MOVIE SUMMARY (The count of Monte Cristo)

In the turbulent days in which France was transitioning away from Napoleonic rule, Edmond Dantes (Caviezel) and his closest friend, Fernand Mondego (Pearce), aspire to gain the same two things: the next captaincy of a ship in Morel's (Godfrey) Marseille-based shipping business and the hands of the lovely Mercedes Iguanada (Dominczyk).

Dantes and Mondego are diverted to Elba on a shipping mission because their captain requires medical attention. Assistance comes, unexpectedly, in the form of the personal physician of the exiled Napoleon (Norton). In return for the use of his doctor, Napoleon demands that Dantes deliver a letter for him and that the mission and the letter be kept a secret. Unknown to the illiterate Dantes, the letter will provide Bonapartists in Marseille information of pertinence to a possible rescue of Napoleon. Also unknown to him, Fernand has discovered and read the letter and has full knowledge of its contents.

On his return to France, Dantes's fortunes peak as Morel names him captain of one of his ships and an improved station in life prompts Edmond to propose to Mercedes, who accepts the offer. In the process of being beaten out of the two things that matter most to him in life, the jealous Fernand knows that the letter Dantes is carrying can be used to falsely implicate him in an act that might be viewed by local authorities as treasonous. Fernand, and his confidant, shipping colleague Danglars (Woodington), betray Dantes by making the magistrate Villefort (Frain) aware of the letter.

Dantes is taken by local authorities in front of Villefort. Despite his determination that Dantes is innocent of any crime, he becomes edgy upon learning that the letter was addressed to Noirtier Villefort, a known Bonpartist, and, consequently, a politically inconvenient father for a young man aspiring to a prominent law career in post-Napoleonic France. To eliminate all evidence that his father was involved in plans for an escape attempt by Napoleon from Elba, Villefort burns the letter and has Dantes arrested and taken to the Chateau D'If, a maximum security prison, where Dantes rots for over a decade, with no prospects of getting out in the imaginable future.

Dantes befriends a fellow prisoner named Abbe Faria (Harris), who is a great scholar and who, very gradually, transforms the unworldly Dantes into a wise, learned and cultivated man. Faria is an old man, however, and when he comes to realize that he is fatally ill, he tells Dantes of a great treasure and where it is buried.

Secretly placing himself in Faria's burial sack, which is to be thrown over the cliffs and into the river alongside the prison, Dantes manages to escape. After a dangerous ordeal in which he mingles with, but ultimately befriends, an enterprising, yet violent, group of smugglers led by Luigi Vampa (Blanc), he makes his way back to Marseilles. Dantes now turns his attention to claiming the treasure Abbe Faria had referred to.

After locating the treasure, Dantes's riches are suddenly boundless, but rather than retiring to a life of leisure, his new raison d'etre is vengeance, with the objects of his revenge being Fernand (now a count), Danglars (now a baron), and Villefort (now a chief prosecutor), all of whom live in Paris. As they are now members of Parisian high society, Dantes realizes that to gain access to them, he'll need to reinvent himself, and uses some of his newfound riches to purchase a huge estate near Paris. He then proclaims himself to be the Count of Monte Cristo, and although nobody knows of him, his claim is very credible in view of his visibly substantial wealth.

The Count plans a party at his new estate and invites many members of Parisian high society, including all the objects of his vengeance. Now having considerable access to each of them, one at a time, he successfully sets them up for failure. Danglars is tricked into an act of embezzlement and Villefort is tricked into confessing to conspiracy to have his own father murdered within earshot of local authorities.

The Count gains close access to Fernand and Mercedes, who are now husband and wife, by paying the smuggler Luigi Vampa to pretend to kidnap their son, Albert. This enables the Count himself to save Albert. Having saved their son, the Count is now welcome in the home of Fernand and Mercedes.

