Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Reflection
At my small Christian college every full time student is required to attend 16 chapels every semester. This semester I've noticed a cute elderly couple almost every day. They arrive earlier than I do in order to participate in the worship time before the speaker and I've seen them singing with great animation. Today I sat in front of them, and noticed that they were both very bad singers. But this didn't stop them or hold them back at all. They belted out the words with fervor, clearly meaning every line they sang. And I couldn't help but smile, because how many of us hold back in worship? We sing quietly, afraid to be heard because we're not stellar singers; we're embarrassed because our talents lie in other directions. But the truth of it is that God doesn't care about the technical musical quality of the praise we offer to him. The heart is what matters. This elderly couple understood that, and they sang with reckless abandon. And it was refreshing.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Movie Review: Oz the Great and Powerful
3 out of 5 stars
"A small-time magician arrives in an enchanted land and is forced to decide if he will be a good man or a great one." (IMDB)
I was particularly impressed with the acting in this movie. In particular, James Franco was a phenomenal choice for Oz, as he has the perfect charm to win the audience's heart, but also the dark brooding playboy feel that turns you off. Mila Kunis (Theodora) and Rachel Weisz (Evanora) were also outstanding. I thought Michelle Williams' Glinda, while being sugary sweet and good just like a "good witch" should be, was too seductive. The way she delivered many of her lines came across the wrong way.
The character development and interaction was minimal; often scenes ended leaving characters in situations that it would be difficult to get out of. If we had been allowed to see how they got out, it would have shown the audience the true colors of the characters and we would have felt more attached. For example, Oz is basically a poor Tony Stark. When he arrives in Oz, he has to choose between staying the way he is or risking his life to help others. In Iron Man 2 the motivation for Tony Stark's change is clearly shown; he loves Pepper and so is no longer focused only on himself. The scene where Oz's focus is supposed to change, while sweet, was unconvincing. Oz changed his mind because the plot required that he not run away during the climax. We need our happy ending. But it didn't work for me.
Another problem I had with the movie was the repetition of the idea that "anything can happen if you believe" by several characters. No. This is complete nonsense. It makes no sense. If I BELIEVE with all my being that I will one day be a rooster, will that make me a rooster one day? No. If I BELIEVE that my best friend will develop super hearing, does that mean she will? No. Belief means nothing.
Even with this, however, the movie was okay because of the overwhelming presence of archetypes and the interesting way they tied it into "The Wizard of Oz". In this movie you can see the scapegoat, the hero quest, the bildungsroman. The colors are meaningful. The screenwriters carefully constructed parallels between characters in the "real" black and white world and Oz, just as in the original movie. And the way they set up for the events in the original was quite entertaining (broomstick, lion, scarecrow), but they left out some major items (RUBY SLIPPERS. tin man). Maybe I missed these. If you've seen it, enlighten me, please. Also, I'd love to discuss any points I've made or anything you think was interesting about the movie.
"A small-time magician arrives in an enchanted land and is forced to decide if he will be a good man or a great one." (IMDB)
I was particularly impressed with the acting in this movie. In particular, James Franco was a phenomenal choice for Oz, as he has the perfect charm to win the audience's heart, but also the dark brooding playboy feel that turns you off. Mila Kunis (Theodora) and Rachel Weisz (Evanora) were also outstanding. I thought Michelle Williams' Glinda, while being sugary sweet and good just like a "good witch" should be, was too seductive. The way she delivered many of her lines came across the wrong way.
The character development and interaction was minimal; often scenes ended leaving characters in situations that it would be difficult to get out of. If we had been allowed to see how they got out, it would have shown the audience the true colors of the characters and we would have felt more attached. For example, Oz is basically a poor Tony Stark. When he arrives in Oz, he has to choose between staying the way he is or risking his life to help others. In Iron Man 2 the motivation for Tony Stark's change is clearly shown; he loves Pepper and so is no longer focused only on himself. The scene where Oz's focus is supposed to change, while sweet, was unconvincing. Oz changed his mind because the plot required that he not run away during the climax. We need our happy ending. But it didn't work for me.
Another problem I had with the movie was the repetition of the idea that "anything can happen if you believe" by several characters. No. This is complete nonsense. It makes no sense. If I BELIEVE with all my being that I will one day be a rooster, will that make me a rooster one day? No. If I BELIEVE that my best friend will develop super hearing, does that mean she will? No. Belief means nothing.
Even with this, however, the movie was okay because of the overwhelming presence of archetypes and the interesting way they tied it into "The Wizard of Oz". In this movie you can see the scapegoat, the hero quest, the bildungsroman. The colors are meaningful. The screenwriters carefully constructed parallels between characters in the "real" black and white world and Oz, just as in the original movie. And the way they set up for the events in the original was quite entertaining (broomstick, lion, scarecrow), but they left out some major items (RUBY SLIPPERS. tin man). Maybe I missed these. If you've seen it, enlighten me, please. Also, I'd love to discuss any points I've made or anything you think was interesting about the movie.
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