Corruption of communist ideologies is seen all over the world, including in literature. From Creon’s role as the dictator in Antigone to the government brainwashing citizens in Fahrenheit 451 to modern day failures of communist ideologies, all three show a correlation in leadership techniques. Jose Marti once said that “the first duty of a man is to think for himself,” and in these three pieces of literature and culture, it is demonstrated how independent thinking and free will is eliminated under the rule of a socialist nation. In Antigone by Sophecles, Creon is a powerful dictator in Thebes and controls Antigone by abusing his power to tell her what she can do. He is able to instill fear in those who are beneath him as he uses corrupt government ideals and abuses his power.
The Dark Knight, for example, is one of the greatest movies of our time in part thanks to the astonishing visual effects but more thanks to the extraordinary relationship and conflict between the Batman and the Joker. So instead of only seeing movies focused purely on the best looks, we are still seeing films in which the protagonist and antagonist conflict takes center stage. This is thanks to the fact that directors like Nolan have taken what has worked throughout cinema history and implemented it into there new, and visually improved, films. This is especially true for recent movie villains, like the Joker. The directors have kept in mind that what makes a successful villain is that they look the part, be insanely brilliant, and push the protagonist to the edge.
300 Final Film Review 300 is by far the best comic book based movie I have evened seen But what really makes this movie stand out from all of the other movies is the amazing cinematography that this movie has. Larry Fong has proven that a brilliant Director of Photography can turn any boring tale into something great and interesting. Now, the tale isn’t boring. Not by a long shot. But we’ve seen and heard the same tale a lot before.
In the novel 1984 George Orwell uses imagery to portray the theme of a grotesque society in which the government is in total control. The citizens in this novel live in a constant fear of making a mistake and being punished by the ever so powerful government. Living in fear is usual in this totalitarian based book because of the amount of power the government holds over its citizens. Tele-screens, Posters and a new dictionary and thought police as well as the images of the filthy living space are all described and depict images in the readers mind to help deliver the theme. A total control government is conveyed in this novel through Orwell’s imagery.
Three stories, three totalitarian worlds, three different endings. ‘Harrison Bergeron’, ‘1984’ and ‘V for Vendetta’ are all set in a dystopian world that seems to have no hope. All of the governments in all three of these stories are aiming to have complete power. The differences between these worlds are in the way the people are being controlled, how the corruption started and the ways people rebel. The possibilities or rebelling mostly depend on the ways they are being held captive and controlled.
1984 is set in the oligarchical society of Oceania, where the state, led by the omnipresent figurehead of Big Brother, dominates the lives of individuals in order to forcefully fashion a community of conformity. Orwell represents the tension within power (particularly the emotive power to resist) and authority (the right to giver orders, make decisions and enforce obedience) in 1984 through a frail protagonist, narrative suspense, and evocative setting. Themes are explored that epitomize the interplay of power and authorities: constant monitoring, fabrication of history, assassination of language, and most importantly psychological manipulation. Motifs and symbols, such as doublethink, dust and Big Brother, also effectively aid in representing the concept of power and authority. To ensure an infallible reputation – a key requisite for totalitarian authority - The Party controls every source of information; they fabricate, alter and counterfeit any piece of evidence that interferes with the current story with which they are indoctrinating the public.
In this short story the government decided that in order for every one to be equal it would be necessary for people who are stronger, prettier, or smarter to be condemned with handicaps to weaken their strengths. After being arrested for taking off his handicaps Harrison Bergeron rebelled directly against the government on live television. While on Television Harrison yelled to the guest in the auditorium, “Now watch me become what I can become!” (Vonnegut 5). When he says this he is directly referring to the government not allowing any one to be who they want to be. Because he was so bothered by this he again ripped off all of his restraints on national TV.
Ray Bradbury gave us a powerful perspective of what living life could be like under such circumstances of radical censorship and tyranny. Tyranny being, an oppressive or unjustly severe government on the part of any ruler. The two main characters living this cruel and oppressive government rule were Guy and Mildred Montag. The censorship in Fahrenheit 451 was so tyrannical and oppressive, that this society failed to realize what was happening in their own worlds. Mildred Montag is the perfect example of how censorship brainwashed her into becoming a person she herself did not know.
These factors result in the death of Winston’s spirit. Big Brother violates Winston’s basic human rights by Monitoring him through tele screens, forbidding his relationship with Julia. Telescreens are used a central tool that allows the party of Big Brother to maintain control over society in Oceania. The party uses this tool to differentiate between the supporters of Big Brother. Telecreens allow the party to keep surveillance of the people and this is the reasoning as to why the people of Oceania cant escape, because Big Brother always has a watchful eye on the citizens.
Horror films are made to give people a thrill seeking feeling by its mental act. These movies are mostly unreal but others are true stories based on someone’s real life. What kind of feeling people have from watching a scary movie may differ. According to the article “Horror movies: Why people love them” by Leslie Fink, one of the reasons we watch so many scary movies is because of the thrill it gives us and how it brings the primal behavior to assess threat levels. Just because someone has a strong desire to watch horror films doesn’t mean they are complete freaks because many just love the adrenaline rush that these types of movies give off.