Ludwig VAN – Americana & Luxury

Ludwig Van is an atypical Streetwear brand. This is primarily as a result of the brand’s focus on creating quality garments instead of  mass production. Another reason tends to be that Ludwig usually distances themselves from whatever trend is going on in mainstream/corporate Streetwear. However another reason is that the man behind the brand is very active in many fields outside of Streetwear. As a result 2014 was a somewhat slow period for Ludwig Van.Of course production was still going on and there was a release here and there, but there was no regular seasonal drop. During that time the owner was doing work for the Olympics, WWE, Adidas, as well as coaching an MMA team.

However Ludwig Van’s 2015-16 releases were definitely worth the long wait. The 2015 drop was heavily influenced by Americana. Some of the characteristics of Americana are things indicative of the 1950s in America. This includes, but isn’t limited to: motorcycles, bikers, your typical American athlete wearing sportswear or letterman jackets, classic Hollywood actors, etc. I suppose people look towards Americana because things seemed much simpler back then. America had won WWII, there was an economic boom, and the future seemed to be limitless. Many well known Japanese brands have actually appropriated Americana, of course there are many brands in America that employee this style as well.

2015: Athletes & Hollywood

Although that begs the question, what does Americana even mean? If you’ve ever watched one of those documentaries about the 70’s I’m sure at a certain point they’ll discuss how Americans developed nostalgia for the 50s. Its ironic that even in the 21st century people are longing for an era they never knew. I feel as though many people have a Romantic vision of the 1950s. Despite this era having many social issues and injustices. Seeing that the founder of Ludwig is closer to that era, I believe his execution has more truth to it, as Ludwig tends to explore the various zeitgeists which make up the era that the brand is channeling into their clothing.

Ludwig’s 2015 drop had everything, which consisted of some tees, a crew, coach jackets, snapbacks, jeans and a rocker patch. One of the must cops was the Audrey tee which is an obvious tribute to Audrey Hepburn. The graphic is a two tone print (green and blue), the pic is further modified with Audrey having a bright red ball gag. Now for starters it seems that the tee is referencing Audrey’s sexuality, as its well known that she had quite a few lovers in her day. Though its actually very tastefully in what its trying to say, there are many tell-all books about how old Hollywood was filled with rampant sexual affairs, drugs, flings, and orgies. However Audrey also had a humanitarian side which summed up the latter half of her years before she died. I supposed thats why this print has two prominent colors, Audrey was a very complex woman.

Following this theres the varsity jackets. In particular this was done a bit differently than others, I’ve seen over the past few years. For one the jackets have a small back print, however its a clear print, instead of being a traditional ink print. beyond this Ludwig used vintage ribbing material, likewise the liner is made using Vietnam era rip-stop nylon. The jackets are finished off using a new style of label and Lampo zippers from Italy. It looks like something athletes can wear, but also seems a bit more sophisticated, probably due to the fit.

This drop also included the Selvedge IV snapbacks. Honestly when most brands make snapbacks they tend to use very cheap and uncomfortable twill textile or flimsy denim. Both caps were made using Cone Mill denim, only top denim brands in the US buy from them. The ounce is pretty heavy so theres a bit of stiffness. The caps are lined with vintage 1980’s Pendelton flannel. Both caps are topped off with an indigo calfskin emblem.Overall they feel like quality snapbacks, and very comfortable as Ludwig didn’t opt to use cheap material.

While we’re on the subject of denim, Ludwig finally made more denim jeans. I believe their last pair was released in 2009? Ironic considering the brand is always tinkering around with denim. Regardless its dope that they finally made some more. As to why these jeans are special, they’re a collab done with Rivi Goods, an artisan denim maker. They are constructed using 1980’s orangeline slevedge denim, think Levis, before production went overseas. If that wasn’t enough they are reinforced with og US military spec nylon webbing in certain areas. They also include a back label and calfskin patch. Americana at its finest.

Ludwig label.

Arguably the instacop from this release were the crews, coach jackets and rocker patch. The Born to Roll patch is on both the crewnecks and coach jackets. They are very high quality and the look is very striking not to mention it gives off a strong feeling of 1950s America. One important thing to note about them is that they are made using chain stitching, meaning they were made by hand. Almost all modern embroidery is done by machines, so think about that. Born to Roll seems to be a call be back to the early bike clubs in America, however Ludwig encouraged fans to interpret the phrase anyway they see fit. The patch is fairly large and so it would look great on jackets and crewnecks. Born to Roll crew was given a heavy stone rinse to give each sweater a unique look. The patches on the crew come with a special label. Furthermore the crews have some subtle silkscreens, which are all indicative of Ludwig’s overall theme. The coaches are also pretty dope. They dropped in two c/ws and were constructed of nylon, with a mesh liner, plus Ludwig’s logo printed on the front. Overall the Born to Roll stuff seems to be heavily inspired by athleticism, probably because the owner practices MMA. There are also quite a few MMA fighters who rep the brand, so it may be a small shout out to them.

 

2016: Beethoven & Luxury

At the beginning of 2016 Ludwig released their Spring collection. This is different from the last release as Ludwig seemed to be going back to their roots. Now while the brand has done many projects that have dabbled in reappropriating vintage materials, for a time Ludwig Van was putting emphasis on their graphics. However they began to move away from being graphically driven, though the brand was still making graphic tees, cut n sew became more significant to the brand’s overall image. One of the main goals for this release was creating graphics which better reflect the brand’s overall concepts. Of course things probably won’t stay this way, which is why this release is particularly intriguing, as Ludwig Van tends to experiments and try new things with every release. The graphic aspect of Ludwig tends to reflect the current mentality of the man behind the brand or channel his artistic nature. Ludwig dropped their second collab with Rivi Goods which also took years to make, lastly the brand appropriated some well known Luxury logos to make something thats purely fun.

First off is the Regal. Now why I said this is interesting is because the Regal is the first true Ludwig graphic that has been released in a while. Thats not to say that the other tees aren’t indicative of Ludwig’s style. Its just that the regal isn’t a simple flip or takes cues from existing pieces of art. Instead It takes the core elements of the brand and juxtaposes everything together flawlessly to create something new. Such as Beethoven, Classical design, sleek motifs, a unique sense of symmetry, and  a feeling of originality. This graphic represents everything that Ludwig Van is about, without being very predictable.

Symphony No. 5 has the simplest design of the three tees released. The print seems to be water based and feels very smooth. Its designed as a football jersey. The back graphic is big and definitely looks like it could be a jersey. The design is of course done as a Chanel flip, however it differs greatly in what others have done to the iconic No. 5 logo. Rather than mimicking the font Ludwig enlarged the 5 while keeping “No.” fairly small. The change is significant in that 5 becomes indicative of a sports jersey, however its a bit deeper than that. The whole idea of the sports jersey is that the wearer is loudly endorsing a player. However Symphony No. 5 is twofold in that a balance of Chanel and Beethoven are being channeled. Although right off the bat the musical reference is more apparent. Furthermore the tee feels a bit looser compared to the other tees, in order to better capture the sports look/feel. Regardless its a subtly complex tee that can be worn everyday.

This last one in particular again shows off Ludwig’s graphic design prowess. No. 5 is another tee that taps into Chanel’s signature perfume, however its much different from Symphony No.5’s execution. Unlike  Symphony No. 5, No.5 is much more colorful and plays extensively with text and is riddled with references. Aside from Chanel and Beethoven overall the print is an homage to Andy Warhol, who himself made prints based on No. 5 perfume for Chanel. Below the main text is “Deutsche Grammophon,” which is a nod to an iconic classical music label founded in 1898, the name itself translates to German Gramophone. Beyond the graphic visuals the text itself retains a lot of Chanel’s signature layout, but there are also Classical elements such as “Deutsche Grammophon” and “Ludwig Van.”

Every tee comes packed in its own reusable bag.

Signature Violet & Emerald stitching.

Ludwig Van label, front.

Ludwig Van Label, backside.

Finally, the most standout piece from Spring 16 has to be Ludwig’s second collab with Rivi Goods. Dubbed Case Shell Pants they are constructed of 1980s US Army case shells. So to clarify case shell are basically bags or boxes you store ammo inside, which may also function as a carrying case. Considering how much material was needed to make these pants, 100 were made, the case shells were likely used to carry around artillery or perhaps heavy caliber rifles. The 80s were the height of the Cold War, both America and the USSR were ready to go to war and possibly nuke everything into oblivion. The case shells were obviously used as some pants have prints or stitches on them, which has resulted in various shades of olive drab, so no two pairs are like. The primary material of the pants seems to be canvas, while also having nylon webbing as belt loops, as well as sporting nylon reinforcements in certain areas like the first Rivi Collab. The pants were given an enzyme wash in order to make the pants soft and comfortable. Rounding out the design there is a Rivi Goods tag, and another label from Ludwig Van. While this project seemingly took forever to be released, I think it was 4 years in the making, its definitely something that Ludwig wanted to make sure was executed properly. If you’re into vintage fabrics or Americana this is an instacop.

One last thing. Ludwig also dropped another patch. Called Libertas, its a fairly decent size, 5×5 inches. I believed they were used on some jackets a few years back. Like Born to Roll Libertas is made of a heavy wool with lots of hand stitching. The quality looks very on point, and it would probably look good as a should patch for your leather jacket…or denim jacket, or tee, etc. The price price practically makes the patch a steal.

