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Movie Review & Critique – Mona Lisa Smile & And the Spring comes

180823 叶水秀 Shuixiu Ye

Well into Mona Lisa Smile, a story whispered that Katherine Watson, a first-year teacher from Oakland State, who had wanted to teach at Wellesley College all her life. So when a position opened in the Art History department, she pursued it single-mindedly until she was hired.

The heavy certain of the story pulled open with “the knocking at the Door of learning”.

As a strong-aware feminist, Katherine Watson hopefully came to Wellesley to make a difference，which deeply remind me of Wang Cailing, an independent women lived isolated in the 1980s China in the film When the Spring Comes. She had wonderful voice and sang splendid songs. But living in an under-developed town, she was a lonely island with no understanding.

They all determined to aspire after their dreams. However, dreams are hard to realize. For Katherine Watson, everything was out of her ideally imagination. Her smartest students were deeply fettered by existing social order and she was considered to be subversive. Married Betty even printed the words “She is challenging the role a woman born to fill” on school newspapers. As the same, Wang Cailing was regarded as freak. It was such a long time that people who pursued art was despised in China. Mr.Hu, a ballet dancer, said, “I was the fishbone sticking into the throat of the citizens.” Aristotle said, “Keep oneself to oneself， not a beast or a god.” They are not beast nor god. How can art become the barrier between people and them?

The alien-culture directors jointly conveyed their support of females’ pursuing of dream in the same place. The film Mona Lisa Smile is concerned about the emancipation of women in 1950s in the US, which was a time to call for Equality. Nevertheless, the legacy of old society made it hard for women to accept the real Equality in thoughts. All they wanted was to marry a husband. Katherine mutinously asked, "I didn't realize that by demanding excellence, I would be challenging 'the role I born to fill'". She rejected to obey the decayed social rules. "There are a lot of labels I've noticed. Right family, right school, right art, right way of thinking." It's ironic when we compare it to the former words in the film "I knock at the door to waken my spirit through hard work and dedicate my life to knowledge." And the Spring Comes told a story that happened in 1980s, the earlier stage of Chinese economic reform. As the same as Katherine, Wang Cailing was also determined to sing in her whole life and dreamed of singing in the Pairs Theatre one day. She fought for it despite mountainous difficulties and hardships in reality. Both of Katherine and Wang Cailing lived a different life for their advanced thoughts. Wang Cailing satirized herself, "The princess who speaks six language is as useless as six-finger one living in the town, so do I." Should everything flock around what it should be? Directors say "NO!" through the films.

Joan was one of Katherine’s smartest students who thirsted for family warmth. I was extremely disappointed when I got across that she rejected the offer of Yale and got married. She was exceedingly expected to be the first one to break away from conventions. But she didn’t. It really let me down at that moment. But it was long before I recalled the words she said, “It was my choice. Not to go. I want a home, a family. It’s not something I’ll sacrifice. Do you think I’ll wake up one day and regret not being a lawyer? Not as much as I’d regret not having a family. Not being there to raise them. I know what I’m exactly doing, and it doesn’t make me any less smart,” After listening to her critical words to Katherine, “To you a housewife is someone who sold her soul for a center hall colonial. They have no depth, no intellect, no interests. You are the one who said I could do anything I wanted. This is what I want.” did I realize the true meaning of feminism. It is neither sacrificing family to pursue one’s career, nor abandoning your dream to look after family wholeheartedly, but a choice. Woman was accord inborn to have the right to choose which kind of life she wants to live in.

At the end of Mona Lisa Smile, Katherine chose to pursue excellence. She resigned from Wellesley and started on a journey to her dreaming Europe. The last haunting scene that plenty of girls riding after the car definitely showed that they would follow in Katherine’s footsteps. Betty decided to get rid of her aborted marriage. As for Wang, the society unsuccessfully forced her to get married but to adopt a little girl. When she was sitting in front of the Tian’anmen Square with her daughter in tow, her wistful eyes in the last picture impressed me so much so that I could touch the inseparable desire of her soul and her blazing aversion to be ordinary. They all decided to live their own life.

Though both of films focus on the same issue, they have different ways to express their ideas. From the ancient time the modern society, western people would like to express themselves directly while Chinese always convey in a vague way. In Mona Lisa Smile, director use a bright light and create distinctive characters. All Katherine did directly conveyed director’s support of women’s pursuing. Even the final scene imitated the great future of running after of dream. However, in the film And the Spring Comes, most of the scenes were dim and filled with sadness. The dress, the music and the light all has a dichotomy difference from Mona Lisa Smile. “The spring comes. There is no real sign of Spring.” The dialogue in the film was not only showing the season but also conveying a vague signal of the development of art at that time. Though the spring came, it still took a far distant for the real Spring of art to walk in.

