The movie Minority Report is the perfect allegory of the society we live in today. The movie depicts a society in a not to far future where murder is reaching in all time epidemic proportions and people living in this world would trade their independent freedoms for security. In this post 9/11 world we’ve done the something similar except without the word murder being on everyone’s lips its terrorism. In Minority Report the only way to deal with the epidemic rise of murder is to start the precrime program. Precrime is a division unit that has the technology and capabilities of predicting murder cases that haven’t even happen yet. The technology and the entire division though experimental gain the public’s trust by showing results of murders being committed entering an all time low. This raises many philosophical debates of free will and determined fate that these characters are playing with.
Precrime in its self is immoral and should not exist in a utilitarianistic way of fixing the murder epidemic situation. It promises to neutralize the problem but it involves changing destiny and playing with the fate these people have. In the movie precrime employs three beings with the ability of precognition murders being committed. The main character John Anderton believes the good precrime can do for humanity up until he saw himself committing a murder. John starts to question if Precrime is as accurate in its predictions as his boss Lamar said it was. Later John soon realizes that there is an alternative prediction called the ‘minority report’ in which the murder being committed by the person could have never happen. Only few people had a minority report though they were still ignored and put in prison in a vegetated state. It’s immoral in a sense that those innocent people who didn’t commit murder and have the minority report are still being prosecuted for the greater good. Idealistically it feels right but at the same time those people who are for precrime failed to realize that they might commit murder and might have an alternative future where the action never took place. Many may argue its better to be safe than sorry, yet if one does not commit the crime why should that individual be punish? This system plays with the lives of ordinary people and is too powerful toy with it, especially for those who are innocent or have a possible future like John Anderton who was set up by Lamar to begin with. Precrime predictions are a lot like the Oracle of Greek mythology in a way where you ask a prediction of the future and it only states what is going to happen. Not how, when, why, just states this situation or event will take place in your life. Like in Oedipus, Oedipus fate was to kill his father and marry his mother according to the prophecy. The Oracle never said what time, date, nor reason just stated this event will happen.
The movie also displays the sacrifice of independent freedom for security. In the movie society in which John Anderton lives is heavily anti privacy. Each subway station has an eye scanner to see if you’re a law abiding citizen or not. When entering a shopping mall it’s like going to a place where advertisers know your name. Also the police no longer need a warrant to search your apartment or daily activity, if need be they’ll scan your eyes with their drones of miniature spiders. All this security to hunt down a murder based on a prophecy from the precogs. While many would argue ‘If you have nothing to hide then why be afraid’ and accept this police state security I oppose it. What people don’t realized is that they are waving their rights away for protection of a threat. People can be persuaded by fear and intimidation to the point of willing to give up their privacy hoping for the threat to be over. The problem is that once the threat is over their privacy will still be monitored by big brother. People forget those who are monitoring our lives are just regular people that can become nosey neighbor. The individual may have nothing to hide in the closet yet his/her private life is entertainment. Without even realizing it we’ve become reality stars to big brother. By waving our rights for security big brother now has a show to watch for twenty-four hours and seven days a week. Multiple genres you can imagine and only big brother has access to those channels. It’s also hard to imagine a world where the police can interrupt your private life with random searches. For security individuals are now forced to get comfortable or use to it. In the book 1984 its main purpose was to ask its readers this question and that is how we as a society should avoid entering a totalitarian civilization?
