1. Art and Diseño

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Blockbuster | The English Week Magazine
Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Marii Skłodowskiej-Curie w Suchej Beskidzkiej.
Tydzieo Języka Angielskiego 2-9.02.2015.
Contents
Contributors:
Oliwia Rezler (1e)
Joanna Kołodziejczyk (2c)
Dominika Wróbel (2c)
Magdalena Pieróg (2e)
Martyna Brzana (3c)
Anna Górna (3c)
Agnieszka Bednarz (3d)
The English Week timetable
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Queen of Grace (Kornelia Kaczmarczyk)
5
Virtuosos of emotions (Martyna Brzana)
8
With the Beatles on the screen (Joanna
Kołodziejczyk)
No Limbs – No Limits (Anna Górna)
11
Mickey Mouses’s Father (Dominika Wróbel)
17
Curiosities about Charlie Chaplin (Katarzyna
Motor)
Who’s a real princess? (Magdalena Pieróg)
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Leonardo Di Caprio (Oliwia Rezler)
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Language corner
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What to watch on ... (Agnieszka Bednarz)
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Language corner – key
36
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Kornelia Kaczmarczyk (3e)
Katarzyna Motor (3e)
Drawings:
Martyna ‘Mortisza’ Łoboda
(3e)
Editors:
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Anna Palcar
Lucjan Palcar
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the
War Room!"
- PRESIDENT MUFFLEY (Peter Sellers) in Dr.
Strangelove or:... (1964)
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The English Week timetable
Brainstorm – English
language and culture
competition
Film quiz
Name that Tune – music quiz
(this year the competitors’ task
will be as usual to write the
titles of 40 songs and the
performers but additionally,
write the titles of the films in
which 15 famous themes or
songs were used)
Film workshop
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Queen of grace
New York awoke. Taxi stopped
next to the most famous
jeweller shop in the city.
Gorgeous woman wearing long
black dress, sunglasses and
white chaplet approached to
display while drinking coffee
and eating bun. Now she is
looking at shop window. Who
is this beauty? It is Audrey
Hepburn and her the most
recognizable role as Holly
Golightly in "Breakfast at
Tiffany's".
Audrey Hepburn (Born on 4
May 1929 in Brussels, Belgium. Died on 20 January 1993 in Tolochenaz, Switzerland ) was an
actress, fashion icon and philanthropist. She was a talented performer known for her beauty,
elegance and grace. Often imitated, she remains one of Hollywood's greatest style icons.
Childhood
Her father, Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston was a British subject and her mother, Baroness Ella van
Heemstra was a Dutch aristocrat. They married in the Dutch-Colonial Batavia in September 1926.
They moved back to Europe, to Ixelles in Belgium, where Hepburn was born in 1929. The marriage
began to fail from 1935, and after her mother discovered him in bed with the nanny of her children,
Hepburn's father left the family abruptly. Joseph settled in London following the divorce.
In 1937, Ella and Audrey moved to Kent, South East England, where Hepburn attended
independent school in Elham. Two years later, Britain declared war on Germany. Her mother
decided to move to the Netherlands in the belief that it would be spared a German attack as it was
during World War I. While she was living in Arhmen, Hepburn attended the Arnhem Conservatory
where she trained in ballet with Winja Marova.
Because of German occupation, Hepburn suffered from malnutrition which had a negative impact
on her health condition.
Acting career
After the war ended in 1945, Hepburn continued an interest in dance. She studied ballet in
Amsterdam and later in London. When she gave up ballet, she started working as model. Then she
worked in film industry, mostly as supernumerary or supporting actress. In 1951, Hepburn first
appeared in a leading role in the movie Monte Carlo Baby. In the same year, her next project on
the New York stage introduced her to American audiences.
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At the age of 22, Audrey Hepburn went to New York to star in the Broadway production of Gigi,
based on the book by the French writer Colette. Only two years later, she took the world by storm
in the film Roman Holiday (1953) with Gregory Peck. She won the Academy Award for Best
Actress for this performance. The next year Hepburn returned to the Broadway stage to star in
Ondine with Mel Ferrer. She won the 1954 Tony Award for
Best Actress in a Play. Back on the big screen, Hepburn
made another award worthy performance in Sabrina (1954)
as the title character, the daughter of a wealthy family's
driver. Hepburn earned her an Academy Award nomination
for her work on this bittersweet romantic comedy.
Returning to her glamorous roots, Hepburn set new fashion
standards as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961),
which was based on a novella by Truman Capote. She
played a troubled New York City party girl who gets involved
with a struggling writer played by George Peppard. Hepburn
received her fourth Academy Award nomination for her work
on the film.
