. I'm not one for alien movies and, quite honestly, I didn't really enjoy this movie. I thought that it was really sad and depressing, especially when the main character started transforming into an alien. What they put him through in the name of science is never ceased to amaze me. When they put the real alien in front of the gun and made him shoot, I just about lost it. The alien had done nothing to them and they took his life from him.

The way the agency treated the aliens when they were evicting them also hurt me. Sure, what the aliens were doing was wrong, but that's no excuse for the people to treat them as badly as they did. The scene where they're going around, basically telling the aliens that they need to sign their lives away. Most of the aliens refused to sign their eviction notices, angering the agency who was evicting them. If they got so much as a scribble out of the alien's they said that counted as a signature.

The one good thing about this movie was that it made me realize what lengths people will go to in order to get what they want. Or worse, how unkind humanity can be toward one another. My eyes have definitely been opened to the world around me and I have a greater understanding now.

District 9 Review

District 9 was created by Neill Blomkamp and co-written by Terri Tachell. This movie is a sci-fi thriller that deals with aliens coming to earth. Although another alien movie might be seen as cliché, the twist with district 9 is that the aliens don’t want to destroy earth, but rather they have been shipwrecked over Africa and are forced to live in a refugee district located in the suburbs of Johannesburg. Throughout the 28 years of their occupation of district 9, the aliens have become desensitized and behave in an erratic manner. The movie take shape around the forced eviction of the aliens from district 9 to another more spacious camp in response to the public outcry that the aliens are a menace. The values represented in this movie are understanding and acceptance. In district 9, humans never became accustomed to the aliens. Instead of making an effort to beneficially coexist, humans ostracized the aliens and blamed them for a host of different things. It is only when the human protagonist starts interacting with the aliens that it becomes clear that the aliens and humans share many of the same emotions and characteristics. What humans needed was to be more accepting towards the aliens and learn more about them. Certain people might view this movie as just another science fiction thriller that lacks any vestige of originality, but other might view it as a highly original spin on the cliché alien-invade-earth movie. District 9 is sending a message that humans must be tolerant of others that we might not understand as well as ourselves. When we ostracize a group, we fail to learn from each other in a way that is beneficial to all. This film portrays God as a benefactor that will return one day. Just like the alien in the movie, Jesus will return one day to end our afflictions. He made a promise- and he intends to keep it.

Michael Aguilar
1-19-2010
UNST: The Gospel According to Wall-E
District 9 Review

District 9

Stephanie Lamp
UNST: Wall-E Gospel
January 19, 2010
District 9


District 9 was directed by Neil Blomkamp, it was also written by Neil Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, produced by Peter Jackson. In this particular film they use an insect looking creature to represent an alien, definitely not the typical alien we are used to seeing in science fiction movies. It’s very gory and sad in some parts. I would say it is not a movie for children to watch although I’m sure some little boys would love the idea of killing aliens like they would be able to in some sort of video game. In the beginning of the movie I know that I right off the bat thought “what a stupid movie!” “When is it gonna get good?” and it doesn’t for a long time. They do a great job of getting you to become attached to the main character Wikus Van De Merwe once you see how sad and lonely he is not being able to live in society anymore. The religious aspects I saw in this movie are; the aliens could be compared to the story of Moses and the Israelites just wanting to go home. The main alien in the film plays the role of Moses wanting to “take his people back to the promised land” or in their words back to their planet.

District 9

Imari Palma
UNST 101
Pastor Sam
1/19/10

Review

Before even seeing District 9, one should know of it's producer, Peter Jackson, who also directed "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which made quite an impact on the movie industry, and becoming a huge deal among the young and old. It was directed by Niell Blomkamp, a brand new director, who tried to capture the vision of sci-fi and tie it in with ugly reality. Many do not see "D9" as being the movie of "the ages." It is dark, bloody, violent, strange, and it has aliens.

I believe the most important thing to do before watching "D9" is to have an open mind and have a little background what the film is actually based on to get a fuller appreciation of it. The story plot of "D9" is based in South Africa, where sickly aliens have landed their mother ship over the city and cannot leave. The people wish to civilize them by putting them into ghettos (concentration camps almost). They are treated poorly, beaten up, and looked down upon with disgust. Most would find aliens different and some disgusting. The point is that this story is based on the apartheid movement in South Africa. When white South Africans fought to gain control over the black South Africans and by doing so they treated them poorly, looked down upon them, and placed them in ghettos.

