Caroline Ficken: Aaron Burr part 2 chronicles the duel of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton with a modern parallel. It illustrates the lack of remorse Burr had for Hamilton’s death and the different theories that surround their death match. Dana O’Keefe employs vast scenery and lighting to present Burr’s story historically and in a more contemporary setting. There is the visual of the standoff of Hamilton and Burr that appears consistently throughout the short film. O’Keefe also incorporates a strobe light affect during a battle scene creating a chaotic, scary ambiance and portrays the horror of war. The phone was an interesting incorporation to modernize the piece that paralleled the contemporary story line with the historical tale. One of the final shots of the film is a contemporary twist on the repetitive standoff shot but in the parking lot which now sits on the historical duel sight. The image is overall captivating and brings closure to the historical re-imagining.
Trine Lindberg: “Aaron Burr, Part 2” by Dana O'Keefe is a short film that reenacts the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, which took place on July 11th, 1804. Even though it’s a film about a historical happening, it’s told like a contested narrative. It’s also portrayed as a comedy, with humorous elements, like Burr shooting Hamilton, who melodramatically dies. The film looks at different theories regarding the duel. It’s important to note that Burr is the one telling the story. Burr is the narrator and obviously he’s not bias. I think O’Keefe did a good job with the storytelling. She’s telling a story about an important, historical event. However, she has modernized it, which I thought was interesting. History can often be dull, but because she’s using cellphones and other up-to-date elements, it’s funnier and therefore more exciting to watch. Another aspect I liked was the way O’Keefe portrayed Burr, using lighting. The narrator tells us that people looked at Burr as a bad guy, and O’Keefe emphasizes this when she’s filming him. The lighting is bad and dark, which makes him scary and intimidating.
“Aaron Burr, Part 2” by Dana O’Keefe is a short film that has a modern day twist on the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. It is told from Burr’s perspective and shows his bias. There is a lot happening in this short film. There is a scene of Burr and Hamilton shooting at each other that is replayed many different times throughout, each a little different from the one before. In the battle scene, O’Keefe uses quick flashes to make the scene more dramatic and show the stress and chaos that was going on at the time. The whole film consisted of the voice of Aaron Burr playing over the footage, telling his side of the story. In a few scenes she uses red and blues to set some mood. This short film had many modern day elements to it but was obviously referring to historical facts happening in the early 1800’s. I think that O’Keefe made this more interesting to the viewer with this twist. I like how she also tells us what eventually happened to Aaron Hamilton.
Kayla Cassese: Dana O’Keefe’s “Aaron Burr, Part 2” uses many different cinematic effects to portray its story and the meaning behind it. Things like muffled sound, flashbacks, lighting, and tying together history with present day all contribute to what the truth and intentions behind Aaron Burr. I think that the reason the “Part 2” is included in the title is because of the modern day ideas and components that are present in the film. Although the narrator is directly referring to the civil war and the history of the killing of Alexander Hamilton, he incorporates things like iPhones, texting, ATMs, etc. to provide a contemporary aspect and allow the viewers to see the type of person Aaron Burr would be if he were still alive today. I think that this film was done very well although there are parts of it that could have been a little bit more clear as to what exactly the director was trying to convey by including modern day elements in the film.
Julie Bowman: Dana O'Keefe meshes historical facts and reimagined fiction to produce this historical mocumentary short film. Both the visual and audio aspects grab your attention from the beginning. The visuals begin to pop and the music becomes upbeat with the narration pulling the plot along. If viewers were not aware that this film was a comedy, at the beginning they might believe the story is real. The camera angles match those found in actual historical documentaries and the added historical footage adds to the illusion. The modern technology is necessary for people to realize that the story is fake. The film transitions from looking historical, to mixing modern with historical, and then changing to a modern day setting. The film's theme is not about history versus present day, it is focused on the story of Aaron Burr even though viewers may be distracted by the comical, modern twists.