Humanitarian career
In 1967 Audrey Hepburn gave up her acting career and started voluntary work as Goodwill
Ambassador of UNICEF. Remembering her experiences of World War II, she decided to help
impoverished children in the poorest nations. Hepburn's travels were made easier by her wide
knowledge of languages; besides being naturally bilingual in English and Dutch, she also was
fluent in French, Italian, Spanish, and German. For her achievements, she received on 11
December 1992 from President George Bush Presidential Medal of Freedom. After her death she
received the award of Jean Hersholt for humanitarian work.
Kornelia Kaczmarczyk
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Class 3e
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Virtuosos of emotions
Red carpet, omnipresent flashes and atmosphere full of tension. Press people squeezing
themselves among newcoming celebrities. And only one thought - see the best of the
best. Time is going as slowly as possible. All hearts beating faster than normal. Suddenly
we notice a slight stir. Finally HIS limousine! Now everything starts. People are trampling
each other because they want to breathe almost the same air as our STAR. Door open
while press are turning on every camera and Dictaphone. He gets out from the car, smiles
and says ‘Great. Thanks to you, it’s a pleasure for me to be here.’ These short sentences
are enough for all females. They start squealing and even a few of them faint. That is
what the British accent is doing to women and their oestrogens.
Some of men are just like wine –
the older the better. Imagine
curly, black hair, nonchalant smile
and stubble. He is coming closer
as you can feel his heat. You are
thinking ‘it can’t be better’ and
then he starts talking with a
British accent. Every woman
melts. That is what Colin Firth is
doing with them. Colin Firth is in
his fifties but his career isn’t
fading. Most of his fans know him
from ‘The King’s speech’ or
‘Bridget Jones’s diary’. These two
roles present him as an extremely
talented actor. But the most important, for me, are his language capabilities. He was
stuttering in ‘The King’s speech’ but in reality he talks very fluently. It wasn’t an easy task
for any of the actors auditioned to play the role of George VI. Colin’s capabilities were
appreciated. ‘I was lucky that it was decided the role would go to Colin, as soon as he
read for it, I knew he was perfect.’ David Siedler, the film’s screenwriter, says.
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Someone once said: ‘British screen
lovers are the best ones’ and
probably this person was right. I
know nobody claiming that Hugh
Grant isn’t charismatic and
seductive. His behavior and the
way he acted as Charles in ‘Four
Weddings and a Funeral’ are the
essence of his artistry. Hugh Grant
isn’t characterized by rich facial
expression but his laziness and the
way he smiles determined him as
one of the best British screen lovers. Moreover, since 2013 he has been fighting with
tabloids as a supporter of Hacked Off campaign.
If we take a look a little bit earlier
we can find many unforgettable
actors but Denholm Elliot is the most
attention-seeking one. Fans
remembere him as a kindly grandpa.
Jonathan Pride said: ‘He is from ‘lost
in his own museum’ type. Impressive
talent and friendly face sets him as
the good one’. Majority of filmgoers
associating him with ‘Indiana Jones’
trilogy. Elliot received four BAFTA
awards. This fact suggest that he
was really talented. Unfortunately he
died in 1992.
British big screens give us many of extremely talented actors and actresses all the time.
The most memorable are screen lovers. In my view, it’s because of their manner of acting
and (of course) the way of talking and stressing certain parts of words. But are they really
better than other ones? Why are the British exactly recognized as chivalrous and model
gentlemen?
Martyna Brzana
"Fish are friends, not food."
Finding Nemo (2003)
class 3c
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WITH THE BEATLES ON THE SCREEN
Probably everybody knows The Beatles. Many of us have their CDs or
vinyls in homes. Many of us were singing or playing their songs, other
read books about them, but...
That's not all we have from that timeless band: they (or their music)
has appeared in different films. And many other producers tried to add
Beatles magic into their productions.
Every little thing
I will start from the beginning.
„The hard day's night‟ started Beatles' film career in 1964. It was a
black and white comedy about „casual‟
moments in their lives. This film was
really successful and it was nominated to Oscars.
In 1965 The Beatles members took part in other production called
„Help!‟. The plot was more complicated – Ringo has a mysterious
ring, which has to be given to goddess Kaili – but unfortunately the
drummer can't take off the important object. Thereafter the Beatles
have to escape from believers.
Two years later the Beatles produced the first film on their own. It is
called „Magical mystery tour‟ and it's about a surrealistic trip around England.
