Mercutio

One of the most famous stories of tragic love ever written is, of course, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. This story that talks about the conflict of two families and the pure love of two kids from these families has been recreated millions of times, it may be in theatres, movies, parodies and even comics. One of these adaptations is from a movie of 1996 named "Romeo + Juliet." From the beginning the movie will show you that it is one of a kind. It is set in an eccentric 90's place which looks a lot like Mexico City, but the dialogues remain as the Shakespeare's play. All the characters are a funny mix between classic and surreal, but I think that Mercutio is the character that is best represented.

First of all, Mercutio is a very relaxed person who just wants to have a good time despite what people can think of him. We can see this in a very funny scene in the movie when he dresses up as an extravagant lady for the party, he goes around dancing, shaking his body, and making jokes of his fancy dress with Romeo and the other lads. Everything about him shows his free spirit: the way he talks, the way he moves and even the way he dresses with the loose shirts. He always seems to be having a real good life without any concerns that common people has like in the movie when he is in the pool or at the beach just chilling out.

As in the play, Mercutio is a very loyal friend, he is Romeo's best friend and during all his appearance in the movie he demonstrates it. He worries about Romeo when he notices him all depressed because of Rosaline and tries to make him feel better with his poetical words and stories and he gets the invitations for the Capulet's party for Romeo to have a good time and for assuring this he gives him Ecstasy which makes him feel all dizzy and weird. Mercutio is neither a Capulet nor a Montague but he is always in the side of the Montague and he when he is fighting to dead with Tybalt, he supports Romeo, it seems that the only thing that can concern him in the whole world is Romeo and the conflict with the families, as his last words were "A plague on both your houses."

Mercutio is a very unique and clever character. His words are full of wittiness and puns like when he tells the story to Romeo or all the times that he is laughing at the Capuleto with a reckless humor. He has the perfect ability to vanish all the tense moments in the movie and make the audience to smile and laugh because he is always joking around and that is a very important thing to say since the story is a tragedy itself.

Romeo + Juliet is a very funny adaptation due to the set, language and characters. All the development of the movie is like a tragicomedy and a big part of this is because of the character of Mercutio who fills the scenes with jokes and witty words, always being the loyal friend of the protagonist. This is why it makes him the best character in the film.

Freytag pyramid: Goodfellas

Exposition: The exposition occurs at the beginning of the movie when Henry Hill is a kid and explains that he always wanted to be a gangster and when he's hired by one of them (Paulie) who is italian, Henry is half italian and half irish. Henry enjoys a lot working for Paulie and he left school.

Inciting moment: This happens when Henry becomes one of the crew and commit his first assault which is the one of Air France. At the age of 21 he is living a dream and he has everything that he wants: respect, money and power

Rising Action: When Tommy murders Billy Batts with the help of Henry and they have to hide it from Paulie because Billy Batts was a "made man" which means that he was from the Gambino family and that made him "untouchable".

Complication: Karen got very upset with Henry and she tries to kill him because she is being untrue to her, so he is sent to Florida to intimidate a man but they are caught, so they are sent to jail.

Climax: Henry and the crew commit the Lufthansa heit which is the biggest in the history, but things began to complicate and all of the persons who got involved were killed by Jimmy except Henry.

Reversal: Henry gets into the drug business and he hides it from Paulie because he doesn't want to have anything with drugs.

Falling action: He is always very freaked out because of the drugs and he became a mess, so he is sent to jail again, but now because of the cocaine business.

Catastrophe: He is poor, he has no friends and he is going to get killed by Jimmy because Jimmy feels that Henry might denounce him.

Moment of last suspense: When he has to make the decision of what to do, if kill Jimmy, go and make the favor for Jimmy (in which he will get killed) or enter to the Witness Protection Program.

Resolution: He goes to the Witness Protection Program and he protects his family, living like a "normal person" finishing his gangster life. He finishes with this line:
"I'm an average nobody. I get to live the rest of my life like a schnook."

Amélie

Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain. That is the original name of the romantic comedy Amélie which is one of the biggest hits of the french film industry. In all the world, it reached important places in the cinema, even in France, it did what almost any movie can't do, it overthrew the Hollywood movies, and that is one thing to say, but there is much more that makes Amélie a great movie.


