Critical Film Review on Blood Diamond Essay

A movie filled with shark and unforgettable moments truly gels the substance. It portrays different motives and goals and how each character changes his methodology and ways but the dream remains the same. Each follows his dream and then realizes it. It portrays the various reasons that make a person into a killer. Some do it for survival, some to protect their family, some to escape their life, some for greed, some to win freedom and some because they have been brainwashed. The movie begins with Soloman Vandy played by Djimon Hounson being captured by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels when they invade the small Sierra Leonian village of Shenge. He is separated from his family while his son Dia is brainwashed that turns him into a killer. The movie revolves around two African men, Archer and Vandy with two completely different histories and then their fates become joined in a combined quest to recover a pink diamond. Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), an Anglo ex-mercenary from Rhodesia gets caught while smuggling diamonds and an American journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) who helps Soloman find his family and covers her entire journey and publishes the truth behind the diamond industry. The movie shot in South Africa and Mozambique is an adventurous, thriller movie with strong violence and social conscience, disturbing political and sociological insights. It shows a lot of bloodbath, atrocities, innocence of the farmers and the villagers and political unrest. It gives clear images of human cruelty and sufferings. I as an audience felt waves of different emotions, hope, pride, fear, mistrust, desperation and determination. I felt that each of the characters grew as the film progressed without being overly manipulative. The whole time it builds this tension if either of the two men will betray each other. The film is intended to be watched by all adults as it is an eye opener and gives us an opportunity to see the side of history we were not aware of. It covers the different social levels ranging from the big diamond tycoons to the poor farmers and villagers with journalist and diamond dealers in the middle. The movie brought an explosive impact on the diamond industry. Background knowledge The film puts a new spin to the diamond industry and the expensive, pricey stone that we wear around our neck and on our fingers. Set in the West African country of Sierra Leone during the 1990s, this movie is a historical-adventure-drama that covers a time when the country was in turmoil. Warlords, smugglers and the diamond association all play roles in killing and enslaving men to work on the diamond fields. The title ‘Blood Diamond’ refers to diamonds which are harvested, smuggled and traded to fund the purchase of weapons used in Civil War. Blood diamonds are stones that are increased the death toll and the violence in the region. The movie carefully conveys the message without really lecturing the audience. A right balance is maintained between a historical event and an action-drama entertainment. The movie shows Maddy Bowen publishing in her magazine the complete story of her journey which later led to a conference on blood diamonds that actually took place in 2000 in Kimberly, South Africa. The conference led to the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme that seeks to certify the origin of diamonds in order to curb the trade and smuggling of conflict diamonds. Conclusion A captivating plotline and an outstanding cast performance are few words that describe the movie. The movie captures the reality to a remarkable degree. I think it comes at par with other movies I have seen like Hotel Rwanda. There is a great deal of violence which is realistic and very fitting to what happened. Sierra Leone, one of the safest countries in the world gets involved in a civil war. I feel that the movie very accurately tells about the diamond conflict. I feel that Di Caprio did justice to his role, Connelly’s role was short but she was able to make the most of it and Housou truly deserves the Oscar. The ending was simply superb when Di Caprio dies in the mountains. It adds a realistic touch and is very sad as we see that he finally gets what he had dreamt of but he could not cherish it for long. The positive aspects of the movie far outweigh the negative bits. I felt the movie was a little outstretched and the length bogged it down a little instead of strengthening it. The conflict of diamonds, the conflict of Africa keeps you wondering if peace and harmony can ever be attained world wide. It left me with a thought of how violence can be put to an end and how these giant corporations be made to serve the third world, under developed countries and not vice versa. Reference http://www. moviehabit. com/reviews/blo_lg06. shtml http://review-online. blogspot. com/2007/03/blood-diamond. html

Cultural and Political Changes and Continuities in Rome Essay

Rome throughout history is often thought of as rather homogeneous—ancient artifacts timeless, always the same emphases. But, while there were continuities, there were also changes of different sorts in various time periods. Specifically, cultural and political changes in the Roman civilization between 100 ­600 CE, the late classical era, included the rise of Christianity and the division of the empire into two halves, while a continuity was the use of Latin and Greek as common languages. The first change, Christianity spreading throughout the civilization, is shown in the development and spread of Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic lifestyles. Constantine legalized Christianity in the fourth century AD, and soon after, Theodosius made it the empire’s official religion. All other religions in the empire began to fade away, becoming â€Å"discouraged† at best. This was all due to the Christian missionaries who travelled the region. After this, as a result, a new controversy arose: the classic one of the separation of church and state. The unified Christian lifestyle was very different from the previously religiously ­tolerant classical Roman Empire. The next change is that the empire soon split in half. Rome became simply too large to govern under one governmental body, and so split into the Eastern and Western halves in 284. These two had separate governments and separate religions (Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholicism respectively). Also, the halves were relatively independent from each other, fighting their own battles and having different levels of advancement in science, technology, and  more. This was different from the united empire of older times. The separation of the halves would eventually create many controversies in the future, especially whether or not they were to aid one another in battle. A continuity of the time period, however, was the use of the common languages Latin and Greek. Latin was known as the original trademark of the Roman Empire and is still associated with it today. (This is similar to the Chinese language of—where else?—China.) Greek came a bit later, with the spread of Christianity, and became a favorite of scholars and politicians. It was originally spread by Alexander the Great. However, all citizens still needed to know Latin to be able to communicate commonly throughout the empire. Both of these languages were used throughout this time period and this use remained a continuity for the Roman civilization. In conclusion, the cultural and political changes in the Roman Empire between 100 ­600 CE (late classical era) involved the rise of Christianity and the division of the empire. A continuity was the widespread use of Latin and Greek. These changes and continuities would affect global perception of the Roman Empire for many centuries to come.