Taking note of his mannerisms, Mercedes soon works out that the Count is actually Edmond Dantes, but the Count still has a bone to pick with her, as she married Fernand very shortly after his arrest and had Fernand's son, Albert (Cavill), not long after that. This seemed a sign of her infidelity, but the Count ultimately learns that Villefort had announced that Dantes was dead shortly after the onset of his imprisonment. Fernand, it turns out, had bargained for this announcement, from which he hoped to gain the hand of Mercedes, by murdering, at Villefort's request, Villefort's father. Now understanding that Mercedes had believed him dead, the Count is less incensed by her marriage to Fernand, but still finds the very short period of time between his imprisonment and their marriage very unsettling.

The Count is about to turn his back completely on Mercedes. But then, Fernand's financial ruin from compulsive gambling compels him to leave Paris to evade his debtors, against whom he has committed crimes. Unwilling to follow Fernand with their son, Mercedes, finally, tells the Count the truth ---- she had married Fernand because she had, unknown to the Count, been impregnated by Dantes shortly before he was arrested. She wanted Albert to have a father. In truth, however, Albert's biological father is the Count himself.

Finally willing to forgive her, the Count falls in love all over again with Mercedes, and, with those who had betrayed them out of the way, they resolve to live their lives, casting aside the dark and regrettable episodes which had robbed them of so many happy times with each other and with their son Albert. Reaction/Reflection (The count of Monte Cristo) “God will give me justice,” this line which was engraved in the wall on the prison was retained on my mind when I watched the movie” The Count of Monte Cristo.” This movie amazed me very much because of its excellent theme.

I really like the story because it has a mixed of drama, suspense and romance. Furthermore, it was not a boring one to watch. The actors and actresses were superb in portraying their roles especially James Caviezel who portrayed the role of Edmond Dantes. I’m also amazed with the settings of the story. The views are awe-inspiring.

My adrenalin rush got higher because of many exciting scenes. First, was when Edmond Dantes was whipped in the prison by the authorities where he suffered in pain. Second, when another innocent prisoner taught him to write, read and to fence where he became wise and plotted revenge. Thirdly, when he fought with Fernand Mondego because it was very dramatic and it suspend me. I noticed also the rainbow while they are fighting.

After I watched the movie, I remember the two novels of Rizal because it has some similarities. Examples were the following; when Ibarra was abducted and imprisoned, the unending love for Maria Clara, and in El Filibusterismo where Ibarra disguised as Simoun and plotted for revenge also. No doubt, why Rizal enjoyed reading the book of “The Count of Monte Cristo,” by Alexander Dumas. And why people tried to made it as a movie.

The lavish scenery, dramatic acting and wonderful score all help make "The Count of Monte Cristo" a film worth watching. Truly, the movie was one of the best movies I watched in my eighteen years of existence and I really love it. I learned in this movie that “trials are not the reasons to give up but inspirations to move on.”

MOVIE SUMMARY (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)

Having run up large debts, a Kentucky farmer named Arthur Shelby faces the prospect of losing everything he owns. Though he and his wife, Emily Shelby, have a kindhearted and affectionate relationship with their slaves, Shelby decides to raise money by selling two of his slaves to Mr. Haley, a coarse slave trader. The slaves in question are Uncle Tom, a middle- aged man with a wife and children on the farm, and Harry, the young son of Mrs. Shelby’s maid Eliza. When Shelby tells his wife about his agreement with Haley, she is appalled because she has promised Eliza that Shelby would not sell her son.

However, Eliza overhears the conversation between Shelby and his wife and, after warning Uncle Tom and his wife, Aunt Chloe, she takes Harry and flees to the North, hoping to find freedom with her husband George in Canada. Haley pursues her, but two other Shelby slaves alert Eliza to the danger. She miraculously evades capture by crossing the half-frozen Ohio River, the boundary separating Kentucky from the North. Haley hires a slave hunter named Loker and his gang to bring Eliza and Harry back to Kentucky. Eliza and Harry make their way to a Quaker settlement, where the Quakers agree to help transport them to safety. They are joined at the settlement by George, who reunites joyously with his family for the trip to Canada.

