Thematic Aspects of Individual Films - Essay Example

?Film Review Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Thesis ment 3 Themes Involved in the Film 4 Comparative Study 6 Conclusion 6 7Works Cited 8 Introduction Moving pictures or cinema since its initiation has been successful in alluring the minds of millions of viewers across the globe. A film is not always created with the vision of pure entertainment. It is definitely a storehouse of knowledge and modern cinema is relentlessly at its quest of amalgamating art with knowledge under the same frame. Especially, the films which captivate social, political and historical themes are timeless and very educative. Recreating by gone–days accurately involves immense research work and to portray the time frame on screen with accurate dress, props and settings require a quality crew. If three films like John Adams, Looking for Lincoln and Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton are taken into consideration, one will be easily able to weave the thread of similarity in all the three pieces. However, the presentation and the content of the films are so much different from each other that a comparative analysis of the works at a row can actually throw a comprehensive light on the treatment of the directors with the history, their nature of presentation and the motif and the theme, they have intended to present through these films. And all the three works, the mini TV series, John Adams, telecasted from the year 2008, the film Looking for Lincoln released in the year 2009 and the film Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton released in the year 2010 can be compared from a close contour as they have all come up before its audience within a very short span of time in a way making themselves as the contemporary films to one another. Thesis Statement The essay intends to draw a comparative study between the thematic representation of the films, John Adams, Looking for Lincoln and Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton. The essay also intends to throw light on the thematic aspect of these individual films and eventually culminate a personal account of the reflection gathered after watching the films. Themes Involved in the Film When a director picks up a historical figure or an event as the subject matter of his film, it is quite evident that the director intends to recreate the magic of the forgotten man or the time. In order to do that, he is always keen to focus on areas, events and aspects of the great man’s life re-appearing from the pages of history to unfold some unknown facts or hidden corners of his professional and personal life. Some facts which are not generally known or discussed, some controversies and some areas which are not known to many people find effective expression holding the hands of these directors in the movie. In 2008, American television witnessed profound phenomena of miniseries at Television that captivates life of America’s second president and founding father John Adams. The series focused on the political life of the historical figure mostly and his contribution in framing the United States as a nation. Tom Hooper directed the miniseries and Kirk Ellis was the writer of the screenplay which was inspired from the book, bearing the title “John Adams” by David McCullough. The biographical picture of John Adams was telecasted in the HBO channel in between 16th March to 20th April 2008, divided into seven parts, the series captivated the story of the first fifty years on the United States and was critically acclaimed world-wide. The show stood as the most prestigious miniseries in the history of American television till date winning four Golden Globe and thirteen Emmy awards. The main theme of this film was to uphold the political life and career of the great leader John Adams and thereby displaying the time and other important events in the American history contemporary to his era. Though there are many inaccuracies with the actual historical event, yet the film more or less is able to evoke a compassion for the framing years and founder fathers of the great nation of the United States of America (Home Box Office, Inc, “John Adams”). In a similar fashion, the film Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton throws light on the life of the first treasury secretary of America. Not much is known about him; he appears on the ten Dollar bill and was killed while fighting a duel. Nevertheless, the film Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton is truly a document that rediscovers and evokes many suppressed and unknown chapters of this great man’s life. Director and producer Michael Pack along with the collaboration of the host and writer Richard Brookshire presents a remarkable documentary biopic following the cues of Rediscovering George Washington, their much acclaimed series in 2002. The team of the documentary sets its audience on a journey to Caribbean islands where the legend Alexander Hamilton was born and then following the life trajectory of this great man, the audience travel to Yorktown and Wall Street where he started his political career and worked. Next, the audience gets to see the glimpse of Hamilton’s life spend in Harlem and Weehawken, to New Jersey where Hamilton lived the last quarters of his life. The audience gets to listen from a Treasury Secretary and a Chief Justice of Supreme Court. Publishers, lawyers, singers of calypso and members of gang from urban areas fight over the issues like money, sex, battle and honors. Altogether, every facet and hue of Hamilton’s life was recreated on silver screen which gave a particular dimension to Hamilton’s life paving his untimely death. At the same time, the film gets its audience the first glimpse of capitalist America, its making and contribution of statesmen like Hamilton in redefining the material and capitalist pursuit in the United States (Public Broadcasting Service, “Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton”). The film looking for Lincoln is an epoch making documentary by the famous historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. He takes the plunge to solve the puzzle of Lincolns’ complex life and make a coherent picture tracing his course of life from Illinois proceeding to Gettysburg, Washington DC along with confronting the people who framed Lincolns day-to-day life like relic hunters, re-enactors and many others for whom the life of Lincoln is a passionate study. Life of Lincoln and the avenues of his career and lifestyle where much light has not been focused evolves in this documentary in a very fascinating way. The presentation of these facts and figures are so enchanting that after watching the documentary, the thirst for more knowledge pertaining to the life of this great man iterates unknowingly. The documentary shall serve as an asset in the historical archive of American historical documents and is so engaging that no viewer can satisfy their soul by watching it once (Educational Broadcasting Corporation, “Watch Looking For Lincoln”). Comparative Study The films, “John Adams”, “Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton” and “Looking for Lincoln” are all documentaries on the life and political career of founding statesmen of the United States. However, these three different men were so much dissimilar to each other that presentation on their life appeared with different hues depicting diverse class and facet of American society. The three films actually yield so much of diversity that a comprehensive study of the films at a row provides the microcosmic purview of American time and society holding the life trajectory of these great men. Conclusion The three films, “Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton”, “Looking for Lincoln” and “John Adams” open up new avenue in the political and historical domain of American politics. There will be criticism pertaining to the fact of distorting or twisting the actual history. However, the American youth by watching these documentaries will definitely come across the bygone days of America and confront with the glorious past of their nation. The information will definitely evoke a feeling of nationalism and in these terms these films will continue to be eternal and universal. Works Cited Educational Broadcasting Corporation. Watch Looking For Lincoln, 2009. Web. 13 Apr. 2013. Home Box Office, Inc. John Adams, 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2013. Public Broadcasting Service. Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton, 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2013. Read More