Prints

So overall both Releases were done very well. 2015 feels like its mostly about Americana. While 2016 digs heavily into Classical composer Beethoven while also paying tribute to Chanel. All the tees were made of fine Jersey, and washed in order to give them a softer feel and vintage look. Its important to understand that they are not made using regular blanks, instead they seem to have been custom made by Ludwig Van, this is obvious when you see the back of the tees. Furthermore I it seems that the tees were dyed after their graphics were printed on them. As you can see that the neck tags have an image of Alex de Large, which have been dyed on every tee to match their shirt’s corresponding color, save for the off white shirts. All items were made in Los Angeles. Theres something here for everybody who wants to stand out in Streetwear. Regardless Ludwig Van has delivered another great release, hopefully we’ll see more drops soon.

*Ludwig’s VAN Instagram.

*Ludwig’s website.

*Ludwig’s store.

*Ludwig’s Twitter.

*Ludwig’s Facebook.

 

Hidden Characters – After Judgment Day

Somewhere out in America there’s a place called Purgatory. Though where its located is unknown, it is the headquarters of a very unorthodox brand. A subversive brand who’s fan base continues to expand. Their themes range from the macabre to Anime. Though they’re barely two years old they have been making waves. Their designs are far from being clean cut, yet its apparel are nonetheless methodical in execution and only people with an appreciation of graphic design could understand the method to their madness. While most brands are concerned about trying to keep up with trends, the people behind this brand are only concerned with their own vision. Every season they seem to be moving against the grain of what many bigger Streetwear brands release. It doesn’t matter if they make enemies with the sheep of Streetwear. In 2014 they ended up being one of the top three brands on the HB forums. 2015 continues to be an important year for Hidden Characters.

Judgement Day

Following one successful release after another in 2014 you would think the people behind a growing brand would rev up production and ride the wave into a typical cycle of growth. Such as upping stock, and selling more products. Yet Hidden Characters decided to slow down production instead. Nearly more than half a year into 2015, the brand released almost no products. Of course you run the risk of alienating costumers, and even from a financial standpoint the brand missed out on making money. Instead HC seemed to focus on improving the quality of their prints and their cut n sew technique.

Not too long after the New Year, two HC members headed to Hong Kong on a personal trip. Along the way they met up with an artisan leather maker named Mr. Shen. One HC member grew up next door to him. What occurred was a journey into artisan design and Hong Kong’s vast textile industry. When the dust settled Hidden Characters had created their Blood In Blood Out jacket. Featuring insane specs, the jackets took quite awhile to be made. Everyone’s jacket came personalized with their initals, a mix tape, and a comb/knife. Due to the long wait time HC gave a free tee to the people that ordered from the first run of BIBO, it also made a reference to their HB fans. To date the tee has not been made available for purchase. For the full story go here.

Blood In Blood Out jacket.

HC’s signature asymmetrical quilted sleeve.

BIBO freebies.

Mix tape by Khez.

 

For Spring 2015 the brand was planning a discreet drop. There were two elements to this. A secret quick strike that was to be uploaded onto Silkroad. HC’s Silkroad was instituted back in 2014, its a call back to the online black market, which itself is a callback to the og Silk Road of Asia. HC was giving out a link to their loyal fans for a secret concert/auction. Days before the release the quickstrike was revealed, putting fans on alert. As a result Hidden Characters was forced to produce more of their Judgment Day tees. The downside to this is that there are no custom tags. Despite this the tees sold out.

HC’s Judgment Day tees came in white and pink. The front features an embroidered H patch, while the back is a multi layered print. The patch is actually a reworking of L’s screen avatar from the Anime Death Note. Death Note delves into Japan’s Shinigami mythology. The Protagonist, Light Yagami, finds a book which can kill anyone whose name is written in it. While his intentions are initially good, he is a narcissist and is eventually corrupted by the power. His main adversary is L, who also happens to be the world’s greatest detective. The back print is a tribute to WWE’s Judgment Day matches and Kane. Judgement Day matches were special WWF matches, but were discontinued a few years back. Kane is a veteran wrestle from WWE’s 90’s era, Undertaker was typically either his wrestling partner or foe. The print is a combination of regular inks and semi gloss inks. Most of the bright reds are semi gloss ink, so they feel very smooth. Below the main print HC seems to have posted it’s membership list.

Judgement Day tee.

The interesting aspect about this release were the auction tees. One of HC’s proxy profiles had made a reference to a special event and those interested in the event were given a link.  You had to register in order to be part of the auction, and it was not widely announced. The link was for a live streaming concert, all run by HC members. The tees were mash ups of various Hidden designs. A new design was also implemented, which has yet to be given a wider release.

Online concert/auction from spring 15.

The auction/concert is important because in an increasingly interconnected world, the biggest Streetwear brands have become largely apathetic to the fans. On the flip side many people don’t care about loyalty to brands. So in many ways the internet has essentially destroyed the old relationship between fans and brands. Many of HC’s fans are located across the US and overseas, so its hard to just have one city based event. It used to be that brands would sponsor concerts in LA or NY in order to build a relationship with fans. So HC hosted their concert online, thus circumventing the problem of travel. Honestly what other brand has even thought about doing this?

Two of the auction tees. There were various versions and cws.

To Hideo: Good Bye

Hidden Character’s first seasonal release was in July. A little more than halfway into 2015. While the wait was pretty long, the fans never left. This release was interesting because it was on the eve of Hideo Kojima’s, supposedly, final Metal Gear Solid game, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. There were other themes too, such as WWE, Bone Thugs, and Pokemon. This release was noteworthy because of how HC made their tees and also because they made a gold plated Playboi Pikachu necklace. It was different from their last releases in that, they seem to be exploring other facets of American culture. Such as with gangsta rap, black metal, and video games. They went pretty subtle on their designs. Moreover it feels like they wanted to put an emphasis on improving their print quality. This is most obvious with their Solidosnake and  Bottomline tees.

WWE originally began its existence as Capitol Wrestling Corporation back in the 1950s. However CWC eventually went defunct and was replaced with World Wrestling Federation, WWF, in 1979. It would remain in this state until 2002. By the 1980s WWF became one of the biggest companies in Wrestling, it’s only true rival being WCW. By the 90s a new generation of wrestlers was leading WWF into a modern era of wrestling. One that focused on wrestler’s penchant for mayhem and their degenerate lifestyles. The biggest of these wrestlers was arguably Stone Cold Steve Austin. The man was a vicious fighter, he wasn’t graceful in his technique, but rather he just really wanted to beat his opponents to a pulp. Often times he did. Beyond this he was a heavy drinker, so it wasn’t unusual to see him with a six pack of beers. He also had a memorable hatred for HHH and D-Generation X. Another reference is Norwegian Black Metal band Darkthrone. Norwegian Black Metal essentially became a fully realized genre partially due to them, and other bands like Mayhem. What characterized these groups were their sound, dedication to satanism, their use of corpse paint, as well as a deep seated hatred for Christianity in Norway. That last one actually led people from this group to burn down churches in Norway.

Custom tags return.

HC’s Bottomline tee was released in two cws, charcoal and powder blue. The front features some nice embroidery, unlike their Judgement Day tees these are not iron on patches. 3:16 is a reference to Austin 3:16, one of Stone Cold’s signature phrases. The back mimics Darkthrone’s font, it’s very jagged and printed in white semi gloss ink. There are many finer details which could have been done through silk screening vs digital printing, just look closely at the print. HC’s take on the logo is different from the original in that, overall their font looks broader, and there are a lot more jags. The back graphic is striking because many of the jags are drawn horizontally, almost like they’re moving, so it feels aggressive. What really put this piece together was the white semi gloss ink, which isn’t too loud, and the embroidery. The references are niches, yet the materials used to make the tee gives it a more lux vibe.

Bottomline tee.

Front embroidery.

Back graphic.

The Metal Gear Solid series started back in 1987, with the release of Metal Gear. The series has been around for almost 30 years now. While there was a sequel, the next major development in the franchise was in 1998 with Metal Gear Solid. Here fans were given a much better understanding of the main character Solid Snake. Hes essentially driven the series since the beginning. Though Solid saves the world numerous times, he often never finds happiness and spends most of his life dealing with one global conflict after another. MGS3 introduced his biological father, Jack aka Big Boss, as a main character. Boss is somewhat like Solid, though initially he is a “hero” he eventually realizes that he has been manipulated by the US government and leaves the country. Soon after he decides to create his own army free from governments or ideologies. MGSV: The Phantom Pain sees Boss going on a quest for revenge and bringing the series full circle. Hideo Kojima has been the mastermind of this entire series. He had often said his next MGS game would be his last. Sadly as of 2015 Konami finally decided to end Hideo’s tenure with the MGS series.

Solidosnake is probably the most unique item in this release. There are actually 3 versions of this tee, a white tee with a black print and vice versa, though both had green accents. The 3rd version was only available to 10% of the people who bought Solidosnake. It’s essentially the same as the black tee, however there are red accents instead of green, there is also another graphic that says “1st edition.” Something to taken away from Solidosnake is the amount of effort it took to make it. By contrast the print from Bottomline probably took only 2 passes of ink to make the graphic, as its one solid color. However Solidosnake has midtones and shadows, which required various amounts of ink in certain areas. For those that bought the tee, feel around the back graphic and you’ll feel that some areas have more ink than others. This adds an extra dimension to the tees. As the blk tees use white ink, it looks like Solid is sneaking around during the day. Whereas the wht tee uses blk ink, so it looks like Solid is running around at night. The amount of layers on the print will probably be more obvious on the wht version. The small green/red accents saying “Call Hideo 2” are of course small tributes to Hideo Kojima. The front features 3M vinyl decals, the “!” is another callback to the series’ earlier days. It would pop up whenever an enemy spotted you. Even the entire print may be a reference as the shape somewhat resembles a box, which are staple items in MGS. The 1st Editions tees may be a reference to Pokemon cards. 1st edition cards are rarer, for varying reasons. The main one being that they are made in small batches.

