Les Misarebles

TITLE: Les Misarebles

GENRE: Musical Drama, Historical Fiction

CHARACTERS: 

• Jean Valjean/ Monsieur Madeleine/ Hugh Jackman-convicted for stealing bread and  some unsuccessful escape attempts. He is paroled from prison after 19 years. Assumes new identity and become the mayor.
• Javert/ Russell Crowe-police inspector who is trying over and over to recapture Valjean
• Fantine/Anne Hathaway-struggling factory worker and mother of illegitimate child Cosette
• Cosette/Amanda Seyfried-daughter of Fantine and in the care of the Thenardiers. After her mom dies, Valjen buys her from them and was taker care of.
• Marius Pontmercy/Eddie Redmayne-law student who falls in love with Cosette
• Eponine/Samantha Barks-Thenardiers' elder daughter who helps her father crimes and begging to have money. She falls in love with Marius and gave her life to Marius.
• Thenardiers/Helena Bonhan Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen - swindling innkeepers who took care of Cosette and ask support from Fantine and ask for ransom from Valjean 
• Enjolras/AAron Tveit-leader of Les Amis de/ABC. Committed to republican principles and ideas of progress. was executed after the barricade falls
• Gavroche/Daniel Huttlestone-the child who knows Javert during the barricade. He lives on his own and on the street. 
• Bishop of Digne/Colm Wilkinson- an old priest who gave Valjean shelter and saves Valjean from being arrested and gave Valjean the silvers to help him start a new life. 

SETTING: France in 19th century

PLOT:    The movie is about a convict Jean Valjean released from prison after nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread and escape attempts. When Valjean arrives at Digne, no one is willing to give him shelter. Valjean knocks on the door of a church and the kind bishop let Valjean stay for the night but Valjean steal the silverworks. When police arrested Valjean, bishop of Digne said that those silverworks is a gift. Police release him and the Bishop let Valjean make a promise to become an honest man. Then after Valjean had a new identity as Madeleine and eventually becomes the town's mayor. Valjean met Fantine, a young woman who works on Valjean's factory to support her child Cosette who is under the care of Thenardiers but when her coworkers find out about her having illegitimate child she is fired. Fantine resorts to prostitution to support her child but later Fantine died due to illness. On the other hand, Javert tells Madeleine that a man has been accused of Jean Valjean and Madeleine confesses his true identity. Javert shows up to arrest Valjean but was able to escape. Valjean then ransom Cosette from Thenardiers to fulfill his promise to Fantine. Javert discovers their hideout and they are forced to flee. Then again Javert is always on the run for valjean and Valjean transfer from one location to other. 
     One day, Marius sees Cosette and it is love at first sight. Eponine, Thenardier's daughter who is  in love with Marius helps Marius discover Cosette's whereabouts. Since Marius was devastated that Cosette is moving to England he join his friends to ho started a political uprising. Marius leads the barricade. Soon they discover Javert is a spy and ties him up. Barricade fail and Epinone dies when she throw herself to protect Marius from being shot. Valjean volunteers to join the barricade and save the life of Marius. Valjean sets Javert free and since javert was torn between his duty and debt from Valjean he throw himself from the river and drowns.
    Marius and Cosette got married. Valjean confessed his past to Marius and agrees to leave Cosette. Depressed Valjean wait his death but as soon as Marius learned that he was save by Valjean, Marius went to Valjean for reconciliation and reunited. Valjean dies in peace.
              

THEME: The movie represent the importance of love and compassion, the social injustices during the 19th century and the forgiveness of valjean to Javert.

SYMBOLISM: 

• Silver Candlestick: When the bishop of Digne gave the silver candlestick to Valjean it symbolizes compassion and trust as the bishop passes the light to Valjean. The bishop told Valjean that as he gave the candlestick to Valjean he must promise to become an  honest man. When Valjean dies, the candlesticks shine brightly that symbolizes that he reached his goal of love and compassion.

• Red Flag: it Symbolizes revolution and in the movie, Marius, Gavroche and Enjolras raise the red flag as a symbol that they are ready to fight against the injustices and to fight for the freedom and democracy. 

 1. What does the title mean in relation to the film as a whole?
           The french title Les Miserables when translated to english as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched and The Poor Ones and the relation of the title to the film is that the movie told us about the social injustices of the oppressed people. It is a struggle of the prisoners who were treated as slaves, exconvict who struggles most of his life to find peace and the injustices of the people from the king. 

2. Among the characters, to whom can you relate to?
            I can relate to Jean Valjean. Jan Valjean struggles most of his life to find peace and acceptance, just like him in life I need to face every endeavors that comes to my way. 

3. Which part of the presentation struck you the most? Why?   
            In the movie, what struck me most is when Valjean released Javert during the time when he captured in the barricade. In that part it shows how forgiving he is. Javert, all his life he run after Valjean and when it was Valjean turn to capture him, instead of killing Javert to solve his problem he let Javert go.  

