Summary of an - Article Example

School Occupation Blues Summary This article concentrates on the concept of re-contextualization,exploring the manner in which militaristic and political events of our modern period can be traced within classical literary and historical storylines successfully transposed into cinematic forms. Though the author does allude to several films which have successfully adapted in this manner, the bulk of his analysis is based on Zach Snyder’s film “300” and, more closely, on Ralph Fienne’s “Coriolanus”.

These storylines are used to explore the idea of subversive rebellion propelled by ideological sentiments as a timeless theme within literature and history.As evidence of the militaristic-ideological mentality as a means of re-contextualization, the author provides an interpretation of the parallels which can be drawn between the cinematic reimagining of these storylines and modern events which provides the basis for successful adaptation of the original literature. Specifically, the article explores the connection between urban guerilla tactics in war and the dynamics present in “Coriolanus” as well as the underlying ideological sentiments which propel events within “300”.

The idea of the developed nations led by corrupted governmental systems versus smaller bodies catalyzed by dogmatic beliefs is examined in regards to both films. This is done by interpreting the characters and actions of each as compared to the events of the Iraq war, Iran hostilities, Yugoslavian genocidal tactics, the rebel Sandanista government, and the invasion of Afghanistan by US forces. In each of these instances, guerilla warfare was adopted as means of fighting foreign or corrupted governmental authorities as they seek to quash the radical or otherwise divergent agendas of the proletariat.

The attainment of independence and individual freedoms is used as a catalyst to propel the masses into action against more organized and better supplied adversaries. In order to achieve this, there is a need for an idealization of the idea of selfless sacrifice as a means of attaining this equal status coupled with exaggerated nationalistic sentiments and an underlying ideological cause. This combination of elements is needed to sufficiently desensitize a modern populace into large-scale violence.

However, the rebellious attitude propelled by these factors is characterized as a negative, one which feeds into a flawed military-poetic complex present in volatile societies. The oft-repeated themes of rebellion against hierarchical systems fraught with corruption and the means by which these rebellions are instigated are revisited throughout the article. In exploring parallels which exist within 20th and 21st century events, the author identifies tehmeatic content which is consistent across time periods.

These conclusions drawn from modern and historical events are used as the basis by which “Coriolanus” is successfully re-contextualized for a contemporary audience. Though the author does diverge from his central point to some extent during the course of the article, he eventually provides several valid arguments in his analysis that exposes a timeless thematic element within both the classical and modern adaptation of certain literary works. By using militaristic and ideological tendencies as a basis, he delves into a reality existent within humanity by which violence can be catalyzed through certain factors influencing a population.

As a result, he provides logically sound evidence of the manner in which a successful re-contextualization of a literary work may be achieved, based on the shared ideological vulnerability of humanity that transcends any single period.