Farewell Hideo. Green accents printed in semi gloss ink.

3M vinyl decal. It is not printed.

Print from 1st Edition version.

Other items from this drop was the Bone Thugs tribute tee Crossroads and the very sought after Rare Candy. Crossroads was pretty straightforward, it was all silkscreened and the print design was nice. The Rare Candy necklace had a hard enamel base, and was 18k  gold plated. Its obviously a tribute a Pokemon, even the name Rare Candy is hint to the Pokemon series. It’s modeled after their PP logo. It came with a chain and its own special packaging. Overall Hidden Character’s Summer 15 drop had a wide variety of themes and they hit most of their marks. The two hypest pieces were Rare Candy and Solidosnake. Bottomline was an interesting combination of different aesthetics. Crossroads was essentially for Bone Thugs fans, HC did a good job at echoing the group’s style of the era. Though of course this is essentially a warm up leading up to the brand’s autumn/winter releases.

Crossroads tee.

Rare Candy necklace.

Kitten Characters Hack

Almost every brand has its enemies. Hidden Characters has a few, one of which is apparently a strange organization dubbed Kitten Characters. Though it’s not clear who they are or what their beef is which HC. KC hacked all of HC’s accounts and proceed to re-release some of their items. Specifically the BIBO jacket and Rare Candy necklace.

Kitten Characters.

Needless to say the restocks sold out. The damaged had been done and KC got away. HC was able to regain control of their accounts. What this hack tells fans is that, yes restock are possible, but only if Hidden Character is hacked by Kitten Characters.

Hacked on 09/15/2015.

Possible Kitten Characters member.

While Hidden Characters has remained very quiet throughout 2015, they definitely have motivates for doing this. Spring 2015 was very low key, almost non existent. However HC is obviously trying to find a way to build a more meaningful relationship with their fans. What continues to sustain the brand are people’s appreciation of the brand’s unique outlook on niche cultures as well as their graphic design prowess that is inclined towards the 90s kids. Moreover their cut n sew ambitions have continued to grow. Though its unclear what type of message HC is seeking to leave on Streetwear’s  cut n sew sector. Regardless the fans are patiently staying hidden.

*All s/o

*Hidden Characters twitter

*Hidden Characters instagram

*Hidden Characters Tumblr

* Use Google to find Hidden Character’s forum

Interstellar – Survival and Family

Christopher Nolan has been well known for his film making style, everything seems so dark, calculating, dramatic, but with an added resonance of hope. The last three films he directed explored different themes. The Dark Knight explored the concept of heroes, and what makes someone a symbol of hope. Inception challenged people in their perceptions of reality and mental stability. While the Dark Knight Rises was essentially about people overcoming their past and trying to build a future. Likewise Interstellar has different themes. While pegged as a space exploration film/Sci Fi epic, its more than that. Even before the film was released, in an interview Nolan remarked that Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey was an influence. Indeed both films share a strong Mise en scene. However Nolan introduces some elements of space travel , many filmmakers probably wouldn’t think of when they think of space. Specifically morality, family, and relationships. When people think of space travel, a picture that might pop in their heads are the few astronauts. All of whom are stringent, grounded in a world of science, who probably don’t rely on emotion when making decisions, but rather facts. Family, love, or more broadly relationships are an important theme in the movie. The film is of course held together by the concepts of physics and theoretical time travel.

IF YOU’VE ALREADY SEEN THE MOVIE YOU CAN SCROLL PAST THIS

The main protagonist is Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former NASA astronaught who is widowed with two kids, his daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy) and his son Tom. Its very clear from the start of the film that Cooper is a typical family man. He has a strong attachment to his kids, although he has a special bond with his Murph. The setting of the movie is very bleak, dosed with an inkling of hope. Its the future, though perhaps not too far off from the present. America’s government, maybe even the world, has devolved into a society dependent on food, more specifically agriculture. Earth is dying, as a result so is the world’s variety of readily available food. The only food source that is still commonly on hand is corn. All the other types of crops have been killed off by blight. On top of that, much of the world is being ravaged by dust storms, causing many people to become sick and eventually die. This whole setting of a world nearing its end continually drives home the concept of humanity’s need to survive. This is reflected in Cooper and his children, as they all react to this idea differently. In Cooper’s case he initially feels that mankind will pull through their food shortages.

In Murph’s room, books fall from her shelf on occasion. This leads her to believe that theres a ghost trying to communicate with her. However Cooper tries to help Murph get over her belief by challenging her to prove the ghost is sending her a message. Through the books falling over, Murph uses an algorithm, and is able to come up with some coordinates. Cooper is intrigued and decides to take Murph to the location.

It turns out that the location is a secret NASA base. Cooper and Murph encounter TARS, a Marine robot. It plays an essential role with humans being able to maintain their morals, TARS also provides some comedic relief. The remnants of NASA are headed by Professor Brand (Michael Caine), someone Cooper worked with while he was still a test pilot for them. Brand explains that NASA’s mission is to try and a find a planet humanity can colonize, aka the Endurance mission. He goes on to explain that years ago a worm hole appeared, that was close enough for NASA to explore. This brings up some interesting questions as none of the scientists are able to figure out why a worm hole is there. Their only conclusions is that some kind of alien lifeforms, or “they,” put the worm hole there to help humanity survive. On the other side is another galaxy, which could have a habitable world. Astronauts were sent to 12 different worlds, aka the Lazarus Missions, to asses their habitability. Brand further explains, that Earth cannot be saved, and that the corn is slowly succumbing to blight. This is major turning point for Cooper, as to him surviving meant providing food for his kids and protecting them. He then feels that he must find a new home for his family, as well as humanity. Brand is able to convince Cooper to head the Endurance mission. Though Cooper is worried that he will never be able to return to Earth in time to see his kids again. As he leaves, Murph is extremely distraught and tries to stop her father from leaving. She deciphers a new message, which suggests that Cooper should stay. He of course does not leave, and Murph holds a great grudge against him.

The Endurance Mission has two plan.  The crew is made of Cooper, Doyle (Wes Bentley), Amelia Brand (Professors Brand’s daughter), Romilly (David Gyasi), CASE (another robot), and TARS. Plan A is to find a habitable world and go back to Earth. So that hopefully Humanity will be able to send out mass colonies, so that humanity will survive. However Plan B is more radical. It would involve the Endurance crew to stay stationed on a habitable world and populate the planet with fertilized eggs. In that scenario Earth is abandoned. This presents a difficult question about moralities. As the fate of Earth is literally in the hands of a few people, who at any time, could decide to leave Earth behind and create a new civilization. Cooper is of course going on the mission believing that Plan A will work, he is further motivated in returning to Earth to see Murph again. Amelia (Anne Hathaway) seems committed to going through with Plan B, if necessary. Though in general no one, save for Cooper, has any strong relational ties to Earth. Nonetheless Cooper continues to think of his family and on occasion argues that the crew must also think of the billions of other people stuck on Earth. Cooper occasionally receives video messages from his son and father, though Murph refuses to send him any messages as she feels abandoned by him.

As the months pass on the Endurance finally crosses into the wormhole and encounters an alien that seemingly shakes Amelia’s hand. While on the other side of the hole three planets are chosen to survey: Miller, Mann, and Edmund. Its noted that Miller is close to Gargantua, a black hole, this will cause time to move slower on the planet than on Earth. Its predicted that an hour on Miller will equal seven years on Earth. While Cooper is against visiting Miller, he is able to figure out a route, which will allow them to avoid losing many years on Miller. Romilly and TARS stay on Endurance. While on Miller its discovered the planet is covered in water and that huge tidal waves are moving across the surface. Amelia is able to grab Miller’s onboard computer. A huge tidal wave approach which hits Doyle, killing him. However TARS and Amelia get to the ship on time. They are delayed from leaving due to the ship having to empty excess water. This greatly affects Cooper as he knows he is losing many years of being with his family, especially Murph. This helps to iterate that time is precious. Not just for Cooper and his family, but for humanity’s survival, as food shortages are likely increasing while hope many continue to decrease.

Amelia discovered that Miller’s ship only landed an hour ago, so her calculations, as well as the other scientist’s are very wrong. She shows how unprepared humans are for traversing interstellar space, Cooper further chastises her for her reckless actions of grabbing Miller’s computer. Once Cooper and the others get back to the Endurance its revealed that 23 years have passed. Romilly, with some graying hairs, laments how lonely and hopeless he was becoming. He helps to demonstrate that the scientists attitude of solitude does little to help them out in space, and in ways impacts them negatively. As a result of the lost 23 years, the Endurance only has enough fuel to visit one more planet and possibly return home.

Romilly reveals that they continued to get messages from Earth, but can’t send any back. Cooper watches the videos over the last 23 years and sees his son grow into a man. However he gets no videos from Murph over the years. The last two videos focus on Cooper’s kids believing he is dead. Tom (Casey Affleck), who has a family and is now grown up, finally lets go of the hope that his father is alive. Whereas Murph (Jessica Chastain), who is now her dad’s age, sends one video to Cooper saying that while she regrets not sending videos to him, shes lived with her decision and is ready to let go of their memories together. This of course fuels Cooper’s drive to get home and back to his family.

