Look Both Ways Essay :)

[roly182]

lol ahh if only everyone on these boards could share in the joy of english - matcott's method
I will trully miss the master classes

but seriously... 'um' - who is gunna quote that. its so shit.
Hey anyone... with quotes do you use single or double: ' ' or " "

[clinton_09]

im not sure if its right but i think u only use " if its a direct quote, and use ' if its not exactly the same

I could be wrong, so can someone please verify this

[jsimmo]

Here's a new essay...... I think the other ones were a lot better but I got tired ahhh    What do you think? There are a lot of forced quotes... so it might sound a bit awkward at times.  This one was finished in just a little over one hour.     and.. you can pretty much see how all my essays carry the same ideas - just tailored to suit the topic   

“It doesn’t matter how life ends, it matters how it was”, Joan tells Nick.
Is this the true message of Look Both Ways?

Sarah Watt’s powerful film, Look Both Ways explicates the notion that life must be lived to its full potential if it is going to be “embraced wholeheartedly”. Through the use of Nick’s sudden cancer diagnosis and confused state of mind, Watt illustrates that in order to overcome our inner fears and anxieties we ultimately need to pursue life with a greater sense of hope and optimism. In order to illustrate the precious and even random nature of life and death, Watt contrasts those who die fast -  without any pain - such as Meryl’s father who she describes, “died while watching the cricket”, against those who suffer a slow – painful – death , such as a Nick’s father, Jim. Watts ultimate message is that we inevitably need to make the most of our life and hence, control our inner thoughts and fears so that we “...you know… can stay up… be optimistic”.

Meryl’s dark, murky and sometimes disturbing animations provide us with an insight into her inner monologue. Meryl’s constant obsession and neurotic behaviour about self-annihilation depicts the view that she is inevitably “scared to stupid to do anything” because of her sense of entrapment and belief that “death is everywhere”. Through Meryl, Watt tries to exemplify that sometimes our inner fears can be more destructive than reality itself and hence, we need to stop preoccupying our thoughts with death, but more, start making the most out of our life and focus on the positive aspects.

Nicks cancer diagnosis is a sudden event that turns his life upside down. He is left “speculating” his survival and hence, his cold and composed response to the doctors’ negative report illustrates the way in which he is left searching for causes and ultimate consequences of his past actions. He is faced with his own mortality and as a result, attempts to tackle some of life’s bigger questions – including issues surrounding spirituality and fate. His diagnosis causes him extreme psychological and emotional pain and he is left pondering on his future existence. It is not until his fiery conversation with his very own mother that he realises that “it doesn’t matter how life ends, it matters how it was”. Joan is astutely and ironically telling her very own son, whom she does not know has cancer, that we as ‘humans’ need to inevitably “look both ways” at life and focus on all our past positive experiences.

Julia suffers the hardest loss of all; yet, she is able to accept the reality of Rob’s death and attempt to pursue the future with hope and optimism. Nicks “great photo”, in which captures the moment Julia realises her partner is dead, enables Watt to explicate the extreme and horrific reactions of those who suddenly and horrifically lose a loved one. Over the course of the “scorching hot weekend” we are able to see Julia’s stunned inaction in her inability to carry out tasks such as choosing a coffin and writing a death notice. However, her discovery of Meryl’s makeshift tomb enables Julia to realise she needs not dread on the negatives but now, start ‘constructing’ and focusing on the positive aspects of her late husbands life.

Nicks cancer news not only negatively affects his own life, but it positively affects Phil’s. Phil, whom originally unable to provide meaningful support to Nick, realises that he needs to make the most of his life as a result of coming extremely close to the killer disease. He reassesses his priorities and we are able to see his complete pride and excitement at his news that “I’ve given up smoking”. Nicks cancer diagnosis enabled Phil to rediscover his own self and hence, he flourishes his wife, Miriam and children with renewed love and affection. Nick, Meryl and Phil all have come to realise that you need to make the most of your life before it inevitably comes after you. 

Anna is a clever device used by Watt in attempting to dictate the view that the tragic events in life are “meant to happen”. She is able to shake Andy out of his belief that “everyone has an agenda” by pragmatically claiming, “Things just happen”. This underlying ‘message’ attempts to alleviate and compliment with all of the characters inner thoughts and beliefs. Watt claims that even though things appear pre-determined – they are random. It is the way in which individuals cope with them that matters the most. Hence, she illustrates the notion that we need to overcome our obsession with death and start focusing on the future.

Watts’s film is a positive affirmation about life. Joan’s ideology that “it doesn’t matter how life ends” reminds us that we inevitably need to “matter how life was” and hence, focus on the optimistic and positive side of life, inevitably leaving behind all the “awful shit in the world”.