Minority Report reflects on society willing to give up their individual rights for safety and security while playing with the concept of fate vs. free will. People need to start realizing that we live in a dangerous world and we might eventually come to an end because of that. It’s within our instinct to be violent and solve our needs and wants with that primal instinct. It’s only up to our morals and beliefs for we are complex to rationalize the situation. Only we can control the small portions of our existence but in the end the appointers will cut our thread.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
MOMI: Blog
Inside of the Museum of Moving Image on the third floor there were tons of old movie memorabilia that show cased the origins of film. The way our tour was set up was to narrate the beginning of film, how it has grown out through history, and the big impact it has today. Our group started off in the beginning where the tour guide showed us a bunch of contraptions with names I’ve forgotten. She told us the history on how someone came up with the idea of combining consistent pictures and putting them together with speed in order to fool the eye into making it move. Example being the running man, in order to see the moving picture of the man running you have to pull the crank to see the pictures come together and fools the eye. Making the viewer to believe that there is movement taking place. From there on we went to a replica of the Penny Arcades that were popular in the earliest of the nineteen hundreds. Our tour guide and Dr. Rheuban explained how cameras were used to make movies by pictures and not film at the time. It’s interesting since when you look through a peep hole of a nickelodeon it’s like watching a flipbook with well drawn characters that are brought to life. Sure there was no sound, dialogue, or anything for that matter. I got to see “A Trip to The Moon” which is consider to be the first science fiction movie ever made and I enjoyed it. I tried my best setting my mentality and mind of the average viewer of the early nineteen hundreds. Like I’ve mention before there were no sound, but that didn’t stop me from making up the dialogue on how the astronauts planed on getting to the moon. It’s amazing, even with something so primitive can hold a lot of value of the viewer with an open mind.
After the penny arcades we went through the hall of film cameras and how they have a major impact in movie making. Thanks to Edison along with European inventors created projectors and cameras with film. Now allowing film makers to bring their images to life by recording the action that’s being taken place. It was interesting to see how these cameras change through time from big cameras like the ones that were displayed made by Edison. To the small ones that were used by documenters and journalists during WW2. After that we went through the recording booth and discuss the transition of sound in movies. Sound has always existed in film during the golden age of movies just wasn’t able to synchronized it yet. We went from adding sound FX to Brandon dubbing “Babe” we’ve learned how modern movies use sound to convey what is going on in the film. Also we’ve get to see the huge microphone filmmakers use to put sound in movies. Unlike before where the microphone had to be close or the actors had to be in a small room saying their dialogues. Now there is a portable microphone that can travel where the actors are going and can record their lines on a safe yet reachable distance. After that we went through the editing room and see how editors do their magic and our tour guide explains why they’re always someone in production yelling take two. It’s to give the editor which take to use in the final project.
After that we went through a memorabilia of horror movies that were actually prompts used during filming. Like Freddy’s sweater, the prompt of the excursus, etc. With the existence of editing and special effects filmmaker’s imagination are beyond the sky’s limit. After that we traveled to the second floor where we saw a collection of old Star Wars/Star Trek figures behind the glass case. Our tour guide asks us as to why these big franchises hold a special meaning to us. To me they represent of an ongoing achievement of human agriculture and creativity.
After the penny arcades we went through the hall of film cameras and how they have a major impact in movie making. Thanks to Edison along with European inventors created projectors and cameras with film. Now allowing film makers to bring their images to life by recording the action that’s being taken place. It was interesting to see how these cameras change through time from big cameras like the ones that were displayed made by Edison. To the small ones that were used by documenters and journalists during WW2. After that we went through the recording booth and discuss the transition of sound in movies. Sound has always existed in film during the golden age of movies just wasn’t able to synchronized it yet. We went from adding sound FX to Brandon dubbing “Babe” we’ve learned how modern movies use sound to convey what is going on in the film. Also we’ve get to see the huge microphone filmmakers use to put sound in movies. Unlike before where the microphone had to be close or the actors had to be in a small room saying their dialogues. Now there is a portable microphone that can travel where the actors are going and can record their lines on a safe yet reachable distance. After that we went through the editing room and see how editors do their magic and our tour guide explains why they’re always someone in production yelling take two. It’s to give the editor which take to use in the final project.
