Seeking well-written General Paper sample essays related to film reviews? Look no further, as we provide a series of GP essay responses here, either full length or in outline format for movie reviews and critiques.
Q1: Film Review: “Forrest Gump”
“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get,” In the movie “Forest Gump”, this phrase was repeatedly used by the main character to ex plain to people why things happen the way they do. To anyone else, this line may seen corny and superficial but to Forrest Gump, the hero of the movie, it is something he believes in and which he religiously adheres to in travelling through life. For these words of wisdom were passed down to him by Mama Gump, a woman who de votes her life to protecting and loving her simple-minded son. With these words as guidelines, Mama Gump ensured that her son was equipped to face the harsh realities of the world.
In fact, the relationship between Mama Gump and her innocent son and their mutual respect and affection for one another forms a subplot to the story. Throughout the movie, until the scene when Mama Gump breathes her last breath, their relationship is explored, the main focus being how Mama Gump is prepared to go to great lengths to ensure that her child can lead a normal life and to teach her child that he is no different from other boys. Through her many sacrifices for Forrest, the audience catches an insight into a mother’s love for her only son. In one scene, she refused to let Forrest attend a special school even though his I.Q. did not qualify him for a normal education. To secure his place in a public school, she allowed the principal, a man with a keen eye for opportunity, to have his way with her. In another scene, she took the pains to explain to Forrest that wearing leg braces did not make him any less of a person. In fact, she said, they were called “special shoes.” Seeing a mother devote her life to caring for her simple-minded son makes this movie heartwarming.
The first scene shows Forrest sitting at the bus stop and chatting to a perfect stranger about his travels and adventures. The fact that he would reveal such things to a total stranger shows how much he believes in the good ness in all people, a trait almost impossible to find in anyone today. As his life unfolds before the audience, we can see it is moulded by two main forces, his mother, and his ending love for his childhood friend, Jenny.
Forrest’s true and intense love for Jenny is another focus of the movie. Besides his mother, Jenny proved to be his only friend and confidante. At a time when people ridiculed his slow-wittedness, Jenny stuck by him and inspired him to do things which would prove that he was indeed different from others and which would eventually secure him a place in America’s history. Although he was dull-witted and naive, Forrest was blessed with a great athlete’s body. He was able to run faster than most and with Jenny behind him, Forrest was soon in the All American football team. From then onwards, his life was blessed with good fortune. He went on to become a Vietnam war hero, a ping-pong champion and a successful shrimp tycoon. Although it may seem farfetched for Forrest to be so successful, taking into consideration his below average I.Q., he goes through life and deals with people with such honesty and innocence that one cannot help but feel that it is only natural that he prospers.
Forrest’s relationship with Jenny was a one-sided affair for Jenny refused to reciprocate Forrest’s feelings for her. Maybe, it was due to her abused childhood or may be it was due to the fact that Forrest was an idiot, we never know, as the reason was not established clearly in the movie. However, Jenny’s tortured childhood and her disturbed life are shown (she indulged in striptease dancing, drugs, etc) and Forrest shows up at various times to save her and tell her that no matter what, she is still the one for him. Towards the end of the movie, she finally admits to loving Forrest and they get married, with a child already on the way. Forrest’s happiness can be felt by the audience but unfortunately, it was shortlived for Jenny soon dies of a virus attack. With her death, Forrest promises to devote his life to loving his child, for himself and for Jenny, and thus the cycle is complete.
The movie also gives a brief look into U.S. history, from the presidency of John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan. It shows the important and significant events throughout that period and how Forrest uncannily gets himself involved in them, giving the audience a light hearted, comical insight into America’s past.
Basically, the movie “Forest Gump” is about the tri mph of simple truth and innocence over life’s complex woes and evils. Forrest Gump symbolises all that is good and innocent and he successfully overcomes his handicap, with the help of his mother and Jenny, to show that it is indeed possible to survive in this world without being corrupted. He inspires people he meets along the way, not unlike the way he inspired me after watching the movie. For me, “Forrest Gump” is a beautiful and heart warming adventure through life and I would definitely have spent my last dollar to watch this movie.
Q2: Film Review: “Edward Scissorshands”
Edward Scissorshands” is a truly amusing and touching movie. Though it was created by a group of movie makers who were relatively unknown, I personally feel that it is one of the best movies ever to be shown in this country.
The movie is about the life of a human-like creature named Edward, who was created by a deviant scientist. His hands consisted of scissors instead of fingers and he could display remarkable definess and speed in cutting things with them. The scientist who created him tried successfully to educate him by reading story books to him and teaching him table etiquette.
