My Favourite Screenplay of All-Time.

As part of Mystery Man on Film’s Screenwriting Blogathon that celebrates the best of the film scripts, either original or one based on material published previously in another form. I had to think about this one, and the near misses were: Some Like It Hot, The 400 Blows, Casablanca, Finding Nemo, Brokeback Mountain and All About Eve (I did a short tribute to my top 25 screenplays a while ago here, it’s changed a little, but give it a read), but finally, I decided on my favourite screenplay, and no surprises, it happened to be my favourite film of all-time as well, The Shawshank Redemption. I know, it looks like I’m just using this opportunity to whore out my favourite film like I usually do. But that isn’t it, I promise. I took the time to actually read the screenplay to Shawshank a while ago, and it simply managed to deepen my love for the masterpiece.

Oh yes, before I forget - as we're on the topic of blogathons, I'm hosting one of my own in July:


I adore the script for countless reasons and we would be here until Christmas if I tried to list them all, so I’ll do a simple top 7 reasons. Note, this isn’t a top 7 of why I love the movie (that would include aspects such as the acting and the score), but why I consider the script to rule.

Seven: Engaging supporting characters.
Brooks, a man incarcerated for an unmentioned crime for so long that he finds himself attached to the Shawshank and the daily life he has lead, pet bird and all. A group of long-time prison dwellers who find joy in placing bets on mean things. And of course, that charismatic up-and-getter Tommy, a fellow inmate of Andy's who suffers under the iron will of Norton (who, incidentally, was written for Brad Pitt). All these men have their quirks, all have the flaws, but all are utterly engaging and add to the charm of Shawshank.

Six: Detestable villains.
The polar opposite of charming, the cruel prison warden and the nasty officers are appropriately grim characters. Warden Norton exudes an evil, frightening presence without ever escalating into pastiche of the Christian fundamentalists. But the plaque reading "His judgment cometh and that right soon" is wonderfully ironic.

Five: Believable sense of fear.
Unlike camp horror movies and lol-inducing “dramas” (read: Crash), the horror in Shawshank is all emotional. As Andy gets violated, my heart totally broke for him, and the cruelties that he is subjected to are terrible, yet believable. In my opinion, there are not enough movies that can convincingly portray something so nasty, but Shawshank manages to, due to the nuance of Darabont’s script.

Four: Making us care and learn to hope.
I doubt many of the people who love Shawshank have been through the same experience as Andy, but in Shawshank, it just doesn’t matter. Even though the circumstances between the characters and the viewers are quite different, you don't feel that far removed from what the characters are going through; everyone’s experienced fear, loneliness, desperation in their lives. But Shawshank offers happy endings, and for this, the audience can share the joy too. Beautiful.



Three: Red’s narration.
I’ve said it before and I’ve said it again, if there were to be a movie about my life, I’d want Morgan Freeman to narrate it. His voice is amazing to listen to, and it all really stems from his monologues as Red.

This was one of my favourites:

RED (V.O.)
I have no idea to this day what
them two Italian ladies were
singin' about. Truth is, I don't
want to know. Some things are best
left unsaid. I like to think they
were singin' about something so
beautiful it can't be expressed in
words, and makes your heart ache
because of it.

CAMERA brings us to Red.

RED (V.O.)
I tell you, those voices soared.
Higher and farther than anybody in
a gray place dares to dream. It was
like some beautiful bird flapped
into our drab little cage and made
these walls dissolve away...and for
the briefest of moments -- every
last man at Shawshank felt free.

Oh! Too sublime for words.

Two: The searing sense of redemption.
Here’s a little understatement for you: I like movies with happy endings. I really am a sucker for them, whether it’s Elle’s solving the case in Legally Blonde, to Nemo being reunited with his dad in Finding Nemo, or the wonderful redemption for all those who suffered in Erin Brockovich. But The Shawshank Redemption features the greatest redemption of all; after 19 years of Hell, Andy finds his Heaven. I love that. All in all, this is a great story vividly told that will leave you with a true sense of redemption in your soul. Like the masterful novella that the film was based on, this film manages to succeed at greater and deeper things than simply entertaining an audience. Darabont tells his story most masterfully, showing principles, values and inspiring his audience to think. He leaves us a poignant film with a powerful message of hope, and redemption, something we all seek. You don’t get that in every screenplay, now, do you?