After that we went through a memorabilia of horror movies that were actually prompts used during filming. Like Freddy’s sweater, the prompt of the excursus, etc. With the existence of editing and special effects filmmaker’s imagination are beyond the sky’s limit. After that we traveled to the second floor where we saw a collection of old Star Wars/Star Trek figures behind the glass case. Our tour guide asks us as to why these big franchises hold a special meaning to us. To me they represent of an ongoing achievement of human agriculture and creativity.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Blog 9 Revise
We define a hero as someone who does a selfless act in aid of someone else without expecting a reward or personal gain. Our image of a hero in this country is someone who is flawless and has high moral standards to follow. He/she has to be physically photogenic, strong, and charismatic in order to believe the lie we’ve created. This illusion was made by us in order to inspire us to do the right thing and make the world a better place to live. The truth is in any developed country we live in a dog eat dog world consumed by our needs and wants. When people who have the characteristics of a hero like MLK Jr. or mother Teresa who rise up to the plate and try to benefit humanity are only to being taken for granted. When we hear about the heroic deeds of soldiers who are fighting the war in Iraq or a police officer who takes a bullet for a little girl we tend to pat them on the back and tell them they did a good job. Yet if it were to be anyone who went to the extreme like saved innocent lives from a car bombing and the person was just some normal guy he would be ignored by the media in favor for someone more interesting.
In the movie “Hero” John Bubber who has the characteristics of being a hero takes credit for the heroic deed that he did not do. He did because he wanted a place to stay and has nowhere else to go since he’s homeless. Gail the news reporter who couldn’t remember who really saved her immediately accepted him for his smile and his good nature. What’s worse is that the TV station she works for channel 4 heavily marketed his image and turned him into a nation’s hero over night. He was even a Vietnam vet who managed to save his fellow comrades from being killed. Whenever someone does a heroic deed we tend to focus on that person particular past to see if that person has done other credible things to awe and inspire us. If a former police officer or a former war vet helped a ‘white’ girl from a well she fell into they are considered to be the nation’s hero. After all they have a resume of service that the media can exploit their life story for ratings. If it were an average Joe like a hotdog vendor down on his luck and about to be homeless soon the credit will be given to the rescuers who showed up after the hotdog vendor saved the ‘white’ little girl. Since the hotdog vendor doesn’t have a laundry list of heroic deeds nor follow the characteristics of the hero this country made up. Like Bernie Laplante, he is purposely the opposite of what we idealistically think of a hero. Bernie is a crook and like us only looks out for himself, yet whenever there is a crisis he will rise to the challenge. Bernie saved the passengers from the burning plane out of guilt for the little boy who thinks his father is still trapped inside.
Bernie tries to tell everyone the heroic deed he did and no one believed him. Even when Gail finds out the truth she still refuses to accept that she owes her life to Bernie and thinks he’s trying to frame John Bubber for the credit cards he stole from her. There is another scene in the movie where John Bubber is taken out on a date with Gail to a fancy restaurant. The people there constantly congratulated him for the heroic deed they thought to believe he did. Even one person thanked him and said that if they were in a situation the same as him, he wouldn’t have done it. This couldn’t be sadder then the truth since we live in a society that mostly cater to its needs and wants. What we failed to realized is that there is a Superman/woman within us all we just choose to ignore it when the time calls for it. We fill ourselves with self doubt and excuses to the point where we refuse to give the damsel in distress help. Hoping for someone like John Bubber would be there to fix their problem for us. The key scene of the movie is where Bernie asks the bartender if he would believe that Bernie was the one who saved those passengers. The bartender replied no and he wouldn’t either for it’s not in their nature to do so furthering my point that people filled themselves with self doubt and excuses we come up with to worry our own businesses and not the needs of others.
