Movie Analysis Essay on Roots - The Triumph of an American Family

Introduction

Roots - the triumph of an American family - was adopted from an Irwin Shaw novel of the same title that is by far one of the essential serial programs in American history. This is because the film attracted the highest number of viewers at 130 million. This was the largest audience for any television series. During the period when it aired, more than 85% of all American households watched one or more episodes (339). The serial film focused its attention on televising family issues and family values. It goes back to a time when American ancestors shaped the lives of then-modern American families. It precisely focused on the African American slaves who had been ripped from their native countries and brought into the United States to work as slaves in the different plantations that were spread out all over the country. The film clearly shows the kind of life African American slaves went through including travelling to a foreign country (the west) without been provided with any information about their families. Alex Haley's main character who shows determination and persistence in trying to find his roots and origin (Haley).

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The movie was a mega success in the United States although the producers were unsure of its success given nature and the topic the movie was addressing. However, its twelve episodes were a huge success as the film managed to not only capture the attention of the white community in the society, but it was also able to pass along its intended purpose. The movie "was intended to make the unpleasantness of the reality of slavery more tolerable to a white audience," (339).

Art

Art is defined as expression and application of human creativity and imagination presented in a visual form such as through a sculpture or a painting that produce works often appreciated for the emotional beauty or beauty. It is divided into various branches such as music, painting, dance and literature. I believe art is a form of expression used by artists to communicate ideas and messages to the audiences. Any form of art has a message behind it. The message could be general in that it applies to many people in society or might be personal for the artist. Looking at a painting like Mona Lisa, the message and the idea behind it are still a mystery to many art researchers, but it was personal for Leonardo (Boas pp. 2017-224). Films, on the other hand, are forms of art that carry with them different messages. The producers may decide to create a film meant to educate the masses or entertain them. Therefore, art is primarily a form of expression.

My understanding of art has not changed since the beginning of the course. Instead, this definition has actually being cemented looking back at the various forms of art that exist throughout history. I have come to understand and appreciate art based on the artists' emotions. This is because some of the best forms of art regardless of genre and style have a strong sense of emotional appeal. I believe that emotions play an essential role in the outcome of the art like when an artist is happy there is the likelihood of using bright colours in their paintings (Barco).

Before I began the class, my definition of art was narrow, and the understanding of the word art revolved around paintings and sculptures. However, throughout the course, my knowledge of the word art has broadened, and I have learned to identify and appreciate other forms of art. The most exciting part of the course of learning how to define art and see beyond what is present to us by the artist. There are several statements one can make from a single form of art - something I have learned while studying this course. The course has been a real eye opener especially in terms of how we perceive and interpret art. I have learned about the various artists and their works of art and the message behind these works.

Interestingly, I have learned that art is a form of recording history. Many of these ancient works of art have been used to provide better details about a particular point in history. The Greek and the Egyptians, for example, have lots of ancient arts that tell more about the ancient times when these civilizations were developed. At the same time, various forms of art provide religious history. Traditional worshipping sites had all types of arts from paints to literature that provided history on a particular religion. Most of these forms of arts have also provided a platform for the growth and development of modern art. Therefore, art is dynamic, and the purpose of each for art is dependent on the artist and how the audiences choose to interpret art. According to the Oxford dictionary, arts are defined as "Subjects of study primarily concerned with human creativity and social life, such as languages, literature, and history (as contrasted with scientific or technical subjects)."

The Significance of Death in Human Life

Death gives meaning to both life and death (Trisel 62). In the recent past, pessimists have argued that death does not give life any meaning, but that is the complete opposite. Analysis into immortality indicates that death makes life meaningful. In fact, Bernard Williams and Viktor Frankl insist that "death is necessary for life to be meaningful," (Williams p.82 and Frankl p.64). Mortality awareness acts as a motivator. According to Frankl, if we were immortal, we could postpone every action we were supposed to undertake. This means that there would need to do anything now because there would not be any consequences. However, in the face of death, our future is not absolute and therefore, there is a boundary to what is considered possible. Because of the fact that human beings are mortal beings, there is a need to utilize our lifetimes to the fullest without allowing any opportunity to pass us by unused (Frankl p. 64). Therefore, if there were no consequences, then we would procrastinate our way through everything we should do since we would be unmotivated to take any form of action. It is also assumed that human beings would not get anything done in the absence of death.

Death is not just a consequence for those who fail to pursue their goals and visions in life. It also helps to reveal the fragile nature of human life and consequently, human beings are able to appreciate their lives. Death generally provides life with value (Popper p. 186). The awareness of mortality enhances how a person lives his or her life.

Some of the different forms of art have been used to show the value of death in promoting life. One of the most common forms of art that have utilized the meaning of death in enhancing life is in literature. Various books have been mentioned as a method of communicating the different life lessons that have been passed from one generation to another. Many artists have found meaning edging closer to their death. Einstein discovered the basic facts a...