One: Andy.
The character of Andy is the thing I treasure most about Shawshank. I think everybody at some point in their life can connect with him, and his wonderful, stoic nature. Andy's demeanour and undeniable sense of hope causes Red to take a deeper look at himself, and the world around him. Andy proves to Red and the other inmates that in the conventional walls of Shawshank prison convention will find no home in his lifestyle, and, like the bright bird that he is, he flies. Even when the audience may despair, Andy doesn’t, he fights back with that wonderful drive, and achieves redemption. Because of Andy, Red can find a different path-the path of freedom that is lit by hope.

Get busy living, dudes, or get busy dying.

I hope you enjoyed this. :D

So, what do you think?

The adult's cover is wonderful.

The American cover is acceptable.

The English kid's cover is terrible!!!

“You’re so cool.”

Firs thing's first. You signed up yet?

Quentin Tarantino has been described as the coolest director of all time on many a occasion. Whilst I don’t totally agree with this, I do have to concede that his film titles truly are too cool.

We were having a conversation today about how cool “300” was as a title, so I feel like making a random list of the top 10 coolest (not best, mind) film titles:

01. Reservoir Dogs (come on, that is just beyond cool!)
02. Sin City
03. 300
04. Run Lola Run (in the original German Lola Rennt rocks too)
05. Heat
06. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
07. Kill Bill
08. Lost in Translation (I didn’t care for it at all, but it is a pretty cool title.)
09. Johnny Guitar
10. Oldboy

Tags: cool, movies, cinema, 300, Tarantino.




What's more, I've recently developed quite a lil' penchant for ogrgeous images of scenary. These are some of the best I've found: here, here, here and here.

So unbelievably gorgeous!

The Soundtrack of 2006.

The best of the soundtracks and Scores in 2006.


Billy’s Theme (Howard Shore, The Departed)
Cry Me a River (Julie London, V for Vendetta)
Death Is The Road To Awe (Clint Mansell, The Fountain)
Deportation/Iguazu (Gustavo Santaolalla, Babel)
Factory Rescue (Michael Giacchino, Mission Impossible III)
Fairy And The Labyrinth (Javier Navarrete, Pan’s Labyrinth)
First Snow (Clint Mansell, The Fountain)
Golden Slumbers (KD Lang, Happy Feet)
Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall (Michael Giacchino, Mission Impossible III)
Il Secondo Giorno Instrumental (Air, Marie-Antoinette)
Las Vecinas (variacion, Alberto Iglesias, Volver)
Lullaby (Jack Johnson, Curious George)
Mercedes Lullaby (Javier Navarrete, Pan’s Labyrinth)
Pennies in my Pocket (Emilio Estefan, Miami Vice)
Princess (Javier Navarrete, Pan’s Labyrinth)
Real Gone (Sheryl Crow, Cars)
S Rs (Jack Johnson, Curious George)
SinnerMan Felix da Housecat Remix (Nina Simone, Miami Vice)
Streets of Parts (Berlin Philhamonic, Das Perfum)
Strict Machine (Goldfrapp, Miami Vice)
The Citrine Corss (Hans Zimmer, The Da Vinci Code)
The Method Works! (Berlin Philhamonic, Das Perfum)
The Song of the Heart (Prince, Happy Feet)
Vogue (Madonna, The Devil Wears Prada)
Volver (Estralla Morente, Volver)

I know, I'm awful.

I haven't updated this blog since last Sunday, which I think is the longest I've left it (unless you wanna correct me, in which case do, peh), since I went on holiday to China in July.

The reason? Well, predictable as it is, it's been schoolwork. :( I've had so many mocks this week, and I know they're worthless, but I still thought I'd do a little revision for them, and with all that and homework on top as well as damn violin and guitar practice, I just haven't had time to write about movies. Sorry. :(

As a lil' sorry present, here is some sheet music, as I've had a couple of e-mails requesting sheet music of different kinds.





Now, I have to get back to writing an essay on The Budget (taxes went down from 22 %to 20% is the main thing), but I think I may have time free tomorrow lunch time to pleasure you with some *decent* blogging.

Until then, adios!

What Makes Act 1 Scene 1 of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet interesting?