Next film – produced in 1969 – „Yellow Submarine‟ was
animated. It was the last really light and funny Beatles film.
Then in 1970 a documentary movie about their music and
recording sessions was made. It shows quarrels which were
more and more frequent between members. But also in that
movie we can hear first versions of songs which are on two
last albums: Abbey Road and Let It Be.
New sounds.
Now I'm going to tell you about my favourite film which was
inspired by Beatles music.
Steel grey sky, wavy sea, dark and wet sand, lonely man
sitting on the beach singing first lines from „Girl‟. It's the
starting scene of an amazing production called „Across the
Universe‟. This spectacular movie was directed by Julie Taymor in 2007 and the main characters
are played by Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson, Evan Rachel Wood and fascinating Joe Cocker and
Bono.
While we are watching „Across the Universe‟, we can follow fates of the characters and also of the
Beatles – in some way they're similar. It begins with bright, light songs but then when the plot starts
to be heavier and heavier we can hear songs like „I want you‟ with maximally psychedelic effects.
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Director connected interesting plot with many Beatles elements, songs or even names of characters
( listen to Dear Prudence!).
And in the end
If somebody is a Beatles fan the above mentioned films are compulsory.
And if not...?
I think that everyone who likes music, is interested in worldwide
phonography should meet those plots connected with great music.
The Beatles were one of the most famous bands in history. Their influence
on today‟s art is evident but still it's good to recall their early acting
adventures.
„Once upon a time... existed nothing really. Existed also a group of four
guys.”
Joanna Kołodziejczyk
class 2c
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a
man."
- MATTY WALKER (Kathleen Turner) in Body
Heat (1981)
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“NO LIMBS – NO LIMITS”
Try to imagine… What would happen if you were
born disabled? If you completely did not have
hands and feet? If you had to go to school with your
friends who were actually able to do sports, dance
or even make notes as usual students do… What if
all your childhood were full of ridicules or – on the
other hand – compassion?
There is one person who can answer all these
questions. Now he tells all the world that the
illness shows how to live your life as good as you can… But when Nick Vujicic was a small child it
was harder than anybody could think.
We are in Brisbane. It‟s 4th December 1982. A little boy was born in a family of a pastor and a
nurse. The infant has no hands and only one deformed foot. “It is extremely rare disease called
tetra-amelia” – doctor tells the parents. Nick has no normal childhood. For a period of time going
to school was prohibited for disabled children. When he finally could start his education his
schoolmates provoked him to commit suicide by
drowning. Happily, without success.
Now that small Nick – in fact Nicholas James
Vujicic – is the most famous preacher and
motivational speaker not only in Australia
where he was born, not only in Serbia where his
family comes from but in the whole world. In
Poland too. How did it happen?
Some people say, that mother is the most
important woman in man‟s life. Looking at
Nick‟s mom we have to say it has to be true.
She showed him an article about well-doing in
everyday life of a disabled man. That day young
Vujicic decided to change everything.
The progress he made surpassed all the expectations. He started with learning basic activities, e.g.
eating, washing and suddenly we could see him surfing, skateboarding, playing golf or… drums!
When he was seventeen he became head boy of school and organized a charity.
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Since his first speaking engagement at the age of nineteen he has travelled all the world telling his
story to millions of people. The effect of all these meetings is creating the non-profit organization
“Life Without Limbs”. „It is all about sharing this same hope and genuine love that I have
personally experienced with people all over the globe‟ – Vujicic says. He has travelled extensively
to 54 countries and this number is constantly growing.
Showing his passions and opportunities, Nick teaches all
the world how to live. He is an author , an actor, a
musician. His book “Life without limits” was published in
2010. „It restores faith. Comparing to his life my problems
seem trivial‟ – it is just one of the opinions we can read
about this book.
Nicholas Vujicic also took part in a short film directed by
Joshua Weigel “The Butterfly Circus”. Moreover, he
published two DVDs with his participation “Life‟s
Greater Purpose” and “No arms, no legs, no worries”. We
can watch his films on YouTube. Almost 60 000 people
have subscribed to his channel and his cover of
“Something more” by Tyron Wells got over 4,3 million
views!
The private life of Vujicic doestno differs from any other
man. Although in his youth Nick was afraid of loneliness
and rejection, he married Kanae Miyahara in 2012. Since 13 February 2013 he has been also a
father of Kiyoshi James Vujicic.
His aim is to give hope and break down barriers. The motto we can read on his website sounds:
“God can use a life without limbs to show the world how to live a life without limits!” and this
sentence is the best summation of all his life.
