Tim Winton's Rising Water

Tim Winton's Rising Water was an unusual play to witness.  
The setting takes place in a Fremantle marina during Australia day. The opening scene heavily displayed a typical Australia day displaying the usual vulgar language and constant celebration on something that according to Jackie "shouldn't be celebrated".
The place is based around four main characters that are all trying to escape a haunting past. The background story of these characters past were conveyed well and came across very clear in dialogue but the long dialogues were very hard to stay tuned to. That was the main flaw in this play; it was very hard to focus when the dialogue dragged on for long periods of time. 
The lighting was exceptional creating a life light reflection of water on the stage giving it a magical effect. The lighting was also excellent when focusing on main characters; it was well timed, visible to the audience and captivating. 
The set of the play was magnificent drawing in the audience from the very moment they walked in. The highlight of the play for me was the moment when the main character Baxter lost his boat. This is where the set really proved to be extraordinary. The effects of the boat disappearing really gained my attention. 
What I disliked about the play was the character the young backpacker; she proved to be quite annoying throughout the play, constantly shouting. This character did not have my attention in the best way.
I was also constantly confused at the role of the young boy. I did not understand the significance of his character and how he influence Tim Winton's story line.
Winton did not execute the humor for young people. It was typically Australian humor. As a young teenager it was quite difficult to understand the slang language used.

Mario kart love song - Sam Hart

Dear readers,
In literature class we were requested to search a song that contains lyrics which mean something to us or appeal to us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6u9nrJr2BI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

P.S this video is not the original by Sam Hart, it is a cover by Austin Criswell.

This song is called the "Mario kart love song", written by Sam Hart who posts video's on YouTube.
My brother showed me this song and I love it because it's really cute and for a song about Mario kart it's really well written as a love song. The lyrics are really corny but are appealing to you because it's not your typical love song.
My favorite line in the song is "When we slide together We generate sparks In our wheels and our hearts" because although it's really sweet and adorable it's also a little comical.
"This is a song about Mario kart and love" - Sam Hart.

lyrics:
V1:
You be my princess
I'll be your toad
I'll follow behind you
on rainbow road
Protect you from red shells
wherever we go
I promise.

V2:
Noone will touch us
if we pick up a star
If you spin out
you can ride in my car
When we slide together
we generate sparks
in our wheels and our hearts

Chorus:
The finish line
is just around the bend
I'll pause this game
so our love will never end
Let's go again

V3:
The blue shell is coming
so I'll go ahead
If you hang behind
it'll hit me instead
but never look back
cause I'm down but not dead
I'll catch up to you

Bridge:
Don't worry about
Bowser or DK
Eat this glowing mushroom
and they'll all fade away

Chorusx2

to the mushroom cup
and the flower cup
and the star cup
and the reverse cup
walalalalala
walalalalalawaluigiiiiii

Braveheart - 1995 - Directed by Mel Gibson

My favorite scene in the film Braveheart is at the end of the film.
William Wallace (Mel Gibson) has been captured by the English and has refused to ask for forgiveness. Therefore he to was experience a slow and painful death. The English man asks him once more to admit his wrongdoings so he shall receive a quick death. William Wallace then cries out "FREEDOM!". this scene is intense and sad. It reveals Wallaces patriotic side. It was so memorable because it represented the title; Wallace had a brave heart. The sadness was increased when the camera focuses on the faces of his friends and lover. How his words and truth affected them. The dramatic violin orchestral music intensified the pain and suffering in this particular scene, as Wallace cried out his last words of what he was truly fighting for.

Psycho - 1960

Psycho-1960
The movie Psycho, is about the whereabouts of a missing women, Marion Crane and what really happened when she stayed at The Bates Motel.
Marion Crane is an office worker at a bank. After being fed up with her life, she steals the 40,000 trusted to her from her employer. Fleeing to her boyfriend Sam's California Store, she stops at a little Motel. A young shy man who manages the motel welcomes her. The young man called Norman is dominated by his mother. After Marion's death at the motel, young Norman and his mother are suspects.

