Amadeus Biopic Essay Example for Free

Amadeus Biopic Essay Told from the flash back perspective of an aged Antonio Salieri in an insane asylum to a priest for a confession, the movie reveals Antonios introduction to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, his professional career with Mozart, and his bitter rivalry and betrayal of Mozart. The film depicts an inaccurate account of Mozart’s life but still delivers on the pieces which he composed. Throughout the film, we’re exposed to what are clearly historical inaccuracies. I understand that this film is an adaptation of the original Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus performed on Broadway in the 1980’s and for purely theatrical purposes to endow the story with a plot, these changes had to either be implemented or just purely fabricated in order for the story to make sense. However, some of the erroneous interpretations of Mozart’s life are just impossible to ignore for anyone who even had even the simplest understanding of his life, such as myself. The predominant trait of Mozart that stuck out to me like a sore thumb was his high pitched cackling laughter. The movie’s laugh for Amadeus was constructed from letters that referenced Mozart having an â€Å"infectious, giddy laugh† much like â€Å"metal scraping glass† according to Forman. However, Robert L. Marshall, author of â€Å"Film as Musicology: Amadeus,† discredits this notion as there were no citations that provided the existence of such letters. Since Mozart lived over two centuries ago, there’s no possible way to know exactly how he sounded. However, the brilliant Mozart in the film is supposed to be Gods creature (The Latin translation of Amadeus translates to â€Å"lover of God† or â€Å"beloved by God†) that usurps the mediocre Salieris position as the â€Å"voice of God. † So in effect, his laugh is God mocking Salieri in his mediocrity which further drives the frustration and anger of Salieri towards Mozart thus pushing the plot along. While we’re on that subject, there is little evidence that Mozart and Salieri actually rivaled each other to the extreme that the movie depicts. Certainly, they were rivals, but they were professional rivals. By professional rivals, I mean that even though they often butted heads in their pursuit of music and their attempted publicity of their works, they still admired and respected each other greatly. Despite Salieri being the inferior musician, he still pooled great respect from Emperor Joseph II and his subjects and served as court composer, director of the Italian opera, and court conductor. Mozart on the other hand came as an outsider therefore did not possess the same influence or reputation as Salieri. To me, this just appears to be the politics of music; it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Regardless, Salieri really didn’t have a reason to hate Mozart as much as the movie shows because his influence alone virtually neutralized Mozart as a threat. I’m sure when Mozart attempted to get his operas on the Italian stages it must have certainly irked Salieri, but never to the point of violence. However, once again the fiction is created in order to develop a sensical plot line. Without that aggressive rivalry, there’s no movie. One last thing that I personally found confusing is that absence of Joesph Haydn from the entire movie. History tells us that Mozart and Haydn met somewhere 1783 or 1784 and instantly hit it off. They both admired each other’s work immensely and Mozart even went as far as to dedicate six string quartets to Haydn as a tribute to the father of the string quartet. Throughout their lives, they were in correspondence with one another up until Mozart’s death. However, despite this documented historical fact, Haydn is still left out of the movie. The movie itself is about two famous classical composers so why not add Haydn to attract Haydn fans to the play or movie? One can only guess as to why that is. Perhaps Forman thought that the addition of another prominent classical composer would ultimately lessen the importance of the feud between Mozart and Salieri. But Forman fashioned other characters throughout the film in order to serve roles that further drove the plot, so why not use Haydn instead? Or at least mention him? At one point in the film, Mozart mentions that he doesn’t care for Gluck (which is also inaccurate, he was an admirer of Gluck), but nevertheless, he still at least mentions the name. At this point it’s all speculation and I can’t find anywhere an explanation for his absence. The movie is riddled with other inaccuracies that raise a lot of questions, but if anything I learned in English is true, it’s that in order to read any literature that’s fiction or watch any movie, you’re supposed to â€Å"suspend yourself in willful disbelief† meaning that enjoy it for what it is without dissecting it too much, which I can honestly and wholeheartedly say I did. Although it doesn’t give an accurate portrayal of Mozart, Salieri or the setting it’s supposed to be placed in, it still gives an enjoyable experience. Despite the erroneous depiction, the musical pieces revealed chronologically throughout the film are in fact the offspring of Mozart’s genius. Whilst enjoying each piece as much as the next, I don’t have the musical ear or expertise to discern which piece is being played in which scene, aside from the operas. However, the films composer John Strauss created a two disc soundtrack for the film and I have to admit, even though I lack the expertise, I am astounded by Mozart’s ability. Luckily, between the internet and my own mothers personal love for music (Fortunately, she had a library of CDs that included many of Mozart’s work), I was able to essentially find each individual piece within the movie. I have to say, my favorite musical piece offered in the movie is the finale of the Don Giovanni. Perhaps some of it is because of the twist that Salieri puts on it; that â€Å"only [he] understood that the horrifying apparition was Leopald raised from the dead! The inference that I took from that between the monumental sounding music and the fervently conducting Mozart in the scene is that Mozart poured his personal misfortune of not living up to his father’s expectations in his work. It just makes it seem to be so personal, so passionate. I know that was the movies intent for me to feel that way, but I couldn’t help getting sucked in, between seeing the gargantuan black commander singing in the deep bass voice is what seems to me to be such an accusing tone allegorically â€Å"accusing his son in front of the world† as Salieri puts it. All the while the plot twists during this play, as the madness grew within Salieri as he discovers such a simple way to destroy Mozart. It’s just so epic, for lack of better words. One of the brighter operas in the film â€Å"The Marriage of Figgaro† has a much lighter note. Despite all of the red tape Mozart endures, he nevertheless through the exceptionally brilliance of his music and borderline arrogance persuades the emperor to allow him to perform his opera. While we obviously never get to see the whole thing, the music and performance we do see is good. I wouldn’t say I particularly cared for it. The colors, the notes, the lighting, it’s just too bright. However, the most impressive part of it is that his confidence in his music allowed him to break the traditional rules in order for his perform his opera. This seems metaphorically to portray the fact that Mozart’s music didn’t follow these contemporary musical rules of the time which contributed to his genius. Perhaps that’s a long stretch, but that’s immediately what came to mind. While the movie is composed (Pun intended) of Mozart’s work, it would take an entire separate paper to dissect each one individually. Regardless, each piece performed in the play is enjoyable from one degree to another. Overall, I have to say I was more than happy with this movie. For a while, I dreaded watching the movie thinking it would be a long drawn out boring biographic film, but to my surprise it shared little characteristics with a biography. The central thematic message of the movie is mostly if not entirely fictitious, but still lays a foundation in which the movie tells factual information about Mozart and sets a stage in which one can hear the pieces and enjoy them chronologically. To be frank and honest, if these fabrications of the bitter rivalry between Salieri and Mozart weren’t there, I would have had a hard time truly appreciating the Mozart as seen in the movie. Not to say his music is bad, it’s brilliant, but the underlying plot is what made the movie so interesting. Ultimately, if you’re looking for historical facts about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for a movie that’s interesting and loosely based on one of the world’s greatest composers who ever lived, look no further.