“How do you expect to ever make a difference if everything is a joke?” Katherine Watson was not only asking Violet, but also asking each one of us. “Dream no matter how vague, the total hidden in our hearts, our feelings never be quiet, until the dream become a reality.”

It’s time for me to start my journey.

Shuixiu Ye,

I am not sure about the statement: "a first-year teacher from Oakland State, who had wanted to teach at Wellesley College all her life. So when a position opened in the Art History department, she pursued it single-mindedly until she was hired." First, Katherine graduated from UCLA. Second, I didn't pick up on the idea that she always wanted to teach at Wellsley. If she did, prove this point a bit further by including an example that shows her determination in landing a position there.

I liked how you mentioned the opening scene of the "knocking at the door of learning" in Mona Lisa Smile but I'm not sure of the significance of mentioning it in your essay.

I believe the 4th paragraph is where the thesis is found. Although the quote from Aristotle was fitting, try to weave it in more seamlessly to connect it to your assertions about Wang and Katherine and her students. The sentence "Her smartest students were deeply fettered by existing social order and she was considered to be subversive." is good but I would like to know more specifically what her and her students were constrained by. You explain with Cailing that she was considered a freak because she practiced art.

In the third paragraph, what do you mean by: The alien-culture directors jointly conveyed their support of females’ pursuing of dream in the same place. Try rewording for clarity.

Consider breaking the 5th paragraph into two parts. One about Mona Lisa Smile and another about And the Spring Comes. Although the quotations are strong examples, consider introducing them better and explaining their significance to strengthen your argument more.

The scene with Joan and Katherine shows a woman's choice to lead her own life. I liked your reaction to this part as I also had the same reaction. It is also worth considering other reasons why Joan didn't attend law school. Despite everything, she still chooses to conform.

The idea that, "Though the spring came, it still took a far distant for the real Spring of art to walk in." was new for me so I liked that you included your original thoughts and ideas in this essay. I also never considered the directness of American films when it comes to conveying the main message. With this in mind, it explains the struggles I had in deciphering the message of And the Spring Comes.

The closing of this essay was inspirational, however consider making the final two lines the same paragraph for stronger organization.

-Taylor

Shuixiu,

I will comment less on grammar because Taylor seemed to do a rather thorough job for it, so I will comment on my thoughts of the overall piece.

Your analysis on Katherine by connecting her to the rough period of counter-culture in America is a very thoughtful. However, I'd like to point out that this period was rather the beginning of "women's emancipation" as you so aptly put it. Although the Equal Right's act did not get passed until the early 1960s, this film does a great job expressing some of the more anachronistic masochistic aspects in American society. I know that it may be more interesting and relevant to analyze Mona Lisa Smile More, just as it was more inspiring for me to look into And the Spring Comes, but I would like to hear more of your thoughts on the latter. The cinematography and symbolism in the movie might not be fully apparent to me, as I am an American-born Chinese, and I would very much like to gauge your thoughts. Yes Cailinbg made a decision to live her own life, but is she happy? What does the ending scene mean to you? What do you think about Cailing and her group's "tragic" story?

One more point of praise, the connection you made between "And the Spring Comes.." to the actual season passing is very insightful and something I missed. I agree with you fully, as the viewer, we really do question if Spring "came."

I look forward to your reply!

Chris

Dear Taylor & Chris,
I am glad to hear from you,and I thonk your suggeations helpful. To address your advice,here is my reply.

Firstly, I would like toexplain the statement on the 1paragraph but actually it was picked out from the dialogue of the film. I do think it shows Katherine's strong will to make a difference in Wellseley and she did at last.

About the "Koncking ", it was the scene the opening ceremony of the film, I was inspired by the scene so I write it in my essay. thanks for your advice,I think it better for me toexplainmore details from the film, including the many things you suggest, which were mentioned in the film but not mentioned in my essay.Because I think my readers is the people have watch thefilms at first, your suggestions remind me of that someone might forget the detailed plots or hasn't watched the films at all.I will consider more to make my eassay full and strength its organizatin.

As for Chris' reply, because of my lack of knowledge of "Women emancipation", I make mistake in the time. I will correct it after I get more information about it.And I would like to share my idea about the sweet or bitter ending of the films. In the filna of film, Betty divorced but got her freedom. I think she was happy for getting rid of the terrible marriage. No matter how hard their future will be, Katherine did make a difference, and girls changed, I think it can be considered as a good ending. After all there is no whole-sweet life in the world. And it's also good for you to hold your idea on it.

