Eloquence of Landscapes in the Western Film Genre Movie Review

Eloquence of Landscapes in the Western Film Genre - Movie Review Example In both films the landscape effectively highlights salient features of the storyline and characterizes its inhabitants in a way similar to the Westerns reviewed in Jane Tompkin's insightful West of Everything (70-87). Winton C. Hoch photographed The Searchers in VistaVision,1 cinematography in Technicolor with wide-angle perspective, on-location in Monument Valley. According to the Special Features section of the DVD edition, beyond the colorful sandstone spires and buttes reminiscent of its ancient inhabitants, the cameras caught on film a living, breathing recent element of the desert landscape in some of the 500 destitute Navajo families employed as actors on the set (Ford). Loyal Griggs actually won an Academy Award for his second director-of-photography effort in Shane. Ultimately all Griggs had to do was to position his camera with some aplomb and let the Grand Tetons of Wyoming speak with quiet eloquence (Purdy). Filmed in Technicolor in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and shown on an expanded screen that served to emphasize the vastness and beauty of the fertile surroundings, the film creates a living picture of the boundless promise of the American frontier, "forever framing the action in relation to the unspoiled land surrounding it." (Crowther) In her evaluation of the Western film Tompkins compares the sanctuary of the homestead or the pioneer cabin with the rugged challenges of the desert landscape (87). The Searchers opens from the safety of one family's haven into the vast reaches of the unfolding story as a lone figure on horseback rides slowly into view out of the barren wilderness. The breadth and length of the landscape scenes create a sense of authenticity for the much-abridged time and distances of the unfolding action in the narrative. The Searchers will come full circle to an identical doorway as members of a reunited family press past the threshold into their home totally oblivious to the hero as the door closes on the lonely drifter striding quietly back into the dusty landscape (Ford). On the other hand, the point of view in Shane is chiefly through the eyes of young Joey as the child vigilantly watches the distant stretches of Wyoming prairie where sundry strangers make their debut in the story from the outlying horizon. The viewpoint on the closing action will belong to Joey as well when the landscape, veiled in darkness, echoes with the child's heartbreaking appeals for his friend to return, and the wounded Shane slips quietly out of his life into the shadowy oblivion of the Wyoming hills (Stevens). Tompkins suggests that the genius of the Western is to have the terrain speak for itself (71). The physical settings in each film visually develop unique aspects of the narrative in much the same way as background music creates an ambience that heightens the emotion and suspense of the drama. In The Searchers the harsh nature of the character's surroundings accentuates its isolating and dangerous nature for the extended pioneer family (O'Brien). In striking contrast to the welcoming and simple world filmed inside the log cabin, where Ethan Edwards yearns to fit in, is the Civil War veteran's native element in the brutal and unforgiving environment which at last lures him away yet again into its untamed independence (O'Brien). The Shane exploits are mostly reflected through the eyes

Intoduction to HRM 3 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Intoduction to HRM 3 - Coursework Example The emphasis is on improving performance and retention for the employee as well as improving the performance of the company according to the new vision statement of Nowhere else makes you feel this good. Cafe Company wants to regain market share and believes that the way to do that is to provide tools to the person who is in direct contact with the customer – the barista (Green and Duncan n.d.). The overall aim and learning objectives (Green and Duncan n.d.; Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, and Wright 2003) The barista will see clearly how significant their value is in creating the ultimate experience as a barista around the globe at Cafe Company (Oakland and Oakland 1998); Each new barista will adopt the vision statement that Cafe Company creates the best coffee experience in the world by stating, Nowhere else makes you feel this good; Each new barista will have the skills and the coffee know-how to do prepare basic coffees per customer request. The barista will adopt the skills as taught at the two-day session ensuring the barista will be able to provide the ultimate coffee experience for the customer; By providing the ultimate coffee experience for the customer, the barista will be capable of retaining the existing customers and win over new customers. How this training programme will improve the performance of the employees Mathis and Jackson (1991); Noe et al. ... This is referred to as a systems approach to training. Previously, there has been nothing formal. The new employee was essentially left to their own devices or if they lucked out and happened to get partnered with an experienced barista they may succeed. To deter the level of turnover in the locations, this training programme will provide a solid jumping off spot for all new colleagues to ensure they have the basic tools of a professional barista. Creating an experience for a customer is not the same as simply making a cup of coffee. Learning the difference and creating that experience is what this training is all about. Timetable for Two Days Programme, Timing and Resources The timetable is outlined using the tables for each day below. The resources needed will be a formal training area such as a classroom size room large enough to fit 12 – 16 people comfortably. Based on the training model provided the class will need access to an area to make coffees that is not a live coff ee house at the time the training takes place (Mathis and Jackson 1991). The training is structured over two days and includes a multitude of alternate speakers rather than residing solely on Human Resources or Training and Development personnel. Access to these staff and agreement from the authorities these staff report to that they will be present and available and focused on the new Baristas will be vital for the success of this model. This model also requires that a Barista training manual be designed with the core components of customer service, quality, cleanliness and coffee know-how. This manual may be a hard copy, but could be purely electronic as well. This will serve as a ready reference for information provided in this session as well as future training