Thea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Thea - Essay Example During this era, Hollywood or cinema was becoming an imperative part in the development of the fashion industry. Cinema became the mode of shifting attention from the sorrowful scenario generated due to war. Hollywood actresses played crucial roles in determining the fashion statements of the year. Uche Okonkwo in the renowned book; â€Å"Luxury Fashion Branding: Trends, Tactics, Techniques† mentioned, â€Å"This led to the increase of the style and fashion influences of Hollywood actresses like Marilyn Monroe, Liza Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot† (Okonkwo 30). THESIS STATEMENT This essay intends to focus on the influence the costumes of the movies in 1940s had on the general fashion of the era. Moreover, keeping in view the two prominent actresses who were extremely popular in that generation in Hollywood, Audrey Hepburn and Katherine Hepburn, the essay focuses on the stylistics and fashion statement of these two divas on the society as a whole. FASHION OF HOLLYWOOD IN 1940s To understand the fashion and style of Hollywood films during 1940s, it is essential to study the nature of film produced during the era and the characteristics and features of those films particularly. Film Noir is a product of these decades, but 1940s and 50s observed the increase of Hollywood musicals as well. The decade viewed a mix feeling of emotion and maturity in the films. With the disappearing of the war generated distress among people, it was a suitable time for the people to celebrate a new beginning and reunite. Depressing activities of war time started eradicating slowly during this decade. In its place, action, adventure and fun began to take priority for the subject of the movies. Taking the opportunity, Hollywood started focusing on entertainment, making it a component for profitable film making. This kind of fun, adventure and family dramas did involve a considerable amount of scope for fashion and decorative settings. People were significantly m otivated towards following the decoration appearing on the film sets and the hair style, shoes and bags along with jewelleries worn or used by their dream man or woman on the silver screen. ROLE OF ACTRESSES IN DETERMINING THE FASHION STATEMENT OF 1940S: A CLOSE STUDY OF STYLISTICS OF AUDREY HEPBURN AND KATHERINE HEPBURN The movies of 1940s did give birth to a number of new actors and actresses in Hollywood films. The emergence of such new talents brought with it a combination of new tastes and new faces which positively altered the meaning of cinema. It also expanded cinema totally from a very conventional form. The spectacular aspects depicted in the films started to get apparent through the costumes and fashion statements of the heroines. It would be unfair to take the name of one of the timeless beauties of Hollywood when fashion statement and its depiction in cinema become the topic for discussion. Audrey Hepburn made a stunning performance in the film ‘Roman Holiday†™ in the year 1953. As regards to her fashion statement, it is quite necessary to mention that Audrey Hepburn has made her space in the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame. The appeal and style with which she carried all her apparel added an extra attraction to them. Actually, 1940s witnessed the huge addition of women into the film industry. Thus, the pioneers like Hepburn had to take the extra care of maintaining the dignity and respect of women appearing on screen as icons of independent American

Controversy that Surrounds Capital Punishment Research Paper

Controversy that Surrounds Capital Punishment - Research Paper Example Capital Punishment Capital punishment is one of the most controversial aspects of the administration of criminal justice. Its documented history is rooted in the early eighteenth century B.C. among the Babylonians under the leadership of King Hammurabi, who is associated with the Hammurabi Code (Brians 59). This code contained 282 laws that governed that society, with more than twenty-five of these laws advocating for the death penalty as a punishment for the crimes committed. These crimes included stealing from temples, breaking and entering, false accusations, and adultery, among others. During this period, the major modes of execution seemed to be harsh and inhumane and bent towards making the culprits suffer before they eventually died. For example, depending on the crimes committed, convicted criminals were put to death through burning, crucifixion, drowning, or even being beaten to death (Brians 64). In the United States, the first documented execution with regard to capital pu nishment can be traced back to the year 1608, when Captain George Kendall was killed for allegedly spying on Britain for Spain (Cassel 14). It may be important to note that the United States at this time was under the colonial rule of the Britons, who are credited with the introduction of the death penalty in the pre-independence era. The second execution was that of a Daniel Frank from the then-colony of Virginia, who was accused of committing robbery, an act that was contrary to the divine, moral, and martial laws of 1612 which were enforced by the governor, Sir Thomas Dale, and which prescribed the death penalty for crimes that would be considered petty today. Crimes that earned the death penalty included stealing items such as grapes, doing business with Indians, or merely killing a chicken (Cassel 23). The death penalty has been in existence so long that it is entrenched in many cultures (Bedau 12). It is therefore no surprise that many countries, including the post-independenc e United States, have embraced the death penalty as one way of deterring crimes, especially those considered capital offenses. However, the scope within which it is applied has been reduced significantly over the years to limit it to crimes such as first-degree murder and treason, as seen in most of the states’ penal codes. Other capital offenses include drug trafficking, kidnapping, aircraft hijacking, perjury, and acts of terrorism, among others, but these vary by state (Bedau 28). This means that committing perjury resulting in death may attract a death sentence in California but a more lenient punishment in a state such as Oklahoma. The military can also sentence soldiers to death in times of war for committing crimes such as desertion, rebelling openly against their superiors’ orders, or betraying their own forces, thereby compromising their mission. However, most of these crimes are uncommon, and murder has been the crime that has most often resulted in the appli cation of the death penalty in the United States (Roberts 132). Unlike in the pre-modern societies such as the Babylonians under Hammurabi, the carrying out of death sentences has taken more humane forms, which are less primitive and aimed at getting the results (i.e., the death of the convict) rather than inflicting pain. In this context, most