Select 3 moments or scenes from the film that scaffold up to
the emotional impact of its resolution. How do these scenes contribute to the
audience’s emotional response?
Would the impact of the film have changed if Guido Orifice
had survived? Would you have preferred this? Why or why not?
Click here to read 2 articles regarding zombie economics: ARTICLE 1; ARTICLE 2. Do you buy (pun fully intended) the link between economics
and zombies? Defend your claim, which should include integrated quotations from the articles.
How does the expositional treatment of The Walking Dead pilot differ from the foundation of many other
forms of storytelling? How is it the same?
The allure of horror- with its gore and violence- only lasts
so long. What storytelling features do you think maintain The Walking Dead's profound
and widespread following? Explain.
33 comments:
The expositional plot of The Walking Dead varies a lot from other films. In a "traditional" zombie movie we see how the world goes from good to bad. This film throws you into the apocalypse with the main character, Rick, waking up from being in the hospital to a world that he could never even imagine. All of a sudden Rick is faced with the challenge of survival without his family or friends. No one is there to tell him what has happened to everyone. He is left to fend for himself and find humanity. Rick is thrown into high school without having any elementary education. This really shows you what kind of character Rick is. Overall, the expositional plot of The Walking Dead varies a lot from other zombie films.
Connor Binegar Life is beautiful questions
1. I feel that the film "life is beautiful" lives up to its title very well. Even though the film has a darkness that is added to it the title really does a good job at showing the value of life in general. the title is very ironic but true. this movie shows that life is a truly beautiful thing and even though you may face hardship if you have loved ones with you your future will not matter if you have those who love you with you.
2. If I were to pick three scenes from "life is Beautiful" that are the most emotional for the audience I think there would be a select few that would effect the audience majorly. the first is when the main character is talked to by the German men in suits, this shows what is to come for them. the second scene is when the boy and father are put on the train to go to the work camp. the final impactful scene is when the father starts the "game" with his son, this is to try and keep his son safe from the Germans.
3. I think the impact of the film would have been majorly changed if Guido had survived in the end. the end would have been much happier if he family would have ended up reuniting with his family and going back to the happy life he lead before.
With all the blood and gore, The Walking Dead needs a story line that keeps viewers hooked. This show depicts a very interesting story of a group of people that are trying to find ways to survive after the world becomes overturned by zombies. There is a lot of suspense in the show as well as dramatic irony to keep the viewer entertained. Everyone in the show faces hardship as well. The sympathy created by this really draws people in to watch the show. We see loss of family and friends as well as facing the anxiety and depression that comes with surviving in the new world. Overall, The Walking Dead features a story line that maintains its profound and widespread following.
1.) I think that the film “Life is Beautiful” lives up to its title. Guido portrays that life is beautiful to his son. He doesn’t portray life to be bad at all to his son, he makes his son think that everything is okay and nothing is how it seems. Throughout the whole movie, Guido has his son believe that everything is a game, and his son falls for the game. To the son life is beautiful, he plays all the ‘games’ at the concentration camp and in the end he gets to be with his mother again. The son is the one who has a beautiful life, not knowing all the bad there is in the world. Guido provided the storyline of a beautiful life to his son, he didn’t want his son to think anything other than life is good.
2.) The scene where Guido and his son are leaving his store, and he pulls down the wall and there is graffiti on it is important. Guido’s son asked why it said no Jews, this is important because Guido is Jewish and I could foreshadow them both later ending up at the concentration camp. On the way to the concentration camp Guido tells his son that he is taking him away for his birthday. Guido says that they are going to play a game and whoever gets the most points wins. Guido is happy, not trying to show his son what a concentration camp really is. Others are looking at Guido thinking that he is crazy and if he keeps it up it will not be looking good for him. The scene in the house where his son doesn’t want to shower is very important. At the concentration camp his son refused to shower with the rest of the kids. Guido did his best to keep his son hidden, and in doing that he was caught and later killed. These scenes contribute to the audience’s emotional response by Guido dying. The audience has strong emotions to Guido dying because he had kept his sons dreams alive.
3.) I think the impact of the film would have changed if Guido had stayed alive. I would have preferred this because I thought that the boy should have been able to see his father again, after he had saved his sons life. Guido had cared only about his sons own safety rather than his own. His son should have had the right to see his father again, so his father could maybe tell his son the truth. His son will never get to see his father again, and I think that he will be very upset over it. Guido had the biggest impact on his son’s imagination, and his son will never really know why his father did what he did. If Guido had survived then he would have still continued to protect his son, and see his wife again. Guido’s family will never be complete again because he is dead.
Allison Brooks
1. I think the title of “Life is Beautiful” is a little ironic. In the beginning, the film lives up to its name because that’s when Guido meets his wife and has a great job as a waiter in a fancy restaurant. Everything is going great for him but then he gets sent to a concentration camp. His life is the opposite of what it used to be and that’s what makes the title ironic. Being in a concentration camp is arguably the least beautiful thing in someone’s life so it would appear strange to name a movie something so pleasant given the dark plot. On the other hand, the actions Guido took to protect his son. He wanted to protect his son’s innocence by creating this concept of a game which, in itself, is a beautiful thing. Guido wanted to ensure that his son only saw that life is beautiful and didn’t see the horrible harshness that can come from it.
2. The movie does a good job in characterizing Guido. The scene where he falls from the top of the barn into the hay and tells a girl that he is a prince and continues that story when he meets his future wife shows that he is a creative guy that the audience enjoys. He progressively becomes more and more likeable because of the scenes where he is doing his job as a waiter and is answering riddles and making jokes with the customers. He is a fun character to watch. Finally, while he and his son are in the concentration camp, he creates this game for his son so he doesn’t realize what is actually happening. This shows how caring and selfless Guido is because he disregards some of the prison rules (using the intercom to talk to his wife) in order to make sure his son is always happy even though he was being overworked and starved. This made the ending much more emotional because the audience felt a relationship with Guido, like he was a real person. It was also emotional because Guido seemed like such a great person and he didn’t deserve that type of ending.
