展示美国高中枪杀案的电影 “O”

为了完成作业，最近看了部美国电影 “O”。这部电影展示的是美国校园枪杀案。外行人看，觉得美国学校很不安全，或许会考虑是否应该让孩子来美国留学。内行人一看，这部电影剧情是根据莎士比亚原著<<Othello>>(奥赛罗)改编的，很多情节保留了莎士比亚的原味儿。种族和嫉妒是莎士比亚原著和这部电影产生悲剧的主要原因。

晒一下这个满分作业，供文学和英文爱护者参考。

1. Describe the  imagery of the opening moment in both the voiceover and the visual or establishing shot and what you think it signifies.(75 word minimum)

At the opening moment of this film, blurred white birds were shown one by one and I was not sure what they were. Then the white birds became focused on the screen and I realized that they were white pigeons, which were very gentle and peaceful. At this time, the voiceover and a song that was sung by a woman in a foreign language appeared almost at same time. In the voiceover, a young man uttered his inner thoughts calmly: “ All my life I always wanted (is)  to fly. I always wanted to live like a hawk. I know you are not supposed to be jealous of anything but to take flight, to soar over everything and everyone, now that’s living.”  After this voiceover, an image of a black bird with determined and bright eyes was shown on the screen.

 In my view, the white birds symbolize the dominant white population in this story and the only black bird symbolizes an African American who is powerful and stands out among the white people. The black bird may also symbolize the social image of the voiceover narrator, who is a gentle white bird (man) but he wants to be as strong as this black bird (man). In the voiceover, the tone of what narrator says is clam and cruel as well. Although he knows the jealousy is not right, he is still jealous because he wants to stand out and beat everyone in everything. The voiceover and images set the theme for this film: jealousy and race.

2. Describe the place setting and identify two aspects of the setting that enhance or intensify the conflict and relationships. Be sure to identify the conflict and relationships. (100 word minimum).

The place setting is a basketball field of a high school where white students are dominant. The general setting is stressful. For example, both coach and players are sweating in a stressful mood. Audiences are yelling and time is counting down. Guest team gets 60 and host team (Hawks) gets 59. It is quite clear to me that the host team only has limited time to beat the guest team. This general situation could intensify the conflict among players and coach of different teams. Meanwhile, there are more whites than blacks in the setting, which could create possible race conflict.

During and after the game, there are two major aspects of conflict and relationships. First, the relationship between Hugo and Odin is in a subtle conflict. They are teammates and they should have the common goal to win the game. However, after Odin gets the key point for the Hawk team to win the game, Hugo shows a jealous look on his face even when he claps his hands to congratulate Odin.  Second, the relationship between Hugo and his father, the coach of the Hawk team, is also in a subtle conflict. Particularly when the coach gives the best player award to Odin and says “I love him(Odin) like my own son (Hugo)”, the relationships between Hugo and his coach father as well as between Hugo and Odin become conflicts. Due to jealousy, Hugo is not happy with his dad who treats Odin as his son and he hates Odin who stands out as a best player and take his father’s attention and love. These two major conflicts resulting from jealousy are the basis for the plot development of this film.

3. What aspect(s) of high school can you imagine inspiring this adaptation? In other words, what themes or experiences do Shakespeare's play and an American high school or teenagers share in common? ( 75 word minimum)

Shakespeare's play and an American high school or teenagers share four major themes. First, race issue is the key for both the play and the film.  Othello (play) and Odin (film) are both black characters. Both of them live in a world where whites are dominant. They want to succeed and survive among whites but they fail and even lose their life by committing suicide at the end. Second, jealousy is the driving force for the plot development in both the play and the film. Iago in the play and Hugo in the film are the similar characters. Both Iago and Hugo are jealous. They make detailed plans to destroy the successful life of Othello (the play) and Odin (the film). Third, interracial marriage or relationship is common in both the play and the film. Desdemona (the play) and Desi (the film) are two beautiful young white ladies with the similar personalities. They dare to act against their fathers and love their husband or boy friend of different race. Forth, the love symbol is used in both the play and in the film. The scarf passed from Odin’s grandmother and the handkerchief passed from Othello’s mother serve the same role in the plot. Disappearance of the handkerchief and the scarf plays the similar role to convince Othello(the play) and Odin (the film) that their loved wife or girl friend are not loyal to them and even betray them.

 4. Iago's motivation is always hard to pin down in the play-- he gives so many reasons. What seems to be the central motivation of the Iago-like character here and how does it relate to the play? (75 words)

In my view, the central motivation of the Iago-like character in the film is jealousy, which is the key to cause the tragedy ending of the film. Hugo is jealous of Odin due to two major reasons. First, although Hugo really tries hard and wants to be the best in the basketball team, he is not as famous or successful as Odin, who is the basketball star in the school. As a teammate, he is very jealous of Odin’s achievement. Second, the coach, who is Hugo’s father, announces to the public that he will treat Odin as his own son. As a son, Hugo is jealous of Odin who takes his father’s love from him. The total jealousy coming from two ways drives Hugo to a terrible path to destroy Odin’s basketball career and his personal life.

In my view, the Iago-like character in the film really relates to the play. In the play, Iago is a jealous person who wants to be promoted to a higher rank. Therefore, he is jealous of Cassio, who is promoted to be the Othello’s lieutenant. Just like Iago is jealous of Cassio in the play, Hugo is jealous of Odin in the film because Odin is a better basketball player.  In the play, Iago is also jealous of Othello because he doubts that Othello has an affair with his wife. Although we cannot find the similar scene in the film, we still can conclude that Hugo holds an Iago-like personality. Jealousy is the same theme for both the play and the film.