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Reviews
My Name Is Khan (2010)
a personal view
The story of Rizvan Khan a Muslim man with Asperger's syndrome who in fact one of the most beautiful human beings I could think of real or fictitious, perfect by design and world view nothing else. His story is one of simple understanding, love and devotion. I believe that the first scene in which we meet Khan, first searching the presidents travel itinerary and then packing his belongings for this unknown trip. There is no indication at first about his disability, then in line to board the flight he is detained for two reasons, one he is acting oddly and speaking in a foreign tongue and because he is also very strikingly in resemblance to a middle eastern Muslim, which he is. This scene is set up by daunting music suggesting something malicious might be about to happen. Once he is detained you are able to see the process in which he is searched, they only find the things he needs for his journey, identification of him as a special needs individual and his itinerary of the presidents travels. Khan is interrogated briefly by men who are obviously making a joke at his expense and they despite their racism are inclined to let him go because they understand his threat is very little as they can witness. I believe this is a demonstration of them being law abiding despite their racism is a foreshadowing to the tone of the movie. Showing Khan as a main character through his interrogation and examination but also telling about his and his special needs but also speaking to his, although limited in some sense, understanding of the world through which he builds his life and pursues his goals. I believe the setting is very important from an area of conflict where Khan learned about good and bad people in the midst of Hindu/Muslim riots in which he learned the basis through which he would judge all people for the rest of his life, with very good examples of what is and what is not. After his move to San Francisco he receives his American education and is also exposed to modern psychology through his sister in-law who finds his diagnosis. This is important because San Francisco which is the place where many criminals were sent historically but also where there was a large rate of acceptance of people who were discriminated against such as gays and many other racial groups who historically and still seek residence there where they might be accepted.
I have noticed that a song or sound that has been implemented in the movie to indicate something is called Tere Naina, this song is played all through the process in which Khan and Mandira are getting to know each other through his sales of his brothers product and then after when they become friends and start to see each other outside of the salon where Mandira works. This song is supposed to be indicative of the love which is developed and shared between them throughout the movie. This relationship being an exact illustration of Khan's character, beauty and love no matter which differences are fabricated for them by the world they see nothing that should hold them back from their blossoming romance and relationship.
There are several grouping themes in this movie; the most important one is identified in the beginning of the movie is when his mother tells him there is only good and bad, no Hindu and Muslim, no white and colored. There are obvious examples of good Muslim through Khan versus the bad extremists, good white family versus the bad white people who don't understand or support him trying to share in the memorial ceremony as a Muslim. There is also his brother who believes Hindus are a threat to Muslim way of life but he tells his brother there is no good Muslim, bad Hindu only good person and bad person. There is also good and bad FBI representatives good is the minority woman who gives his psych evaluation and bad is the man who tortures and interrogates him. Good women and bad women, good men and bad men. The one thing I did notice is that the majority of the people who help him are minorities or happen to be educated about his condition, such as the women from the center who did his diagnosis in the autism center, the wife of his brother who teaches at a college, the FBI psychiatrist.
I believe that there is an overarching idea of American ignorance throughout the movie. This ignorance causes more suffering than the actual attacks on the world trade center not only for the people who are suffering because of direct loss but those who are involved in hate crimes such as the ones perpetrated on Sameer Khan, first when his locker is stuffed with photos of Osama Bin Ladin and then again when he is killed because he is beat to death. There are many other minorities which there are hate crimes filmed from the shop owner to the motel owner to the wife of his brother. All of which are assaulted by people who are scared and hurting and all the while there is propaganda giving false ideas about the Muslim faith from public schools to the news and other public news media sources.
I gained a better understanding of why in fact the Muslim faith tradition is one of love, from Khan quoting directly from the two religious books the Hadith and the Qur'an in order to reinforce the love he showed to everyone. As a further demonstration there is the scene where he travels to Wilhelmina Georgia in order to be with and help save Mama Jenny and Funny Haired Joel.