Word count ~ 800

 

[roly182]

hahah i like the ending...
some good expression but it didn't really feel relevant..
Like when i was reading it i kept forgetting what the topic was about. But yeah, i think it was a fairly hard one to stay really relevant to..
And yeah.. quotes are aquard.
How many essays have you done for your prep?

[jsimmo]

Hahaha thanks. 

How many essays? Not enough.. probablly 7 full LBW essays under exam conditions - i've mainly been doing heaps of paragraphs with new ideas.. For context I've done probablly the same - but more research and paragraph writing (haven't really done that many timed essays).. and language analysis just a few here and there.. but I haven't done one this week [I did them all last week]  haha

What about yourself? I presume your well over 100 now?

[roly182]

lol you presume wrong.
I did a language analysis today but i've spent the majority of my time developing and gathering ideas for context and reading my past essays and doing quotes of AMFAS.

I learnt how to write well under timed conditions through the holidays and i'm confident with my expression/vocab so i thought it would be better to just 'study' english rather than do essays if that makes sense.. though i might do 2 tomorrow to get into the writing mode.

[jsimmo]

Haha.. another essay - I wanted to do one about the importance of the animations (just in case!). Finished it within 40 minutes (hence, the shortness).
________________________________________________________________________________________________
‘The use of animations throughout the film introduces a melodramatic note which undercuts the seriousness of the films message.’ Discuss.

Sarah Watts’s powerful film, Look Both Ways, explicates the notion that our inner fears and anxieties may prohibit us from living a normal and calm lifestyle. Watt’s unique use of child-like animations to illustrate the inner monologue of Meryl Lee, a self neurotic individual who inevitably, “sees death everywhere”, not only melodramatically adds a comical and ‘less-serious’ dimension to the film, but it enables Watt to depict the way in which death and fate are irrevocably part of human life. Watt attempts to forecast the view that we need to “look both ways” at life, so that we can face the world with renewed hope and optimism - inevitably overcoming our inner thoughts and emotions.

Meryl’s murky, dark and sometimes disturbing animations provide the viewer with an insight into her inner workings. Her pessimistic thoughts are so restrictive upon her daily lifestyle, hence, they inevitably cause her more harm than reality itself. Although the animations depict a child-like view, one that includes swimming in a mystical underwater fantasy, they are detrimental to the films key message. By using these less dramatic images, Watt is able to illustrate how tranquil and placid images can be suddenly ‘swamped’ by dark, horrible and even deadly imaginings that inevitably, scares Meryl “too stupid to do anything”. They are pivotal in the films working and hence, their purpose is merely more than just providing light entertainment and melodramatic sensations.

Meryl’s animations are heavily contrasted with Nick’s photomontages. Like Meryl, Nick too has been “seeing death everywhere”; however, his inner turmoil is expressed in the form of fast-moving photo images. His sudden cancer diagnosis thrusts him into a state of shock and complete isolation. The doctor’s lack of support and information leaves Nick with “little relief before Monday”. Watts’s clever uses of these photomontages illustrate the way in which ones life may flash before their eyes at the point of death. Nicks inner fears are linked with Meryl’s pessimistic mindset and hence, Watts’s use of a graphical device serves to provide a link between the two protagonists.

Moreover, characters such as Julia and the unnamed train driver provide us with no dialogue or visual images depicting their inner suffering, yet their stories are so confronting and raw. Julia’s sudden death of her partner, Rob is explicated with her inability to carry our tasks such as writing a death notice and choosing a coffin. On the other hand, the train drivers’ distant relationship with his wife and son depict the way in which he is suffering an inner turmoil without any real comfort and support. It is through these minor characters - in terms of dialogue - that Watt tries to remonstrate that characters who are not necessarily originally overcome by “ghastly” thoughts and fears may inevitably suffer the hardest loss of all. Both the train driver and Julia do not have dramatic, hyperbolic imaginings and hence, it is their sheer raw and confronting facial expressions that depict their inner suffering.

There are times where Meryl’s animations disrupt the seriousness of the film; however, without them the film would not be able to illustrate the harshness of human suffering and constant fear – ironically the films two major themes. When Nick awkwardly invites Meryl to his mothers’ house for lunch on Sunday, we are able to see the extreme bitter conversation between Nick and Joan. Meryl’s sudden animation of the house cracking wide open and herself falling down a dark black hole not only adds some comical relief to the serious scene, but it allows us to sense her fear of self-annihilation and personal entrapment. Without this animation the scene would appear to be overly dramatised and hence, Watt would not be able to effectively communicate her true ideas and meanings surrounding the obsession and manifestations of death and inner entrapment.

