Siff Review of Winter's Bone

I wanted to write a little about the movie "Winter's Bone." This was a wonderful movie and it had so many different things going on in it other than just the tracking down of her father who was a crank cooker. This movie shows a different side of class and gender roles.

The main character for one was amazing. Not only was the character female, but in my perspective, she was also the heroine in this film. Ree Dolly who was played by Jennifer Lawrence was a awesome character. She risks all including her life just to protect her home and her little sister and brother who looks up to her like a mother and the father who will protect them in a way. The sad part however is the fact Ree is only 17 and she has to play and start her adult life early. Regardless of her gender and age, the locals who are just a part of the missing of her meth cooking father as any beat her down physically and mentally. I do notice it is only a female getting beaten which could be a way of showing her submissiveness to us, but at the same time, if this role was a male, I would think the same would have happened. The main difference maybe however would be if it was a male, maybe there would not be the uncle coming to save the character just before they faced their demise. Possibly in Hollywood fashion, the male would have beaten his way out and got away unlike how Ree laid there and just took the beating and the threats. I also can look at this in a different perspective of maybe Ree is actually standing up and showing no fear which will show the gender bending of a female who needs help and cries for her life is non existent in this film. She takes the beating and never begs or pleads for her life. She still fights through words through the whole thing and I think if her uncle had not shown and she ended up being killed, she would have done this to the end. She truly is playing the stereotypical tough heroism role here.

Also, I can not watch this without seeing some class issues. You notice everyone in the film generally appear to be in a pretty low class environment with living in trailers and old broken homes that need allot of work. Most everyone drive an older beat up rusty vehicle. The people also do not seem to be the most educated individuals in my opinion. Maybe if they had the education they would not be cooking up meth. This area seem to be very poor and the people seem to be in some sort of poverty and high. This could just be how it may appear, but I think it is what we see. The drug use I believe is a way for them to not have to face their lives as it is, so they get high to avoid the truth.

I do enjoy the idea of this movie and thought it was a wonderful piece. I am happy to see such a great movie that appears to get very high ratings and this is directed by a female. We need more successful female directors and producers in Hollywood and I truly hope this video has some box office success. It deserves it and if it does not do as good as I think it could, then I will be sad and wonder if it is because of the male dominated Hollywood we know of.

The myth of you cant....The reality of you can...class in America

Class in America is a very interesting matter when you truly think about it. I find it is at times not very apparent and I would have to say this is because the fact we do not even put ourselves in a position were we may know the upper or lower than our group standing in class. I do wonder how it is we do surround ourselves with people in similar class issues. Then there are a few of us who do not look at a class and stick our nose up at the lower and look up to a class higher.

Some instance of class can be because of privileges they are born with, being their family, race, and principals. Then we would have to also mention that oppression can be a big factor in being in a lower percentage of class. I wonder why people tend to avoid the class issues as I understand from our readings. I also wonder why class such as wealthy and poverty are viewed as one of several natural inevitable states of being.

I believe education is tougher to get for some than it is for others. I also believe some people have more obstacles to overcome than others, and maybe the advantage is of the wealthy class, but why should it always be this way? I also know that people i low class can achieve greatness and get out of the so called poverty state with hard work and persistence. I know myself and from others, our upbringing, or family does not trap us in the state of poor or even wealth. I feel that anyone given any situation or obstacles can achieve better than they are given. I do not believe that for some it is impossible to be better and to raise from the ground to the sky. I think everyone has the opportunity to do whatever they want. Granted, for some of us, it may be a tougher path and take a little longer, but I believe and know that we can be equal to the one given everything and in the upper class upbringing. Its all about hard work, and not taking no and you cant for an answer. One thing that really gets me is those people who are in the poverty state and still spending all they have just about on items they do not need. I see people who pay top dollar for these expensive designer clothes and expensive cars and puts all their earnings in customizing them or what not. Here is were we are seen as a middle class country and were it does mention we have the best dress poverty. Some of the people are in poverty for a reason and for a few, its because they are not wise.

I am a personal story on this and I started from no were in the streets as a teen and now I am in the upper middle as you would say and gaining. I will not stop till I am were I want to be. Nothing and no one will tell me I cant to it. I been told much of my life I will never amount to anything and I have. I done a lot in my life, seen the world, lived all over the country and joined the Navy. To make this clear though, I have seen more and lived in more places without the Navy than I have in the Navy. The Navy was my way to be here today. To get that education that I need to be were I want. In my own opinion, everyone has options and choices to make. It is how you go about it and what you do consistently to better yourself.

I also want to add the flip side to this. Many who are brought up wealthy and given everything and end up with millions or more can go the other way and end up in poverty. This has happened to many. I seen and know a few who have had it all and just blew it. They were not smart and thought they had nothing to ever worry about and they get lazy and not do anything to stay on top. I believe if you are made in that sense, you still have to be smart, careful, and in some instances work just as hard to stay there or before you know it, you will end up next door to your gardener.

So, I know we went over media and the Horatio Alger Myth which is were the little guy can end up big and the sky is the limit. I still hold on to that value myself, and I truly believe people can do just about anything if they just try and never give up and do whatever it takes in their power to succeed. I love seeing the films were the little guy is bettering himself and getting to the top.

I see myself in that position as that guy who started on the bottom through my life. I never thought I would be doing what I wanted, and here I am now in school, interning on a huge local radio show, with great potential to get hired on from how some been talking to me and talking me up for my hard work. Everything I have pursued in my life, I have accomplished. People who have known me since the beginning are very shocked with what I have accomplished. Again, from hard work and never backing down.

I will leave off here before I keep going. I can truly do pages and just about a novel on this, but I will spare the reader for now. Remember, just because you are given nothing with everything thrown against you, it does not mean you cant succeed and raise to the next class and beyond. This is a lazy and scared way of thinking. Just do it, don't talk about it.