Jordan Tanner: While the majority of Dana O'Keefe's "Aaron Burr, Part 2" was based on real events, the real thrill of the film is the hilariously biased narrative comes from one of our founding fathers himself. Like Burr says himself in the film, he is known as quite the infamous historical figure but the totally recharged, witty, sharply contemporary version we see here is what made the film for me. As we follow Burr through this comically violent re-imagining like some kind of twisted James Bond type character, the first influence that came to mind was Quentin Tarantino. Similar to his most recent films like Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained, O'Keefe used modern music and stylized dialogue juxtaposed against one of history's more memorable events. And like Tarantino, O'Keefe took her own liberties with this historical event in a fun way, providing quite the spin on a story that has been told by teachers, books and shows for years now. In doing so, new audiences can be informed and even more importantly, entertained, by watching this short film on one of history's more tragically forgotten figures.
Shelby Anderson: While watching "Aaron Burr, Part 2" I felt fairly ignorant because I really had no idea who Aaron Burr was. I know that Hamiliton is on money and that he was important in Revolutionary War history, but that's about it. So I really paid attention to the cinematic elements, and not as much the history behind the story. I did really enjoy the narration, and the sort of sarcastic, egotistical tones that the narrator provided. I really liked the modern influence of the film. It reminded me a lot of the new Great Gatsby directed by Baz Lurmahn. I think the combination of the music and the fast cuts and the modern settings and use of technology created a very interesting piece. However, due to my lack of historical knowledge, I felt pretty confused the entire time as to what the narrator was so bitter about.
Keran Jiang: “Aaron Burr, Part 2” by Dana O'Keefe is a short film, besides, it is very special, I tell a history of United States through character. The scene is fast and meaningful, and the atmosphere is also funny and let people remember. Besides, the aside dub is interesting, It is easily to lead people into the film's world. The film need viewers have lot of knowledge about history, then they can understand the film in a deep way. I am a foreign people, at first, I even don't know what did the film saying. Then, I look for lots of history about america, then I understand some of the film want to tell us. The shot of film is also special. It use many same fighting shot. It is a new angle to tell the film's story. It becomes a line in the film.
Caroline Ficken: Aaron Burr part 2 chronicles the duel of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton with a modern parallel. It illustrates the lack of remorse Burr had for Hamilton’s death and the different theories that surround their death match. Dana O’Keefe employs vast scenery and lighting to present Burr’s story historically and in a more contemporary setting. There is the visual of the standoff of Hamilton and Burr that appears consistently throughout the short film. O’Keefe also incorporates a strobe light affect during a battle scene creating a chaotic, scary ambiance and portrays the horror of war. The phone was an interesting incorporation to modernize the piece that paralleled the contemporary story line with the historical tale. One of the final shots of the film is a contemporary twist on the repetitive standoff shot but in the parking lot which now sits on the historical duel sight. The image is overall captivating and brings closure to the historical re-imagining.
ReplyDeleteTrine Lindberg: “Aaron Burr, Part 2” by Dana O'Keefe is a short film that reenacts the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, which took place on July 11th, 1804. Even though it’s a film about a historical happening, it’s told like a contested narrative. It’s also portrayed as a comedy, with humorous elements, like Burr shooting Hamilton, who melodramatically dies. The film looks at different theories regarding the duel. It’s important to note that Burr is the one telling the story. Burr is the narrator and obviously he’s not bias. I think O’Keefe did a good job with the storytelling. She’s telling a story about an important, historical event. However, she has modernized it, which I thought was interesting. History can often be dull, but because she’s using cellphones and other up-to-date elements, it’s funnier and therefore more exciting to watch. Another aspect I liked was the way O’Keefe portrayed Burr, using lighting. The narrator tells us that people looked at Burr as a bad guy, and O’Keefe emphasizes this when she’s filming him. The lighting is bad and dark, which makes him scary and intimidating.
