Books and movies will now be reviewed here starting with these two:
Moby Dick
An interesting read. I don't know if I agree with its usual label of "Children's Classic". I don't think many of today's children could be bothered to even attempt this one and if they did, I don't think they would make it without a good dictionary. There's a lot of cool language in this book. Most of it is a bit archaic, but it's interesting to see how our language has changed in the last couple hundred years. There are some great sentences and quotes in there. As for the story, it's very long and drawn out. There are large sections of the book where you are treated to in-depth descriptions of the whaling trade in the 1850s, whale anatomy, whaler operations, blacksmithing, and other fun subjects. The meat of the story with Ahab and the whale only really involves the last two chapters. Honestly after wading through the rest of the book, the ending was very anticlimactic. Am I glad I read it? Yes. Would I read it again? Probably not. I would say this is one you should save for a very long, rainy day. If you're interested in the subject or enjoy clever writing it might be worth your time.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2701
V For Vendetta
Wow. When I saw the previews for this I knew I had to see it. I was not disappointed. Like Orwell's 1984, this movie has eerie parallels with the current state of the world. It's a hopeful story in that it proposes that the masses will one day wake up and take their lives and privacy back from the government. Whether or not that can actually happen remains to be seen.
There is some discussion on the 'net about whether V is a terrorist or not. I suppose it depends on which side you're on. To the government he is a terrorist, to the people he's a freedom fighter and a hero. His tactics are probably best defined as terrorism, but he is very careful to mete out punishment only to those who have earned it. Now, I don't think we should go around blowing up large government buildings and national landmarks as a form of protest, but it certainly worked to get the attention of both the public and the tyrants running the country. Technically the film is very beautiful. It's dark, but there are lots of rich colors and textures. Natalie Portman is surprisingly good, especially compared to her work in the Star Wars prequels. Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith from the Matrix Trilogy) is credited as V. I'm not sure if he was in the costume as well as doing the voice, but the range of emotion that he gets across without access to facial expressions is amazing. It's all body language and vocal inflection. Personally, this performance is more worthy of a best actor Oscar than many in recent years. So, watch the movie. Enjoy the pretty colors and the great acting and try to get the message.
People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people - V
Moby Dick
An interesting read. I don't know if I agree with its usual label of "Children's Classic". I don't think many of today's children could be bothered to even attempt this one and if they did, I don't think they would make it without a good dictionary. There's a lot of cool language in this book. Most of it is a bit archaic, but it's interesting to see how our language has changed in the last couple hundred years. There are some great sentences and quotes in there. As for the story, it's very long and drawn out. There are large sections of the book where you are treated to in-depth descriptions of the whaling trade in the 1850s, whale anatomy, whaler operations, blacksmithing, and other fun subjects. The meat of the story with Ahab and the whale only really involves the last two chapters. Honestly after wading through the rest of the book, the ending was very anticlimactic. Am I glad I read it? Yes. Would I read it again? Probably not. I would say this is one you should save for a very long, rainy day. If you're interested in the subject or enjoy clever writing it might be worth your time.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2701
V For Vendetta
Wow. When I saw the previews for this I knew I had to see it. I was not disappointed. Like Orwell's 1984, this movie has eerie parallels with the current state of the world. It's a hopeful story in that it proposes that the masses will one day wake up and take their lives and privacy back from the government. Whether or not that can actually happen remains to be seen.
There is some discussion on the 'net about whether V is a terrorist or not. I suppose it depends on which side you're on. To the government he is a terrorist, to the people he's a freedom fighter and a hero. His tactics are probably best defined as terrorism, but he is very careful to mete out punishment only to those who have earned it. Now, I don't think we should go around blowing up large government buildings and national landmarks as a form of protest, but it certainly worked to get the attention of both the public and the tyrants running the country. Technically the film is very beautiful. It's dark, but there are lots of rich colors and textures. Natalie Portman is surprisingly good, especially compared to her work in the Star Wars prequels. Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith from the Matrix Trilogy) is credited as V. I'm not sure if he was in the costume as well as doing the voice, but the range of emotion that he gets across without access to facial expressions is amazing. It's all body language and vocal inflection. Personally, this performance is more worthy of a best actor Oscar than many in recent years. So, watch the movie. Enjoy the pretty colors and the great acting and try to get the message.
People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people - V
posted by David | 09:54
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