Wings of Desire Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wings of Desire - Movie Review Example The movie opens in a gloomy city of Berlin, a city which at this time was recovering from the 1945 bombing and various years of neglect. The angels are then revealed to the viewers. Dressed in black garments, the two, Damiel and Cassiel, have melancholic and benevolent expressions from their faces. Their role is to watch over the city of Berlin and ensure that its inhabitants are safe. We learn that these two are invisible to the inhabitants, but children and other angels are able to see them. Damiel and Cassiel seem to the audience as caretakers of people’s memory. We see them taking down notes and listening to the thoughts of the people. They also travel around the city watching the inhabitants’ actions and extensively studying them. Most of their days are spent serenely whereby they only observe people, but, are not able to interact with them. They are emotionless in that, they are unable to experience joy or pain. This sums up the life of an angel in Berlin. On a normal day, we see Damiel meeting an artist Marion. Damiel gets enchanted and smitten by her beauty. The company that Marion works for reveals that it is out of money, hence, they must be forced to disband. This really upsets Marion. As Damiel watches her, he starts developing human feelings and he makes a decision; that he wants to start living as a human. Damiel is really moved by what marion is going through, hence, decides to be part of her life, share in her pain, and console her in times of distress. As this happens, Cassiel assumes an otherwise opposite trait; he walks around unsmiling and unmoved by events of humans. Perhaps, Cassiel was disturbed by his friend’s continued fondness of the human beings. From this, we learn of the extreme juxtaposition between these two major characters of the movie. While Damiel is enthusiastic, honest and exploitative, Cassiel is dry and wary, and devoid of passion. He is not attracted at all to the human side unlike his friend wh o aspires to lead a human life; however the viewer can begin to note his frustration with the life that he is leading (Willcock 76). The movie depicts the exact nature of human beings in the contemporary life. Angels in the movie keep witnessing human emotions and with time, they become enchanted by it. They start experiencing the sweetness of simple pleasures like a cup of tea and a cigarette stick. From the viewpoint of the angels, the city of Berlin is seen in a tinge of white and black, which is beautiful, yet unreal. Later, when these angels join humans, the color shifts from black and white into a natural looking color and into a harsher rhythm. Through these changes, we see the movie having enigmatic, wistful, somber, dreamlike and meditative tones. Later, Damiel falls from grace by dropping into the world, and we see him roaming about the berlin streets looking for his love Marion. As Damiel does this, his friend Cassiel remains in his black and white world of angels and sti lls retains his sulking mood. Later, unable to hold it longer, Cassiel also becomes human and drops to the Berlin world. Cassiel later meets Marion and Damiel at a concert in Nick Cave. They clown around and the

