1. Glory was a great film that brought attention to the topic of discrimination and the Civil War. I liked Glory because it really made me feel pity and idealize those men who fought for the north, despite discrimination from their own army members.  It was even hard to watch the flogging of a soldier because he tried to find some well conditioned shoes to wear. Movies that can provoke this kind of deep emotion and connection are obviously well done films. I question why African American soldiers would even fight for an army that treated them so horribly at first. Ending Slavery was goal of the war, but it wasn't a primary part of the war until later on. So it just makes me wonder how brave men like the 54th Massachusetts could have the ambition to fight for an army who didn't even want them there. Despite discrimination they persevered and I think think this is why I feel so strongly about racism and the film Glory.
2. Men and Woman who fight willingly or unwillingly for the United States are hero's depending on your perspective. In my perspective they are heros because they fight for democracy and a constitution that I believe is fair. In the eyes of some one from the Middle East or Russia, those same soldiers may be seen as "evil". It really depends on perspective, but personally I believe every man or woman who has fought for our beliefs should be considered a hero. This includes the 54th Massachusetts and Shaw who fought to abolish slavery. They are considered more heroic to me because they faced more adversity than most men in warfare ever have.
3. The significance of this story is to show that many brave African American men existed during the civil war era and helped changed the United States forever. The Massachusetts 54th would change American societies' norms because it was the first time black men could fight along whites. At first,  the members of the 54th felt disrespected and discriminated upon, but later on were awarded with the applause and standing ovation they deserved. The perseverance of all the men involved in the Massachusetts 54th, deserves recognition even today.

Kingdom of Heaven was a well done modern take on a highly controversial topic. I can understand why critics of the movie see the portrayal of Christians or Muslims as historically inaccurate. Personally, I believe you could argue for either side on the topic of who was portrayed worse or better in the movie. I think Kingdom of Heaven does not have a specific bias, rather just historical inaccuracies and misrepresentations of both sides. I thought the first half of the film was significantly slow and lacked amusement, but it was important to understanding the situation in Jerusalem. In my perspective, the first half of the movie was a prolog for the real action and climax of the movie. The slow start did not necessarily make me dislike the entire film. Kingdom of Heaven is still very well done and does a good job in my opinion of replicating the time period of the Crusades. Ancient Jerusalem looks adequate, but it is the detail inside the buildings that makes the film feel Ancient. Overall, this is another good film, but does not exceed my expectations of a "great" film. The confusing start (I had no idea where, who, what was going on) and the slow build up to the climax were the deciding factors between Kingdom of Heaven being a great film or just an adequate one.

1. Braveheart is another classic film I enjoy and respect very much. Braveheart is a great movie because it incorporates feelings of love, loss, war, and violence, all into one epic adventure for independence. I also adore the fact that the movie is based on a real, historical, character and event. My interpretation of the real William Wallace is biased on how Mel Gibson portrayed him, but after watching Braveheart, I have a profound respect for him. Over-all the movie was violent, but not as gory as modern films like the Saw series. The movie incorporates realistic violence and gore to help support the realism in reenacting the battles and costumes of that unique time period. A modern remake of the movie or a new movie similar to Braveheart, would be a good addition to historical-based films. With the graphic capabilities of movies today, Braveheart, or a movie of a similar topic, could be even more of a classic.

2. The quote, "Every man dies. Not every man really lives", relates to heroism and the idea of a lasting legacy. To live, means to fight for and support what you believe in and not go through life " not living" and contributing to society. Everyone dies but some people are remembered after their death because of what they did or accomplished while living. William Wallace is an example of what this quotes means in realistic terms. He fought for Scottish freedom and is still known today for his actions while he was living.  This quote applies to my life because I want to live without following the orders of others and want to be remembered long after my death. I may not accomplish my second goal, but I still want to go through life with no big regrets and without the interference of people or governments making decisions for me.

1. I have seen The Gladiator about 5 times now, but it never ceases to amuse me. It is one of my favorite movies of all time and I will continue to watch it when the opportunity presents itself. I really like how it depicts ancient Rome. It looks like ancient Rome as I imagine it, and even the colosseum seems like an exact replica of the real thing. The costumes, architecture, and weapons make me feel like I am watching a real gladiator battle and not an improvised, cheaply replicated battle. I definitely support the amount of blood and violence in the movie because it adds a sense of realness and maturity to the battles and overall plot. I wish Gladiator was 100% historically accurate and based on a real person (not several), or even historically accurate in the way Commodus dies. Besides these scarce inaccuracies, the movie portrays the ancient Roman Empire very well. The movie made me love the hero Maximus and despise the emperor Commodus. This is what the movie intended to do and it does it very well. When watching the movie, I personally admire Maximus for being brave and seeking revenge. This is another reason why I love The Gladiator so much. Overall The Gladiator is a great historical movie and it can't get much better than the action packed, bloody, gladiator battles.

2. I believe the moral of the story is that perseverance and passion, is something successful hero's possess. Maximus could have died many times through-out the movie but his desire to stay alive and get revenge on the emperor, helped him persevere through the most difficult of challenges. There are many movies based on hero's and their actions, but The Gladiator is unique in the way it portrays a hero. In The Gladiator, a slave, who has no social power over the emperor, can still be a hero and take down an emperor like Commodus. This is why the hero theme of The Gladiator is unique to movies of a similar theme.