Watts’s film is a positive affirmation about life. Her unique use of child-like, yet murky animations not only provide relief from the films big issues surrounding death and fate, but they enable Watt to vividly express her true thoughts and opinions about the way in which humans are so distinctly capitulated by the negative connotations of death. Nicks past flashbacks and future flash forwards provide us with the sense that both Meryl and Nick are able to join together and overcome their initial fears. It is ironically through the films last photomontage that we can see how all characters have made a significant turn around and learned that the only way to progress forward is by forgetting about the past.   


Word count ~ 760

[clinton_09]

wow that's amazing, im gonna go all out and say thats A FUCKN 10!!!!

[roly182]

inevitably a good essay lol
I'm not sure how some of the things are ironic though..
instead of dark hole - dark abyss??
keep it up!

[jsimmo]

thanks - are ya saying I overuse the word 'inevitably'?  lol

and ironic.. hmm, matcott drove that word into my brain with his 'master classes'. but yeah, i said it at the end because of the topic suggesting the animations/photomontages played down the seriousness of Watts message - yet the end photomontage actually helps communicate it...  maybe ironic was not the right word but it sounds good lol

and never knew of dark 'abyss' .. a much better word to use, thanks.

[jsimmo]

Here's a 1/4 of one that I just did on the media exploitation/extrusiveness... I stopped because I seriously ran out of ideas.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

‘Look Both Ways shows the intrusiveness of the media in the personal lives of individuals’. Discuss.

Sarah Watt’s powerful film, Look Both Ways, explicates the notion that sensationalised, dramatic media exploitation ultimately dictates the characters inner fears and anxieties. From the beginning of the film we are exposed to a news report detailing the Arnow Hill train disaster. The reporter sensationally states that victims are “trapped in a twisted ball of steel”; exemplifying the image that “death” is in deed “all around us”. Moreover, Nicks “great photo” in which captures Julia’s stunned reaction to the discovery of her partners death highlights the way in which an individuals pain and suffering may be suddenly ‘splashed’ across the front page of the local newspaper – inevitably open for public opinion.

Meryl’s dark, murky and sometimes disturbing animations depict the view that media exploitation and hyperbolic statements force her to “see death everywhere”. Her inability to cope with her inner fears and anxieties are complimentary to the fact that her life is so drastically full of all the “awful shit” in the world. Her sudden outburst at Nick on Sunday afternoon, whereby she angrily contends, “why isn’t my photo on the front page” belligerently exposes her view that she, herself, is inevitably suffering and hence, she questions why the media only reports those horrific and ‘news worthy’ events.

Nicks photo of Julia, which has been described as “just a girl, some groceries and a dog”, illustrates the way in which a human’s life can be put up for public discussion and ridicule. Anna and her friends on Saturday night discuss the way in which the media only reports those deaths that are conveniently bundled together in “attractive packages”.  Furthermore, Meryl’s heavily pregnant friend, Linda, blatantly remarks, “I like her hair”. It is through short and concise comments like these that Watt conveys the message that once your emotional trauma has been presented to the public, you are blatantly exposed to wide spread intrusiveness and public discussion.

- The large/noisy mechanical production process of the Sunday newspaper illustrates the sheer mass size and power that is involved in producing the news.
- The sudden contrast of events (Saturday = 'Arnow Hill train disaster, Sunday= 'Our lucky lotto winner').. illustrates that the media tends to swift stories daily and demonstrate no real care or genuine emotion to its tragic events it writes about...

- Nicks comment "poverty, war, natural disasters.. then back to the minibar" - never came face to face with death/tragedy... now he has his own disaster...  I'm not sure how this could be incorporated into the topic though


Well, thats all I could really come up with atm...    Any ideas???

Other than Julia     - who else has been affected by the medias intrusiveness?

[ilovesuck]

^^
- Meryl: the scene in which she is so overcome with death shown in the newspaper is indicative of the media's intrusiveness into a person's life.

- also Andy's journalism work complicates his own familial matters - further evidence that the media can intrude on a persons life.

- Phil's obsession with work (and hence, the media) undercuts his role in his own family.

- contrastingly, Nick's use of google as a tool to further his own knowledge on his cancer is shown positively.  details the many uses the media can have, and although intrusive, not always detrimental to one's life.

basic ideas off the top of my head; hope they helped

[jsimmo]

ilovesuck: those are some really good ideas!! I didn't really look at the question from different viewpoints.. but your ideas helped.. so thanks!

[clinton_09]

hmm im not sure either, thats a real tough one