Film Critique

Brittanay Miller

Humanities 101

Professor Bomboy

30 April 2015

Critique of Dirty Dancing

            I have decided to do my film critique on the movie Dirty Dancing that was directed by Emile Ardolino.  I have also decided to critique about how the music determined the plot of the story.

            Dirty Dancing has two main characters, Frances “Baby” Houseman and Johnny Castle.  Baby was on vacation with her family at a resort in the Catskill Mountains during the summer of ’63.  This resort is where she met the resort’s dance instructor, Johnny Castle.  She was intrigued by his handsome looks and rebellious, provocative dance moves.  Dance moves that she has never performed or saw before.  After following Johnny and his friends to their own building at the resort where they dance provocatively at, Baby finds herself being almost corrupted in a way, and tries to dance how they all do.  She envies Penny, Johnny’s dance partner, and when Penny ends up needing an illegal abortion because the man who impregnated her does not want her to go through with the pregnancy, she has to receive an abortion.  Baby gets the money to help pay for the abortion and once Penny’s surgery is over; she is in excruciating pain.  Baby runs off to get her farther, Dr. Jake Houseman, and he comes to help young Penny.  When Dr. Houseman asks who was responsible for Penny, Johnny spoke up to say that he was, but Dr. Houseman thought that Johnny meant that he was the one who impregnated her, made her get the abortion and is the reason why she is in so much pain.  Dr. Houseman rushes off quickly after that, along with Baby.  Dr. Houseman tells Baby that she must not speak to or see Johnny anymore while they are on vacation there because they are bad people for her, so he thought.  Of course as any young teenager would act, Baby rebelled and went back to see Johnny Castle that night.  They most definitely “dirty danced” and ended up having sexual intercourse since all their past emotions and feelings caught up to them in the right moment.  Baby was a fill in for Penny during their annual, big performance at the Sheldrake.  Baby did great except she could not do the jump into a lift.  Johnny was accused of stealing a wallet at the resort since he worked there and Baby stood up to defend him, telling them Johnny could not have stolen the wallet because she was with him at this cabin that entire night.  Johnny was still fired regardless because of having a relationship with a guest.  After all the commotion, Baby and her family attend the talent show at the resort.  Johnny ends up coming back to the resort, coming up to the Houseman’s table, reached out for Baby’s hand while saying “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”  Johnny and Baby ended up dancing in the talent show and Baby finally mastered the jump into a lift!  Johnny declared his feelings for Baby and how she has made him become a better person, and her father Dr. Houseman, finally accepts Johnny for who he really is and not who he thought Johnny was.

            Throughout this entire movie, the music has definitely made parts of the story more dramatic and emotional.  Some examples of music choices that made scenes dramatic were “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Franki Valli and the Four Seasons when it is played in the beginning of the film, where it introduces the audience to Baby; “Hungry Eyes” by Eric Carmen was played when Baby and Johnny started to become infatuated with each other; “Hey Baby” by Bruce Channel playing when you can see Johnny and Baby getting closer to each other.  Ironic how it is almost like the song was made for Johnny, speaking to Baby; And “Some kind of wonderful” by The Drifters playing when Johnny and Baby were on their way back from dancing at the Sheldrake.  This is yet another ironic song because the song’s title describes how they were feeling after their dance at the Sheldrake.

            The last and most important music choice for this movie was at the end when Baby and Johnny danced their last dance together, in the movie, and it is also where Baby fully trusts Johnny because she does the lift into a jump move whereas before, she was too afraid to follow through with it.  The song “I’ve had the Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes was the perfect song to show how much Baby and Johnny literally had the time of their lives together during that summer. 

Work Cited

Dirty Dancing. By Eleanor Bergstein. Perf. Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. IMBd, 1987.  

DVD.

Painting Critique

Brittanay Miller

Humanities 101

Professor Bomboy

9 April, 2015

The Birth of Venus

The painting of the Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli is no doubt a story in a painting.  Some people might think it is about a girl becoming a woman or others might think it is about a woman being rushed out of her childhood.  According to an article on a website called Totally History, the Birth of Venus was “the subject of endless intellectual speculation and interpretations of meaning.” (The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli). 

