TANGO

The tango is a very sensual, emotional and passionate dance. The warm, feeling oriented Hispanic culture is depicted well in this movie. The dancers take their work very seriously. Children are taught at a very young age. The tango is brought to screen and is a huge production that portrays many emotions including jealousy, lust, passion, fear and anger to name a few. It is a dance that is meant to appeal to the senses. I like how the movie used a variety of colors brighter colors to go along with the passion and anger, darker colors to go along with fear and jealousy. The movie "Tango" allows the viewer to hear words through dance and movement.

El Viaje de Carol

Carol is an amazingly confident, headstrong young Americanized girl who travels to Spain (where her mother is from) to get hit by culture shock when she realizes how conservative the population is. She refuses to wear dresses. She gets into fights with a boy. She begs her grandpa to let her live with him and then asks him to stand up against the prejudices they receive. Carol is not afraid to speak her mind. The American culture she was raised in taught her to be independent and open-minded. When she comes to Spain who is dealing with the "Franco years," she refuses to sit back and accept the oppression.

VOLVER

The film can be considered a tribute to women because the women in this film face terrible things that no one should have to endure. Raimunda is raped and impregnated by her own father. If this was awful and scarring enough,  this occurrence also drives a wedge between her and her other because she thought her mother knew what was happening. So, at a young age she is abused and feels neglected by the two most important people in her life, the two people that should love and her protect her above all, her parents. I think the fact that she also carried the child and raised the child which is her daughter Paula despite the fact that the child was a product of incest and rape, shows that Raimunda has overcome incredibly tormenting events in her life and some how she pulls through and carries on as though things are ok. If I were in her shoes, I would have some serious psychological issues. Then Raimunda's husband, Paco tries to rape her daughter. Again, a person who should love and protect them tries to take advantage of them. Raimunda also has to deal with hiding the death of Paco after her daughter kills him in self defense. Raimunda has overcome so much grief and continued on to lead what appears to be a fairly normal life. She is a good, hardworking woman. She is incredibly strong and I think the tragedies she faces alone really make the resilience of women despite life's obstacles very evident.

In the movie, one superstition they mention how the east wind can make people "mad" or crazy. When Augustina mentions Raimunda's dead mother's spirit that appears to people, Raimunda makes a comment about the east wind making Augustina "mad."  Aldo people of the las enfantes village believe that Irene's spirit has stayed behind to look after her senile sister Paula. In general, they believe in a superstitious/supernatural world.

ENTRE NOS

What a strong family they are especially when their husband/dad/protector leaves them with nothing. Gabi steps up as man of the house. He takes on responsibility like collecting cans early in the morning to help make money. He watches after his sister. He translates English for his mother. He does all this despite being let down and abandoned by his father.

Andrea is a happy little girl who likes human interaction. She likes to play games and tries to make friends. She is immature still because her age but overall a happy spirited child who is attatched to her mother and her brother.

Mariana is so strong. I don't know how she made it through and still tried to keep her kids happy by letting them go to the movies and buy snacks and she plays games with them to make them laugh, despite all the stress Mariana is dealing with. She stays strong for her kids because she has to provide for them. She is constatnly looking for ways to make money so they could have food, shelter. She is trying to give her kids the best opportunity with minimal resources.

Overall, looking at what hard times they were facing and how poor they were, it's amazing how they kept it together and stayed strong for their small family

the official SAD story

How sad for all those innocent people taken from their homes, tortured, raped, killed, babies taken from their mothers while being held captive. What a tragedy. Alicia while ignorant for a long time to the real issues, finally began to question the truth when she heard about her own friend's story of when she was taken and tortured. Then her students in class put local postings with the news of the protests on her chalk board. She learns that her own sweet Gaby was a child who was taken from her unwilling mother. While Gaby has been given a good life, Alicia realizes that she wants the grandmother of Gaby to have the opportunity to know the child that was stolen from their family. When her own husband became abusive and violent when questioned about the truth, Alicia knew life was going to change drastically from the happy little family she had.

like water...

I think the movie protrays the tradition of hot culture climates in the sense that the children are obedient to their parents. Although Tita is sad that she is not allowed to marry, the fact that she chooses to obey her mother represents the traditional way children honored their parents. Another example of tradition is how Tita was not allowed to marry becuase it was tradition that since she was the youngest daughter, she  was expected to take care of her mother until the day her mother died. I also think tradition was evident the way Pedro came to speak to Tita's mother to ask for her hand in marriage. I think this tradition, while it still exists today, reveals the respectable way a gentlement was to ask permission of the woman's parents to marry their daughter. I also think tradition is evident in the way that food is a big part of the movie. Warm cultures celebrate and entertain with lots of food as a means of hospitality. Tita was an excellent cook and cooked many great meals for various events in the movie. Another tradition evident in the movie was when Pedro produced children with Rosaura even thought he didn't love her. This is clear in the scene when he is praying to God and says "This is not out of love or lust but to produce a son to serve to you Lord." Back then, it was common for a married couple to start a family shortly after marriage.