Back on Earth Tom is now farming the same crops his dad did, he continues to believe that his family’s survival is dependent on the crops. Murph is now at NASA, working as Dr. Brand’s assistant. She eventually notices that Brand seems to be repeating the same approaches to solving the equation to gravity. Earth is being hit with more devastating dust storms. Hope is fading. Brand ends up in the hospital and on his deathbed reveals to Murph that he solved his equation many years ago. However he requires more data, which is impossible to obtain. He further explains that he believed Plan A wouldn’t work, and the he actually sent the Endurance away to hopefully initiate Plan B.

The Endurance crew debate on which planet they should visit next, because if the next planet is uninhabitable, then they will likely commence Plan B. Amelia expresses her choice of Edmunds, while Cooper chooses Mann. Dr Mann headed the Lazarus Mission and was seen as so heroic that he managed to convince 11 other scientists to join the mission. Romilly is at odds to which planet to choose. Until Cooper accuses Amelia of being in love with Edmunds, and thus it being a factor for why she chose his planet. She concedes she loves Edmunds, but defends her choice, regardless the team heads for Mann.

Planet Mann seems to be made of nothing but ice. They find Dr Mann’s base and discover its in somewhat bad condition. His robot KIPP has been disassembled. They awaken Mann, who is extremely  ecstatic to see them. He explains that while he didn’t have much hope of returning home, he was falling into despair due to prolonged isolation. When questioned about his planet’s lack of life, he persists that theres a lower surface which contains alien life. They are soon sent a video message from TARS by Murph. She informs Amelia that her dad died, then addresses her father if knew that the Endurance mission was a shame. Mann proceeds to explain that he knew of Professor Brand’s true intentions.

This information devastates the crew. Again Cooper’s objectives change. Instead of following through with the journey to Edmunds he plans to take the Endurance home and abandon the mission. TARS proposed an idea in which it will be sent into Gargantua and send the data back to the Endurance so that hopefully they will have enough information to enact Plan A. Everyone seems onboard with the idea. Mann decides to show Cooper the inhabitants of the planet.

They reach a cliff, at which time Mann discards Cooper’s comm link and tries to kill him by cracking his helmet. Mann had faked his findings and disabled KIPP so it wouldn’t stop him. He further talks about survival and that while he has always been a person who prefers to be alone, he couldn’t bare to die alone. Cooper accuses Mann of being a coward, which he sorrily admits to. Not wanting to see Cooper die, Dr Mann heads for the base, determined to assure his survival by moving forward with Plan B. Cooper is able to find his comm and warn the others of Mann’s treachery. Amelia heads to Cooper’s location with Mann’s ship, while at the same time Romilly powers up KIPP only for it to explode. This scene shows that while Mann was seen as a somewhat mythical hero, he is still a human who, despite his high intelligence is motivated by his basic instincts to survive.

The next scene is very intense, as Mann and Cooper’s team both try to beat one another to the Endurance. While Mann makes it to the airlock, CASE has previously locked their ship’s autopilot. Mann keeps trying to manually dock Cooper’s ship, but fails. Desperate he manually opens the airlock, only to be killed by the depressurization. The Endurance is forced into a spin, Cooper is able to manually dock the ship, with some very hard maneuvering. However Mann’s actions have damaged the Endurance. They no longer have enough life support to make it to Earth.

The revelation that Cooper won’t be able to see Murph weighs on him. Again his priorities change. The team plan use Gargantua’s gravity to slingshot them to Edmund, while still planning to send TARS into it to collect data which hopefully will help humanity’s journey into space. Cooper has a short conversation with TARS in which the robot expresses its desire to help humanity to which Cooper and Amelia show regret that they will likely never never see TARS again. Once TARS is ejected into Gargantua, surprisingly Cooper also ejects himself. He likely does this, as he no longer has a drive to live since he will not see his family again. This helps Amelia and CASE escape Gargantua and head for Edmund.

On Earth Murph visits Tom, and notices that his wife and child seem to be sick. She asks Tom to join them at NASA, At which point Tom angrily refuses as he feels staying at the farm will ensure his family’s survival. Back at NASA she persuades Getty to help her convince Tom to move to NASA. Despite Getty’s warning that Tom’s family will die due to dust poisoning, he again stands his ground. Murph sets fire to Tom’s crops on the far side of his property, as a distraction in an attempt to smuggle Tom’s wife and son to the NASA base. While she tries to leave she is drawn back to her room, specifically to an old watch her dad gave her. There shes stuck in thought about the old messages she received as a kid.

Cooper is sucked into Gargantua, he ejects as his ship sustains heavy damage. Strangely he ends up in a mysterious space, theoretically a tesseract. In it he sees various moments in time which apparently are focusing on himself and his daughter Murph. While he cannot pierce the barriers and go into these moments of time, he realizes that gravity is able to travel through the barriers.  Likewise he comes to the conclusion that he was the ghost in Murph’s room as well as the alien that shook Amelia’s hand. Surprisingly Cooper discovers that TARS is alive and has collected the data. TARS explains that “they” created this space for Cooper to understand time. Cooper theorizes that they are a future form of humanity that has evolved into fifth dimensional beings. With all this new information Cooper is able to send Gargantua’s information via morse code to the watch he gave Murph.

Murph realizes Cooper was her ghost, and understands hes sending her an equation. She relates to Tom that their dad is indeed alive and has saved humanity. Back at NASA she is able to solve the problem of gravity, thus allowing humanity to begin preparations for their journey into interstellar space.

Once Cooper has relaid all the data he is seemingly ejected from the tesseract and floats aimlessly in space until he passes out. He awakens in a hospital, believing he is back on Earth. Only to realize hes actually on a colony ship in space. The doctor informs Coopers hes 124 years old. Meaning that his kids have not seen him in 90 years. Though he is informed that Murph is coming to visit him. He is shown a museum which is modeled after his farm, there are various kiosks that feature interviews with people he knows and of course his kids. inside the house he finds a nonfunctional TARS. TARS is given a new battery and both discuss the success of Plan A. Back in the hospital Cooper is finally reunited with Murph, her large family is also present. Both are visibly emotional over finally seeing each other again. They talk alone, Cooper wants to keep Murph company as she is on her deathbed. However she laments that she doesn’t want Cooper to see her die, instead she encourages Cooper to go to Edmund to find Amelia, as Murph insists that her family will see her through her final moments of life. On planet Edmund Amelia can be seen, presumably burying Edmund, with her and CASE being the only inhabitants. An emotional Cooper obliges his daughters wishes, he and TARS board a modern Ranger and set off towards Edmund to retrieve Amelia.

 END FILM SUMMARY

There are different themes about the film that can be examined. Although the main points seem to be the value of family, more broadly love, and even survival. Cooper’s family takes center stage in examining these concepts. Another element is that there is no main antagonist, instead emphasis is put on humans trying to traverse the frontier that is space.

The idea of survival has different meanings for key characters. Cooper’s concept for survival is being able to save his family from hunger, this later evolves into his need to find a new planet where he can take his family to. Cooper is heavily motivated by his deep desire to see his kids again, Murph in particular. When planning out Endurance’s routes he takes extra precautions to ensure that the ship will make it back to Earth. This likely aided him in his fight with Mann, as he refused to succumb to death. Cooper’s actions were heavily influenced by his ties to his family. Theres also Tom, who is likewise influenced by his father’s old idea of survival. In particular his desire to sustain crop production for his wife and child. However this goes to the extreme, in that he believes that the only suitable place to live is on his family’s old farm. Despite experts advising otherwise, though he possibly stays due to his various memories attached to the farm. Murph is a bit different as she believes in a bigger picture of survival, somewhat closer to Brand’s ideals. She heavily believes that humanity must solve the equation that would enable space travel for all of humanity. She is nonetheless motivated by family, as she had a strong desire to shelter her brother and his family from the dust storms. Then there is Brand’s concept of survival. Professor Brand had a very broad idea of survival, he was trying to save humanity as a species, thus thinking of the future. His daughter Amelia, more or less agreed with his ideals. She was determined to save humanity. Of course she tried to make Plan A work, however she would have also followed through with Plan B if needed. Although she has a father, she was obviously ready to leave him behind, so her concept of survival is driven by practicality. While of course being motivated, by a bit of love. Lastly there is Dr Mann. Unlike the other main and supporting characters, Mann seems to have no family or loved ones. He seems alone in life, hes heavily motivated by science, reason, and instinct. Mann saw Plan B as the only option, for his and humanity’s survival. Though he is accustomed to being alone, he understands that instinctively he does not want to die alone. This prompts him to fake his planet’s data as being inhabitable, so that he can hopefully be saved. Of course his actions prove troublesome, as he knows that faking his data will jeopardize humanity’s survival, this could result in his arrest and even death. Mann has little reason to go back to Earth, of course Cooper’s plan prompts Mann to try and kill him. Once Mann is almost docked to the Endurance, his instincts kick in. This proves to be fatal, as a scientist he knew that opening the airlock while his ship was not docked properly would kill him. Being in a desperate situation caused him to rely too much on his instincts. He became too focused with trying to get into the Endurance by any means necessary.

