3rd Assignment! :)

Chose a film that you've seen. Look up different reviews, ratings, and genre classifications from at least 3 different websites. Examine the following factors:

- I choose the movie called "The Sound of Music". Actually, this movie is based on the musical which has same name. It was also popular and is still considered one of the greatest screen musicals ever made.

1. Compare and contrast how the classifications affect how we approach that film:

First of all, I searched this movie on 3 main websites in Korea. If you click the image, you can see it bigger. This movie got high score every websites, and many good reviews on there. "The Sound of music" consists of story that can gain everyone's sympathy. There is a beautiful music, family's love, and exciting story. So it has been loved by so many people all over the world for such a long time. I already watched it a long time ago but if I weren't,  I surely would watch. Because I really love family and musical movie, like Mary Poppins. (And the actor who played Mary and Maria is same! It could be one of the reasons I would watch.) Also, when I read many reviews about it, almost everyone recommended this movie, and rate is pretty good. So people who didn't watch this movie wonder what movie is and many people of them who checked high score, reviews going to watch it.  

But, many people won't watch it although this movie is famous all over the world, because of genre. Pretty many people don't like family movie because of its characteristic. Director of family movie have to make it for everyone. So, it has a limitation of expression like nudity and violence. And many family movie is about the good triumphing over the evil, it can be cliched and boring. So, people who don't like family movie for these reasons, won't watch it. Of course, people who thinks music in the movie is unnecessary and disturb the story, they won't either.

2. What role does gender play?

I read many reviews about "The Sound of music", and almost everyone gave a five-star rating. But some reviewer wrote "This movie is boring." or "It is just for children!" or "If I have a time to watch movie, I would choose action movie, not Sound of music!". So I entered their blog and I found the people who don't like this movie are all MEN! Well, it can be hasty generation, but I think it makes sense to me. According to research, Men are left-brained, and Women are right-brained. The left side of our brain helps us to think through problems step by step,  whereas the right side helps us remember things we see, hear, and feel. So women are much sensitive and easily sympathize with other's feeling. I mean, Men are much critical than women and much hard to be impressed. So this movie can touch women's hearts easily. 

3. Are there any other ways that film can be classified?

Every site explains the genre of this movie as a "Family" and "Musical". But I think this movie can be classified into "Romance", "Thriller" and "Performing arts". First, this movie contains not just a family story. Of course, family love is really important to tell a story of Sound of music. But cleary, this movie revolves around three people in a love triangle, too. Captain von Trap and Baroness are couple, and Captain's mind has changed since he met Maria, who is a private teacher.

Finally he breaks off an engagement and proposes to Maria. And I really love the scene when they look at each other and sing a song, "Something good". How romantic it is!

Also, Cult and Liesl's love story makes me feel  like this movie can be classed as a romance movie, too.

And I can say the genre of this movie is "Thriller". It has not only bright side like love or music but also shows dark history of Austria. By the Second World war, Captain Von trap is summoned because Germany merges with Austria. So Von trap family decides to escape to the neutral state. Therefore they sing a song in the hall under the name of chorus contest to hide their extrication and try to escape during adjudicating. The Nazis realize their fleeing so chase after them and attempt to find.

This scene is the most scariest in this movie. The Nazis shine a flashlight on gravestone where Maria and childeren hide behind. It is so thrilling.! When I was a child, I prayed soldiers not to find her. I've seen it at least 100 tims but this scene is still scary. So I think this movie can be classified as a "Thriller".

It is a Performing art, too. "The Sound of music" unfolds by music and dancing. Many people sing a song, and it makes us easy to understand the story and not to feel bored.

I think this scene, Maria and children sing a song called "The lonely Goatherd" is the most artistic performing in this movie. Play in the musical movie is really funny and fresh.

Anyway, for these reasons I think the genre of this movie is not only "Family" and "Musical", but also "Romance", "Thriller" and "Performing art".

2nd Assignment!

Choose a TV show or movie and apply the five tools of Barthe. Write a short paragraph for each code.

I choose the movie called "Dancer in the dark" which got prizes from Canne's film festival. Before I answer to this question, I want to introduce short story about this movie. Selma who imigrated from the Czech republic is a needy worker at the vessel factory located in one of the countrysides of U.S. She really loves musical and it gives her the energy of life. And Selma has a illness makes her going to be blind. Besides, her son, Gene inherited a disease from his mother. If he don't be operated on for it, he's gonna be blind, too. So Selma has saved money for his son's surgery. But Bill, the police offcer who has a extravagant wife, has designs on Selma's money, finally he steals it. So Selma aim at Bill with gun, and her life is going to be tragically.