4. What is the movie’s message?
            The movie's message is that in life struggles will always be there but it depends on us how to over come it and use it as our inspiration to be better. Our past is never a hindrance to our future.

5. Did I like this in general? Why?
             I like the movie because I have learned many lessons from the movie. The movie is inspiring and I can relate to it.

6. Did I agree with the main theme/purpose? Why or why not?
             Yes, I agree with the theme because it is realistic and we can relate so much to the movie. The sacrifices that the story is trying to convey and the love and compassion.

7. What specifically did I like/dislike? Why?
             I'm not into musical so I need to focus very hard to the movie. I like the story since I can learn so many things from it. 

8. Are there any aspects of theme which are left ambiguous at the end? Why?
             If the revolution continues since in the movie it was only radical students who barricade and the barricade did fail. It was not also clear to me the role of the child Gavroche and if he knows that the Thenardiers was his parents.
            
9. How does this film relate to the things that are happening in your life?
            The film is about struggles and oppression and ones in our life we did struggle and we felt oppressed. What I am today is because I work hard for it. I struggle inorder for me to survive. Life never promise us that it is going to be a smooth ride and I never expect that it is going to smooth. Ones in my life I felt oppressed and I am aware of all the injustices that we had. The corruption that lead to poverty and crimes, the injustices of our laws and all of them it was shown on the film. I learned also that poverty is never a hindrance to our success in the future and forgiving is one of the key to find peace in our heart. 

Life of Pi Analysis

Title: LIFE OF PI

Genre: FICTION, NOVEL

Characters: 

• Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi)
• Richard Parker-Bengal Tiger
• Mamaji-Pi's uncle
• Ravi -Pi's older brother
• Santosh Patel- Pi's father
• Gita Patel-Pi's mother
• Father Martin-Catholic priest

Setting: story sets initially in India but the greater part of the story sets in Pacific Ocean and the last are set in Mexico where Pi recovers from His 227 days adventure

Plot: Life of Pi is divided into three sections. In the first section, the main character, Pi, an adult, reminisces about his childhood. He was named Piscine Molitor Patel after a swimming pool in France. He changes his name to "Pi" when he begins secondary school, because he is tired of being taunted with the nickname "Pissing Patel". His father owns a zoo in Pondicherry, providing Pi with a relatively affluent lifestyle and some understanding of animal psychology

Pi is raised a Hindu, but as a fourteen-year-old he is introduced to Christianity and Islam, and starts to follow all three religions as he "just wants to love God. He tries to understand God through the lens of each religion and comes to recognize benefits in each one.

Eventually, his family decides to sell their zoo over a land dispute with the government, and sell the animals to various zoos around the world before emigrating to Canada. In the second part of the novel, Pi's family embarks on a Japanese freighter to Canada carrying some of the animals from their zoo, but a few days out of port, the ship meets a storm and sinks, resulting in his family's death. During the storm, Pi escapes death in a small lifeboat with a spotted hyena, an injured Grant's zebra, and an orangutan.

As Pi strives to survive among the animals, the hyena kills the zebra, then the orangutan, much to Pi's distress. At this point, it is discovered that a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker had been hiding under the boat's tarpaulin; it kills and eats the hyena. Frightened, Pi constructs a small raft out of flotation devices, tethers it to the boat, and retreats to it. He delivers some of the fish and water he harvests to Richard Parker to keep him satisfied, conditioning Richard Parker not to threaten him by rocking the boat and causing seasickness while blowing a whistle. Eventually, Richard Parker learns to tolerate Pi's presence and they both live in the boat.

Pi recounts various events while adrift, including discovering an island of carnivorous algae inhabited by meerkats. After 227 days, the lifeboat washes up onto the coast of Mexico and Richard Parker immediately escapes into the nearby jungle.

In the third part of the novel, two officials from the Japanese Ministry of Transport speak to Pi to ascertain why the ship sank. When they do not believe his story, he tells an alternative story of human brutality, in which Pi was adrift on a lifeboat with his mother, a sailor with a broken leg, and the ship's cook, who killed the sailor and Pi's mother and cut them up to use as bait and food. Parallels to Pi's first story lead the Japanese officials to believe that the orangutan represents his mother, the zebra represents the sailor, the hyena represents the cook, and Richard Parker is Pi himself.

After giving all the relevant information, Pi asks which of the two stories they prefer. Since the officials cannot prove which story is true and neither is relevant to the reasons behind the shipwreck, they choose the story with the animals. Pi thanks them and says, "and so it goes with God".

Theme: Survival, Faith, Hope and Believing in God

Symbolism:

• Color Orange

In Life of Pi, the color orange symbolizes hope and survival. Just before the scene in which the Tsimtsum sinks, the narrator describes visiting the adult Pi at his home in Canada and meeting his family. Pi’s daughter, Usha, carries an orange cat. This moment assures the reader that the end of the story, if not happy, will not be a complete tragedy, since Pi is guaranteed to survive the catastrophe and father children of his own. The little orange cat recalls the big orange cat, Richard Parker, who helps Pi survive during his 227 days at sea. As the Tsimtsum sinks, Chinese crewmen give Pi a life jacket with an orange whistle; on the boat, he finds an orange lifebuoy. The whistle, buoy, and tiger all help Pi survive, just as Orange Juice the orangutan provides a measure of emotional support that helps the boy maintain hope in the face of horrific tragedy.