Psycho was such a famous film because it stood out from the others. Not many films in that period of time could really confuse the audience and keep them guessing who the suspect was, from start to finish.
Because of the many similiar movies in this age and time, Psycho didn't  really capture my attention. I already guessed the ending before the movie had really begun. It was easy to foresee the plot.
I liked it up until he portrayed the other side of him. The side of his mother. I didn't find it particularly scary, just a tad funny.
It broke the conventions of time because of the style of filming and it's imaginative storyline.
the filming was very dull, giving the gloomy and suspenseful effect. The character Marion gave it even more of that gloomy feeling. Little symbols such as her bra, revealed how she turned from good to bad; in the beginning of the film, Marion wears a white bra representing her innocence and goodness. Before her death, she is wearing a black bra, representing her evil after she gave into temptation and stole the money. The screeching music increased the suspense and thrill of the movie. the storyline was unheard of then. A split personality wasn't well known then. I think the audience in those days would have guessed that either Norman or the mother was the killer. That's when the creative storyline truly makes this film remarkable.

Psycho revealed how people can't let go. The more Norman tried to hold onto the memory of his mother, the more his mother became apart of him and eventually, became him. Norman desperately clung to his mother so much, that he dressed in her clothes and pretended to be her; making conversations with himself, speaking in her exact voice.

2001 A Space Odyssey - directed by Stanley Kubrick - 1968

Today in literature class we watched a serious of old films. The last and final film we watched was A Space Odyssey. I didn't particularly like this film, it was too weird I didn't quite understand it.
In my view it was about rivalry. It could be compared to evolution and survival of the fittest. The monkey who learned how to use the bone as a weapon taught this to his tribe (tribe one). They overpowered the competing monkey from the other tribe (tribe two).
This could be compared to evolution because of how tribe one evolves to a higher level of thinking. They even begin to stand more like humans. Tribe one could also be compared to survival of the fittest because they are the ones adapting to the new ways of their life.

Don't Look Now - directed by Nicolas Roeg - 1973

Today in literature class we watched a serious of old films. This film in particular contains symbolisim; the bleeding red picture, the ball, the bike, the glass tipping over. Everything points to something bad occurring.
The bleeding red picture reminds the man of his daughter immediately. He senses something abnormal about it and has a feeling of panic over the safety of his daughter. The ball falling into the water. It's abstract, not where it should be, not right. The bike falling over; it's a sign of pain and unsafety. It also distracts the little boy from watching over his sister. The glass falling over is the same as the bike; unsafety and abstract.
The fathers pain is surreal and full of grief. He can barely comprehend what has just happened as he holds his daughters lifeless body.
It seems as soon as the mother threw away the Bleeding picture the girl truly vanished from the world. The blood covers her.
The theme here is loss, pain and suffering. The more we try to hold onto it, the more we lose ourselves.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg - directed by Michel Legrand - 1964

Today in literature class we watched a serious of old films. The fourth film was that had only singing. Tis was my favorite because I found it entertaining.
The setting is in Cherbourg. In the beginning it is revealed that there has been conscription. The Two lovers have been separated by this. He will return in two years if he survives the war and she has promised to wait for him.
The main theme is obviously love and the impact war has on our families and loved ones. The singing was really good and the songs were catchy.

Fanny And Alexander - directed by Ingmar Bergman -1982

Today in literature class we watched a serious of old films. The third film we watched was a clip (part one and part two) of the film Fanny and Alexander.

Part One:
The beginning of the clip starts off with Oscar and Helena having a deep conversation. Helena is having a hallucination, Oscar is actually dead. It then flicks over to a young boy (Alexander) and girl (fanny) being confronted by the bishop. The maid Justina has dobbed on Alexandra for claiming that the bishop has killed his wife and children by starving them for days then drowning them.
The Bishop comes off as a man of discipline. He wants the truth from Alexandra and is convinced he isn't getting it. At first he uses love to get the truth, "i love you". The boy is still in denial. The bishop turns from a warm and trustful man to a deceitful and impatient one. He uses fear to extract the truth from the boy; threatening him with a cane, castor oil and Isolation. The boy confesses that he spread those rumors but is still punished with the cane despite his confession and is also sent into the attic.
Alexandra comes across as a small adult and a bit of a smart arse. He isn't afraid of speaking his mind.

