We Are All the Same

     I believe that the lesson that should be learned from Dances with Wolves is that, we are all the same. We may look different and our beliefs may be unconventional to one another, but we are all human beings. In the beginning of the film, the army thinks of the Native Americans as savages. The soldiers think the Native Americans are incapable of humanity and civilization. It was not until John Dunbar, a.k.a Dances with Wolves, met with Kicking Bird that someone from the army realized that the Native Americans are harmless and are people just like him. Once John Dunbar was introduced to the Sioux ways, he became immersed in the culture and realized that the Sioux are in some ways more compassionate than the Americans.
     I feel that the character, Dances with Wolves, represents the ability of a human to learn and accept changes within the world and our culture. At first, Dances with Wolves was defensive and hesitant, but as he got to know the people of the Sioux tribe he slowly became a part of their tribe. He realized after spending time with the tribe that they are not the stereotypical Indians that he was taught. He ends up learning their customs, befriending many of the people, and eventually marrying one of them.
     In a way, this film is what Roger Ebert describes a "sentimental fantasy, a "what if" film that imagines a world in which whites were genuinely interested in learning about a Native American culture." This film depicts what it would've been like if a white American came across a Native American tribe and how they would've interacted. It makes us think of how the American soldiers back then should have been treated the tribes and provides us with a lesson for how we treat people in the future.

     

The Day We'll Never Forget

     United 93 and the George W. Bush Interview was very heavy. The film portrayed the tragedy of that day and the heroism that it brought forth. It brought out a lot of emotions and it made you think. It made you think about the horror so many people faced that day and how America was thought to be invincible, because no one imagined something like this could happen. 

     I was very emotional after I watched the film. I was shaken up because I guess I never really knew the full story of the United 93 plane. Hearing the passengers say goodbye to their families made me realize that anything could happen at a single moment and we could be gone. No one could have guessed what happened that day on 9/11/2001. Especially since we watched the film and the interview around the anniversary of 9/11, it made it all the more real. The tragic event will never be forgotten and hopefully our country can grow and learn from 

    

Innocent or Guilty

     "The Conspirator" is a fascinating take on Lincoln's assassination. Instead of showing the side of Lincoln's family following the assassination, we get to see the side of the assassins. The film displays the conspiracy behind the killing of our beloved President and how it led to the first women to ever be executed in the United States. "The Conspirator" was a very watchable movie. It not only was interesting, but it drew the attention of the viewers. I felt as though the movie moved at a steady pace and had many powerful scenes. Towards the end of the movie it makes you realize that our government has not always been honorable. It makes me think of all of the corrupt or injustice actions our country has taken part of to "please the public."
     Accused terrorists of the United States should be given a trial by jury. The nature of the crime they committed may have been heinous, but it would be unjust to not give them a fair trial. Everyone, even terrorists, deserve a right of jury by their peers. That way the decision is truly fair and it can never be questioned as if it was unlawful. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
     In my opinion, Mary Surratt's conviction was mostly done to appease the American people. The American people wanted the eight assassins convicted and hung. They didn't truly want all of the facts and gruesome details. All they knew was the eight somehow knew each other, were involved in the assassination of the president, and therefore should be killed. The people wanted to move on from the horror they just experienced, so they convicted the eight alleged assassins without a fair trial. I'm not completely sure if Mary Surratt is innocent or guilty. The film made it seem like she was innocent. At some parts I thought, how could she not know that any of this was going on in her own house? But as I continued to watch I began to believe, in some aspect, that she could be innocent. We should care whether she was actually innocent or guilty, because the fact that we will never know exposes the flaws in our government. It shows that our government has or is not always honorable and that we need to make sure, no matter what, that everyone has a fair turn at justice.

Lincoln: What We Didn't Know

        In my opinion I thought "Lincoln" was a little too slow of a movie. I would've liked for it to be more fast paced and seen how the passing of the Thirteenth amendment affected Lincoln. There was times within the movie where I admit I got bored. But overall I thought it was a great informational movie. It showed Lincoln's dedication to the amendment and how he struggled with passing it. The film gave insight into what his family life was like and how it affected his relationships with them. It showed the side of Lincoln that we didn't know. In middle school, we were taught that Lincoln was this great man, who accomplished many things and made history. We never learned the full story and how it affected him. Spielberg's version shows just that. He shows emotional side of the story, not just the facts. I thought that was very well done, in that this movie didn't just present us with information that many of us already knew.

"Lincoln" made an impression on me. It showed me that we don't always know the full story or how many things can effect people. It gave another side to Lincoln's history and made me realize just how difficult it was to pass the Thirteenth amendment. I think it made me respect him more and made me think of all things he could have accomplished if he was never killed.