Unforgiven is my favorite Western movie and my second favorite movie of all time, which is really saying something, considering the number of movies I’ve been watching on Netflix since schools closed in mid-March. Most Westerns focus on stories about killing bandits for money or robbing banks, however Unforgiven focuses on the emotions of brotherhood, hatred, anger and grief which most Westerns tend to ignore. It shows us the effects violence (and the inability to turn away from killing) have on who we are–deep inside. Unforgiven tells the story of an old man named William Munny, who used to be a cruel, blood-thirsty gunslinger. But when the movie begins, we learn that his wife has died, which has made him rethink his whole profession. So now he is just a plain, old farmer trying to raise his two young kids. However, when he learns that there is a high bounty ($1000!) on a group of outlaws for physically assaulting a local woman, he decides he has no choice but to pick up that gun again. Along the way, he is joined by his friend, Ned Logan, and the Schofield Kid. Like I said before, Unforgiven is not like other Westerns. Most Westerns have gunslingers kill people on sight, and they’re mostly just fun adventures with twists and turns. For example, The Good, The Bad, And the Ugly is a classic Western movie with interesting characters and an exciting plot line, however, it doesn’t really make you feel any emotion towards all the deaths throughout the film and the pain of the Civil War (the Wild West era began at the end of the Civil War, 1865, and lasted till around 1895). The movie pretends that killing is normal and that it is so easy to do it. Unforgiven, however, takes you deeper into the characters’ actions and the pain. Whenever someone kills another person during the movie, you feel his/her real pain and suffering. The person doesn’t just walk away after wielding the fatal blow, but instead, shakes and shivers in fear and sadness. The movie also presents and develops characters that are perfectly suited for the story. One such character is a gunslinger named English Bob, who travels with a journalist interested in writing a book about Bob and all his “heroic” adventures. The relationship between these characters is perfect because (and I won’t spoil it) English Bob is somewhat of a liar and traitor. The journalist never thinks for a moment that this brilliant gunslinger may actually be a liar, who is just exaggerating about his wild exploits. Such irony! Another great thing about Unforgiven and what makes it so awesome is that characters often have a weakness or tragic flaw that is exposed near the end of the movie, and which fundamentally changes how we perceive them. For most of the movie, Munny’s two sidekicks, Ned Logan and the Schofield kid, claim they can kill a whole group of bandits, but when faced with real killers, they turn into helpless individuals who are scared of killing and scared of what having a reputation as a killer might do to their lives. In most Westerns, such themes are usually ignored. William Munny sums up it well when he says: “It’s a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away everything he’s got, and everything’s he’s ever gonna have.” The actors of course are all top-notch – they include Clint Eastwood (or the Man with No Name), Morgan Freeman, and Gene Hackman. Their performances are so convincing that they made me think about the real Wild West and how people might have looked, talked and lived during those times. After watching Unforgiven, I kept on thinking about one of the greatest video games I’ve ever played, Red Dead Redemption 2. It’s about a gang of outlaws in 1899 who grow increasingly desperate for money. But as the gang starts to fall apart, the main protagonist, Arthur Morgan, changes his perspective about himself and of his gang. Now instead of continuing to be the bloody killer he used to be, he becomes a loving man and is scared to continue his spree of killing with his remaining gang members. It is one of the only video games that made me cry at the end. Unforgiven is a sweet, but also a sour movie. The premise sounds simple, but as you look deeper into the film, you’ll see it’s extremely powerful. It’s one of those movies that has stood and will continue to stand the test of time. Important note from the Stone Soup Editors: Readers should talk to and obtain permission from their parents or other responsible adult before watching this movie, which is rated R in the USA. More information that may be helpful is available at Kids-in-Mind, which scored it 3.6.5. Unforgiven (1992), directed by Clint Eastwood. Winner of 4 Academy Awards, 3 Golden Globes, 1 BAFTA.