Meanwhile, Uncle Tom sadly leaves his family and Mas’r George, Shelby’s young son and Tom’s friend, as Haley takes him to a boat on the Mississippi to be transported to a slave market. On the boat, Tom meets an angelic little white girl named Eva, who quickly befriends him. When Eva falls into the river, Tom dives in to save her, and her father, Augustine St. Clare, gratefully agrees to buy Tom from Haley. Tom travels with the St. Clares to their home in New Orleans, where he grows increasingly invaluable to the St. Clare household and increasingly close to Eva, with whom he shares a devout Christianity.

Up North, George and Eliza remain in flight from Loker and his men. When Loker attempts to capture them, George shoots him in the side, and the other slave hunters retreat. Eliza convinces George and the Quakers to bring Loker to the next settlement, where he can be healed. Meanwhile, in New Orleans, St. Clare discusses slavery with his cousin Ophelia, who opposes slavery as an institution but harbors deep prejudices against blacks. St. Clare, by contrast, feels no hostility against blacks but tolerates slavery because he feels powerless to change it. To help Ophelia overcome her bigotry, he buys Topsy, a young black girl who was abused by her past master and arranges for Ophelia to begin educating her.

After Tom has lived with the St. Clares for two years, Eva grows very ill. She slowly weakens, then dies, with a vision of heaven before her. Her death has a profound effect on everyone who knew her: Ophelia resolves to love the slaves, Topsy learns to trust and feel attached to others, and St. Clare decides to set Tom free. However, before he can act on his decision, St. Clare is stabbed to death while trying to settle a brawl. As he dies, he at last finds God and goes to be reunited with his mother in heaven.

St. Clare’s cruel wife, Marie, sells Tom to a vicious plantation owner named Simon Legree. Tom is taken to rural Louisiana with a group of new slaves, including Emmeline, whom the demonic Legree has purchased to use as a sex slave, replacing his previous sex slave Cassy. Legree takes a strong dislike to Tom when Tom refuses to whip a fellow slave as ordered. Tom receives a severe beating, and Legree resolves to crush his faith in God. Tom meets Cassy, and hears her story. Separated from her daughter by slavery, she became pregnant again but killed the child because she could not stand to have another child taken from her.

Around this time, with the help of Tom Loker—now a changed man after being healed by the Quakers—George, Eliza, and Harry at last cross over into Canada from Lake Erie and obtain their freedom. In Louisiana, Tom’s faith is sorely tested by his hardships, and he nearly ceases to believe. He has two visions, however—one of Christ and one of Eva—which renew his spiritual strength and give him the courage to withstand Legree’s torments. He encourages Cassy to escape. She does so, taking Emmeline with her, after she devises a ruse in which she and Emmeline pretend to be ghosts. When Tom refuses to tell Legree where Cassy and Emmeline have gone, Legree orders his overseers to beat him. When Tom is near death, he forgives Legree and the overseers. George Shelby arrives with money in hand to buy Tom’s freedom, but he is too late. He can only watch as Tom dies a martyr’s death.

Taking a boat toward freedom, Cassy and Emmeline meet George Harris’s sister and travel with her to Canada, where Cassy realizes that Eliza is her long-lost daughter. The newly reunited family travels to France and decides to move to Liberia, the African nation created for former American slaves. George Shelby returns to the Kentucky farm, where, after his father’s death, he sets all the slaves free in honor of Tom’s memory. He urges them to think on Tom’s sacrifice every time they look at his cabin and to lead a pious Christian life, just as Tom did.

Reaction/Reflection (Uncle Tom's Cabin)

