By Libby Stefanich A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night highlights the detrimental effects of patriarchy and toxic masculinity by narrating the tale of a female vampire. During the night, the vampire girl wanders around the city, attentively protecting women, … Continue reading The Relationship of Vampirism and Feminism
By Libby Stefanich Jean-Luc Godard directs and writes Breathless, a film that centers on the charismatic yet dangerous Michel Poiccard.He steals a car from an American couple, and while speeding, an officer quickly pulls him over, prompting him to shoot and kill the officer. With these crimes, he enters a deeper cycle of creating more theft crimes while also desperately wanting attention from American journalist Patricia Franchini. They build a difficult and unloving relationship due to the shallowness between them. She eventually calls the authorities on him. The film’s themes revolve around the ideas of individualism, the drive for power, … Continue reading “Love’s” Shallowness: Breathless
By: Libby Stefanich Sarafina! is based on the musical Broadway show that depicts South American Apartheid in Soweto during the 1970s. Sarafina tells the history of the Soweto uprising through musical attributes, focusing on a story of coming of age … Continue reading Freedom is Coming Tomorrow: Sarafina!
By: Libby Stefanich In Hunt for the Wilderpeople, it follows Ricky Baker, a troubled youth who struggles to make sense of the world without knowing who his biological parents are. On his travels, he meets Bella and Hec. Bella dies, … Continue reading Hunt for Vulnerability
By: Libby Stefanich The Illusionist follows the 20th-century Vienna entertainer Eisenheim, who consistently shocks the public with his magic. He seems limitless, as his tricks range from planting an orange tree to showing his audience the dead. Eisenheim’s pride put … Continue reading The Power of Manipulation: The Illusionist
By: Libby Stefanich Memento portrays Leonard Shelby, who suffers from short-term memory loss while aggressively searching for his wife’s murderer and rapist. Throughout his journey, he tattoos himself and photographs people to keep track of his lost thoughts, which he … Continue reading False Realities: Memento
By Libby Stefanich Just Mercy is a biographical film that follows Harvard lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his clients, especially Walter McMillian. Stevenson advocates for the abolition of death sentences, yet he encounters challenges from Sherrif Tate, who manipulates inmates to … Continue reading The Cycle of Incarceration: Just Mercy
By Libby Stefanich Directed by Lynne Ramsay, the complex thriller We Need to Talk About Kevin explores the complex relationship between a mother and her distant son before and after the school terrorist attack. Eva faces challenges from the media, … Continue reading The Nature and Nurture of We Need to Talk About Kevin
By Libby Stefanich “Soldiers in Truck,” Diego González, published October 22, 2019, via Unsplash Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s combat film Megan Leavey is based on the true story of a Marine Corps officer who forges an unbreakable bond with a German Shepard … Continue reading Loyalty Between a Human and a Dog: Megan Leavey
By Libby Stefanich Douglus Sirk’s whimsical 1946 film A Scandal in Paris combines comedic and romantic elements. The film is based on the real-life strategic yet charming criminal Eugene Francois Vidocq, who falls in love with the morally changing Therese … Continue reading The Creativity of Douglas Sirk’s A Scandal in Paris
Film Modes & Genres 