The film is not simply a disaster flick of epic proportions; it is significant inquiry into the question "What makes us human?"
Discuss your thoughts and reactions to the film. Criticism welcomed!
Extra Credit Anyone?
Use your new found analytical ability to "critically read" some preferred form of digital media: film, anime, web, or video game. Your critical response should be 2-3 pages in length. Still consider basic rhetorical elements (message, purpose, audience, etc.) when evaluating your source.
OR
We need to find grants to apply for to help fund our green initiative. We will be able to get recylcing bins, but it turns out solar panels cost quite a bit :) Do a google search for grants related to education and environment/sustainability. post the links you find under "Sustainability" comments.
OR
We need to find grants to apply for to help fund our green initiative. We will be able to get recylcing bins, but it turns out solar panels cost quite a bit :) Do a google search for grants related to education and environment/sustainability. post the links you find under "Sustainability" comments.
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- mrsrussoniello
- I graduated in 1997 from Barry Goldwater High School. I attended Arizona State University Barret Honors College on a nearly full-ride scholarship, attaining concurrent degrees in English and History. I completed a graduate degree from ASU in Curriculum Design & Instruction. I have taught at MHS for 8 years, and I have also taught political science, education, and English classes for CAC. I am currently an AP Reader for the College Board.
12 comments:
I think this movie, so far, is retarded. I cannot believe that the girl would marry him, then choose not to go with him, but then chase after the bus! What is that? That was downright ridiculous.
On the other hand. I think it shows a lot of what "makes us human". I think what makes us human is that we have the ability to make our own choices and decisions. I think it was a poor decision for the girl not to go with the boy. I think it was a good, yet really upsetting decision for the space ship to leave Gus out in space though. They would have had to kill themselves if they went after him, and one man cannot choose to do that and speak for all those on board the ship.
But yeah. What makes us human is our ability to make our own choices and decisions.
I don't think the movie is that bad at all. The movie reminds me of "Fallout 3", where humans are able to go buy their way into vaults scattered throughout the u.s. to avoid being toasted by nukes.
The random social security number generator and age limit make tensions high for everybody that wants to make sure that they can continue on in the world if the rock, well, rocks now thanks to the epic failure of the space mission, crash into earth. It would seem like it is harsh, but really, is there an easier alternative?
I, perosnally, love this movie, but than agian, I love movies, in general. I also love Armageddon, even though it's considered one of the "Ten Worst Movies."
Anyway, I think what makes humans different from animals is our ability to reason and feel emotions, and the gray areas of life that accompany them. For people, life is some kind of bizarre, netless tight-rope dance where we try to balance all of the things that we want, with all of the things we need, with all of the things that we have to do, with all of the things that others need us to do, etc. before we fall to our death. It might be a morbid image, but I think it's a valid one. We create lives for ourselves, instead of just existences. Animals are principally driven by hunger, thirst, and fear, whereas mankind is driven by things like ambition, greed, love, recklessness,and insecurity. The psychology of the human mind is an intense and deep thing, but the animal mind is very cut-and-dry, for the most part.
The thing that makes "Deep Impact" so interesting is the breakdown of the false pretenses that haunt everyday life. Disastrous experiences force you to choose exactly what and who it is that means the most to you. And, in exchange for that last little bit of precious time, you can forsake all others, with little regret. And that is a freeing concept, in a way.
The certainty amidst such uncertainty is an intriguing plot point. For example, the sense of liberation that Vanessa Redgrave's character experiences with the knowledge that she is going to die, and the finality of it all fascinates me. After all, when a person no longer has to worry about what will happen, why worry at all? Like the validity of "accepting the things one cannot change,
the courage to change the things one can, and
the wisdom to know the difference." All of the trivialities melt away.
Now I'm just rambling again. I just can't always turn my brain off. Not good.
I like this movie. I have it and have seen it plenty of times. The girl is running after the boy because she loves him. (Tina) The movie is interesting in the way they handle the situation. It makes me wonder what we would do if this would happen. I can't help but try and put myself in their shoes and try to see how I would react. This movie shows how the media twists things and that sometimes it is best to not say everything. At one point in every situation the facts are needed but only then.
So the movie so far is pretty good. The only thing that made me mad was that the girl did not go with him. Seriously if I were her parents I would have forced her to go even if she refused. The fact that the kid went out of his way to marry her to save her is really sweet and if she was going to just stay she might as well just left him at the alter.
The movie shows a lot about human nature and how the ultimate goal for any species is to survive. The thing that makes us different than animals is the fact that we have the brain power to comprehend what will happen to the people that don't survive. It’s sad that only so many people can go into the safe place but really what did you except for them to do, they can't save the whole human race so we take the best of what we got and hope they will survive to go on.