3. The impact of the movie would not be as great is Guido survived. If the movie had that kind of happy ending, it would not have taught the audience much about the Holocaust. It didn’t have a happy ending, but the fact that the boy left the camp with one parent was at least something to smile about. I think anyone would want Guido to have made it out alive but it was probably a good decision to have him killed. It made the movie emotional and kept the film accurate to the history of the time period.
Life Is Beautiful
1. The film “Life is Beautiful” is able to live up to its name. It shows how valuable life is by showing how much Guido loves his son and tries all he can to protect him. Throughout the entirety of their time at the concentration camp, Guido is pretending that the whole thing is a game and they will get a tank at the end. The way that movie way set up and how it introduced the characters without telling that the holocaust was happening let you grow on the characters and end up liking him. The way he protected his son’s life showed how beautiful life really is.
2. The film had moments that contributed to the emotional impact of Guido’s death. One of the major contributors to this impact is the events before his son was born when he was Dora, his “princess”. This helped the viewer learn Guido as a character and formed an emotional bond to the character. Another scene that contributed to the emotional impact was the scene when Guido pretends to know German to explain the rules of the “game” to his son. This scene showed the lengths that Guido would go through to save his son. The last scene that builds up to the emotional impact of the end is the scene when he spoke over the intercom of the camp to his wife. This scene showed that he was still the same Guido that he was before the unfortunate chain of events happened and that he still loved his family greatly.
3. The impact would have changed if Guido Orifice had survived. The main emotional impact of the movie was that he sacrificed himself to save his family. I would have preferred of he had lived because it would have been a happier and he went through so much work to save his family it would have been nice to see him live through it.
Ryan Wheeler
6.) The storyline feature that maintains the walking deads profound and widespread following would be the scene of family and goodness lastling in a hectic world. You start the show with Rick Grimes who wakes up alone in a hospital and his only mission now is to find his wife and chile. Once reunited Rick does all he can to keep them out of harms way. The group they are apart of becomes more of a family unit then you would expect in the circumstances but now they will protect each other even if it gets them killed. I belive how the characters grow and become better versions of themselves also resonates with the audience.
5.)The expositional treatment of the walking dead pilot differs from the foundation of many other storytelling because it does not crowd the viewer with too much useless information right off the bat. Other shows try to set up so much in the pilot that it can be overwhelming over time and frankly confusing. The walking dead set it up with all you need to know to start watching and gives you the idea that more information will come when needed. I mean what's the point of spoilers when you want some surprise?
1.)The film “life is Beautiful” i feel lives up to its title. Sick as it may be that he died at the end of the movie, but the story showed the ups and downs of life and how every day can be made beautiful if you only let it. He was such a happy man that he never let anything spoil his mood, he even created a game for the kid to play along to so that he could enjoy every day. Life is all about enjoying the little things, thats what makes it beautiful.
-AriannaHeath
Life is beautiful questions
1. In “Life is Beautiful” it has a name to live up to and to explain. In my opinion it does live up to its name. It lives up to its name because it shows you why you should appreciate your life and that you can be fulfilled by protecting your family. It lives up to its name because the main character shows us how to enjoy the life we are given even though he gets stuck in a concentration camp. So although he dies and the circumstances were terrible, he shows that there are things to live for, like his son and he tries to get him out alive, and does succeed even though it costs him his life.
2. A scene that scaffolds up to the movie’s resolution would be the scene where he gets his future wife to run away with him. The scene sets the resolution up because it shows a connection to each other emotionally. Another scene would be the scene where they show he has a son and that he tries to protect him in the concentration camp and he uses the game to protect him. Lastly would be the scene where he hides his son and gets him out alive. This adds to the emotional impact of the story and changes how we view it in the end.
3. The outcome would have changed because it would cause a weaker emotional impact on the audience and it would change the perception of the movie. The movie was made to end correctly because of his death he made more people feel emotional and making the movies message stronger and more thought provoking than it would have been if he would have survived.
-Camden Cleathero
The film "Life is Beautiful" could be argued that the title is both misleading and fitting to the story it depicts. On one hand, the little boy, Joshua, has no idea of what is happening to Jewish people and thinks that him being sent to a concentration camp is a game. Joshua and his mother, Dora, escape from the concentration camp the were sent to and are free by the end of the film. This shows how the title of the film is fitting for the screenplay seen. On the other hand, the father of Joshua and husband of Dora, Guido, goes through torture in the camp and has to put on a smile for Joshua. Day after day he is overworked and has to return to his son saying how he had a good day. Unfortunately, Guido does not make it out of the camp and this is why the title might be considered unfit for the featured film.
The film Life is Beautiful lives up to its title in multiple ways to create, in a way, a happy ending for Joshua. Although the intention for the movie is to be sad, Joshua gets a happy ending and his family never loses hope throughout the entire film. While in the concentration camp, Guido creates a positive environment for Joshua. The film lives up to the title because even though Guido dies, he dies trying to help his family. Life is beautiful for Joshua. He gets to see his mother again, gets to ride in a tank, is liberated from the camp, and gets to know his dad died saving his life. Never in the film, do we see Joshua sad. Throughout the movie, Joshua is able to see the happiness of this situation and never gives up hope, which is a beautiful life.
The emotional impact of Life is Beautiful is scaffolded through three important scenes. Initially, at the beginning of the movie, when Guido firsts goes to his uncle’s house, there are a gang of barbarians attacking the house. We do not see this as a significant scene because his uncle brushes it off as if it was nothing. Guido and the viewers are believed to think it is nothing, but later on it comes as more significance. The second scene that reveals the real intention of the movie is when Guido’s uncle’s horse is painted on. During the dinner party, Guido sees his uncles horse painted with the words “Jewish Horse”. Guido is warned by his uncle that these horrible things will happen to him soon too. This is first when we realize what is going on. The last scene that reveals what is truly happening is when Guido and Joshua are walking near shops. Joshua points out a shop that has a sign that says “No Jews’”. Joshua does not understand, but Guido does. Soon, they will be sent out to concentration camps, but Joshua does not need to know that.