The main character really intrigued me during his transformation. At fist I thought it was "cool" that he was transforming into an alien because now he could use the weaponry that only the aliens could use. Although, he was trapped in a world that was forgien and grotesque to him and he wanted out. I found it compelling that throughout the coarse of the movie his softer side began to show. He felt a sort of compassion towards the aliens near the end and accepted his fall from society to help save the aliens lives, ultimately.

There will always be places of racism, hatred, and genocide, unfortunately. This world is not perfect and it will take more than one man to change it. Although, isn't that what Jesus did? Isn't it what He is still doing today? In world of violence and hate, He shows peace, compassion, forgiveness, hope, and love, which is what this movie portrayed all in one.

District 9: Rachel Cho

Rachel Cho

Pastor Sam Leonar

Gospel:Wall-E

District 9

The movie "District 9" was directed by Neil Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson. It was an exceptionally good movie that portrayed a lot of disturbances and such going on in the real world. What I see in this movie is aliens that basically landed on Earth and are trying to get back to their spaceship but can't because they do not have all the materials required to fly their machine to the main spaceship. So for the time being, they are in hiding from humans. This movie is very symbolic of our world because the aliens are kind of like the people who don't exactly belong. The movie directors are probably trying to say something like, foreigners are not welcome to our home.

I see that this movie can be misinterpreted in many ways. Some people may take this message offensive and others may not. It all depends on what the person believes.

I see God in this movie as the Alien who told Wikus that he'd come back for him in 3 years. This scene in my opinion is pretty symbolic of God because God told us as well that he would be back soon for us to take us up to Heaven with him. Wikus is symbolic of the people that God is going to come back to save. The ones who kill the aliens are symbolic of the people who turned away from God and are on the other side.

I think this movie has a lot of suspense and thriller and it's all very sci-fi. But it keeps the audience interested the whole time. Sure it's a little grotesque but it's and interesting portrayal of the world and has a good plot that the audience likes through the whole movie.

District 9

Gospel According to [District 9]

The director of this movie is Neil Blomkamp and the producer is Peter Jackson. The film was based on foreign people landing on a country that isn’t there place to be and how others react to them being there. It’s how someone can come and ruin a city by their bad habits and destruction. The creative techniques that captured my attention in this film were the special effects, the angles it was shot at, it was documentary like, and the violence the film showed. There were some really neat parts that showed how technology really just captures most of what the movie is trying to show. Other people might perceive this message as not seeing how being environmentally destructive can effect not just what’s around you but it affects everyone around the world. They might just see it’s about aliens coming to earth and it’s the same thing every other movie brings in but it’s more about that, it’s about an actual event that happened in Africa. I think through everything some people will understand that District 9 has a good background to it. Lifestyles, values and points of view shown in this film are city versus shantytown, good versus bad, how people can ruin a town so easily. It’s showing how when a foreign person comes into your town it just stirs up so much controversy. This message is being sent to basically say that outsiders are not welcome to a city. They need to get out and leave everyone alone. Lastly the only connection to god I got from this movie was when the alien told Wikus that he would be back for him in three years. It reminded me of god coming back for us in the end and taking us away from all the violence in the world.

D-9

District 9 is film that takes the "classic" alien story and changes things up a bit. Directed by Neill Blomkamp, the idea behind this film (and this is of my opinion), is to portray humans as they really are. In most alien stories, the outsiders are the scary, weird, or torturous group, but in D9 its the other way around. The story centers around one guy who worked in the alien ghettos and ended up getting sprayed but something of there. This causes him to change, a slow change from human to the very aliens he tried to encamp and control. As the story goes on he ends up fighting with them and trying to help them get their ship working again so they can go back home. In turn leaving this man to become fully alien, leaving his family, his wife, and his once human life, to wait on the word of an aliens return, 3 years from now.