Anyone can be a hero just not what our media’s definition to exploit and milk for ratings. The TV station milked John Bubber for the fame he had with the public. Sure John Bubber lied so he can have a place to sleep for the night, while others would argue he inspired people to do the right thing. Sure he inspired people to do the right thing, but eventually what’s keeping people to lose that motivation and go back to their natural behavior? Of course Bernie convinces John to continue the lie and continue to inspire people since he’s photogenic. Yet the truth will eventually come out. When it does people won’t take it lightly while others would say I knew that guy was a phony. Until then he’ll just use his fame to convince people to do the right thing and some would follow him. While others would just say “well he told them to do it so someone out there is taking care of that issue for me”. There is a hero with in all of us we just choose to ignore it and rely on someone else to answer the call for us. When someone tries to do a heroic deed like ending the oppression of a war torn nation or find a cure for aids. The media will shower them with attention until they find something else that will distract us from what they did. Eventually their contributions to humanity would be taken for granted and forgotten in a few short generations.
In the movie “Hero” John Bubber who has the characteristics of being a hero takes credit for the heroic deed that he did not do. He did because he wanted a place to stay and has nowhere else to go since he’s homeless. Gail the news reporter who couldn’t remember who really saved her immediately accepted him for his smile and his good nature. What’s worse is that the TV station she works for channel 4 heavily marketed his image and turned him into a nation’s hero over night. He was even a Vietnam vet who managed to save his fellow comrades from being killed. Whenever someone does a heroic deed we tend to focus on that person particular past to see if that person has done other credible things to awe and inspire us. If a former police officer or a former war vet helped a ‘white’ girl from a well she fell into they are considered to be the nation’s hero. After all they have a resume of service that the media can exploit their life story for ratings. If it were an average Joe like a hotdog vendor down on his luck and about to be homeless soon the credit will be given to the rescuers who showed up after the hotdog vendor saved the ‘white’ little girl. Since the hotdog vendor doesn’t have a laundry list of heroic deeds nor follow the characteristics of the hero this country made up. Like Bernie Laplante, he is purposely the opposite of what we idealistically think of a hero. Bernie is a crook and like us only looks out for himself, yet whenever there is a crisis he will rise to the challenge. Bernie saved the passengers from the burning plane out of guilt for the little boy who thinks his father is still trapped inside.
Bernie tries to tell everyone the heroic deed he did and no one believed him. Even when Gail finds out the truth she still refuses to accept that she owes her life to Bernie and thinks he’s trying to frame John Bubber for the credit cards he stole from her. There is another scene in the movie where John Bubber is taken out on a date with Gail to a fancy restaurant. The people there constantly congratulated him for the heroic deed they thought to believe he did. Even one person thanked him and said that if they were in a situation the same as him, he wouldn’t have done it. This couldn’t be sadder then the truth since we live in a society that mostly cater to its needs and wants. What we failed to realized is that there is a Superman/woman within us all we just choose to ignore it when the time calls for it. We fill ourselves with self doubt and excuses to the point where we refuse to give the damsel in distress help. Hoping for someone like John Bubber would be there to fix their problem for us. The key scene of the movie is where Bernie asks the bartender if he would believe that Bernie was the one who saved those passengers. The bartender replied no and he wouldn’t either for it’s not in their nature to do so furthering my point that people filled themselves with self doubt and excuses we come up with to worry our own businesses and not the needs of others.
Anyone can be a hero just not what our media’s definition to exploit and milk for ratings. The TV station milked John Bubber for the fame he had with the public. Sure John Bubber lied so he can have a place to sleep for the night, while others would argue he inspired people to do the right thing. Sure he inspired people to do the right thing, but eventually what’s keeping people to lose that motivation and go back to their natural behavior? Of course Bernie convinces John to continue the lie and continue to inspire people since he’s photogenic. Yet the truth will eventually come out. When it does people won’t take it lightly while others would say I knew that guy was a phony. Until then he’ll just use his fame to convince people to do the right thing and some would follow him. While others would just say “well he told them to do it so someone out there is taking care of that issue for me”. There is a hero with in all of us we just choose to ignore it and rely on someone else to answer the call for us. When someone tries to do a heroic deed like ending the oppression of a war torn nation or find a cure for aids. The media will shower them with attention until they find something else that will distract us from what they did. Eventually their contributions to humanity would be taken for granted and forgotten in a few short generations.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
"follow up to blog 8."
