Reviews

I enjoyed this movie much more than I thought I would. I don't usually like western-type movies, but this one actually did. This movie was released in 1969, so I was expecting parts of it to be boring, there weren't any parts where I lost interest. I thought it was shot really well and the intense zoom-ins made it even more amusing. I especially liked the witty dialogue between the two which added to the characters. It' s cool to see actors I know now when they were younger. The montages throughout the film were also great along with the soundtrack (which is full of bops). The only thing I would question is the ending because I've heard many different things about how the two died.

We watched this film in my History Through Film class to cover the late 1800's and immigration. This is about two Irish people, Joseph and Shannon, that travel to America to claim some land and start a new life. They first arrive in Boston where Joseph was able to make lots of money, but then lost it all. At some point they're separated, but find themselves reunited in Oklahoma. They fall in love at some point in the story and are able to start their new life together by the end. In my U.S History class, we're going over this period in history, so it was nice to see it depicted even if it was fictional. I actually really enjoyed this film and thought it was really entertaining. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were great and I thought they worked really well together, even if they're accents were a little questionable. It was also nice seeing Thomas Gibson in something other than Criminal Minds. I have a seen a lot of Ron Howard's films and I've really enjoyed them so I will probably watch more of his work in the future.

I watched this movie for my History Through Film class. This movie is about the Battle of the Alamo and the defeat of Santa Anna's army. The Battle of the Alamo was lost, but those with Sam Houston were able to gain independence from Mexico in honor of those who died at the Alamo. I'd watched this movie a couple years ago in my Texas History class so I was able to have some background knowledge on the actual history while watching. I think that I enjoyed it much more the second time around. The movie was historically accurate and I was surprised at the detail that was put into it. I also thought the actors, for the most part, were really good and portrayed the historical figures well. I wish there was more character development in the movie because if you're not familiar with the historical figures, you don't really know much about the main character in the film. However, I do see why they wouldn't feel the need to as this movie is a retelling of a well-known event. Originally, I thought this movie was going to be boring, but I actually enjoyed it the whole way through. I have seen a couple of John Lee Hancock's films that he directed and I did enjoy them, but I don't think I will seek out to watch any others.

This film tells the story of the ship Essex that inspired the well-known novel "Moby- Dick". A group of men go out to sea and their ship gets attacked by a giant whale while they were hunting other whales. The movie goes on to show their survival out on sea with little to no supplies and what they had to do to eventually get back home. I thought there were some great performances and overall, the acting was good. There was also some good visuals here and there throughout the film. Sometimes the green/blue tint seemed a little harsh, but other than that it was good. This was the first movie I've seen that depicts these events so I didn't have a lot to compare it to. I know that there some parts that weren't historically accurate, but it is a Hollywood movie and I'd imagine they spice it up for entertainment value. I didn't really like the time jumping element. Throughout the story, it would cut to an older Thomas recounting the events to Herman Melville. I felt that it took away from the suspense of the main story. It would make you lose interest when you're so invested in the main story line, and it suddenly cuts off to something else for a couple minutes of people just talking. Overall, I enjoyed this movie. There were very few parts that I disliked and I found it very interesting. I've seen others movies and shows directed by Ron Howard and I've enjoyed those as well. I'm sure I will see other things done by him later on.

I am taking a History through Film class at school and this was the first film we watched. Terrence Malick tells the story of Pocahontas that people may be more familiar with. Although not historically accurate, it's a well-known take on the story. This film tells the story of the journey of John Smith in Jamestown and all the trials that came with it, along with Pocahontas. We get to see both sides, from the settlers with John Smith to the Natives with Pocahontas. This enabled us to see the background in the two groups interactions and how the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas intertwined in it all. Other than Disney's 'Pocahontas' (1995), this was the only other movie I'd seen that depicts this story of Pocahontas and I did end up enjoying it. I thought the film was beautifully shot, especially the nature visuals throughout the movie. I also thought the soundtrack was great and fit the film well. It was well casted and I thoroughly enjoyed all the actors performances, especially Q'orianka Kilcher. I liked how the story extended past Jamestown and we were able to see Pocahontas' arrival with John Rolfe back to England. We got to see her in a new environment with a completely different culture and I thought Kilcher did an excellent job at showing those emotions she was feeling. One part that was probably my favorite was the final sequence. It shows the moment of Pocahontas running through the courtyard with her son with a brief narration from her, which then cut to John Rolfe's voice-over of a letter to their son stating her sudden death. Malick was able to stunningly piece together the final moments in her bed, to the moments where she was running around outside and enjoying the world around her. The score by Richard Wagner, I think, is what ties it all together. The music builds as we see the final shots before it abruptly stops and we finish with shots of nature and it's surrounding sounds. This ending reminds me of the way the more recent film 'Arrival' (2016). Both movies ended in a similar way, with an assortment of different shots and a complementary musical score of a bittersweet moment that bring the whole thing together. Although I can see how some people may not like this film, I really did enjoy it. I probably with look more into Terrence Malick's other work.