The exposition in The Walking Dead is unique and adds to the effect of the show. It differs because we only know as much as the main character. We do not watch the epidemic occur. The viewers are left wondering what happened when the main character wakes up in the hospital. When we are left wondering, we keep watching. The viewers also are not aware of what happened to this man’s family or the backstory of the characters we meet until further on in the plot. It is similar to other expositions though because, like regular expositions, The Walking Dead tries to draw us into the show with questions, scandals, and hope. With a good story line and cliff hangers, they can grab the viewers attention in the exposition and get them to keep watching.
1. Life is Beautiful, is both the title of the film and a statement that is proven throughout its story. It showcases how the human spirit can endure in even the worst conditions. Guido Orifice manages to maintain his positive opportunist approach to life all while keeping up a lie in order to keep his sons innocence in the mists of the holocaust.
2. The three scenes that build up the emotion of the films resolution are; when Guido marches into the elementary school meeting, when the Orifices are put on the train, and finally when the Guido dies. All of these scenes add to the characters personality and development. The elementary school shows the humor and bright personality of Guido, while the train departing scene illustrates the strong familial bonds among the Orifices. Then Guido’s death is the climax that directly cause the emotional reaction.
3. I personally believe that the film had a better impact with Guido’s death. If he had live it would almost have taken away from the effect of the holocaust, darn I say even lessen its importance.
1) How does the film (“Life is Beautiful”) either live up to or fall short of its title? Explain.
2) Select 3 moments or scenes from the film that scaffold up to the emotional impact of its resolution. 3) How do these scenes contribute to the audience’s emotional response?
Would the impact of the film have changed if Guido Orifice had survived? Would you have preferred this? Why or why not? || If the movie’s depiction of concentration camps had been more solemn (i.e. more akin to maybe The Boy in the Striped Pajamas or even the scene from Band of Brothers, which was one of the grimmest and most unnerving depictions I’ve seen), Guido surviving would’ve been highly unrealistic. But this movie’s depiction was softer; not just because of Guido’s methods of convincing his son that their experience was nothing more than a game, but because the camp seemed bright and sunny, and though the conditions were not ideal, they seemed more akin to an unpleasant motel experience than being a prisoner of the Holocaust. Guido’s death was appropriate to balance out the lightness, story-wise, though, on an emotional level, I would’ve liked to see him live and be happy with his wife and son.
4) Click here to read 2 articles regarding zombie economics:ARTICLE 1; ARTICLE 2. Do you buy (pun fully intended) the link between economics and zombies? Defend your claim, which should include integrated quotations from the articles.
5) How does the expositional treatment of The Walking Deadpilot differ from the foundation of many other forms of storytelling? How is it the same? The main difference between The Walking Dead pilot and other television pilots is the lack of set-up. Our main character, who is an everyman kind of character who’s a sheriff and loves his wife and son, is dropped into the aftermath of a zombie outbreak. It’s fast, straightforward, and doesn’t try to bog itself down with too many details, too much explanation. This could’ve easily crashed and burned, could’ve churned out uninteresting zombies and a bland main character, but the show made it work (and it doesn’t hurt that there were several comic books - the show’s source material - were already out at the time). A similarity between this pilot and others is what I mentioned in class: showcasing it’s capacity for violence and disturbing imagery in its first hour. Many shows do this, not just with violence, but with nudity, “bad” language, and disturbing/shocking content. For example, in the very first scene of Fringe, a man is more or less zombified by a fast-acting airborne virus, and later that same episode, the main character, Olivia Dunham, strips down to her underwear For Science. This tactic can sometimes transfer into the rest of the first season, if the show is really desperate for ratings (Olivia stripping down to her underwear For Science happens twice more after the pilot, in episodes nine and thirteen, respectively, if I remember correctly). Since I haven’t beyond episode two of The Walking Dead, however, I couldn’t tell you if this is the situation for that show or not.
6) The allure of horror- with its gore and violence- only lasts so long. What storytelling features do you think maintain The Walking Dead's profound and widespread following? Explain. || Though I’ve only seen two episodes of this show, I’m fairly active on social media, and I’ve seen other people’s reactions to the show and its plot twists. The characters are a major attraction; who you like, who you love, who you hate, who you love to hate. When this is combined with suspense of a zombie apocalypse tale, in which all characters are constantly in danger of being eviscerated by the undead, you end up with an engrossed (not to mention delightfully grossed out) audience.
-- Laine Parker
1. I believe the film, “Life is Beautiful”, does live up to its title. The film highlights the worst experiences that can come out of life, but even through the death and starvation in the concentration camp, Guido finds a way to keep his son innocent. The films highlights how love can defeat all and how the world does go on even through tragedy. Guido makes life beautiful for his son, but he has to live with the
2. One scene that lead up to the emotional impact of its resolution is when Guido walks Dora home in the rain. It began the real love story between them and made the audience care about their situation. The next scene is when Guido, Dora, and Joshua ride the bike together to drop Dora at school. The audience laughs at their jokes and feels connected to their family dynamics. The final scene which sets up for the dramatic ending is when Guido finds the doctor at the camp. This should be the family’s way out of the camp and the viewers are on their toes waiting for the happy ending. When the doctor pulls him aside to ask him about a joke, the audience is in shock. The audience starts to question if the family will survive.
3. The film would have changed if Guido Orifice had survived because the film would not have showed love’s greatest sacrifice. I would have preferred that he lived, but if he had survived it would not have been as monumental of a movie. I was shocked by the ending of the film, but he has to die in order to show that Guido would do anything for Joshua and Dora. The film would not have socked as many viewers or seemed as realistic as it did in the final moment. Most movies need a perfect ending which means the protagonist survives, but Guido die.
1. I think the film “Life is Beautiful” lives up to it’s film title because the main character lives a wonderful life and is always selfless for those he loves. He also sacrifices himself for his son and even when he knows a Nazi soldier is about to kill him, he knew his son was watching him so he added humor in the way in which he walked so his son wouldn’t be afraid. He made the Holocaust and being in a concentration camp not only bearable but almost fun for Joshua. When Joshua grows up and understands what his father did for him, he will in fact know that his father made his life beautiful.
