Murderball Response

Murderball (2005) presents an engaging expose on popular social and cultural perceptions of physical disability. In some instances, the film provides opportunity in the narrative for the audience to experience aspects of disabled persons' life that might otherwise be missed thereby challenging the audiences preconceived notions about physical disabilities. In other instances, the film reinforces what most would consider popular notions of what it is like to be physically disabled.

One way the film Murderball challenges popular ideology about physical disabilities is the extreme competitiveness between Quad Rugby players on the USA and Canada teams. This type of fierce competition is thought to be generally reserved for able bodied athletes at the pinnacle of popular sports. Showing physically disabled athletes in an environment of disciplined and determined competitiveness is eye-opening when one considers that those with physical disabilities are not usually considered to be athletic or competitive.

On the other hand, the girlfriend of quadriplegic Mark, mentioned in an on camera interview that one of the reason she was draw to Mark was because of her natural mothering instinct. This statement reinforces popular cultural ideas that physically disabled people need to be taken care and implies that they are helpless without the constant care of their able-bodied counterparts.

Rambo Response

Rambo displays a distorted and fictional characterization of "real manhood." This contrived ideology is represented on screen in different and equally effective ways.

In one of the film's early scenes Rambo has been detained by local authorities. Rambo is passively resisting the Sheriff. Irritated by Rambo's disrespect for authority the Sheriff verbally advises Rambo that he will be going to see a judge the next day and the outcome of this meetings can be determined by Rambo's behavior. One line in particular showcases the Sheriff's abusively authoritative attitude. He tells Rambo, "you can impress me by doing exactly what I tell you."

A later scene in the same sequence gives the audience a very visual representation of how the film maker chose to depict "real manhood." While trying to get Rambo ready for his day in court the deputies are advised to clean-up Rambo. Rambo is made to strip naked exposing his vulnerabilities both physically and metaphorically. In this way the deputies and the Sheriff and able to asert their "real manhood", dominating and homo-eroticism over Rambo. This position the Sheriff and the deputies and superiors, able to command and condemn Rambo as they see fit.

As we know from watching the film, Rambo turns the tables.

Rambo - Screening Notes

- Dominating male, "you can impress me by doing exactly what I tell you."
- Dominating Rambo with fire hose
- Each character has a need to overcome the other by force
- rambo acts like an animal
- Rambo escapes captivity and return to the wilderness
- The Cops motivation seems to be lacking, possibly motivated by pride
- "were not hunting him, he's hunting us."
- Rambo also seems to lack motivation equal to his actions
- When eventually defeated, Will (the cop) crus showing the audience he is weaker than Rambo
- What's with the "wild west" gun sound fx?
- The volunteer National guard guys are the best part. Funny.
- Will feels cheated because he wanted to kill Rambo. It wasn't enough that the threat was eliminated.
- Interesting warning on the bumper of the military truck Rambo stole.
- Why does the Sheriff's Office has a city wide public address system?

Blue Velvet Screening Notes

- Contrast between ideal small town (school kids, friendly firefighters, well groomed flower beds, etc.) and the heart attack man, beetles in the grass.

- Introduces a detective early in the film.

- Typical noir lighting when jeffery heads down into basement for the first time. Very hot back light with heavy shadows.

- After the ear is found things get dark. 

- Literally = shots are done at night. 

- Figuratively = the camera enters the ear and weird things start happening to Jeffery.

- Mysterious woman comes out of the black to meet Jeffery

- Always dramatic lighting in the apartment building.

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BUY THE WAR - RESPONSE

Bill Moyer’s 2007 documentary Buying The War scrutinizes the media’s lack of skepticism surrounding the White House propaganda that eventually lead to the invasion of Iraq after 9/11. It’s the assertion of the film makers that a convincing but false pretense was used to gain broad support for the war. I believe Buying The War is based on the rhetorical strategy that the subject matter is worthy of greater scrutiny. The controversy of the missing weapons of mass destruction in Iraq after the nation and world were assured they existed inherently calls for some sort of investigation. To help persuade the audience of the film’s ideal several strategies were used.

The film uses a strong voice of authority. Well-known journalists and authors such as Dan Rather, Walter Issacson, Bob Simon and Bill Moyers himself, lend their own public image to support the claims. The film can be viewed as a type of propaganda film. No other alternative views were presented besides the ones that support the initial claim. This method of persuasion limits the audiences perspective on the subject matter.

The talking heads approach is also employed by Buying The War. The same authoritative, knowledgable and trusted journalists and authors are interviewed on screen to help sell the directors point. As mentioned in the book on page 283 this emphasizes the complexity of how exactly the media was tricked into going along with the less than honest attempts to start a war.

BUYING THE WAR - SCREENING NOTES

- Voice over matches on screen text to help emphasize an important point.
- images of Saddam walking behind bombs help reinforce the propaganda ideas presented by the story despite the claims no such WMDs existed.
- shows clips of Cheany saying things about Iraqs nuclear potential while an expert provides evidence to the contrary
- Moyers calls Cheney's news interview a "performance" reinforcing his own idea that he Cheany was not genuine thereby selling his own point.
- That is a similar tactic Moyers accuses Cheney of.
- Consistently shows images of the White House when speaking of "the administration."
- Not much evidence shown to support the motivation behind Moyers' claims of deceit.