Anna Górna
class 3c
Visit his channel on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/NickVujicicTV
and Life Without Limbs website:
http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/
"...You talkin' to me? Well, I'm the only one here."
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- TRAVIS BICKLE (Robert DeNiro) in Taxi Driver
(1976)
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Mickey Mouse’s father
Walter Elias “Walt” Disney is one of the most famous
and successful animators in the world. During his
lifetime, he received four honorary Academy Awards
and won 22 Academy Awards from a total of 59
nominations.
Everything started in 1920, when he formed a
short-lived company called "Iwerks-Disney
Commercial Artists" with Ubber Iwerks, who he met at
Pesmen-Rubin. They made commercials based on
cutout animation, but Disney became interested in
animation and decided to open his own animation
business . He started creating cartoons called Laugh-OGrams with Fred Harman . Although Disney's
cartoons became widely popular in the Kansas City
area, Laugh-O-Grams studio became loaded with debt and wound up bankrupt. In that
case Walt decided to set up a studio in Hollywood.
In October 1923 Walt and his brother Roy set up a cartoon studio called Disney
Brother’s Studio in Hollywood. In December the same year Disney Brothers studio
received their first earnings of $1,500 for series, called Alice Comedies, which Disney had
started making while in Kansas City but never got to distribute. In that series a little girl
named Alice and an animated cat named Julius have adventures in an animated
landscape. It ended in 1927 because it had lost popularity.
The second almost instant success was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
But it wasn’t Disney’s property. It was an animated cartoon created by
Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney for funny animal films distributed by
Universal Pictures. In1928 Disney went to New York to negotiate a
higher fee for producing the Oswald series.He was shocked when Mintz proposed
reducing Disney's compensation. Unfortunately, next events led to losing the rights to
Oswald by Disney. It was the reason for Mickey Mouse’s birth.
Disney asked Iwerks to start drawing up new character ideas. Iwerks tried sketches
of various animals, such as dogs and cats, but none of these appealed to Disney. A female
cow and male horse were also rejected. They would later turn up as Clarabelle Cow and
Horace Horsecollar. Fortunately Disney got an inspiration for Mickey Mouse, a similar
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mouse-character is seen in the Alice Comedies, which featured "Ike the Mouse". Iwerks
designed Mickey's body
out of circles in order to make the character simple to animate. His appearance became
easily recognizable. Even today with his red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves
Mickey is the most recognizable mouse in the world . Although Iwerks designed Mickey's
physical appearance, Walt gave him his soul and voice of course.
Mickey had his debut in 1928 in a test screening of the short cartoon Plane Crazy and then
in the second test The Gallopin' Gaucho. His real debut was in Steamboat Willie, which was
produced in black-and-white, in the same year. His debut in colour was in 1935 in The
Band Concert. In 1932 Disney received Oscar for Mickey.
To this day Mickey Mouse is loved by millions people around the world.
Dominika Wróbel
"He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy!"
The mother of Brian, a ratbag/Terry Jones in Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
class 2c
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Curiosities about Charlie Chaplin
Short biography
Charles Spencer Chaplin was born 16th April 1889 in London. Both
his parents were actors. A few years after Charlie was born, they
got divorced. Then, Charlie and his brother stayed with their
mother, but after a few years they ended up in asylum. Charlie
moved to the USA in 1912. He was married four times and had 11
children. Some of them died at young age, but quite many of
them also became actors. Charles Chaplin died 25th December
1977 in Vevey.
Funny beginning
First time when Charlie appeared on the stage was when he was
5, in 1894. It was a musical in which his mother was to perform.
Charlie was waiting for her behind the curtains. (Un)fortunately
woman’s voice rebelled, so the director of the theatre nudged the child to the scene. The only
thing which Charlie did was follow his mother like when she had been teaching him singing and
playing.
A few facts which you probably didn’t know
- As a child, Charlie sold flowers. He came with a very sad face to
women and told them that his father had died. In this way, they
gave him more money. He stopped making money this way
when his mother found it out.
- Despite Charlie’s big comedy talent, some of his performances
weren’t successful. Once, his skit was thought anti-Semitic and
the audience started throwing oranges to the stage.
-The most famous persona of Charles Chaplin was the Tramp.
What is surprising, it appeared spontaneously. The actor said: “I
was hurriedly told to put on a funny make-up. This time I went
to the wardrobe and got a pair of baggy pants, a tight coat, a
small derby hat and a large pair of shoes. I wanted the clothes to
be a mass of contradictions, knowing pictorially the figure would
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be vividly outlined on the screen. To add a comic touch, I wore a small mustache which would not
hide my expression.”