Part Two
Alexandra is beaten by the cane. His "stubborn" nature is revealed when he refuses to ask for forgiveness. The bishop beats him once and that is all that is needed for Alexandra to give in and beg forgiveness. Fanny is defiant towards the bishop; her turning away from his hand shows she does not acknowledge him as a father figure.
Emilie confesses her troubles and worries about her children, Alexandra and Fanny, to Helena. In this conversation it is revealed that the Bishop is Emilie's husband, stepfather to the children. The stepfathers unforgiving and cruel nature unravels in this conversation; him punishing Alexandra and Fanny by sending them to the attic and just anticipating to "crush them".
Emilie is a lost character. She confesses she only agreed to marry him because of the "truth" and "happiness" he promised to bring her. She is very gullible and feels as if she is "dying" and can't "breathe". Though she has tried for divorce she is unable to escape him. Now she is pregnant and feels trapped with the man she so "violently" hates.
Alexandra had problems of his own. He is feels as if he is going to go "mad from fear". The ghosts of his stepfathers children mock him and promise to drive him "insane". The mother comes to his aid.

The Seventh Seal - directed by Ingmar Bergman - 1957

Today in literature class we watched a serious of old films. The second old film we watch was called The Seventh Seal.
From the beginning you could tell it was religious because of it's first words relating to the bible.

The clip we watched reveals a man stranded on the island. We see that he is religious as he kneels down and clasps his hands together in prayer to God. Death has now approached him. He ask death to play chess with him; if the man wins he lives, but if death wins he dies. The black and white chessboards symbolize life and death; life being the man and death being, well, death. The man reveals that he is not "afraid of death" but his "flesh" is. The film is quite poetic, the words are crafted almost like poetry; flowing, descriptive and symbolic. There is also a comedy side to it; death being interested and skillful at chess.

Bande A Parte - directed by Jean Luc Godard - 1964

Today in literature class we watched a serious of old films. One of them was a French film called Bande A Parte.
The clip we watched in this film was about a repetitive dance between three people; a woman and two other men.
The clip is unusual,there isn't a very significant point that the clip is trying to make. It catches your attention because of it's unique structure; the narrator speaking the people's thought's . There wasn't a lot of films back then that contained scenes with people dancing, especially in a restaurant, for no apparent reason for over six minutes.

They're not your husband

Plot:
Earl Ober, a man between jobs as a salesman, becomes obsessed with his wife losing weight. After an encounter with two men that joked about her body shape, Earl encourages his wife Doreen to go on a diet.

Characters
Earl Ober: at the beginning of the short story Earl is unsatisfied. He's vulnerable to what people think. He's obsessive with his wife looks, he even gets verbally violent when she gives into the first diet by eating bacon and eggs "slob," Earl said. "Go ahead, eat! Go on!".

Doreen Ober: she is quite a pushover. When Earl persuades her to lose a few pounds she agrees and doesn't even regard the offense of his words "You could lose a few pounds" - Earl, "Maybe you're right" - Doreen. She doesn't stand up for herself, Doreen continues the diet even though she's looking "too pale, "not herself" and "loosing too much weight". In the end of the short story she is almost ashamed and embarrassed to admit Earl as her husband. After a long silence "He's a salesman. He's my husband" Doreen said at last.

Style
The description in this short story is very sparse. There is hardly any. The only main description is of Doreen's body shape.
There is quite a lot of dialogue. The writing is mainly describing what's currently happening, not the scenery.

Odour of Chrysanthemums - DH Lawrence

Dear readers,
Today in literature class we read a short story containing very difficult and descriptive language. The short story we have not finished. So far it's about a women who has just come home to collect her boy and take him to an unknown place which will be revealed the further we read on.

Comment on the settings, how does the author depict (show) the people's surroundings?
D H Lawrence uses strong descriptive language; 'The pit-bank loomed up beyond the pond, flames like red sores licking its ashy sides, in the afternoon's stagnant light', 'A large bony vine clutched at the house, as if to claw down the tiled roof'. He'll use at least three or more describing words instead of usually using one or two.

What are the people like in the extract?
The mother is proud of being middle-classed but not satisfied with the current surroundings they live in; She wished she wasn't living there. The young boy is almost adult like; 'He stood quite still, defiantly'... 'The boy did not move or answer'.

