Ebert Review Dancer in the Dark

I think Ebert accurately puts that there's a need in this film to let the plot settle, let your mind make sense of what you just watched because it is so drastically unreal yet honest simultaneously. It isn't a Cinderella story, where all the loose ends are tied and the movie ends in happily ever after and that may be why it doesn't necessarily sit well with me. It isn't the conventional ending you'd expect, actually throughout the entire movie my hope was that her luck would change but it seemed that everything was set against her from the very beginning. In one perspective you can see where people wouldn't like the film, the director took many risks that you either appreciate or despise. The spontaneous singing, the death seen that is shot way more dramatically then one would expect and the films plot that seems very farfetched. Though the director had all intentions of executing the film in these instances to create a certain affect i personally didn't like how the movie was staged, dramatic, and ridiculous in some scenes. Thats not to say i hate the film, just that i don't necessarily understand it. I also wholeheartedly agree that the main character is a simpleton, but wish they portrayed the female lead as less helpless. I also am confused as to why the plot did seem so unrealistic, maybe thats just my opinion. There were just alot of concerns i had regarding the character development of Selma.

This movie portrays a young woman who immigrates from Czechoslovakia to America with her son. She aspires to be in a musical, and this is seen throughout the film as she "daydreams" that she is in the midst of a musical. She seems somewhat delusional, and chooses to act based on the daydreams she has. She is manipulated by her seemingly wealthy neighbor who steals her money after going bankrupt. She reluctantly tries to get the money back but kills him to get the money for her son's operation. Her idealistic view of America is possibly what makes her naive to the people surrounding her. She seems childish in her actions which also may affect her. In her trial they all alter what she has said, and quote her in terms of her guilt rather than her innocence. She does everything in selflessness, staying loyal to Bill after he asks her to kill him and keeps his secret. Lies in court so that they do not trace her money to the eye surgeon and her son can get his surgery. This, like Rashomon, shows how the truth may never be revealed despite hope. She daydreams what she would like to see, and uses it as an escape from the present moment. "in a musical nothing bad ever happens..." this line shows her naivety and how it helps her to escape to the daydreams where everything seems to work out. At the same time she gives up her chance at life for her son's sight. And through everything she seems to accept the fate she didn't deserve. Why? all for her son. It shows the true dedication between a parent and child while in other material we've covered biological attachment has meant little, but in this film it is everything. Additionally, the movie seems to be filmed in some parts as if it were by the audience, as if they were apart of what was happening then changes towards the end.

Ebert Review Rashomon

In Ebert’s review of Rashomon, I was able to see my thoughts cohesively through his descriptions. It was initially difficult to describe my reaction to the film; because it was so vastly different than movies I would normally see which seems to be a trend in this class. Ebert focuses on the significance of flashbacks in the film and how they portray different perspectives on the events that occurred. We see in modern day movies flashbacks frequently to further help the audiences understanding of the characters or to add complexity to the story line. I personally found that the perspectives in the movie reflected how the characters wanted to see themselves in the story, using their own personally agendas in their versions. I liked that Ebert pointed out a very obvious but significant concept of the film: That sometimes we aren’t given a story with a neat, clean ending. The film ended with the audience still questioning what had happened because each version is created with bias that hinders its credibility. We expect to not be lied to, to have everything end precisely how we would expect but this movie changes your expectations while also creating a sense of hope at the end.