Theres alot of things about this movie that really get your attention. The action is completely awesome. Showing the brutality for the humans really made my emotions towards to aliens swell in sadness. I also thought watching this man change from human and pretty much a racist, to one of them and experiencing what they were going through, was a process. At first i did not like him but then obviously when he began to change, my perception of him sorta did too. He was still a idiot and a tad proud but i felt bad for him especially having to leave his wife alone. That part broke my heart at the very end, when he was just holding that little tin creation of his.

Symbolism was a major factor in this movie. Like i mentioned in class, the first part of the film is a documentary and when asking the white south africans what they thought about having the aliens around, they talked so bad about them, like they were animals and such. But in reality when making this film those interviews were real, and they were actually asking them what they thought about the black indigenous groups the live there in REAL LIFE. The hatred that was portrayed in the movie towards those aliens, were all really just showing us how the white people in that area treated the blacks.

In the end i feel that God is hurt when we treat people unkindly. plain and simple. Although this movie is about aliens, its showing us how badly we treat people who are different than us or think differently. As christians its our duty or be the light of the world, to have christ work in us so that others will see Him in us. leading my example. so lets not be meanies, and lets treat the aliens nicely when they come, ok?

Shiva Garshasbi

Shawshank Redemption

This week, I watched the movie Shawshank Redmption, based off of the story written by Stephen King, directed by Frank Darabont. This movie has easily made it into my top ten movie list. This movie was released back in 1994, which would be when I was only 3 years old. Tim Robbin plays the lead role as Andy, who has been convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. He is sentenced to 2 lifetime sentences to be served at Shawshank Penitentiary.

Upon arrival with several other new inmates, Andy meets the warden of the prison who is played by Bob Gunton. He seems to be a God-fearing man, when he states his belief in the Bible and discipline as a way to keep the inmates in order. As the movie progresses you see the warden’s character unfold to reveal a very corrupt man. To me he seems more like a false prophet. He claims to be a man who goes to church, and has a model family, when actually he is a man who uses Andy’s education and knowledge to embezzle money from the prison into a private account.

While serving his time, Andy befriends several prisoners as well as guards and officials. One man, who becomes Andy’s best friend and confidant, is Red, who is played by one of my favorite actors, Morgan Freeman. While watching this movie, I truly believed that he didn’t commit the crime he was serving time for. Andy was a very well educated man, and he wanted to share his knowledge with his new friends. His determination brought about a new library for the prison, and a way for the inmates to get a proper education and receive their General Education Diplomas. I had really hoped for a happy ending for Andy. And I thought that would’ve happened when a new member joined his group of friends. This man claimed that he knew the man who commited the murder Andy was falsely accused of. When his untimely end came, I was shocked, especially because I didn’t think the warden was capable of murder at this point.

This movie’s title has the word “redemption” in it. Originally, one would suspect that Andy is the one who finds redemption, when actually he is the one who brings it around. Red is actually the man who receives redemption, even though Andy successfully escapes the prison. In the middle of the movie, Red goes in for a review for release, and at that point he knew he just wanted to get out. He knew he wasn’t ready, but he was willing to lie to get what he wanted. By the end of the movie, Andy’s impact on him and the prison brings about Red’s true revelation of himself, and so truly wants to redeem himself for what he has done.

Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American drama film. Frank Darabont directed and wrote this film. Tim Robbins plays the star role as "Andy", whom spent almost two decades in prison. Morgan Freeman played as the fellow inmate "Red". Andy is convicted of killing his wife and her lover and is going to jail for it. Throughout the whole movie you wonder if he really did commit the murders or not. Based on "circumstanical evidence" he is sentenced to two consecutive years in Shawshank Penitentiary. Andy later on down the road runs into Red. Red has connections outside the penitentiary. Andy first asked Red for a rock hammer so he can maintain his hobby of rock collecting. Andy than, helps all of the people in the penitentiary with their taxes on the count that he is a banker. After that Andy was given space to work on their financial matters under the pretense of maintaining the prison library alongside elderly inmate Brooks Hatlen (James Whitmore). Later, Andy uses his good will with the prison guards to expand the library.One donation he received from the library was the opera The Marriage of Figaro. Andy than plays that song over the loud speaker system in which shocked the whole penitentiary.
Both inmates went through struggles and hardships but in the end they are both released as free into the world. What is crazy is how Andy is serving a sentence in jail in which he didn't evn commit. But as he is in prison he than contributes to the penitentiary is a good and positive way. Andy was very patient and consistant and in the end it paid off in his benefit.The way Andy was serving others is the same acts in which Jesus contributed to the world. Jesus came into this world to help others lives with no fault. Between Jesus and Andy they both contributed in many positive ways in the world and society.
-Lloyd Pressley 923934

Shawshank redemption review

Alexander Alonso

January 12, 2010

Gospel according to Wall-E

The Shawshank Redemption

Movie Review

This movie has become one of my favorite films. Frank Darabout did an excellent job with it. TWO THUMBS WAY UP!!! GOTTA SEE IT!!