English Literature Essays Shakespeares King Lear

English Literature Essays Shakespeares King Lear Select either two or three major speeches from the play King Lear (Shakespeare) and demonstrate, by close analysis, their relevance to issues in the play as a whole The two speeches I have selected from the play to conduct close analysis on are Lears speech in Act I Scene I (Lines 121 139) and Cordelias speech of Act V Scene VII (Lines 31-43). These two speeches are reflective of some of the strongest themes of the play: familial love, anger, wrath and, most of all perhaps, pride. The first speech is placed at the very beginning of the play just after Cordelia has refused to praise her father in the same over-effusive manner as her sisters, and Shakespeare conveys in a few short lines the almost uncontrollable anger of Lear: Lear: Peace kent! Come not between the dragon and his wrath. I love her most, and though to set my rest On her kind nursery We can note here the evocation of the dragon which, as Harold Bloom (1987: 90) tells us, is not only symbolic of the male, paternal anger but of the monarchy itself and recalls the Englishness of St. George. As if metonymic with the entire play, this symbol of royal wrath and anger is twinned with an image of childish reliance the nursery. The next lines however reverse this image juxtaposition as the aggressor, in the form Lear the dragon, is painted as the victim: Hence, and avoid my sight! So be my grave my peace, as here I give Her fathers heart from her.! The knot of guilt and innocence is one that recurs throughout the entire play but it is first suggested in this speech; for instance in the lines: Call Burgundy, Cornwall and Albany, With my two daughters dowers digest this third: Let pride, which she calls plainness marry her. We witness here what Freud called projection (1991: 213) or the imbuing of an emotion or character trait onto another person; it is Lears pride that we really see here, and Lears anger that dominates the entire first section of the play but the character himself deflects that onto the figure of his youngest daughter. Linguistically, the speech is suffused with exclamations (especially the first six lines) and the rhythms and lines themselves are short and staccato. There is also an alliterative use of harsh consonant sounds, for instance in the line my two daughters dowers digest this third (Act I, Scene I, Line 128) or The sway, revenue, execution of the rest (Act I, Scene I, Line 137). This sets Lears character as one that is unbending and proud; an important facet of the plays later narrative where his harmartia (to use Aristotles (1965) term) in the form of his paternal pride, is revealed and reversed. The speech ends with a foreshadowing of the narrative of the whole play: Beloved sons, be yours; which to confirm, This coronet part betwixt you. Here, Lear unconsciously evokes the rending apart of territory as he sets in motion the fissures and fractures in the fabric of the monarchy that the play examines. The speech by Codelia in Act V in many ways represents the reverse of Lears. It is here that Shakespeare underlines the notion of familial loyalty, of constancy and of love and comes after Cordelia has reiterated her dedication for her father. Had you not been their father, these white flakes Had challenged pity on them. Was this face To be opposed against the warring winds Straight away we can notice the change in tone here, the repetition of Ds, Vs and Rs in Lears speech has been changed to Fs and Ws, creating a more sonorous timbre evocative of Cordelias gentle nature and the spirit of reconciliation that runs throughout her speech. The imagery Shakespeare uses here is reflective of the mimetic use of Nature throughout the rest of the play; Cordelia mentions the winds, the dread-bolted thunder (Act I, Scene VII, Line 34), and the quick, cross lightening (Act I, Scene VII, Line 36) all of which reminds us of Lears exile on the moors and the suggestion that this represents, for Shakespeare, the uncontrollable forces of fate. As Jay Halio (2001: 37-38) suggests, the loss of control that is symbolically evoked by the image of Nature, is a result of the splitting of the Kingdom, that we have already looked with the Lear speech of Act I and only resolves itself at this precise point in the play. The latter parts of the speech hint at Cordelias role as a restorative force; she literally makes her father human again after the treatment he is given by her sisters: Mine enemys dog, Though he had bit me, should have stood that night Against my fire; and wast thou fain, poor father, To hovel thee with swine, and rogues forlorn, In short and musty straw? Here Shakespeare layers image upon image of baseness and animality to suggest not only how far the King has been reduced but also how true and loyal Cordelia is. In the two speeches we have looked at here, we have seen many of the themes of King Lear and also some the plays complexity. The play is, at once we could assert, concerned with both pride and constancy, anger and gentleness, wrath and restoration and the two speeches I have selected show this in microcosm. Each one also represents important points in the character development of Lear himself; his initial rebuke of his daughter evoking the false pride of the all too powerful monarch and Cordelias speech prompting his character reversal. A close analysis of these two speeches reveals just how Shakespeare weaves grand themes and narratives into the very fabric, the very minutiae of his text, evoking in an audience an almost subconscious appreciation of philosophical and thematic intents. Works Cited Aristotle (1965), The Poetics, London: Penguin Bloom, Harold (1987), William Shakespeares King Lear, New York: Random House Freud, Sigmund (1991), The Essentials of Psychoanalysis, (London: Penguin Halio, Jay (2001), King Lear: A Guide to the Play, London: Greenwood Press Shakespeare, William (1982), King Lear, published in The Tragedies, London: Aurora pp.218-239

United States Intelligence Agencies :: essays research papers fc

Although the cold war has ended and the Soviet Union has disbanded, there is still a need of intelligence collection for the United States. Finding itself as the leader of the rest of the world, the United States must prepare to identify problems as they arise, the earlier the detection, the more likelihood for success. With any one intelligence agency having too much information, problems could arise; therefore, it is imperative to keep a close watchful eye on these agencies to ensure that personal rights are not infringed upon. The success of intelligence gathering agencies is hard to determine. It is difficult to argue that covert operations had much of an impact on the outcome of the cold war (Nutter), but the cold war was not and is not the only objective for intelligence agencies. In fact, since the cold war the intelligence agencies of the United States have accomplished several tasks set before them; for instance, assisting other countries in identifying terrorists like Carlos the Jackal in Sudan, the head of the Shining Path in Peru, and the ring leader of the World Trade Center Bombing in the Philippines. As the leader of the world in the 21ST century, the United States intelligence agencies must keep up this highest level of information gathering procedures in order to stay ahead of any upcoming problems down the road. With intelligence gathering operations being utilized as collection assets on embassies of opposing nations based in the United States, careful consideration must be used when working so close with the American public. Everyday information that may appear irrelevant could be very valuable to domestic or foreign-based companies for advertising campaigns, marketing forecasts, and price gouging. This type of information leakage is a violation of an American’s rights. One problem with having so much information at home and abroad is seeing the correct way to solve dilemmas before they occur. While in war actions of questionable ethics often go unanswered and are hardly given a second thought. In 1941 when the Czech military intelligence service approached the British Special Operations Executive for assistance in an assassination of a German SS Officer no questions were raised, not even about who the target maybe (Richelson). With any agency possessing too much knowledge internally, it may choose to take the short road to ensure success of a mission. Thus, the American public should support the United States intelligence agencies, but keep a close watchful eye on them as well.

