Blood Diamond

I picked Blood Diamond as my movie to watch for extra credit. This movie is about a man who lives in poor country called Sierra Leone. The main characters name is Solomon, the rebels invade the village he lives in. He is then captured and forced to work in a diamond mine. He meets a man named Danny that offers to help him find his family if he will give him the diamond or give part of the money he receives for it over to him. They go thru a long journey together to find Solomons family,but in the end Solomon is reunited with his family and Danny gets that second chance that he didn't think he would get.

While I watched this movie, it reminded me of some of the things we have been talking about in history. It talked about rebels, blood diamonds of course, and young children being forced into killing there own people by getting brainwashed into it. It really covered many of the bases of our discussions in class over the past few weeks. I find it very upsetting about how hard it really is for people in the poor third world nations going thru struggles like this. It really shows the conflicts between humans in this word and the people that are mistreated that really do not deserve that cruelty.

This changed my way of thinking about this history in many ways. This movie was based on a story that was in the 1900s, which was not to long ago. It is strange to me that we can be living peacefully over here in the United States and there can be people that are living in absolutely horrible conditions in the world. It really makes me want to reach out and help these people. I experienced the same feeling from watching this movie as I did when I was watching War Dance.

I really enjoyed this movie, I thought it did a very nice job of describing the hard times of the people in these war stricken nations. It also makes me more aware of the struggles those innocent people go thru and how easy I have it. It also makes me thankful for what I have here in America. While I was watching this movie, I found it to be very moving. You really see how hard these people struggled to find their families and how cruel people can be to one another. Over all this truly was a great movie and I would recommend it to people.

Blood Diamond

1. I watched the movie Blood Diamond. This movie is about a man, Archer, who smuggles diamonds to sell in Liberia. War is taking place all around him and the film shows Africans being captured, tortured, and forced to work and search for diamonds. A journalist, traveling through Africa comes across the Archer and is searching for a story to send home to America in hopes of them understanding the severity of violence and terror that is taking place. The movie focuses on one African man, Solomon, who was separated from his family and was forced to search for diamonds under rebel forces. Archer and Solomon work together and with the help of the American journalist Solomon is reunited with his family and Archer is given a second chance.

2.Blood Diamond is set in Sierra Leone during civil wars of the 1990s. It is a time of great political unrest in Sierra Leone. Rebel forces raided many refugee camps, separating families and taking the lives of numerous innocent people. Solomon is captured and while he is searching for diamonds he finds a big one and attempts to hide it. As he buries it in the dirt, he is caught by the commandant and is arrested.

3.Blood Diamond really opened my eyed about how violent it truly was in Africa during this time period and how some of it still remains to be. It taught me the hardships the Africans dealt with and the grief they experienced. Just like the movies we have been watching in class about all the violence in Africa it made me sad to think this is what people really went through. Blood Diamond showed the children of Africa being captured and forced to kill innocent people. This movie also showed me how little other parts of the world knew what was going on and how bad it really was.

4.I thought this movie did a really good job of portraying the severity of the war and those affected. I really enjoyed this movie even though it was really sad and tough to watch at some points. It really helped me further understand what people, such as Nancy, Rose, and Dominic from the movie we watched in class experienced. This movie has made me very thankful to live in America where I know I am safe and to have my family. I could never imagine being put through all the situations that were shown in this movie. I like that they show the American journalist who is trying to find a story that will hopefully show Americans how bad the conditions truly are for African citizens. Blood Diamond really made me want to do something to help the people in Africa and made me very thankful for all that I have.

The movie I watched was Flyboys. I thought the movie was very good. It was about the undertaking of the Lafayette Escadrille. Young Americans volunteered to join the French military. The pilots became the first fighter pilots in the country. It took place from 1914 to 1917 which was during World War 1. It was based off a true story. I didn't know that the United States were still neutral when this took place. Before watching this movie I didn't know much about fighter pilots. In the movie they said that life expectancy for fighter pilots was six weeks. Most of the fighter pilots were Americans. In the end the French fought off the German and won.

Mr. McDonald's World History: 4th Honors

1. The movie I watched was Flyboys. This is based on a real-life story. The title relates to the movie because they were young men (boys) who flew fighter planes. Although based on real-life the entire story is based on a book that was previously published three years prior. The film follows the entire process for a soldier.

2. The movie is about World War I. More specifically the years 1914 to 1917 before the United States entered the war. it follows the Hundred Twenty-Fourth French Air force Squadrant. It is about hotshot American men who entered the war against the Germans, but while America was still neutral. In the end America is truly more involved then expected because of all the fighter pilots who entered the war with France.

3. Flyboys taught me more about how the United States was partially involved in World War I, and how the pilots lived. Although some inaccurate points it shows the overall understanding of the war. It reinforced my understanding cause i know that there were fighter pilots but I did not know that the United States made up almost an entire squadrant. It also reinforced how much outside help the allied powers had without full commitments from other countries. It shows these men would do anything to learn a new trade.

4. I thought the movie was excellent. It covers tons of facts and it allows you to see what these men went through. I found it awesome cool how they were the United States first fighter pilots. I also, liked how they showed what the men went through. I now have a better understanding of how the United States affected the war without truly entering the war. I also have a greater understanding of what a country goes through when being attacked from all sides.

　

　

World History Movies Extra Credit

Use the List below to choose and then watch a movie about a period in World History.  After watching the film in its entirety, you will respond to the viewing prompts on your class' blog in order to receive extra credit points.

DISCLAIMERS: The following list contains titles that I feel are appropriate based on their historical content. Most of these films I have seen and feel are appropriate, but there are a couple that I haven't seen yet and they may contain content that you find objectionable. Seeing as this is extra credit, you do not need a permission slip, but I am trusting you to use your judgement when it comes to what you and your parents feel is appropriate.  If you are unsure before beginning, either google the film or use IMDB to find descriptions of the film. 

You must watch your chosen film all the way through before responding and I am trusting you to do this.  I am also trusting you to watch a film that you have not already seen, or that if you have watched your chosen movie, that you watch it again for this assignment.  If you want to watch a film together in a group, you may make an arrangement to do so in my classroom or make some other arrangement.  Everyone must do their own post to the film, however.

DUE DATE: I want these posted to the blog no later than the end of the day on Friday, March 4, 2011.  After that, you cannot earn any credit.

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER: After watching the film, consider the following questions and post your answers to THIS blog page.  (borrowed from: http://blogs.moundsparkacademy.org/worldhistory10/extra-credit---world-history-1.html)

·         What film did you watch?

·         What elements of "World History" was touched on by the film?

·         How did the film reinforce and/or change your understanding of that history?

·         What did you think of the film? (Comment on whatever you would like.)

I am looking for responses to be paragraphs, following the rule of 5-7 complex sentences per paragraph.

FILM LIST: I will certainly add more titles to the list as they come to me. (I will consider suggestions as well.) I might also add some brief descriptions if/when I get a chance. For now, here is a start of films that I consider good choices for the assignment.

Blood Diamond (2006)

Paths of Glory (1957)

Gallipoli (1981)

Flyboys (2006)

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)  

 Amistad (1997)

Michael Collins (1996)

Zulu (1964)

Out of Africa  (1985) 

Black Robe (1991)

The Mission (1986)

Invictus (2009)

The Four Feathers (2002)

Ghandi (1984)