Marie Antoinette: History as a problem in film

When one thinks of the Coppola, one inevitably thinks of the great Francis Ford, whose striking Godfather movies have set the bar for dramatic storytelling and cinematography for generations of filmmakers to come.   However, recently, the younger Coppola, Sofia, has taken over the moviemaking role, and has sought to reinvent the historical story of Marie Antoinette, the infamous French queen beheaded at the start of the French Revolution.   However, for those expecting a serious, dour, and historically play by play rendering of the tragic (some say scandalous) life of the queen, they are in for somewhat of a surprise.Indeed, the intentionally contemporary, visually stunning twist on the well-known tale is jarring in its departures from traditional historical thought.   So, too the visual liberties do much to literally force the audience to see the young queen from a different perspective.   The problem is, however, although Coppola can assert that her attempt is an artistic o ne, it is also one of manipulation.That is because in the end, the audience is fully aware of the juxtaposition of their new, interpretation of Antoinette as delivered by the film, with the overwhelming force of historical fact (in as much as we are aware).   This departure from reality eventually leaves the audience feeling a bit cheated, as if the visual, auditory, and even literary ministrations of Coppola on the story have been nothing but a cheap trick—a meandering of whimsy intentionally downplaying the legitimate tragedy of Antoinette’s death and the serious principles behind the French Revolution.To be sure, Coppola’s Marie Antoinette is beautiful.   Released in 2006, the film is set and filmed in Versailles.   The audience meets the young queen as a new bride, delivered from her native Austria to the bosom of the French court.   From the beginning, Antoinette is presented as gentle, almost simple, and kind hearted—concerned with leaving h er family and her beloved pet dog behind to start a new life of duty and service at the behest of her family.Almost as striking as the gentleness of the queen, the visual imagery of the film is without par.   The colors are as vibrant as any 50’s Technicolor dream, and the screen is consistently resplendent with bright pinks, blues and pastel wonders beyond imagination.   This is particularly true of the costuming, which is rendered in striking richness both in color and texture—helping to evoke the extravagant luxury of the French Court and the life of the queen.In addition to the visually descriptive nature of the film, Antoinette’s relationship with her husband is portrayed as amazingly genteel, with her displaying endless patience for her husband’s quirky ways and obvious lack of sexual prowess.   Further, her important role as a mother and bearer of heirs is portrayed convincingly, with visual (only) mention of the death of one of her children in infancy.However, apart from this reflection of historical trivia, the film does little to delve deeply into any of the issues of the time, or of Antoinette’s life.   Further, even the casting of American’s Kirsten Dunst and Jason Shwartzman seems to function as a way to move the film away from historical accuracy, if only in the audience’s mind.   This is particularly true when one hears the somewhat jarring sound of Dunst’s and Shwartzman’s flat American accents against the stylized French-accented comments of the Mistress of the Court.Although one could say that Coppola’s portrayal of Antoinette in such a candy-pink, innocent and accommodating fashion (perhaps more devoid of malice due to her â€Å"straight forward† and simple American twang) could be authentic in that some of it describes the queen’s relative youth and innocence as she entered the court.  Ã‚   However, this does not progress to increased complexity, and the audience does not see her increased politicialization that by all historical accounts marks the last years of her life.Indeed, as historians point out, Marie Antoinette was political, some say a bit of an activist, determined to resist the changes brewing in the midst of the growing revolutionary fervor in the country.   In fact, the movie seems to curiously, if perhaps, intentionally stay away from any true politicalization, â€Å"ugliness,† unrest or upheaval.   Apart from one or two references to the â€Å"people† being hungry and their not being enough bread, one simply does not see the common people or their plight at all.â€Å"What revolution?,†the audience may wonder (perhaps more so amongst today’s less educated tween moviegoers).   Indeed, as the film closes, we are left with nary a glimpse in to the tragic fate of the queen.   Further, one would not imagine too horrible a fate, after all, according to Coppola’s portrayal, Antoinette would never have been so callous as to have said, â€Å"Let them eat cake!†Ã‚   Certainly she was too good for that!   After all, didn’t she give up getting new diamonds so that the people may eat?In addition to the creative storytelling that Coppola entertains throughout the film, the music, itself sets the soundtrack as a kind of point-making device to further help the audience to identify with the kind queen.   Strains of largely upbeat popular music (Bow Wow, Cindy Lauper) make everything seem more innocent, and heck, can’t the audience see they are â€Å"just like us,† not so foreign, not so historic!Yes, it could have been any wealthy American or European girl in her shoes.   One can even see Paris Hilton in Versailles.   Under this treatment, Antoinette seems less distant, complex, serious, and significant in history.   Indeed, all of the messages gleaned from her experiences and narrative seem to melt away to the tune.   Ye s, some classical music is incorporated into the film, but only after the jarring point of the modern has been thoroughly made.Although the cinematic techniques utilized by Coppola definitely lead the audience to reinterpret history, several of the references to historical fact are accurate.   After all, the French did help the young America against Great Britain, and they did deplete sizable financial stores from France (exacerbating the plight of the poor) (Brinton, 1963).   However, by the time these historical points are made in the film, the other visual, dialogue, and tonal points have been made. Historical errors and downright tragedies of perception seem insignificant, just another point of verbal backdrop rather than pivotal junction.In addition to the twisting of the audience’s perception of Antoinette as a function of tone (visual, dialogue, etc), Coppola also departs from historical fact to presumably make the movie â€Å"more interesting† to its audien ce—who are perhaps used to a â€Å"Dangerous Liaisons† kind of film.   