1. Engima Code of this movie is money. Selma has saved money for his son's surgery, and Bill-Selma's friend who works at police station- really needs money to satisfy his wife, Linda. He was already bankrupt, but he doesn't have courage to say about it to his wife. So he asks Selma to keep a secret he's in debt, and begs her to lend but she refuses it. Bill makes bad use of her eyesight, finds where she keeps her money, and finally steals it.  She requests him to money back, but he says "If you want this money, just shoot me."  So she has to shoot him to get her money for Gene's surgery.

2. Action Code of this movie is Selma's characteristic. She is good-natured person so she keeps a secret (never say to anyone that Bill is bankrupt) to the end even if she is sentenced to death . However Selma's friend,  Kathy finally finds out she is innocent and that money is hers. So she asks for an attorney using Selma's money. But Selma refuses it strongly and be executed a death sentence finally. She loves his son so much,  then she wants to use money for her son's surgery instead of her life.

3. There's many Character codes. As I answered question 2, she never tell people the money belongs to her because of promise. Actually she doesn't have to keep promise because Bill's gone, but she finally doesnt' tell the truth. So she has sweet temper like an idiot. And we can know her diligence. She is prompt in paying her rent and saves money regulary. Also, this movie shows mother's affection according to Selma's sacrifice from beginning to the end. She finally quits appointing the lawyer, so Jeff who loves selma asks her why don't you use that money for herself,  and she replies, "I've seen it all.". It means, She is willing to be blind, further more she doesn't care even if she's gonna get death panalty.  Just Gene isn't going to be blind, she can give up everything . And this clip is the song named "I've seen it all" which represents her feeling.

4. Many Symbolic codes are included in this movie. Her coke-bottle glasses represent her eye sight is worse, this director sets up Bill's job as a pollice officer so Selma can use the pollice gun to kill him. And her hobby is musical, this movie centers on musical. In Selma's imagination, in other words her imagination works, everything is changed. People are dancing and singing happily.

5. She is a worker of vessel factory and it means the time background of this movie is past. Beacause nowadays just few americans work at vessel factory. Almost every factory employs Chinese, Vietnamese, or low-cost countries for low wage. And Selma's nationality is one of the cultural code, too. She is Czech and In 1960s, many people emigrated into the States for american dream. Also , finally she was died by dance on air. Many democratic abolished capital punishment, but the United States and some countries retained it.

Assignment! :)

   Compare ads for the same product from 3 or more different countries. Why are the different? What kinds of connotations do the ads generate?

-> I searched a lot of advertisements for this assignment, and I finally decided to compare the posters of "The Da vinci Code" from many countries.

Before I explain these special posters by cultural difference, "The Da Vinci code" is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. And it became so popular, so this novel was adapted for the screen.

Whatever, This is a poster from the states. It highlighted Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou who are main characters and also emphasises confidence through the copy "SEEK THE TRUTH"

This is a poster from France. France is thehost country of  Cannes International Film Festival, so they bring a thing into relief the fact that this movie is opening movie of C.I.F.F. And this poster specifies main character's name and Jean Reno who is french.  

Japan releases new poster, too! They used to recreat poster for japanese so this poster is little difficult from other countires. Add picture that  urgent main characters to French, so they make it more lively.

China uses title in Chinese even though this movie is from U.S.  And this poster shows characteristic of chinese who likes grand structure. Through compare big museum with person, it is gonna be more effective to make people feel like fear, too.

3 expectations

   First,  i think this class gonna be helped.  I'm not good at using the media to select fitting information.  So I want to improve finding information skills from media through this class.

   Second, Proffesor is really good, so I'm sure that this class is gonna be cool. Oh, Don't get me wrong. It is not flattering remarks! Well, I had thought that proffesors were really conservative and boring. But when i attended this lecture last wed.,  my stereotype was changed. Proffesor Ben is cheerful and funny. So naturally, students are gonna be cheerful and atmosphere is really good.

   Third, We don't need any textbook, So this class could be more flexible. This class is literally "Media English." So first day professor said, "We are going to use media like internet, newspapers, television, so on. instead of textbook." I'm really excited just don't use TEXTBOOK! This is my first time listen to lecture without books. Therefore, I eagerly look forward to how teacher gonna continue this class through media.

   So, these are reasons that why i expect this class. I'm so glad to attend this class, really! :)