moviestory

Poets Society Campus Life

Movie Story

1. Welton Academy, a conservative and autocratic boys’ prep school

2. the arrival an unconventional English teacher, John Keating

3. Keating’s unique way of teaching

4. the change in the students’ thoughts on the learning process and life itself

5. an unexpected tragedy: the suicide of one of Keating’s most brilliant students

6. Keating’s dismissal

Character Analysis

Mr. Nolan (Headmaster) (at the ceremony) deliver a speech, emphasizing _light of knowledge_and _the “four pillars”

(in the classroom) question Keating’s conduct in the courtyard and warn him to respect discipline.

Personality Traits

Conservative Autocratic Intolerant

Mr. Keating (Teacher of English Literature) (on the corridor) shock the students a bit by encouraging them to call him _seize the day__ and to “__Oh captian, my captian” __” (carpe diem)

(in the classroom) give the boys further shocks by pressing them to rip out _the preface to a course book and urge them to think about the meaning of poetry and life_______

(on the campus) be stopped by the boys; share with them his secret of Dead Poets Society_ and his experience of “sucking the marrow of life”

(in the classroom) render _Shakespeare __ in a funny way; ask the students to stand on the desk to _look at things in a different way __

(in the courtyard) make the boys walk at their own paces to show them that being unique is important

Personality Traits

Romantic Open Imaginative Unconventional Passionate Amiable Knowledgeabl Idealistic

Neil (in Keating’s dorm) confide to Keating his fear and worries about his father’s objection to his interest in theater_

(in his father’s study) _take his own life with his father’s gun

Personality Traits

Romantic Sunny Friendly Gifted Weak

Cameron (on Keating’s class) be puzzled by and uncomfortable with _Keating’s methodology ___

(in the attic) shout “Let Keating fry” and _”Why ruin our lives”_____

Personality Traits

Traditional and comformist Passive Ordinary Selfish

Section C An Interview on the Movie

D: This movie, Dead Poets Society, was made nearly 20 years ago. Yet it's still very popular with the young people today. Now, what, in your view, contributes to its lasting charm

C: Adolescent passion and ambition. That's the most cherished life experience. But not every young guy is lucky enough to (1)have his inner self awakened by someone mature, and insightful and willing to help. The movie presents John Keating not only as a teacher but as a mentor or a guide who inspired confidence and enthusiasm, love and respect. No wonder he becomes (2)a

role model for young audiences

D: Yes. You just mentioned Keating, the leading role. In most movie reviews, he is hailed as a hero for challenging the rigid and utilitarian authority and advocating free thinking. Then, Professor Wang, could you be more specific about your impressions of this figure

W: A hero No. A modern Don Quixote, yes. He appears (3) encouraging and inspiring but is in fact very (4) misleading and dangerous

D: Misleading and dangerous In what way

W: A responsible teacher never (5)does an experiment at the cost of his students. Despite his claim to pursue independent and integral personality, he was imposing his own ideas on the students. The students were turned against the school authority and pushed to accept Keating's authority. They (6) lost themselves in the dreamland made up by Keating. Worse still, they were dragged into a hopeless war against traditions and conformity and suffered a heavy loss—in vain.

C: I venture to disagree. Keating was preaching and practicing what he really believed in. He was not experimenting on his students. Nor did he attempt to establish his authority. Instead, he just put forward his views and invited the students to open their minds and (7) explore the meanings of life on their own. He gave the students a chance to speak for themselves. By doing so, he could find out what was hidden in them, tailor his teaching strategies to their needs and bring out the best of them.

W: Are you serious in calling the stuff \"strategies\" I mean, ripping up books, standing on desks, marching up and down the school courtyard, and goading Todd Anderson, a timid boy, into making a \"barbaric yawp\" Don't you think they are (8) too childish for a group of high-school students

D: It seems that Keating's methodology arouses much concern and controversy as well. His point is to prompt the students to (9)view the world from a different perspective. But the argument is that there could have been a more decent and less drastic way of illustrating the concept.

Joy Luck Club Cross-Cultural Perspectives

Movie Story

The Joy Luck Club consists of four interwoven stories about generational and cultural clashes and communications between Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-born daughters.

Story One: Suyuan and June

Story Two: Lindo and Waverly

Story Three: Yingying and Lena

Story Four: Anmei and Rose

Character Analysis

Directions: One of the major themes that the movie furnishes is male chauvinism or sexism which characterizes any patriarchal society and is common to both Chinese and American cultures. The following are the most impressive scenes in the movie which serve as clues to understand these characters better.

Huang Taitai (Lindo’s Mother-in-Law) treat Lindo as __a tool for bearing children __ and ignorantly blame her for being sterile

confine Lindo to bed, hoping to ___make her pregnant soon _

Symbolic Meaning

tyrannical and manipulative

the female epitome of defending and fostering male-oriented values

Second Wife (the First Concubine of the Chinese Merchang Who also Married Anmei’s Mother

trap Anmei’s mother into ___marrying Wu Tsing, the merchant _

_take the child away ___ after Anmei’s mother gives birth to a son

Symbolic Meaning

tyrannical and manipulative

the female epitome of defending and fostering male-oriented values

Yingying’s First Husband Be philandering and treat his wife __brutally_______

Symbolic Meaning

represents the extreme of the evil power in patriarcha old China

Wu Tsing (the Second Husband of Anmei’s Mother) be __at the mercy of ___ his second wife

