Stars, hide your fires: Let not light see my black and deep desires - Macbeth, to himself, Act I Scene V For many, the life of Dick Cheney is a story of a war criminal and a hawk who sought American dominance across the globe. Even calling him a controversial figure is difficult, as he was almost universally despised at the end of his reign in the White House, tallying a record low 13% approval rating as Vice President in 2008. Taking what is typically a symbolic and quiet backseat role in the Vice Presidency, Cheney would leverage his 8 years underneath George Bush's shadow to completely innovate the role. It is precisely because of this preconception of Cheney's philosophy and the presumption of his motives (i.e. to thrust the country into a new age of heightened American imperialism) that made critics of Cheney chastise the film Vice as completely missing the point. Although Vice certainly does not hold back punches against Cheney's actions and the resulting sn...
Godfather: Michael's Confrontation with the Devil It's not personal Sonny. It's strictly business Those were the words that a puffy cheeked Michael, battered from an altercation with a corrupt police captain operating under the wing of the drug kingpin Virgil Sollozzo, dropped amidst a silent room - a room incapable of taking him seriously just moments before. His past military service didn't change the fact that in the eyes of the families and, indeed, in the eyes of practically every viewer, Michael was just a boy at this point. This scene proves to be an incredibly intense and brilliantly crafted vehicle that marks a pivotal moment not only Michael's boyhood, but also his soul. Background Michael convinces the family to let him perform a hit on Sollozzo, who has already made an attempt to take the life of Vito Corleone (the acting Family Boss at this point). In what is framed to Sollozzo's side as a dinner to discuss peacemaking a...