reflections on source topic

An article was posted in the Daily Variety Gotham by Addie Morfoot on the film Defiance. The source stated that the film was based on a book published in 1993 by Nechama Tec. The books plot is based on a hand full of Jewish brothers. Who led a movement against the Nazis during the time period of WW2. The scripted was rewritten a few times, with the first version covering all three years of the story. But in the end the film gets not to much praise in its reviews. But they were nominated for the golden globe award.

<a href="http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,url,cpid&custid=nypl&db=f3h&AN=36218243&site=ehost-live">ADEFIANT STANCE.</a> 

In the second source which is in the script magazine, written by Bob Verini, published in November – December of 2008. He talks about the director of defiance finds the story of these Jewish brothers who help rescue thousands of Jews during WW2. He talks about how the script was so in-depth, that it took ten years to get the script right. Soon going into the history of the Bielski Saga in the film, I don’t know if that information is true. In the film they start the focus on a single family of Jews. Which in that area during the late 1930s where the Russians with the Germans occupied through a invasion two years after. The author of the article soon states that the director led the books main points in false leads. Not following the three year course of the Bielski brothers in there journey in saving not only themselves but refugees from the camps during the holocaust. <a href="http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,url,cpid&custid=nypl&db=f3h&AN=35051614&site=ehost-live">ANATOMY OF A SCENE FROM DEFIANCE.</a> 

Response to "The Kitchen of Meaning" by Roland Barthes

“The kitchen of meaning” by Roland Barthes gives some very interesting thoughts, on how we have all this complexes signs in which we interpret in different ways. In the beginning of his essay he begins to list our every day uses of objects. With that he shows how people can use those objects to figure your personal lifestyles even behaviors. Which can be called readings; the readings are based on how we interpret things that we see. Implied by our cultures being used as secondary sources of information in which we hold, not knowing. We simply just judge in ways that the media wants us to. Barthes gives an example of a Congolese rebels being found with machine guns in there hands, and the first thoughts that we encounter are negative. But we never think more deeply into the message, for every message has another meaning. Not thinking of the opposite point of view. Like how american weapons are used across the globe. As for texts, Barthes states that every text has something written in between the lines. We just have to be able to take that text an digest it, being able to reflect and think outside of the box rather then let our society control our judgment.

“The Machine is Us/ing Us” by Michael Wesch

What Professor Wesch is trying to say about digital text is that it has many different characteristics. With the new technology today we are able to show importance and emotion through text with just a simple click. Also if your writing something and you don’t want to get off topic, you can simply hypertext and link it to anyway near that other subject. You can go to past history of web sites that you have visit, bookmark them or even share them with other web pages like social networks. He describes HTML as a “design to structure out web pages like having sections of paragraphs or listing items and the styles of fonts you would like”. XML was designed for while researching for information, you can simply view where the authors of the articles’ have got their sources from. XML he states “is an automated data exchange”. Letting you share things that can be seen across the globe. Letting us have different ways of communicating  and interacting with one another. I think he has some major points, and yes I do believe he is right. Technology has taken many turns to get to were it is today. It has made things a lot faster and easier to communicate. But the only reason why that is possible is because of the people, who had built the software to satisfied our needs, and learn off of us personally. 
source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g

Closest library branch’s to me

CCNY library branch: Hamilton Grange 503 west 145^th street N.Y. 10031-5101

Near home library branch: Windsor Terrace Library 160 E. 5th St. Brooklyn, NY 11218

Cultural Review Assignment

So far I have two ideas, on what I may want to do for my assignment. First topic being based on a film called Defiance.  This film was released in 2008, directed by Edward Zwick. I’ve chosen this film because it displays the life struggle during WW2. It gives the cultural, political, social views at that particular time period. An also all being based upon real events. I’m not one to love the subject of history, but when it comes to this particular event I happen to have a huge spark of interest. http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/12/31/movies/31defi.html

The second topic is based upon the novel of the Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I chose this novel because it reveals different religious fields of spirituality. The novel also connects to the political and social aspects of the religious world. It’s written in three different views through the main character, from past, present, and some what future. Being that I’m religious, I happen to have a connection to the novel. http://www.salon.com/books/review/2002/08/01/martel

Over all the topics I have chose to choose from are very different from one another. But they happen to be very big eye openers, on a historical event and views of the religious world. But if you haven’t seen the film or read the novel I recommend them both, because they are great in there own ways.  

Note: I've linked reviews on both the film and novel, so you can have a first hand on what they are about.