Magical Realism was evident in the movie especially how the food Tita cooked would have emotional effects on those who ate the food. For example, when Tita makes the rose petal sauce with passion for Pedro, everyone at the table especially Gertrudis has a very sensual/sexual response after eating the food.
Another example of Magical Realism was when the ghosts of Tita's mother and grand-mother would visit Tita. The grand-mother's spirit guided Tita, while Elena's spirit haunted Tita.

christa boshears motorcycle diaries

 During his adventure across South America, Ernesto encountered many people who suffered injustcies because of their socioeconomic class and political beliefs. He encounters people who are homeless, hungry, risking their lives in the mines to make money. He sees leapors who are isolated because of their illness. Ernesto sympathizes with these people and is inspired to make a difference.

Ernesto's integrity and honesty are evident when he tells the man about the tumor on his neck. Even though his honesty could tend to get him into troublem it is evident that Ernesto has high morals. He makes a point to help the leapors that are isolated. He refuses to wear gloves when he sees them to show them compassion. He gives his only money to a poor couple who are homeless and have nothing. I think these examples from the movie show that Ernesto had good morals and good leadership qualities

I think the main differences between celebrations in South America and the United States are that although food is a big part of both, food is seen as a luxury and is valued very much in South American culture. So at a Latin American party, it is a high honor to have lots of food as part of the celebration. While in the U.S. , food at a celebration is common and expected. It is not as significant, it is just part of the norm.

el mariachi

Common Mexican stereotypes in this movie nclude: violenc or the "bandido-violence" with the multitude of gun related violence over money. Moco's men carry their guns openly into the streets not caring who sees them shooting. The movie has a disregard for human life as demonstrated by the two opposing "gangs." They are not phased by shooting and killing multiple numbers of men and they don't care who might be innocently hurt in the process. The movie also has the "macho" man stereotype as again the two men Azul and Moco are battling to kill eachother over a money feud. Also Moco has a female who attends to him constantly giving him manicures, fetching him drinks. She is at his beck and call. Moco also tries to womanize Domino so he can sleep with her. He buys her nice things in hopes that she will "give herself to him." At the end when Moco ends up killing Domino, I think it shows how selfish he is, not having any concern for others but fulfilling his own wants/needs. I think the statement: "All he wants to do is be a Mariachi," signifies the tragedy of the movie. All this man wants to do is  carry on a family legacy and be a Mariachi like his father and grand-fathers yet he is forced into violence and gets heart-broken when he loses the woman he loves, all becuase of selfidh, ignorant violence. The role of the music in Hispanoic culture is important, however, in this film, I think the music was used inappropriaetly. It was too suspenseful through-out the movie. The movie was not very impressive, but does in fact reveal common stereotypes associated with Mexican culture.

Machuca

Pedro and Gonzalo are two young children growing up in two very different worlds, yet the they are not all that different. Gonzalo is a rich child who goes to a private school, St Patricks which is made up of the wealthy, non-socialist children. He is kind, unselfish and seems as though he doesn't feel like he belongs. Pedro comes from a poor, socialist background, he has a strong character and is not afraid to stick up for himself. The two boys meet when St Patrick's integrates some of the poor children. As far as the interaction between the two children, I think they represent a sense of humanity and toleracne. While they are just children, society says they shouldn't be friends. Gonzalo is rich, goes to a private school, has lots of clothes and nice Adidas shoes. Pedro lives in the slums, with an out-house for a toilet and has to work to help support his family. They come from very different backgrounds.  However, the two boys develop a companionship representing how human beings from different backgrounds can be civil and tolerant. I think tolerance, civility, humanity and compromise are key words that represent the main message of the film. While political differences tend to cause hostility between people, the bottom line is we are all human and need to respect one another even if we can't agree on political issues.

under the same moon

I think the mother had to leave the little boy so they could both have a chance at a better quality of life. She worked two jobs a day and left her son with his grand-mother until she could raise enough money to support both her and her son in America. I think it was very difficult for the mother to leave her son. That was evident when she began to cry in the beginning of the movie when she was talking to him on the phone and her son was asking her when they would be together again. It was also evident when she would talk about him to her her friends. She talked a lot about how she wanted to be with him and then how later in the movie she thought about going back to Mexico so she could be with him.

Some of the difficulties the mother faced were hiding from the police so she wouldn't be sent back to Mexico. She faced emotional distress from being away from her son. She also had to get up very early every morning and go to two diffferent jobs just to try to save money. I could imagine someone in her position would also feel a sense of hopelessness because she had already been away from her son for four years and still didn't have enough money to bring him to America.

I think the separation was difficult on the boy too because he had not seen his mother in four years, he never knew his father and he probably felt a sense of rejection from this. He clearly missed his mother because he would ask her when they would be together again. He would look at the moon at night time when he missed her, because his mother told him they were under the same moon and when he looked at it, she would be looking at it too. This was a way for them to feel close to one another. He escaped to America on his own risking kidnapping and death just to try to see his mother again. I think the little boy was faced to grow up fast because of his familial circumstances.

You can see some cultural aspects come into play when the little boy prays the "Our Father" in the van. You can also see the value they have on family when the boy's grand-mother says she "would kill them first," when the boy is afraid his aunt and uncle are going to take him away. It's also evident in the way that the boy takes care of his ill grfand-mother. You can also see the important Catholic culture when the boys grand-mother dies and the god-father of the woman takes care of the grand-mother's funeral arrangements.

I don't think this was an easy decision for the mother. She wanted a better life for her and her child, so I think she did what she thought was best.