Look Both Ways Essay. Please mark someone

[clinton_09]

“The characters in Look Both Ways find it impossible to control their fears in a world that is shown to be random and unpredictable”

Sarah Watt’s film Look Both Ways is a seriocomic multi strand narrative that flirts and manifests the affects of fate, unpredictability, chance and death not only to the protagonists Nick but to several other characters in the film such as Phil and Andy. Although these themes are consistently active in the film the subject of fear constantly plays the pivotal theme that shapes and affects each character as they find it difficult but not impossible to overcome and control their fears.

Nick is the protagonist in the film, when he walks past the butchers after speaking to Meryl for a second time the camera swiftly cuts to the shop window of the raw pig head hanging with layers of meat being presented below. This is a key scene in the film and can be interpreted on multiple fronts. It may be said that Nick is indeed ‘dead meat’ but on a more symbolic and deeper level it may be interpreted that Nick is being ‘pig-headed’ in his one dimensional view that his cancer is his demise. Although in the opening sequence the x-rays reveal a scientific truth of the developments occurring in his body presently they cannot predict whether he will survive especially when there is “no point in speculating” his chances when no death sentence has been labeled against him. Therefore being stupidly stubborn in this unpredictable situation reveals his inability to control his fears about his future.

The idea that “everyone has an agenda” is the belief of Andy that he uses to hide away from his fears about “things just happen” without cause or reason. Unlike Nick he is not afraid of death but rather the unpredictability the unprovoked and not being in control.
This is shown when Anna reveals she is pregnant. Instead of being overwhelmed with joy he asks coldly “did you do this deliberately” convinced this didn’t ‘just happen’ but rather it was conspired against him as part of her “agenda”. This is also demonstrated when Nick announces he has cancer to Andy. A time in which Nick is craving sympathy Andy blurts “What have you got that for” believing it could not have just happened. An integral scene to the mysteriousness of Andy is revealed when he is watching TV on the couch, he turns it off when ‘uncertainty’ is mentioned and plays a CD in replacement. The significance of the CD being the opening lines “You’re on the run”. This may be interpreted purely as mood music but on a higher level this could be seen as Andy is running away from commitment and also his fears over the reality of life’s unexpected twists. He is afraid of life’s surprises because he cannot control them. Therefore he is running away from this fear which consequently is why he can overcome and control it

Phil’s fear lies in dying young leaving Miriam his wife and 2 kids alone. This natural fear stems from Nick’s tragic cancer revelation. This acts as a defining moment in Phil’s life as we see him throw his packet of cigarettes in the bin, a sign that he is prepared to change his ways for himself and his family. This fear is the cause and effect of him growing closer to his family and establishing a balance between work and life. It is when Phil is outside searching the rubbish bin to find his thrown out cigarette packet that acts as a crucial moment of reflection in his life. The full moon attracts his attention. It symbolises a state of wholeness that humans attain at full self realisation. It is the state when our self realisation comes into full circle just as the moon goes through its phases to finally reach a glowing fullness. Although Phil’s self realisation is not a ‘full circle’ yet it provides hope to the audience that he is not far off. The rain scene towards the end of the film becomes a cleansing for Phil where at Jasmine his daughter’s party he places several balloons on his work desk, a sign of family first over a career that has been his number one priority. It is this change that’s answers the hope of the audience and also encourages the belief Phil is in control and winning against his fears.

Look Both Ways is a film that teaches us the unexpectedness of the world is a driving force for fear. Regardless of whether we find it possible to control fear or let it control us, it will always be there playing at our thoughts, beliefs and reactions. These characters fears all derive from this unpredictable world as they teach the audience it is both possible and impossible to control fear in a random world, that it is achievable to “look both ways”.

800 words

please someone mark out of 10 Thanks heaps

[ninwa]

Sarah Watt’s film Look Both Ways is a seriocomic multi strand narrative that flirts and manifests the affects of fate, unpredictability, chance and death not only to the protagonists Nick but to several other characters in the film such as Phil and Andy.

I have no idea what you're trying to say here - you need to make your contention clear.
This means shorter sentences and better choice of words. Don't use "big words" just because they look good, because a lot of the time it is used in the wrong context, and then instead of looking good you just look silly to the examiner. Remember too that the examiner would have marked hundreds of essays and so is not going to spend extra time trying to figure out what you're trying to say. So it is absolutely imperative that you make everything crystal clear.

Your actual analysis - what the scenes mean etc. - is really good.