            When I look at this painting of Venus, the Goddess of Love, I see some of the elements of art.  One element I see is Line.  There are so many lines, such as in the water.  There are also multiple lines in the sea shell.  Another element I see is Shape. The most common shapes are the rippled-like shapes in the water, in the robe and in the hair styles of Venus, Zephyrus, Aura and Horae.  I also see a lot of Color in this painting.  I mostly see light and dark blue, white and pink.  There is a light brown or blonde color in all the women’s hair.  The Value of this painting is Venus, the Goddess of Love, of course.  The value goes hand in hand along with the Focal Point for principles because the Focal Point is Venus herself, just like the Value is of her as well.  When anyone looks at this painting, the main thing their eyes are drawn to is Venus standing nude on a sea shell.  Some principles are also involved in this painting as well.  Contrast of light and dark play a big part in the painting, with the dark and light blues, and the occasional black or close to it in Zephyrus’s hair and the trees behind Horae.  The principle of Rhythm or Movement is in two different areas.  To the left of the painting, Zephyrus and Aura are coming in towards the middle where Venus is standing at, and to the right of the painting, Horae is coming towards the middle to greet Venus.  Therefore, the movement is coming into the middle from both top corners of this painting.  Another principle is Proportion, where all the people, trees and the sea shell are large so your attention is on them the most.  There is most definitely a Repetition of waves in the ocean, the flowers falling from the sky and also the flower pattern on Horae’s dress and the pink robe.  Lastly, Unity is shown by everything in this painting coming together to the middle to turn your Focal Point, again, on Venus.  The use of all of these principles and elements work together to create an unforgettable, iconic painting.

            To me, the meaning behind the painting of the Birth of Venus was to show how a young girl or lady was becoming a mature woman.  My opinion, Zephyrus and Aura are sort of like “parents” and pushing her into becoming an adult, fleeing her childhood.  Horae is like “the real world” or “adult world” and the robe is symbolic of her adulthood whereas she has to stay an adult; she can’t go back and become a child again. She has to be a grown up and be mature.  I think Sandro Botticelli was trying to accomplish for the viewers to see the beauty of maturing.  As you can see in the painting, she is becoming a woman yet she is still covering her body like a young lady is taught to do.  It is the beauty of her keeping her morals and also blossoming into a woman.  According to the same article as mentioned previously, it is stated, “Perhaps the most dominant view is that the painting was inspired by Neoplatonic thought. This latter body of philosophy was a revival and slight reinterpretation of the works of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato” (The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli).  So according to research, Botticelli’s motivation was from the past paintings of ancient Greeks. 

            I personally think Sandro Botticelli successfully showed the ideas he was showing for, which was to show the beauty of Venus becoming a woman and nourishing from her childhood.  This painting makes me feel a sense of calmness and in awe over the choice of the elements of art and principles of design that Botticelli used.  I understand why this is one of the most famous masterpieces in the world.  I am drawn to Venus’ beauty and also the wind, flowers and how Zephyrus, the God of Winds, the gentle breeze Aura and Horae, the Goddess of the Seasons are all beckoning to Venus.  The critical viewpoint I took on this painting was the feminist viewpoint.  The Birth of Venus has some unrealistic parts on the bodies.  For example, women do not have such an awkwardly long neck such as Venus does in this painting.  Aside from the long neck, her legs are also somewhat leaning too far to the left, past her kneecap almost, but she is still maintaining an upward pose.  In real life, not any woman or man could keep their bodies held up like that without falling over.  The feet, legs, stomach and arms however look fairly normal; as a women’s body in today’s world would look like.  Botticelli was simply showing how a woman, any woman at that, is graceful and beautiful.

           ("The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli.")

Works Cited

"The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli – Facts about the Painting." Totally History The Birth  

of Venus Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2015.

"The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli." Italian Renaissance Art.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Apr.  

2015.