Movie English Assignment #4 -Blood Diamond-

Blood Diamond is based on a true story about the diamond industry in Africa. Here is my opinion of what the title “Blood Diamond” means.

The title, “Blood Diamond” has two meanings. First, in Sierra Leone, several groups were in dispute in connection with natural resources. During that process, to get diamonds, a lot of people died as slaves to find them. It means that their blood is bleeding to get diamonds. Second, especially guerilla fighters, they pay for their weapons using diamonds. These weapons exist to kill people and it means that there are diamonds in Sierra Leone that take away people’s lives. Blood is the source of life. Therefore, it means blood is spilt because of diamonds.

Leonardo DiCaprio played a diamond smuggler in the movie. Throughout the movie you can see that his life undergoes a drastic transformation. Here is my opinion what the transformation is.

In the beginning, it’s natural for Archer, DiCaprio plays, to shot somebody, to kill someone, and to lie. And he smiled derisively, and he was kind of a nihilist. In the end of the movie, he smiled naturally and showed kindness to Solomon, Solomon’s son, and Maddy.  And, he was not a nihilist.

In the scenes Solomon spoke about his son, Archer concerned about it and talked to Maddy about it. He showed the evidences about trading diamonds to Maddy. Before then, Archer used other people to do some and it’s natural for him. However, when Maddy sharpened her wit and got along with a vigilant group, he thanked and prized her. After he talked with Benjamin Kapanay, he spoke his mind and his past. After then, his smile became natural. When Solomon said he didn’t understand Archer’s action, Archer agreed with him, and they laughed. When Archer couldn’t walk more, he gave back the pink-diamond to Solomon. Solomon said he thought that Archer brought the diamond and wouldn’t give back. Archer said he thought a little bit, and laughed. These are the drastic transformation in Archer.

This semester I covered five true stories about extraordinary people who have made a different in their own lives and in the lives of others. Here is what I learned from these movies.

These movies were showed me that any people who have various painful circumstances can change themselves, their own life, people around them, and their situation if they have strong will and never give up. Erin in Freedom Writers has never given up, and she changed her students.  She and the students could change the rule in the school. Coach Carter in Coach Cater also changed his students and made them stronger in their basketball skill and their mind. Chris in The Pursuit of Happyness got the new job and made his life better. He always thought positive and never gave up.  He had a quick-witness and he continued acting for a better life. Erin in Erin Brockovich got new job without knowledge and devoted to winning the law case with a big company about the environmental pollution. Archer in Blood Diamonds showed me that his life underwent a drastic transformation. I learned the importance of having self-confidence and never giving up from these movies.

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BR02-15: The Frog Prince

"If you promise not to throw me out of the window again..."(p.43)

 The princess in this book is very rude.  Her father, King, said that she has been pampered by her mother and spoiled by her sister.  I don't know whether it is true or not, but she would not keep her word that she would do anything if the frog gave her a golden ball.  And, she throw the frog out of her window.  She was terrible.  When the frog became human, she decided to marry him soon in spite of being another fiance.  She dislike that fiance, but she decided too fast and the prince was a frog thrown by her.  I think she is selfish.
　However, the illustrations in this book are very nice and comical.  Of course, the pictures of the frog are not disgusting.  I want to know your opinion. if you read this book.  Please, try to read this.


Davidson, Susanna. (2007) The frog prince. London: Usborne.

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BR02-15: The Canterville ghost

"But, however much Washington and the twins begged, she never told anyone what happened in the secret chamber." (p.62)

 This story was written by Oscar Wilde.  Oscar Wilde is famous writer.  I read another his book, Salome.  The story is about princess Salome.  It was a very scarcely story.  Salome would love Jokanaan.  He is the prophet of Judea and he was in the cistern.  He didn't love her.  He didn't see her, too.  Salome wanted to kiss him, but he rejected.  Then she thought to kill him and to kiss to his head, and she did.  I was frightened.
 I thought how scarcely the story of Canterville ghost was before I read the book.  However, the story was not scarcely.  It was a warm story.  The ghost in the story scarce people but he had a reason to do that.  A girl would solve the problem of the reason.
 This book has a lot of good pictures.  The scenes of the ghost being scared of a trick by twins are funny.  You can laugh and feel warm if you read this book, in spite of the name, Canterville ghost.  I recommend that you read this book.