There came a day when Edward’s creator presented him with a gift, consisting of artificial, normal human hands. However, as he was bestowing this gift upon Edward he suffered a stroke and died at Edward’s feet.
A woman from the city who came to Edward’s home, a castle situated in a cemetery, found Edward and brought him to her home. Edward, however, encountered many problems living in his new home. For instance, due to his abnormal hands, it was difficult for him to eat and drink like normal people. Furthermore, people in the neighbourhood were all very curious about Edward and poked fun at him. However, Edward could help around the house, cutting vegetables and meat with his scissor fingers and displayed a remarkable aptitude for cutting bushes into figures such as humans and dinosaurs. He started to provide his neighbourhood with this special gardening service and soon gained popularity.
People eventually came to realize that Edward was also an excellent hair-stylist, who could cut and style hair with amazing swiftness and accuracy. People from all around his estate came to his adoptive home to get hair styles they had always dreamed of having. One of Edward’s neighbours suggested that he could work as a hair-stylist in town and even set up his own salon. How ever, when Edward’s adoptive mother tried to get a loan from the bank, she was denied it as nobody had records of Edward’s birth, education or previous occupations. Edward thus had to settle for being an employee at one of his neighbour’s shops.
Edward then came to know his adoptive parents’ daughter, Rachael, played by Wynona Ryder. She despised Edward at first, thinking of him as a freak. She had a juvenile delinquent of a boyfriend who made her trick Edward into helping him break into his father’s safe, so that he could get something his father had confiscated from him. Edward willingly agreed, being very naive and also because he was in love with his step-sister. During the course of the burglary, Edward got trapped in the safe room and inadvertently set off an alarm. Rachael’s boy. friend and his friends forced Rachael to abandon Edward and escape, which she unwillingly did.
Edward was arrested and all the people in the neighbourhood thought of him as a criminal. His adoptive parents tried successfully to appeal to the police to release Edward, on the grounds that he had the mind of a child and was still not used to the ways of his new society.
When Edward returned home he refrained from telling his adoptive parents about Rachael’s involvement in the burglary as he was in love with her and Rachael felt very guilty about what she had done to him. She broke up with her useless boyfriend and started to accept Edward as a person and not a thing.
During Christmas, Edward helped out with the deco rations by creating reindeer and other characters from bushes. One night, while carving out a fairy statue from a block he inadvertently cut Rachael’s face. At this point Rachael’s ex-boyfriend stepped in and beat up Edward for hurting Rachael. Feeling very upset and furious, Edward went on a rampage, cutting up all his decorations in the town and destroying all his works of art.
Pursued by the police Edward returned to his adoptive home where he met Rachael, who successfully calmed him down. Rachael then apologised to Edward and declared her love for him. At that moment, they spot ted Rachael’s younger brother walking along a road out side the house with a van directly behind him, seemingly being driven by a drunkard. Edward rushed to Rachael’s brother and pushed him off the road and onto the grass. In his panic, Edward lost control of his fingers and cut Rachael’s brother’s face, while lying on the grass on top of him.
By the time Edward regained control of himself a large group of neighbours crowded around him and accused him of trying to kill the boy. Rachael then told Edward to run away from the town, and he did so.
Subsequently, Rachael secretly went to Edward’s old castle and found him there. She tried to explain to him the situation that he was in, but suddenly, her ex-boy friend appeared and attempted to kill Edward, pushing away Rachael in the process. On seeing this, Edward plunged one of his scissor-fingers into his stomach and sent him falling from the castle, down to the ground be low.
Realising that Edward could never integrate himself into human society, Rachael and Edward sadly bade fare well to each other. Edward, though sad about having to leave his new-found family, went on to live in his castle for decades until the end of his days.
I personally found this movie to be truly enchanting. Though, at times, it seemed far-fetched and even phantasmagoric, it allows its viewers to venture into the realm of fantasy and witness its power. While watching the movie I felt really emancipated from a world where imagination is suppressed by practicality and the banalities of everyday life seemed to fade into a hazy distance.
On a more serious note, “Edward Scissorshands” gives its viewers a perspective on how freaks like Edward are mistreated and scorned by society. It evokes in us feelings of sympathy for those, like Edward, who are deprived of the equal treatment and respect they deserve simply because of their idiosyncratic physical appearances and characteristics. After watching this movie I felt compelled to spare a thought for all those people in the world who were born with physical abnormalities and have to endure prejudice and derision simply because they are different.
Other potential choices of films and movies for reviews are: The Matrix, Ex-Machina, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, etc.
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