Film review the film is My Antonia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film review the word-painting is My Antonia - Essay ExampleSet in the late nineteenth century Nebraska, the story revolves around the travails of orphan Jimmy Burden, who moves into his grandparents (played by Jason Robards and Eva Marie Saint) farm that is located nearby Black Hawk, Nebraska. Young Jimmy is immediately drawn to 15-year neighbor Antonia Shimerda (played by Elina Lowensohn) and they become secretive fri fetch ups. Conflict arises when Antonias father wants Jimmy to teach her English, whereas Jimmys grandfather is concerned close his grandsons own education. But soon the Shimerda family meets a tragedy and contact with the Burdens is severed as the last mentioned move into town. As the ageing grandparents pool their resources into making their grandson a graduate, Antonia renews her contact with Jimmy as she too now lives in town. The subsequent narrative is about the evolution and endurance of their friendship, which lasts for many years, even as Jimmy takes fur ther strides in his academic and professional life. The relationship between Jimmy and Antonia has a quixotic basis to it, but neither of them expresses it in overt ways. The intrusion of the beautiful Lena also disrupts the harmony of their relationship. As Jimmy takes greater interest in Lena, he drifts further apart from Antonia. This element of the relationship adds perplexity and intrigue to the narrative and keeps audience interest alive throughout. The adaptation to demand comes off well, although some of the little characters in the fabrication do not find space in the shorter film format. Yet, the essence of the novel is fully captured through the strong impression that the character of Antonia makes on the audience. Even as the film moves toward the ut about denouement, the benevolence and kindness of Antonia lingers on the mind of the discerning viewer, standing as a testament to the films overall success. For example, even as she realizes that Jimmy is lost to her, Antonia does not cry foul and conk out her duties toward her family. She carries on bravely and reconstructs her life in a manner fitting the circumstances. When Jimmy eventually meets Antonia toward the end of the film, he finds her living a happy married with children. The film ends upon this note of implicit regard and thanksgiving for each other. As for the performance given by lead actors, excepting for Elina Lowensohns stand-out central performance, none of the other actors render much energy, especially Neil Patrick Harris in the lead role. Even accommodating for the fact that Jimmy Burden is a reserved character in the film, he nowhere nearly capture the emotional turmoil that Cather portrayed so eloquently. One of the larger themes covered by the movie is the disparate treatment meted out to immigrant communities. This is most evident in the ordeals of the Shimerda family in assimilating with the local community in Black Hawk, Nebraska. Willa Cather was a source of gr eat cultural and affectionate sensitivity. And the film My Antonio successfully captures the thrust and emphasis of her presentation of American social problems. For example, reviewer Tom Wiener correctly notes in his review article that The strongest portrayal in the film is the plight of European immigrants and in particular the young women. As Antonia plaintively says, Girls like me dont get chances, and although she closely blows what she thinks is her best shot, she does land on her feet--no thanks to the self-absorbed Jimmy. A longer film might