Whale Rider; Rapa Nui an Example of the Topic Film Essays by

Whale Rider; Rapa Nui Whale Rider Not just the words through the movie, the narration by Kahu, but the music that moves with the shadows and light in the ocean, has an overwhelming emotion with which the viewer may identify. When the narration begins, it is Kahu who says, There was no gladness when I was born. These words are witnesses of events to happen. This is no story which begins with joy, but a tale where great hardship must happen first so that when the joy does come, the audience knows what a battle it was to get it, and how much more rewarding it is after such tribulation. Need essay sample on "Whale Rider; Rapa Nui" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Kahus story, her birth, marks the death of her mother and twin brother. Her twin was supposed to be the next leader of the Maori tribe. Her name is also an affront, her great grandfather believes, to the faith and tradition of the tribe. It is a blasphemy to their ancestor the great Whale Rider, who was male. The altercations which arise between Kahus father and great grandfather isnt mainly between ones acceptance of a belief and the others denial of it, but also of Kahus mothers wish to name the child after that great ancestor, and so begin Kahu on her journey. The powerful moments in this movie are the singing in the Maori tongue. When Kahu sings to the whales, when Koro sings, and especially the shattering feeling of love that is conveyed through their singing during a funeral. There is a specific bond in the words. They carry their dead with their songs, which seem to be saying we will find you soon, we will join you in our ancestral home. The entire film is teeming with the concepts and ideologies of ancestors. When Koro is fixing an engine outside one day, Kahu comes up to him asking questions about her ancestors, for a school project shes working on. He tells her that the link of their ancestors is as strong as this piece of rope, just as the whales are strong and powerful. With that strength of the entire lineage of ancestors the rope can never be broken. It is significant then that the rope breaks and while Koro is trying to find a new one, Kahu fixes it and fixes the engine. This is the predecessor of events to come. Kahus link in the chain is the link, which is the strongest, the one that will again unite the ancestors and whales to the needs of the current culture. All in all, the movie is very compelling both in narration, dialogue and the plot. It is the singing, the landscape, and the inclusion of the Maori language, which makes this film a New Zealand work of art. The history of the people is given fair study and sincerity. The union of the people at the end of the movie becomes part myth and part reality in the components of beached whales, and the resurrection of Paikea in a young girl, riding the bull whale out to sea to save her culture. The surprising factor in the movie is the maturity of Kahu, her diligent advances in the Maori culture and the way in which she tells the story is beyond her keen, but it works, her sad voice over such a beautiful landscape is compelling and honest. Kahu makes the film about a legendary myth, a reality waiting to happen. Rapa Nui Rapa Nui is also a film about legends, myths, and culture. The culture of the film is what really drives the plot into action as the Rapanui legends of Easter Islands is the main focus. The culture of the film is seen in the Sooty Egg hunt and the race to construct in record time a Moai. However the real plot of the story is love. The forbidden love between a couple belonging to different tribes which may be similar to an Easter Island Romeo and Juliet and as with most stories it is this tension of forbidden love which spurns the story onward. Although the interest in the love story is a major part of the film, it is the scenery and the culture and landscape of the film which is entirely enthralling. The great expanse of land hovered over by great (and real) Moai is the staple of the film for the movie watcher. Even the with watching the opening scenes of the film, these statues are shown and the importance of them to the development of the story is well cemented in the viewers mind. The plot would not be able to progress, the love story would not be that interesting nor tragic were these statues not included (also, the race to erect them is what pulls the entire story together) and because they are an integral part of the Easter Island culture it makes the film that much more authentic. It is the erection of the statues that allow for the short ears freedom; and freedom in an enslaved culture (according to the movie) is what will allow for the love to flourish among the couple. There seems to be a fair amount of racism in the film between the long ears and the short ears which adds a great tension to the film as well. Tupa (a long eared) wants to erect his statue first so that he can have Ramana as his wife, but Make (a short eared) has the drive and desire to free his people. It is this freedom that dominates the film instead of the love story. An element of the film that is disheartening is that the film production crew didnt go into detail with the native dress. In fact, the film borrowed from the culture of Maori tribes and other tribes in order to dress the cast. Although the landscape and the statues and the long and short eared elements tied into the myths and legends of Easter Island, this lack of detail to the culture was disheartening. Even though there is love, a civil war, and the fight for freedom as plot devices in the film, everything a movie-goer wants to see, this borrowing from other cultures, lessens the authenticity of the film to such a degree that it ceases to represent the culture of the Easter Islands. In this lessening, the value of the film as a representation of another time and race causes the movie-goers suspension of disbelief to wear thin and they are no longer invested in the outcome of the film. Despite this major drawback, the film does an overall good job (not a great job) in delivering a s uccinct story that keeps the viewers attention through civil war, hate, omens, and love. Works Cited Rapa Nui. (1994). Kevin Reynolds. Easter Island, Majestic Films International. [video: DVD] Whale Rider. (2002). Niki Caro. New Zealand, Apollo Media. [video: DVD]