The movie Uncle Tom's Cabin is a movie that moves many people. This is a movie that displays Harriet Beecher Stowe's immortal classic of an American literature. Also Uncle Tom's Cabin is a book that Abraham Lincoln credited with the starting of the civil war. Uncle Tom's Cabin is the eyewitness story about the slavery in the Deep South. Although Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the book in 1852 the release of this book and later the movie were one of the few that told of the hardships crossed with the old ways of slavery. Uncle Tom's Cabin, described by Stowe herself as a "series of sketches" depicting the human cruelty of slavery, opens with a description of Arthur Shelby's Kentucky plantation during the antebellum period. Although Shelby is not characterized as a cruel master, he has nevertheless incurred serious debts- prompting him sell some slaves to avoid financial ruin. Mr. Haley, the slave trader, purchases Uncle Tom, Shelby's loyal servant since childhood, and five-year-old Harry, a beautiful and talented child who sings, dances and mimes. Shelby regrets taking the child away from his mother, Eliza, as much as he regrets betraying Uncle Tom's faithfulness. Eliza overhears Mrs. Shelby, a very religious woman, protesting her husband's decision, and decides to flee the plantation with her son. George, her husband from a neighboring plantation, has already left for Canada via the "underground railroad," a secret network of people who usher runaway slaves to freedom in the North. Eliza plans to do the same, and tries to convince Uncle Tom to save himself and come with her. Uncle Tom, however, must remain loyal to his master, despite his betrayal and the risk of death at the cruel hands of a new master, and does not accompany Eliza on her journey to the Ohio River. Throughout the novel, Stowe shows slavery as hurtful and harmful to individual slaves, physically and emotionally; she knows this will have a wrenching emotional effect upon her audience. Thus Harris's forcing George to kill his own dog, Eliza's painful and frightened flight away from the only home she remembers, Tom's heartbroken farewell to his wife and children, the separation of old Aunt Hagar from her last and only child, the brutal whippings endured by George, Prue, Tom — all of these incidents are effective in showing the institution as it creates pain. But even more terrible, from Stowe's point of view, is its creation of moral injury. Beginning subtly, with her sketch of Black Sam on Shelby's farm, whose morality is compromised by his need to promote himself as a favorite to his master (making him willing to help capture Eliza and her son if need be), Stowe shows slaves whose moral and spiritual soundness is damaged or destroyed by what happens to them. Lucy, on the steamboat, commits suicide despite Tom's efforts to help her. Old Prue, in New Orleans, tells Tom she would rather go to hell than to a heaven where white people are; she is in despair, and she dies in this condition. Cassy, too, is in despair; she has committed murder and attempted murder, and she is ready to kill Legree. St. Clare's slaves, who have learned to see themselves as materialistically as their owners see them, are morally degenerate. The thousands of slaves sold into sexual slavery or used sexually by their owners are in grave moral danger. Children like Topsy, raised to think of themselves as objects, of no value, are being set up, through absolutely no fault of their own, for morally barren lives — and worse, for lives of sin: the choice of evil over good. The theme of Uncle Tom's Cabin, then, is the conflict between the evil of slavery and the good of Christian love. Eva, symbolic of this sort of love, is killed (mythically) by slavery, but like Tom, she triumphs over death and thus over evil. If Tom were willing to hate Legree, to deny him Christian love, still he would not necessarily be willing to kill the man, as Cassy asks, or to allow Cassy to kill him, or to run away along with Cassy and Emmeline and leave Legree's other slaves to face the consequences — nor, of course, would he necessarily be willing to give up Cassy and Emmeline's hiding place to Legree; the difference, however, would be one of degree, not of kind. Tom too, then, dies but triumphs over death — as, we are meant to understand, do the two men who have carried out Legree's orders to kill him, saved from evil by Tom's dying love and forgiveness. Legree does not so triumph; in spite of Tom's prayers, we are told that he continues to choose evil and at last dies in it, physically as he has spiritually — and no doubt luckily for the popularity of the novel, whose readers might have protested had the villain been allowed to escape his just punishment in the afterlife. MOVIE SUMMARY (Flame in the Wind)

The show focused on the community of Haviland and its citizens. The main families were the Skerba, Reynolds, Austens, and Farrells.

When the series began, Haviland's richest citizen, widowed Kate Austen (Kathleen Maguire) wrote a novel, in the same manner as Main Street, which showed Haviland's citizens in a less than perfect light. After the novel was stopped by her publisher, she and her son, Chris (Richard Thomas), left Haviland, never to return. Her former mother-in-law, Louise Austen (Josephine Nichols) remained in town to become a friend to Jason Farrell (Walter Coy), who had marital troubles with his wife, Leslie (Rita Lloyd); Kate's place as town gossip was taken by Miriam Bentley (Lesley Woods).