Well, this story was about a married man; Andy was his name, who was blamed for something he did not do. Andy was sentenced to two life sentences back to back for the murder of his wife and her new lover. He was sent to a prison called shawshank, were the warden believed in discipline, and the bible. What I liked in this movie is the repetition of the words “salvation is found within…” the bible. Andy lived in that prison for nearly 20 years, making close friends and helping in all he could, until he escaped. Andy was a really well educated and patient man. His persistence even got the government to help build a library in the prison. Red, Morgan Freeman, soon became best friends with Andy, and together they lived through hardships. Granted both had different struggles, but they helped each other out. In the end they both are free.

When I think about the story, I think of several lessons to be learned: patience, perseverance, friendship, hope, trust, second chances, faith and loyalty. Also, an idle mind is the devils playground. Those whom had nothing to do and nothing to look forward to were just kind of there. But Andy, always having and wanting something to do, kept his eye on the goal. He wanted out and planned it for several years. He was patient, and it paid off. One other thing I learned from Andy, he was always trying to serve others, for instance him risking his life to get the others beer, or when he played the record on the PA system. Those simple acts made his fellow brothers happy, although just for a moment, and that helped keep him going. Both Red and Andy were redeemed, and given a second chance at life, and that was my favorite part, the ending.

SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

After I watched the trailer of Shawshank Redemption I thought it would be a film about just crime and violence but I was wrong. Theres more in the movie than just violence. Wrote by Stephen King, directed by Frank Darabont and was also the screenplay writer, nomited for seven Oscars and had 9.2 out of 10 user rating, this movie can get any better based from the productions. Andy a banker who commited double murdered for killing his wife and another man which led him to Shawshank prison. In the prison he witnessed the cruelty to live in that environment. In there he made friends with Red, an African American prisoner who accompanied him throughout the years in prisonment. Watching the prisoners get brutally violated by the abuse warden and other officers, I felt pity and sorry for what they have to go through instead of thinking what they should be punished for. Especially Andy who was treated horribly in prison for so many years. Even though they were treated unfair by the officers, I think that the prison they live in is kind of lenient back than compare to the prisons today. One thing that caught my attention was when Andy explained about having hopes in everything. I just cant believed that after all that he went through from brutally treated in prison that he would still have hope in everything he do. I admire his patience for the years he spent in prison, intelligence to know how to work things out by plotting his escape and for still having that hope to not give up on life. God made individuals with different characters and roles in life such as Red who continue to support his friend Andy and Andy in return never loses hope for both of them that they will be freedman and revealed the corruption what is happening in Shawshank prison. Also God created this hope for everybody to not give up on anything. I liked the part when Andy wrote a letter to Red about not giving up and if he came that far the he should go even farther and continue his journey. I believed that God always put a happy ending in everyone’s life, whether a person was in prison or not, He puts hope in everyone to succeed.

-Andriyah Burgos

Shawshank

I was quite happy to see Shawshank Redemption not just a movie on our list but as the first movie on our list. This is one of my mother’s favorite movies. I have seen it about a million times and she has seen a million times more. My mother and I are both really into prison movies…I do not really know why. I really like this movie my favorite character is Red, played by Morgan Freedman. Frank Darabont directed and wrote the screen play for the movie but it was based off of Stephen King’s short story “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.” The creative technique that attracted my attention was the whole innocent and ordinary “Joe” going to prison. The whole movie you are watching Andy Dufrense, played by Tim Robbins, is the main character and you know that this man couldn’t have possibly committed such a heinous crime, yet you wonder if he really did. I think this message is something we all really need to think about… Andy was doing time for a crime he did not commit. But throughout the entire movie his time spent at the prison helped better the lives of the prisoners and he impacted many of the fellow convicts. Same with Jesus Christ, He came to this earth and lived a life without fault yet paid the ultimate price for our sins. His presence here on earth bettered or lives and His life impacted the entire world.