Cailing was forced to give up her dream for many reasons. I am fully agree with you that it was a tragedy. The last scene I think the director is eulogizing the people who perseverely struggles to a higher stage. Thought many of them are failed, they are also worth to empathize and praise. It reflect the social life in 80s China, criticize the goverment and the old conventions. It leads people to think about why people would be prevent from pursuing their dream, who is the killer murders their dreams and why Cailing would choose to be a"normal" people.

Make it a sad ending, the director try to impress us more deeply. But in the Mona Lisa Smile, director try to encourage us to pursue because it may not be worse if you try to pursue dreams, so there is no reason why don't you have a try.
Looking forward to your reply.

Hi Shuixiu Y,

Thanks for your reply to both of our responses. I think overall, the combination of my grammar/structural advice along with Chris' advice in regards to content will provide you a wealth of points to address in your revision. I, too enjoyed the "knocking at the door of learning" opening scene in Mona Lisa Smile. I would just recommend incorporating and explaining the quote in the following paragraph. I like the freestanding quote as it increases its impact. I would also suggest adding a citation of sorts so readers understand what movie its from (especially for those who haven't seen either like you said).

I appreciate your willingness to learn more about women's emancipation. I also appreciate your interpretation of the ending of And the Spring Comes as a way the director eulogizes the struggling people in China during that time.

Shuixiu Y. wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2019 10:30 am Dear Taylor & Chris,
I am glad to hear from you,and I thonk your suggeations helpful. To address your advice,here is my reply.

Firstly, I would like toexplain the statement on the 1paragraph but actually it was picked out from the dialogue of the film. I do think it shows Katherine's strong will to make a difference in Wellseley and she did at last.

About the "Koncking ", it was the scene the opening ceremony of the film, I was inspired by the scene so I write it in my essay. thanks for your advice,I think it better for me toexplainmore details from the film, including the many things you suggest, which were mentioned in the film but not mentioned in my essay.Because I think my readers is the people have watch thefilms at first, your suggestions remind me of that someone might forget the detailed plots or hasn't watched the films at all.I will consider more to make my eassay full and strength its organizatin.

As for Chris' reply, because of my lack of knowledge of "Women emancipation", I make mistake in the time. I will correct it after I get more information about it.And I would like to share my idea about the sweet or bitter ending of the films. In the filna of film, Betty divorced but got her freedom. I think she was happy for getting rid of the terrible marriage. No matter how hard their future will be, Katherine did make a difference, and girls changed, I think it can be considered as a good ending. After all there is no whole-sweet life in the world. And it's also good for you to hold your idea on it.

Cailing was forced to give up her dream for many reasons. I am fully agree with you that it was a tragedy. The last scene I think the director is eulogizing the people who perseverely struggles to a higher stage. Thought many of them are failed, they are also worth to empathize and praise. It reflect the social life in 80s China, criticize the goverment and the old conventions. It leads people to think about why people would be prevent from pursuing their dream, who is the killer murders their dreams and why Cailing would choose to be a"normal" people.

Make it a sad ending, the director try to impress us more deeply. But in the Mona Lisa Smile, director try to encourage us to pursue because it may not be worse if you try to pursue dreams, so there is no reason why don't you have a try.
Looking forward to your reply.

Hi Shuixiu,

Thank you for your reply,

Your perspective on the two movies has definitely given me a new perspective as well. Perhaps I have been too hasty by assigning such a tenebrous tone to both movies. Although I still personally believe there is a big element of tragedy, I do completely understand your perspective that they are symbols of perseverance, rather than complete tragedy.

As for your closing points, Mona Lisa Smile's ending is certainly encouraging, but a point I like to make is that we should not forget the unmentioned obstacles that all the characters face after setting out in their newfound freedom.

After taking Taylor's advice on some grammar and structure, while bolstering some of your content will make your essay even stronger.

After fixing:

Movie Review & Critique – Mona Lisa Smile & And the Spring comes
180823 叶水秀

Well into Mona Lisa Smile, a story whispered that Katherine Watson, a first-year teacher from Oakland State, who had wanted to teach at Wellesley College all her life. So when a position opened in the Art History department, she pursued it single-mindedly until she was hired.

The heavy certain of the story pulled open with “the knocking at the Door of learning”, the scene that at the opening ceremony of Wellesley in the film.

As a strong-aware feminist, Katherine Watson hopefully came to Wellesley to make a difference，which deeply remind me of Wang Cailing, an independent women lived isolated in the 1980s China in the film When the Spring comes. She had wonderful voice and sang splendid songs, struggling for higher stage as similar as Katherine. But living in an under-developed town, she was a lonely island with no understanding.