Hamlet opens with two Sentinels, Barnado and Francisco, whispering in an agitated, clandestine manner. The first two lines involve both refusing to even divulge their names, “Nay, answer me, stand and unfold yourself,” showing immediately that there is little trust in this scene. They speak in quick, colloquial lines, such as “He.” and “’tis bitter cold,” which signify an urgency and pace. The audience are immediately intrigued by this, as they are wondering that could make them behave in such a way. Marcellus, a soldier, soon asks, “has this thing appeared again tonight?” which raises the question of what “the thing” is. Marcellus then shares his theories about it, “Horatio says ‘tis but our fantasy” before Horatio shushes him, at the fear it will not appear. This continues to build anticipation for “the thing,” and words like “dreaded” and “this apparition” are used to describe it, which builds feelings of dread in the audience.

When the Ghost appears, the scene would be very dramatically impactful, especially when it is revealed that it is “like the King that is dead.” A dead king, especially in the time that the play was written, 1602, would raise further questions, one being: did he die or was he killed? The likely answer is that he was murdered, and this in itself adds mystery and horror to the already exciting plot.

The sentinels speak using some evocative, strong imagery, such as “he sledded the angry poleaxe on the ice” and “this bodes some strange eruption.” There are imageries of death in their language which causes horror. This is suitable to the scene, as we have just discovered that the king is dead, and the city is in uproar. Marcellus questions this, “Why such shipwrights, whose sore tasks does not divide the Sunday from the week.” From this, we learn that it is not just the sentinels that are feeling agitated and worried, but the city in general, which again creates thrill as well as perplexity as to why.

Another emotion felt by the audience in this scene would be fear. The appearance of the ghost would be frightening, especially as he is the powerful figure of the King. It would be a big shock to discover that the king is dead. However, the ghost of the King remains silent, and the sentinels wonder what the king wants, “What art thou that usurpest this time of night?” as does the audience. Ghosts are stereotypically scary, trouble-causing things, but this ghost is different, as he appears and reappears without appearing to do anything, which will perhaps confuse the audience about his intentions, and whether he really is a ghost, or just “something more than fantasy”.

As confusion would be present in the audience now, Shakespeare places Horatio to explain what he knows, so that the background of the play, as well information about the setting can be imparted. It is revealed why the sentinels were previously in such a hurry, and it involves a character called Fortinbras wanting to reclaim the land that the ghost, Hamlet won. This adds a new layer to the plot.

The ghost re-enters, and when Horatio re-addresses it, he is more forceful than he previously was, showing that he is very involved with the ghost, and wants to know what it wants. This reflects the feelings of the audience, and Horatio spreads his arms to physically block the ghost, trapping it, and shifting the power. Before, the ghost had the power, as the men feared him, but as Horatio speaks more boldly he shows he does not fear the ghost. He talks to the ghost, asking it to speak, and the phrases “speak to me”, “oh speak!” and “speak of it” are all used, showing the urgency felt by the men. This urgency is sensed, and adds to the overall tension of the scene.

The cock crows, signalling morning, and the ghost drifts away without having had spoken, which leaves the scene on a cliff-hanger with many unanswered questions. Before the scene ends, a younger Hamlet is spoken of, and, he, being the titular character, is very important. The sentinels echo this, “For, upon my life, the spirit dumb to us, we will speak to him,” and the audience anticipate the appearance of him eagerly. This opens the door to the next scene, and closes a very thrilling and impactful one.

A Mother’s Day Treat.

The “treat” (or not so much), is that I shall do one of my much-missed top ten lists, this one being, in the spirit of mother’s day & being lazy (hence, 5 instead of 10), Top 5 Cinematic Mothers.

01. Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford, Mildred Pierce)


02. Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson, Brief Encounter)


03. Ashley (soon to be mother, Amy Adams, Junebug)


04. The Bride (Uma Thurman, Kill Bill)


05. Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft, The Graduate)

Some more goodies: Something cute I found, something that could easily be a family affair.

MY FIRST EVER BLOGATHON!!!!!!!

Work for the actor lies essentially in two areas: the ability to consistently create reality and the ability to express that reality." - Lee Strasberg

Yes, that’s right. I’m organising a blogathon! I’ll be 17 (although I *turn* 17 on April 18th, so it's not a birthdat b'n!) when I do it, and it’s set for the 7th July, 2007. Everyone be there!