Even TARS and CASE play a significant role with survival and morality. Firstly both are robots, whose primary programming is of course to ensure the survival of their human superiors. Moreover humanity in general. However they tend to almost be a symbol of hope. TARS is often used to lighten the mood. Being AIs they are aware of people’s fear and try to ease their nerves. This can be noted when the team is first launching into space. TARS tells a joke to calm the Endurance team, save for Cooper, as its their first time in space. Later in the film when TARS is reactivated by Cooper, it cracks a joke that it will soon self destruct, in response he lowers TARS’ comedy setting. It likely does this because Cooper has been on quite a dramatic journey, and needs to feel something other than being humanity’s savior. Beyond this both robots seem more human than the humans. In one scene TARS is seen briefly talking to CASE who has been lying dormant for a few years. The exchange isn’t even about anything technical, instead TARS inquires how CASE is doing. Later CASE sees Dr Mann’s robot KIPP, and asks him if he would like CASE to try and fix KIPP. With this questioning, the viewer can assume that the robots have some sense of compassion, if their concern for humans isn’t real, their concern for their own kind is. This is in contrast to the scientists who all seem to prefer their own space, and who seem to either dislike each other or generally show apathy. Even towards the end of the film, TARS decides to sacrifice itself by going into the black hole, without being ordered to. Regardless TARS did not need to volunteer itself, nor did it have to propose the idea.

Finally the last theme to explore is the theme of family, or more broadly relationships. In the case of Cooper and his family, everyone is motivated by their families. Cooper embarks on the Endurance mission because of his family, he never loses hope and he puts more thought into his actions because he knows that in the end he will be reunited with his children. One could that Cooper was able to derail Mann’s plans, because of his strong parental drives. Whereas Mann was dependent on himself. Cooper follows through with his mission as he knows it will save his children. If someone else had been trapped in the tesseract, someone without a family, someone who had no strong ties to another person, they probably would have lost all hope within the tesseract. Family is especially important to Tom, who basically refuses to move his family from, what he believes is the most secure place for them to live. Family is even important to Murph, while throughout the movie she shows great defiance towards her father’s actions, she nevertheless returns to her old room, and examines the old watch given to her by her father. If she really did want to let go of her memories of Cooper, she wouldn’t have picked up the watch. This in turn could have meant Earth’s demise. To a lesser extent, Amelia is also driven by relationships, specifically love. Theres a certain scene in which she explains the importance of love, and even argues that love is something that can be measured scientifically. It likely played a role in her decision to explore Edmund instead of Mann. She seemed so certain that Edmund would be habitable planet, in the end it seems she may have been correct. Her love for Edmund is possibly why Cooper tries to sacrifice himself. He probably figured that Amelia would be more determined to pilot the Endurance to Edmund and continue the mission because someone she loved was on the planet. Even at the end of the film, an elderly Murph reiterates the need for family and love as it acts as a catalyst that can help people achieve more.

Besides all of the various themes sprinkled throughout Christopher Nolan’s Sci Fi epic, there are also technical things that make the film more enticing to see. The entire film was shot on 70mm IMAX film, making it a beautifully shot film. Nolan stated that CGI was used minimally as possible, and that miniatures were used as much as possible. This helps brings a greater authenticity to the movie, and it shows. Theres no sloppy effects and the shots of the ships are probably the nicest things to look at. For science buffs looking for an accurate movie, well astrophysicist Kip Thorne helped make the black hole and other science related elements more accurate. Interstellar’s plot is long and sometimes it might be hard to follow, it may also be hard to understand some concepts. However this movie is worth a watch, and other rewatches.

Guardians of the Galaxy – Differing Puzzle Pieces that fit

When people think of Marvel movies, they most likely will think of the Avengers. Maybe Iron Man more specifically. Looking back at The Avengers from 2012, the story took place on a planetary level. However the heroes who saved the world seemed to have little in common, well from a glance. The Hulk is big and green, Cap is literally from a different era in time, Thor is from a different dimension, while Iron Man comes off as being very egotistical. Everyone was an outcast in their own right, mostly due to their great individual powers. However despite their different backgrounds the heroes found unity in the fact that they all wanted to save the Earth, as most of them live there, and have loved ones residing there. Moreover through their fighting and arguing, the Avengers realized that they actually share certain ideals and can even relate to one another on a more personal level.

However Guardians of the Galaxy, directed by James Gunn, approaches the super hero collective in a different light. Not only do most of the team have differing reasons for living, they aren’t even the same species. And really thats one of the main driving ideas in Guardians of the Galaxy. Unity through collective rejection. As all of the characters meet through reaching their lowest points in life, specifically all being incarcerated in the same prison. The team is rallied by Peter Quill/Star-Lord, as he figures they’re all losers, and only coming together as a team can they be a greater force in the galaxy. Specifically something a force for good.

Looking at every character’s background gives us a better idea of what type of group the Guardians of the Galaxy are. 

Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Chris Pratt, was abduct as a young boy right after his mother died. Furthermore Quill didn’t know his father, the fact that he has no family is something that does weigh on Quill throughout the film. As evidenced by him carrying around a Walkman his mom gave him, while often listening to the mix tape she made him. Another curious element is that Quill kept a present his mom gave to him, but never opened it. Perhaps he still hasn’t come to terms with his final meeting with her, a meeting that was emotionally grueling for him. He was raised by the Ravagers, and became a great thief. While the Ravers obviously consider Quill part of their group, Quill doesn’t always identify himself as part of the Ravagers. Then theres Gamora, played by Zoe Saldana. Her family was killed, while she was captured by Thanos, and forced to become one of his assassin “daughters.” Like Quill, Gamora does not associate Thanos as being her father in any context, she does however consider Nebula a sister. Gamora is ultimately seeking to stop Thanos from attending a great power. Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, is probably the most peculiar of the group as he was a common raccoon, who was then experimented on be means of dissection and reassembly, until he was final modified with cybernetics and a genius intellect. Of course he has no family, and being that hes basically a one-off experiment he feels like hes a monster/joke.Though Groot, voiced by Vin Diesel, does service as Rocket’s surrogate family. Goot is a humanoid plant, which can almost only say “I am Groot.” As a result we know nothing about Groot’s family or background, though The Collector insinuates that Goot’s people may have gone extinct. Groot unlike the rest of the group does not seem to be motivated by loss or tragedy. Instead he may be drawn to Rocket, as he recognizes  Rocket and himself as being the only ones of their kind. As such Groot is never far from Rocket, while Rocket some times belittles Groot, both do look out for each other’s well being. As evidenced near the climax of the film, with Groot nearly dying. Drax is the last member to show up onscreen. While having a similar story to Gamora’s, Drax lost his wife and child to Ronin’s armies. His sole desire is to kill Ronin, because of this he is filled with great anger.

Their primary antagonists are Ronan The Accuser, portrayed by Lee Pace, and Nebula, played by Karen Gillan. Ronan is a Kree who heavily believes in their traditions and seeks to give the orb to Thanos, so that the Xandarian people will be exterminated. Nebula initially helps Ronan because Thanos orders her to help him retrieve the orb. While Yondu, played by Michael Rooker, seems to be after Quill for stealing the orb before he and the other Ravagers could.

The film opens with Quill talking to his mom on her death bed, she gives him a present and wants him to open it, which he refuses. Moments later she dies and unable to bare the pain Quill runs off and is abducted by the Ravagers. 20 years passed and Quill goes to steal an orb from Ronan. Later as he tries to hock the orb, Quill finds himself in a fight with Gamora, Rocket and Groot. This lands them all in prison.

The Guardians of the Galaxy start out more as criminals in film, because of this they aren’t really a team until the latter of the film. Save for Gamora, who is initially the only one of the collective looking to do something noble. Specifically storing the orb, whichs holds an infinity stone, somewhere where no one will be able to use it for evil. While Quill is looking for a greater purpose in his life, which at first seemed to be becoming a well known and great thief. Rocket and Groot are mercenaries looking for a big pay day, so they can retire somewhere nice. Then of course theres Drax who simply wants revenge. Everyone’s differing desires, causes clashes amongst these criminals.

After the group escapes from prison, their plan is to meet with Gamora’s client, who will give them enough money to live out their lives comfortably. They meet up with The Collector, who reveals that the orb is an Infinity Stone. An object of great power that can destroy worlds, and do more. The Collector’s assistant grabs the stone, infusing her with great power, though she can’t contain it. As a result she explodes, and nearly destroys The Collector’s gargantuan home.

From here the mission changes. Gamora seeks to give the stone, to the Nova Corps on the Xandarian home world. However due to Drax’s strong desire to kill Ronan, he actually gives him their location. Causing the Guardians to flee. Ronan shows up with his army and takes the orb, while easily beating Drax. Quill, against Rocket’s wishes, saves Gamora by floating in space and giving her his mask to breath, and contacts Yondu. Quill is able to convince Yondu that together they can get the orb back and make a great profit together. Rocket, Groot, and Drax tag along.

Ronan discovers that the orb houses an Infinity Stone and places it on his hammer, which is able to stabilize the stone’s power. He also declares to Thanos that he will kill him, which causes Nebula to continue her alliance to Ronan out of her hate towards her adoptive father. With this last part, the theme of family should already be obvious to the audience. As all of the main and most of the supporting characters have particularly strong feelings of family, which ultimately does play a role in each character’s motives in the movie. All of the GotG members have lost their family, so they initially only rely on themselves for support. While Ronan desires to fulfill the wishes of his forefathers by killing the Xandarians.

Again things change, this time in everyone’s mentality. The Guardians of the Galaxy are symbolically born through Quill’s speech to the others. Gamora’s desire to strive for redemption, driven by her time killing for Thanos, inspires Quill. He decides that together this group of criminals (Gamora, Rocket, Groot, Drax, and himself) can do great things, specifically being a force for good. As he says they’re all “losers” and have have encountered great losses, but can overcome this if they unite with a singular purpose in mind. Quill contacts Rhomann Dey, played by John C. Reilly, who earlier had arrested the GotG except for Drax, and informs him that Ronan is coming with his forces to destroy Xandar. The Nova Corps is put on alert, and with help from the Ravagers are able to greatly slow down Ronan’s assault. 

