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What Should “Humans” Hope to Add to Discourse About the Relationship Between Humans and Lifelike AI?

If well-written, the show should be able to touch on many powerful themes using its premise: love and authenticity, sentience, slavery and control, freedom and servitude, humanity vs. programming,…

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What Does “Avengers 2: Age of Ultron” Have to Say About the Post-Soviet States in Eastern Europe?

Age of Ultron contains many artistic decisions meant to reflect the dreary and hopeless feeling that is associated with the region of the world where a large portion of the film is set –…

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In “Léon: The Professional,” How are Sexual and Mature Concepts Presented Between the Characters?

A complicated relationship exists between Leon and Mathilda, but the intent is pure if examined the way it was meant to be seen.

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How Was Natalie Portman Discovered and Cast in “Léon: The Professional” at Such a Young Age?

Originally turned down for the role of Mathilda due to her age, Portman proved herself to director Luc Besson as the right person to play Mathilda.

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What Are the Differences Between “Léon: The Professional’s” Various Cuts?

Two major cuts of Léon: The Professional exist, which are vastly different in length and alter much of the tone of the main relationship in the film.

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Did Tony in “Léon: The Professional” Ever Intend to Give Léon His Money?

Tony doesn't appear willing to pay for Léon's specialty work. Instead, he's waiting for the inevitable to happen so he can keep a lifetime of earnings for himself.

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In “Léon: The Professional,” Why Do They Drink So Much Milk?

The milk is a metaphor that helps build comparisons between its two main characters, among other things.

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How Did the “Outlander” Production Team Handle the Dark Source Material for the Season 1 Finale?

Respecting the darkness of the original source material while making an adaptation into a visual medium was always going to be a challenge for Ronald D. Moore and the Outlander production team. The…

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In “The Seventh Seal,” What Questions are Asked in Block’s Confession at the church? And Why?

The confession scene illustrates the type of questions that religious believers often struggle with, including director Ingmar Bergman

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What is the Significance of “The Seventh Seal’s” Strawberries and Milk Scene?

The knight's time spent in the company of a loving family provides him an escape from the questions of God and faith that normally torment his mind.

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In “The Seventh Seal,” Why did Bergman Use the Crusades Period as an Allegory to Convey His Message?

The middle ages provides an escapist setting for Bergman’s narrative, and an effectively captivating context for the material.

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How Did “The Seventh Seal” Coin the Term “Bergmanesque,” Referencing a Bleak Psychological Worldview?

Film scholars created the term Bergmanesque to describe films where the central characters are undergoing some sort of inner turmoil about their existence and life.

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