Da Vincis The Mona Lisa Essay -- Visual Arts Paintings Art Da Vinci J

Da Vinci's The Mona Lisa When I first look at the ‘Mona Lisa’, I notice the intriguing look that is on her face. The expression is one that reminds me of a lady that is neither happy nor sad, smiling nor frowning. Her skin is very smooth and she has no blemishes, but also she has no eyebrows, which makes her look quite strange. At different times the expression on Mona Lisa changes. Sometimes she is giving a cheeky smile and others she looks puzzled. This is very strange and almost magical. Also, when looking at the Mona Lisa, I notice that her face is bathed in light. This light is almost heavenly and gives the impression that she is angelic. But on the contrary, another thing I notice is the dark clothing and gloomy mysterious background setting. The dark clothing and the veil covering her hair give the impression that she has been to a funeral or is in mourning. The background setting is very mysterious. The winding roads, ravenous mountains and the gloomy fog all add to the mystery. It is as if the background is right out of a fantasy story. Another weird thing that the background does is makes the beholder unsure on which time of day it is in the picture. The painting is Oil on a poplar wood panel. This was Da Vinci’s main style. It may have helped to create the Sfumato technique. The size of the painting is 77cm x 53cm, this is quite a small size for such a great painting. Da Vinci may have done this to make it look more lifelike so the beh...

Creative Piece for as Level English Literature Coursework Comparing Two Film Adaptations of ‘Hamlet’ Essay

Kenneth Branagh takes Hamlet from play to screen in an intense, full-length adaptation and he got it right! Gregory Doran also takes a whack at bringing Hamlet from the stage to the screen but with a more modern-day interpretation. Branagh restores Hamlet’s greatest scenes and brings out the most in Shakespeare’s awe-inspiring revenge-tragedy plot; in both performance and direction, Branagh displays energy and cogency. The language has the upmost clarity and makes the film feel accessible and comprehensible for a range of viewers. Branagh’s pragmatic approach, which includes short illustrative ‘flashbacks’, work as a perfectly credible cinematic device that helps the audience to understand the complex scenarios. Branagh tends to rant on and shout throughout the film, especially in his soliloquys, but to the audience it could feel commanding and passionate and so it creates quite an impressive effect. The musical scores are generally helpful, although on occasions they don’t quite fit in with the mood, for example in Act 4, Scene 4, during Hamlet’s speech, the music just made it more humorous rather than serious and dramatic, honestly it sounded more like a cheesy American speech with a flag in the background! At the start of the film, the setting is a bit weak, with the shaking of the earth and the appearance of the ghost proving to be a poor attempt at special effects! However the film then gets flooded with colour and majestically inviting grand halls and rooms which are truly beautiful. The BBC’s adaptation of Hamlet (2009), takes a modern-day approach; from the start it is clear that this adaptation is modern dress, Hamlet wears jeans and a T-shirt and he kills Polonius with a handgun, as well as there being Helicopters and women in military roles. Some dialogue and scenes were ‘trimmed’ and adapted to suit viewers of the modern day and unlike the exuberant, bravura styling of Branagh’s version, Doran has favoured a more refined minimalist dramatization. Whilst the production design is theatrical, Doran directs the camera in a manner that is more typical of television; he uses a few cinematic flourishes and can reach angles that would be impossible on the stage. The use of modern CCTV may enforce the element of surveillance but their clumsy, intrusive functioning is more distractive rather than innovative. It is interesting however how Doran puts a camera in Hamlet’s hands to highlight that character’s observations of others. Onstage, Tennant made eye-contact with the audience, bringing  viewers into the plot and the tense impression of the play; this quality was also apparent in the film where Tennant looks directly into the camera, enhancing the meaning behind the text whilst recreating the theatrical intimacy. Branagh doesn’t stray from the original text in his exciting adaptation of Hamlet and the cast, acting, set and overall production was brilliant and can really captivate viewers. However despite the fact the former Doctor Who star tackled his role with an excellent fierceness, Doran’s modern-day approach was nowhere near as dynamic as Branagh’s performance.

The Goal of the United States Criminal Justice System

Within the United States Criminal Justice System, it is not only goal to simply punish those who break the law, but to also reduce the level of criminal activity. In order to fulfill this important aspect of the Criminal Justice System, offenders must be rehabilitated and motivated to refrain from engaging in further criminal activity so that they do not return to prison. Since the early 1990’s, our country’s crime rate has been declining. Studies such as the Pew Safety Performance Project point out that this is an important goal for correctional systems to keep in mind, but it is not the only one. Pew Safety believes that ensuring the taxpayer dollars are spent effectively is also an important aspect of the correctional system.†¦show more content†¦A study such as Samuel Himelstein’s Meditation Research: The State of the Art in Correctional Settings, explores and reviews empirical research â€Å"regarding the effects of meditation-based programs in cor rectional populations.† In other words, Himelstein takes into account different forms of treatment aimed at rehabilitating prisoners so that they refrain from recidivism and are not placed back into jail. Himelstein looks at treatments such as Transcendental Meditation, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and Vipassana Meditation, and looks at insights and results from researchers such as APA member and professor of Psychology Craig Hanley, professor of Psychology Ruth A. Baer, and more insightful results from numerous researchers. Himelstein’s article analyzes how â€Å"inmates who participate in meditation-based programs displayed decreased anxiety, aggressiveness, hostility, substance use, and recidivism of incarceration, and examines an increased social, interpersonal, and overall psychological well-being in inmate participants† (Himelstein, 647). Methods In the Pew Safety Performance Project, researchers analyzed the returns to prison for 33 for inmates who were released in 1999, and analyzed a separate group of inmates from 41 states that were released in 2004 (two cohorts). The fact that Pew analyzed returns in this way, it wasShow MoreRelatedThe Criminal Justice System1308 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Criminal Justice System The criminal justice system refers to the way in which a society chooses to handle all aspects of crime and punishment. 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