Ruby's Online Journal

The film “The Adjustment Bureau” by George Nolfi, is about two people who fall in love but are kept apart by the bureau and their plans/ destiny’s. The director uses music/ sound, lighting and camera shots to communicate the idea that little things can make a huge difference to the future. In the scene david and elise share a kiss while surrounded by adjustment officers, elise then notices that the officers have left. Thompson shows up and explains how they can’t change their fate, but Harry comes and shows thompson a note from the chairmen, he then told Elise and David to write their own plans.

The director uses music to convey the idea of changes. When David and Elise start kissing the music changes from intense and dark music to soft hopeful music. This change in music signifies a change in their fate, from david getting chased by the officers to erase his brain to them leaving him alone. The change in music also happens when Harry says that the chairmen had rewritten their plan so they could be together. The shift is from slow, quiet music to light and happy music. The kiss is one simple action that changed david from not being a brainless shell of a person and the music highlights it. One sentence from Harry ment that David and Elise could be together which the music shows with the change in sound and emotion.

Lighting is used when a change to David and Elises fate changed. This technique gives the viewers visual relief that the characters are safe from the officers even though on one has actually said anything. The lighting shifted from dark and gloomy to light and warm. This happens when David and Elise stop kissing and look around to notice that the officers had left and there is a extreme long shot looking over the city showing the sun light up the sky. Again the simple action of kissing caused the chairmen to change their minds and sothe lighting changed.

The director chose to have the characters on a rooftop because it’s isolated. When being on top of a skyscraper the only way to go is down, the stairs where blocked and jumping off was not a very good option. The director did this so the viewers would really focus on the situation david and elise were in, and how

In the opening scene the director used a high angle to show that David holds some sort of power. The shot shows a huge crowd of people/media and david standing on a platform behind a podium, meaning a lot of people to show up just to listen to David. the people in the crowd are holding up signs and flags to show their support for David. The high angle gives as the perspective that all those people are looking up at him. The camera is behind David to exaggerate his perspective and show all his supporters. The director encouraged us to view David’s character this way to show that he is a successful politician and is well liked by the people. This is important because this later shows the sacrifice he’s taking to be with Elise.

During the scene in the movie when the audience is first introduced to The Adjustment Bureau, a wide shot and dialogue is used to imply that the agents don’t have emotions. In the scene the camera pans over the city, then another shot shows them walking out to the edge of the rooftop, looking over the city. They then chat about their job. The wide shot shows the four men walking in unison, which indicates that they are one unit instead of people. The dialogue is spoken in monotone and without many facial movements, again showing that they don’t feel like people do. The director uses these techniques to show that these characters don’t have emotions, so when later in the film it’s unusual when Harry sympathises with David and Elise’s situation. Also us as an audience villainize The Adjustment Bureau because they have no emotions and us as humans with feelings relate to David and Elise.

Foreshadowing is a technique that the director uses to warn or indicate about future events.

I’m sorry but i couldn’t find any other interesting stories and i find these tasks really challenging to find and write about.

On the 4th of August 1944 the Frank’s hiding place was discovered by german police in a office building in Amsterdam.

The family had been hiding there for 2 years.

The Franks were in hiding because they were jewish and at the time there was a war and if they were jewish they would be sent to a concentration camp and be killed.

Anne Frank was 13 when they first went into hiding in 1942.

Second Level: Supporting Evidence

The one problem that Anne Frank spent time considering was why so much money care and attention were given to weapons and war when it could be spent on people that are starving throughout the world, as she said in her diary “why do some people have to starve, while there are surpluses rotting in other parts of the world?”

If Anne was alive today she would see that other people are trying to solve the problem of poverty and help starving people and refugees from war.

Third Level: Inference

Remarkable- its means amazing

immense- very big

surplus- the left overs

neglected- something or someone that doesn’t get attention

displaced- to remove something or someone from their usual place

Every child has to participate in the arts in school. Whether it’s dancing, acting, drawing, playing an instrument, sculpting, singing, painting or just anything creative, can make anyone more productive. Not many people like school, some find it boring and some find it very difficult, but having times in the day when kids do something fun can lift their mood. It can be helpful to create something that reflects how you’re feeling, occasionally it’s entertaining to make or do something to escape from the world for a moment. Over 62 studies across the world prove that students that are involved in the arts had better result on standardised tests, have better social skills and are more motivated. when these kids leave school and are seeking a job, 72% of business leaders say that creativity is the most important skill when they’re hiring. Art is said to relieve stress, which is extremely helpful during school, especially when doing exams. The arts also help boost self esteem. Considering the evidence above it’s undeniable that all children during their schooling years has to take part in the arts, not only to improve their success in school and in life, but also to improve their mental health and happiness.

The sun is unable to shine through the thick layer of cloud covering the normally bright, blue sky, causing everything to be grey and dull. The rain buckets down from the sky and gathers on the ground masking dirt and grass that lays beneath it. The mountains are unrecognisable buried in-between the mist. As the rain tumbles from above it drenches your hair, then comes dripping down into your forehead, running down your nose sending a shiver though your bones.