Immigration in New York Essay -- Immigrants U.S. Economy Economics Ess

Immigration in New York I was born 23 years ago in the Dominican Republic, an island located in the Greater Antilles. There is a saying from my country that goes "Mi tiera mi corazon" meaning my country my love, which explain exactly how I felt about the Dominican Republic. To me the Island of Santo Domingo is the greatest in the World; there are beautiful people, gorgeous weather and all the mangoes I could have eaten. Then one day my parents gave me the bad news, they were moving to this place called New York, they told my brother and me that they would send for us later. That was 12 years ago and now here I am living in New York, the greatest city in the world, next to my Santo Domingo. When I was younger New York seemed as big as the world, I often heard my parents talked about how New York had so many jobs, and was the richest place in the world. I could not wait to see how this place was. No one told me that New York had a crime rate higher than the Empire state building, no one told me that certain New Yorkers would hate me because of my color, no one told me how New York eats one of it's children, for every orphan it took in. As a first generation immigrant this topic is dear to my heart, because I know it first hand. This paper will deal with the history of immigration in New York, specifically the later part of the twentieth century. I will look at the history of this great city and how it impacted us, and how Immigrants have contributed to its mystique, color and vibrancy. I will also discuss specific neighborhoods, the people who live there, and their impact on the economy. I will also discuss the recent anti-immigration trend like Proposition 187. The middle colonies had a well-earned reputation for cu... ... George. Friends or Strangers: The Impact of Immigrants on the U.S economy (1990) 2. Daniels, Roger. Coming To America: A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life (1990) 3. Fuchs, Lawrence. The American Kaleidoscope: Race, ethnicity, and the Civic Culture 4. Chan, Scheng. Asian Americans: An Interpretive History 5. Bodnar, John. The transplanted: a History of Immigrants in Urban American (1985) 6. Reimers, David. Still the Golden Door: the Third World Comes To America. (1992) 7. Brendel, Christine. Modern Immigration. Amawalk, New York: Golden Owl Publishing Co., 1998. 8. Berrol, Selmacantor. The Empire City: New York and Its People. West Port, Conn: Praeger, 1997. 9. Pencak, William, Selma Berrol, and Randall M. Miller, Eds. Immigration to New York. Philadelphia: Balch Institute Press, 1991.

