Films – Free To Think

Charlotte’s Web

A story of love, a story of friendship, a story of sacrifice… Charlotte’s Web is one story that will pull the heartstrings of anyone who watches it.

For the first time these holidays, I entered the cinema to watch a movie. I chose Charlotte’s Web because it seemed to be getting some very good reviews. After watching this movie, I too agree with all the great reviews on it out there! I don’t think there was anyone in the theatre that didn’t have tears running down their cheeks while watching the movie.

The story revolves around a terrific, radiant pig (as Charlotte describes him as) called Wilbur, who was saved by a young girl from being killed by his owner. With the determination and kindness of the girl, she gave him the opportunity to have a life. However, when she was told that she couldn’t keep Wilbur in her house anymore, she had no choice but to hand him over to her uncle, who lived just across the street from them. Wilbur’s new home was inside a barn, where he was placed next to the other barn animals. He leaped into barn life, taking every opportunity to have a bit of fun around there. He rolled in mud, introduced himself to the other animals, and became good friends with a kind spider called Charlotte. Although the other animals rejected Charlotte because of her species type, Wilbur offered his friendship to anyone, no matter what they looked like. The most unlikely pair soon became strong friends, and although the other animals described Charlotte as “ugly”, Wilbur described Charlotte by her kindness. “I think she’s beautiful” described Wilbur, as he stuck up for his friend. Some pig!

However, all the barn animals, including Charlotte, knew something that Wilbur wasn’t aware of. They all knew what happened to pigs that were kept by humans. As Wilbur soon discovered, most pigs didn’t get to see the beauty of Winter, as they were killed and eaten as pork. But Charlotte wasn’t going to let this happen to her friend. As he had stuck up for her, and offered his friendship, she too was going to return the favour, and sacrifice her own life along the way. She made a promise to Wilbur that she wasn’t going to let them kill him. “I never break my promises,” she told him in her soothing voice.

To sacrifice your own life for a friend is a very strong thing to do, and really shows how powerful friendship can get. Charlotte used her spinning web technique to create words that described Wilbur. The humans were unsure who did this, but were amazed by it, and they all praised Wilbur for it all. As Charlottes words made Wilbur win the best pig contest, they were also, at the same time, harming herself. Wibur was unaware that Charlotte was losing her energy by helping save his life until he found her huddled in a corner with her newly laid eggs beside her. Wilbur’s life had been saved, but Charlotte was very ill. She was dying.

Charlotte explained that this was what happens in life. She told Wilbur that everything she wrote in her web was what she saw in him. “Terrific, Radiant… Humble”. She was willing to do this for a friend like Wilbur.

Charlotte’s Web shows “The Circle of Life” in a story of friendship and sacrifice. “We’re born, we live a little, and we die” is what Charlotte explains to Wilbur. As one spider passes away, hundreds more are born, and are released into the world. As this story proves, friendship isn’t about the looks, or the species of an animal. It’s about love. As I think about this movie, I think about the different friendships I’ve had with people. I think about whether I’ve been used by others to gain something for themselves, and about the friendships I have with people right now. I have in counted many people who are judgmental like what was included in this movie, and only show niceness when they want to gain something from me. However, I also think about how lucky I am to have friends who care about me in a way that I would definitely describe as true friendship.

Charlotte’s Web is one movie that will appeal to all ages. Just make sure you pack your pockets with tissues before you watch it!

Nowhere in Africa

A few days ago I watched another great film called Nowhere in Africa. The film tells the story of a Jewish family who flee Germany not long before World War 2. The mother and her daughter’s life in Germany is compared to their new life in Africa. A less wealthy country, new people, new surroundings… at first the mother cannot cope with this new lifestyle. However, as we get further into the story, things begin to change. New friendships flourish, exciting experiences face the family, and sad news arrives. This film shows the good times, and the bad times that face people in life.

The first thing I would like to talk about from this film is friendship. The friendship in this film is simply amazing, and proves that someone’s looks has nothing to do with a strong friendship. People may say that good friends have a lot of things in common, but I have learnt that this is not always the case. Sometimes the differences are what brings two people together. When the mother and her daughter first arrived in Africa, one of the first people they met was a kind, African man called Owuoa. When the daughter and Owuoa first met, you can tell they will form a very strong relationship. The bond between these two people was so strong, that anyone could think that they had known each other for a long time. If you compare these two, you would notice that they are quite different. They come from different countries, are different ages, have different coloured skin and much more. However, these two remain close friends throughout the story. Their looks did not matter at all. Their skin colour did not matter at all. It brought me great delight to see the trust, and love between these two people all the way through the story.

I noticed that the characters physically grew throughout the story as well. When this kind, African man first met the daughter, she was very young. Because she had met him at such a young age, she became very close to him. He actually became like a father to her!