In the play Romeo and Juliet, the author William Shakespeare talks a lot about the idea of fate controlling the characters lives. He does this in many ways, he used a ship metaphor explaining that Romeo doesn’t believe he is in control of his own choices. Also stars are linked to fate and are continually mentioned in the play. Shakespeare explores coincidences as well, and if even one event in the play had gone differently Romeo and Juliet could have lived happily ever after.

Shakespeare uses metaphors to convey the idea of fate, such as the ship metaphor. Romeo describes himself as a ship on the ocean with someone other than himself steering it. This shows that Romeo believes in fate and that life has an illusion of choice but really his life is already planned out. At the end of Scene 1 Act 4, Romeo and Mercutio go to the ball at capulet’s house, and before they enter the house Romeo exclaims “He that hath the steerage of my course, direct my sail!” meaning he acknowledges that he doesn’t influence his life, and he is putting his trust in whoever is to make the right decisions for him. The ship metaphor is Romeo’s way of perceiving fate. The example of being a ship is relative to the time period when Romeo and Juliet was written because ship were popularly used in the 1500s.

Stars are a common theme in the play and are also linked to fate. Throughout the play many characters hint to the end of the play then refer to stars. In the elizabethan era stars where connected to fate  and ‘written in the stars’ was a frequent term in the elizabethan era and in the play. Romeo gives an example of this when he says “For my mind misgives some consequences yet hanging in the stars… by some forfeit of untimely death” he got a bad feeling right before he goes to the ball, the stars are saying he will die because he goes to the ball. In the prologue it describes Romeo and Juliet as “A pair of star-cross’d lovers” where “star-cross’d” means they are ill-fated it also mentions stars. Another instance is when Romeo gets the news that Juliet has apparently died he says “Is it even so? then I defy you, stars!” he is cursing the stars for making Juliet die.  Stars and fate are connected in the play and in the elizabethan era. In the late 1500s it was strongly believed that stars were Gods tools to determine your fate.

Many events in the play we consider coincidences as a reader, although the characters believe it to be fate. All of the major events in the play share a characteristic: if just one of them didn’t happen or had gone differently, the whole outcome of the play would be changed. A case of this is when a servant from the Capulet house is delivering an invitation to a ball at Capulet’s house. The servant comes across Romeo who happens to be heart broken, and Benvolio is looking for something to distract Romeo from his sorrow. The servant says “i pray, sir, can you read?” to which Romeo later says “Stay, fellow; I can read.” this moment leads to Romeo meeting Juliet, falling in love and eventually dying. We would look back at this moment and call it a coincidence, but anyone in England in 1500s would call it fate.

Shakespeare uses many methods to dispatch the idea of fate. he uses the ship metaphor to help explain how they believed fate worked. Stars were mentioned through out the play because they directly connected to fate. He put many coincidences in the play that were so far fetched that it had to be fate. The play reflects the time period it was written in by referring to ships, stars and coincidences, which what were used and believed in, during the 1500s.

Romeo is an impulsive character who lets his emotions dictate his actions. An example of this is when Tybalt kills Romeos friend Mercutio then Romeo states “and fire-ey’d fury be my conduct now!” then he goes on to kill Tybalt while being blinded by anger.

Juliet hints the end of the play without knowing it. After Romeo and Juliet have one last night together she says to Romeo”Methinks I see thee, now thou art below, as one dead at the bottom of a tomb: either my eyesight fails, or thou look’st pale.” which at the end of the play Romeo does end up in a tomb, and we know this because it says in the prologue that he will die.

Shakespeare uses a ship metaphor to communicate the idea of fate being in charge of Romeo’s life. Before Romeo and his friends go to the ball at Capulets house Romeo says “He that hath the steerage of my course direct my sail!” Romeo is referring to whoever or whatever is controlling his life to choose the right path for him.

Friar Lawrence warns Romeo that acting quickly in regards to marrying Juliet could have negative consequences. “

Capulet forced Juliet to marry Paris. Capulet said to Juliet “Ay, marry, go i say, and fetch him hither. Now afore God, this reverend holy Friar, all our whole city is much bound to him.”. He is telling Juliet that she will be married to Paris wether she liked it or not. In the Elizabethan era girls would also be forced to marry a men to their fathers choosing.

Juliet drinks the potion that puts her to sleep. When she is alone in her room she says “My dismal scene i needs act alone. Come, vial.”. She decides on her own to drink the potion so she can be with Romeo.

Protagonists- The leading role in the play

Inability to control his emotions- He would often be blinded by his feelings like anger or love and act out without thinking it over

Acts rashly- He doesn’t think about the consequences when he acts

Impulsive- Doesn’t consider the possible outcomes of his behaviour

Tybalt kills Mercutio and Romeo gets mad and kills Tybalt. the consequence is he gets banished from Verona.

Balthasar tells Romeo that Juliet is dead and he very quickly goes to Verona, which is dangerous since he is banished from there. The consequence is he dies because he acted too fast, and if he waited a at least a day they could have both lived.