As I mention before I have a curse residing in my right brain called critical cynicism. Sometimes I enjoy having it around my head constantly nip picking every little detail as if I were Siskel and Ebert themselves. Other times I really wish I knew how to control it or sell it to the nearest pawnshop to drop myself to everyone's level of delusion. People have called me killjoy, as if I'm the Grimm Reaper of great moments coming to the end. That really hurts me a lot since sometimes I wish I could join them in their moment.Being the other can be fun at times, but not always when the star attraction is always on sight. When debunking arguments with facts or in my case facts and standards people wouldn't accept what I have to say. Just case me aside with their measuring stick of mediocrity and accept what big business clogs into their mouths.
When people view me its not in a positive light but instead a force to be reckon with like Orson Wells after his pea commercial. People view me as the other no pun intended and rather associate with me they fear my ability to ruin their moment with my criticism. As mention before I don't know how to stop and people believe its a play I'm doing.
When people view me its not in a positive light but instead a force to be reckon with like Orson Wells after his pea commercial. People view me as the other no pun intended and rather associate with me they fear my ability to ruin their moment with my criticism. As mention before I don't know how to stop and people believe its a play I'm doing.
Blog 8: Criticism is a Habit.
Ever since I was a teenager I developed a critical mind that bothers most people. Most of my friends and family would want to alienate themselves whenever I put my analysis on their favorite movies, games, television shows, etc. I have no clue why but when ever I view something my brain analysis what I'm looking at. Breaks it down into essence and judge the material on its merits. Example my cousin loves the Dukes of Hazard, I respect his opinions on the show but from the critical standpoint it doesn't mean its a good show in any way. Though may sound silly and to the reader my obviously say to himself it's something called an opinion, but from my standpoint if something is done horrible does this qualify to be good? What I'm trying to say is what if a student writes a really bad paper. Didn't follow what the criteria asks him or her to do. This paper didn't answer the question, mostly uses filler, and its an incoherent ramble for twenty pages long. A really bad paper and yet the professor enjoys it. It's still a failing paper from all critical and even writing standards.
I can understand preference and why people would enjoy guilty pleasures in fact I do too, since after all I am a typical homosapian with faults going back to my primitive cave baby years. But my point is how can someone enjoy something so terrible, so vile of the stench of something so bad and yet people accept it. I know I have standards and expectancy but if something like The Room is considered to be the best movie of all time then I have a problem with that judgment. It's a habit putting my level of standards on people based on anything on what they're talking about. In my eyes I wish to enlighten them that their precious beloved rock they found on the beach was nothing more then dried up dog droppings. It's a force of habit that I can't control fully of I'm afraid and now you know my curse. The mind that can't stop being judgmental. I sometime wish I could grab my wrench or tire iron and beat my head silly to bring myself down to the level of the others. Sound silly but to me it hurts sometimes when having a conversation on our current cesspool of pop culture and not like the cesspool of yester decade about trends and shows people enjoy. Nothing bothers me more then being an outcast of freaks from the local carnival in town.
I've now become the oddity, the star attraction and to me that is a bad thing. I want to be with the other freaks like the mermaid with the terrible tan and an ugly accent, or the spoiled gorilla in a suit talking about his future goals in Yale with a promise of a broken marriage and drinking problems. I am an analysis though I may not crunch numbers or sell bounds on Wall Street, I like to look at things for what they really are. Eyes of a God some may call it, to me it's a blessing and to others an annoyance. With my eyes may sound good to some in actuality it's a curse with a forecast of alienation and a dark cloud of loneliness.