Wk9 (22) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wk9 (22) - Essay Example Lois has probably been raised with the idea of marianismo which would mean that she was taught to obey her husband, listen to his rules, be obedient and timid (Paniagua, p. 6). The strength of this approach would be that the therapist could help Lois understand the behaviors that she is exhibiting that trigger issues with her husband. If the husband will come to therapy, the therapist can also help him develop a different way of working with Lois and her mother. Using a Genogram may help her understand each persons place within the family. Another strength is that she has come to understand her own behavior so she may be motivated to work through this process. It would also probably work best if it is a brief therapy rather than something that lasts a long time. Limitations of this therapy may be that it concentrates on behavior rather than on getting to the bottom of what is going on within the family. It may be a good idea to combine it with other models. The attitude of her husban d may cause the therapy to be a weakness because to help this couple, both adults will have to work together. Another limitation is that family therapy does not look at the individual and how they are functioning within the unit (Corey, 2009, p. 440). Couples and family therapy focuses on the family and how they are functioning together. The main objective is to focus on the observable behavior within the family unit (Corey, 2001, p. 247). Families are able to train themselves to monitor reinforcements that come about because of the change in behavior that they create. It also suggests that members of a family actually influence each other by their behavior. Corey suggests that when one family member is acting out in some way, it creates a cognitive, behavioral or emotional reaction in the other members of the family (Corey, 2001, p. 248). When using cognitive behavior therapy in this

Green Bay Packers and their affect on business in Green Bay, Wisconsin Research Paper

Green Bay Packers and their affect on business in Green Bay, Wisconsin - Research Paper Example Green Bay Packers has joined American Professional Football Association in 1921. During the last 93 years of history, Green bay packers have undergone many ups and downs. However, it was successful in winning thirteen league championships in America. It is a record in America as no other professional football team in America was able to come closer to this record yet. The ownerships and management of this famous football club changed time to time during the last 93 years of history. In 1923, Andrew B. Turnbull was elected as the first president of Green Bay Football Corporation. Mark Murphy is the current president and chief executive officer of Packers. Plenty of famous players played for Packers in the past. In the list of Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, 21 packers’ players have been included so far. Some of the recent players included in that list were Henry Jordan (1995), James Lofton (2003), and Reggie White (2006). The current player, Rodgers is voted as NFLâ €™s Most Valuable Player by The Associated Press in 2012. â€Å"The NFL is one of America’s biggest brands. It is the most popular of all professional sports in the US. It is a $9 billion annual business†3. Business interests are motivating most of the football clubs in the world at present and Green Bay Packers is definitely an exception. ... The owners of these football clubs are billionaires who are more interested in business rather than sports. The performances of these football clubs affect the business positively or negatively. For example, â€Å"Manchester United has reported a 3.3% fall in revenue to ?320.3m ($520m) for the year to 30 June, after its early elimination from the Champions League last season†4. Same way the performances of Packers affects business in Green Bay, Wisconsin positively and negatively. When packers win matches regularly, business in Wisconsin increases. On the other hand, when Packers loses matches regularly, business in Wisconsin faces problems. This paper analyses how the wins and losses of Packers affect business in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Effects of Green Bay Packers on business in Green Bay, Wisconsin â€Å"The Packers led the NFL in apparel sales last year—the top two selling jerseys in the league were Packers Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews—making $27 million ju st through the pro shop inside Lambeau Field and the site Packers.com†5. National football league of NFL is the most popular game show in America. Prominent NFL players are big celebrities in America. Packers Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews are some of the prominent NFL players in America at present. It should be noted that iconic players always wear jersey of a particular kind. For example, Football legends Maradona and Lionel Messi are interested in number 10 jerseys. FC Barcelona number 10 jersey is one of the most favorite items for the football crazy people all over the world. Same way, the jerseys of packers’ players are bringing huge revenue to the club. Even though