Oh yes, the topic: The performance that changed your life. The reason is pretty simple, just that acting generally makes or break a movie, and we should dedicate an entire day to praising the good ones. Everybody picks a performance (just one – choosing it will be the hardest part), and then, in manner that they chose – essay, poetry, images, YouTube tribute or anything else you can think of, you tell the world why that performance means so much to you.

I’d really love for as many people to get involved in this as poss. All you need is a performance and a blog. Anyone’s free to participate, whether you’re a die-hard movie fan, or just a casual cinemagoer. And you can make the tribute to any performance you like - I won't judge. More details will come closer to the date, but if you think you’d like to participate, send me an e-mail at plectrumperfect@hotmail.co.uk or just reply here on the blog.

Anyone, but anyone, can participate. Happy blogging!

Tags: blogathon, Marlon Brando, Audrey Hepburn, movies, cinema

How significant was The Long March in the History of China in the Twentieth Century?

In October 1934 Mao and the main body of the Red Army fled from their Kiangsi Soviet base to escape capture and death by the KMT forces. The KMT had seen the communist party as a threat for a while, but Chiang Kai-Shek finally decided that they must be destroyed. The communists escaped in circling retreat to the north, which covered 8,000 km over a year. It was a difficult route that extended to some of the most dangerous terrain of western China and arrived to Shan Xi. Of the 100, 000 soldiers who had set out from Kiangsi in October 1934, only 5000 survived the march, but there was a communist victory. While costly, the Long March gave the CCP the isolation it needed, allowing its army to recuperate and rebuild in the north of China.

The Long March was fundamental in helping the CCP gain a massive positive reputation among the peasants, especially due to the determination and dedication of the surviving participants of the Long March. This is shown Mao’s policy for all soldiers to follow, which told not to do harm the peasants in any way, and paying for food rather than stealing it. This was an ideal that was probably responsible for winning them most of their followers. The Long March also began the partnership and bond between the Red Army and the peasants that was to play such an important part in the eventual triumph of Communists. The long-term effects are evident as China is still a communist country, but it was not just the Long March that secured this.

An event that had notable impact on China was The Cultural Revolution. This was in the mid 1960s, when, alarmed about the direction which China seemed to be taking, Mao put out posters celebrating his achievements and millions of copies of Mai’s Little Red Book were distributed free. Between 1966 and 1968, Mao encouraged Red Guards to take power from the CCP authorities to form revolutionary committees. In the violence that followed, many died and millions more were injured or imprisoned. Teenagers are the Red guards were feared, for they found a new power of attacking their tutors. This was just the sort of behaviour that Mao had warned against on the Long March.

Like the Long March, this was an attempt to make Communism the political party of China, and Mao wanted to destroy rank by telling the teenagers to attack all things bourgeois. But unlike the Long March, this may have hindered rather than helped. The Cultural Revolution plunged China into crisis, and short term effects include lot of blood shed needlessly, and generation of people losing their education. This was an event that caused doubt for communism, and some historians believe that it only arose because Mao was out of touch. In addition, with the death of Mao and the end of the Cultural Revolution, nearly three million party members had wrongfully been thrown out of their homes. It took Bold measures were taken in the late 1970s to confront these immediate problems, but the Cultural Revolution left a legacy that continued to trouble China. The Cultural Revolution had serious consequences for China as a whole, and did not win followers like the Long March had.

Another important event is the revolution of the Double 10th in 1911. This occurred before the Long March. Several unsuccessful attempts to overthrow the Empress Dowager had been made, but this one had worked, and ended the Qing dynasty. Under the her reign, peasants had suffered, landowners had taxed heavily on them and China was falling failure of the Boxer Rebellion that convinced many that they had to act. At this time, China was very behind, and the mandarins were educated on classics rather than current affairs, which meant they did not understand the harsh conditions that the peasants lived in. But finally, on October 10th, a group of Chinese soldiers rebelled and the Manchu governor and his commander fled, and a Chinese commander, Li Yuan-hung, was pressured into taking over the leadership. By early December all of the central, southern, and northwestern provinces had declared independence. This was a first for 4000 years, and a the rebellion opened doors for ideas about democracy.

