Sunset Boulevard Revisited :: Essays Papers

Sunset Boulevard Revisited When the film Sunset Boulevard premiered in Hollywood in 1950, the picture caused a riot in the theatre after the feature finished. Director Billy Wilder commented, â€Å"I’ve never seen so many prominent people at once – the word was out that this was a stunner, you see. After the picture ended there were violent reactions, from excitement to pure horror†(May 570). Wilder did whatever he could to keep the plot of Sunset Boulevard a secret outside of the walls of Paramount Studios because of its controversial subject matter. Today, Sunset Boulevard is hailed as one of the best films in motion picture history, so what was so controversial about it that made Hollywood so scared? The answer is that the film dealt with the truth about Hollywood and its stars. It scared people because it portrayed the life of a faded movie star in a realistic way, making members of Hollywood evaluate their careers and life after stardom. However, it was not only the plo t that terrified Hollywood, but also Wilder’s casting of Gloria Swanson and Erich Von Stroheim in two of the leading roles. Both had been film stars of the silent era back in the roaring twenties, but had fallen on hard times after their careers had fizzled. Therefore, the â€Å"stunner† that Wilder talks about is not the plot of Sunset Boulevard, but the terrifying realism demonstrated by the actor’s lives molding the characters they play in the film. The protagonist of the film is Norma Desmond, a washed-up actress who has delusions about reclaiming her fame again. At the end of the film, her sanity snaps when she loses her lover, Joe Gillis, and realizes that she will never return to the stardom that she once knew in her youth. On casting the role of Norma, Wilder knew that enlisting an actress from the early years of cinema would be ideal for the story he wanted to tell, rather than hiring a popular actress from the current Hollywood roster. Wilder discussed Mae West and Mary Pickford for the role, but finally decided on Gloria Swanson. Gloria Swanson had been very famous in the twenties, acting for such names as Sam Wood and Cecil B.

Gaming: Art & Life Essay

April 20, 1999 is a day that would live in infamy. This is the day wherein two high school students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold packed two duffle bags with the heaviest armament they could find and went to school. Then they opened fire at the school killing 12 students and a teacher, injuring 21 more and later committed suicide in Columbine High School, Littleton, Colorado. This incident is considered to be the deadliest high school shooting that ever happened in the United States of America. This horrifying event prompted the public to ask questions why this happened, and opened up a lot topic for debates. Some of these topics being debated upon were who was responsible for the behavior of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold? Why did they massacre their own high school? What provoked them in killing their own classmates and friends? Were they bullied? Were they on a revenge rampage? In addition to that, the question as to how teenagers like Harris and Klebold were able to buy firearms with such high caliber without being noticed was equally raised. Upon further investigation and analysis on the lives of the two boys, it was found out that they have been playing video games with violent nature. Specifically, games like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom, a first-person-shooter computer game that displays violent images and bloody scenes. It was also discovered that they both love Marilyn Manson and that they adore rock-metal music. Based on these findings, a new issue emerged – did violent video games influence Harris and Klebold’s behavior which led to their attack at Columbine? Does watching and playing violent video games lead to aggressive and vicious behavior? Several articles and professional journals were published with regards to the effect of the video game on Harris and Klebold. It was assumed that the aggressive state that they were in while playing the video games were transferred into reality when they began plotting of attacking Columbine. It was believed that since the games were too limited and lacked space for further expression of anger; and with their obsession towards violence – led them to find a better suited space to express their fury, which would turn them into homicidal individuals. In relation this dreadful incident, mass media had picked up and several literatures have been published to further analyze the events. Opinionated writings and columns were printed addressing the issue. And quite a few documentaries were made to showcase the story itself as well as tackle the reasons for the shooting. In addition to this, a video game that was based on the actual events that took place in Columbine was created. This video game was entitled â€Å"Super Columbine Massacre RPG! †

Defining Crime - 1266 Words

Defining Criminal Justice The six television shows that depict the law enforcement, corrections, and courts components of the criminal justice system are Matlock, Law and Order, Serpico, A Few Good Men, Kojak, and Canterbury’s Law. Matlock is a television show that has legal drama, and Andy Griffith has a main role as a criminal defense attorney. Matlock will gather evidence to identify the perpetrators to confront them in the courtroom with interrogation in the court room scenes. Also, he seeks to prove the innocence of his clients as he takes on their case which is murder most of the time (William Felchner, n.d). However, Matlock is assisted with a team of other lawyers. The show depicts the criminal courts component, because Matlock†¦show more content†¦Therefore, Frank Serpico works in the criminal justice system, and this television show depict all three components. In law enforcement, Serpico enforced the law by bring down corrupted law enforcement officers to apprehend the offenders. In the criminal courts, the offenders received a fair and impartial trial as well as uphold the law. Therefore, when found guilty the offenders will move to the Department of Corrections where they will carry out their sentence that the judge rendered in court. The stages of the criminal justice system are fair, because offenders are prosecuted and justice is served. A Few Good Men is a movie of a Navy lawyer named Lt. Kaffee who has never step foot inside of a courtroom, but defends two Marines who are stubborn and have been accused of murdering their colleague. Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee is much known as being lazy, but he has arranged for his clients a plea bargain. Kaffee gets rejected by his clients who claim they were following orders, and won’t take a lesser punishment because that would somehow mean that they weren’t doing the honorable thing. However, Also, the movie is based on a conspiracy that is high-leveled and the military lawyers at a court martial are defending their clients, because something is fishy whereas the victim is given a code red (David Freedman, 2011). Therefore, all in this entire movie shows the court room proceedings as the lawyer seeks fairness and justice atShow MoreRelatedDefining and Measuring Crime1557 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction To Crime, Defining and Measuring Crime Alistair Van Oudtshoorn Due Date: 23 April, 5:00pm Tutor: Thalia Edmonds Tutor Group: Wednesday 10:00am-10: 50am Table Of Contents. 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