Shaw Shanks Redemption Review

Sara Martinez

January 9, 2010

RELIGION ACCORDING TO WALLE

Shaw Shanks Redemption Review

Shaw Shanks Redemption was a very good movie all around. This movie used several genres, some of which were crime and drama. I was kept in suspense the entire movie. The ingenious writer of this movie was Stephen King who had also written Rita Hayworth. The Director and screenplay writer of this movie was Frank Darabout. This movie came out in September 1994 and it was such a hit that it received 7 Oscar nominations and had another 11 wins and 13 other nominations. I myself nominate this movie as a must watch!

At first glance I wondered why the movie was named Shaw Shanks Redemption. After thinking about it for some time this is what I came up with. I believe that this title was given because it had to do with how the prison and the prisoners seemed to be redeemed form the warden. Andy was liberated himself from the prison when he escaped and he redeemed himself. The tagline for this movie was: fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free. I think that this very true and the word hope was a huge part of this movie. Andy was afraid, but once he gained hope that he would get out he got the courage and the gumption to dig the tunnel to escape. When Red was narrating he said that everyone in the jail had to find a special project to keep him busy. I think that Andy received hope from keeping busy digging the tunnel. Hope was the liberation and freedom that the men in that prison had, even when they might never again be really free. I think of God in or lives and the hope that we have in him. Even though we live in a sinful world we have and always will have the hope that he is coming for us and we will be set free. This movie has several good points and is a great movie to watch.

Into the world of Shawshank Redemption!

The Shawshank Redemption

The director of this film was Frank Darabont. Its based of the Stephen King Novel called " Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption ". The main characters were Tim Robbins who plays Andy and Morgan Freeman who plays Red. I really liked how the movie took place in a prison mostly and how in the end it shows the scene on the beach. It went from a dark place to a place full of freedom. The whole story has a great logic to it and I would of never thought of what was going on through Andy’s head through the whole story. The ending surprised me. It was all in all great. The message I got from this film was Fear can hold you prisoner, Hope can set you free. This film showed me hope and that you can get past your mistakes in life and move forward without fearing the outside. As much as you are content with where you are and that may be all you know its okay to go out and build a new life. People may just think this film is the same as any other film about a guy escaping prison but its not even that its life, hope and life changing. This message is being sent to show people “hope”. It was made to tell people that no matter what mistakes you’ve done, you can overcome them. It related to god in the sense of us humans sinning and thinking god cant forgive us but the movie shines a light in the sense god forgives and receives you back with open arms. “Hope” is important in this movie because its what each inmate in that prison had to look forward to, nothing else would keep them going if it wasn’t for that hope of being free one day. It was named Shawshank Redemption I think because for one the jail was called that but it was also the place where people who have committed sins go and get healed in a sense. It’s like coming clean. The person I feel is being redeemed is well Andy and Red. Andy because well he went in there falsely accused and got back from the people who put him in that place. Andy on the other hand helped Red, if it wasn’t for him he would of ended up dead like Brooks.

Marty Baugh Review

Carolina Rodriguez

Shawshank Redemption

The film Shawshank Redemption was a film written by Stephen King and it was directed by Frank Darabont and produced by Niki Marvin. It was released in the fall of 1994 starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.
The film appealed and caught the eye. Shawhank is a film in which it unravels itself as it progresses. It never carried a dull moment. It is all inclusively entertaining and produced a great plot. The movie had a sense of mystery to it. It produced frequent questions and to do. The film is being narrated which appeals to the audience.
This film has various meanings and interpretations. Some may view and recall the justice that Andy was entitled too, or also karma which circled back to the guards that hurt Andy. However, through all the different meanings, I believe that hope is the main idea.
The film is largely and almost entirely centerally focused on a prison compound. It follows the lives of Andy Dufresne and Boyd "Red" Redding and a few other companions. The lifestyle is those of convincted inmates. It carries through the course of a 20 year incarceration. Life as a convict in the 1950's, innocent and detained against your will. Values presented were those of an innocent man relying an only hope. Persistance and friendship are examples shown throughout.
I believe that the film Shawshank Redemption portrays a great deal of the idea of hope. A belief so strong that prevails all throughout the film. Andy Dufresne had a constant belief of self-justice and hope. His character had a sense of determination and ease. He brought a contagious aura of belief and a new meaning of life. Hope was the central meaning of the film
I believe that the film clearly portrays Andys innocence. In the film Andy is falsely accused and prosectued. He had to endure punishment for the sins of other just as Jesus died for ours. There is much symbolism throughout the film. In the very tittle, Redemption, clearly demonstrates how Andy is redeemed in the end by gaining his freedom and condemening the officers who did wrong upon them. Redemption means deliverance; rescue, and after enduring everything that was thrust upon him he was able to break free.

