Timothy Bellew
In the movies And the Spring Comes and Mona Lisa’s Smile both feature female protagonists trying to achieve their dreams. Wang Cailing aspires to become a famous opera singer in modern-day China, while Kathrine Watson want to help woman to see that they do much more than to just be housewives in mid-1950’s Massachusetts. Both films deal with woman’s empowerment and personal growth while the presentation in the makeup and the clothes of the characters differs greatly between the films.
Woman’s empowerment is prevalent in both films. In And the Spring Comes, Wang Tsailing is constantly show to be working towards achieving her dreams. Her goal throughout the film is to become a nationally famous opera singer. She does this by trying to move to Beijing and join the art institute. She does this without needing male approval or needing a husband. When Hu Jiaquan, the male ballerina, proposes to Wang as a way to get people to stop talking about them, she refuses. She does not want to be in a sham marriage. Towards the end of the film, Wang adopts an orphan and raises it sans husband. In Mona Lisa’s Smile, Kathrine Watson declines her boyfriend Paul’s proposal because she is unsure of their future together. Also, during the Adam’s Ribs secret society meeting, she says she is not married yet because she does not want to be married yet. During one of her lectures on contemporary art, Watson rails against how woman are presented in the advertisements she displayed in class. She also berates Wellesley’s president over Watson’s perception of the school as just something the students do to kill time until the get a marriage proposal. Watson herself is not only empowered, but she also empowered other characters. She empowers Joan to apply to Yale and she gets into the law school.
Personal growth is also prevalent throughout the films. In And the Spring Comes Wang tries to help Huang Siabo achieve his goal of becoming a famous painter. They eventually have a falling out and Zhou You reveals to Wang that Siabo uses his art to use women. After that, Wang does not accept being used. She abandons the student who lied to her about being terminally ill. Also, she is shown sewing her own dress over the course of the film. At the end she is shown singing in Beijing in that dress. Wang was able to achieve her dream by the end of the movie. In Mona Lisa’s Smile, Betty Warren goes from an uncompromising traditionalist who detests Watson, to someone who grows to appreciate what Watson has taught her. Warren divorces her cheating husband and at the end of the film, she is the one to follow Watson’s taxi the longest out of any of the Wellesley students. Kathrine Watson herself also grows. She questions her belief that being a housewife is a woman selling herself short after Joan decides not to go to Yale because she just prefers to be a housewife.
The presentation of the films differs wildly however. And the Spring Comes presents a setting that is grimy and realistic. It is not a very aesthetically beautiful film. They characters do not wear makeup and the settings, such as Wang’s home and the school she teaches in, are presented as dilapidated and unglamorous. Towards the end when Wang is with her daughter in Tiananmen Square, the sky is smoggy. Multiple times in the film, Wang is called unattractive. In contrast, Mona Lisa’s Smile looks like a standard Hollywood film. The setting of mid-1950’s upper-class Massachusetts is very picturesque. All the characters wear expensive looking clothing. The cast, and especially Julia Roberts and Kirsten Dunst, are very conventionally attractive.
And the Spring Comes and Mona Lisa’s Smile share many similarities. Both center on female protagonists with personal growth and female empowerment being important parts of each movie. Where they differ the most comes in the presentation with Mona Lisa’s Smile having the prettier setting and location of the two films.
Movie Essay
Re: Movie Essay
Timothy,
You did a great job analyzing the portrayal of women in both "And the Spring Comes" and "Mona Lisa Smile". I also studied the portrayal of women in these films and noticed similar imagery. To elaborate, the nonverbal strategies of the background setting, clothes, and overall color scheme of the movies is a good way to symbolize the struggles the characters face. I wonder if you could take it one step farther and question whether "And the Spring Come's" more dark and gloomy setting creates a more realistic picture or just a darker picture for an emotional appeal.