2. In the very beginning when the woman fell and practically landed in the man’s arms, and he immediately calls her “Princess” and follows her around shows the foundation of their love. When the man “kidnapped” his Princess and they arrived at his house and went into the garden/greenhouse, and then it flashes to when they had Joshua, that showed that they fell in love, got married and had a child which conveyed some emotion. After the family was taken to the concentration camp and the man said into the intercom system that he loves his Princess and he and Joshua are still alive gives hope for the audience that they’ll all make it out together and it shows the true love between the husband and wife, and how the husband potentially risked his life for a moment of hope.
3. I don’t think that the impact of the film would have changed if Guido had survived. Throughout the film, the audience admires how loving he is, and through the most horrific event that could ever happen to someone (being in a concentration camp during the Holocaust), he managed to keep a smile on his face to not worry his son. It was heartbreaking when he was shot, but if he did survive, it still would’ve been very emotional because the audience would’ve been so happy that they survived. I think that for the plot, it was better for Guido to die because it was heartwrenching and the son still had no idea what was happening, and in the very end to see Princess and Joshua reunited, they were so happy to see each other that it was a relief that they had each other. It is also very common for European movies to have a more “realistic” ending and have there be a depressing ending, so personally, I was happy to see Joshua quickly reunited with his mother.
4. I do believe that zombie movies are related to the economy. While the economy is low, low budget zombie films are produced, and become popular. And if the economy is low, obviously people don’t have too much money, so they may become a little depressed and zombie movies will certainly help them forget about their financial difficulties.
5. “The Walking Dead” starts pre-apocalyptic, introducing the main character and has the main character thrown into a situation that seems to have an impossible escape. It’s different because the situation he’s thrown into seems to only have three outcomes: death, becoming a zombie or somehow killing all of the zombies who now rule the world. He is also completely alone and slowly discovers the problem he has to face.
6. The show includes romance between the main character and his wife, and his wife and his ex-coworker. The is also an emotional impact, such as how the first two people he meets has a wife/mother who was lost, and the husband tries to build up the courage to shoot her. There is also comedic relief: the choices for music are always upbeat during grotesque scenes, which is very ironic. There was also some comic relief when the son hit the main character with a shovel because he thought he was a zombie and the father and son’s apology was very nonchalant.
Jackie Cotter
1.) In my opinion, the film “Life is Beautiful” lives up to its title. At the beginning of the movie, it portrayed life as falling in love and living life as it comes because the main character, Guido, meets a princess and tries everything to get her. Despite the fact that she was engaged to a man that hates him, he expresses his love to her by caring for her. As years go by, they have a son and raise a happy family until one day, the son and husband are taken from her. They are taken to concentration camps where the father later gets killed. He dedicated his life to protecting his son which made it a beautiful thing. He genuinely did everything to make his wife and son happy and personally, I think that allows the film to live up to its title.
2.) On Joshua’s birthday, which was supposed to be a happy time, Guido and his son were taken from their family and sent to concentration camps. This was a big contribution to the audience’s emotional response because you were not expecting something like that to happen. Guido did not give up hope that he would protect his son and get them out of there until he was save his son. Once the wife realized where they were taken, she sacrificed herself to be with them. She forced herself to go to the concentration camp so she could be with her family. This was an emotional impact towards the resolution because the son and mother got to be together in the end. Nearer the beginning of the movie, Guido and Joshua were walking around and came upon a shop that did not allow Jews or horses. Joshua questioned why they didn’t allow either one and Guido explained why. This creates an emotional impact on the ending because it in a way explains they are Jewish and hints something will happen.
3.) The impact of the film would have changed because Guido Orifice fell in love with the princess and tried everything to be with her. He stopped at nothing until he got her and they eventually had a happy family that loved each other. He did everything to keep his son happy and sacrificed himself to protect his son. In the end, he didn’t end up by surviving which impacted the film because you would expect the family to get back together. With him dead, the family is broken leaving the son and mother to live without him. I wouldn’t have preferred a different ending because he lived his life happily and got everything he wanted. He died a happy man and for that, he had everything. It truly brings out the meaning of the movie title.
5.)The expositional treatment of The Walking Dead pilot differs from the foundation of many other forms of storytelling because at the beginning of the series, they don’t explain how the zombie apocalypse started. It starts with the police officer waking up after he was shot and being one of the only ones left in the town. Most stories would start from the beginning making it a choppy transition from normality to the apocalypse. There is no reasoning for why the apocalypse started and that creates a mysterious setting making you want to keep watching to find out more. It is the same for some reasons including that it creates a mysterious beginning with the police officer walking around the deserted town. He is unsure of what happened and searches to find humanity.
1.The film “Life is Beautiful” successfully lives up to its title. The main character, Guido Orifice, proves that no matter the hardships one goes through, there is a silver lining on every cloud. Guido and his family being sent to a concentration camp was certainly not a beautiful part of the movie. However, when he turned it into a fun game for his son, he showed us how to make light of any situation. The beginning of the film also lives up to the title, with the lighthearted happiness showed by most all of the characters.
2. “Life is Beautiful” is chock full of scenes that build up to the emotional impact of the film. The major turning point in the story, Joshua’s birthday, is one of them. What was supposed to be a joyous day of celebration quickly became a frightful and sorrow-filled day when Guido and Joshua were uprooted from their home and forced onto a truck bound for a concentration camp. Another touching scene that further adds to the emotional impact of the movie is when “Princess” finds out that her family was taken away, and brings herself to the camp as well. It is touching because she is risking death just to be with her family. The scene that created tears in my own eyes, though, is when Guido placed Joshua in the locker-looking contraption and told him to hide there towards the very end of the film. When he was discovered by a Nazi soldier, Guido must have known that he was being marched to his execution. However, because he knew Joshua was watching, Guido began walking around foolishly to make his son laugh one last time. This contributes considerably to the effect of the movie because it shows that even in the worst of times, there is still an upbeat aspect to life.
3. If Guido Orifice had survived through to the end of the film, the impact of the film would not have been altered substantially. The most impactful part of the film was not that Guido sacrificed his life in order to save the life of his son; rather, it was the optimism that he showed throughout the entire film that gave the audience the idea that life truly is beautiful. I would not have preferred Guido to live though, because the very end of the film was beautiful and quite touching despite its lack of necessity.