Your introduction needs to actually set out the basic frame of your argument. You've mentioned Phil and Nick in your essay - so you need to refer to them in your introduction.

I think you also need more arguments - I'm not familiar with the text but there should be at least 3 characters you can analyse yeah?

Also, try to unpack the essay topic a bit more.
e.g.

“The characters in Look Both Ways find it impossible to control their fears in a world that is shown to be random and unpredictable”

You could possibly devote a paragraph to explore the idea that the world is "random and unpredictable".

I've said this on someone else's essay too, but it's really helpful if you can have one argument against your contention. In this case, you could try to devote a paragraph to something which happened in the film which shows that some people CAN control their fears. It really adds to the depth of your essay.

Overall it's solid, but you need to pay more attention to your expression - go for shorter but clearer sentences. You also need to analyse the topic a bit more.
6-7/10

[roly182]

good clint, but Nick is the protagonist throughout the whole film, not just when he's outside the butchers.

[clinton_09]

Look Both Ways shows us that in order to move forward in our lives, we must let go of the past. To what extent do you agree?

Sarah Watt’s multi strand narrative Look Both Ways is a film that presents trauma, loss and lack of control as we see the characters grapple with unexpected twists as they learn that uncertainty is an element they cannot control. The characters develop throughout the film as they are constantly challenged by life. It is when they come to the hurtling realisation that although life is best understood backwards it must be lived forwards that acts as the catalyst for change and happiness in their lives.

When Julia emerges into the light of day from the darkness and shadows of her dwelling, it reveals she is coming to terms with the loss of her husband. Julia although still in mourning is reignited with some vestige of life as the contrast of darkness and light symbolises she has seen the glimmer of ‘light’ at the end of the tunnel. While Julia has yet to let go of the past entirely, she is beginning to live forward. It is when she destroys Meryl’s memorial of her husband in frustration, and replaces it with her own that acts as a catalyst for change in her life. Her memorial represents her love for her husband and also provides closure and a chance for her to live in advance and not retrospectively.

The train driver ravaged with suffering believes he is the causation of Julia’s husband’s death. Although we do not see him verbally communicate his emotions until later in the film, his facial expressions reflect a broken and traumatised man. The death relentlessly plays at his heart and mind. This is reflected when we see him working on the mechanics of his motorcycle, he sees his sons fiery cross skull shirt that carries the connotations of “death” and despair. Death is haunting every facet of his existence as he is constantly reminded of the past event. However, towards the end of the film we see him put behind his trauma and suffering as Julia emotionally says “it’s not your fault”. It is these words that heal the train driver’s brokenness and releases his burdened soul.

When Nick is given the diagnosis of testicular cancer he is insistent that his life will be taken by the same disease that took his fathers life. When Nick asks “what are my chances?” the doctor has his back against him, a sign of the isolation he will encounter with cancer. Nick’s sudden fatalistic view on life is seen when he stares at himself in the mirror after checking for cancer in the shower. This maybe interpreted as Nick is having an honest look at himself and reflecting how to move forward in life, or on a higher level it may be perceived as a symbol of imagination and truth. The truth being cancer has not taken his life and the x-rays only reveal a scientific truth not an absolute truth where he should be “speculating” his death. Conversely, Nick imagines the cancer will triumph over his body and cause his demise. However, it is the child in the wheelchair that creates an enigmatic smile across Nick that breaks him out of his introspective world. He realises that he must not live in fear over his cancer but move forward in life and defeat the disease before it defeats him.

Look Both Ways presents the issue that although life may be best understood backwards it is best lived forwards. Life must be lived in the present with the future always in mind and through the characters of Nick, Julia and the Train Driver the film demonstrates this way of life. The characters learn that you cannot change the past but you can create a better future, they learn to ‘look both ways’ at living.


700 words probably could afford to be longer

could someone mark out of 10 thankyou

[jsimmo]

Hey, this was heaps better than the first essay. Really good.

One thing is lack of quotes, try and include a lot more quotes. It would also be good to talk about Meryl (she is the one who is so constantly worried - yet we see that she can let go of her fears and anxieties and move foward with renewed hope and optimism) - seeing how she is one of the main protagonists I think it is really necessary to have her in this essay.  Also, you could include an example into your introduction that is directly from the film - maybe not say "the characters" but specifically say who and what so it sets up the main body paragraphs.  Overall this was really good.. I'd say this is 7/10 but if you just add some more quotes and stuff about Meryl it would definitely be an 8.

[clinton_09]

yeh thanks, i agree with you that it needs more quotes, i struggled with that in this essay. Yeh i'm gonna do one now with meryl in it, i'll post it here when done, so stay tuned hahah.