In addition, you did a great job with the layout of your essay. It was clear to follow the trends throughout both movies. The only minor grammatical note is that fiction literature/films always rely on present tense for verbs. For next time, I think you could explore how the nonverbal strategy of emphasizing the setting in both movies adds to the tone of the movie. In other words, what message does it send to the audience? I think this would highlight your specific, well written examples even more. You could also tie some of your earlier examples of verbal confrontations involving Betty and Katherine to a rhetorical device.
Great job!
Rachel
You did a great job analyzing the portrayal of women in both "And the Spring Comes" and "Mona Lisa Smile". I also studied the portrayal of women in these films and noticed similar imagery. To elaborate, the nonverbal strategies of the background setting, clothes, and overall color scheme of the movies is a good way to symbolize the struggles the characters face. I wonder if you could take it one step farther and question whether "And the Spring Come's" more dark and gloomy setting creates a more realistic picture or just a darker picture for an emotional appeal.
In addition, you did a great job with the layout of your essay. It was clear to follow the trends throughout both movies. The only minor grammatical note is that fiction literature/films always rely on present tense for verbs. For next time, I think you could explore how the nonverbal strategy of emphasizing the setting in both movies adds to the tone of the movie. In other words, what message does it send to the audience? I think this would highlight your specific, well written examples even more. You could also tie some of your earlier examples of verbal confrontations involving Betty and Katherine to a rhetorical device.
Great job!
Rachel
Re: Movie Essay
Timothy,
You did a great job analyzing the portrayal of women in both "And the Spring Comes" and "Mona Lisa Smile". I also studied the portrayal of women in these films and noticed similar imagery. To elaborate, the nonverbal strategies of the background setting, clothes, and overall color scheme of the movies is a good way to symbolize the struggles the characters face. I wonder if you could take it one step farther and question whether "And the Spring Come's" more dark and gloomy setting creates a more realistic picture or just a darker picture for an emotional appeal.
In addition, you did a great job with the layout of your essay. It was clear to follow the trends throughout both movies. The only minor grammatical note is that fiction literature/films always rely on present tense for verbs. For next time, I think you could explore how the nonverbal strategy of emphasizing the setting in both movies adds to the tone of the movie. In other words, what message does it send to the audience? I think this would highlight your specific, well written examples even more. You could also tie some of your earlier examples of verbal confrontations involving Betty and Katherine to a rhetorical device.
Great job!
Rachel
You did a great job analyzing the portrayal of women in both "And the Spring Comes" and "Mona Lisa Smile". I also studied the portrayal of women in these films and noticed similar imagery. To elaborate, the nonverbal strategies of the background setting, clothes, and overall color scheme of the movies is a good way to symbolize the struggles the characters face. I wonder if you could take it one step farther and question whether "And the Spring Come's" more dark and gloomy setting creates a more realistic picture or just a darker picture for an emotional appeal.
In addition, you did a great job with the layout of your essay. It was clear to follow the trends throughout both movies. The only minor grammatical note is that fiction literature/films always rely on present tense for verbs. For next time, I think you could explore how the nonverbal strategy of emphasizing the setting in both movies adds to the tone of the movie. In other words, what message does it send to the audience? I think this would highlight your specific, well written examples even more. You could also tie some of your earlier examples of verbal confrontations involving Betty and Katherine to a rhetorical device.
Great job!
Rachel
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1119644748
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Re: Movie Essay
Timothy,
I am so happy to be able to discuss each other's articles with you!
First of all, you did a great job with the layout of the article! The idea of the whole article is very clear. You analyze and compare And the Sping Comes and Mona Lisa's Smile, in terms of female empowerment, personal growth and the presentation, which is showing the two protagonists’ images of pursuing their dreams brilliantly and effectively.
Besides, I disagree with you on this point: Wang was able to achieve her dream by the end of the movie. In my opinion, Wang fails. At the end of the film, the director did not criticize the indifference of reality or affirm the persistent ideal. The scene of Wang singing (fantasy) at the end of the film becomes the highlight of the characters' struggle and insistence on their dignity. This is a lament for Wang Cailing, who gave up her dream and chose to make peace with the world in her own way. Perhaps we can explore this point further.