Well, the delights of friendship were lovely to see, but there was also some issues in the story which weren’t so nice. These issues also hit us today. Racism. Back in Germany, it showed that this family was often left out, made fun of and hated. It hurts me to think that this happened to them, because everyone in this world is different. We have different looks, different beliefs, and different skills that make each and every one of us unique. Because this family had a Jewish background, they were considered Jewish themselves. People in Germany were against Jewish people, and treated them differently to most people. One part of the film showed the little daughter being teased by the other kids. Racism is a cruel thing, which no one deserves. We cannot change our colour or our race, and people just have to accept us for who we are. When the daughter first met Owuor, it was the very first time she had seen another person of this colour. Her responce was just lovely to see, as she did not turn her back on him. Owuor welcomed her, and they embraced. What she felt then was not a feeling of hatred because of the difference in skin colour, but a feeling of comfort and love. This man was a kind person just like her, and this is how we should imagine these people. Just because someone’s looks are quite different, doesn’t mean we should treat them any differently to how we treat others. We should get to know the person, and find out what they’re like inside. The daughter did just this, and this was the beginning of a strong, secure relationship.

However, when this family arrived in Africa, the mother treated the black African people exactly how she got treated back at home. “Do not go near them,” I remember the mother telling her daughter in Africa. “They’re dirty people who carry disease!” Betraying her mother’s words, the daughter took the chance to see what she thought of the dark-skinned people herself. This wise girl was pleased to find out that the other kids were friendly, encouraging people, and she did not avoid them because of their colour. She soon made friends with them all, and enjoys spending time with them.

There are many, many more topics that are mentioned in the film, and these are just a few of them. “Nowhere in Africa” is a great film for older viewers, and I would say that this film really gives you a feel of what has been going on in our world. It shows that we are all different, and that our difference in backgrounds should not stop us from forming a friendship with someone. Although this film is in German, with fast, English sub-titles, it does not affect the love that is shown within the story.

March of the Penguins!

It’s the middle of the school holidays and I’m really enjoying my time off school. No homework, no classes, no teachers telling you that you’ve got a test in a few days… it’s just like pure paradise! I’ve done lots of fun things, but today I would like to write about the most amazing film I saw just yesterday! It was called the ‘March of the Penguins’ and is the most incredible, yet heartbreaking journey of the Emperor penguins. The film has excellent photography and is nicely written. This great film is like a documentary, but involves an incredible story as well as fascinating facts. It all begins when the penguins set off on a journey, each one with the same goal to find a mate and start a family. They battle the fierce wind, survive the freezing temperature and walk for 75 miles on foot across their frozen land, all to keep their species running. Sadly, not all penguins will make it. They must rely on each other to survive the long quest. They head to where the ice is thick, and this is where they try to find a mate. Who knows what makes the perfect mate; all we know is that when that special penguin is found, the most beautiful relationship begins. However, like humans, not all relationships are successful. If the egg is produced too early, it may die and this is the end for the two penguin parents. For the ones that succeed though, it’s just the beginning of the great quest. The father penguin is left behind to look after the egg as the mother sets off to the ocean to seek food. It’s another long walk, and some will not make it. Even if they make it to the ocean, the danger is not over. Predators will be in the ocean for the very same reason… food! I found this part of the film very depressing where they witnessed a predator claim the life of a penguin. This really claims two lives- the mother and the baby penguin, as she will not return to her family and the father will have no choice but to abandon the baby and go seek food himself. The father’s job is to keep the young egg warm, and if the egg sits in the cold for a moment, it will die. All the male penguins huddle together at the coldest times to keep warm enough. They nurse their eggs until it hatches, and the bond between them is very clear. If the mother does not return soon, the father would have to give up the little bit of food in his through, and feed it to his young. If she is too late, the father would have to choice but to abandon the little one in the cold and seek food himself. The story involves trust and hope as well as love. When the mothers return with their bellies full, it is their turn to look after the little ones while the fathers go off to get their food. The young feed out of their mother’s mouths, and the mothers keep them warm. When they get old enough, they will be able to take their first step onto the ice. However, if the young get too cold, they will die. The loss will be so bad that the adult penguin may even try to steal other penguin’s babies! The babies are still at risk of land predators, so the danger still lingers near. Many penguins will end up completing their goal and the happiness is intense. It’s really sad that not all the penguins will survive the journey, but the film has a nice ending. It finishes off when the parents swim away in the warmish waters. Most likely they would never see their children again, but amazingly they repeat this same journey every year! This film has some funny moments, yet some heartbreaking times. The rest is just plain amazing! I have learnt a lot more about penguins from watching this film and found out what extraordinary creatures they are. They have such a tough life and they really do work hard to try and achieve they’re breeding goal. This beautiful story of determination, courage, survival and love is an emotional journey for anyone to watch. I really congratulate all the people who worked together to make this film and it’s definitely a well worth watch. March of the Penguins leads you through one of the most beautiful love stories on earth, and I would say it’s the best, and saddest film I’ve seen this year!

Aboriginals and 8Alive

Today at school my class watched a very good film called ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’. I’ve seen this film many times and every time I watch it I feel very angry when the white people take the Aboriginals and half-casts (half aboriginal, half white person) away from their families. The white people just came in and took over the whole of Australia! I feel very angry, even though I’m not an Aboriginal. This was so selfish of them.

