Movie Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane

On March 11th, 2016, 10 Cloverfield Lane hits the theaters. Dan Trachtenberg directs and JJ Abrams produces this suspenseful, horror/drama, and  PG-13 film capturing the time period following an alien invasion in an apocalyptic world. The main character, Michelle, experiences this event from the inside of a bunker with a psychopath. She faces a conflict that the whole movie is predicated on. The conflict is whether to stay in the safety of the bunker with a monster or to go and face the monsters outside. I ascertain that 10 Cloverfield Lane portrays the inner conflicts of whether to get involved and face the world or to stand off to the side.

The movie starts off with Michelle driving on an abandoned street. She gets hit by a car and ends up in a the mysterious bunker of Howard, an ex-veteran, and Emmett. Right from the start, she doesn’t trust him and desires to leave the bunker. She has no idea if the outside world is safe. Towards the end of the movie, Howard kills Emmett, but luckily, Michelle manages to escape and face the dangers that await on the other side of the air locked door.

An important facet of 10 Cloverfield Lane is its ability to make the viewer feel as though he/she is actually experiencing the film, through the actors. There is a certain scene when Michelle is trying to maker her escape, that the emotions of the character leak out to the audience. She is climbing through a ventilation when all of the sudden Howard starts stabbing a knife through it, trying to make her stay. He grabs her leg after making a hole and starts pulling. The fear felt by Michelle travels to everyone experiencing the film. When I watch the film, I feel as though I am Michelle crawling through the tunnel. I scream when she screams. When she panics, I too panic and feel the stress of the situation. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Michelle, and John Goodman plays Howard. They are exceptional actors who convey emotions, such as fear, panic, and apprehension, which add to the overall internal friction felt by Michelle.

The choice of scenery by Benjamin Edelberg and Dave Kelsey make the film more entertaining and add anticipation. By using certain sets, they help to show how awful the bunker is. The bunker pushes Michelle to want to leave and face challenges head one. One key scene that portrays this idea is when Michelle is attempting to fix the electrical system. She climbs to the top of the bunker through the vents. When she reaches the electrical room, she spies some scratched out writing on a window. The writing has dried out blood on it and reads “help.” This alerts Michelle that Howard is a dangerous person and that he has killed someone before. The scratched out words represent the genius of Edelberg and Kesley. They are able to create a certain fearful feeling by using the scenery to their advantage.

In addition to the great scenery and actors, 10 Cloverfield Lane develops the backstories of the actors, which helps the viewers and myself to relate to them even further. The film takes time to discuss Emmett and Michelle’s old lives to make them more relatable. Aside from their emotional displays, their storylines make their characters. Emmett is too afraid to put himself out there. He tells Michelle that he received a scholarship for college, but never took the bus to get there. In the beginning of the movie, Michelle is talking with her mean boyfriend on the phone, and one can assume that her relationship is detrimental to her well being. Both Michelle and Emmett suffer with the lack of ability to change their lives. Today, many people struggle to find their way in life. They enjoy sitting back and watching, but never actually getting involved. However, by the end of the movie, Michelle decides to fight Aliens, and Emmett tries to defend Michelle from Howard. They both experience growth from their original backstories. The backstories create a relationship with the audience.

Whenever I watch 10 Cloverfield Lane I scream in utter fear, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a fantastic movie. Abrams and Trachtenberg out do themselves with this masterpiece. The film seems almost real when watching it. The characters, actors, and scenery help to make a perfect mix of excellence. My sweaty palms and rapid heartbeat illustrate how real the movie feels. It covers many emotions and focuses on the theme of going outside one’s boundaries. I would recommend this movie to anyone because its ideas are deep and thought out, yet at the same time entertaining and encapsulating.

Book Review: The Things They Carried

From the year 1955 to 1975, the American Army fought in the Vietnam War. Tim O’Brien highlights his experience and the experiences of others in The Things They Carried. This first person narrative goes through events that O'Brien and his unit lived through, and he then discusses later in the book what emotions and feelings they had after the war. His purpose is to depict how bloody can be war, but more importantly, he is trying to show what men have to live with after the war is long gone. I believe that O’Brien’s accounts of the war give a clear portrayal of what the soldiers had to deal with before, during, and after their stay in Vietnam.

The Things They Carried takes us through the life of O’Brien and the rest of his unit. It depicts the tough, individual journey that Tim went through after receiving his draft letter and also delves into detailed stories and memories. The social problems that Commander Jim Cross faced are brought into the light, in regards to his awkward relationship with a woman named Martha. The book examines the lives of Ted Lavender, Lee Skunk, Kiowa, Norman Bowker, Rat Kiley, and Dave Jensen as well. These men died in the war or faced major psychological problems after. By going into their stories, O’Brien gives a larger picture as to what happened during his service.

One key aspect of the book that makes it enjoyable, is its ability to depict the human mind. When I am reading through the book, I feel as though my brain is in sync with O’Brien’s. His chapters don’t necessarily follow any particular chronological order. He slips from time to time, not sticking to one story or experience for too long. At one point, he discusses the thoughts that went through his head after killing a man, and the next chapter he discusses the PTSD another comrade of his experienced after coming home to the states. Just like a mind jumps from thought to thought, so does his style of writing. When a soldier returns home, like Norman Bowker, his mind is scrambled. Norman couldn’t save his friend Kiowa in a awful storm. He lives with the guilt, and O’Brien suffers the same feelings as well. His thinking influences his form and helps the reader understand the war.

The characters in the story are also synonymous with a classic grade in school. There are the jokesters, the serious, progressive students, the addicts, the wallflowers, the timid, and the brave. Lee Skunk and Dave Jensen are the “class clowns.” Their joking could sometimes be dangerous, but they add to the unit or class environment. Kiowa is a more determined soldier, who also acts to help his unit. It seems that Tim O’Brien is more of a wallflower. He observes everything that occurs around him. Rat Kiley is the kid in the class who can’t stop lying and telling made up stories. He wants attention and will tell the craziest stories to get. These characters resound with my school, and it made reading the book that much more enjoyable.

Another important piece of the The Things They Carried is the context of where it takes place. Trying to have high school students wrap their heads around war can be impossible. For a student to truly appreciate and understand the sacrifices and pain of war, they have to actually experience it. Tim O’Brien does a beautiful job of conveying the hardships of war, and it helps me understand how bloody war can be. When he describes burning down a village, torturing a water buffalo, or even killing another man, war can be conceptualized. His imagery and description are precise and add to the realness of his story.

After reading The Things They Carried, I gained a better appreciation for the Vietnam War. I would recommend this book to anyone because everyone will find their own way to relate to what they are reading. Whether it be the structure of chapters or the characters themselves, they can easily be compared to a high school student’s life. It was a great read that had me on the edge of my seat, and I believe it will do the same to anyone who picks it up. Tim O'Brien's masterpiece is definitely worthwhile.