1. What were your reactions to the ending of the movie? Did you like it more than other endings we've seen in the past? Why or why not?
2. How do you think the movie's references to 9/11 contributed to the plot or central theme of the movie?
3. Did you think that Naturelle was the one that told the DEA about Monty? What were your reactions to her character? What were your reactions to her and Monty's relationship?
I liked this ending better than the past two films we’ve watched. It had a sense of ‘this is the end of the movie’ but also left me wondering what was going to happen next. I’ve always loved happy perfect endings but recently have watched a wider variety of films and am learning to appreciate and be open-minded in the many ways a movie can end that aren’t happy ever afters. I did love the father’s voice-over with the ‘what could happen if…” visions. The ending wasn’t confusing like in School Daze and Jungle Fever, it made sense even though it wasn’t relieving. I think the references to 9/11 must have been extremely powerful at the time that the movie came out (they still are, but especially then) because it was right after the tragedy occured. It gave context though I’d like to discuss more of the reason behind the many 9/11 references… but it seemed to kind of connecedt with the monologue that mirror Monty did about everyone in NY sucking. The arabian-like music and shots of where the twin towers used to stand were creepy and very direct. I had a lot of questions about Naturelle and how big of a part she really played. I don’t know whether she was the one that told on Monty… at first I thought it was her but then the scene with the Russian guy getting beat up made me confused. I like Naturelle a lot but I found that she took a lot of shit. I think she could voice herself more, though I believe her and Monty loved each other… I think. I think she was that classic Spike Lee character of the woman that is the voice of peace and stability.
ReplyDelete1. What were your reactions to the ending of the movie? Did you like it more than other endings we've seen in the past? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI definitely liked this ending more than a lot of the others. Spike Lee's endings tend to be trying to hard to tie up a story that has gone in many different directions, and as such the endings feel messy and unfocused. Lee also tends to aim for a certain dramatic flair that doesn't always mesh well with the tone of the film (School Daze and Jungle Fever come to mind). This film was much more focused thematically and thus the ending felt like a natural result of the film's narrative. The ending did a good job of capturing the bleakness of Monty's situation will providing the faintest glimmer of hope in Monty's dream. It manages to have the same open-endedness as many of his other films while feeling more conclusive and being better suited for th narrative being told.
2. How do you think the movie's references to 9/11 contributed to the plot or central theme of the movie?
Personally, I suspect that the script was already in development by the time of 9/11, maybe they had even started filming already, and they decided that they couldn't am,e a film so deeply rooted in the culture of New York and not mention this catastrophic event. 9/11 sort of hangs in the background, often mentioned but never really relevant. Perhaps its ever present threat looming over the city can be read as a metaphor for the looming inevitability of Monty's incarceration, but it doesn't feel connected to that. Spike Lee wanted to make a film about New Yorkers and about New York. I think he realized that 9/11 was every present in the city and that avoiding the subject would be unauthentic. But I don't think it's relevant to the film's story.
3. Did you think that Naturelle was the one that told the DEA about Monty? What were your reactions to her character? What were your reactions to her and Monty's relationship?
I kind of doubt that she was the one who turned him in. I don't really see her motive and Nikolai seemed pretty sure it was Kostya. As a character, I thought she seemed interesting but wasn't given enough screen time to make her really stand out. I can't really blame the film for that, as it only has so much time to tell its story, and Monty is definitely the focus, but it might have been nice if a little of the screen time for Jake and Frank was given to her instead. I disliked the way that the guys treated her, especially Frank. They disrespected her and seemed more concerned with her as a girlfriend to Monty than as her own person. The male characters seemed to disrespect women a lot in this film, and that's never really addressed.
-Joanie
1. I liked the ending of the 25th hour more than the ending of the other Spike Lee movies that we have watched so far because it felt like a clearer conclusion to the plot. It also had an element of audience interpretation, as we did not know for certain whether the last five minutes had been a dream. I thought that it had and I saw it as a clever twist.
ReplyDelete2. I was not quite sure how the movie’s references to 9/11 contributed to the overarching plot or themes but I understand their inclusion as that was an event that was on many people’s mind at the time of the movie’s release.