What is the overall theme or message of the extract?
He wants to depict an environment that is unhappy and lifeless. The people feel trapped in their own life; the mother disillusioned; 'Her mouth closed with disillusionment'. The boy resentful; 'The lad advanced slowly, with resentful, tactician movement.
It gives the idea of what its like living in poverty and what women and children were exposed to.

Place the story in it's context, how it relates to the events.
After queen Elizabeth died and before world war one; the world feels dark and gloomy.
The factory system is becoming more important than people; The horse gets frightened and bolts, the women steps back'.

Superman and Paula Brown's new snowsuit - (1955)

Dear readers,
today in class we read a short story giving some insight what life was like when the war broke out, in the eyes of a little girl.

What extent is the story autobiographical?
The writer Sylvia Plath, born on October 27, 1932, uses her own past experiences to tell the story. For example when the girl (in the story) recalls the breakout of war, this was an experience Sylvia went through.
Sylvia Plath's life tragically ended in sadness, anger and eventually suicide on February 11th in 1963. The ending in Superman and Paula Brown's snowsuit wasn't quite that extravagant but it certainly contained some of those distraught feelings in the end.

Who in real life is Otto?
Otto Plath was Sylvia Plath's father. He was diagnosed with diabetes and after suffering for years from his Ill health he eventually died on the night of November the 5th, 1940. Sylvia was only eight years old at the time and announced "I'll never speak to God again".

How old was the author when the war began?
She was nine years old when the war began on September 11th, 1941.

Did she come from Winthrop?
Yes she came from Winthrop in Boston. After the tragedy of her father's death, the Plath's moved with Sylvia's grandparents to massachusetts and lived in Wellesley.

Did she attend Annie Warren F Grammar school?
Yes when she was in primary school. She also studied at Gamaliel Bradford Senior High School (now Wellesley high school), Smith College and later Newham College.
Her brother's name was Warren.

Walkabout - Nicolas Roeg (1971)

Dear readers,
Instead of reading a short story in class, we watched a short clip from an old film called the 'Walkabout'. After watching this film we then had to evaluate and extract ideas and themes from the film.

1)Concentrate on the images that occur in the film.

Brick walls: Separating people or blinding them from what they're really seeking in life. Limiting their communication from society

Shots of people (mostly legs): It's impersonal and anonymous, like people growing up in the city lack purpose and personality. They travel in a mass of people completely anonymous to each other rather than individuals.

Buildings: The buildings dominate the city rather than the people. They make the people look small, insignificant and almost lonely.

2)Comment on what points/themes you think the film makers are trying to make:
-When all the girls are breathing in synchronization it demonstrates how robotic and almost perfect they seem to be. This is similar to the city people walking in unison, also robotic.
-The marriage between the mother and father is strained and disconnected; they're in separate rooms of the house, there's no communication between them, it's very silent.
-the city isn't a very comforting place to live; it is demonstrated clearly on the family's face's that it is a very unsatisfying place to live and that there is barely any life in it; it feels gloomy and very dull.
-In some scenes in the film there are reoccurring images of city walls and buildings. Splashed across some of these buildings and walls are rays of light reflecting off them. These rays could almost symbolize that in this dull and gloomy city there is the occasional bright light bringing life into the dark and motionless walls.
-labels on the tree's take away the beauty of nature.

Snowdrops

Dear readers,
In literature class today we read a short story that clearly portrays Growing up and grief. We had to discuss the characters and the heading.

Discuss as symbol:
Snowdrops are really fragile and represent some of the characters feelings; Miss Webster and the boy. It also symbolizes new life; after one life ends another begins

Characterization:
Edmund: He's mature in some ways but thinks very simple, "It's only bacon". He's not very curious unlike the boy.

The boy: The boy is very curious and has certain expectations about things. He's curious about "What's inside the sandwhich". He's sensitive and has a wide imagination. He believes only what people tell him and is quite obsessed with flowers. He doesn't pick up on adult social que's and understand social pain. The boy lives in a fantasy world and is very observant.

Miss Webster: She's mourning over the young man who died who she shared a quiet relationship with. She is wearing black and her voice is quite hoarse during the story which she didn't continue. She instead took the children to see the snowdrops though she is secretly seeking to see the funeral march of the young man.