The GotG are able to infiltrate Ronan’s ship. Nebula is subdued and later flees. Ronan is then confronted by the GotG, however they fail to neutralize him. As a result most, of the Nova Corps are killed and Ronan’s ship crashes on Xandar. At around the same time Groot encases himself and his team within his own body mass and suffers most of the impact from the fall, seemingly killing him. Ronan proceeds to bestow The Guardians of the Galaxy moniker to Quill and his friends, while in same breath taunting them for not being able to kill him. 

In an odd scene Quill challenges Ronan to a dance off. While it seems very out of place, its actually a distraction for Rocket to shoot Ronan with his makeshift weapon. This causes the hammer to break, thus freeing the Infinity Stone. Quill is able to grab the stone, however he doesn’t explode. During this time Quill confronts his mother in his mind, and comes to terms with her death. Zamora and the other Guardians grab Quill’s hand, and are able to control the power. Together they use the stone to kill Ronan. 

The aftermath results in the Guardians of the Galaxy being recognized as an official galactic force for good by the Nova Corp. Yondu is given a fake orb, while he realizes this he obviously has no ill feelings towards Quill. He then reveals that the Ravagers were supposed to transport Quill to his father, but decided not to as he was an “asshole.” They are also absolved of their crimes, and the Nova Corp feels confident that Quill will be able to keep the team united. As well as informing Quill that he is only half human, and maybe part Ancient. With the celebration over, Quill finally feels its time to open his gift that his mother had given him before she died. Its revealed to be another mix tape, and he proceeds to play it. A piece of Groot is revealed to have survived and is slowly growing back into its form. Afterwards the Guardians of the Galaxy proceed to venture off into space, presumable to their next mission.

Howard the Duck is teased in the after-credits scene, drinking a beverage with The Collector. This in particular is an example in how Disney handled The Guardians of the Galaxy. Simply put, discord and alienation can breed unity. Unlike The Avengers, The Guardians have little in common, each character is vastly different. The Avengers all come off as being heroic individuals, who while having slightly different ideas regarding defending the Earth, can come together in perfect unison and defend the Earth. At their very core, they are all the same the archetype, being heroes with typical heroic traits with certain variations to paint them as more unique individuals. Each of The Avenger’s stand alone movies, like Captain America, is of course able to delve deeper into each character. However all of the members of The Avengers, had much of their personalities watered down in The Avengers movie. Being in the presence of one another they did show some uneasiness, but nothing too volatile. Whereas The Guardians of the Galaxy were very aggressive to one another, because their personalities seemed much stronger. However this is necessary as the GotG were unknown and therefore the viewer needed to see them as individuals before being convinced that could really be a group of heroes. Being that these characters were all new giving them strong attitudes helps us better understand these characters as individuals.Quill is a selfish thief, Gamora is an assassin looking for redemption, Drax is killing seeking revenge, while Rocket and Groot are outcasts/mercenaries.The fact that they’re all different races further cements that these protagonists are indeed unique. Of course they can all put aside their differences and through unconventional means form a dynamic team.

James Gunn was able to help the audience understand these characters, by devoting a good amount of screen time to their origins, Though only Quill’s life is actually shown onscreen. The movie flows pretty well with a few hicips that make you wonder whats going on. Most of these are usually caused by Quill, at times he comes off as being too awkward. Likewise in a few shots Pratt’s acting doesn’t seem believable. so he sometimes seems like a flat actor. Though for the most part Quill is very comedic and brings some relief to tense moments, while still showing signs of being human. The group arguments between the Guardians is always fun to watch being that they are all trying to prove themselves to each other. Ronan makes a good villain and so at times he seems overqualified to be the main villain of the film. He also elaborates on who Thanos is and what he wants. setting things up, for possible The Avengers 3. The effects are without question well made and executed. Especially when Quill saves Gamora from dying in space. There are many great scenes in the movie. Though the opening scene with Quill and his mom is probably one of the best photographed in the film. So overall Guardians of the Galaxy is definitely worth a watch, at least two. You may not like it compared to other comic book films as the heroes aren’t typical, however you may find yourself empathizing with the Guardians of the Galaxy regardless about what you may initially feel about them.

The Hunt (2012) – De Facto Guilt

The Hunt is a 2012 Danish film by director Thomas Vinterberg. Mads Mikkelsen stars as Lucas, the movie’s protagonist. In many cases of child molestation, once the story is broken amongst the community its effects are nearly apparent. The accused is de facto guilty by the community. Whatever the accused says to exonerate themselves is perceived as a lie, as “children don’t lie.” Now in many cases of child molestation, the accused is usually proven guilty. The abuser is forever tainted with what they did and society promptly labels them as some sort of sub human creature. However in cases in which the accused is proven not guilty, things can sometimes become more complex. Most people accused of child molestation are proven guilty, so those that are proven not guilty are often viewed with contempt. So while being innocent of the crime brought against them and exonerated by the courts, they are guilty for simply being accused of the crime.

This idea of de facto guilt is what strongly drives The Hunt. Ultimately this is what makes the movie an intriguing subject to watch, as other movies have delved into the problems of identifying situations of child molestation and the difficulties of convicting offenders. Doubt (2008) is actually a good compliment to The Hunt as the differing subjects and style of shooting allows people to see both sides of the spectrum when dealing with a sensitive subject. When watching one movie, I feel its also a good idea to also watch the other film. In both flicks there are main characters who are trying to do the right thing, yet are constantly stonewalled or put through the ringer by their respective communities. In Doubt Sister Aloysius tries to expose Father Flynn’s misconduct with a child, however she is later stonewalled by the church and seen as being an enemy. Whereas in The Hunt Lucas tries to break through his town’s growing prejudice and disgust in him while trying to prove his innocence, despite answering the accusation against him.

In The Hunt the movie opens with Lucas, who is a  middle aged divorced man and living in a somewhat small Danish town. Hunting is ultimately what unites the men, and thus the families and people of the town. Its also the basis for the title as  Lucas is the hunted. He is a kindergarten assistant and all of the kids love him, as well as his coworkers. Together they act as a sort of safety net for the kids who live in a hostel family atmosphere. Klara, Annika Wedderkopp, is one of these children. Being the child of Theo, Lucas’ best friend, they share a bond that is slightly more special. The key difference being that Klara sometimes is taken to school by Lucas or comes to his house to walk his dog Fanny. Klara’s parents seem to bicker often, which in turn leads her to spend time with Lucas, so she can gain her a reprieve from the madness in her home.

While much of this is fairly harmless, certain elements brew together, which slowly culminate to shatter Lucas’ life and the relationships with the various people he has known for years. Klara’s closeness to Lucas is one element. She longs to seemingly have someone  in her life who can protect her from her parents fighting. Lucas apparently  fills this role, and as a result she develops the inkling of a childlike romance towards him. One day Klara’s brother and his friend show her porn, this is the first time she sees an erect penis. Later she gives Lucas a romantic-ish card, and slips it into his coat. That same day she kisses Lucas on the lips. Lucas then gives the card back to Klara. She expresses her hate for Lucas, which is childish, to Grethe. Being a child  Klara puts two things that she knows together into one sentence, one being that she knows Lucas, and the other being that penises can be erect. Feeling uneasy with what Klara said, Grethe takes action and tries to determine whether or not Klara has been molested by Lucas. She of course informs Klara’s mom, who is horrified. Eventually Klara meets with a specialist in order to figure out if she has been molested.

This is where things truly begin to build up against Lucas. At this point things are going pretty good in Lucas’ life. He has a girlfriend, his son has decided to live with him instead of his ex wife, and he has a great relationship with the various parents whose kids go to his school. Likewise the feeling of the town is that of kinship and laxness. However once Klara is to be questioned on her story, Lucas is promptly put on leave. This is without question the eye of the storm. At this point, if all goes well with Klara’s assessment, then the community can continue on with its peaceful existence. However the truth is rarely heard or understood when Klara is asked questions and she responds to the best of her ability. Going into his interview, the specialist already seems biased. Neither Grethe or the specialist seem to know what to do when assessing a possible case of child molestation. Instead of trying to fully explain what they are asking of Klara, such as what happened between her and Lucas. Why does she hate Lucas, what does the heart mean? Or even Did he hurt her or do anything to her which made her feel uncomfortable? Klara is far too young to really understand these questions and so she gives very vague responses. Regardless its enough for Grethe and the specialist to run with their imaginations. Sewing a story extremely lewd which seems to never have an ending. The aftermath of Klara’s “confirmed” molestation is swift and continues to build extremely damaging momentum, so much so that not even she is safe.

Of course Lucas’ suspension continues, and he is informed that the charges brought against him have merit. Grethe quickly informs the parents of Lucas’ supposed guilt, however she adds fire to the flame by saying there could be several cases of molestation. While the parents begin to observe their children for symptoms of  abuse, the story of Klara’s abuse is continually twisted and added to, thereby breeding various stories. As Lucas determines the accusations are based between him and Klara he tries in a vain attempt to plead with her parents that he is innocent. Theo is obviously still in shock and displays doubt as to who he should believe. However his wife undoubtedly reinforces Lucas’ guilt into his mind. The story continues to spread and grow in prominence, so much so that Lucas is even assaulted when he tries to buy groceries from the market, specifically by its employees. The town perpetuates the idea that Lucas is guilty, so much so that his girlfriend eventually doubts his innocence, this leads to their breakup. Grethe seems to possibly be responsible for the stories circulating about Lucas. One day he confronts her, while he begs her to tell him what the contents of the stories are she continually remains silent and retreats from his presence.