- One day, Chaplin took part in a contest for his look-alike. He got the third place.
- He was 165cm high.
- A year after his death, his body was stolen! It was found after 3 months and buried again in
armoured coffin.
- His motto was: “A day without laughter is a day wasted.”
Katarzyna Motor
class 3e
"ET phone home."
Gertie/Drew Barrymore in ET
the Extra-terrestrial (1982)
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Who’s a real princess?
Imagine that you want to run, ride a horse, practise archery and be completely free
but that’s not possible because you’re going to marry someone you don’t know and
don’t even love because this is your duty of being an heir to the throne - the princess.
Merida is born in Scotland and she lives in a big castle with her father and her
mother, the king and queen of a place called DunBroch in the Scottish Highlands. She
also has three younger triplet brothers.
Since the day of Merida’s birth her mother wanted to make a ‘real princess’ of her
daughter who knows table manners, who is always calm and who is nice to everyone
and also wears dresses. But Merida isn’t a princess that Disney accustomed us for.
One day she runs away from the castle riding on her horse who also is like a friend to
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her. She reaches a mysterious forest. Then she finds a small cabin which belongs to a
witch. The witch gives her what she asks for - something which will persuade the
queen that Merida isn’t going to be a ‘real princess’.
Merida gives her mother magical cake. Everything should go smoothly but
unfortunately the queen turns in an animal that every Scot hates so much… a bear.
Now Merida has to turn her back into a human again but at the same time she has to
protect her mother from the king who has set his goal on killing the bear. Besides
that, during her adventure Merida and her mother learn something very valuable
about each other.
It’s not easy to do but Merida is certainly no damsel in distress and isn’t haughty: she
is torn between doing what is expected of her and following her heart. The people of
Scotland have to accept their new, not typical queen they are used to but a new one. A
brave one.
What I like the most in this film is that the author focuses the most on the
relationship between mother and daughter. Merida is not crushing on anybody - she
just wants to be free and do what she loves. It’s something different which makes
‘Brave’ special and original. She doesn't need any prince to help her because who’s a
queen without her king?
A queen.
Magdalena Pieróg
- "Do you ever have déj{ vu, Mrs. Lancaster?"
- "I don't think so, but I could check with the kitchen."
Groundhog Day (1993)
class 2e
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Leonardo DiCaprio
As we all know, Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most talented American actors these days. I think
everyone has seen at least one movie with him as the main character. But he has never got an
Oscar! He has been nominated 4 times. There was always someone better than him! The Internet is
laughing at him! In 2013he was nominated as the best actor for the film "The Wolf Of Wall Street".
But as we all know he didn't get it...
Some examples of films with him:
"Titanic"- it's a love drama film, and classic movie.
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"Shutter Island"-It's one of my favourite film with Leonardo. I think it's really intricate , you should
focus to understand it.
"Inception"- It's complicated film, but it's great! You must watch it carefully.
"The Wolf of Wall Street'-it's my favourite film, he played brilliantly in that production.
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Oliwia Rezler
class 1e
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Language Corner
Task 1
Complete the text with words and expressions form the box.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, (1) ____________ in 2001. It is an adventure film
and(2) ____________on the novel by J K Rowling. The main (3)_____________, Harry
Potter, (4)____________by Daniel Radcliffe. Harry is an 11 year old boy who discovers he
has magical powers.
The film (5)_____________by Chris Columbus and (6) ___________in an imaginary school
for wizards called Hogwart's. The (7) ____________ includes a number of well-known
British actors and actresses such as John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane and Richard Harris.
The film earned over US$976 million at the (8) _____________and received generally
positive reviews from the critics. It (9) _____________ on DVD
box office
has been released
character
is set
was made
is played
was directed
is based
cast
Task 2
Match the words from the boxes with their definitions.
