Monthly Archives: February 2012

Going into The Pawn Broker, I had expected the mix of cultures to be healthy and to encourage acceptance and all that cliché jazz. I was surprised when I saw Nazerman’s character right off the bat.  When I realized that … Continue reading →

From east to west, from south to north, “Hester Street,” “West Side Story,” “The Brother From Another Planet” and “The Pawnbroker” have depicted the major underprivileged neighborhoods in New York City: the Lower East Side, West Side, and Harlem. All … Continue reading →

Neighborhoods can be depicted very differently depending on the director that created the movie. In my post, I will analyze three different movies to demonstrate how locations and cinematic effects can contribute to the “feel” of the neighborhoods. I will … Continue reading →

The Pawnbroker depicts the interaction among ethnicities in a populated neighborhood. This interaction is seen between the Jewish, African-American, and Puerto-Rican residents in this diversely fashioned Harlem environment. First and far most, the beginning of the movie shows various types … Continue reading →

I would like to answer blog prompt two. I think what connected the different ethnic groups as well as those living in the ghettos of the past and present in general were the flashbacks. As mentioned in the Hirsch article, … Continue reading →

While viewing The Pawnbroker (1964), I actually commiserated with Sol Nazerman. I agree that his aloof attitude toward others may be harsh, but the distressing events that he witnessed greatly impacted his personality. To see his own two children and … Continue reading →

Happy “Get Valentine’s Day Chocolate for Half-Price Day!” More importantly, Happy Birthday Kathleen! ^_^ As the adage goes, everything happens for a reason. This is especially applicable when studying film. The Jazz Singer, Hester Street, Brother From Another Planet, West … Continue reading →

Though the main protagonist of the film – Sol Nazerman – is Jewish and the story seems to mostly focus on how he deals with (or rather, refuses to deal with) life after the Holocaust, there are a number of … Continue reading →