Online Assignment #2

       Unfortunately I have not seen any of these movies, but I have heard only great things about them and plan on seeing them soon. However, I did see “The Hurt Locker” and although I was disappointed in this movie and found it extremely dull because it lacked a meaningful plot, I thought it was very interesting how the director portrayed this movie. My uncle was on duty in Afghanistan and was on one of the teams in charge of disabling bombs.  He said that the way it was depicted by the director was very inaccurate. He elaborated by saying that the equipment used was pretty much the same, but the procedure and lack of evacuation of citizens was severely misconstrued.

         I understand that many people disagree with me, but I don’t have a problem with movies, or many other forms of media, altering the cold hard facts to make a better and more intriguing story. My favorite book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was based off multiple people’s true stories in which the author decided to combine them all into one fictional character’s life. Another form of entertainment that I have no problem with stretching the truth for a story is theatre. I have no problem with Mike Daisy and how he went about his story because there is a greater story and message he was trying to convey. I think it is a shame that so many people blew this out of proportion by focusing on the small details of the story that were false. The message is still true from his performance that the working conditions for the Apple workers at Foxconn. Only in America would people twist this story to avoid confronting the problems with the coveted image of Apple to avoid guilt for supporting them.

        I believe that films, television shows, books and other types of media that do not involve reporting are not liable or expected to be 100% accurate in their reports. Radio, newspapers, and news stations are all reporting news and should feel pressure to have all the facts right, but I do not believe all forms of media are held to this standard. Films come with a certain freedom of the producer to portray different contexts how they please. Films are made as a form of entertainment and so unless it is a documentary, I do not believe filmmakers have a sense of responsibility to be entirely accurate in everything they portray.