Songcatcher Essay Example
Songcatcher Essay Example

Songcatcher Essay Example

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  • Pages: 3 (712 words)
  • Published: May 7, 2017
  • Type: Review
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The film Songcatcher is wonderfully created to depict the Appalachian culture. Directed by Maggie Greenwald in 2000, the movie is set in Appalachia where most people are musically inclined. It is a story of discovery and musical tradition which is passed on from generation to generation.

Viewers will find themselves amazed throughout the whole film since it is an informative and enjoyable film.Lead cast Janet McTeer plays the role of Dr. Lily Penleric who works as a music professor in the film made a visit to her sister Eleanor played by Jane Adams who is in charge of an Appalachian rural school. There was a lot of discovery made by the lead character as she found out herself that the Appalachian culture is something that should be preserved and be very proud of. Lily endea

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vors in the film to collect the ballad songs of Ulter Scots and Scots-Irish so that she can secure her job promotion.

As she collects the said song one by one, she feels united with the music itself and how it made a huge impact in the lives of people.Deladis Slocumb played by Emmanuele Rossum is a talented orphan when it comes to music and aided Lily as she collects the songs one by one. The music possesses purity and passion from the local people as they took courage and shaped up a life full of meaning amidst the harsh environment that surrounds them. Much as she wanted to help the Appalachian culture’s improvement, she acts meticulously since she found out that the land needs to be saved from Earl Giddens a representative of Ambrose McFarland who is a coal magnate.The fil

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also depicts the lives of women on the said culture since Lily found out that Eleanor is involved in a lesbian relationship. The perception of immorality takes place as the film went along since the profession of Eleanor is something to be taken seriously because her partner is also working as a teacher in their educational institution.

Women’s lives in the films are quite conflicting since there is a crisis of conscience on the part of Lily because she is aware that her sister is involved in an awful relationship.Due to the aforementioned events, Lily started to change her perception about the culture and looks at mountain people as savage and much uncivilized. She gained empathy for them and search for ways to improve the condition of the culture. She acted by attending a party and encouraged filthy rich people like Reverend Merriweather and Clementine to purchase several paintings and other products from the Appalachian people. Lily wanted other people to discover the cultural heritage of Appalachia and be amazed about their musical talents and other enthralling qualities.Through her pursuant of making the Appalachian culture known by other people, she crossed path with Tom Bledsoe played by Aidan Quinn who eventually fell in love with her.

He was a war veteran and a very talented musician who supported her cause about the Appalachian life. Then, one dreadful night, Eleanor and her lesbian partner were discovered kissing in the woods which made people ridicule them. It was an immoral act that was judged by other people by burning them together in the school building.Deladis was also victimized by the fire as well as Lily’s collection of

phonograph recording and ballads’ transcriptions.

All of Lily’s hard work tuned into ashes. She was faced in a situation of choosing between collecting every ballad all by herself or promote the mountain music to the rest of the country so that the music be known by others. She ended up selling the recordings of mountain music to the civilization. She met Cyrus Whittle who helped her produce ballads that were based on original mountain music.

Music is given prior importance in the film. The same way that morality is given importance since there are prejudicial judgments for women who are involved in lesbian relationships. Outsiders often thought that mountain life is boring and eccentric but the film Songcatcher changed this perception since the discoveries of ballads were made. The beauty of ballads reunited the liking of mountain people and outsiders which made a lot of difference in the recording and music industry.

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