Types of Film
road movie
chick flick
science fiction
animation
epic B-movie
comedy
A long film that contains a lot of action, usually about a historical subject - _____
A film which is made cheaply and is not very good - _____
A film that is intended especially for women - _____
A film in which drawings of people and animals seem to move - _____
A type of film that is based on imagined scientific discoveries of the future - _____
A film which is based on a journey made by the main character or characters - _____
A film that is intended to be funny, usually with a happy ending - _____
Plot
dialogue
backstory
ending
protagonist
twist
narrator
Conversations in a film - _____
A person who tells a story in a film - _____
The main bad character in a film - _____
The main character in a film - _____
An unexpected change or development in a story or situation - _____
villain
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The last part of a film - _____
The things that are supposed to have happened to the characters in a film before the film
starts - _____
Film People
actor
stuntman
producer
screenwriter
director
extra
agent
A person who is in charge of practical and financial aspects of making a film - _____
A person in charge of a film who tells the actors and staff what to do - _____
A person who performs on the stage, on television or in films, especially as a profession _____
A person whose job is to do dangerous things in place of an actor in a film - _____
A person who plays a very small part in a film, usually as a member of a crowd - _____
A person whose job is to arrange work for an actor - _____
A person who writes screenplays - _____
Making a Film
animate
dub
storyboard
finance
audition
cut
cast.
To make models seem to move in a film by rapidly showing different pictures of them in a
series - _____
A short performance given by an actor so that sb can decide if they are suitable to act in a
film - _____
To provide money for a project - _____
To prepare a film by removing parts of it or putting them in a different order - _____
To choose actors to play the different parts in a film - _____
A series of drawings or pictures that show the outline of the story of a film - _____
To replace the original speech in a film with words in another language - _____
●
●
●
- "I do wish we could chat longer,
but I'm having an old friend for
dinner. Bye."
- "Dr. Lecter, Dr. Lecter, Dr.
Lecter?"
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
●
●
●
"Look how they massacred my boy."
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- VITO CORLEONE (Marlon Brando) in The
Godfather (1972)
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What to watch on...
I – Halloween
II – Valentine's Day
There are some special occasions among 365 boring days during a year when we want to
celebrate. Go somewhere where we have never been before, meet someone special, watch
something extraordinary – simply – we want to have fun. I'm not an expert in exploring
new lands or meeting lots of new people but I think I can say something about watching
films. I chose two characteristic occasions which are often celebrated, especially by young
people who want to stress the uniqueness of those days. Halloween and Valentine's Day –
at first sight they are two completely different fetes (in fact, these two days can have much
in common, sometimes Valentine's Day for some people is much more scary than
Halloween, but leave it). So if you don't have any particular plans, you can always
celebrate by watching a good movie. These are my two suggestions for you...
Halloween – I was looking for a perfect film for that evening. Typical horrors were
of the market because I can't stand even first fifteen minutes of film of that kind. But I still
wanted to watch something thrilling and scary in some way... I chose famous 'Only God
forgives' because I had heard that this is the film where evil and violence protrude from
the screen, every scene ends with corpse and moral principles are just fairytale in that
reality. Another reason of my decision was... Ryan Gosling, well... let's be honest - his
surname is an important factor when it comes to choosing a film for a pleasant evening.
He is considered to be one of the most beautiful actors on Earth and he is an idol of loads
of women (not only teenagers). But if we look closer we can notice that he is far from a
typical beauty like Brad Pitt. Asymmetric eyes, crooked nose, thin lips – let's be honest,
Hollywood is full of dozens more handsome guys. But without doubt, he has some
extraordinary magnetism and sex-appeal which makes him special and interesting to
watch. I'm sure that I appreciate him far more since I've seen him in 'Drive' and 'The Ides
of March' than in naive romantic movies like famous 'Notebook'. I'm glad he hasn't let put
himself in a role of
everlasting beau because
he has far much more to
offer.
The film starts with a
crime committed by one of
the brothers and the rest of
the
plot
shows
consequences
of
that
accident. Story is settled in
Bangkok, the capital of
Thailand. Action takes
place mainly in close
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spaces, in kitschy night-clubs, fighting school and restaurants. In light of red lamps, in
stuffy, claustrophobic spaces which nearly invite to killing. Broads are maundering
around but they are only ornaments, nothing more important than characteristic red
lamps. This is a man's world - full of violence and suspicious deals. To this picture joins
mother of those two brothers (amazingly characterised Kristin Scott Thomas) and we
know from the first glance that she is a person nobody wants to mess with. She is the one
who wants to rule; avenge the firstborn son and make the younger one – Julian (Ryan
Gosling) does something with killers of his brother. Unfortunately, despite amazing
image, Crystal is not very convincing. She gives orders without blinking while smoking
cigarettes and playing with her long, blond hair. She had to act like a cruel witch with a
heart made of stone but it looks fake and unrealistic. Death of her son doesn't seem to her
like a tragedy but only an excuse for achieving her goals and being bossy. Or maybe she is
so bitter and cruel because of her life experience? Hard to say. What is remarkable about
that character is her huge impact on Julian. She manipulates him, plays with him like a cat
with mouse, touches the most fragile emotions. She accuses him of being jealous of brother
and combats Julian's apathy after his death. For sure it is not a healthy 'mother-son'
relationship.
