Mockingbird

I just finished watching To Kill A Mockingbird, the movie adaptation of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize Winning novel of the same title. It's my first black and white movie and I find it endearing and intelligent. The story plays around two main plots: the fascination (and terror) of the three kids to a reclusive neighbor and all the scary rumors about the man; and about a white lawyer (the father of two of the kids) who was appointed to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. The main message of the story is aptly summarized from the line in the film: "You never really knew a man until you stood in his shoes and walk around in them."

What I liked about the movie its subtle yet brave way of confronting racism, which was a main issue in America during the time the novel was written. The element of suspense in story-telling was also seamlessly employed. And from what I have researched, this was one of the best film adaptations from a novel that was ever made, as approved by Lee herself. It was well-directed and there was a careful attention to details. I was drawn by the natural acting of the kids, especially the girl who played Scout. Most of all, though it was made on the 1960s, the movie's message is still relevant today -- that we should not judge people by their color or the way they look or what other people say about them. That we are created equal and everyone is worthy of acceptance, and we shouldn't kill a mockingbird -- we should not kill those that don't harm us.

I think I'll be digging on classic films for now. I'm done with Breakfast at Tiffany's and next on my list is Charley, another film adaptation, this time of a short story (actually there's also a novel version of it) entitled Flowers for Algernon. Click Here to Read More..

Enraged and Dumbfounded

I just watched The Boy in Striped Pajamas tonight and my heart is breaking right now and I'm full of hate. Probably the story of the two 8-year old boys, one a soldier's son and the other a Jew in a Holocaust camp, is fictional. But the concentration camp, the malnourished prisoners in "striped pajamas," the torture and the crematorium... they are all true!! History testifies!


How could a man do that?! How could Hitler's men blindly follow him with such loyalty? Crazy bunch of people! I'm just so enraged right now! I heard Schindler's List tells the same story and I don't want to watch it anymore. I can imagine how it was like. How horrid. How can the German soldiers stomach that?!

I'm full of questions right now. This racism of Hitler. Why does a man wants to be superior from his fellowmen? How could he even think that he's superior? To the extent of killing these so called inferior people? Threat to the purity of their race? What an insecure bunch of vermin! I looked up in the internet about this Auschwitz death camp, the implied setting of the movie, and I just couldn't believe what I found out. Ruthless, evil people.

Like the adults, the kids were only a mere bag of bones, without muscles or fat, and the thin skin like pergament scrubbed through and through beyond the hard bones of the skeleton and ignited itself to ulcerated wounds. Abscesses covered the underfed body from the top to the bottom and thus deprived it from the last rest of energy. The mouth was deeply gnawed by noma-abscesses, hollowed out the jaw and perforated the cheeks like cancer". Many decaying bodies were full of water because of the burning hunger, they swelled to shapeless bulks which could not move anymore. Diarrhoea, lasting for weeks, dissolved their irresistant bodies until nothing remained....

Lucie Adelsberger

I know my rantings won't undo things. But it opened my eyes about knowing the truth and loving your fellowmen, no matter what race or background or culture they may come from. I pray that this won't happend again. Never again...

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Movie Overload

So basically, for four days now, I am doing nothing but watch movies all day. It's Christmas day and I woke up late because I slept late. And I slept late because... you guessed it right, I was watching a movie (I didn't finish it actually because I got sleepy... it was almost 1:00 AM).

Eating is at irregular time (which reminds me that I ran out of food in the fridge) and taking a bath is in the late afternoon. So basically, my break from watching movies is eating and taking a bath. Yesterday I had eight movies. As I'm writing this blog, I finished four. The other day I also had four I guess, and three the other day before that.

I just noticed that of the most of the movies I watched were memoirs or based on true stories (Into the Wild, The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, And When Did You Last See Your Father, Luther) and that was not intentional. I also got some romcom (Amor, Knocked Up and The Ex) and a musical (Hairspray... I'm ashamed that one is included in the list. Haha!), I'm doing The Godfather but while I'm in the middle of part II, the DVD just froze on me. So I'm thinking of watching part III tonight without finishing part II. I liked the movie. It is well crafted and I'm no longer curious why everybody who has watched it are all praises to it. It's truly a classic.

I also watched some weird ones like Charlie Bartlett, Hanna Takes the Stairs, La Mala Education and Kubrador. They are all indie movies and you shouldn't take them at face value. The best that I watched so far is The Shawshank Redemption. There's a lot in that movie. I remember one line of that talks about hope. That hope is a good thing and that "good things never die." It's very inspiring and you don't have to experience prison or be a convicted felon to be able to relate to it. It am thinking if the storyline of Prison Break (which is my favorite TV series) is based on it.

So there you go and there are more on queue. I just realized how potent this kind of media is in sending message to this generation and how this generation should be cautious on what messages to take. To look beyond art and to hold fast to our values. Yeah, they maybe showing the reality... and our present reality is a sad one -- with all the perversions and dangerous philosophies and how loose our morals have gone and how God is easily dismissed and His Name blashphemed.

I better take a bath and have a decent dinner. Merry Christmas everyone!
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Death Note

I don't wanna die at an old age. Sixty would be okay for me. I have several reasons, yeah, selfish reasons. Watching the local indie movie "100" made me think again about death and dying. Like they always say, there are only two realities in this life -- death and paying taxes.

The movie was about a woman who, in the prime of her life and career, was diagnosed of cancer and has three months left to live. Instead of being sorry, she planned how to spend the last days of her life by making a list of what she (and her loved ones) wants to do -- from resigning in her job, to settling her credits and throwing his credit cards, to breaking up a wrong relationship, to Hong Kong travel, to skinny dipping under the bright moonlight... oopps, too much spoilers. It was poignant as it was funny and you can't help but be drawn to the story. You'll laugh and then you'll cry.

The movie capitalized on good storyline and brilliant casting. The cinematography wasn't flattering but it won't bother you. The acting was superb. Mylene Dizon, the lead actress who played the role of Joyce seemed not to be acting at all. She was so natural. Other casts were as great like Joyce's bestfriend (Eugene Domigo) and her mother (Tessie Tomas).

One line in the movie that I remember was, "If everyone wants to go to heaven, why is everyone afraid to die?". This one is actually true. Many are afraid of dying in the same way that they are not sure if they are going to heaven. While many dismiss heaven and hell, there is an unexplainable longing for every human being that he wants to fill. In the Bible it says that God has put eternity in the heart of every man. That is why man longs for happiness, looks out for goodness and desires contentment. There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man that only God can fill. He can't find it in anywhere else -- science, relationships, material possessions. Only God can fill it. The sad thing is, man dismisses it because of sin and unbelief. Because believing in God entails that man should let go of his selfishness.

Everyone will soon confront death. And life after death will soon confront the soul of every man. In one part of the movie, Joyce asked her friend, "What if there is no life after death?". Her friend replied, "Well, you won't know anyway. Because if that is true, there's nothing else to know."

I believe that there is life after death and there is a God whom I will be facing when I die. This is faith -- being sure of what I hope for and being certain of what I do not see... and even if others don't believe. One thing I know is God fulfills his promises and His love is ever abundant. Click Here to Read More..