ReplyDelete“Aaron Burr, Part 2” by Dana O’Keefe is a short film that has a modern day twist on the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. It is told from Burr’s perspective and shows his bias. There is a lot happening in this short film. There is a scene of Burr and Hamilton shooting at each other that is replayed many different times throughout, each a little different from the one before. In the battle scene, O’Keefe uses quick flashes to make the scene more dramatic and show the stress and chaos that was going on at the time. The whole film consisted of the voice of Aaron Burr playing over the footage, telling his side of the story. In a few scenes she uses red and blues to set some mood. This short film had many modern day elements to it but was obviously referring to historical facts happening in the early 1800’s. I think that O’Keefe made this more interesting to the viewer with this twist. I like how she also tells us what eventually happened to Aaron Hamilton.
ReplyDeleteKayla Cassese: Dana O’Keefe’s “Aaron Burr, Part 2” uses many different cinematic effects to portray its story and the meaning behind it. Things like muffled sound, flashbacks, lighting, and tying together history with present day all contribute to what the truth and intentions behind Aaron Burr. I think that the reason the “Part 2” is included in the title is because of the modern day ideas and components that are present in the film. Although the narrator is directly referring to the civil war and the history of the killing of Alexander Hamilton, he incorporates things like iPhones, texting, ATMs, etc. to provide a contemporary aspect and allow the viewers to see the type of person Aaron Burr would be if he were still alive today. I think that this film was done very well although there are parts of it that could have been a little bit more clear as to what exactly the director was trying to convey by including modern day elements in the film.
ReplyDeleteJulie Bowman: Dana O'Keefe meshes historical facts and reimagined fiction to produce this historical mocumentary short film. Both the visual and audio aspects grab your attention from the beginning. The visuals begin to pop and the music becomes upbeat with the narration pulling the plot along. If viewers were not aware that this film was a comedy, at the beginning they might believe the story is real. The camera angles match those found in actual historical documentaries and the added historical footage adds to the illusion. The modern technology is necessary for people to realize that the story is fake. The film transitions from looking historical, to mixing modern with historical, and then changing to a modern day setting. The film's theme is not about history versus present day, it is focused on the story of Aaron Burr even though viewers may be distracted by the comical, modern twists.
ReplyDeleteJordan Tanner: While the majority of Dana O'Keefe's "Aaron Burr, Part 2" was based on real events, the real thrill of the film is the hilariously biased narrative comes from one of our founding fathers himself. Like Burr says himself in the film, he is known as quite the infamous historical figure but the totally recharged, witty, sharply contemporary version we see here is what made the film for me. As we follow Burr through this comically violent re-imagining like some kind of twisted James Bond type character, the first influence that came to mind was Quentin Tarantino. Similar to his most recent films like Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained, O'Keefe used modern music and stylized dialogue juxtaposed against one of history's more memorable events. And like Tarantino, O'Keefe took her own liberties with this historical event in a fun way, providing quite the spin on a story that has been told by teachers, books and shows for years now. In doing so, new audiences can be informed and even more importantly, entertained, by watching this short film on one of history's more tragically forgotten figures.
ReplyDeleteShelby Anderson: While watching "Aaron Burr, Part 2" I felt fairly ignorant because I really had no idea who Aaron Burr was. I know that Hamiliton is on money and that he was important in Revolutionary War history, but that's about it. So I really paid attention to the cinematic elements, and not as much the history behind the story. I did really enjoy the narration, and the sort of sarcastic, egotistical tones that the narrator provided. I really liked the modern influence of the film. It reminded me a lot of the new Great Gatsby directed by Baz Lurmahn. I think the combination of the music and the fast cuts and the modern settings and use of technology created a very interesting piece. However, due to my lack of historical knowledge, I felt pretty confused the entire time as to what the narrator was so bitter about.
ReplyDeleteKeran Jiang: “Aaron Burr, Part 2” by Dana O'Keefe is a short film, besides, it is very special, I tell a history of United States through character. The scene is fast and meaningful, and the atmosphere is also funny and let people remember. Besides, the aside dub is interesting, It is easily to lead people into the film's world. The film need viewers have lot of knowledge about history, then they can understand the film in a deep way. I am a foreign people, at first, I even don't know what did the film saying. Then, I look for lots of history about america, then I understand some of the film want to tell us. The shot of film is also special. It use many same fighting shot. It is a new angle to tell the film's story. It becomes a line in the film.
ReplyDelete