The later stories were focused on young love, embodied by the two Skerba sisters, Linda (Barbara Rodell; Jane Elliot) and Jane (Beverly Hayes; Margaret Ladd), battling over the same young man, Steve Reynolds, the son of Kate's former book publisher, Craig Reynolds (Frank Schofield). Linda, who eventually went to New York, to become an actress, dated her director, Paul Davis (Conard Fowkes); and sensible Jane remained behind in Haviland and married Steve Reynolds (Gordon Gray; Tom Holland). However, later on, Linda and wealthy Roxanne Farrell Reynolds (Margaret Hayes) vied for the same guy, Doug Colton (Ion Berger), who eventually married Roxanne for her money.

When the show's title was changed to A Time for Us, (the title which it became better known) the Skerba family (besides Jane and Linda, the family included their father Al (Roy Poole), a construction foreman; and Martha (Lenka Peterson), the sympathetic mother) underwent a name change as well. Since the name, Skerba, was considered somewhat ethnic for the time, it was changed to the more Americanized name of Driscoll. Which was successful in that it eliminated the class conflict that had been part of the show's first year, and put the Driscolls on the same social footing as the other families of Haviland.

The series is notable for beginning many careers of performers. Leslie Charleson, Jane Elliot, Margaret Ladd, Terry Logan, and Barbara Rodell are among them. Oscar-nominated actress Anne Revere also appeared on this show.

Reaction/Reflection (Flame in the Wind)

This movie is a set in the splendor and terror of the Spanish Inquisition and is a gripping drama of heroic Christian faith. Carlos, an earnest young nobleman, faces a choice: the church system offers safety, protection, and respectability; but the Scriptures offer Christ and salvation from sin and with these, torture and death. This film vividly portrays the conflict between following the Bible and following religious tradition.

MOVIE SUMMARY (Jose Rizal) The movie begins in 1891 with Jose Rizal, played by Cesar Montano, as an established author and linguist who speaks more than 20 languages. He vows to write about the sufferings of the Filipino people under the tyranny of Spanish rule, and about their abuse by corrupt priests. Rizal's writings galvanize the Filipino people but earn the scorn of the Spanish government, which vows to crush the rebellion of the Filipinos. The Spanish military capture and torture Jose's brother Paciano, played by Pen Medina, to determine Jose's role in the rebellion. During a flashback, Jose says Paciano greatly influenced him by exposing him to the injustice going on in the Philippines. Paciano is released after his interrogation and returns to Manila, where the family plans to go on the run. An order is given to arrest Jose Rizal on sight.

The movie cuts back to Jose's childhood, when he was called Pepe. When he is a child, his mother is falsely arrested for attempted murder and jailed for two years. He gets attention from educators early on for his intelligence and writing prowess. As a young man, he criticizes a college professor for stating that Spaniards are superior to Filipinos. Filipino students start fighting Spanish students after Jose starts raising the issue of Filipino independence. Cutting back to 1896, Jose is captured and put on trial, and his books are banned.

The film then cuts back and forth between Jose's rise as a revolutionary and his fall from grace during his trial. As a student, Rizal spent significant time in Madrid but then became disgusted with Spain's occupation of Filipino land and Spanish treatment of Filipino citizens. The mayor of Madrid is arrested and discredited for having a Rizal book. A violent revolt breaks out in 1896, which Jose does not support because he sees it as mass suicide. Going back to the trial, enormous pressure is put upon Jose's defense attorneys, with critics branding them as traitors for defending the rebel. It is revealed in a flashback that Jose had fathered a child that had died soon after birth, adding to his inner turmoil as he buried his only son. In the trial, his books are examined and criticized for their pro-Filipino stance against Spanish imperialists. He is found guilty of staging a rebellion through his speaking and writing, and he's condemned to death by firing squad. He sneaks a poem to his family before his execution, and he yells "It is done!" A full-blown rebellion is soon under way. Two years later, in 1898, the Filipino flag is lifted triumphantly as the citizens celebrate their independence. Reaction/Reflection (Jose Rizal) I think that Cesar Montano’s interpretation of our hero Rizal is better than todays’ Rizal thespians. I guess, his acting became the springboard of all Rizal-to-be actors. Overall, the movie’s great – with a bit of flaws but still great. My reaction would be based on these three ideas: Cesar’s performance, the movie’s flaws, and lastly, its good sides.