Indeed, in departing from established historical fact and blithely embracing a supposed extramarital affair between Antoinette and the Count von Ferson, Coppila goes out of her way to add to history, simply for the entertainment value.Although one cannot defiantly prove that such an affair did not occur in reality, historical sources do not indicate that it did.   This is hardly a trivial point in that it further contemporizes Antoinette, implying that such matters were commonplace (as they are today), and carried little consequences.   The historical and religious reality of Antoinette’s times were all to different, with serious consequences for both royal and common wives who strayed from the marriage bed. Of course none of these issues are dealt with and the whole â€Å"affair† is portrayed as just one more pleasant visual interlude among many, without meaning or serious inter pretation.Given all this, if one were to accept that Coppola did in fact deliberately attempt to use cinematic devices and storytelling in order to create a new version of the story, is this problematic?   If such a film were simple entertainment the answer would be no.   However, the difficulty that comes along with dealing with a historical subject is that there is some expectation from the audience that an attempt toward accuracy be made.   Yes, costumes in the Antoinette court were probably very pretty.The queen might have been innocent, kind, sweet even.   Perhaps she never did say â€Å"let them eat cake.†Ã‚   Such an assertion would not be new (1963).   However, using technique to reframe the events of the movie, be it through music, cinematography or dialogue creates either a problem with history itself—in essence changing it for the audience if they are impressionable, or though creating frustration or even anger in those who know better—and p erhaps feel more than a bit cheated that the association of the character with the defining event of her times (the Revolution) was all but overlooked in film.Although Coppola, herself has stated that it was not her intention to deal with politics or the political reality of her subject (Dudec, 2006), she does—if by omission.   In fact, her infamous statement, â€Å"Marie Antoinette was not interested in politics, so why should I be?† (2006) is problematic on many levels.   First, in its erroneous assumption that Antoinette was not interested in politics, she indicates a real unfamiliarity with her protagonist which is troubling.   Second, by â€Å"not being interested in politics,† one has to wonder at the appropriateness of Coppola dealing with the subject matter at all.   Can one imagine, for instance, Frances Ford Coppola asserting, â€Å"I am not interested in organized crime.†?Coppola’s troubling attitude and treatment of the subject matter was so striking when the movie was screened in Cannes that the audience actually booed the film.   This may be in part due to the fact that Coppila did not take her information from respected historical sources.   Instead, she almost exclusively drew from Antonia Fraser’s contemporary biography, which itself is rife with similar flaws and omissions to the movie.In the end, the audience is never privy to the â€Å"meat† of the Antoinette story—a story that the young female audience members that Coppila obviously targets could only learn from.   For example, she never showcases her strength, intelligence, or real power.   She does not take time to fully draw the immense political opinion and pressures against her as a â€Å"foreign queen,† nor does she deal with the complex nature of her death, the differences between rumor and political reality.Of course, this is not to say that the film does not have its fans.   In fact, even among French audiences some appreciated the way in which Marie Antoinette was played outside of the norm.   Although some might argue that some French critics may be pleased that a large Hollywood producer would deal with the subject at all, one can assume that some found genuine satisfaction in the portrayal—puzzling or no.Thus, the problems with the film hinge directly on the historical material.   Given any other non-historical subject matter, the same story might be just fine.   An afternoon of entertainment and â€Å"lavish visual effects.†Ã‚   However, by choosing a historical subject—and an emotional one at that, Coppila evokes much more than she may intend.   Further, the reactions of audiences must be interpreted in the context of the subject matter, not simply on the basis of film quality, direction, art or sensibility.Audiences either like the film or hate it—and each opinion carries with it serious implications.   After all, if one likes the fil m what does that say about one’s view or knowledge of history?   Has the â€Å"magic† of film influenced that opinion, and by continuation, one’s historical view?   Conversely, should one hate the film, would that person lack the ability to appreciate the â€Å"beauty† of the visual art in the film?   Or, instead, does one’s consciousness of the subject matter as history prohibit any such appreciation?In the end, Coppola’s decision to use history as her muse may be the downfall of the film.   This because history demands a certain treatment in order to be molded into entertainment.   One cannot mould entertainment into history—it simply smacks of hollowness and superficiality—two of the most common criticisms of the film.Worse, one can see that (as in the case with this film), even in the presence of some truly spectacular cinematography and visual beauty—not to mention some pretty significant financial investm ents, it is not enough to overcome the historical liberties taken with the film.   It is as if her subject matter has become her stumbling block.   To be sure, one can assert that the film is great in part.   However, in part is not enough for true greatness.   No, Marie Antoinette will be no Lawrence of Arabia, enjoyed for generations to come—and isn’t that the true test of a film’s merit?Works CitedBrinton, Crane. A Decade of Revolution 1789-1799. Harper and Row, 1963. Dudec, A.   Cannes reality check. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 25, May 2006.   Retrieved on April 23, 2007, from, http://findarticles.com/?noadc=1