You did a great job analyzing the portrayal of protagonist in both "And the Spring Comes" and "Mona Lisa Smile" through many rich examples. I wonder if you could take it one step farther and combine examples and ideas to discuss women's empowerment in greater depth from the language and historical background of the film. I think in this way, your examples will be richer and your characters will be more colorful. For the next time, I think you might want to explore how the nonverbal strategies of camera shots in both films enrich the tone and convey the themes. You can also write more about the makeup of Mona Lisa's Smile.
Great job!
Jinghan Cheng&Haiping Shi
I am so happy to be able to discuss each other's articles with you!
First of all, you did a great job with the layout of the article! The idea of the whole article is very clear. You analyze and compare And the Sping Comes and Mona Lisa's Smile, in terms of female empowerment, personal growth and the presentation, which is showing the two protagonists’ images of pursuing their dreams brilliantly and effectively.
Besides, I disagree with you on this point: Wang was able to achieve her dream by the end of the movie. In my opinion, Wang fails. At the end of the film, the director did not criticize the indifference of reality or affirm the persistent ideal. The scene of Wang singing (fantasy) at the end of the film becomes the highlight of the characters' struggle and insistence on their dignity. This is a lament for Wang Cailing, who gave up her dream and chose to make peace with the world in her own way. Perhaps we can explore this point further.
You did a great job analyzing the portrayal of protagonist in both "And the Spring Comes" and "Mona Lisa Smile" through many rich examples. I wonder if you could take it one step farther and combine examples and ideas to discuss women's empowerment in greater depth from the language and historical background of the film. I think in this way, your examples will be richer and your characters will be more colorful. For the next time, I think you might want to explore how the nonverbal strategies of camera shots in both films enrich the tone and convey the themes. You can also write more about the makeup of Mona Lisa's Smile.
Great job!
Jinghan Cheng&Haiping Shi
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3188257245
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Re: Movie Essay
To Timothy，
We are very honored to read your article. You made an excellent comparison between the two films and pointed out the common themes of the two films about women’s empowerment and personal growth. We are very interested in your analysis of the personal growth of all the women in the film, which we have not noticed before. Especially in the Mona Lisa Smile, not only Betty, but also Miss Catherine also has personal growth. And you have done a very detailed analysis to support your point of view.
But we think there is some room for improvement in your article.with regard to Wang Cailing’s personal growth, we think you have a wrong description of the plot. “After that, Wang does not accept being used. She abandons the student who lied to her about being terminally ill.” After being used by Huang Sibao, Wang Cailing was wary of others. But she believed that student at first. However, she was finally deceived by the student. So using this example as evidence to support your point of view may not be strong enough. After being used and being deceived by the student, she is also wary of her neighbors. Do you think it might be more reasonable to use this as evidence?
When you set out the views of the two films in the second paragraph, we all feel through your description that your definition of female independence tends to be unattached and does not need a husband. Is it possible to add a sentence before and after the paragraph that the independence of women in these two films is that they do not need to be attached to men to make the theme clearer?
Another plot error is that in the Beginning of Spring, Wang Cailing’s dream is actually unrealized and a failure. Judging from some details of the film, Wang Cailing’s dream of singing at the Beijing Opera House at the end of the film is actually one of her dreams, which is illusory. Judging from the fact that there are no old spots on her face, this image of Wang Cailing is an image when she was young. Because in the middle of the movie, although Wang Cailing, who was performing in the square, was wearing a gorgeous blue dress. The senile spot on her face could still be vaguely observed. While she was in the dream, she had no senile spots. So it can be inferred that Wang Cailing at the end of the film was a younger Wang Cailing in a dream. And the film’s final subtitle, “this scene is dedicated to Wang Tsai-ling” can also confirm this.