1. What does the title mean in relation to the film as a whole?

    Life of Pi is a story about the adventures of the boy named Pi. It is a story of survival and the will to live and not to be alone and forgotten. A story about faith and hope that someday soon they were able to land in a shore with people and Believing in God and how God is watching him through out his ordeal.

2. Among the characters, to whom can you relate to?

      I can relate to the main character Pi which has a strong personality, willing to learn new things, seeing beyond the soul of every individuals and most of all I can relate to Pi's will to survive. Everyday we face life struggles and life is a survival of the fittest those who are weak never survive and everyday I'm trying to survive may it in school or with my family. I'm willing to learn new things and accept change.

3. Which part of the presentation struck you the most? Why?

       Part of the movie that struck me the most when Richard Parker chose to live with the jungle and Pi was whining because Richard Park left him. It struck me because after all the things they have been through Richard Parker never look back and have a last glance to Pi. 

4. What is the movie’s message?

    Movie's message is never loose hope because in every struggles there is a great things ahead of us. Always have hope and believe in yourself. Lastly, Believe in God that in ever struggles he gave to us there is a lesson to learn and he knows we can survive.

5. Did I like this in general? Why?  

  Yes. 2 thumbs up for the movie. I love the way they have narrated the movie and so many lessons that we can have in the story.

6. Did I agree with the main theme/purpose? Why or why not?

  Yes, because life is a journey and a time it is unfair. when you think you have already lost your hopes God will gave you something to hold on to. 

7. What specifically did I like/dislike? Why?

   I love everything in the story. The father who have so many lessons to impart with Pi, the mom who is supportive, the priest who never got tired of explaining to Pi and Pi himself who made it. I love the forest and the ocean and how he imagine things. 

8. Are there any aspects of theme which are left ambiguous at the end? Why?

  The ship wreck. No one can explained why the ship sunk and that was the Japanese guy that they were trying to figure out. 

9. How does this film relate to the things that are happening in your life?

    In my life, I have so many struggles and the temptation as a student. I have struggle so many years to finished college but I havent had a clear view of yet but it never stop me in trying. I am 24 now but Im still trying to prove I can do it. I still have high hopes that I can graduate and Im still surviving. 

Live each day to the fullest

Sitting on the steps, looking across the lake,
Wondering why, life at times, can seem great.
But in that second, it took me to just think,
My life could change, faster than a blink.

Is this a reason why we should always cherish?
Not knowing when loved ones may suddenly perish.
Living everyday, like it was our very last,
for our days could be very long or go by very fast

So I'll cherish and take nothing for granted,
not say things that shouldn't be chanted.
If this is the last day I have on this earth,
I accept my life, for what it's been worth.

Tomorrow isn't promised to young or old alike,
Today may be the last day I'm able to hold you tight.
Don't wait for tomorrow, do it all today,
If tomorrow never comes, you'll never regret a day.

© Amy D. Liskey

**I chose this poem because the message is so simple. We should live life to the fullest as if everyday would be our last. Life is too complicated if we dig down to it and in life change is the only constant thing so better enjoy life.Regrets will always be there since we are striving for more but then again life is  didn't promise us that it is going to be a smooth ride.


Is this a reason why we should always cherish?
Not knowing when loved ones may suddenly perish.
Living everyday, like it was our very last,
for our days could be very long or go by very fast

**In this stanza, life is a mystery we may not know if tomorrow will ever come or today maybe our last, so live it while you can because no one lives forever. Cherish the people who love us and be in love with life everyday. We should always remember we  only live once so live 
our life the way we want too. 

Rockin' 2013

            I make it a point that my New year's resolution will be simple and achievable. My new year's resolution are:

•  To top it most, this year I will study hard so that I will graduate this 2014. I'm already long overdue in college
• be more patient
• be friendly
• to love and be loved
• to be a good son and brother
• to go to church
• to work harder

So let me say GOODBYE 2012, HELLO 2013

Looking Back 2012

      Looking back 2012, I can say it was a BLAST. Indeed new learning, fun experiences and struggles had come my way yet I was able to survive. A roller coaster ride. Every year is a life lesson and every year new experiences had been added to my life chapter. 2012 was fun yet full of surprises. I can say that I was moved by some great news that came to our family. I've learned not to expect and not to be dependent to someone when I knew myself I can be better. I learned how to forgive to the people who wronged me as well as ask forgiveness to the people I have hurt. I learned that I can be patient to things. I realized from 2012 that God gave me problems that I can solve and handle and God loves me so much that He let me experience those problems to help me mature. I realize that everything has it own proper timing. Living life to the fullest has always been my motto and I make sure that ever year I have done the best I can. Cheers 2012!