Free Essays on Tuesdays With Morrie Reaction

on a page. That’s all it is. Right. Right Apparently it was more. There were several aspects that drew me to this book. First off, it was easy reading right from the start. As for the content, right off the bat, I was hit with death as the clear topic. Not exactly a fun topic, but nonetheless, the book flowed easily right to the point, no bull shit lead in for twenty pages. That’s what kept me reading initially. Well, that... and, I had to, but it didn’t take long before it wasn’t a chore any longer. Another thing I found appealing was the easily relatable personality of Mitch. There are several easily identifiable sides to his character; his tendency to be emotionally reserved, his fear of receiving a similar fate as his uncle, getting caught up in his work and forgetting what really mattered: all very understandable. Having Morrie talk out all of his problems with him was almost as if someone was talking to me personally about it, without having to go through the tough experience Mitch did, literally seeing his mentor slowly wither away and die week by week. Another strong point of this book was the short and clearly separated chapters. I’d hate to be discussing such ridiculous aspects of this book, when there’s so much more to get out of it than â€Å"ease of reading†. Howev... Free Essays on Tuesdays With Morrie Reaction Free Essays on Tuesdays With Morrie Reaction It’s not often that I care about a book – or, about much of anything, for that matter. In fact, I’ve convinced myself that only a handful of worth while books even exist, most of which I don’t bother to get involved with for one reason or another. This book is an exception to almost everything I’m accustomed to. The moment I finished the last page, I began typing, making sure to capture the emotions generated by this book before they vanished. Though I didn’t cry, I was put into an interesting emotional state that is not easily or frequently stirred within me. I’m not even completely sure why. I mean, words on a page. That’s all it is. Right. Right Apparently it was more. There were several aspects that drew me to this book. First off, it was easy reading right from the start. As for the content, right off the bat, I was hit with death as the clear topic. Not exactly a fun topic, but nonetheless, the book flowed easily right to the point, no bull shit lead in for twenty pages. That’s what kept me reading initially. Well, that... and, I had to, but it didn’t take long before it wasn’t a chore any longer. Another thing I found appealing was the easily relatable personality of Mitch. There are several easily identifiable sides to his character; his tendency to be emotionally reserved, his fear of receiving a similar fate as his uncle, getting caught up in his work and forgetting what really mattered: all very understandable. Having Morrie talk out all of his problems with him was almost as if someone was talking to me personally about it, without having to go through the tough experience Mitch did, literally seeing his mentor slowly wither away and die week by week. Another strong point of this book was the short and clearly separated chapters. I’d hate to be discussing such ridiculous aspects of this book, when there’s so much more to get out of it than â€Å"ease of reading†. Howev...

The Troubled Asset Relief Program Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Troubled Asset Relief Program - Term Paper Example The Need for Relief: Why T.A.R.P. was Created The housing market is generally cited as one of the biggest factors behind the financial crisis that resulted in the need for T.A.R.P. to be created. After a short recession in 2001, housing sales rose, peaking in September of 2005 before dropping by as much as 52% by November 2007 (DiMartino, and Duca 1). In 2001, to counteract a recession, the Federal Reserve proceeded by lowering the interest rate alongside the push from both the Clinton and the Bush administrations for the American public to buy houses (Gjerstad, and Vernon L. Smith). This resulted in the lowering of credit standards, which in turn granted a flood of events such as subprime mortgages, or the lending of money to people generally considered a credit risk, going from 9% in 2001 to 40% in 2006 (DiMartino, and Duca 2). By 2007, the housing market was deteriorating, and delinquency rates on subprime mortgages and the interest-only adjustable rate mortgages were soaring; the big businesses with investors in those subprime mortgages were going under quickly (DiMartino, and Duca 5). The Federal Reserve responded by cutting the interest rate aggressively, from 5.25% to 2%, but the crisis continued (Bernanke). By September 15, 2008, the Treasury Secretary was forced to pay a visit to the White House and tell then-President George W. Bush an awful truth: the financial market was imploding, and unless something was done quickly, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression would result (Halm-Addo 1). Thus emergency measures were taken, and on October 3, 2008 the government was forced to step in and lend assistance, by means of creating the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The Purpose of The Troubled Asset Relief Program (T.A.R.P.) The purpose of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (T.A.R.P.) was, originally, quite simple. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act created T.A.R.P. as well as giving the power to the United States Government to both buy and insure certain types of assets, mainly to protect the average taxpayer (â€Å"The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008†). Specifically, T.A.R.P. meant that the Secretary of the Treasury, with the backing and support of the Federal Government, could then purchase defaulted mortgages or other assets that were weighing on the balance sheets of the subprime lenders (â€Å"The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008†). At the time of being enacted into law on October 3, 2008, no lending between banks was taking place, and in turn, no lending to the consumer was taking place (Massad 1). No lending to consumers meant that no money was flowing into the economy of the country, thus creating a nightmare for all businesses and consumers. Allowing the Federal Government to purchase the debt in exchange for repayment terms would wipe the bad debt from the balance sheets of the banks and allow them to begin functioning once more. T.A.R.P. created several programs which were able to kick-start the American economy. Money was invested in banks through several programs, including one known as the Capital Purchase Program (CPP), which aided banks across the nation (United States Department of Treasury). Through the Capital Purchase Program, the United States Treasury, working with the Federal Reserve and other