Alex Sanders: Response to the The Return

'THE RETURN'
ENG 282 Response



Okay, this is honestly one of the best movies I've ever seen!

I'm not going to review the film from a filmmaker's point of view because I didn't watch it from a filmmaker's point of view and I ALWAYS, ALWAYS watch movies through a filmmaker's eyes!

The way the film looked was sort of low-budget but that didn't take anything away from the story nor the film itself! It just made it seem more impressive because it lookeded like a film that my friends and me could've made. Omigod - I haven't stopped thinking about it since I saw it. The ending of the film hurt to watch because I think I know what was in the box. I grew up never knowing my mother so the relationship between him and Ivan was sort of like mine and my father. The soundtrack of the film, which I think was only several instrumentals is absolutely captivating and at the end of the film, the music helped make the ending as superb as it was! It was odd that that THE FATHER never really showed love but some fathers are like that - they love their children but have a hard time showing it. Especially fathers to sons. But I could see the love in the father's eyes sometimes - like for instance, when IVAN told him he was nothing and he said you're wrong, son (I THINK WHATEVER WAS IN THE BOX had something to do with the father replying to this like he did).

I think also what was in the box was something that he wanted to SHARE with his sons - something that described me or was something that maybe his father gave him. Something that would help his sons figure him out since they didn't know him.

But all in all, man, such a great film, it made me want to BE a father for some reason and have sons and just
love them. I will buy this movie and watch it probably watch a month - it's like The Shawshank Redemption - a movie that I will watch over and over and share with others!

The theme of the film to me has to do with the universal tales of fathers and sons, meaning a lot of times in life with everyone, there is this sort of rebellion we have against our fathers. Either we don't want to be like them or we feel compelled to BECOME SOMETHING because they put high expectations on it. But with this one, I think it has to do with never getting a chance to say what you want to someone you love or need to say. But it's strange because some people believe that there never was a father so if that's the case, the theme of the movie is letting go of their father and moving on. If that's the case, it has to do with them going on this trip to become men and grow up and leave behind the need of a father.

Thadeus Pettry: Response to Trainspotting

Trainspotting
by Thaddeus Pettry
ENG 282 Response



“Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a starter home. Choose dental insurance, leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose your future. But why would anyone want to do a thing like that?”

The film Trainspotting centers around a group of heroin addicted friends in the gloomy Scottish town of Edinburgh, and highlights the pleasures and struggles that come with their addictions. From the groups highest highs to their lowest lows, the makers of this film have taken the controversial topic of drug use and while not glamorizing it by any means, they have shown that this topic can be shown in an upbeat way, with the immediate pleasures of drug use being seen as well as the desperate lows which will always follow.

The topic of drug use and the drug users that make up this subculture is most often villified and looked down upon by most mainstream media outlets with the lows of drug use always being the topic, while the pleasures(which are just as real) are always ignored. This film takes on both sides of drug use and perfectly captures the feelings and emotions that drug users and the people they affect go through.

The tag line for the movie which is posted above really sets the tone for this film and this topic. To sum it up, you can either choose a regular suburban life which while stable and safe, can also be unrewarding and dull, or you can choose a different way of living, in this case, the life of a drug user. The main character of the film is Renton, whose highs and lows drive the movie, while the rest of the bunch each add their own unique touch to the issues of drug addiction and everything that surrounds addiction.

A period of the movie which I think captures the experience of being a drug user perfectly is the first montage when the group decides to get back on heroin and thus begin stealing and committing other crimes in order to get the money to support their habit. After the initial joys of this lifestyle are shown, the subsequent horrors that these acts have lead to, including the neglectful death of a baby, and ultimately, Renton's overdose and hellish battle with withdrawal are seen. While the immediate blissfulness of heroin is clearly shown as Renton and his friends inject themselves, the scenes which follow show that no matter how pleasurable this drug may be, the downside of heroin will always nullify any potential pleasure.

For this film to take on the controversial issue of drug use and clearly show both very different sides of drug use while still finding a way to be humorous throughout is a testament to the films makers, who show a great understanding of drug addiction which is rarely seen in modern media. This film is not anti-drugs, but is an open ended look on the gap between normal culture and subculture and how individuals become enveloped in this struggle. The viewer is left to decide his own feelings towards the subject, an idea which is rare in today's media whom take an all powerful and all knowing approach to anything outside the “normal” standards which they have set.

“So choose life. Choose a job. Choose a starter home. Choose dental insurance, leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose your future. But why would anyone want to do a thing like that?” The answer to the question is up to you.

ENG 282: Response Credits

Alex Sanders: 1 (The Return)

Chris Bright: 1 (Lady Vengeance)

Jeff Stiles: 2 (Tarantino; Trainspotting)

Kate Cannon: 0

Katherine Brown: 2 (Code Unknown; Hero)

Kristina Radford: 2 (Lady Vengeance; The Return)

Megan Mefford: 1 (Hero)

Ramona Waldman: 1 (Code Unknown)

Ruda Tovar: 0

Sean McNally: 1 (Code Unknown)

Thadeus Pettrey 1 (Trainspotting)