The Way (2010)
a critique of the film
In The Way Martin Sheen plays an ophthalmologist named Tom Avery who is stuck in a rut, disapproving of his son, working his job and living his life hoping to hear from his son whenever possible due to his lack of a cell phone. The last time he sees his son is on the way to the airport in which there is a lecture about his disapproval of the life style that his son leads. Not finishing his studies in pursuit in the experience of culture and social interaction. His son dyes during the Camino de Santiago in a storm, doing what he loved most traveling and experiencing culture. Tom travels to France to pick up the belongings of his son and identify his body. I believe that a turning point in the movie is when he is in his hotel room after identifying his son and collecting his belongings and he is going through his sons belongings and remembering all the things about his son loved, the conversations they had, the things that caused tension between them, and the last words they had with each other. After this Tom embarks on the Camino de Santiago in the memory of his son and to experience his son one last time through what he died doing. The physical object with the most meaning is the box Tom brings with his sons ashes in it, spreading them as he feels called to in order to make his son a part of something he loved so dearly. I think that this process and the story being about Tom makes him an obvious main character, but I would like to mention that the people who share Tom Avery's pilgrim experience are changed forever through his experience having the privilege of traveling with someone who has a different interpretation of what they are doing by traveling this distance. The sound that caught my attention was that of the thunder storm and loud noises which erupt during the moment which Toms drunk honest anger about all of the people who he is traveling with getting himself arrested and his "friends" come through and see that he is cared for and bailed out. They all continue on together to complete the Camino de Santiago to have many other experiences.
I believe the unsaid things about these characters in this movie say the most about them, such as the way they act when it comes to their turn or opportunity to share about their reason you can tell how seriously they are taking the trip and how important their goal is. Tom mourning the death of his son, whose spirit was that of an explorer. Sara, who hates herself for things in her past, won't admit to herself the real reason why she is on the Camino but, insists that it is to quit smoking. Joost the Dutchman a loving individual makes this journey for the experience, exercise and to find what makes him happy and how to be a better husband and father. Jack the writer is simply seeking inspiration for his writing for travel magazine and finds one of if not the most inspiring story he has heard from any pilgrim on entire trip. At the end of the trip they are all asked why they have done this and none of them are able to admit why they completed this trip. All of the things that go unsaid say just as much about the characters as what they say about themselves.
The element of grouping which I wish to identify is the appearance of his sons image participating in the activities Tom engages on throughout the pilgrimage. Tom engages in meals with locals, which Daniel would have loved, sleeping in churches and hostels and simply admiring the beauty of the countryside in which he is traveling. At the end of this Journey at the church they have a very emotional personal experience and Tom prays with his sons ashes in the church at the altar as Daniel would have wanted. Ultimately this causes Tom to have a better more enriched outlook on life and to cherish the gifts his son brought into his life and to continue his love for culture and traveling by making another trip abroad to experience other things and remember his son.
The inference that I was able to make about something from this movie is that everyone is looking for some sort of answers and they will go to great lengths to reach them but these lengths are only important if you are not lying to yourself about what you feel is wrong and you are open to what you might find.
From this movie I can deduce that all films about grieving loss cause the person most affected by this loss will experience a struggle in which there is anger sorrow and many conflicted emotions involved which lead to their peace that is made with the loss of their loved one. The way is a film about the experience of a person grieving loss therefore the main character, Tom, will experience many conflicting feelings causing him to make peace with his son's death.
I learned that there are many things that can happen to those who hike across nations and that those who seek these experiences must be ready to handle these things and or fight for their life against nature to accomplish their goals. I never realized until watching this movie that people still die due to weather conditions and that some people are accepting of this and receive peace in this acceptance.
The Way is a film about loss, showing a fathers desperate attempt to get closer to his late son through a cultural experience he would not normally have chosen for himself, and he finds peace along with a way to connect with his son in future excursions.