‘Rabbit Proof Fence’ is an amazing story, which is true. It shows exactly how Aboriginies were treated. The white people took over the land and basically kicked the Aboriginies (who were here first) out! This was so cruel! The white people then separated the aboriginal or half-cast children from their families. They took them to a place far away, and forced them to speak English. The white people took total control of Australia, and even tried to wipe out the Aboriginal race! This was such a mean thing to do, and I feel ashamed to be part of a country with such a terrible history.

I would have been very happy to share the land with the Aboriginal people if I was around those days. Actually, the Aboriginals should have had more rights on the land than the white people; they were in Australia first! I recon the white people were being very selfish taking over Australia and pushing the Aboriginies out. They never showed any empathy towards the Aboriginies. They just decided that because the land was very fine, they would simply take it off the Aboriginies and get rid of them altogether!

Lets try putting ourselves in the Aboriginie’s shoes. Just say you’re living happily and peacefully in a lovely house, with lots of space and very nice rooms. Then, a group of strangers help their selves into your house, and then find out that you’re already living there. Instead of leaving, the strangers kick you out of your house and says that they’re going to live in it. You would feel angry wouldn’t you? But it gets worse… the strangers then decide that they want to delete you! They never want to see anyone from your race, with your colour skin again. so they grab you and put you into their car. Then you get driven far away, and you have been separated from your friends and parents. This is terrible! And you know, this is exactly what happened to those poor Aboriginies.

My class had another 8Alive excursion earlier this week, and we visited a place full of aboriginal paintings. There were dot paintings, colourful painings, dull paintings… and each painting had it’s own story based on Aboriginal missions. They were sad, and just one image showed how the Aboriginal people felt when the white people started over taking them. There was a picture of a little girl in the back seat of a car staring out of the window, taking a last look at her family and her home before she was dumped in a place where she was forced to be like the English (white) people. There was also a dot style painting that told a story of Aboriginal missions. The middle of the painting was dark, and represented the depressed aboriginals stuck in this sad place where they were forced to be and respect the English people. This place was separated from the rest of the painting, which was the rest of Australia and the Aboriginal’s family. The Aboriginal children’s family tried to contact their children using smoke from a fire.

The Aboriginals lived their lives very different to us, as they hunted food and killed it themselves, had no electronics, and had no houses or cars. When the White people came in, they were more advanced in technology, and stealing the land off the Aboriginies was so selfish; they had a land of their own in Europe! And afterwards, the Aboriginals weren’t even given the right to vote!

This could all have been settled if the white people had of just shared the land with the Aboriginals. I can’t really say it’s my fault, or my parent’s fault even though we’re white. We didn’t want to do this to the Aboriginals, and if I could change what has happened to them I would. But sometimes, it’s much, much easier to share things than to try and claim it all to yourself. The Aboriginies had the most rights over the land, but if the white people had just been willing to share Australia instead of stealing it, the Aboriginal people and the white people could have had a better relationship, and Australia could be a more friendlier place. Sharing is always better than fighting.

Fly Away home- Amy’s Journey

Class film- Fly Away Home

When did her journey start: when she goes to Canada or when she finds the eggs?

These were two special events for Amy in the film Fly Away Home. However, the question is “When did she actually start her journey: When she went to Canada or when she found the eggs.” Well I don’t think that her story started at any of these events. I believe that her journey started when she met her father in hospital for the first time in years.

Of course, it would take some getting used to before Amy could comfortably socialise with her father. Remember, she had only just met her father after years of spending time with her mother, who had sadly died in a car crash. Her mother’s death, as well as everything being so different in Canada, had affected Amy’s emotions, causing her to rudely react to her father.

But when Amy found some geese eggs that had been abandoned by their mother, it revealed that she had a soft heart. She took the eggs and cared for them, until they hatched.

As the geese grew, Amy realsed that they needed to fly south to avoid the harsh, winter conditions that approached. They needed to get to a suitable climate where they could live and find food. This is where Amy began her quest to fly the geese home.

Amy and her father started to work together, both having a similar goal in common (to fly the geese home). They found a use for her father’s flying machine that he built. During this time, Amy learnt new things such as how to fly the flying machine. Together, Amy and her father worked hard, boosting the relationship between them and increasing trust for each other. They worked together until the day came when they were ready to fly the geese home.

This was a big challenge for Amy, but her father helped her along the way and supported her through it. Amy gained more persistance and trust for her father, and I think that their relationship would just keep getting better afterwards.

Fly Away Home

This is a lovely film about a girl called Amy who used her fathers flying machine to fly some geese home. The story is based on a real-life man who had the idea of building an ultra-light plane to fly orphaned geese south during migration time. In the film, Amy (Anna Paquin), who is 14 years old, found some geese eggs. She looked after them, and soon they hatched into about 12, very adorable geese. At first, Amy tried to hide them from her father. However, he soon found out about them. Amy, her father, Susan and her uncle trained the birds to fly, and afterwards, they set off on a journey to fly the geese home. I won’t reveal everything that happens in this beautiful film. You will have to watch it yourself!