Thanks for the advice

[sheepz]

Hey regarding your first essay, was Phil actually trying to find his cigarettes that he has thrown away to smoke it again? I thought he was throwing the cigarettes into the big rubbish bin >.<

And for the first topic I think my main focus was that 'yes, they can't control their fears but they can choose what they do in relation to it' throughout all my body paragraphs... is that alright?

I don't think I have the right to mark your essays so yeah... just be reassured that they are tonnes better than my ESL ones lol

[doboman]

Look Both Ways shows us that in order to move forward in our lives, we must let go of the past. To what extent do you agree?

Sarah Watt’s multi strand narrative Look Both Ways is a film that presents trauma, loss and lack of control as we see the characters grapple with unexpected twists as they learn that uncertainty is an element they cannot control. The characters develop throughout the film as they are constantly challenged by life. It is when they come to the hurtling realisation that although life is best understood backwards it must be lived forwards that acts as the catalyst for change and happiness in their lives.

When Julia emerges into the light of day from the darkness and shadows of her dwelling, it reveals she is coming to terms with the loss of her husband. Julia although still in mourning is reignited with some vestige of life as the contrast of darkness and light symbolises she has seen the glimmer of ‘light’ at the end of the tunnel. While Julia has yet to let go of the past entirely, she is beginning to live forward. It is when she destroys Meryl’s memorial of her husband in frustration, and replaces it with her own that acts as a catalyst for change in her life. Her memorial represents her love for her husband and also provides closure and a chance for her to live in advance and not retrospectively.

The train driver ravaged with suffering believes he is the causation of Julia’s husband’s death. Although we do not see him verbally communicate his emotions until later in the film, his facial expressions reflect a broken and traumatised man. The death relentlessly plays at his heart and mind. This is reflected when we see him working on the mechanics of his motorcycle, he sees his sons fiery cross skull shirt that carries the connotations of “death” and despair. Death is haunting every facet of his existence as he is constantly reminded of the past event. However, towards the end of the film we see him put behind his trauma and suffering as Julia emotionally says “it’s not your fault”. It is these words that heal the train driver’s brokenness and releases his burdened soul.

When Nick is given the diagnosis of testicular cancer he is insistent that his life will be taken by the same disease that took his fathers life. When Nick asks “what are my chances?” the doctor has his back against him, a sign of the isolation he will encounter with cancer. Nick’s sudden fatalistic view on life is seen when he stares at himself in the mirror after checking for cancer in the shower. This maybe interpreted as Nick is having an honest look at himself and reflecting how to move forward in life, or on a higher level it may be perceived as a symbol of imagination and truth. The truth being cancer has not taken his life and the x-rays only reveal a scientific truth not an absolute truth where he should be “speculating” his death. Conversely, Nick imagines the cancer will triumph over his body and cause his demise. However, it is the child in the wheelchair that creates an enigmatic smile across Nick that breaks him out of his introspective world. He realises that he must not live in fear over his cancer but move forward in life and defeat the disease before it defeats him.

Look Both Ways presents the issue that although life may be best understood backwards it is best lived forwards. Life must be lived in the present with the future always in mind and through the characters of Nick, Julia and the Train Driver the film demonstrates this way of life. The characters learn that you cannot change the past but you can create a better future, they learn to ‘look both ways’ at living.


700 words probably could afford to be longer

could someone mark out of 10 thankyou

Hey, yeah the essay is really good- just an idea that you might have skipped. The part where jane says to nik that she's going to give the books away- she cant keep them forever.

[clinton_09]

Hey regarding your first essay, was Phil actually trying to find his cigarettes that he has thrown away to smoke it again? I thought he was throwing the cigarettes into the big rubbish bin >.<

well i believed he was looking for them because we see the empty ashtray just b4 then he opens the bin lid looking for them. that was my interpretation.

[clinton_09]

Hey, yeah the essay is really good- just an idea that you might have skipped. The part where jane says to nik that she's going to give the books away- she cant keep them forever.

thanks doboman, thats a really good pick up. Cheers

[roly182]

hey clint good essay: 7/10
i would avoid clich'e bits like light at the end of the tunnel
keep up the studies!

[ninwa]

That's much better than your other one your expression is about a billion times clearer and the length of your sentences is perfect. I especially like how you linked the paragraph about Julia to the one about the train driver.