The Basques Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Basques - Research Paper Example With the incursion of the modern industrial age, however, in the form of mines and steel mills, much of the Basque tradition has disappeared along with its unique language, Catalan. Over the past thirty or so movements have arise to stop this progressive cultural deterioration and to restore the identity of the Basques—their language and culture—to former glory. These movements, however, suggest a separatist government apart of the central government of Spain, a demand fought violently by separatists groups that have to an extent damaged the Basque cause. The good position in which the Basques now find themselves can only maintained by denying the separatist movement as a radical tool of the past no longer necessary. The Basques: Background and History The homeland of the Basques, known by Basque nationalists as Euzkadi, lays claim to some of the oldest known people in Europe. Their land occupies the area on the French border near the Bay of Biscay and east to the area of San Sebastian. Although over the centuries overrun by scores of invading hordes from the south and east, the Basques remained until the tenth century â€Å"a fairly isolated† (Solsten and Meditz par 3) and distinct cultural group. Divided originally into two autonomous regions, the area was eventually absorbed by the powerful kingdom of Navarre. By the 16th century the kingdom became fragmented and war torn, and the Basque region was subsequently absorbed by the powerful lords of Castile--an event which even today raises the ire of true Basques who see themselves as separate in culture and language from the Castilian majority. Earlier Basque provinces were recognized as separate political entities with fueros, or full local privileges by the central governm ent of Castile and all went smoothly. But with the full centralization of the Spanish state and the protracted Carlist wars of the 1800s, the fueros were abolished, leaving the Basques and their culture at the mercy of various kings. Moves to reestablish the Basque region as autonomous from Castile in the 1930s were thwarted by the bloody Spanish Civil War of the 1930s. (Solsten and Meditz par 3) Worse for the Basques, with the victory of the Falangists over the Spanish Republican army, and the rise of Dictator Generalissimo Franco, the Basques became targets of Franco’s frenetic attempts to extinguish their language and culture and force them into the Spanish mainstream. With Franco’s death in the 1970s restrictions on the Basques and their culture were largely lifted, but feelings of absorption by the central Spanish regime remained an issue. For the Basques, their unsettled history from the mid-1900s onward has been one â€Å"clash† after the next with the â €Å"other Spain.† They resent the influx of heavy industrial activity—mines and steel mills—activity which brought a steady stream of non-Basque migrants to further dilute the language and culture. This steady decline of culture, while accepted by some, has been the root of serious violent disagreement over time between the Spanish government at large in Castile and hard core separatists in the form of the well-publicized terrorist activities of the ETA and its membership. The Basques: Politics Firstly, it is important to note that what constitutes being a Basque does not require residency in Spain or the Basque region. Many Basques, for a variety of reasons include those economic had left Spain over time and settled all over the world. As with other nationalities which have dispersed, there is a tendency to continue to identify with the group. This is sometimes true of the Basque, and sometimes not. In Belgium, for instance, there is a strong tendency to follow political

MPH503 - Infertility and Public Health Module 1 - SLP Essay

MPH503 - Infertility and Public Health Module 1 - SLP - Essay Example ay, infertility is a global problem and â€Å"It is estimated that one in six couples face difficulties in conceiving† (Major causes of infertility, 2009, para.1). The major cause of infertility among men is due to the tube blockage or any obstructions in the tubes which take the sperm, problems with the sperms like low sperm counts, inability of the sperm to move through the tube and an abnormal shape of the sperm and sperm allergy which means the immune reactions of the sperm. Infertility among females is because of some of the factors like growing of uterus lining to the outside of the uterus, ovulation problems, female tube blockage and developing chromosomal abnormality by way of damaging eggs. There are three ways to treat infertility and they are intake of medicine, conducting surgery and doing artificial insemination. It is found that the treatment is very effective among many couples. Northern California fertility Medical Center provides In Vitro Fertilization and Vasectomy Reversal and Infertility Treatment for the people who are inflicted with infertility throughout the world. In Vitro Fertilization which is â€Å"known as assisted reproductive technology, or ART, the ability of physicians to retrieve mature eggs from a woman’s ovaries and fertilize them outside of the body before returning them to the uterus has made it possible to overcome many causes of infertility.† (Assisted reproductive technologies: In vitro fertilization, 2008, para.1). It is the fertilization in glass and it has a number of stages in this process like ovulation induction, egg retrieval, fertilization and embryo placement. Washington State Nursing Association is an organization dedicated to provide quality nursing practice and education and in the treatment of infertility it also uses reproductive technology to meet the needs of the patients all over the world. West Texas Physicians Assistant Association and Alaska Midwife Association are very distinguished associations for