3. I don’t think that Naturelle was the one who told the DEA about Monty because Kostya admitted to it. It is possible that he only did that in an attempt to save his own life and the close-up shot of Naturelle’s face towards the end of the movie cast doubt on my conclusion about who snitched on Monty. I think she legitimately cared for Monty but I also think that it is quite possible that she entered the relationship primarily for financial gain. On the whole, I thought her character was level-headed and intelligent.
1. What were your reactions to the ending of the movie? Did you like it more than other endings we've seen in the past? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the ending. It seemed to mirror many of the other endings that we have seen in other Spike Lee films such as School Daze and Jungle Fever. Once again, Spike Lee ends a movie with a dramatic action which, in this case, was Monty and his father imagining their lives if they ran away from the DEA. I liked and disliked this ending. The reason that I enjoyed it is that it kept some resemblance to Spike Lee’s original formula for ending movies (which I have learned to enjoy). I only disliked that Spike Lee decided to normalize this particular ending, at least in my opinion. I happen to like Spike Lee’s overly dramatic ending scenes, and I believe that not having them as dramatic does not give the same feel of a “true” Spike Lee ending.
2. How do you think the movie's references to 9/11 contributed to the plot or central theme of the movie?
After watching the movie, I believe that the central theme was how 9/11 changed America. In the context of 25th Hour, the theme is how security has changed in the United States. Because of 9/11, officials are forced to make the punishments for law-breaking more severe. In this way, a mass terrorist such as 9/11 will not have a chance to happen again. I believe that this is why Monty was to be sent to jail for 7 years because of his drug dealing. Before 9/11, Monty probably would not have received that bad of a punishment.
3. Did you think that Naturelle was the one that told the DEA about Monty? What were your reactions to her character? What were your reactions to her and Monty's relationship?
At first, I had a sneaking suspicion that Naturelle ratted out Monty. However, as the movie progressed, I stated to second-guess myself. I realized how much Naturelle seemed to care about Monty. And, to further disprove my initial idea, I realized how much sense it made for Krovsky (the man who actually turned in Monty) to divert suspicion from himself to someone else who was close to Monty. As for Naturelle’s character, I think that I would like her more if her age was closer to that of Monty’s. I found that the age difference between her and Monty distracted me to a point that I was not able to see Naturelle for her character. And while I am glad that Naturelle and Monty love each other, I am still bothered by how radically different their ages are.
1. What were your reactions to the ending of the movie? Did you like it more than other endings we've seen in the past? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI liked the end of the movie because although there were sooo many sad things about it, I think it was generally a happy ending. Even though Monty forced his friend to beat him up (which was extremely emotional and depressing), he could never see his dad or his friends again, and he was on the run, Monty still got to be with Naturelle and have a family in the end. I definitely liked this more than most of the other movie endings with the exception of Do The Right Thing (because it was so iconic), because it wasn't totally random, which made it seem as if the movie was coming to a close, and I liked that. It also left an emotional impact on me that left me reflecting on the movie even after it ended, which was cool.
However, when it flashed back to Monty sitting in the car with his face all bloody, I started to question whether the whole ending story with his family was in his imagination or if it was reality... I'm hoping it was reality!!
2. How do you think the movie's references to 9/11 contributed to the plot or central theme of the movie?
I'm not really sure about that one. The 9/11 bits seemed almost disconnected from the rest of the movie, especially during that one scene where Monty is basically saying "fuck everyone". I actually think that scene was very meaningful and impactful; I was half annoyed by its almost random placement, but then at the same time, I appreciated it because it also kinda wasn't random although I'm not really sure how.
3. Did you think that Naturelle was the one that told the DEA about Monty? What were your reactions to her character? What were your reactions to her and Monty's relationship?
I did think it was Naturelle who told the DEA about Monty. I just could never tell what she was thinking and her relationship with Monty seemed a little off, which led me to think that maybe we were only seeing one side of her; either she was really a sweet girl or she was just using that guise as a cover... Turns out she was just a sweet girl, especially at the end when she and Monty were reunited, which was adorable. (I never even suspected the Russian dude of being a snitch.)
1. In comparison to some of Spike Lee’s other endings, I really liked this one. I liked it because I could see how the theme of the movie played into the ending. Opposed to the ending of “School Daze,” where it was pretty confusing as to why they were screaming wake up. While in this, it continued with flashbacks and hypotheticals of what could happen, and nicely incorporated it into the end.
