'Vivir con miedo es como vivir a medias'

Strictly Ballroom (1992) is an Australian romantic comedy film directed by Baz Luhrmann.

 The big theme of this movie illustrated the story on what happened when you are different? Out of norm might not be accepted as the title portrayed “Strictly Ballroom” not to accurately portray real life, is larger than life (blown up). The director chose ballroom as the setting is perfect because ballroom dance has a set of rules to follow to be called a ballroom but when Scott introducing new steps against the rules and norms during the first scene where Liz compliance towards Scott's direction and affirmation on dancing so, which in turn they did not win the competition that's where Liz immediately felt angry and frustrated by screaming in and out storming out the competition hall and his mother studio. She screamed and verbal aggression towards Scott on his unconventional new steps and his disregard of rules. And Scott's mother reaction is disgrace to their family.

This movie portray the need of courage to no follow in line and to be stand out on what you are passionate of. And by trying new things is a risk that will lead to failure and disagreement by others so might as well just follow others because is easier this is through operant conditioning. Especially to be shown by Liz when she did not win the competition so she receive failure so she changed partner to let her win and not to be drag by Scott. Why Barry Fife are so afraid of changes and insists there will be no new steps, simply because he scared of losing power and influence if there is changes, he cannot teach new step he cannot dance new step its all about business for him. For Scott's mother where she does not agree Scott's new steps and even think that's disgrace to the family its because Scott mother is talking about their livelihood, about their business and career not accredited no license, erode power base on telling Scott how to live how to dance. So she compliance upon Barry to tell Scott the 'truth' about Doug and Scott at last obedience towards them to help his dad wishes come true by dancing the federation ways.

                                             When Barry persuading Scott to compliance.

Dance is a symbolic of actual relationship when one dancing and the other reacting it is responding towards each other and not uniformity. When the director pick ballroom as the setting is an act of relieve of catharsis, oxymoron is the irony, there is no freedom of expressions in ballroom but Scott is the one with strong individualism and passion in his expression in dancing. But Scott shown his self-centered and his LEVEL as qualified good dancer that shouldn't partner with Fran that just a beginner. On the other hand Fran is the one that taught Scott regarding the perseverance and hard work in dancing their steps in Pan Pacific. Fran is the first one that agreed his steps and wanna dance his steps at the Pan Pacific.

Fran is the one with strength and brave enough to change, wakes up call for Scott on what is heart and hard.

I personally admired Fran personality and how she appeared in persuading Scott despite is it hard, even the movie is trying to portray the physical appearance that's not determining one qualification and talent but we can clearly see Fran in the movie is obviously getting good looking every time she practice with Scott. Physical appearance does matters in this movie as to prove your skills, outer change symbolize inner change despite there is not much. Subtle change by director to fool the audience.

If really the 'old' Fran's physical appearance remains till the end do you think Scott will still dance with her or even fall in love with her?

Dance should be a creative platform to express art cannot have restriction because is an expression of arts. Especially when Fran's grandmother asking Scott to listen to the rhythm when learning Paso Doble. Listening to rhythm = listen to heart, not artificial following, feeling the rhythm with heart, symbolic to life as to rhythm (music, life, journey).

    

                                                           Listen to the rhythm

 The scene where i remembered the most where social influence play a big role is where Scott and Fran being asked to leave the ballroom but luckily in the midst Doug is clapping the rhythm and the key point is others must conform to the clapping so that they could get the recognition and continue dancing their steps. It could be the crowd really supporting both of them or just plainly conforming since others are clapping too. If you don't clap while others do means you are different one now.

Awakening 1990

"You know, Freud believed in miracles, prescribing cocaine like candy...."
In this movie depicts that miracles happened to the patients that has been 'asleep' and 'can do nothing more than just gazing and staring blankly.'
Miracles happened after L-dopa has been administered to them by Dr. Sayer brings Leonard to live and being able to see the world again and the body do what's the mind desire. This miracles does not happened just like this, it happens with faith, hard work, enthusiasm, and perseverance even at last Dr. Sayer still do not give up on Leonard and what breaks the audience heart most is Leonard told Dr. Sayer not to give up on him and help him.

 Leonard discovered the beauty of being alive and the simplicity of life that people already forgotten and he wants to tell the others so that others will learn to appreciate life as not everyone have the privilege to live as they like. Just imagined as portrayed by the patients, when they wake up they realized they have been aged, they finally can move, can talk, can think, being in a totally strange place, families are gone, they lost the time while other take advantage of it, and the life they have in years is not be able to feel anything just like a 'stone' this is what they feel like. What they feel after they awake is reborn. Mrs Iowe described Leonard in 1939 as 'he never spoke again. It was like he disappeared.', it felt like Leonard has already died in her memory. 