Signs and symptoms

Keep child calm and help them take medicine. Phone parent and if it worsens call 999 Sickle cell anemia Fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, cold hands and feet, pain Refer to care plan and phone parent If needed Diabetes Passing urine more often than usual, tiredness, thirsty Refer to care plan and phone parent if needed Chicken pox Fever, rash, itchy Try to stop child scratching, phone parent Conjunctively Itchy sticky eyes, red eyes, green go Stop child rubbing eyes, phone parent CroupDifficulty breathing, short barking cough Keep child calm and encourage to breathe, call parent if it persists Persistent Diarrhea and sickness Pale, lifeless Encourage child to drink small sips of water, keep them calm in a quiet area. Phone parent Very pale and lifeless appearance URGENT Phone parent and 999 Phone parent Eczema Itchy dry rash Stop child scratching and distract them Impetigo Fluid filled blisters, itchy rash, red sores Call parent Measles Slight cold, sore throat, swol len glands, pink rash MeningitisFever, headache, confusion, affected by light, stiff neck, rash Call 999 and parent Unconsciousness Lifeless, unresponsive Check for breathing put in recovery position call 999 and parent Continuing high temperature/Febrile convulsions Keep calm in quiet place call 999 and parent Severe headache Nauseous, vomiting, sensitive to light Persistent or strange crying Shock.