Firstly, Cesar Montano is a man worthy of praises for his excellent performance in his portrayal of Dr. Rizal. His actions embodied and convinced the audience that he is Rizal; he is not the contemporary Montano but instead, he is the personification of our national hero. Rizal’s hesitations, his daydreams, his anger, and happiness – these were all seen within Cesar’s eyes. You’d almost say he was born as the reincarnation of Rizal because his acting was almost natural. The way he walked, talked, and acted out his feelings were neither too dramatic nor too somber – it was the right mixture of both and it turned out splendidly.

Now, how am I sure that that is how the real Rizal works? That that is how the actual Rizal acts, speaks, and behaves? Well, I’m not. Like most people who lived out of Rizal’s time frame, I am only assuming things according to how I see Rizal through various exposures to his works, biographies, subjects, topics, ideas, trivia, and generally on what had been taught in school.

Every individual, being unique in nature, has his or her own unique mind that works in different ways. That is why, I view Rizal as to how Cesar played it and whatever view you may have, that does not generally apply to me. This is my reaction to Cesar’s acting and if some people do not agree with that, I’m fine with that. But don’t have misconceptions that I like Cesar Montano as an artist and that I’m an avid fan of him, which I’m not. I am simply stating my opinions on his performance without any biases of the sort. The second part of my reaction is about the movie’s flaws. If you are not very familiar with Philippine history; the Spanish Colonial Era; Jose Rizal and the other propagandists; and or you are simply not good with time frames, then this movie will confuse you. Why? For the reason that, the movie’s structure is of the conversational type – every instances that a certain conversation triggers something, the influx in time is imminent – from the present, the screen plays a narration of either the past; an episode from Dr. Rizal’s works; or the past in yet, another past. It flows like a dream within a dream. It shows Dr. Rizal’s life in bits – like a puzzle that works out its way to assemble its lost pieces. Eventhough this certain type of movie structure has its own charm and beauty, certain audiences might get confuse. Thus, it becomes highly recommendable for viewers to have even a bit of background to fully capture the intent of the film.

Furthermore, I do not know if this is included but, my copy is like the film’s structure – shown in bits and pieces plus a certain file does not have an audio when you reach its middle part. But then, maybe it was just that this film is old enough to be considered as vintage for those who live in the 21st century like me so its quality is not of the highest quality.

Lastly, of course I will not focus myself and waste my time until the end of my paper, criticizing this movie and pointing out its flaws. I will also give out its good points.

One of it I think is the way the movie was presented. I know that I had just criticized it on my previous reaction but it could also be its natural charm. The novelty of the presentation – of its structure – is what made it most interesting. Instead of the plain and clichéd story telling type, it invoked the audience’s mind to stitch up the memories presented – giving them the opportunity to see inside Rizal’s mind. It is a stimulating activity wherein the audience sees the events just as how Rizal remembers it – not on a storyteller’s point of view rather, on the POV of Rizal and how his fate unfolded before him towards his self-induced death. This movie may be an older version and of the medium quality but it still gives its audience a great view on the events during Rizal’s time. It still gives off that nationalistic spirit and feeling at the end when the guns were triggered and the awful thud of Rizal’s lifeless body finally fell back on the earth of his homeland. “It is done.”

Reflection:

While watching the movie, I felt good and I felt bad. Good for the times when Rizal was enjoying the joys of the world, the glory of living, and the thrill of experiences. And then I felt bad for the worst times: the brutality; the inhumane acts towards our ancestors; and the permanent scar it left on our people – ignorant love for the foreign world and its glittering gifts. University of Eastern Philippines RUniversity Town, Northern Samar E A CT PI 311 IO(Rizal, Life, and Woks) MOVIES:

 The Count Of Monte  A Flame In The Wind Cristo  José Rizal  UncleN Tom’s Cabin SUBMITTED BY: TERESA F. PULGA BSCE – 2B SUBMITTED TO: PA JOSE E. VIVA PE PROFESSOR