Complex play Essay

The title of the play, ‘The Crucible’ is significant as a crucible is a pot in which metals are melted down in order to purify them. Miller is suggesting that the play is concerned by a purging by fire, a form of ‘cleansing’. This is a metaphor for spiritual improvements as the result of exposure to great strain. One of the central themes of the play is the spiritual development of John Proctor. It is a powerful and complex play. All of the action takes place indoors and it is very sombre, simplistic and it emphasises the lifestyle of the puritans and it echoes the chlaustrophobic atmosphere of the play. The play focuses on ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. In the play Miller is discussing the forces of evil. In the attempt to stamp out evil there is certainly a degree of irony. The irony in this play is that evil and tragedy actually arises from the actions of the misguided and over zealous characters such as Danforth and Parris and to a certain extent Hale, who became responsible for deaths, misery and cruelty. Miller is suggesting that humans are vulnerable to evil and he aims to show that the evil generated in Salem was through a combination of circumstances for which no one person could be held wholly responsible but yet none were guilt free. Miller has said that it was Abigail’s role in the events of the play that awakened his interest in the whole story, however, his treatment of her is controlled although is not dispassionate in any way. She is a sensual adolescent and she is very flattered by Proctors attention to her while at the same time tries to disguise it. Abigail has many motives for causing the trouble that she does, one of which is her hostility towards Elizabeth, John Proctors wife, but this is by no means her only motive. A high spirited sense of mischief and the way which she controls her friends gives her enjoyment and is influential and although the point is not stressed, the violent nature of her parents deaths have unsettled her. Abigail’s actions are also intriguing, right from act 1 she is causing a stir in Salem, when Betty awakens and cries out, Abigail tries to bully and threaten them into keeping quiet, later in this act, when Tituba and Abigail are being interrogated, she starts calling out names of devil worshippers. In act 2 we find out more about Abigail’s relationship with the Proctors, they discuss revealing that Abigail is a fraud and reveal how she was thrown out when Elizabeth found out about her affair with John. The rag doll was also another plot by Abigail to cause more trouble, she uses it to show that Elizabeth practices witchcraft. So when the rag doll is discovered with a needle in it after Abigail stabs herself, it is a bad sign. The taking away of Elizabeth and the anger of John Proctor are all adverse affects of Abigail’s troublesome actions and Proctor decides to declare his adultery in court and to denounce Abigail’s lies, the consequences of this may be hard for him. Abigail also leads the accusations of witchcraft and by this point Elizabeth knows that Abigail probably name her in revenge for being dismissed and also to get John Proctor for herself. Cheever later arrives to clarify the fact that Elizabeth has been named, by Abigail. Francis Nurse tries to explain to the court that it is being deceived by Abigail and the other girls. In act 3 as Abigail acts entering a trance and the pitch of hysteria rises, Proctor has had enough and denounces Abigail as a whore, revealing his adultery and therefore jeopardising his integrity and honour. In act 4, Abigail and Mary Warren steal i 30, a very large amount at the time and run away, in order to avoid the revealing of them being frauds. Tituba is an interesting device used by Miller, she is mysterious, perhaps theatrical, and our lack of knowledge of her creates more mystery and intrigue, we know that she is a Barbadan slave for Reverend Parris who was taken from Barbados to come with them the Parris’s. This is useful to Miller, because Tituba does not need to have an identity, she is just used for a few themes, one is the dancing that occurs in the woods, instigated by Tituba, and later her confessions to dealings with the Devil.

Analysis Of Michael Ondaatje s Running Of The Family Essay

â€Å"When you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all.† (Keeler, Dietter, Groening, Cohen, 2002) My highschool English department was lackluster. It featured four full time teachers, who divided themselves between ELA 10-2 to 35 IB. Between the students, there was an ongoing joke that none of them were actually on the payroll, because half the time they wouldn’t be physically in a classroom, instead could be found wandering about aimlessly. I could never understand why they were all heralded as paragons in their field. They were never there. We once spent 3 days discussing the purpose of trees in Michael Ondaatje’s Running in the Family. From a student perspective there seemed to be very little organized planning, and most of it was student directed. Through, from a pre-service teacher perspective, I understand the absence of planning was probably due to us being in an IB advanced class, and part of curriculum design. I also realize now that it is impossible to plan every day out meticulously. There has to be some room for error, or rather room for relaxation. Plan ning is the heart of teaching (Milner, Milner, and Mitchell, 2012, p.426), but is a constantly changing process. There needs to be structure within the classroom, yet it has to be carefully moderated. There is going to be an indefinite amount of the uncertain and the unexpected. Planning a lesson is like doing a mad-libs. You make the general story, an overall standardized outline, and thenShow MoreRelatedSummary Of The Family Notebook 2051 Words   |  9 PagesWeiner 9/14/2016 2B Running in The Family Notebook Assignment Section 1 – Chapter Summaries Prologue: Drought Since December – shows the author getting used to the climate of Ceylon because of how much it differs from where he came from. †¢ Intense heat †¢ Reminiscing of when he used to be in Ceylon Asian Rumors: Michael longs for a return to Asia. This section expresses his feelings for Ceylon and how important the place is to him. Asia – analyzes and dreams about Asia during Michael Ondaatje’s farewell