The Shawshank Redemption Review

The Shawshank Redemption was written and directed by Frank Darabont and was released in 1994. Based on the novella by Stephen King, it is a film about prison life and having hope.
I loved this movie. It was well written, it had a great cast, and it had a crazy twist when he escaped. Also it was actually a deep and philosophical movie that made you think; about hope, about what you want in this life, and how power can screw you up.
This was meant for adults, obviously shown with the R rating, which it deserved with language and violence. Also, young kids wouldn't exactly comprehend what the moral and such was.
There was so much to this film. Andy Dufresne starts as a wrongfully accused banker who actually became actually very conniving and scheming from living in Shawshank, though not exactly becoming corrupt. Also, its crazy to see how the Warden changed from a Christian who's walking a little off the path into a deeply corrupt and awful person. I thought it was funny how the cross on his lapel changed to some little pin after the first decade.
I think this message was being sent to show how we can change for better or for worse and that hope can actually set you free (to steal from the theatrical poster).
I didn't see God actually represented, though I did see one Christ-like aspect, though it was sad. When Tommy tells the story of how Elmo Blatch flat-out admitted that he committed the murder, Blatch was perfectly fine going on and letting someone else, which happened to be Andy. Though quite a loose reference, it caught my eye.
I believe that this film was called Shawshank Redemption because though Andy and Red were redeemed, the prison itself was redeemed. It had a library that was garbage and from the perserverence from Andy came the Brooks Hatlen Memorial Library with a decent amount of books and even records.
As i stated in the previous paragraph, several people were redeemed. Andy, after being sentenced for a crime he didn't commit and then having the one who could attempt to save him killed, escaped Shawshank by crawling through a half mile of crap and coming out clean. Red was redeemed by realizing what rehabilitation really meant to him and that hope really can set you free.
This movie was a really deep and philosophical film and i thoroughly enjoyed it.

Andrew Cortez

The Gospel According to WALL-E: The Shawshank Redemption

Going into this movie, I honestly didn't know what to expect. Usually when I watch the trailer for a movie, I get a good idea if it's one that will pique my interest, or give me the "I can go my whole life without ever seeing this movie and be absolutely okay with it," feeling. Upon watching The Shawshank Redemption trailer, I can honestly say it wasn't a movie I was "buck wild" crazy about seeing. Sure, it looked intriguing, but I'm not one for prison movies and watching people get beaten to within inches of their lives, and, to me, Shawshank seemed to be chalk full of those moments. I was right. There were several times in the movie where I was caught off guard with a brutal beating and jumped and cringed.

Even though this movie was very graphic at times, the theme of hope and, hence the title, redemption, was expertly woven into the fabric of the movie. It's amazing how a movie that centers itself around a prison can leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling as the credits roll. I had always heard the quote, "Get busy living . . . or get busy dying," but I didn't know that this is the movie where it came from. When watching Shawshank, I remember thinking that there's no way this movie can give me anything even remotely resembling a warm fuzzy. This feeling started to come into play when Andy talked about music. I can definitely relate to what he said about how, no matter how hard they try, they can't take away music. If you're a lover of music, you know that music is in your soul. As my friends can most certainly attest, I always seem to have at least one song (more like 6) in my head at all times. No matter what happened during my day, I can always find a song to fit my mood. Music is, most definitely, a major part of my life. I'm a female trumpeter in Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band, so of course I'm surrounded by music every day and, to be quite honest, I couldn't be happier about that. :)