What makes this movie so good? First of all, the beginning of the movie catches your attention immediately with the little Amélie and the narrator telling her story. This is basic for understanding her development and her personality, she is a very shy girl with a mind full of imagination who enjoys the simple things in life. But she is not the only character in the story, every character in the film that coexist with her is full of a witty extravagance which makes them very complex but at the same time very simple. Solitude is the general ingredient for every character, but each one develops a series of wonderful characteristics, from the loneliness of her father, a good man in desperate need of a push to face the world after the death of his wife to the brief love story of hipocondriac Georgette with obsesive Joseph.


But the movie is not about the characteristics of the characters, it´s about Amelie´s positive and unselfish actions. Amelie is all about love to other people, each person is a different challenge and she is more than willing to help. It can be by writing a love letter from a dead husband to an ever waiting wife, confusing the routine of a rude boss in other to defend a good and loyal employee, showing a world full of life to an old man afraid to go outside of his own apartment and even taking pictures of a  traveling garden dwarf in order to give the courage to her father to go one with his life. But even with her good actions Amelie is the one who truly needs the help to find that special someone, but it is hard for her because in spite of having the courage to help other she doesn't have the courage to help herself, thank god one of her friends is willing to return the favor and help her find the love of her life.


Being Amelie the principal element of the movie, let us not forget the other elements that make this an amazing movie: location, photography, atmosphere and music combine in order to create the perfect scenario. Paris captures the romantic feel to the movie, with is old streets and seductive language. The amazing use of light and shadow in the photography gives life to every scene. The joyful atmosphere that surrounds every scene even if it's a sad one, it will have a strange happy feel that marks every moment of this film. The music is a key element, every song created by Yann Tiersen has it's own life and story and is not the kind of music that only works when you see the movie, it's a soundtrack that you can carry anywhere and it will create a good feeling in you.


You can see every blockbuster that is in the cinema right know, but I guarantee the none of them has the genious and the perfect combination of elements that Amelie posses. This is not a film of a generation, it's a film for all generations, it's the proof that a good movie can use and intelligent and funny language to tell a simple story, the story of a girl that still believes in love and in helping people, and also is a reminder to recall the good things in life, the simple things.

Who is James Dean?

James Dean was an actor born in 1931 in the U.S.A. His most famous movie was "Rebel without a cause"which he starred. Other popular films where he acted are "East of Eden" and "Giant". He died in 1955 at the age of 24 due to a car race. He is now considered an icon of the Pop Culture. 

Smell

Anger, despair, anxiety, sadness, apathy, wrath. That day I felt all of those things and more that I will not mention because, believe me, you don't want to hear it my dear reader. It all began in the morning with a beautiful and shiny day and I was late for school, I had just woke up, I didn't even had the time to take a shower because I had to run to reach the bus school and guess what? I didn't reach it so I had to wait for the public bus.

In the bus my mind was very busy cursing everything when suddenly I felt a cold rush and remembered that I had forgot my design project next to my bed. What could I do? I was in total despair. When I arrived to the class I told my teacher and she just laugh at me "Too bad, what a pity" she said. I felt that the world was crushing me, then I noticed that literally I stank, I smelled real bad because of the lack of shower and sweat of the running.

Everyone ran away from me because of my bad smell and I was there, standing alone in a corner feeling like a total emo, hoping for the earth to swallow me, but it didn't matter how much I wished it, it never happened. I went back home hoping to calm down myself, but oh surprise my dear reader, my mom had prepared a giant list for me to do, so I got mad at her and had a fight, I was out of control. She told me that I had to go to the supermarket to buy the food for the dinner.

I took her car because the shiny day turn into a storm and while I was cursing my life I suddenly noticed a blind old man asking for charity in the street, he was all wet, I was in total shock. I had my eyes, I was healthy, I wasn't cold, I had a house, food, family and a very good life. In that very moment my mind cleared from all the bad stuff and I received something that I will call an epiphany. I imagined this man's life and saw that mine wasn't a crap at all, I am not telling that his life was, who am I to judge? But mine, truly wasn't and I spent all the day with negative things instead of seeing the nice side.

When I returned back home, I apologized to my mom. The rain had gone, a rainbow didn't appeared but it was nice to see that the sky was cleared, like my mind. I always try to be positive now, it is a waste of time to be negative and curse everything while life is happening.