5. Five years ago, the pilot episode that lured in millions of followers aired for the first time. The pilot episode of The Walking Dead is rather unconventional as far as many others go. Instead of introducing all of the characters and setting up the story, viewers are thrust into the story straight from the beginning. Many other apocalyptic films and television series show how things went from normal, everyday life to kill or be killed. There is no explanation as to how or why everyone began turning into zombies in The Walking Dead. It does share similarities with other pilot episodes as well, though. Like in other series, it makes it quite clear from the beginning who the leading character will be.
6. After the blood is shed and the bodies are torn apart, one would think that the appeal of a zombie-based television series such as The Walking Dead would diminish after the allure of horror is gone. However, it has been able to maintain a profound and widespread following of millions of people. By making very dynamic characters, many viewers become emotionally invested in the characters and continue to watch to find out how their lives unfold. The mystery of how and why things turned haywire in the first place keep people interested in watching as well. Despite all of the gore, the action-packed scenes aid in alluring the excitement-craving viewers as well. The Walking Dead proves that even after the enticement of blood and guts has worn off, they can still maintain all of its followers through other strategic storytelling methods.
Yes the impact of the film would've changed if Guido had survived, and I would've preferred this and then I wouldn't because at the end of the movie you want Guido to survive, but it would diminish the movie in a way that it wouldn't be as interesting, and sad which would make the movie worse.
I believe the movie lives up to it's title because it shows how happy it can be in the beginning, but towards the end it shows how it can take a huge turn but still turn out okay in a way with some sacrifice, and contribution that helps to show that life is always beautiful but sometimes it requires again sacrifices.
One scene from the movie that leads up to the emotional resolution is when Guido, and his son is when the Nazis were taking them to the camp and he came up with this game to keep his son from learning what they were doing there which shows how committed he is. Also another scene is when Guido's son sees him working and asks what he's doing and his father tells him that he's helping to build a tank for the reward of the game while continuing to hide what's actually going on. The last scene is when the boy comes out of hiding after his father was trying to escape and he sees this American tank which gets him excited. Lastly these scenes
1. I believe that “Life is Beautiful” lived up to its name whole heartedly, showcasing the beauty in life in one of the ugliest times in history. I believe that using the Holocaust as a backdrop for the story, the director really hits you hard with the emotions at the end. Without the portrayal of Guido’s life before the camps, and the efforts he made to preserve his child’s innocence, the story would be depressing and dark with no underlying uplifting tone. In the end the director completely delivers on showing the beauty of life, despite having set his story in a concentration camp.
2. There are many scenes in “Life is Beautiful” that add up to the emotional dramatic ending, that showcase Guido’s pursuit to preserve his child’s innocence. The first scene that emphasizes this theme is when Joshua asks Guido why Jews and dogs aren’t allowed into the business and he gives him a comical explanation, this shows that Guido wants to keep his son ignorant to what is going on in the world to protect him from being hurt. The second scene I believe showcases this scene is when Joshua escapes the showers and finds his Dad, and all his dad does is tell him to hide calmly to not spoil the surprise. The third scene that I believe, most powerfully conveys this theme is when Guido is caught looking for his wife, and the soldier walks him past Joshua and executes him. Despite knowing of his impending death, he keeps this illusion going as long as he can trying his best to preserve Joshua’s innocence. Overall, I believe seeing the effort that Guido gives makes the ending of the movie far more powerful.
3. I believe the death of Guido Orifice contributes greatly to the emotional impact of the movie. It showcases how truly unconditional his love for his child was, not even faltering in the face of death. This showed that no matter what the cost, even his own life, Guido was willing to pay it for his child. If Guido had not died, the movie would still be powerful, but it wouldn’t have conveyed the same meaning of ultimate sacrifice that it does. Guido dying is a necessary evil for the emotional impact of the story to be as monumental as it is.
4. I believe the correlation between economics and zombie movies isn’t as big as these articles make it out to be. When the economy is bad, the entertainment industries typically do well, because people turn to movies or other activities to escape from their everyday lives. When one zombie film does well, the industry makes another, believing that it will follow in the footsteps of the other. As the article says, “Sensing our hunger, the studios and publishers keep the zombie pop culture coming”. I believe that the zombie trend is just that, and it will pass just like any other trend.
5. I believe The Walking Dead differs from other forms of storytelling because it is trying to make a lasting impact that will force people into watching more than just the first episode. It makes the audience ask themselves questions that they want answers too, and makes them contemplate in their head what may happen. I believe it is similar to other forms of storytelling because it gives somewhat of a background to the main character, and it sends its main character on a quest to find his wife and kid, a common theme. But in the end, the episode is lacking many key components of the story, trying to draw the audience into watching the whole series.
6. The allure of horror only lasts so long, but the walking dead maintains the fear throughout by putting the characters in different situations every time. Although the zombies are the constant problem, the different situations the characters face with the zombies create fear every time. When a person realizes they have no way out but to die, no matter the situation, it induces fear in the audience. I believe that the allure of fear will be held up throughout the series.
Jillian Blye
Life is Beautiful
The movie Life is Beautiful lives up to its title because there are many aspects in the film that provide a reason to why that was made the title of the movie. The father in the movie does everything he can to make the son believe a concentration camp is just a game. He went as far as standing next to a German soldier and pretending he could speak German, just so his son would believe him. He was clever and thought very quickly on different ways to keep him safe and keep his mind sane and relaxed while in the camp. The title lives up for its name because the dad does the best job he can on continuing on making the sons life beautiful. The dad made life be beautiful and fun even when going through torture everyday. This movie also showed the beautiful value of life and how it can be ripped away in an instant. Keeping life beautiful and fulfilled, kept the son happy and carefree. At the end of the movie, the concentration camp was released and when the little boy, although didn't have his father, he had his mother. He found her at the end and it showed how even though he went through bad times, the good always wins. The Jews had no choice and were forced into camps and killed on a daily basis. Their life was turning for the worse but in the end, life really is beautiful and it show be valued. People should always make the best out of it. There is no other way to live.