Abraham Lincoln, Melungeon or Myth? Essay

Some historian believe that Abraham Lincoln was born an illegitimate child to Abraham Enloe and Nancy Hanks. It is possible that Abraham Lincoln could be tied to the Melungeon heritage through both of his parents? Many growing number of historians believe that Abraham Lincoln possess many qualities that distinguishes him as a Melungeon, and in fact believe that he is a direct descendant. The questioning of his parentage generates much interest and theories in regards to this great Presidents past. Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1908. His father was â€Å"said to be† Thomas Lincoln and his mother Nancy Hanks. He was born in a log cabin in Sinking Springs, in Hardin County Kentucky. After the death of his mother, his father remarried a wonderful lady named Sarah Bush. Abraham loved his step-mother and became very close to her and her 3 children. Despite his relationship with step-mother Sarah, Abraham did not maintain a good relationship with his father because of his resentment he held towards him having to turn all his wages over to him by some sort of law. Because of Lincoln’s hatred of slavery, which denied to slaves the â€Å"fruits of the labor† (McPherson 3), some people believe it may have influenced Thomas Lincoln expropriation of Abrahams’ earnings. Their relationship became so strained that when his father called him to his death bed, Lincoln refused to make the 80 miles trip to see him. His father died with no goodbyes given. Despit e Lincolns troubled and humble beginnings, he was able to self-educate himself, mainly by reading lots of books and became a very successful lawyer. In the American peoples’ eyes, Lincoln’s tale of â€Å"rags to riches†, is the ultimate â€Å"American† success story (Steers, Edward). There have been many myths, hoaxes and misconceptions regarding one of our greatest President throughout the years. During his early political career there was lots negative campaigning that was used to the taint his  campaign, just like we see and hear of today. Charges of illegitimacy were often hinted at because of the negative effect it had on the accused. â€Å"Illegitimate† people were considered defective. Lincoln’s paternity has long been in question due to the knowledge that a bastard son was born to a man named Abraham Enloe (Barton 18). The mother of the baby boy was a servant girl who worked in the Enloe household name Nancy Hanks (Lincoln’s mother). The question of his parentage generated much interest because of this claim and because Lincoln himself was reluctant to comment on his father and mother. Folks believed that it served as some sort of evidence of his knowledge and shame of his illegitimate birth. Authors Kennedy, N. Brent, and Robyn Vau ghan Kennedy. The Melungeons: the resurrection of a proud people: an untold story of ethnic cleansing in America. 2nd, rev., and corr. ed. Macon, Ga.: Mercer University Press, 1997. Print. Presents the question of whether or not Abraham Lincoln was Melungeon himself, making him the first Melungeon (tri-racial) President. According to Ely Gallegos (a research team member), there is a great deal of circumstantial evidence that Lincoln shared a Melungeon heritage, possibly through both parents. Lincoln’s family fits the Melungeon model very well. Lincoln’s paternal grandfather also named Abraham Lincoln, immigrated with his wife Bathsheba Herring and their 5 children to Kentucky. Why would an established settler leave the beautiful Shenandoah Valley for the wild, untamed lands of Indian-dominated Kentucky? Money? Possibly a Melungeon movement? Lincoln’s father features also fit the description of a Melungeon. His mother, Nancy Hanks was born an illegitimate child to Lucy Hanks. H istory has no record of the identity of Nancy’s father. Nancy also had many characteristics of a non-Anglo (Sandburg 30). Her hair dark, dark brown, keen little gray eyes, outstanding forehead, somewhat accented chin and cheek bones and a body of slender build. Because of the geographical location of the Lincoln’s family and outstanding questions of Lincoln’s heritage, this leads to the theory of many researchers that Lincoln could possibly be a Melungeon himself. If true, this would make Abraham Lincoln the first (tri-racial) President. Brent Kennedy, an author who wrote the book â€Å"The Melungeons†, a spent a great deal of time writing about a time of â€Å"ethnic cleansing in American† and shares details on how the Melungeons seemed to disappear during the time of the first â€Å"census taking†. Because of their tri-racial ethnicity, they  did not fit under any category listed on the Census, so for â€Å"recordkeeping† purposes, they were categorized as either melotos/white/Indian/Africa Am erican, when in fact they were â€Å"all†. Melungeons were suggested to be descendants from â€Å"tri-racial isolates† (Los Angeles Times), a mixture of whites, blacks and American Indian who historians say interbred along Appalchia’s ridges during the 18th centuries. Old documents and stories passed down throught the generations tell a tale of â€Å"Portugese† Berbers, â€Å"sheperd-like† people who came to American in ships. They were proposed to be decendants of early Portuese, Spanish, Sephardic Jewish Mulims, Moorish, and/or Gypsy/Roma colonish in the southeastern United States (Kennedy 1997; Hirschman 2005; Price 1953), that were exiled from Spain and Portugal through a religious witch-hunt know as the â€Å"Spanish Inquisition†. Many of them settled in the hills of the Appalachian Mountians. Over time The Melugeons, were pushed off their lands, denied their rights, murdered, mistreated and became an embittered and nearly defeated people. They tried to fit in with Anglo neighbors, but lost their heritaage, their culture, their names and their original religion, but not their genetic structure. Many folks who believed themselves to be of Melungeons decendant, have become a part of â€Å"on-going† research which even includes giving blood samples. There continues to be actual on-going Melungeon DNA studies still taking place still today. Lincoln’s paternity has long been in question due to the knowledge that a bastard son was born to a man named Abraham Enloe (Barton 18). The mother of the baby boy, was a servant girl who worked in the Enloe household named Nancy Hanks (Lincoln’s mother). The question of his parentage generated much interest and because Lincoln himself was reluctant to comment on his father and mother. Folks believed that served as some sort of evidence of his knowledge and shame of his illegitimate birth. During his campaign many people tried to use this information against him. They tried to discredit him, by calling him â€Å"illegitimate†. Many people still today are interested in the fact that Abraham Lincoln may been the fir st â€Å"tri-racial† President. A couple hundred years later after his birth, there are still many unanswered questions regarding Abraham Lincoln. â€Å"Robert Ingersoll said it best. â€Å"Lincoln, he proclaimed† was a not a-type, He stands alone-no ancestors, no fellows, no successors†. Even the word Melungeon became a most disparging term. To be legally classified as a  Melungeon, meant to be â€Å"Nobody at all†. What would it have meant for Abraham Lincoln, a â€Å"self-educated†, depressed human being, born in a one room cabin to illegitmate parents to be labeled a â€Å"Melungeon†? Would the American people have voted for him? Did Lincoln’s passionate spirit to â€Å"free the slaves† come deep from within or did it come from darker place then anybody could ever have imagined? Just how different would the pages of our history books read, if people would have truly believed that Abraham Lincoln was a â€Å"Nobody†, a Melungeon? Work Cited Alexander, J. Trent, Chad Berry, Beth Bissmeyer, Donna Corriher, Rodger Cunningham, Damon Falke, Steve Fisher, William Gorgy, Jesse Graves, Margaret Gregor, Elizabeth Hirschman, John Lang, Robert Ludke, Irene McKinney, Lindsey Martin, Phillip Obermiller, Eric Rademacher, Mark Roberts, Emily Satterwhite, Barbara Smith, Shilah Turner, Jennifer Westerman, David Whisnant, and Donal Yates. â€Å"Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review.† Toward a Genetic Profile of Melungeons in South Appalachia 38 (2010)111. Print. Kennedy, N. Brent, and Robyn Vaughan Kennedy. The Melungeons: the resurrection of a proud people: an untold story of ethnic cleansing in America. 2nd, rev., and corr. ed. Macon, Ga.: Mercer University Press, 1997. Print. McPherson, James M.. Abraham Lincoln. Oxford: Oxford University Press,2009. Print. Sandler, Martin W.. Lincoln through the lens: how photography revealed and shaped an extraordinary life. New York: Walker Pub. Co., 2008. Print. Steers, Edward. Lincoln legends myths, hoaxes, and confabulations associated with our greatest president. â€Å"Lincoln’s Father: The Paternity of Abraham Lincoln†. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2007.14-28 Print.