This movie is an epic failure because it shows how much stupidity we as humans are susceptible to.I mean the stupid little girl is seemingly in love with the boy, which can be argued because at their age do they even know what that kanda love is but whatever,and even when they are married she choses her family and doom versus life with her 'Love'.I would also have to disagree with Lindsey because i think we ware just as animals are but we just happen to be more gifted with 'intelligence' and mental capacity.In the scenario of Deep Impact i find it slighty ridiculous that only 1 million are going to be saved i think they could find room for more than that and that the only preventive measures are nukes on the astroids and missiles im pretty sure we as humans who value our lives would think of some creative ways to blow it off its trajectory course. Also the idiots made two pieces that will slam into the Earth lol good job :)
-Emilio
The fact that we have feelings, a heart, a soul is what makes us human. It clearly states and shows in the film by everyones actions and reactions to making rash choices and decions about thier lives and the lives of their loved ones to SURVIVE. a hude comet is headed toward earth about to wipe out all civilization as they knew it and all they could do about it (if you werent pre-selected to be one of the ones to be taken back to the underground cave that they had created...so after the comet hit and the dust settled they could begin rebuilding the earth) was sit and wait for their death. All of a sudden they begin looking at life in a different light. Knowing that your life will come to an end....(death)...is what makes you human, because it makes life worth while.
~4ng!3~
I think the movie was rather interesting toward the ending. The beginning, for me, was rather slow and boring. When the actuality that all life on earth was going to perish, with the exception of government preselected people, set in evoked a myriad of emotions from the audience.
What "makes us human" is our ability to complicat situations and events that are fairly simple to start out. I do not agree with the concept that animals do not feel emotions like greed, insecurity, ambition, and love. Dogs are noted to die all the time due to heart break after their owner has passed away. Wild dogs fight all the time to gain a leadership role within their tribe-detailing ambition. Now I am not including all species of animals int his assertion, simply its a behavior of nature that links the human race to many species of animals.
"What makes us human" is that we need not to soley rely on instinct as a survival tool. Animals have been seen to experience many emotions that humans consider a part of life. Animals, just like humans, have a natural desire for the continuation of their specie. However, I cannot recall any animals that willingly sacrifice their life life to save the entire population. Maybe this is because the majority of animals do not come close to the human ability of intellect. But creative and abstract human intelligence which has allowed our race to create medicine, sky scrapers, underwater hotels, space ships, ect. complicates the overall spectrum of life. Just like in the movie, Deep Impact, when the space crew gave up their lives to save the entire human population on earth- that is self-sacrifice for the speicies. I believe the reason why no animal has been noted to do a similar action is because they are not able to view life in a hollistic sense due to their dependence on instinct.
Justin McClelland
Well, I was glad that the astronauts decided to do the whole "Kill one, save thousands" thing. If they had chickened out and decided to live, but still have to go back to a tarnished planet, then they would have had to live with the fact that they could have prevented the E.L.E and saved countless lives.
I love the film because of the fact that someone has to make a decision on who will live and repopulate the earth. Morgan Freeman is just amazing in himself but as the president he was cool. Each of the lives that are mentioned in the movie are all tied into each other. The whole concept of having to choose who lives and dies is great. And there are so many religious connotations in here. like for exapmple the whole messaih will save us and then how he failed and then the messaiah sacraficed their selves to save the earth. What makes us human is who we are in the world. and what we contribute to society
I liked this movie. I thought it showed a lot of truth about human selfishness. I agree with Tina when she says that our ability to make our own choices and decisions is what makes us human but does this ability make us selfish? I think so. Because the reporter didn't care about anything else than "getting the story" and advancing HER career. Then when she finally realized how selfish she was being she allowed her best friend and her daughter to go in her place in the helicopter. If all people realized that they are selfish in one way or another we would be in a better place as people.
In order to answer the question, "What makes us human?" one must use comparison to decide what makes us different from any other species.
1. Complex Emotions: Humans have many different emotions and many of them are not even beneficial to survival. We generally feel compassion and remorse whereas other beings do not have a real concept of either of those things.
2. Complex Thoughts: Humans only use about 10% of their brains, yet we still manage to have much more complex thoughts than other species in the world. Most animals work on survival, and although that is partly true for humans, as with emotions, our thoughts rarely have much to do with instinct.
3. Religion: Like most animals, humans fear death, or at least most of us, but what seperates us from anything else is that we try to determine what will happen AFTER we die.
There is probably many more things but I feel like these are some of the important ones.
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