First being brought in to the concentration camp on the sons birthday hit an emotional factor. He was so excited for his birthday but when he was on the truck, he did not know what was happening. The father played it off as if he was going to a party or it was all turning out to be all for him. This scene hit an emotional factor because the audience doesn't know what is going to happen to him. No one would ever aspect that he would come out of the camp with no wounds. No one wants to see a child in pain. The second scene was when the mother told the general she wanted to go on the train also. Even though she was not Jewish, she wanted to be with her family and know what they had to go though. The third scene was when the son sees his mother walking on the side of the street when leaving the camp. He jumps out of the tank and runs to his mother and it definitely hits an emotional factor in the audience.
The impact of the film would have changed if Guido Orifice survived in the film. I would have rather he survived but it does show the real life factor about the movie. The Holocaust ended many innocent lives that should not have ended. I always love a happy ending but I understand why the film ended the way it did.
1. In the beginning, the movie shows a beautiful country but as the movie continues, it eventually spirals down into a real life tragedy. Honestly the movie lived up to its title because the mom and the son survived the Holocaust and you could see the happiness that the mother felt after she found her son alive. Although the holocaust is a horrible thing, I think that the mother would agree that life is beautiful because she married a wonderful man who gave up his life to save their child.
2. Three moments that lead up to the emotional impact of the resolution is when Guido closes down the book store, spray painted onto the store front is Jewish store. This shows that there is already tension between Jews and the Aryan race. When Guido and his son were taken by Hitler’s followers and put on a train is when the viewers began to comprehend that this is the Holocaust. When Guido and his son arrive at the concentration camp, Guido explains that this is only a game and there is a prize at the end if they finish first. These scenes are saddening because the kid is so young and innocent and doesn't know what is really going on.
3. The impact would have been dramatically changed because then the movie wouldn't have been as saddening. Guido gives up his own life in order to save his son. If he had lived then it would have been another thing that the family had lived through but showing that the father survived proved that the Holocaust tore apart families and destroyed them.
2.) A moment that gained an emotional response from the viewer would be pre war why he was wooing “princess” and it showed the progression between the two till finally she told him to take her away and he did so on the painted horse. Another scene that got alot of response and feels would be when the german doctor is reintroduced and you believe thats thier way out of the camp only to find out its not an option at all and he was just a crazy man. Lastly the scene that had the largest response from the viewer would be when the child comes out of the cupboard to see the deserted camp, then the tank arrives and he still believes its all just a game that his father promised him, and when he is reunited they just hug each other and then the credits role in and you're so hurt because the boy never puts to and to together that his father is dead.
3.)The impact of the film would have drastically changed if he had in fact survived. I really liked him as a character and i really want to say i would rather that he had lived but i feel that if he had survived it would have taken away from the final scene too much and might not have had the same reaction from the audience. The character development for him was so great that you see that all he wants is to protect his family and he was willing to do so, so i do not think having him die was a bad thing because it just strengthened what we already knew about his integrity.
4.)I do not by that zombies and the economy has anything to do with one another. For the most part the articles were strictly opinion and from people who don't seem to have the ability to just enjoy something without thinking there is a hidden message. People like whatever they like and right now especially people have more say as to what we do and what we like without being judged for liking what we do. This generation especially is so open to new concepts and ideas that for those who can stomach it will get into the zombie following because its such a wide topic with endless possibilities if you think about it.
-AriannaHeath
1.) I believe that zombie movies or popularity of them relates to the economics. One zombie movie may become popular like the walking dead, and other zombie movies may come out because that movie was successful. Just because one movie or TV series was successful doesn’t mean every zombie correlated movie or show will be a hit. The zombie industry is just a phase that people are going through right now, that will soon pass when it gets overrated or boring. But, I do think that the walking dead is highly popular because of how low the economy gets, or how well the economy does. “We are more interested in the zombie at times when as a culture we feel disempowered,” I feel that this is very true. If one does not feel motivated or worth, then we feel unmotivated and reside to zombie movies because they are exactly the opposite. Like the article said, “We feel like, in one way, we’re dead.” We don’t feel like doing anything when the economy isn’t thriving and successful, and people lie around and do nothing but watch fake TV series and movies.
2.) This pilot differs from any other pilot significantly. This pilot starts off without knowing what had previously happened to cause all the chaos of the zombies. Other pilots start with background information on what had happened previously, and information leading up to the current situation the series is in. The Walking Dead pilot has a lot of mystery and parts missing that the audience would want to know. Other pilots hit every detail and describes the way things came to be. The Walking Dead has the audience on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens next.
3.) I think that The Walking Dead is so popular, and keeps its popularity mainly because of the way it is shown. The way that the TV series is shown by starting the episode with the apocalypse already happening. Towards the beginning, we see how the police officer is injured, and he immediately wakes up and nobody is around but the zombies. The directors really make the audience curious of how everything even started and why it happened. Viewers tend to stick with a series if it has some sort of twist to it, in which case this series does. The audience will keep tuning in to see what will happen next, and to see even more background behind the story of The Walking Dead.
3. I do buy into the idea that bad economics lead to an increase in zombie culture. When the economy is bad then everything else starts to go down with it. "And the facts are there that, when we are experiencing economic crises, the vast population is feeling disempowered... Either playing dead themselves... or watching a show like "Walking Dead" provides a great variety of outlets for people."(Dead On?, Billy Hallowell). During these economic depressions everyone is in hard spots with money and jobs, so media that focuses on harder situations is very appealing. "In the zombie apocalypse, your J.D. is worthless-which is actually not so different from the real world of recent years."(First, Eat All the Lawyers, Torie Bosch). While no can find jobs with the degree that was supposed to pay off their immense debt, the zombie media is describing a world where those degrees mean nothing and only strength wins out.
4. The pilot for the Walking Dead is different from many other forms of expositions because the beginning of the conflict, the apocalypse, is never seen. Usually in the start of shows the beginning is of a normal family and then it pans around to a news story about a disease breaking out. This pilot skips over the beginning of the zombie plague, and it just throws the protagonist into the middle of it all. This pilot is the same as others because it introduces the characters and the relationship between them in the first few scenes. All the towns and other parts of the setting are also mentioned in order for the audience to understand where this is taking place.
