Blow. A Film Analysis - Essay Example

Blow: A Film Analysis The focus of the study is the film en d Blow which is directed by Ted Demme. It featured the life of George Jung who had been responsible for the onset of the cocaine market in the Unites States in the 70’s. The movie featured the life of Jung which started as a kid that grew up through the life lessons from his father and the neglect of his mother. The story revolved around the character of George Jung which featured different aspects of his life including his relationship with his family and the activities he had undertaken as a dealer of illegal drugs. Though the plot evidently presented the effects of committing illegal activities, there are other themes that were meant to teach important lessons. One of the said themes is parenting and the relationship of parents to children. This had been expressed in the movie through different perspectives which include Jung as a son and as a father. The Main Character The character of Jung was portrayed by Johnny Depp. The film highlighted George Jung’s life as a drug dealer. It included the onset of his life as a dealer of marijuana in California until his climactic success in the setting up of the cocaine market in America. As a person, there were two major facets of his life, one was his family and another was his job. During the early part of his life, Jung’s father can be considered as a positive influence for him especially through the lessons that he had taught young Jung. He was a moral and hard working person who gave importance to integrity. This can be considered as one of the reasons that Jung grew up to be a person who works hard for his dream. Although this was the case, the young Jung had been a witness to the failure that occurred to his father in terms of his job which is followed by problems in his marriage. The said period became a turning point in Jung’s life. He promised never to be a failure no matter what the cause and the consequence. He had based his life inspiration on the words that his father told him that in life “…the wind should always be at one’s back, and the sun always upon one’s face, and the wings of destiny should carry a person aloft to dance with the stars…,” Jung became a person who dreamed and put forth a great deal of effort to achieve it. The only difference though was that he was misled by the inspiration that he can do everything in his will. He lacked the principles and integrity that his father had tried to teach him. This was the main reason that can explain his success in the illegal business of marijuana and cocaine. From the moment that he decided not to be poor, he established his own view that he should achieve this to the point of disrespecting moral and legal rules. George Jung was a hard working person but with misled dreams and aspirations. His father had been an important teacher on morality but he failed to impose rules. He supported Jung even if his actions were illegal or immoral. This was one of the reasons Jung had the wrong perceptions in life. He only realized the true intentions of his father, when he himself experienced being a father. Parenting as a Theme in the Film The movie explored the issue of drug abuse and the effects of illegal drug transactions. Although this was the main and apparent subject matter, one of the implied issues in the film is parenting. Being a parent had been one of the most important factors that affected the characters in the movie. The wisdom of his father had been the foundation of Jung’s aspirations. In fact, his father’s words made him believe that he can aim for important dreams and can achieve them. There are different scenes in the movie that expressed the importance of the said relationship of parent to child. One was the inspiration given to Jung by his father when he was a child in spite of all the problems that he had been facing. Another was the constant support he had shown when Jung had been in and out of prison. In the early part of his life, he had been misled but when he himself became a father, he learned the importance of morality. He, then, changed his life for the sake of his daughter. During the birth of his child, he even expressed that the moment had been his happiest and most memorable. After his daughter was born, he tried to be a good father by quitting his illegal business activities. Even all the actions that he had undertaken after that point had been dedicated to his daughter. In the end, as he recounted his life, he realized that his daughter who is the most important part of his life had also been lost. Conclusion Upon watching the movie Blow, there were different lessons that had been perceived. One was the importance of the guidance of the parents to the children. It is always true that parents are the guardians of the children’s future, thus, it is always their responsibility to teach them lessons of morality and goodness. Another was the importance of choosing the goodness over other things such as money, influence and material comfort. As what George Jung said in the film, choosing money over loved ones was never worth it. Work Cited: Demme, Ted, dir. Blow. 2001. New Line Cinema, 2009. Read More