Leonard emphasized on the simplicity of life and the great of human being to being able to take control of their life which humans all take it for granted and even after he said it, basically they do not understand and appreciate what it means to be alive.
As the Maslow hierarchy of needs, we can clearly explain Leonard behaviors as well as the doctors that presents. When Leonard be able to wake up and walk, read, write, talk, to brushing teeth, grooming hair, wearing outfit till he builds friendship with Dr. Sayer, falling in love with Paula and demands to go out to have a walk himself whenever he wants to. When the basic physiological needs is fulfilled he went up to love or belonging needs and eventually esteem needs. The bottom needs need to be fulfilled before be able to achieve upper levels of needs. Even the doctors, physiological needs and love or belonging needs as well as esteem needs they are already achieved and they are moving self actualization needs. In other word, is understandable that they do not take in on what Leonard said as they are professionals with achievement, they have been always living their life as they will they never realized Leonard's perspective.

When Leonard tried to walk out the hospital after the doctors did not permits him to go out most importantly Dr. Sayer agreed with other doctors too this build his frustration over Dr. Sayer and when the guards dragged him on the ground by blocking his intention to just go out and have a walk this build his aggression towards people in the hospital as well as Dr. Sayer. This is called frustration-aggression hypothesis. The faults is not on anyone not even on the doctors just that Leonard has been 'asleep' for all this while he just need to let his tempers that has been repressed for all these 30 years as explained by Dr. Sayer because all Leonard was asking for is just a freedom.

Even Dr. Sayer are not very good with people as he said, he still very genuine in people/altruism and his empathy emotion in helping patients to get the life they deserved. As well as the nurses in the hospital, their stigma towards patients has changed when the patients awake and they found the significance in their actions that could changed people's life. At last Dr. Sayer gave a chance to himself by letting Eleanor into his life, this is what he learnt from Leonard.

Even at the end the patients 'asleep' back but the moments of awakenings is priceless, is not about the duration is the quality of time one spent. Most importantly they knew the greatness of life and to take control of life not only been a valuable lesson to the patients but to people around them as well as the audiences.

Cinema Paradiso

The friendship in between Toto and Alfredo, despite how naughty as Toto as seen in the movie his friendship with Alfredo makes him save Alfredo from dying in the fire even he is blind after the incident and Toto continue working because he is the only boy that knows how the projector works in the village and he brings Alfredo to work too even he is blind because he wants to shared with him the interest that they have been sharing now and then. The impact they have on each other lives is what sparks the movie.

How Alfredo change by Toto, the presence of a boy that brings meaning to his life and to have someone that appreciate and admired his work which motivate not only his work but his life to move on even he was blind. He trusted Toto to be near him whenever he needs and their friendship that lasts beyond that even he is unable to work as a projectionist anymore. I think this portrayed pretty much on love as an emotion to impact audience, the love for film that shared between Alfredo and Toto, the love of movies shown in cinema paradiso that brings people together and because love elements this is why Toto will meet Alfredo and love in between Toto and Elena which sparks teenage love.

The curiosity of the Toto as 9 years old boy by exposing to age inappropriate could actually be seen in the movie he actually tried to asked Alfredo for the cut scenes and to understand why the it isnt allowed to be in the film.
Affect the culture even in public when explicit scenes are shown to be public so we can see that there couple making love or kissed in public.
When one and only entertainment exist in a village it does affect the culture and the thinking of people in a same area and so it does to Toto. I think it does shown certain conformity level of the people to the culture of the village and that spread pretty fast just after the cinema has different owner.

And the most touching part is when Alfredo realized Toto's future cannot be just in that room he needs to get out that fulfill his dream and he believed talents that Toto have could brings him success so he chase Toto away and warned not to come back until he is successful in his dream. It is obvious that he couldnt let go of him, that his only friend in his life time to leave him but there's nothing more important than Toto's dream. I think this is where their friendship has becoming more like father and son relationship and that bond is very strong since Alfredo do not have any children and maybe he treated Toto as his son already. But very disappointing is that at last Toto could not meet Alfredo before he past away and most importantly their strong friendships shown when Alfredo actually did kept the films that Toto and make it a movie when Toto has the chance to watch it, not the content but the promise between them which i think the script is really good in making this movie have an impact in audience's memories.

When Alfredo and Toto working together in moving the scene to building out there when they have the knowledge that that is the only happiness their people looking for in their nights. How people works as a community and as whole in bringing people together and how beautiful in a small community where people have nothing much complicated in life to grows hatred in each other as how we can see in our community today, technology and civilization advances but people are getting colder to humanity. How a simple life could brought harmony in people and that is what we all forgot about in living with each other.