Book Characters vs. Movie Characters

I feel as though every time I read a book then watch the movie, I am always partially disappointed with how the characters are portrayed in the movie (with the exception of a few). I envisioned the Sheriff to be more personable and compassionate. In the novel, he seemed like a sweet, old man who has gained so much knowledge throughout his life and seen it all. Tommy Lee Jones was neither personable nor interesting. He was just sort of there. While he did deliver some vital, moving dialogues, he really didn't do much for me.

On the other hand, Javier Bardem, the man who played Anton Chigurh in my opinion did an excellent job. Not only did his appearance (and the horrible hair-do) creep me out, but his overall persona gave me chills. The way he showed no emotion before and after murdering people gave me insight into the depth of his evil. I was more afraid of the representation of Chigurh in the movie than in the novel, because it put an image to the face of a physco.

Another character that I surprisingly really liked in the movie was Llewelyn's wife Carla Jean Moss, played by Kelly MacDonald. She had the largest female role in the movie and held her own amidst the men. She was so loyal to Llewelyn; in class some thought she was submissive, however, I saw it more as pure trust in her husband. I especially liked the scene in which she faced Chigurh. She maintained her composure and till the end, maintained that faith in Llewelyn. I wish that the Sheriff's wife would've had a bigger role, because I enjoyed their relationship in the novel.

With the exception of those two characters, I preferred McCarthy's written characters to the Coen brother's movie characters.

The Assassination of Jesse James by Coward Robert Ford

A few weeks ago I watched the Assassination of Jesse James. I enjoyed this movie. It is exciting to watch the train robbing scenes- and it was especially cool that it was done at night. I kept relating this movie to social banditry- as we had discussed in class. Jesse James was definitely a glorified outlaw. Ford kept pictures and newspaper articles about him in a tin under his bed. At one point, the man on the train Jesse is robbing claims that all of the robberies were done for purely selfish reasons and did not have anything to do with social oppression. I couldn't tell what their motivations were in the movie. From what I have read it seems that Jesse was unhappy with declining social status after the civil war and continued to rob trains.

http://www.jessejamesoutlaw.com/jesse-james-history.html

Effigy Mounds

I went Effigy last weekend. It was nice- hiked up to Hanging Rock. I thought it was interesting that the mounds were shaped like animals. I was able to see the bear- but I couldn't make out a bird anywhere. Well, it was a good trip and I would recommend it!

Truth and Community

A week ago in discussion we were talking about the gatherings at cemeteries. We were discussing the idea of a deep respect for our past and we need to know where we come from to really understand ourselves. I think truth does exist in the world but it is cluttered. I think the image of holding gatherings at cemeteries is a powerful one. It seems that no matter how little we might we know is true in the world, the only truth you can't escape from is family. It is the simplest form of truth we have. Bell commands respect because he respects his elders, the people who have gone before him. People respect him not because he is old but because he is wise for learning from the past, and not just knowing where he has come from but understanding the past. I think he also understands that he wants to go back to that time, when violence wasn't done just for the fun of it, and he didn't have to carry a gun around, because he was a Sheriff.

No Country for Old Men

"Still there are men- rough, timeworn men- who uphold decency, who hang on to sturdy values of honor."

This is one of a few statements I actually agree with in those reviews. I think before this class I would have a hard time disagreeing with what these reviewers say about made-up western themes. They both seem to agree that "No Country" was based on a nostalgia for a phony romantic version of the old west. That there really wasn't such a thing as a simpler time, and people do adapt to the changing world. I do now however disagree. I think it was a great movie showing a troubled young man who may have done things in war that he regrets, being chased by a lunatic and by a war vet of a different era who has a hard time dealing with the quickly changing present, who only wanted to help. I think the reviewers were so caught up on a lack of inner monologue by the Sheriff that they ignored what Bell was actually saying. To me everything the Sheriff said was only himself thinking aloud and he even admitted at one point "I don't know, my mind wanders". I felt that the Sheriff did show depth as a character it just wasn't as easy to pick out, becuase it wasn't in italics.

Grading Self-Assessment Exercise

Grandpa in Cody, Nebraska in 1930s
Originally uploaded by Castleton Road

Screenwriting Grade (15):


Midterm (20):


Paper No. 2 (will be handed out Thursday) [20]:


Participation (20):


Note: When you self-assess yourself for participation, please include a 1-2 paragraph rationale for the grade you have chosen. Also, please include a list with the date of every blog post you made and any extra participation efforts you made.

Here is what it said in the syllabus about participation:

Participation (20%): Many of the intended educational benefits of this class are contingent upon the participation of everyone. I expect you to be an active, contributing member in class discussions, exercises and projects. At the end of the semester I will give each student a “participation” grade based upon my assessment of that student’s overall performance and contribution to our class. Attendance alone will not earn you participation marks, even if you come to every class. Positive participation involves completing assigned reading assignments, being prepared for class, asking and answering questions, sharing relevant ideas and opinions, staying on track in small group activities, and making a genuine effort to support your classmates. Another way to contribute to our class discussion will be for you to post comments or questions about the assigned reading to our class blog: http://americanwestimagination.blogspot.com. You will lose marks for negative participation, including but not limited to: showing up late, chatting during class, answering cell phones, doing other homework, reading the newspaper and etc. At the end of the semester, you will complete a self-assessment of your participation performance throughout the semester. I will take into consideration your self-assessment when I evaluate your performance at the end of the semester.


Finally, if you completed any extra credit assignments you completed.

Grading Self-Assessment Exercise

Grandpa in Cody, Nebraska in 1930s
Originally uploaded by Castleton Road

No Country For Old Men

I had seen this movie before, but it had been a while ago. However, the one part I do remember is how creepy Chigurh is. I thought that the movie was pretty good. It really followed the book a lot except for the whole thing about how Lewellyn died. Other than that, I thought a lot of the scenes were word for word with the book.

Picture from Family Album (Taken in Cody, Nebraska)

Picture from Family Album (Taken in Cody, Nebraska)
Originally uploaded by Castleton Road

Negative Reviews of Film Adaptation: Do You Agree?

Two negative reviews . . . please read and comment:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/reviews/article-508983/Coen-brothers-fine-mess-No-Country-For-Old-Men.html

http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movies/review/2007/10/05/no_country/

Another negative Salon review about book:

http://dir.salon.com/story/books/review/2005/08/24/mccarthy/