Only problem is it needs to be longer. Otherwise really well done! 8/10

[clinton_09]

Could someone mark out of 10, thanks appreciate your comments guys. 780 words


“Everybody has to find a way to face their own death and life”, what do the characters in Look Both Ways learn?


Sarah Watt’s film Look Both Ways is a seriocomic anthology of melodramas that overlap and compliment each other. The characters of Nick, Meryl, Phil and Julia over the duration of a “scorching weekend” have “little relief” as they grapple with death everywhere, as their lives take unforeseen bends. Essentially, in the denouement of the film the characters come to terms with how to face their own death and life as they discover “it doesn’t matter how life ends, it matters how it was”

When Nick, the protagonist in the film is given the tragic revelation he has been diagnosed with testicular cancer, he immediately questions his “chances” of survival. The doctor has his back faced against him, a sign of the isolation he will endure. When Nick is at his mother’s for lunch, we see him holding a child’s book titled “castaway” the significance being Nick is “cast adrift” from society in his introspective world. However, it is when he walks past the butcher shop that acts as a catalyst for change. The red motif is symbolic of life and revitalization, and it may be seen as the sun is shining its life vitalizing rays back into Nick. The potential cancer victim in the wheelchair ignites an enigmatic smile across Nick as he breaks out of his introspective world and comes back to life. This is a defining moment in which Nick is beginning to show vestiges of future hope and renewed optimism for survival.

Meryl, like Nick sees “death everywhere”. The audiences voyeuristically share her animations of death, as we learn about her burdened thoughts. When she introduces herself to Nick “Meryl Lee as in the song row, row, row your boat” the dramatic irony is her life is anything but a dream. She is constantly paranoid about her death, and is oblivious to living life. When she is painting the pure white dove, she spills black paint destroying the peaceful and liberated dove. The colour black carries the connotation of death and despair. This scene reflects how “death” is a distraction in her quest for wanting to be free but her fears and anxieties make her “too stupid to do anything”. However, as the film progresses her once “um” awkward relationship with Nick, flourishes, as we see them in the denouement step into the sun, a sign of future hope.

Phil, a workaholic whose fears derive from Nick’s tragic revelation, “holds fate in his own hands”. It is his personal choices that create a bridge dividing him and his family. His life is preoccupied with the Southern Mail and he fails to realise his own daughter’s birthday, claiming he “knew” he got it wrong. It is also his personal choice to quit smoking. Whilst rummaging in the garbage bin, in search for a thrown out packet of cigarettes, the full moon and his family’s clothes on the washing line, act as a catalyst for change. The clothes trigger his love for his family as the full moon symbolises a state of wholeness that humans attain at full self realisation. It is the state when our self realisation comes into full circle just as the moon goes through its phases to finally reach a glowing fullness. Although Phil’s self realisation is not a ‘full circle’ yet, it provides hope to the audience that he is not far off. This hope is answered when we see him place party balloons on his work desk, explicating family over work. Through Nick “fighting a war” against cancer, Phil has learnt that he must live for his family.

When Julia emerges into the light of day from the darkness and shadows of her dwelling, it reveals she is coming to terms with the death of her husband Rob, and that she is realising “a person’s death is not the total sum of their life”. Julia although still in mourning is reignited with some vestige of life as the contrast of darkness and light gives the audience a “glimmer of knowledge” that this is a fresh beginning. While Julia has yet to let go of the past entirely, she is learning its “good to stay up”. Her reconciliation with the Train Driver, “It wasn’t your fault”, provides for closure as she finds a way to face her husband’s death and also how to live forward.

Look Both Ways reveals that although death is an inevitable facet of life, so is existence, and that when faced with these unavoidable aspects we must come to terms that “it doesn’t matter how life ends, it matters how it was”.

[jsimmo]

Hey, another good essay.  I like some of your points. But whats this about: 'Whilst rummaging in the garbage bin, in search for a thrown out packet of cigarettes'   I just thought he was outside taking in his positive changes and hence that is why he is staring at the clothes line - he is happy to be apart of a family again and the full moon also symbolises a new beginning. I never knew anything about him rummaging the garbage looking for smokes?

I like how you have centred each paragraph on a new character and have specifically mentioned how they have each changed. I'd give this one an 8/10     ..  perhaps you could fix up your expression and make it a little less awkward, eg: (Phil, a workaholic whose fears derive from Nick’s tragic revelation, “holds fate in his own hands”.)  - I don't know.. but that line just seems really akward and confusing to read?    If you fix those little things then you will be looking at a 9.

Good job.

[roly182]

lol wtf jsimmo...i distinctly remember him rummaging.