5. The story telling features which maintain the profound and widespread following are how even though it is a zombie show, it is composed of many different genres and themes. The series has love, lust, racial inequalities, and action. Also, these characters are living their worst nightmares, so anything anyone the audience is going through has got to be better than the apocalypse. Watching this would help anyone who just wanted to forget about their life for a little over an hour.
The Walking Dead Questions
1) I do buy some of it that there is a relation with the zombies and economics. I understand why there is a rise in zombie movies and shows during an economic downturn. This is because people start thinking about how bad things are and its brings thoughts and fear about an apocalypse or some kind of catastrophe. "If you work in the many white-collar fields that have suffered in this recession, zombies are the perfect representation of the fiscal horror" that causes interest in the shows. The shows change how people thing about what they do with their lives causing some to even spend their life saving fearing this event.
2) The exposition of The Walking Dead is vastly different from many of the other films or shows. It basically shoots you straight into the apocalypse with very little introduction about what happened leading up to the outbreak. You know about as much as Rick, the main character, does about what is happening and what happened in the story. It is the same though because the main resolution and climax are in the middle towards the end of the episodes. All in all the show throws you curveball after curveball in the story and you find little out about what happened before.
3) The main part of the show that keeps everyone intrigued is the simplistic story of trying to see a bunch of average people try to adapt to the new world of zombies and horrors. This is what kept me in the story, the parts that don't focus on the fighting and killing of zombies but how people change and cope with their new lives. This pulls the viewer in. The dramatic conclusions and violent battles add to the intensity of the debates and people trying to understand how to work together and survive.
-Camden Cleathero
4. After reading the two articles about the link between zombies and economics, I buy into the theory to an extent. I do believe that as blue-collar jobs such as plumber, police officer, or anything in between become less and less favorable in today’s economy, the idea that they would be the most valuable in a zombie-laden world provides comfort to those who currently hold those positions. As stated in “First, Eat All the Lawyers,” by Torie Bosch, “The zombie apocalypse is a white-collar nightmare: a world with no need for the skills we have developed. Lawyers, journalists, investment bankers—they are liabilities, not leaders, in the zombie-infested world.” Much of the zombie hype is likely not related to any economics, though. It was become a trend in film and television, and many viewers probably do not find financial relief in the undead; they just love the blood and gore of it all.
4. I don't see the connection with zombies and economics, but i understand how there might be. When the economy is down, movie budgets also go down. Usually when the economy is down, not many people go out and spend their money frivolously on movies. That's why i cannot see the connection between the economy and zombie movies.
5. Usually in a pilot episode with zombies, it is shown how the zombie outbreak started. Usually it is mostly people screaming and complete chaos, but in The Walking Dead pilot, it was mostly calm and quiet. Most pilots have a more in depth plot line but in TWD, it had a rather simple plot.
6. I've only seen 4 episodes of The Walking Dead but it shows a lot of gore and up close killing. There is also a lot of drama involved. Its almost a soap opera. It involves gore/horror, romance, and friendship and honestly is pretty addicting.
The Walking Dead
1. I do think that zombie movies and their popularity are related to the economy. When the economy is poor, the media has to make use of the smaller amounts of money so they can produce low budget zombie media that doesn't require much writing skill because their plots are all similar.
2. The expositional treatment of The Walking Dead differs from other forms of storytelling because it leaves the viewer guessing what happened. The zombie outbreak is not explained like in other shows and movies similar to this and this is what separates the show from other zombie media. This exposition is similar to others because it has the most action and has that cliffhanger that makes the viewer want to stay along for the season.
3. The storytelling features that I think help maintain The Walking Dead as a superior show is that the story must be diverse from other zombie movies, games, etc. All these other thing always have the same things, like your fast zombies, slow generic zombies, the spitters, bloaters, and that abandoned school in every modern zombie media ever. This show must have to keep separated from these other zombie things so it can remain fresh and new which there for keeps it interesting.
Ryan Wheeler
4. I do not buy that zombies and economies are as linked as the articles say they are. The two articles are mostly opinion based. When the economy is low, movies still produce and still have funding.
5. The pilot starts off showing an ordinary sheriff who is woken up into a world full of zombies. The pilot is very fast and does not explain a lot of the story. Most shows would star from the beginning of the story and have answers throughout it, however this one does not. The man is just trying to find it way around without getting eaten or killed. He wakes up in a world he is unsure of and has to manage his way around.
6. The Walking Dead is most definitely a different type of tv show that airs nowadays. There is an emotional impact in the show when the man wakes up in a panic. He realizes he is all alone in the hospital and then finds zombies. When he goes to see his wife and child, they are no where to be found. It has comic relief in some scenes due to what the zombies do and how they act.
Jill Blye
1. If Guido did survive the concentration camp, the effect of the movie would have changed in a significant way. The end would have been happier, and life would have been more beautiful, if the family was able to reunite in the end. Guido and Joshua would have been able to reunite at the end and share the moment with the tank together. If Guido survived, we would not have gotten the message that he would do anything for his family, but we still would have a sense of loyalty through the family that was not as strong.
2. I do buy the idea that when economics are bad, zombie media is in. The idea that a job that may not be your dream job or making you the most money could save you during a zombie apocalypse seems appealing to struggling workers. “For blue-collar workers, the zombie stories are tales of comeuppance, of triumph: skills in auto maintenance, farming, plumbing, and electrical work—not to mention marksmanship—land blue-collar folks at the top of the new social order.” Middle class people may be jealous now with their money and riches, but when zombies take over, we will be the rich ones then. Also, the fact that these people are fighting undead people for their lives, makes our problems seem not as important. In a way, we are thankful that we are not in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.
3. Since the allure of horror only lasts so long, The Walking Dead needs other features to keep its viewer ratings high. I think cliff hangers at the end of episodes and season are one big reason why viewers keep coming back for more. Cliffhangers are the reason you come back next week for a new episode or why you stay up until 2 am watching it on Netflix. Another reason people keep watching may be because of the characters. If the characters fate is undefined, the viewers want to know how the end up. Viewers can become emotionally attached to these characters as if they were friends and always need to know how they are doing. Once the horror factor is over, there are characters and suspense to keep people watching.
