Here's Looking at You, Kid

 

They give a little introduction at the start of the movie for what is going on in World War II. The movie was made in 1942, so WW II is still going on. 1939 to 1945.

World War.   Colony.

Germany kept invading other countries in the 1930s. England and France complained. Germany would always say “this is the last country we invade.” So, England and France would excuse them. This is called appeasement.

Casablanca takes place in Morocco, which was a colony of France. France had already lost. Germany has not taken over the colonies. Some of the people will kiss butt to Germany.

Colony: Taiwan was a colony of Japan from 1895 to 1945. Half mountain people.

There is an idea that Humphrey Bogart’s performance as Rick is the first modern acting performance. All the great actors now are beholden to him.

The narrator explains history for about two minutes. That is the French national anthem.

There are actors from 34 different countries.

Zinger: is a line remember from a movie. Casablanca has many. Why did you come here? I came for the waters. This is the dessert. There are no waters. Then Rick says “I was misinformed.” I do not want to hear you talk about the usual things. I am not interested.

2. “I stick my neck out for nobody.” I am selfish and just take of myself. I do not help other people.

3. “Your business is politics. Mine is running a saloon.” I have no interest in what you are talking about. Actually, I look down on you for caring about such stupid things as nationality or politics.

Here is the scenario. Almost everyone wants the transit papers that Rick, the protagonist, has. The papers (visa) will allow you to go to America. Rick’s ex girlfriend has returned with her husband. She had an affair before with Rick.

They keep talking about a concentration camp. They would not have sent a rebel to a concentration camp. This is 1942.

America did not really know what a concentration camp was in 1942. They had heard the word, but not seen them.

The concentration camps are where the Nazis killed millions of Jews, gypsies, and gay people.

Gestapo are the secret police of the Nazis.

4. Here’s looking at you, kid.

5. We’ll always have Paris. This means I like you but we cannot be together anymore.

6. Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. This is ironic.

7. We don’t amount to a hill of beans. Existential (meaning of life) for we don’t have any influence in the world or it is useless to try.

8. Round up the usual suspects. This means the police are not going to do anything and do not care about this particular issue.

Gypsy, Romani, piker, pikey: They are a culture of people living throughout Europe. The stereotype is they are thieves and poor.

They originally came to Europe during the Middle Ages (500 AD to 1400 AD) from India. Right now, the world heavyweight boxer is a gypsy. The other stereotype is they are great fist fighters. They live in trailers or caravans.

This genre is gangster. It is US meets England. Brad Pitt is the lead. He was originally supposed to play Statham’s role, but he could not do a cockney accent (poor people in London). But he can do a pikey accent for some reason.

The writer and director is Guy Ritchie, Madonna’s ex-husband.

Orthodox Jews. Traditional.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angst

 

How many people have seen “Good Will Hunting?”

The first director was Indian American, first generation and the son of immigrants.

The third was female director.

The fourth is a gay director.

Good Will Hunting is a pun. We often use puns to write titles. Shakespeare loved to write puns.

Good Will: be nice to other people you don’t know

We should show good will to our fellow man at Christmas. The protagonist is name Will. I think his surname is hunting. Hunting is also a person looking for some kind of truth. Metaphor. He comes from a troubled past. He is an abused orphan.

My dad told me a story. It was a grade ten drop out. He was a cowboy. And he was a janitor. He cleaned the labs at the University of Toronto. While he was there, he worked nights and saw the experiments on radar. He figured out a lot of radar’s equations even though he was uneducated. Later, he IQ tested at 197.

It takes place in Boston. Listen for the accent. Robin Williams won the Oscar for best supporting actor.

The driving scene from Pulp Fiction, which copies the driving scene from A Clockwork Orange. The director was copying Stanley Kubrick, who is famous director, to show respect. This is called paying homage.

The fight scene and the eye is paying homage to A Clockwork Orange.

The socio-economic idea behind the movie. Rich class v. poor class.

Why does Will feel angst? Nervous feeling young

people have because they feel they cannot solve their

problems.

1.  Lack of opportunity based on social position (money). He should be a student in the university, not a janitor. Not fair.

2.  He feels trapped in his neighborhood.

3.  He was a physically abused child.

 

P.O. This is an acronym for parole officers.

They are both from the same poor, blue collar neighborhood in Boston.

Match cut: copying to get from scene A to scene B

The sea is a mess of color. The sink is a mess of dishes.

Hint about something we will see or know later in the film or book. We know that he’s married, but where is his wife, and why is he drinking heavily?

Pay homage to, bird’s eye view, misanthrope, misogynist, tracking shot, chronological is sequential, myth, represent: symbolize, genre, filial piety

 

Paragraph: five or more sentences; when you write, you should explain

Homework:

1.  Write three reasons you think (not me) Will feels angst or pushes people away.

2.  Write a couple sentences on Robin Williams’ biography.

3.  What is your favorite Robin Williams’ movie.

4.  Why does Will have an emotional response when the shrink mentions Oliver Twist. This is an 1840s novel by Charles Dickens.

I said the genre of Good Will Hunting is drama. More specifically, it is a coming-of-age drama.

Line from Shakespeare’s Henry V: “Once more into the breach.” The door to the castle. Henry is saying “do not give up fighting and run away. Re-attack the French.

 

Paying homage to: copying a scene from another movie to show respect to the filmmakers

Gus van Sant is paying homage to Danny Boyd’s Trainspotting. The job applicants do not want the job they are applying for. Here, Will’s friend is pretending to be him. In Trainspotting, Spud is on the dole (free living from the government), but must show that he is trying to find a job.