Ang Lee’s critically acclaimed Brokeback Mountain, set throughout the 1960s, tells the story of two men who fall in love while herding sheep through the American West. Widely described at the time as a “gay cowboy movie”, (a “cruel simplification” according to Roger Ebert), it was praised for its depiction of homosexuality, and the performances … Continue reading The Subversion of Western Iconography Under a Homosexual Lens in 1960s American Film
Category: Film
Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement – Social Media and Protest
The opening scene of Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement is haunting in its simplicity. It is an audio recording of the call that George Zimmerman made to police shortly before shooting and killing 17-year old Trayvon Martin in February 2012. This opening scene is a hugely effective establishment of tone, immediately making those … Continue reading Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement – Social Media and Protest
The Internet’s Own Boy – Aaron Swartz’s Role in Stopping SOPA
The 2014 documentary The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz, examines Swartz’s life, from his childhood to his entrepreneurial ventures, to finally his online activism and campaigning. Swartz, who is most prominently known for co-founding the news and entertainment website Reddit, was particularly interested in the freedom of information and lack of governmental … Continue reading The Internet’s Own Boy – Aaron Swartz’s Role in Stopping SOPA
Miss Representation – Women in Blockbusters
Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s 2011 documentary Miss Representation takes a close look at the role of women in media – both in films and television, but also their portrayal in the news and in politics. One area of the documentary stood out to me in particular – the section in which we see a montage play … Continue reading Miss Representation – Women in Blockbusters
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