This is especially important, because the audience never actually hears any of these accusations that are being bought against Lucas, only the original story that is created by Grethe. This really brings a feeling of ostracization, as Lucas wants to know what people are saying about him, he wants to know how ugly this story has evolved. However both him and the viewer are not even allowed to know what is being said, which makes Lucas a very defenseless character. This puts Lucas and the audience in the same boat helping us empathize with him. Things grow more complicated once Lucas’ ex wife Kristin is told by someone, likely that he is a twisted child molester, this in turn is relayed to his son Marcus. Who comes to his aid, going to the town and staying with him. In a strong and emotional scene Marcus tries to confront Klara as to why she “accused” his dad of molesting her. It ends with him being beaten a bit. Eventually only one family, Bruun’s, decides to side with Lucas as they have known each other for years and truly believe he is not guilty. As Lucas and Marcus are staying with the family, they prepare for the case. This serves to bring a vestige of hope to Lucas’ seemingly hopeless situation. The next day Lucas is taken away by the police. While investigating the claims, an element added to the abuse stores was a basement. However the authorities find no basement and believe Lucas is indeed innocent, the charges are then dropped. Thus the story of supposed abuse is crushed as well as the constant persecution from the community, well not quite.

Apparently Lucas was only in the eye of the storm. Lucas’ life actually gets worse. De facto guilt has been invoked. The idea that Lucas has dodged justice is probably  coursing through the minds of the people. The town still hate him and his son. In probably the stronger climax, as there could arguably be two, a rock is thrown into Lucas’ house. This prompts Lucas and Marcus to investigate whats going on, only to discover a dead Fanny. Lucas proceeds to bury her, which also echoes the town’s tranquil nature or possibly innocence. Marcus is sent home, leaving Lucas to discover a solution to his dilemma to which there seems to be non. The months continue to pass, by this time its Christmas. Yet nothing has changed for Lucas. He decides to attend the special Christmas service, to which the second climax is introduced. Lucas sits towards the front, while Theo and his family sits near the back. Lucas can hear the other people talking about him, however hes more concerned with Theo. He occasionally looks back at Theo, and witnesses him exchanging words with his wife. In a fit of anger and sorrow Lucas confronts Theo telling him to look into his eyes to see he has no guilt in him, but Theo chooses to ignore him. In his frustration Lucas starts slapping Theo, this leads to Lucas’ ejection from the church.

Back home Theo put Klara to bed, and quietly laments to himself. A barely awake Klara mistakes her father as Lucas and expresses her sadness over the events of the film and how they are no longer close. Especially how Marcus hates her, and how she misses walking with Fanny. Then she basically confesses that she doesn’t know why people hate him, because he has not done anything to her. She expresses that what people say happened to her, did in fact not occur. In a way this is symbolic for Theo, who  is finally able  to recognize Lucas’ innocence. Its also reminiscent for how the lies started in the darkness and how the truth was eventually uncovered in the night as well. Theo drinks his figurative medicine and tells his wife what Klara said. Against her wishes he decides to go and take some food to Lucas. The two reconcile, and Theo wholeheartedly wants to clear Lucas of any wrongdoing.

A year passes and it seems that Lucas’ life has been fully restored. Marcus is living with his dad now, Lucas has reconciled with his girlfriend, and the community has embraced Lucas’ innocence bringing him back in sync with everyone. Hunting season has begun and Marcus is ready to accept his manhood. Lucas and Klara are back to being close family friends. All is well that ends well. Except that Lucas manages to dodge a bullet to his head by a total fluke. A startled and scared Lucas looks at his attacker unable to make out the person’s face against the sun. Too in shock to chase the gunman, Lucas is left to lament on the fact, that things have not come full circle and maybe never will.

The ending rings true. As most people accused of molestation will likely never be viewed as innocent by the communities they live in or places they work. It will forever hang over them, unless these people choose to leave the places they reside in and move some place where no one knows them. Now of course The Hunt is not trying to say that all people accused of molestation are innocent. However it can be viewed as the consequences for when the proper channels of identifying and reporting cases of abuse fail. Again going back to Grethe and the specialist, there are many possible things that could have been done in order to avoid the fallout of Lucas’ de facto guilt. That said the movie is a great drama. It portrays a man desperately trying to clear his name, as well as fighting an invisible enemy that resides in people’s minds. Specifically fear and assumptions. Constantly we see Lucas up against the wall of accusations and even in a corner silently receiving everyone’s hate. However Lucas trudges on, hoping to change everyone’s mind, which throughout the movie does not happen. The best angles that capture the mood are often the ones where Lucas or Klara are off center. These types of angles perfectly embody Lucas’ de facto guilt. As many people believe him to be guilt, so the town is focusing on him, yet they widely choose to avoid him or ignore his presence. The murder of Fanny is an especially chilling and enlightening scene,  as Fanny served as a link to Lucas’ and Klara’s close ties. One these ties die, they die hard. Fanny was also a very innocent canine. The Hunt is definitely worth a watch, and a rewatch.

X-Men: Days of Future Past – New, old, its all good

Remember the 90s when the X-Men  cartoons were all the rage? Entrenched into episodes which always seemed to have good plots and intriguing characters. Two such episodes were known as Days of Future Past 1 and 2. The episodes featured a brief glimpse into possible dystopian future where mutants were detained or hunted and killed. The viewers were also introduced to the future X-Men, what was left of them anyways. Bishop travels to the past to stop an assassination. While the assassination is stopped the future is still a dystopia.

There have been many great X-Men incarnations that were birthed outside of the comic world. In 2000 the world became acquainted with the X-Men film series, which had highs, and unfortunately lows. As the series fell into disarray, a “new” series came onto the scene. X-Men: First Class (2011) sought to initially create a new series. However something far more ambitious was spawned instead. The idea being to pair the new younger X-Men from First Class with the X-Men from the original film series. The old and new came together to formulate X-Men: Days of Future Past, directed by Bryan Singer. For starters it does deviate from both  the comic and animated series of the Days of Future Past story.

While many people may think that Days of Future Past tells one story, in reality it tells three. The main plot being that Wolverine is sent into the past to reunited the X-men in order to stop Mystique from killing Bolivar Trask, which in turn is thought to prevent certain events that will usher in the creation of the Sentinels. As this is occurring the future X-Men, from the original series, are hold up at a temple and as a result are forced into what likely their final battle for survival against a huge Sentinel force. Lastly the final subplot revolves around the past X-Men trying to stop Magneto from from killing the president of America.

Unlike the last few X-Men movies DOFP is able to balance itself nicely. There isn’t too much comedy distracting from the story, instead we get lots of references to elements from the X-men comic lore as well as references to the original X-Men film series and their rebooted counter parts. One such reference being that Magneto is Quicksilver’s father, which is executed in a subtly comic conversation between Magneto and Quicksilver. Another is Wolverine passing through a metal detector, in which Logan is surprised that the alarm has not went off being that he has bone claws. As he likely is accustomed to alarms going off, due to his Adamantium coated skeleton. Theres also a reference to Stryker having a kid, who later appears in X2.

As the story begins in the future we are shown a setting that beyond hopeless. Mutant extinction is a very tangible reality, oppression and genocide are fact. This is the world of future. The last mutants alive have banded together, with no real solution of a brighter future. Seeing every mutant’s power in action is visually appealing. Ice Man’s powers are a fond reminder of the og X-Men films. Although Blink’s powers are the most stunning to watch in action. With every portal she opens you may find yourself trying to keep up with the action. The sentinels are also an interesting antagonist, as they’re much more high tech then their original forefathers. With every X Man slain you can feel a bit of fear creeping into your body, thats how terrorizing the sentinels are versus the comics/cartoons. As a result theres a bit of a struggle, as you know the X-Men can’t stave off their robotic tormentors for very long. Despite this seemingly hopeless revelation, you still have to root for the X-Men going down with dignity. The situation is further dramatized when Logan is sent into the past, through Kitty’s powers.

In 1973 Wolverine awakens with his mission clearly laid out, uniting the X-Men and stopping Mystique from killing Trask. Much of the drama is played out in this part of the story. While Charles is still very angry at Magnus, and vice versa, they still miss their friendship and try to understand one another. The hatchet is buried, though not fully. While both mutants understand what will happen in the future, each one has a differing way they want to avert the distant atrocities to come. Things are further complicated with Mystique as she has not killed anyone in her life, but is dead set on Killing Trask. She still leans towards Magnus’ ideals, however Mystique ultimately must find where she stand philosophically. Magnus tries to kill her, which causes a big stir among the world and leads to the premature birth of the Sentinels, which are less hi-tech. This also detracts from Trask being the main antagonist. Trask himself is a bit odd, as he doesn’t seem to hate mutants, but rather sees them as a solution to humanity’s division. His master plan is basically to use mutants as a catalyst for fear, which would lead to world unity.

Nearing the end of the end of the film Charles is actually able to communicate to his future self, through using Logan’s mind as a proxy. He has an epiphany that Raven (Mystique) must be able to make her own choices in life, instead of himself or Magnus trying to guide her. Charles is able to set aside his romantic feelings for Raven in order to finish the mission. In an awe shocking scene Magnus seals off the White House by using a huge stadium as a makeshift barrier, as well as gaining control of the Sentinels. Charles manages to subdue Magnus and convinces Raven not to kill Trask. Thus saving the future. Charles then proceeds to let Raven and Magnus flee, through each takes a separate path. While Beast questions whether they should be let go, Charles is hopeful that they will all be united one day.