I can understand preference and why people would enjoy guilty pleasures in fact I do too, since after all I am a typical homosapian with faults going back to my primitive cave baby years. But my point is how can someone enjoy something so terrible, so vile of the stench of something so bad and yet people accept it. I know I have standards and expectancy but if something like The Room is considered to be the best movie of all time then I have a problem with that judgment. It's a habit putting my level of standards on people based on anything on what they're talking about. In my eyes I wish to enlighten them that their precious beloved rock they found on the beach was nothing more then dried up dog droppings. It's a force of habit that I can't control fully of I'm afraid and now you know my curse. The mind that can't stop being judgmental. I sometime wish I could grab my wrench or tire iron and beat my head silly to bring myself down to the level of the others. Sound silly but to me it hurts sometimes when having a conversation on our current cesspool of pop culture and not like the cesspool of yester decade about trends and shows people enjoy. Nothing bothers me more then being an outcast of freaks from the local carnival in town.
I've now become the oddity, the star attraction and to me that is a bad thing. I want to be with the other freaks like the mermaid with the terrible tan and an ugly accent, or the spoiled gorilla in a suit talking about his future goals in Yale with a promise of a broken marriage and drinking problems. I am an analysis though I may not crunch numbers or sell bounds on Wall Street, I like to look at things for what they really are. Eyes of a God some may call it, to me it's a blessing and to others an annoyance. With my eyes may sound good to some in actuality it's a curse with a forecast of alienation and a dark cloud of loneliness.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Blog 7
During the rise of comic book stores in the nineteen eighties people who wish to pursue their passion were able to distribute their works and work in the comic industry. Since DC and Marvel owned the entire comic book industry it made it nearly impossible for creators to freely express themselves. Both companies also made it impossible for creators to be compensated with their own creation or characters being used in their company brand names. Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird are one of the few who were successful in challenging the established status qua and trying to change the comic book industry for independent creators or at least attempted.
1. Talk about their creation TMNT and how it was an unexpected success.
2. How the sales showed that people were willing to try something different than what Marvel and DC were dishing out at the time. Especially being a self published book.
3. How both Eastman and Laird try to create the "Bill of comic Creators" helping comic book independent creators to control, publish, and inherit their royalties from their own creation.
4. Laird created the Xeric foundation a nonprofit organization that will give back to the industry as a whole and teach new up comers about self publishing.
5. Eastman left TMNT to create his own publishing company called Tundra to give comic writers a chance to diversify themselves from what Marvel and DC allows them to do.
Both Eastman and Laird tried their best to change the comic book industry for those who wished to do their own thing. Unfortunately their attempts were somewhat successful while others failed. To me these two people are pioneers of independent creators who tried to change the industry. What makes me cringe is that people give most of the credit to five artists who worked at Marvel comics and left to form their own company called Image. Sure they were most successful in the industry but they had fame and recognition from their fans. Plus they relied on gimmicks like reprinting multiple versions of issues of their first issues and devalued comics artistically as a whole with bad stories and lackluster art work. What Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird did was important in the comic industry since they did it all from scratch and didn't have any fame from their previous work. They spend countless weeks drawing, inking, and writing their stories in Laird's living room. That in my book is a huge change in mass communication.
McGill, g. Douglas “DYNAMIC DUO: Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird; Turning Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Into a Monster” New York Times. 25 December 1988. 21 October 2010.
Kean, Benjamin. “Turtles Days, Turtles Night”. Talking to Kevin Eastman. 31 August 2007. Newsarama. 21 october 2010 < http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=127540>
1. Talk about their creation TMNT and how it was an unexpected success.
2. How the sales showed that people were willing to try something different than what Marvel and DC were dishing out at the time. Especially being a self published book.
3. How both Eastman and Laird try to create the "Bill of comic Creators" helping comic book independent creators to control, publish, and inherit their royalties from their own creation.
4. Laird created the Xeric foundation a nonprofit organization that will give back to the industry as a whole and teach new up comers about self publishing.
5. Eastman left TMNT to create his own publishing company called Tundra to give comic writers a chance to diversify themselves from what Marvel and DC allows them to do.
