Comments by
Kelly Askew
I think that this video is such a stark contrast to the previous videos. Unlike the others, this one utilizes music and more upbeat images. I think it’s really interesting how the two seem to work so well in the same movie.
I also think the lack of songs and talking really add to this video. I mean the only sounds are the struggle underwater, the creaking of the ropes tied around his wrists and the sound of the platform as he falls. The lack of sound and the presence of such realistic sounds is quite unsettling.
I agree completely. I really like how the director seemed to show every inch of Peyton’s surroundings and almost slow down his last couple of minutes. I think it is probably realistic of a person’s last few minutes,and i also think such a vivid description of his surroundings shows how Peyton was probably searching for a way to escape.
i thought this clip was a really interesting one, and the ticking clock really stood out to me. The ticking, compacted with the silence of most of the clip and also the vision of his wife sort of expressed distress. I think the clock really put some stress and urgency into the mood of this clip, which varies a lot from what i understood from the actual text.
I think the same thing. I think the song is just completely wrong for the video as well as the story. I just don’t think the song fits the time period of the story, and it’s just sort of strange sounding.
I agree–I think that the movie takes away from some of the ambiguity that was created in the context of the original story. It would be impossible to not spell things out for viewers.
I also agree with Alex and Daniel. I think that the mood of the stories are exemplified in the video.
I thought that was really interesting as well, and really realistic of how people behave when they’re under pressure and their adrenaline starts to kick in.
I thought the line about “perhaps he has merely recovered from a delirium” is interesting because obviously this whole paragraph is very much a part of his ongoing delirium.
I also think that the the uncanny revelation was an important point of this paragraph. i couldn’t really put my finger on it, but it just seems strange to use this description. It made me feel like he really discovered something of importance while trying to find his way through the wilderness.
That was one thing I picked up after reading this paragraph too. The graphic detail Bierce uses makes it seem like Peyton has already been hung, and it adds to the shocking and even creepy effect of the story.
I agree, the ending of the story is shocking because throughout the whole 3rd part of the story, Bierce really has the readers thinking that Peyton has pulled off the impossible and actually escaped. However, with this last sentence the readers realize this isn’t the case and the story is left to a lot of interpretation.
I completely agree with you Christina. This paragraph of the story really struck me as the turning point for the passage. Up until this point I think he and the reader truly believe he can actually escape, however, now he really starts to doubt himself.
Agreed, and I also think this paragraph goes a long way in explaining what is happening in the first paragraph, it really clears up why Peyton is being hanged.
Obviously, the author doesn’t go into a lot of background information, but from the first passage, I think that the army is targeting Peyton because they’ve had lots of little sabotages like the burning of a bridge before. In the first paragraph, they talk about how no job is too small for Peyton and I think what he was trying to do at Owl Creek is definitely no his first time trying to hurt the opposing army.
I didn’t even think about the meaning of the white hands. I agree that it definitely stands out, especially against the description of the the “gray-clad” soldier, and I think your interpretation of innocence was a good one.
I completely agree. I think this paragraph shows how consumed people get with war. In the first part, Peyton is wishing that he could escape and return to his family and he would be so happy, however, here he endangers himself deliberately all for ‘the cause.’
I agree with you Alex. I think that this paragraph is Peyton’s real downfall. It is here that he makes his big mistake and reveals himself to the soldier, who is obviously trying to trap him. Here he seals his fate, in a sense.
I completely agree. What I gathered from reading the story was that he went over to the Union side of the bridge and got caught. Therefore, the Union was hanging him.
I agree, I think these thoughts are really just instinct, he knows what’s going to happen and he can’t help but hope for something else. At the same time, I’m not sure that I believe that the man ever really thought we would be able to accomplish any of these plans.
I think the term “liberal military code” is kind of ironic. With all of its rules and strict enforcements, especially at a time of war, I thought it was interesting that the the author chose the word liberal to describe the military code.
The line that really struck me from this paragraph was the one about how the sentinels could have been statues that adorn the bridge, and that death is a dignitary. All of the descriptions are so detached, and I think that the description of death gives it life like qualities, which is kind of eerie, in my opinion. I felt like he reduced the living people to inanimate objects and instead gave death a life of its own.
I agree! I think this would have been a good addition to our podcast. Instead of really explicitly showing emotions in this short story, Pierce plays around with the timing of the story. By doing this, he really forces the readers to infer and search for meaning in the short story.
I agree, I think that especially for this paragraph, time seems to slow down. By slowing down time, I think the author really emphasizes what the man’s last few minutes of life are like. Plus, it makes a really good transition to go back into his past.
I disagree, I think that the author purposely makes a point to use the words he does and the detailed description of the hanging and setting to try and convey the reality to the readers. I think by using all the military description Pierce better depicts the reality of the events.