Back in the future the X-Men are being slaughtered by the Sentinels, as a huge convoy descends upon the temple where they make a final stand. Eventually all the mutants guarding the door are killed. The Sentinels begin breaking down the door, Magnus tries one last tactic to hold them off, Ice Man is killed tying to stop them. The end is finally here and the Sentinels prepare to deal a death blow to Charles, Magnus, Logan, and Kitty. Since the past was changed, the future begins to change as well.

In a now alternate future Logan awakens in the X Mansion with his memories intact. No one recalls the Sentinels or his mission to avert their original dystopian future. Although this raises more questions as some mutants who were dead in the og X-Men films are alive. Particularly Jean and Scott, something to note is that they don’t act like a couple. Logan proceeds to ask Charles in helping him recall events following 1973, Charles knowing why happily does so. What follows is a prelude to the next X-Men film. Overall the X-Men: Day of Future Past does everything it needs to be a successful film. While some people might fret over small congruity issues, the movie hits most marks. Particularly in uniting the X-Men reboot series and the original series. Fans on both sides of the spectrum will be very pleased. The dystopian future in particular is very intriguing, because you really feel the plight and hopelessness of the mutants. The story moves fairly quickly and able to keep the audience’s attention, but alternating between the Future and Past X-Men teams. Moreover we get to understand more about Charles, Magnus, and Mystique. specifically their strained relationships to one another. Likewise Logan feels a great pressure to be a teacher instead of just a soldier or weapon. Action, drama, and an engrossing story make up X-Men: Days of Future Past. Its definitely a movie you can more than once. If you don’t watch it in theaters, you should go and rent it, you won’t be disappointed.

Pain and Gain – So Much Pain

Pain and Gain was released in 2013, and was directed by Michael Bay. Unlike many of Bay’s previous Transformer movies the story is more down to Earth. Likewise you won’t find many explosions, or the vast destruction of buildings. Instead we’re given a film that has lots of style, with comedic acting, and a somewhat decent story to follow. Pain and Gain tells the story of the Sun Gym Gang, who were convicted of various crimes. The steepest of which was murder. However not everyone was convicted of murder, only two members, Daniel Lugo, the leader/mastermind, and his right hand man Adrian Doorbal were convicted for homicide and given the death sentence. Their associates were convicted of fraud as well as racketeering.

The movie stars Mark Whalberg (Danny Lugo), Anthony Mackie (Adrian Doorbal), and Dwayne Johnson (Paul Dyle). Its interesting to note that Paul Doyle is actually a composite character. While  these actors have acted in various action movies, they aren’t portrayed as action heroes. The movie is a dark comedy, and is rightfully labeled as such. While all of the characters are very menacing, they also come off as being very satirical. While all of the characters have great ambitions, they are also very dimwitted with delusions of grandeur.

Danny Lugo’s life revolves around fitness, specifically bodybuilding. While hes very built, he is also fairly poor. He has a strong drive to become wealthy and successful in the fitness industry. While he helps the Sun Gym become successful and signs many applicant, its apparent that he doesn’t have the intelligence or business savvy to become wealthy. Earlier in his life he tried to fraud old folks out of their money. Falling back on his old habits he tries implement a new, vastly more illegal scam. His long time friend Adrian Doorbal helps him throughout his scheme. Doorbal has similar ambitions of wealth, but his priority is fixing his erectile dysfunction, cause by his use of steroids. Then later his desire to provide for himself and his wife. Finally theres Paul Doyle who is a recently born again Christian ex convict. Doyle follows Lugo in an attempt to provide financial stability in his life. This in tun ultimately revives Doyle’s self destructive tendencies.

You can describe the movie easily, when considering what the movie is actually about. Big bodybuilders decide they want to be rich, they go out and rob rich people. Eventually their stupidity gets the better of them, and they wind up in jail for murder.

Michael Bay instead takes the viewer on visual journey, with some laughs to keep away the boredom. Pain and Gain is a great film to look at, the bright colors with contrasting dark undertones give you a feeling of fantasy. Really thats what the movie is, a fantasy. Every twist and turn you may wonder if these guys have ever heard of the term law, considering how much they break it. Of course they don’t even think about the law, because they feel they’re so invincible. So much so that the law must be beneath them. Much of the dialogue is spoken in voice overs, by the main characters. You get a sense of how little reality plays into each character’s motivation for either success or survival. The Sun Gym Gang are also very ambivalent to how bad their plan is. Lugo’s motivation for executing the plan comes from a motivational speaker, Johnny Wu who is likely a scam artist. As Wu is obviously all talk, and makes his money through hyping people up. Even when law enforcement has apprehended Lugo, he continues to believe he will go free.

Pain and Gain is controversial as it portrays the crimes of the Sun Gym Gang in a soft light, and greatly down plays what they did. This is further exacerbated by the constant ramblings of the dimwitted muscleheads, who help to subtract from the seriousness of their crimes. However it does prove a point. Being that these men are so out of touch with reality, that they seem to live in a fantasized world. However following the plot proves to be difficult at times, as certain scenes just seem to drag out too long. Likewise you’re not watching a good and balanced drama. The focus of the movie is definitely not the dialogue. The first half of the movie is definitely more engrossing than the second half. If you want to watch a movies with cool camera angles and that look visually appealing, you’d probably like this movie. If you wanna see a film with an enticing plot, you might not be interested in watching Pain and Gain.

Wadjda – Less Islam , More Sexism

While most movies come and go every year, fewer and fewer get recognized for their concept or theme. Especially those that focus on the opposite sex, or more appropriately women. While many read the synopsis and peg the movie as another “chick flick,” its much deeper than that. Firstly You have to understand the film’s background.

The movie was directed by Haifaa al-Mansour, a woman who grew up in Saudi Arabia. The country technically has no movie directors, before that they didn’t even have movie theaters. Unlike most Saudi women Haifaa went to a university and eventually studied cinematography. She proceeded to make various short films. Wadjda was birthed from a story she was told about a friend’s niece, as well as her own experiences growing up in Saudi Arabia, and through various revisions she made to the intangible plot that would later become her movie. She had great difficulty procuring funds for the movie, which was another obstacle she was able to conqueror through perseverance. Then through a gutsy move Haifa actually filmed the movie on location in Saudi Arabia, to which she likely could have faced jail time if caught. Therefore everything was essentially shot in secret with most people in the area either largely unaware of what was going on or kept a reluctant silence.

As filming was done, it premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2012. Although with a slightly different ending. However by this point Wadjda had already accomplished many feats. It made Haifaa al-Mansour Saudi Arabia’s first (female) director, that technically means that Saudi Arabia’s has the highest percentage of female director’s, its the first movie filmed in Saudi Arabia, its cast is of Saudi origin, and of course its the first film out of Saudi Arabia to win various awards.

Wadjda of course didn’t just win awards for various political reasons. The film has a strong commentary on sexism in Saudi Arabia and how its causes can be traced from the culture. However its not an outright condemnation of Sunni Islam, as some might jump the gun and assume that. It instead tries to empower females, and likewise challenges de facto norms.

Wadjda focuses on the girl of the same name. She seems have very Western views as throughout the movie she can be seen not fully wearing her hijab, hanging out with a boy her age, listening to American music, wearing Converse All Star Chuck Taylors, and of course questioning the social norms shes confronted with throughout the film. However the main focus of the movie is Wadjda trying to earn enough money to buy a bicycle so she can race and beat the local neighbor boy. At every turn she is constantly stonewalled by people who feel that “good Muslim women” should not ride bikes. Regardless Wadjda struggles on to fulfill her goal. The bike of course serves as her great escape from the system of whats right in the eyes of her culture. She ultimately doesn’t want to conform to the society and even though she can’t change it, she can at least be different than everyone else.

Alongside Wadjdas’s main goal, the audience is exposed to people that are also affected by the Saudi Arabian culture. Her mother is very concerned with combating her husband’s insecurities and maintaining a job as well as keeping him from leaving her. While her father is under pressure from his own mother into marrying another woman, and struggles to stay committed to Wadjda’s mom. Various women are confronted with childhood marriage, not being able to hangout with the opposite sex, or to use makeup, not being able to go out without a male relative, sexual slurs, and the overall downside of being a woman as opposed to being a man in Saudi Arabia.

Originally the movie closed with Wadjda winning prize money from a contest, buying her bicycle, and her mother dying. An ending which is maybe too sad, but one which would likely have instilled a sense of creed within Wadjda to be strong in the face of death and continue to defy the de facto laws around her. In the updated ending, which was  changed after its initial release. Wadjda wins the contest, but her money is given away to Palestine once she reveals her intentions to buy a bike and later discovers the bicycle she wanted has already been sold. Her mother is not dead, but painstakingly informs Wadjda that her father has given into his family’s wishes and chosen to marry another woman so he can hopefully birth a son. However her mother reveals that she in fact bought the bike Wadjda had been saving up for, and encourages her to continue being a strong young woman. And finally beats the local neighbor boy in a race.

While the movie has subtle commentary on the Muslim culture in Saudi Arabia, it shouldn’t be seen as the main theme of Wadjda. Instead it should be seen as more of a film which is trying to combat sexism against women. There hasn’t been a movie that tackled such issues on women that has gained this much attention in awhile. So it should be seen as a big deal, as movies such as Wadjda hardly get the attention or praise that their genre sorely deserve.

Beginning in April 2013 Women are now allowed by the religious police to ride bicycles in designated areas of Saudi Arabia.

US Poster.

 Wadjda Director Haifaa al-Monsour

Actor Waad Mohammed who played Wadjda.

Wadjda’s Chuck Taylor’s serve as her ultimate symbol of defiance in the film.