ReplyDelete2. Because I only saw the movie today and not on Friday, the only reference I have is when Jacob and Frank are talking and Ground Zero is out of their window. Because of this, I can’t see how 9/11 contributed to the plot of the story.
3. I don’t think that Naturelle was the one who told the DEA about the drugs or money. I think that the relationship between Monty and Naturelle started out very weirdly, but I think that because so much time had passed since the start, that they actually loved each other and wouldn’t want to hurt each other. I don’t have a lot to go off of for reacting to her character, but it seems to me that she was their purely for support and sexual tension.
1. What were your reactions to the ending of the movie? Did you like it more than other endings we've seen in the past? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI actually did like this ending more than some of the others we've seen.Although it was kind of drawn out, it was still engaging to me and I really liked the way it laid out this possible scenario for Montgomery's life and let's us decide whether we think it happens or not.
2. How do you think the movie's references to 9/11 contributed to the plot or central theme of the movie?
I think the only way 9/11 contributed to the plot was in the scene in the bathroom where Montgomery is yelling stereotypes about all the different ethnic groups in New York. I think they should have either added a lot more to that aspect of the movie or just cut it out. The only way I can really think that the brief 9/11 references connect to the theme (which I kind of took as don't deal/do drugs and be a nice person) is that 9/11 was a very bad thing done by very bad people.
3. Did you think that Naturelle was the one that told the DEA about Monty? What were your reactions to her character? What were your reactions to her and Monty's relationship?
I don't think Naturelle told the DEA about his drug dealing because in the movie they portray her as very likable and I think they would have made her seem a lot more shady if she had been the one that exposed him. The movie never gives us a reason to think she would other than what Frank says drunkenly to Naturelle at the bar. In terms of their relationship, something about it didn't really feel right to me. Aside from the obvious (he pulled her by creeping on her at a playground), I think Naturelle deserved better in the beginning. Assuming that Monty goes to jail and doesn't run, Naturelle is left alone wondering if she'll see Monty again. However, If you look at their relationship assuming Monty ran and started a new life, I actually think their relationship is really sweet. Monty seemed to really turn his life around in that scenario and I think that it shows that they really love each other.
1. What were your reactions to the ending of the movie? Did you like it more than other endings we've seen in the past? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI really liked the ending more than all his other movies, because it was not completely random/out of the blue. This one made sense, running away from the law when you have to spend seven years in prison is a completely justified idea and therefore a good ending. Randomly getting a whole school together and saying “wake up” is not. I also really liked that the ending was open ended, we do not know if Monty ran away and had a family, or if he went to the prison.
2. How do you think the movie's references to 9/11 contributed to the plot or central theme of the movie?
I like that the movie showed references to 9/11 very directly, especially the shot with the lights that looked like the twin towers. I also think that the references must have hit very hard when the movie first came out, even more so than it does now. I thought that the movie’s main reference to 9/11, during the scene with Monty talking to mirror Monty, was impactful but kind of random.
3. Did you think that Naturelle was the one that told the DEA about Monty? What were your reactions to her character? What were your reactions to her and Monty's relationship?
I did think that it was Naturelle, because she seemed to loyal and nice to Monty. Usually when a movie portrays a character as super loyal, it’s because they are faking it, so that’s why I thought what I did. I really liked Naturelle she, as I said before, is loyal, and she shows that she really loves Monty. I think that they have a really good relationship, saying that she would leave her life behind to meet him in a middle of nowhere town, and he would give up all his crime just to live a normal life with her.
I liked this ending more than others because it wasn't as weird and crazy as some of the other ones. For example, the ending of Jungle Fever was so odd and confusing, but in 25th hour, the ending was a lot more understandable.
ReplyDeleteI think that 9/11 was used as a metaphor for the fall of Monty's success. The scene where Monty's friends are looking at the remains of the World Trade Center and talking about Monty's fate seemed
I liked Naturelle because I feel like there were a lot of levels to her character. I do not think she told the DEA about Monty because it seemed like Kostya admitted that it was him. I think that Naturelle did truly love Monty, but I think she also loved his money. The only reason I say this is because we see her eating honey in the beginning of the movie, and then later in the movie Francis rants about her being a goldigger and compares Monty's money to honey. It seemed to me like Spike Lee did this on purpose to show that even though Naturelle loved Monty, she wasnt perfect.