The Shawshank Redemption Review by Chris

The Shawshank Redemption is an awesome story written and directed by Frank Darabont. It was released in 1994 and then was re-released in 2004. I would recommend this movie to anyone, although I would keep small children from seeing it because of the language and some of the content.
The Shawshank Redemption has is an amazing story of a man named Andy Dufresne who is wrongfully accused and sentenced to two life sentences back to back without parole for the murder of his wife and her lover. Once in prison, Andy goes from being just another inmate to someone whom even the guards come to admire. Andy began to help the guards with their taxes and other legal things while they began to help him with what he needed. As time went on, the warden started to use Andy’s skills to pocket money that was going through the prison in an account that could not be traced. After finally getting fed up with his life in prison, Andy escapes and is free from Shawshank.
A really easy theme to see is that of hope. Andy is always talking about hope. He has hope that one day everything will be fine. He has hope of a better life, and it is this hope that he begins to pass on to his fellow inmates. He sent letters to the state for years requesting funds to help build a better library for the prison. After hundreds of letters, the state finally gives him the money he needs and Andy builds a huge library. With this library, he begins to help some of the inmates get their high school diplomas. He taught them how to hope and how great a thing hope is.
Another theme from the movie that carries a spiritual tone is that of redemption. In the movie it is easy to see that Andy Dufresne is the one who is redeemed, but there is a much bigger story of redemption that is taking place. The answer can be found in the movie’s title. The whole prison is redeemed. Redemption can be defined as deliverance from something upon the payment of a ransom. In the movie Andy pays the ransom with all of his hard work. He puts up with the warden in order for the library to be built. He toils for hours and helps the inmates with their needs. Through his payment, he redeems those at Shawshank by giving them a hope for the future is it through the ability to get an education or to just have faith that they can make it through whatever happens to them. In the same way, Jesus has redeemed us. He came down and paid with his life. He freed us from the sins of the world and made it possible for us to have faith that no matter what we are going through, He is always there with us. He will come again. And because of His payment, we are able to hope for a better future.

Monique Gramling
ID#924889
UNST
Assignment 1
1/10/10

Shawshank Redemption

Stephen king wrote Shawshank Redemption and conveyed the rising issues of prison brutality. Not only did he show the quite desperation of an imprisoned man who was actually innocent, but also a man forced to survive on hope alone. Some might say that King revealed crimes that were commonly shadowed, and for this he was mentally ill, but I rebound by saying that if someone doesn't bring these things to light, they'll stay hidden. These men were forced to fight for the survival and Prison life is directly seen. All morals and codes of conducts are forgotten and primal istinct is enabled. Of course there has to be a group of people in particular that this film reaches out to. People without compassion could definitely be the target audience, because after watching, one learns not to judge a book by it's cover. I ultimately believe that this message is a reminder that prison cannot be forgotten. What one's friends and families fail to realize is that prison is a scary and lonely place. In spirtual terms, you reap what you sow can definitely be considered, and right does make might. In the end, Andy Dufrane was redeemed as well as his friend Red. Hope is critical because without hope, one will never realize hope is the best of things.

Shawshank Redemption Review

The Shawshank Redemption was directed by Frank Darabont and co-written by Stephan King. This movie uses suspense to attract the viewer’s attention. It is cunning and picks at the mind. Certain individuals might view this movie as an evocation of the evils of the prison system in America. They might center too intently on the cruelty of prison life and not on the underlying story of personal redemption and exoneration. Other individuals might view the movie as merely another mundane prison break movie. be Whatever the case, the Shawshank Redemption grapples with more relevant issues; issues such as nuances in the human character and the inherent prevalence of human resolve against such imposing, sadistic and overbearing adversities. The lifestyles and values that are being portrayed in the movie are as varied as they are complex. For example, homosexuality is manifest and vice within the prison is rampant. Even still, in the Shawshank Redemption, there are characters that, throughout it all, serve as a moral backbone; showing that even in the in crux of debauchery, virtue and hope can persist. This message is being sent to advocate a sense of self-awareness. That one can have inner redemption and not be limited to self-condemnation. This film shows that before God forgives us, we must forgive ourselves.

Michael Aguilar
Gospel According to Wall-e
1-13-10
Shawshank Review