___mistreat__ Anmei’s mother and drive her to despair

Symbolic Meaning

represents the extreme of the evil power in patriarcha old China

Harold (Rose’s Husband) be the boss of his wife both ___in job__ and at home____

secure as many advantages as possible at _____his wife’s________ expense

Symbolic Meaning

a modern version of male chauvinism which banks on economic power

Section C A Dialog on the Movie

The Joy Luck Club

L: Amazing movie, isn't it (1)A story of two generations, speaking two languages and living in two cultures. It does provide a sophisticated perspective on human existence. M: Quite right. I can't help thinking about my own parents, from whom (2)I've had tremendous guidance and counsel in various aspects

L: You're so lucky. They must be wonderfully inspiring people, just like the mothers in this movie, courageous, determined, and always ready to sacrifice themselves for their kids.

M: Exactly. My parents always reminded me and my brothers of our ethnic heritage and

that (3) we should take special pride in our values

L: That really counts. The movie in particular reveals that both the immigrant mothers and the American-born daughters struggle with the issue of identity. For the mothers' part, they foster and enjoy sisterhood in the Joy Luck Club, play Chinese mahjong, and speak Chinese freely. Only by doing so could they (4)feel the attachment to their roots, regain confidence and leave behind the uneasiness of dislocation. It's equally noticeable that they love their daughters in a Chinese way. I mean, sort of indirect love. Their expectations and even admirations for their daughters (5)are actually covered in harsh criticism and strictness M: Besides, we see not only the mothers' efforts to instill their daughters with Chinese

notions but also their attempt to save the younger generation the pain they themselves felt as girls. For the mothers, it's all trials and tribulations to (6)reconcile their past with their present.

L: You've got something there. The daughters, on the other hand, often see their mothers' arrangement and interference as a form of hypercritical meddling or just as a failure to get assimilated into American culture. Their impatience with and defiance against their mothers is a definite indication of cultural conflicts: Chinese culture thriving on (7)collectivism, family honor

and prosperity, and filial piety versus American culture espousing (8)equal rights, free competition and self-achievement. M: Yet extremes meet. Conflicts and compatibility (9) are the two sides of a coin. The overall tone of the movie is uplifting. As is anticipated, the barriers are eliminated and harmony is reaped. The mothers change their former ways of remaining either silent or critical and become active in helping their daughters analyze problems and find solutions. It also dawns on the daughters that their talent would be draining away without their mothers' support, and more basically, (10)without their ethnic legacy and traditional wisdom.

Queen Royal Family

Movie Story

(1). Tony Blair's victory in the general election

(2). Diana's death causing a division of opinions between the Queen and Prince Charles and Tony Blair

(3). the Queen's silence versus the public's soaring dissatisfaction

(4). Blair's efforts to persuade the Queen into accepting his recommendations

(5). crisis averted and the royal image restored

Character Analysis

Directions: The Queen features a rich parade of characters, of which Queen Elizabeth II

remains the soul. The following are the most impressive scenes in the movie which serve as clues to understand these characters better.

The Queen (Queen Elizabeth II) (in Buckingham Palace) meet Tony Blair officially for the first time and bring him down a peg by reminding that __ he is her tenth . _ with Winston Churchill being the first

(on the phone to Blair) refuse to ___ make a public appearance and statement_ over Diana’s death and insist on _ a private funeral _ for Diana

(on the phone to Blair) claim to know the British people best and believe that __ they will reject the mood stirred up by the press _

Attitudes ：The first half of the movie

presents more of the pride and grandeur traditionally associated with the Queen. The focus is on her assumption that as is the British way, her family would be left to their quiet mourning.

(in the river where her car breaks down) cannot help sobbing and suddenly see a stag: __ captivated by its beauty __ shoo it away lest it be shot

(outside Buckingham Palace) meet the people face to face and watch closely __ the sea of flowers and cards dedicated to Diana _

(in the Buckingham Palace) delivers a live TV speech to __ pay tribute to Diana __

(in the Buckingham Palace) take a stroll with Blair and confide to him that __ she can see that

the world has changed and one must modernize _

Attitudes：The second half of the movie

depicts more of the Queen’s inner struggles leading to her change of attitudes. Beginning to realize that modernization is inevitable, the Queen finally compromises and airs her condolences in public.

Section C A Review on the Movie

The Queen, a highly acclaimed docudrama, retells the story of the eventful 1997 in Britain. Shortly after Tony Blair and his Labor Party's victory in the election, Princess Diana, recently divorced from Prince Charles, was killed in a high speed auto accident in midtown Paris. The most dramatic parts of the movie are the mixed reactions from various classes of British society towards Diana's death. It reaches one climax after another as the tension level is constantly escalated by the royal family's responses to pressures from the public and the press . The point is made crystal clear in the film: Elizabeth's seemingly tough aloofness from the public in the wake of Diana's death is the result of her firm conviction, based on her stoic upbringing, that duty must come first while personal feelings are an entirely private matter , hence not to be aired in public. This is especially treasured and performed spanning across centuries and the English way by the English monarchy. Yet the unprecedented worldwide wave of acute public grief over the loss of Diana impelled the Royal Family to face and seriously consider the radical changes in social conventions . The reformist new school at 10 Downing Street plays a vital role in this poignant event by helping the Queen realize the significance of smoother communication with the public by means of open and frank disclosure of personal sentiments .