Commentary of scenes

      In the first scene Ray's friend says he doesn't want to sing anymore for the whites. This scene talks about a taboo subject: racism. In exemple, in 1950, racism was very present in the United States. Ray Charles lives in this period when  the buses were segregated. While Ray announces he wants to go to the south, his friend says that it's not a city for negreos: "We went down there, and it felt like I walked into a prison cell. I'm never playing the jim crow again. Ever". Ray on the contrary insists on the money they could make. Indeeed, the whithes people like black' music, nethertheless they denigrate those who make it.

      The second scene takes place in 1961 and turns around the rights of the blacks. For exemple, the withs can dance on the floor, the blacks can't. Ray must sing in Georgia. Here, demonstrators against racism try to convince Ray he doesn't must sing for the whites. One of them says: "Negroes are being persecuted every day ! We can change things!" Ray resigns himself to sing for support the rights of the blacks.

      The third scene takes place in 1971 in Georgia. Representatives of Georgia apologize to Ray Charles. They recognize Ray fought for the blacks, not with political acts but every day with his songs. It's a victory for him and also for all blacks people.

      Ray Charles was an artist who touched people. Thus, he had a big influence on the American culture.

Amavy

    Our summary:  

  "Ray" is a movie published in 2004, directed by Taylor Harford and written by James-L.Whrite. This film talks about the story of the famous blind singer and pianist Ray Charles. 

He was a child who came from the lower class. He was a tormented soul after the death of his brother, because his brother died whereas they were playing together. After his mother's death, he left his hometown in order to become a pianist. Sucess didn't stop growing even if his career was hard because of his disability, his addiction to heroin, handicap, racism wich was too present in this time, his love for women and his inability to be faithful.

Harmony and Lucy.

AMERICAN FASHION IN THE 50s

In the fifties, we could see two kinds of fashion :

The first is influenced by the new creations more rafinity, feminity and glamourous than before the end of the World War II. In the film we could observe this two style : 

  

 This kind of mentality and style is particuraly visible on one of the studient,  Elizabeth "Betty" Warren played by Kristen Dunst. 

But, in the same time, there was the apparition of Rock'n'roll which influenced the style of a lot of persons, like, in the film, the main character Katherine Ann Watson played by Julia Robert, who was a rebel in her personnality, but in this styl too. At the begining, she was feminine and elegant in class, but more later appeared her real style. Rebel. 

 Look yourself:

At the begining :

 

More later in the film :


Here, we can see that she wear bleu large jean and a multicolour jacket. That is completly different of the feminine fashion that we can saw with the two fisrt pictures.

 


Or here, again with a multicolore jacket and a large bonnet. This elements make a contrast between the imposed style in the school (more elegant). 

It's the sign of a new mouvment and her different personnality. 




One of her studient, addopted this style "rebel", "rock'n'roll" :

Giselle, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal.

The characters :

To my mind, we can't speak about the film, if we don't speak about the different characters! Therefore I chosen my two favorite characters in Mona Lisa Smile to give you some details about them.

Firstly, the teacher Katherine Watson played by Julia Roberts : for me, she represents the modern woman, in the twentieth century, who wants change the mind of her students. She is very open-minded and free-spirited. She's not married - at that time it was very strange - because most woman were married at a young age.

Secondly, Betty Warren played by Kirsten Dunst : in my opinion, she represents the perfect woman in the twentieth century, she is a stereotype, because she is married with an excellent student (her husband studies at Harvard). She obeys her mother, because her mother has a lot of expectations. At the end, she takes her life into her own hands, and pursues her studies. These two diametrically opposed women, at the end of the film, become close with the same spirit !

Lucy 

The fities, rock'n roll of course !

What is a film without music ?
If you want my opinion, it is not really a good film.

Who has already seen a horror movie without shrill music?

Who has already seen a romantic movie without love music ?

In Mona Lisa smile, we find songs of the fifties, nevertheless I prefer to speak about the rock'n roll, a type of music appeared also in 1950 !

The rock'n roll was born during the fifties, when the young people was against the society and anticommunist.

This music style inspeared to diverse music style afro-American in particular the rhythm and blues.

The main instruments used for this music are the guitar, the piano, the saxophone and the drum.

The birth of rock'n roll is followed by the appearance of the vinyl record and the electric guitar.

The USA discovers the rock'n roll with Bill Haley, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, the pioneers of this type of music.

However, they have not invented the rock'n roll but they are the early singers of this type of music and they managed to make it can't ignored during the fifties.

Bill Haley: Rock around the clock

Then, the USA discovers Little Richard and the famous Elvis Presley, named also "The King".

  

Little Richard, Long tall sally; Elvis Presley, Jailhouse rock



Amavy

The new technologies for women

In 1945, there was progress technical, in particular the washing machine.

 Contemporaneously, they will legalized contraception and abortion. 

There was the invention of colour television in 1951 in the United States.

The creation of the microwave that is the first oven was established in 1952. 

All that was very expensive at the time.
It was more for the rich or when they got married, their family were offering household. All that many helpt women, they were happy. 

At the past, with the new technologies, women had more time for shopping and going to the hairdresser's. They have more time for them. 

Manon 

Our Review .

Mona Lisa Smile :

           Mona Lisa Smile speaks about the women of 1950 and their mentality. This movie raises in an interesting question, the future of women in society after the after Worl war.

         The film praises the intelligence of women, even if they are submitted. It's inthralling to see Miss Waston convices and inspire her studens to have the bravery to fight for them existence they would like to really live. The other characters (students) seem unsympathic and unpleasant but it was the past mentality in the nineteeth century. Betty, the character played for Kristen Dust, seems to be a minx even if it's only her view of life ; later, she redeems  her faults. BUT  In our opinion, the socio-historical context in witch the characters evolve and the frame of the story are interesting, but the conclusion of the movie witch lets us think that the character's mind had changed is for us a little flat because the feelings of the characters are depicted in a wevy that we can't really understand what they are psychologicall living. We think, that we can't put ourselves in the character's mentality thout understing their deepest feelings.

       Finally, we recomend this film !