1. What were your reactions to the ending of the movie? Did you like it more than other endings we've seen in the past? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI really like this ending more than the endings in other movies. This ending seemed related back to the movie as a whole and was clear. When watching it, I was almost surprised that the movie was over because I was expecting a different, more abrupt conclusion.
2. How do you think the movie's references to 9/11 contributed to the plot or central theme of the movie?
I think that 9/11 wasn’t that important to the film. Reading the summary and watching the intro, I thought that 9/11 was going to be a central part of the movie, but throughout the movie, I didn’t really see much of a connection. The event was shadowing the real story of the movie, which was Monty’s life after being caught with drugs.
3. Did you think that Naturelle was the one that told the DEA about Monty? What were your reactions to her character? What were your reactions to her and Monty's relationship?
I think that Naturelle has lots of motive to do it and maybe even told Kostya to rat Monty out. It seemed like when Monty held Kostya at gunpoint that he admitted it so that is the only reason why I think it may not have been Naturelle. I think Naturelle and Monty really loved each other. There were many instances in the movie that seemed that Naturelle was really into Monty like in the bathtub, when she saw him after Francis beat him up and when she gave him ice.
1 I liked this ending more than his other movies because it left you with something to think about, like his endings usually do, but it was more put together than his earlier films. I thought that the whole part about him running away and starting a new life was impractical and this made the movie lose some of the charm that comes with Spike Lee movies. His earlier movie endings were confusing, but this ending was a little to neat for me.
ReplyDelete2. I think that the refrence to 911 was supposed to represent something deeper within the movie, but to me I only saw it during the part when Monty was talking to himself in the mirror. I think that when the movie came out it was more impactful, but now I only see the tragedy of 911 has a part of the movie that shows how Monty and his community was affected by the bombings.
3. I have mixed emotions about Naturelle because I like that she was real, but she did use Monty. She met Monty when she was 18 and has been with him ever since and I think that she should have left Monty a long time ago. I do agree with Francis about how she did try to lightly stop Monty from srug dealing, but she wanted his money and because of that she hasn't had to work since she's been out of Highschool. I think that Naturelle did love Monty, but I believe that she did call the DEA on him. Even though Kostya was accused I don't trust Naturelle (I don't know why I just don't trust her). I did not like her and Monty together I think that Monty was a bad influence on her at such a young age and Monty let himself be used by her.
1. What were your reactions to the ending of the movie? Did you like it more than other endings we've seen in the past? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI really liked the ending of this movie. Unlike the endings to the previous Spike Lee movies we watched, the ending of this movie left me feeling something other than just pure confusion. Granted, I was mildly confused towards the end, but overall I was far less confused than I have been in the past. This ending actually felt like it went along with the rest of the plot, instead of Spike’s typical tactic of ending the movie with some random, abrupt act. I really liked the ambiguity of the ending as well. I like that the viewer gets to choose the ending in a way; I think that makes the ending really unique.
2. How do you think the movie's references to 9/11 contributed to the plot or central theme of the movie?
I did not really see why the references were necessary to the plot/central theme of the movie. I guess the “arab = terrorist” mindset reflected Monty’s racist attitude, as revealed in the mirror scene where he was bashing each racial group in the area. I was surprised that the references to 9/11 were so subtle and rare, considering the opening credits highlighted the twin towers very obviously.
3. Did you think that Naturelle was the one that told the DEA about Monty? What were your reactions to her character? What were your reactions to her and Monty's relationship?
I really liked her character. I was suspicious of her ratting out Monty before the scene in which Monty’s assistant was exposed, because I had no other reason to believe it was anyone other than him who did it. One thing I really disliked about Monty and Naturelle’s relationship was how it began. I really disliked the fact that Monty took her right out of high school, disregarding the age gap between them. I think that the difference in age between the two explains how Monty is able to manipulate Naturelle and use her as an accessory rather than as a partner.