1. If Guido did survive the concentration camp, the effect of the movie would have changed in a significant way. The end would have been happier, and life would have been more beautiful, if the family was able to reunite in the end. Guido and Joshua would have been able to reunite at the end and share the moment with the tank together. If Guido survived, we would not have gotten the message that he would do anything for his family, but we still would have a sense of loyalty through the family that was not as strong.
2. I do buy the idea that when economics are bad, zombie media is in. The idea that a job that may not be your dream job or making you the most money could save you during a zombie apocalypse seems appealing to struggling workers. “For blue-collar workers, the zombie stories are tales of comeuppance, of triumph: skills in auto maintenance, farming, plumbing, and electrical work—not to mention marksmanship—land blue-collar folks at the top of the new social order.” Middle class people may be jealous now with their money and riches, but when zombies take over, we will be the rich ones then. Also, the fact that these people are fighting undead people for their lives, makes our problems seem not as important. In a way, we are thankful that we are not in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.
3. Since the allure of horror only lasts so long, The Walking Dead needs other features to keep its viewer ratings high. I think cliff hangers at the end of episodes and season are one big reason why viewers keep coming back for more. Cliffhangers are the reason you come back next week for a new episode or why you stay up until 2 am watching it on Netflix. Another reason people keep watching may be because of the characters. If the characters fate is undefined, the viewers want to know how the end up. Viewers can become emotionally attached to these characters as if they were friends and always need to know how they are doing. Once the horror factor is over, there are characters and suspense to keep people watching.
2.The walking dead plot differs majorly from most other zombie films. Its specific intro to the hit series is what makes it so interesting and likable, the scene that i am talking about is when the protagonist wakes up and most of the human race has vanished and zombies have taken over, this may seem like it was used in past films but in the walking dead it begins not showing how the zombies take over. this creates an eerie and intriguing mood to draw in the audience.
3. I think some features of the walking dead that makes its following so wide spread is because of the hole way it was filmed. they had the streets filled with zombies and a select few elites that survived the takeover. once they regroup it is their job to survive and try to live on without being slaughtered. this creates the feeling of insecurity for viewers to look over their shouldders as they watch, as crazy as that sounds that is why they like it, because they are scared after it.
-Connor Binegar
Yes the impact of the film would've changed if Guido had survived, and I would've preferred this and then I wouldn't because at the end of the movie you want Guido to survive, but it would diminish the movie in a way that it wouldn't be as interesting, and sad which would make the movie worse.
I believe the movie lives up to its title because it shows how happy it can be in the beginning, but towards the end it shows how it can take a huge turn but still turn out okay in a way with some sacrifice, and contribution that helps to show that life is always beautiful but sometimes it requires again sacrifices.
One scene from the movie that leads up to the emotional resolution is with Guido, and his son when the Nazis were taking them to the camp and he came up with this game to keep his son from learning what they were doing there which shows how committed he is. Also another scene is when Guido's son sees him working and asks what he's doing and his father tells him that he's helping to build a tank for the reward of the game while continuing to hide what's actually going on. The last scene is when the boy comes out of hiding after his father was trying to escape and he sees this American tank which gets him excited. Lastly these scenes contribute to the audience’s emotional response by showing them how committed a father can be keep his family happy under the motivation of love.
My opinion on the link between economics and zombies is neither because having the ability defend yourself isn’t based fully on your lifestyle because with money you could have a higher ability to arm yourself than someone not as wealthy but that someone could have more experience so the my opinion is I neither buy or don’t buy it because the link between economics and zombies is in some ways controversial depending on how you look at it.
One feature it uses is drama to keep the story interesting as well as incorporating goals that attract viewer to keep watching but then totally making those goals fail while also pertaining to the main goal of staying alive. It also has a small portion of humor added as well but I would say the main thing that keeps the viewers watching is the introduction of individual goals in each episode, and to accommodate that it also keeps on adding new characters while killing certain characters in the show.
It would occasionally switch between certain characters and sometimes at the same time alternate between the antagonists, and the protagonists as the story develops. This is different from other forms of storytelling such as an author telling the story in first person, and second person, it’s the same in a way to other forms of storytelling but it switches from character to character.
Yes the impact of the film would've changed if Guido had survived, and I would've preferred this and then I wouldn't because at the end of the movie you want Guido to survive, but it would diminish the movie in a way that it wouldn't be as interesting, and sad which would make the movie worse.
I believe the movie lives up to its title because it shows how happy it can be in the beginning, but towards the end it shows how it can take a huge turn but still turn out okay in a way with some sacrifice, and contribution that helps to show that life is always beautiful but sometimes it requires again sacrifices.
One scene from the movie that leads up to the emotional resolution is with Guido, and his son when the Nazis were taking them to the camp and he came up with this game to keep his son from learning what they were doing there which shows how committed he is. Also another scene is when Guido's son sees him working and asks what he's doing and his father tells him that he's helping to build a tank for the reward of the game while continuing to hide what's actually going on. The last scene is when the boy comes out of hiding after his father was trying to escape and he sees this American tank which gets him excited. Lastly these scenes contribute to the audience’s emotional response by showing them how committed a father can be keep his family happy under the motivation of love.
My opinion on the link between economics and zombies is neither because having the ability defend yourself isn’t based fully on your lifestyle because with money you could have a higher ability to arm yourself than someone not as wealthy but that someone could have more experience so the my opinion is I neither buy or don’t buy it because the link between economics and zombies is in some ways controversial depending on how you look at it.
The pilot of the Walking Dead differs from other forms of storytelling because it starts off with the climax in the beginning of the story. It’s also similar to other storytelling because the climax still gives the reader multiple questions for example the question of how he ended up in the hospital alone, and what had happened before he woke up.
I think that drama is a major feature of the story that keeps it going especially when the drama is used alongside a cliffhanger as well which continues to keep the viewer’s attention. Another major feature the story is it has a way of introducing more characters while killing off others to the story interesting as well.
Charles Fitzgerald
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