movie review
Lawrence of Arabia, Reviewed by Abhi, 11
Image via Wikimedia Commons History is more complicated than you think. It isn’t just some quarrel between different countries that started WWI. It was much more than that, and Lawrence of Arabia showcases this theme perfectly. I started watching the beginning of this movie, but I was very worried about the pacing and storyline, since it’s nearly four hours long. I tried avoiding it, but I couldn’t keep myself from doing so. I only watched about thirty minutes of it on a plane flight to India, and after that, I couldn’t get rid of it. My mind was obsessed with scenes from the movie, and kept on telling me the same thing: You have to watch this movie. You HAVE to. So after a long six months, I watched it all — in one sitting. My mind was blown away. Lawrence of Arabia is a true story of a British soldier named T.E Lawrence, who is assigned to protect Arabia in WWI and help Prince Feisal, the leader of Arabia, defeat the ruling Turkish Empire. But his journey to get freedom for Arabia is a bumpy one. He makes many friends, and many, many enemies. The thing that sets Lawrence of Arabia apart from other movies is that T.E Lawrence is not a hero that solves ALL the problems for Arabia. He realizes he can only do so much as a human being. For example, after he rallies the Arabs to defeat the Turks, he realizes that the Arab tribes are still fighting amongst each other, and cannot put their differences aside to unite as a common people and form a nation. By the end, Lawrence realizes he is just a mere pawn – used by Arabs for their own purpose (defeat enemy who is stealing their land), and used by the English/French and the Western countries for their own needs (to gain more land and control in the Middle East). This taught me that nothing in history is really solved. Problems creep up over and over again. For example, remember when we had WWI and Germany lost? Sure, the US and other countries got some relaxation for a while, but then Germany got revenge back in WWII! By the end, T.E Lawrence wants to get away from the desert and just live a normal life. T.E Lawrence also has many different aspects to his personality. Sometimes he’s good, sometimes he’s bad, but he never has one fixed personality! This leads to some really tense moments, because you’re scared about what he’s going to do! Lawrence also stands out from the crowd. He talks in a very strange way. Like in one part of the movie, Lawrence and his guide are traveling to Arabia, and they stop at a well. But just as they’re about to drink, a stranger comes and kills Lawrence’s guide! When the killer comes up to Lawrence and asks for his name, he says: “My name is for my friends. None of my friends is a murderer!” He also does some pretty crazy things, some resulting in near death. He also has some really memorable lines. One of the greatest lines he says is: “Nothing is written.” That one line captured the whole spirit of the movie for me. Lawrence is trying to say this when he tries to rescue a lost friend in an empty desert. Everyone is saying he would likely die from the heat, but Lawrence says that there’s still a chance, and he’s going to take it and obviously, he’s successful! The acting is just as perfect as everything else. Peter O Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn – all these actors play out their roles perfectly, and create very memorable characters. For example, Prince Faisal (played by Alec Guinness, aka Obi Won Kenobi) is very wise and kind as the Arab prince, but Auda Abu Tayi (a tribal Arab leader played by Anthony Quinn) is very quick-tempered and rough. The music is downright amazing. After I heard it, I started going on YouTube and playing the soundtrack over and over again. It truly fits the theme. The final thing I love is how this film captures history. Some of the battles and meetings are staged in a unique way, making this war with the Turks truly different than others (that’s also another reason this film is so good!). This is because this war is not just two different sides fighting each other. It showcases the stand-off between different tribes and countries, and some are fighting for different reasons than others! The imagery is awesome, like when Lawrence is shown on his camel traveling through the desert. The camera captures the shape and color of the mountains and sand and paints the whole scene in a beautiful sunny light. This is also one of the only movies I’ve watched that I seem to have no problems with! No wonder it won 7 Oscars, including Best Picture in 1962. I’m sure I can see it fifty times and I would still not be bored with it. Lawrence of Arabia completely surprised me. It truly captures the spirit of a simple, smart man that changed history, and trust me, he is more interesting than any superhero! He is the kind of protagonist I’ve always wanted in a movie.
Science Fair, A Documentary Review by Nina Vigil, 11
“Science fair”: Two very innocuous words. When you hear them, what first comes to mind? Kids presenting their mini volcanoes in an elementary school gymnasium? To be honest, that is what most science fairs are like. Would you be surprised to learn that there is a science fair in which high-schoolers from all over the world compete in 22 categories for a $75,000 winning prize? There is such a science fair, and it’s called ISEF: the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Recently, producers Cristina Constantini and Darren Foster (with National Geographic) made a documentary called Science Fair all about it! I watched it, and I knew in the first five minutes that I had to write a review about it. Science Fair focuses on a handful of students who are preparing to enter ISEF. We meet kids from poor cities like Iracema, Brazil and wealthy places like Jericho, New York and learn about their projects and their goals. Take Ivo’s project. It’s a kind of drone shaped like a chevron that can fly an amazing distance. Kashfia’s brain wave experiment uses a headset that picks up on brain waves, and uses it to make conclusions about emotions, decision-making and how brains work in general. ISEF works like this: schools around the world have competitions and choose finalists (one group can count as a finalist) to go on to compete at ISEF. Then, winners are selected in each category, as well as one finalist who receives the top prize of $75,000. As you can imagine, people get really competitive and make some incredible things. Something I found interesting was the focus on the adults supporting the kids. For instance, at Kendra’s school in New York, there are a lot of resources and a teacher who is really tough and dedicated and pushes her students to do their best. Then in Iracema, at Myllena and Gabriel’s school, there are almost no resources, yet her teachers supported her immensely. And in Brookings, South Dakota, Kashfia’s school was so focused on sports that she couldn’t find any science teachers to supervise her project, and ended up working with the football coach! What I loved best about Science Fair was how spectacularly engaging it was. I got so absorbed in it that I was super nervous and excited leading up to the judging, even though I wasn’t experiencing it myself. Another thing I liked was how inspiring this documentary was. The main contestants had various obstacles to deal with, from not having a lot of money or resources (Myllena) to having a school that barely gives any support to science (Kashfia). And yet they all made it in, and some of them placed. After the contest, they all continued work on their projects, too. Anybody can succeed, even those with a number of difficulties. Science Fair, after watching it only once, is my official second favorite movie. Kedi will always be my favorite, but this got pretty close! To everyone reading this, check it out. You may decide to enter a science fair too! Science Fair (National Geographic, 2018) is a documentary produced and directed by Cristina Constantini and Darren Foster. Find out more at the National Geographic website.