Both Eastman and Laird tried their best to change the comic book industry for those who wished to do their own thing. Unfortunately their attempts were somewhat successful while others failed. To me these two people are pioneers of independent creators who tried to change the industry. What makes me cringe is that people give most of the credit to five artists who worked at Marvel comics and left to form their own company called Image. Sure they were most successful in the industry but they had fame and recognition from their fans. Plus they relied on gimmicks like reprinting multiple versions of issues of their first issues and devalued comics artistically as a whole with bad stories and lackluster art work. What Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird did was important in the comic industry since they did it all from scratch and didn't have any fame from their previous work. They spend countless weeks drawing, inking, and writing their stories in Laird's living room. That in my book is a huge change in mass communication.
McGill, g. Douglas “DYNAMIC DUO: Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird; Turning Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Into a Monster” New York Times. 25 December 1988. 21 October 2010.
Kean, Benjamin. “Turtles Days, Turtles Night”. Talking to Kevin Eastman. 31 August 2007. Newsarama. 21 october 2010 < http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=127540>
Monday, October 11, 2010
Blog #6
Hero is a word that has been thrown around to the point where people confuses it’s meaning like people who fight in war or someone who manages to save a cat from Ms. Danvers’ tree. A hero is someone who does a selfless act in aid only to get nothing in return. In this movie the main protagonist Bernie Laplante is portrayed as a scumbag, societies lowest of the low if you will. He drinks, steals anything that can give him money or gratification, takes advantage of those who aid him, etc. Until one night while driving through the rain his car breaks down and he becomes involved in a plane accident that crashes though the Brooklyn bridge. Bernie does the opposite of what his character has been depicted from the first 25 minutes of the movie and decides to help the passengers who are trapped inside the burning plane. Eventually he saves all the passengers only for the wrong/right motivation in which he wanted to save the boy’s father who he thought was trapped on the plane. Bernie went through all the trails of a hero yet he has never received the credit for one since the homeless man John Bubber who Bernie hitched a ride from when he left the scene took the credit from him. John Bubber becomes a national hero and a positive symbol of human greatness.
What I like about this movie is how it incorporates humanity illusion that the world is a friendly place with realism where people are out for themselves. Like what Bernie said to his son “You have to look out for number one, you”. Whenever a problem exist in the world especially within our country we like to think there are people out there like Bubber that will fix it for us. Like in the scene in the movie where Gail takes John out to a fancy restaurant, random strangers congratulating him for helping the passengers and said they would never do something like that. The TV station kept constantly whoring out his publicity and reported John’s achievements like saving soldiers during Vietnam. What’s sad is that the TV station only showed a couple of good things he did in the war and the public eat it all. Same can be said with what’s going on with the war in Iraq. The news stations will only report the good things that our soldiers over seas are doing and not the terrible incidents or innocent lives killed by the crossfire. Whenever Bernie tries to prove he actually saved the lives on that plane people ignore him or don’t believe him. What is another play on reality where if you have a record of good deeds and look photogenic the media wants to know everything about you like John Bubber. Like what happen to the bombing in Time Square, if it were a stock broker or someone that came home after their service. They would be heroes, but instead it was a hotdog vendor that notices the smoke coming out of the van. The vendor was homeless and never had a resume that made him heroic in order for the media to mass market on.
In America we love our heroes to be flawless and to have high moral standards. John Bubber lied to Gail and the television station only to have a place to sleep for the night. Feeling guilty that he has taken the credit for something he never did. He uses his new found fame to encourage people to help the homeless and sick kids when he visited the hospital. Until he couldn’t take the guilt anymore and attempts suicide until Bernie convinces Bubber to continue the false publicity since he inspires people to do good or a nominal fee of Bubber’s half of his million dollars. If the public knew the truth they will automatically hate John for being a fraud and go back living where everyone is looking out for themselves. Plus the public won’t take the insult of their intelligence very well since the television station that heavily marketed John Bubber duped them for ratings. I’m in the middle since this whole philosophical motive and ideas are so grey. Sure John Bubber lied but look at the people he inspired to help. If no one claimed to save the reporter Bernie wouldn’t be out on bail, even if he went and claim his reward no one would believe him since he’s not heroic material.
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