Critically analyse the relative merits of the capital asset pricing Essay - 2

Critically analyse the relative merits of the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and empirical approaches to asset pricing (such as the Fama and French model) - Essay Example The CAPM is the graphically represented by the security market line (SML), which shows the expected rate of return for the individual security as a function of systematic risk (indicated by the beta of the security). The SML is shown in the following figure. Suppose an investment was made in a stock with a beta of 1.5. Assuming the return on the market portfolio at 12%, and the return on the one-year treasury bond benchmark rate to be 8%, the rate of return the investor may expect on the stock would be determined by application of the CAPM as: The stock investment is therefore expected to contribute a return of 14% to the investor’s portfolio, which is an improvement over the market return of 12%. The determination of return on the stock is important not only to balance out the portfolio, but also to enable the investor to determine the value of the stock. Knowing the value will enable the investor to decide whether or not he should purchase (or sell) the stock at the current market price. The expected rate of return is useful in the discounted dividend stock valuation method. Assume the stock’s regular per share cash dividend is $1 per annum without further growth, then the stock is priced fairly at: The price of $ 7.14 is indicative of the value of the investment at the time of consideration, and it may or may not be equal to the price of the stock presently prevailing in the market (exchange). This is then the basis for deciding what investment action to take in the asset. If the market price is presently $9 then the market overvalues the stock, and it would be a good time to sell the stock, but not a good time to buy. On the other hand, if the market price were $6, then the market underprices the stock and it would be a good time to buy, but not to sell, the stock. The CAPM is a theoretical model and like all theoretical models depends on some important assumptions. The following eight

Discuss how the anatomical and molecular structure of the podocyte Essay

Discuss how the anatomical and molecular structure of the podocyte facilitates filtration in the kidney - Essay Example The epithelial cells in the podocytes are polarized in nature with a luminal and basal cell membrane. The cell membrane corresponds to the sole plates of the foot processes. The slit diaphragm is found between the luminal and basal cell membranes (Kriz et al, 1998). A thick surface coat of sialoglycoproteins covers the luminal membrane and the slit diaphragm. The podocytes have a high negative surface charge due to the sialoglycoproteins made up of podocalyxin and podoendin among others. This surface charge helps to maintain the interdigitating pattern of the foot processes. When the surface charge is neutralized by cationic substances like protamine sulphate, the processes draw back and cause tight junctions between them (Kriz et al, 1998). The abluminal membrane contains many proteins participating in the various functions of the glomerulus. Podoplanin is a recently described protein found all over the podocyte. Galatosamine residues of glycoconjugates and A13 (podocyte-specific pr otein) are found. The cell body has the large nucleus, well developed Golgi system, endoplasmic reticulum and lysosmes (Kriz et al, 1998).Podocytes play a significant role in the physiology and pathology of the glomerulus and form the basis of the filtration process in the kidney along with the slit diaphragm. The glomerulus has a glomerular filtration barrier which is deeply involved in the kidney functions (Pavenstadt, 2000). The podocyte is the most differentiated cell or highly specialized cell in the glomerulus for the functions. The podocytes stabilize the glomerular architecture by preventing distensions of the glomerular basement membrane and maintain the large filtration surface at the slit diaphragm. They account for 40% of the hydraulic resistance of the filtration barrier (Pavenstadt, 2000). The foot processes are contractile in nature with actin, myosin, alpha-actinin, vinculin and talin and connected to the basement

Unit 7 Discussion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Unit 7 Discussion - Research Paper Example nking alcohol: â€Å"youth under age 21, college-age young adults, senior citizens, women, and ethnic and racial minorities† (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, n.d., p. 1). From the evaluation of the performance of the NIAAA and other agencies tasked with preventing and addressing alcoholism, it could be deduced the program that aims to prevent and treat alcoholism seems to be ineffective. From the statistics reported by the NIAAA, it was revealed that as much as 17 million Americans have been diagnosed with AUD (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, n.d.). The figure represents 5% of the total population of the United States which is 313.9 million, as revealed from the U.S. Census Bureau. Concurrently, treatment fidelity means â€Å"the strategies that monitor and enhance the accuracy and consistency of an intervention to ensure it is implemented as planned and that each component is delivered in a comparable manner to all study participants over time† (Smith, Daunic, & Taylor, 2013). It could effectively determine the effectiveness of a human services program since the monitoring would entail focusing on the population at risk over a considerable length of time. Actually, the weaknesses in the program should be identified and appropriate interventions should be improved to appropriately and ultimately prevent identified deviances or maladjusted behavior. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (n.d.). Alcohol Use Disorders. Retrieved from niaaa.nih.gov: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-use-disorders National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (n.d.). Special Populations & Co-occurring Disorders. Retrieved from niaaa.nih.gov: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/special-populations-co-occurring-disorders Smith, S., Daunic, A., & Taylor, G. (2013). Treatment Fidelity in Applied Educational Research: Expanding the Adoption and Application of Measures to Ensure