We are the Champions

For as long as I can remember, I have loved and played organized basketball. The culmination of this adoration and dedication came during my senior year of high school when we won the state championship. I spent most of my childhood and adolescent years watching, practicing and playing this game. I played through all kinds of injuries and illnesses. I played with all kinds of organizations and teams. Now, I was the captain of the team of all teams: State Champions.I'd reached the manacle of my basketball career. If we are looking at this significant event through the behavioral perspective of psychology, we see the ways in which it applies. The behavioral perspective allows us to look at the obvious observable and measurable behaviors as opposed to the internal and mental ones. It focuses on how behaviors are learned and reinforced. Practice was the driving behavior that allowed our team to succeed. Our coaches required us to practice the same plays over and over again. We practiced shooting drills over and over again.These things were reiterated until hey became second nature, and then we practiced them some more. Our philosophy was that we did not practice until we got it right, but we practiced until we could not get it wrong. Also, part of our preparation included watching videos of our opponents. This allowed us to learn their behaviors and tendencies in order to devise a plan to counteract them (Baron & Kessler, 2008). During the game of basketball, the cognitive perspective plays an important role. This perspective is concerned with the mental function: how things are perceived, remembered, reasoned, decided, or problem solved.Before the game starts, a strategy is developed for the offensive and defensive side of the court. It has to be remembered by every member of the team along with all of the plays and signals to help the team function as one cohesive unit. We are also tasked with making split second decisions throughout the game in order to navigate the opponent's defensive scheme (McLeod, 2007). Through this entire process, I learned that hard work would lead to great rewards. One of the ways this happened was through classical conditioning learning.This type of learning involves â€Å"placing a neutral signal before a naturally occurring reflex† (Baron & Kessler, 2008, p. 161). In order to build our stamina to run up and down the court for a complete game, our coaches used a whistle. When the whistle was blown, we were required to run suicide drills. At the sound of a double whistle, we were required to stop running. The blowing of the whistle is an unconditioned stimulus and the act of running is an unconditioned response. Operating learning came in the form of positive reinforcements and punishments.We were praised and received gifts for working hard in practice, for performing drills ND tasks flawlessly, and for meeting seasonal milestones. Our punishments came in the form of performing push-ups or having an extra early morning practice when we did not do what was expected. In addition, some of my basketball skills were acquired through observational learning. I watched Just as much basketball on television as I played. I took some of the things that I saw my favorite college and professional basketball players performed and worked to mimic them (Baron & Kessler, 2008).This entire senior basketball season was very memorable. It was like ale with a story book ending. However, some of the details of that season was lost. This is because of retroactive interference. We played 23 games that year, and each game added a new memory. Because of the similarities in games, the details get clouded with the addition off new one. The championship game was different. That game is an autobiographical memory as it was a reward for what I had worked so long to achieve. This was the most important thing that Vive done up until that point.

