Food Inc.

Food Inc. has been an interesting and important documentary to watch. I never thought about the process in which food was made and where it originated. After taking this class and watching the first part of Food Inc. it really has opened my eyes. The way in which the film begins with the shot of the grocery store is unique. It gives off an artificial feeling because of the bright colors and lights. Every package they showed had some farm or farmer on the front to try to cover up it's process. They make it seem as if it comes right from the farm, but now we realize what actually is happening.

When the man ate the cheeseburger and fries in the beginning it made me wonder what the point was. I believe he did it to show that he isn't a vegan or vegetarian, but rather just like all of us. He likes that kind of food like most people in the United States and he isn't afraid to show it. I think he is trying to convey the fact that we should be able to eat what we want, but how it's made is ridiculous. As consumers we shouldn't have to be worried that our food is full of chemicals or whatever negative ingredient is involved. Everyone should know what is being sold, and it should be reformed. No one wants to stop eating the food they love, but how it is made should be reformed to a healthier way over a profitable way.

Michael Clayton

Right off the bat I want to discuss the scene where Michael's life is made an attempt on by uNorth. He exits his car to go see two horses in the pasture, when this happens, his car explodes. Looking back at the film, the book that his son is reading (I can't remember the name) has the exact same picture of two horses by a tree as Michael sees. This is foreshadowing the destruction of his car and almost life, but also represents the peacefulness of life. For the first time we see Michael in a trance when in nature and with the wild horses. This part of the film shines light on the environment and its importance to human living. If he would not of left his car to go into this natural habitat, he would have been killed by 'society'. The horses represent purity and an escape from society. They show this scene at the beginning of the film, but it is more towards the end where it actually takes place. I believe it's shown earlier to send a message to the viewers of what's to come. We know it's a film about lawyers and some uNorth company, but this puts it into perspective with nature vs society. The film was excellent and I actually enjoyed seeing George Clooney act this one out.

Sanders, Dick and Crumb

These two stories and one pictorial message all convey the same story. The combination of the three create a strong effect in showing what could come in the future and what already has. I enjoyed Sanders piece very much, partially the way he told of his town before and after. On page 787 he states, "You may love the place if you flourished there, or hate the place if you suffered there. But love it or hate it, you cannot shake free. Even if you move to the antipodes, even if you become intimate with new landscapes, you still bear the impression of that first ground". The way Sanders describes the feeling that overcomes one when remembering their first landscape is vivid and in reach. He does such an exquisite job telling his story and landscape that it's hard not to feel bad for what has happened. Then I think about the devastation of his land and how similar it is to many people in the world.

Dick uses a science fiction approach to send a message of what we are doing to the animals of our world. Will robots really take place of vivacious, blood pumping animals that inhabit our world today? No one knows, but his imagination and creative spin puts a worry on that topic. The owl that Rachael is in possession of is living and not controlled by batteries. The last line on page 453 goes on to say, "Its chest rose conspicuously and fell, as if the owl, in its hypnagogic state, had sighed". The word "sighed" alone creates a message saying how the hell did the world come to this. The owl shows it all in that last line.

Cronon and Thoreau

Cronon and Thoreau have different views on the wilderness and they are described throughout the essays. Cronons basic idea of the wilderness is that it is a product of civilization. The culture of humans created wilderness rather than it being some natural creation on its own. Cronon also believed it to be of some religious value and a sort of sacred ground. Now Thoreau also believed it to be a mystical sacred ground, but the concept of how it came about is different through their eyes. Cronon's ideas makes sense to me, Native Americans were inhabitants of the land and wilderness, reinforcing the idea of the wilderness not being created on its own, but through life and culture of others. Cronon also wrote in the essay about how before the 19th century the term wilderness had an extreme negative connotation. Not only did it have a negative connotation, but it is also stated that wilderness is pervasive for other concerns in the world and it is a foundation for these other problems. In his text it is stated, "The wilderness was where Christ had struggled with the Devil and endured his temptations". His ideas seem to be somewhat against the wilderness when reading it, but they are more straight forward on the idea of creation. Thoreau has a deep passion for nature, as we know he lived in the wilderness for two years. Although him living in the wilderness gives him credibility of being an expert on the issue, he still commuted back to town and shared time with friends regularly. Thoreau believed that freedom was essential to living and being able to appreciate life and nature.

So these two guys have different view points. Thoreau takes the wilderness as a creation on its own and from the earth, while Cronon believes it to be a creation by man. They both have a belief that wilderness is somewhat of a sacred ground and Thoreau thinks it can make one closer to God. He is all about simplicity, and what better than living in the wilderness on ones own to understand the idea of simple living.