After the rebellion, Nationalism in started China, and here, the leaders cared about the people in China, and the Republic of China had started. This is very important because under the Empress Cixi’s rule, China had been disintegrating. The Nationalist rule was of paramount importance as it was the official political party of China for a further 40 years, and it was the revolution of the Double 10th that made such a thing possible. Like the Long March, this was an example of how perseverance gained success – there had been previous rebellions that had failed, but this was the one that was successful. Without the 1911 Revolution, there could be no Long March, as political parties would still be non-existent. The Rebellion was also important in showing how revolts could be successful. Therefore the Double 10th had great Long Term effects, ending a monastery and with the intention improving quality of life for all people who lived in China.

However, after the rebellion, there was a short power struggle in which China was not bettered, and things must have proved unsettling for those living in China at the time. Yuan Shi-kai was made president for the sake of peace in China, but soon there were clear differences between how Sun Yatsen and he believed China should be run. He even betrayed KMT beliefs in democracy by trying to make himself the emperor. Japan took advantage of China’s unsteady state, and it fell to pieces under “21 Demands” that the Japanese forced upon them, and after Yuan’s death, warlords took control of China. This shows that the long-term causes of the Double 10th were better than its short term causes.

Another event that made an impact in the history of China were Deng’s economic reforms. After the death of Mao, he became president, with the intention of building better relations with capitalist countries. He tried to move China forward by creating alliances with foreign countries, which had introduced four modernisations – industry, agriculture, science & technology and the army. These modernisations made living standards much better for the people of China. By the 1980s radios, TVs and watches could all be obtained. This is something that Mao could never have brought about, as in his Cultural Revolution; he had banned anything that appeared western, even hair flowers. In this sense the economic reforms were very different from the Long March as it was not truly communism.

Deng’s economic reforms were very important because as a result, the people of China worked for rewards rather ideas, and so more work was done overall. Overall, Deng’s economic reforms introduced new concepts and items into China that the Long March never had. Deng tried to stay true to Mao's legacy in that he stressed the primacy of agricultural output. In this sense, communism was still being promoted, as in the Long March, but here, Deng believed in modernisation, too, as with the Revolution of the Double 10th. As a result, life got better for the people of China.

Although it was an act of bravery on the parts of all people involved, The Long March was not the most important event in the history of China. It depended on previous events – namely the Revolution of 1911, to have happened, and on later events, such as Deng’s economic reforms, to secure communism in China. However, it may have been the actions of the Red Army on the Long March that redeemed later wrongdoings by communism, namely Mao’s cultural reforms. Each action, however, did impact others. If Maoism hadn’t been detested so much due to the Cultural Revolution, Deng might not have been put in charge, and then he would not have been able to introduce his reforms. It is argued that all four of the events occurred in an attempt to make life better for the people of China, but whether or not that is true, it can only be seen now that things are.

2005, a Year of Gorgeous Costumes.

My favourite costumes of the year were undoubtably in Pride and Prejudice. Here are some of my favourites:









Next is probably Walk the Line, for Reese's gorgeously stylish dresses, chiefly.

My 20 Favourite Performances of 2006.

This is a mixture of talent & personal liking, with the latter making 75% affect on the final rank. :)

01. Ivana Baquero, El Laberinto del Fauno


02. Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed


03. Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson


04. James McAvoy, The Last King of Scotland


05. Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland


06. Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada


07. Penélope Cruz, Volver


08. Helen Mirren, The Queen


09. Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond


10. James McAvoy, Starter for 10


The rest...
11. Samuel Barnett, The History Boys
12. Harry Dean Stanton, Alien Autopsy
13. Kate Dickie, Red Road
14. Shareeka Epps, Half Nelson
15. Danny Dyer, Severance
16. Peter O'Toole, Venus
17. Rupert Grint, Driving Lessons
18. Danny Perea, Duck Season
19. Jennifer Ehle, Alpha Male
20. Vera Farmiga, The Departed

And I'm also working on a Top 10 of 2006 list, so that will go up on the sidebar soon enough.

Anyone for some music? I've been told off today for putting music on the hard drive of my school computer [apparently I'm slowing down the system], so I've uploaded some of the music onto my FreeWebTown space. Enjoy!

Crazy, St Elsewhere, Feng Shui, (all Gnarls Barkley).

If there's any other music you'd like me to sample, just send me an e-mail. I own most film soundtracks. :D