There is no problem elsewhere, and the structural layout and design are reasonable. But we think you have some minor mistakes in your understanding of these plots, and the plot analysis as an argument can be modified appropriately, which is just our suggestion.
Generally speaking, we like your analysis of these two articles.
Look forward to your reply.
-- by Zhou Yang and LI Simin
We are very honored to read your article. You made an excellent comparison between the two films and pointed out the common themes of the two films about women’s empowerment and personal growth. We are very interested in your analysis of the personal growth of all the women in the film, which we have not noticed before. Especially in the Mona Lisa Smile, not only Betty, but also Miss Catherine also has personal growth. And you have done a very detailed analysis to support your point of view.
But we think there is some room for improvement in your article.with regard to Wang Cailing’s personal growth, we think you have a wrong description of the plot. “After that, Wang does not accept being used. She abandons the student who lied to her about being terminally ill.” After being used by Huang Sibao, Wang Cailing was wary of others. But she believed that student at first. However, she was finally deceived by the student. So using this example as evidence to support your point of view may not be strong enough. After being used and being deceived by the student, she is also wary of her neighbors. Do you think it might be more reasonable to use this as evidence?
When you set out the views of the two films in the second paragraph, we all feel through your description that your definition of female independence tends to be unattached and does not need a husband. Is it possible to add a sentence before and after the paragraph that the independence of women in these two films is that they do not need to be attached to men to make the theme clearer?
Another plot error is that in the Beginning of Spring, Wang Cailing’s dream is actually unrealized and a failure. Judging from some details of the film, Wang Cailing’s dream of singing at the Beijing Opera House at the end of the film is actually one of her dreams, which is illusory. Judging from the fact that there are no old spots on her face, this image of Wang Cailing is an image when she was young. Because in the middle of the movie, although Wang Cailing, who was performing in the square, was wearing a gorgeous blue dress. The senile spot on her face could still be vaguely observed. While she was in the dream, she had no senile spots. So it can be inferred that Wang Cailing at the end of the film was a younger Wang Cailing in a dream. And the film’s final subtitle, “this scene is dedicated to Wang Tsai-ling” can also confirm this.
There is no problem elsewhere, and the structural layout and design are reasonable. But we think you have some minor mistakes in your understanding of these plots, and the plot analysis as an argument can be modified appropriately, which is just our suggestion.
Generally speaking, we like your analysis of these two articles.
Look forward to your reply.
-- by Zhou Yang and LI Simin
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1119644748
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 1:54 pm
Re: Movie Essay
Hello, Timothy Bellew.
I'm glad to see your article. In general, your article has a clear context and a clear theme, which is about women's rights and personal growth. And in these two aspects of the content analysis of the examples are very full, and very detailed. In addition, there is a good contrast in the film's colors, costumes and makeup.
However, I think your article can be corrected a little. For example, at The end of And The Spring Comes, Wang's singing in The opera house is not real, it is her ideal picture. In fact, Wang's ideal failed in the end, and she made peace with reality in her own way. I think there is a little deviation in your understanding of the film, maybe you can also put forward your basis.
Finally, in my opinion, you can go a little further in your analysis of the topic. The above is my opinion, looking forward to your reply.
Cheng Jinghan &Shi Haiping
I'm glad to see your article. In general, your article has a clear context and a clear theme, which is about women's rights and personal growth. And in these two aspects of the content analysis of the examples are very full, and very detailed. In addition, there is a good contrast in the film's colors, costumes and makeup.
However, I think your article can be corrected a little. For example, at The end of And The Spring Comes, Wang's singing in The opera house is not real, it is her ideal picture. In fact, Wang's ideal failed in the end, and she made peace with reality in her own way. I think there is a little deviation in your understanding of the film, maybe you can also put forward your basis.
Finally, in my opinion, you can go a little further in your analysis of the topic. The above is my opinion, looking forward to your reply.
Cheng Jinghan &Shi Haiping