The Attention Span of the Preschool Child Research Paper

The Attention Span of the Preschool Child - Research Paper Example He was wearing a navy t-shirt, khaki shorts, plain white socks and white tennis shoes. He paid no attention whatsoever to his clothing during the period of observation. He was accompanied by his mother, a young woman who referred to him exclusively as â€Å"Pumpkin†. I observed Pumpkin run, walk, climb a short ladder, slide down a small twisty slide and write legible letters in dirt with a stick, as well as drawing various human and animal figures and numbers. His physical development and coordination seemed appropriate to his age, perhaps slightly advanced but not significantly so. Pumpkin did not appear to derive the same degree of satisfaction with his playground exploits as did the other children in his age range, and only climbed the ladder to the slide at the insistence of his mother. At no point did Pumpkin interact in a sustained way with any children his own age on the playground. I observed some fantasy play, but no cooperative or parallel play during this period. Pu mpkin engaged exclusively in solitary play for the duration, with occasional attempts to engage his mother's attention. Pumpkin interacted only with his mother during the course of the observation. He was very independent throughout, and showed no discomfort or significant displeasure at any point. He appeared to have fostered a healthy and secure attachment to his mother, and was comfortable venturing a reasonable distance away from her. Pumpkin was fairly polite with his mother, asking, â€Å"Please help me write this† and so on. His mother made several attempts to redirect Pumpkin toward the playground before he gave up and went back to entertaining himself by writing in the dirt. I observed some fairly sophisticated grammar from Pumpkin during this time period. Most notable about his speech was that despite the complexity and length of his statements, the sound /r/ was entirely absent. This made even sophisticated phrasing sound very juvenile at times. Much of Pumpkin's s peech was directed toward himself, in the form of questions and answers (â€Å"What do we call animals who eat plants? Animals who eat plants are called 'herbivores'.†) as well as running commentary about what he was drawing (â€Å"I'm a friendly triceratops, I like to run fast and I have three horns on my face.†) Pumpkin engaged in running commentary at every stage of self-directed play. A smaller portion of his speech was directed toward his mother, usually in the form of a question such as "How do you spell 'diplodocus'," or "How many groups have more than three?" His mother usually responded only by repeating the question back to Pumpkin, smiling and saying, "That's nice, Pumpkin", or with a non-committal hum as she continued working on a crossword puzzle. When I began my observation, Pumpkin's mother had just convinced him to climb the slide. As soon as he got to the bottom, he began drawing with a stick and did not stop before I completed my observations. During his drawing time, Pumpkin drew dinosaurs, dinosaur footprints, letters, numbers, and circles (around â€Å"groups†). His favorite number was 3. This observation leads me to believe that Pumpkin is not a typical preschooler. His attention span was extremely long, and his choice of activities did not align with those of his age mates. At no point did he attempt to engage any children of his own age in play, though he seemed perfectly comfortable speaking with his mother and seemed aware of the other children (if not particularly interested in them).

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Strategic planning and contro - Assignment Example Finally, an action plan will be provided, which will reflect my way of enhancing mu abilities for accomplishing the task objectives in future. From the overall project, I have developed an in-depth idea about Mobile Inc. By means of conducting the market research, the position of the company among the competitors as well as in the global economy was also understood. As per my understanding, it was necessary to conduct a SWOT analysis of the company in order to identify the external opportunities and threats to the entity as well as recognise its internal strengths and weaknesses. There are many external threats to the organization including fear of the competitors and various economical factors that might have further increased risks for the company in the global context. Moreover, various opportunities were also identified that would have helped the company to prosper and develop a competitive advantage over the competitors. However, the internal strength of the company revealed the efficiency of its human resource management and the workforce that led the company further to run effectively. Certain strategies were also r ecommended in order to achieve the long-term objectives of the company and an estimated cost was provided for the implementation of recommended strategies in the projected year. Moreover, in order to prepare the forecasted ratios and group financial statements, I had to analyze the financial report of the company as well as conduct a thorough market research in order to collect the relevant data. An in-depth research was conducted as well as the lecture notes were followed in order to prepare the project. Accordingly, I had to conduct a SWOT analysis of the company i.e. of Mobile Inc. in order to find out the external opportunities and threats as well as relate those with its internal strengths and weaknesses. In subsequence, detailed

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