1. What were your reactions to the ending of the movie? Did you like it more than other endings we've seen in the past? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI liked this ending more than the other movies we have watched so far. Even though the ending was ambiguous it had a more traditional feel to it instead of a Spike Lee feel. I was confused if Monty actually ended up going to jail, but I guess that was the point. I think i like it more than other movies because it doesn't leave so many questions, but it still leaves you with some questions at the same time.
2. How do you think the movie's references to 9/11 contributed to the plot or central theme of the movie?
I don't really see how 9/11 contributed anything to this movie. Perhaps it speaks to how the police were more intense about security and about putting law breakers into jail to sort of try and keep crime out of New York and regain trust within the city. I do think it's a really powerful scene when Monty's friend is looking out his window saying that the city could be bombed again and he still wouldn't move.
3. Did you think that Naturelle was the one that told the DEA about Monty? What were your reactions to her character? What were your reactions to her and Monty's relationship?
I never thought Naturelle would be the one to rat Monty out. I really liked her as a character and I think she really did everything in her power to be as supportive as she could in her situation with Monty. I thought the relationship was really creepy after I learned that he met her on a playground while she was still in high school, and very young, but I blame that more on Monty for just being creepy. I think Naturelle really loves Monty and I really liked her character overall in the movie.
I am not exactly sure how to react to the end of the movie. I thought it was weird how they went through the possibility of the main character escaping and not going to prison, but then it didn't seem like it was going to happen. I also thought it was weird how he got his friend to beat him up so he would go to jail and be "safer" like whattttt. Anyways, I think this is just another instance of Spike not knowing how to end what he started.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really see any correlation between the movie and 9/11, other than the begging scene with the two tall lights that symbolized the towers. I could make something up and try to link the plot with 9/11, but honestly, nothing stood out to me at all.
I don't think she told on Monty. I think that was definitely a possibility, but because the movie didn't push that possibility too far, it doesn't seem true. I mean sure, she could of done it, but if Spike wanted you to know that he would of portrayed the movie in a different way. I think the relationship between Monty and Naturelle wasn't necessarily a healthy one, and while it may be a bit odd, I think they genuinely loved each other. Naturelle was definitely independent and had a significant role. She did not end up being portrayed as the bad guy that turned Monty in and she stood up for herself when Francis confronted her with his theory at the bar. She was a stronger female character than I've seen so far in Spike Lee movies.
1. I personally really liked the end of the movie. The drama that Spike usually has in his endings is concentrated to the last couple seconds, but in this movie it was strung out over a couple minutes so it was much easier to absorb what it was trying to convey. I enjoyed the flashback (or forward I guess) to what could have happened if Monty weren’t getting arrested for drugs or if he ran away or anything like that. It’s probably a bittersweet thought for Monty, especially as he’s being driven to go to prison, but it might be nice to think of as he’s away for 7 years.
ReplyDelete2. It made the whole movie seem a bit sad and dreary, which I think is a good ambiance to have naturally because a lot of the aspects of the film can seem quite comical even though it’s quite a sad story line and concept.
3. I personally don’t believe it was her. She seemed too strong to me to do that to Monty. I think the movie suggests she’s a dancer of sorts, so it’s not like she’s not in the underground world herself. She also really really loves Monty, so I can’t see her condemning the man she loves just so that she’s doing right by the law. I initially thought that Monty had too much power over Nat, but I actually think that their dynamic was more even than I thought.
1. What were your reactions to the ending of the movie? Did you like it more than other endings we've seen in the past? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI did like the ending much more than the other movies. It was more meaningful and powerful than the last two movies ending just saying “no” or “wake up”.
2. How do you think the movie's references to 9/11 contributed to the plot or central theme of the movie?
I feel like the references of 9/11 made the movies emotions and theme more somber. It added another shadow to an already sad movie. Though it wasn’t prominent, it definitely added another gloomy mood on top of the other themes.
3. Did you think that Naturelle was the one that told the DEA about Monty? What were your reactions to her character? What were your reactions to her and Monty's relationship?
No I don’t think she told the DEA. The other Russian character seemed much more probable and he admitted to it in the movie. I think she was a great character, she was the most deep character compared to many of his other female roles in other movies. I thought the the relationship between them was pretty good. It seemed pretty regular to me