Both of them determined to aspire after their dreams. For Katherine Watson, everything was out of her ideally imagination. Her smartest students were deeply fettered by conventional social norms, women are born to marry and take care of their family, and she was considered to be subversive. Married Betty even printed the words “She is challenging the role a woman born to fill” on school newspapers. As the same, Wang Cailing was regarded as freak. It was such a long time that people who pursued art was despised in China. Mr.Hu, a ballet dancer, said, “I was the fishbone sticking into the throat of the citizens.” Aristotle said, “Keep oneself to oneself， not a beast or a god.” Artist are neither beast nor god. How can art become the barrier between people and them?

The two directors jointly conveyed their thoughts on females’ emancipation even if they set in different culture.

The film Mona Lisa Smile is concerned about the emancipation of women in 1950s in the US, a period of time to call for Sexual Equality. Nevertheless, the legacy of old society made it hard for women to accept the real Equality in thoughts. All they wanted was to marry a husband. Katherine mutinously asked, "I didn't realize that by demanding excellence, I would be challenging 'the role I born to fill'". She rejected to obey the decayed norms. "There are a lot of labels I've noticed. Right family, right school, right art, right way of thinking." It's ironic when we compare it to the former words in the film "I knock at the door to waken my spirit through hard work and dedicate my life to knowledge."

And the Spring comes told a story that happened in 1980s, the earlier stage of Chinese economic reform. As the same as Katherine, Wang Cailing was also determined to sing in her whole life and dreamed of singing in the Pairs Theatre one day. She fought for it despite mountainous difficulties and hardships in reality. Both of Katherine and Wang Cailing lived a different life for their advanced thoughts. Wang Cailing satirized herself, "The princess who speaks six languages is as useless as six-finger one living in the town, so do I." Should everything flock around what it should be? Directors say "NO!" through the films.

Joan was one of Katherine’s smartest students who thirsted for family warmth. I was extremely disappointed when I got across that she rejected the offer of Yale and got married. She was exceedingly expected to be the first one to break away from conventions. But she didn’t. It really let me down at that moment. But it was long before I recalled the words she said, “It was my choice. Not to go. I want a home, a family. It’s not something I’ll sacrifice. Do you think I’ll wake up one day and regret not being a lawyer? Not as much as I’d regret not having a family. Not being there to raise them. I know what I’m exactly doing, and it doesn’t make me any less smart,” After listening to her critical words to Katherine, “To you a housewife is someone who sold her soul for a center hall colonial. They have no depth, no intellect, no interests. You are the one who said I could do anything I wanted. This is what I want.” did I realize the true meaning of feminism. It is neither sacrificing family to pursue one’s career, nor abandoning your dream to look after family wholeheartedly, but a choice. Woman was accord inborn to have the right to choose which kind of life she wants to live in.

At the end of Mona Lisa Smile, Katherine chose to pursue excellence. She resigned from Wellesley and started on a journey to her dreaming Europe. Though she left Wellesley, Katherine did make a difference, and girls changed. Betty divorced but got her freedom. The last haunting scene that plenty of girls riding after the car definitely showed that they would follow in Katherine’s footsteps. No matter how hard their future will be, they would fight for themselves. As for Wang, the society unsuccessfully forced her to get married but adopt a little girl. When she was sitting in front of the Tian’anmen Square with her daughter in tow, her wistful eyes in the last picture impressed me so much so that I could touch the inseparable desire of her soul and her blazing aversion to be ordinary. Director Gu eulogized the people who perseverely struggles to a higher stage, like Cailing. Thought many of them are failed, they are still honored.

Though both of films focus on the same issue, they have different ways to express their ideas.

From the ancient time the modern society, western people would like to express themselves directly while Chinese always convey in a vague way. In Mona Lisa Smile, director use a bright light and create distinctive characters. All Katherine did directly conveyed director’s support of women’s pursuing. Even the final scene imitated the great future of running after of dream.

However, in the film And the spring comes, most of the scenes were dim and filled with sadness. The dress, the music and the light all has a dichotomy difference from Mona Lisa Smile. “The spring comes. There is no real sign of Spring.” The dialogue in the film was not only showing the season but also conveying a vague signal of the development of art at that time. Though the spring came, it still took a far distant for the real Spring of art to walk in.

“How do you expect to ever make a difference if everything is a joke?” Katherine Watson was not only asking Violet, but also asking each one of us. “Dream no matter how vague, the total hidden in our hearts, our feelings never be quiet, until the dream become a reality.”It’s time for me to start my journey, too.

I can't explain my ideas well sometimes. Thank my parters for fixing my mistakes. I fix my essay acoording to the suggestions given. I didn't make the fomer paragraph fixed for they are a big project. I didn't explcit my ideas before in the beginig, instead, I put it behind so my essay is not strong in struture. I devide the contrast in the latter paragraphs into different parts so that it is clear to see the comparation. I try my best but there are still some sentence I don't knoe how to fix. And I learn more precise descriptions from your essays. I also changed some words that used less precise.
Sincerely thank you again!