The biggest surprise
for me was Ryan's
role. Before watching I
was certain that I
would see a typical
'killer machine', but I
had
been
wrong.
Julian seems to be
completely lost in that
reality. He acts like a
teenager who wants to
do something but is
too afraid and does
nothing instead. He is
completely dominated by his ruthless mother and her ambitions towards him. He walks
around Bangkok with a sad look in his eyes, fantasizes about one of the beautiful
prostitutes and wreaks his anger at bystanders like a little, spoiled child. Julian feels sorry
for people who should make him shiver with anger and in this situation drug dealing and
alleged murder of his father (Crystal says about it in one of the last scenes) seems to be
very unlikely for a coward like him.
I really liked the character of a policeman-executor, who appears on screen to meet out the
justice... but he does it in a very old-fashioned and ruthless way (by depriving his victims
of their legs or arms, or just by killing them).
The tension is strong. Spectators with weak nerves should cover their eyes from time to
time so if you are looking for a sophisticated thriller with no doubt, it is something for
you. 'Only God Forgives' is often compared to a mesmerizing 'Drive' (also with Gosling as
the main character). Style and way of building the tension in both cases is quite similar –
short but dense dialogues and lots of violence... but 'Only God Forgives' doesn't make
such an impression and won't leave you speechless as 'Drive'.
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Valentine's Day
My suggestion for a
is not a
traditional one. During February cinemas offer a wide
range of typical romantic comedies with titles like '27
dresses' or 'Valentine's Day' (what a surprise!). Let's be
honest, they are quite similar to each other and happy
ending is going to happen every single time. If you are
tired of sweet stories about unreal and kitschy love
you can reach for 'Revolutionary Road'. It tells the
story of an American marriage living in the suburbs of
a huge metropolis during the fifties. The Wheelers
seem to be happy - they have a cozy, beautiful house,
two pretty children. They live like a traditional family
in those times – Frank (Leonardo Di Caprio) earns
money in a mundane but stable job, April (Kate
Winslet) cares for children and spends days cleaning
up the house. So what's wrong with this picture? It
defenses that nearly everything. The Wheelers are
bound to be happy, or at least satisfied with their lives...but they are not. The routine and
everyday life kills their dreams and happiness. They realize that they allowed to put
themselves into a scheme which takes the joy out of them. One day April convinces her
husband to leave the job and move out to Paris to start a new, better life. But it's easier said
than done. That quite thoughtless decision will lead their family to the verge of misery...
What makes this movie so special and moving is Leonardo's and Kate's acting. Their roles
are unforgettable and appallingly realistic. Chemistry and emotions between these two are
uncommonly strong and honest. It is not a very common phenomenon to see such a well
matched pair of actors. They have known each other for long, they know their skills and
facial expressions – it is a huge advantage. If you think that you will see a well-known,
sweet and naïve couple from 'Titanic' you are wrong. The picture of love shown in
'Revolutionary Road' is bitter-sweet and I think that's why it is so moving. We see the
beginning of their feeling and we can easily understand why those two fell in love with
each other. They are young, pretty and full of optimism. That's why it's so hard to observe
them after a couple of years, when their dreams are dusted and love starts to tremble.
They say each other cruel and harsh things which can only be said by people who have
known each other for many years and know what will hurt the other person. We see how
they hurt and love each other at the same time. This is a beautiful but harsh sight on a
certain stage of a relationship of two incredibly fragile and lost people who are desperate
to be happy / who desperately want to be happy.
A very important character in the whole plot is the son of the Wheeler's neighbor. He
suffers from mental disease. What's crucial, he is the one who can tell the truth about the
Wheelers to their own eyes. He reminds the choir in ancient theater – he shows up about
two times like a ghastly narrator to say some bitter words of truth. Kids are nearly
invisible. We know that they are present but they are just a background noise. We don't
see their suffering or crying in the corner. They seem to be the 'idea' of children than real
people and maybe it's an intended move of the director. Viewers have to focus on
emotions between Frank and April. the Wheelers are good parents or at least they try to be
them. April's doubts about motherhood are honest and really moving and it doesn't
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automatically mean that she is a bad mother. She loves her children but she also
understands what she had lost because of them.