Davidson,Susanna (2004)The Canterville ghost. London:Usborne

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BR02-14:Christmas around the world

"Children in Syria leave out hay, for the three kings' youngest camel.  In the morning, the hay has vanished and presents are there instead." (p.31)


 Christmas will come soon.  In these days, wherever I go, I can hear the Christmas song and see the decorates for Christmas.  This book showed me the history of Christmas and the customs of Christmas in some countries.  Some of what this book showed are known already.  Others are known yet, maybe.  I could learn about Christmas by reading this book.
 In Japan, Christmas is one event to present someone, to pass the time with lovers, or to eat cake.  And it is not religious event.  In some countries, Christmas is also just a event but customs are not same.  There are many customs in each country.
 Last pages in this book have a recipe to make Christmas cookies from Germany, named Lebkuchen.  The recipe looks easy and the cookie looks delicious.  You can try to make this.  Also, there are many nice illustrations of the scenes of Christmas in each country.  If you read this book, you will be able to enjoy your Christmas more than before, I think.  So, I recommend that you read this book!


Sims, Lesley.(2005) Christmas around the world. London: Usborne

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BR02-13: A Christmas carol

"Merry Christmas!"(p.54)
 I take the class of the History of English Literature.  And I learned about the original author of this book, Charles Dickens.  He is the second person of the most famous author in UK, only after William Shakespeare.  He was not educated enough but he wrote a lot of great works, and they became famous and popular.  Many English words became to popular and to used among people by using in Charles Dickens' book.
 A Christmas carol is one work of the series of Christmas by Charles Dickens.  It became many movies, such as one by Disney, one in which Jim Carry is.  The story is about turning over a new leaf of a greedy and cruel person.  And, after this book was published and read, the word, "Merry Christmas", was to be used among people, I heard.  And Charles Dickens' Christmas series greatly influenced the customs of Christmas.
 This story moved me.  Greedy and cruel person, Scrooge, were changed by being showed his past, his now, and his future.  Reminding my past days are very important to compare with my nowadays.  I can predict my future by it.  It is very useful to change my habit in nowadays.  I think that A Christmas carol show me those.
 This book is not more difficult to read and to understand than the original one.  There are a lot of illustrations in this book, and they help me to understand the story.  Also, Charles Dickens is a very famous in foreign country, so reading this book is useful for you to talk with foreigner.  I recommend that you read this book!


Sims, Lesley (2003) A Christmas carol. London: Usborne

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BR2-12:The Goose that laid the Golden Eggs

"The moral of the story about the golden eggs is: Don't be greedy or you might lose everything."(p.47)


 I think this moral is true.  My desire is no limited.  If I can do what I want, what I want next will come.  And it will come one by one.  In this story, the main characters, the couple of Tom and Elena, were satisfied with their poor life.  But after they found a golden egg, they couldn't be satisfied with their life.  They want something more expensive one by one.  And they return to the poor life.  It was their normally life, but they had lost everything.
 This story is one of Aesop's Fables.  These always have a moral at the end.  You will think some after you read this book.  And the illustrations in this book are nice and help  to understand this story.  I recommend that you read this book.


Mackinnon,Mairi.(2006) The Goose that laid the Golden Eggs.　London: Usborne

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BR2-11:The Gingerbread Man

"I have run away from a farmer, a horse, a cow, a little old woman and a little old man and I can run away from you too!"(p.33)


 I didn't understand the mean of this story.  A little old woman and a little old man wanted children, so they made gingerbread man and the gingerbread man run away from them.  Then, a lot of ones who wanted to eat the gingerbread man followed him.  I didn't understand the end.  A little old man and a little old woman wanted children and they made the gingerbread man, which meant the gingerbread man was like a child of them.  And he run away meant that a child tend to run away from parents.  At the end, he was eaten by clever fox.  It meant that a child who was innocent in the way of the world was a sacrifice of the clever adult.  I thought these and were scared of this story.  Of course, I don't know if the means are right.
 However, the illustrations in this book are very comical and nice.  You can enjoy reading the story with the illustrations, if you read this book.  I recommend that you read this book!

Mackinnon, Mairi.(2006) The Gingerbread Man. London: Usborne

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