What made a big impression on me was value of nearly every character which appears on
screen (with exception of children). 'Revolutionary Road' is full of many interesting,
complex characters with their own tragic stories behind their backs. Watching it, we do
not observe only the Wheelers but also the life of their friends and neighbors. Even
seemingly meaningless secretary from Frank's work evolves. She starts as a naïve, selfconscious trainee to end up as an independent woman who is not afraid of using her
feminine charm.
The ending is quite dramatic. Maybe
even too strong. In my opinion it
would be more sad and heartbreaking
if April gave up on her dreams and
start to live in a role of a perfect
mother and wife. Incredibly unhappy,
repeatedly cheated by husband but
unable to change her position. Frank
would mute his conscience by sending
her to a psychiatrist and everything
would be 'fine'. But it's just my
version...obviously I can't say exactly
what happens at the end but I can say
that a new couple would move into the Wheeler's house. Young and beautiful as Frank
and April some years ago. And probably they would face the same story. They would live,
live, live the same boring life for the rest of their days until they realize that their life is
leaking out of their fingers.
Last frame is very meaningful. It shows a father of the man who suffers from mental
disease. He is marginalized during the whole film (I'm not sure if he says more than one
sentence) but that last frame shows us that he could be a main character of another movie
as well. He sits on his armchair with eyes focused on some distant point, pretending to
listen to his silly wife. She is talking about their new neighbors who take place after the
Wheelers but she doesn't even pretend to be curious if her husband listens to what she has
to say. That's really sad and makes a good loop of the whole story. Hypocrisy and
foolishness of that woman and complete ignorance of her spouse. Ignorance – the only
way to still being alive. I think that man is really similar to April...he also lives a life which
he hates, is unhappy in companion of his irritating wife and he simply has to mute his
desire for 'something more'. April hasn't that courage to live like that – with a fake smile,
pretending to be happy. Or maybe she is the brave one because she was able to stop it? It
is hard to say.
Summing up, 'Revolutionary Road' without doubt is not a romantic, sweet fairytale. It
doesn't end with 'and they lived happily ever after' but it is really worth watching and
makes us think about things like love, happiness and future shared with the person we
love.
Agnieszka Bednarz
class 3d
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Language corner – key
Task 1
1. was made
2. is based
3. character
4. is played
5. was directed
6. is set
7. cast
8. box office
9. has been released
Task 2
- "Do you know what they call a - a - a
Quarter Pounder with cheese in Paris?"
- "They don't call it a Quarter Pounder
with cheese?"
- "No man, they got the metric system.
They wouldn't know what the f--k a
Quarter Pounder is."
- "Then what do they call it?"
- "They call it a 'Royale' with cheese."
- "A 'Royale' with cheese!"
- "That's right."
- "What do they call a Big Mac?"
- "A Big Mac's a Big Mac, but they call it
'Le Big Mac.'"
- "'Le Big Mac!'"
- "Ha, ha, ha."
- " What do they call a 'Whopper'?"
- "I dunno, I didn't go into Burger King."
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Types of Film - Answers
A long film that contains a lot of action, usually about a historical
subject -epic
A film which is made cheaply and is not very good - B-movie
A film that is intended especially for women - chick flick
A film in which drawings of people and animals seem to move animation
A type of film that is based on imagined scientific discoveries of the
future - science fiction
A film which is based on a journey made by the main character or characters - road movie
A film that is intended to be funny, usually with a happy ending – comedy
Plot - Answers
Conversations in a film - dialogue
A person who tells a story in a film - narrator
The main bad character in a film - villain
The main character in a film - protagonist
An unexpected change or development in a story or situation - twist
The last part of a film - ending
The things that are supposed to have happened to the characters in a film before the film starts – backstory
Film People - Answers
A person who is in charge of practical and financial aspects of making a film - producer
A person in charge of a film who tells the actors and staff what to do - director
A person who performs on the stage, on television or in films, especially as a profession - actor
A person whose job is to do dangerous things in place of an actor in a film - stuntman
A person who plays a very small part in a film, usually as a member of a crowd - extra
A person whose job is to arrange work for an actor - agent
A person who writes screenplays – screenwriter
Making a Film - Answers
To make models seem to move in a film by rapidly showing different pictures of them in a series animate
A short performance given by an actor so that sb can decide if they are suitable to act in a film - audition
To provide money for a project - finance
To prepare a film by removing parts of it or putting them in a different order - cut
To choose actors to play the different parts in a film - cast
A series of drawings or pictures that show the outline of the story of a film - storyboard
To replace the original speech in a film with words in another language - dub
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