Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites are located in Victoria, B.C. in the Colwood community. They are two miles (three kilometers) from Royal Roads University. Both places offer gorgeous scenery and are ideal for walking and learning history.
This post concludes photos from my vacation in the Pacific Northwest. Soon I will start editing a video showing places I visited, and then post it here. Currently, I am almost finished writing my next novel. It will (hopefully) be available by the end of 2023.
OPERATION FINALE provides an opportunity for viewers to observe some events that happened after the Jewish Holocaust (1933-1945). Ben Kingsley plays Adolf Eichmann, a former SS officer now residing in Argentina. Israeli spies from the Mossad--Israel's intelligence agency--discover his whereabouts and capture him in 1960. Their goal is to have Eichmann testify to his crimes in a court of law. This is significant because others like Eichmann, including Adolf Hitler, committed suicide and never received punishment for their wrongdoing.
It is gratifying seeing someone brought to justice after having caused and been responsible for the suffering of millions of people. Eichmann's capture by Holocaust survivors does not bring back the many individuals who lost their lives, but does offer a bit of closure for the families whose loved ones were unjustly tortured and exterminated. OPERATION FINALE features a talented cast and is successful in allowing the audience to feel relief that someone admitted his atrocities and will now endure the effect of them.
PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST is a film about Paul of Tarsus. His Jewish name is Saul, and he persecuted the Christian church. The New Testament book Acts illustrates Saul experiencing a conversion. Later on the island of Cyprus he is called Paul. Paul is author of 13 out of 27 books in the New Testament.
The film chronicles Paul's (played by James Faulkner) later years in a Roman prison during Emperor Nero's reign. Paul is seen as a threat to the Roman Empire and will be executed. This is a very dark time for Christians, and many, such as Aquilla (John Lynch) and his wife Priscilla (Joanne Whalley), lived in hiding out of fear of being burned like candles. Writer and director Andrew Hyatt captures this extremely well, as most of the movie is dark with very little light. Hyatt's direction is excellent and the cast is phenomenal.
Saint Luke, a physician, is played by Jim Caviezel (who many will recognize as the actor who portrays Jesus in THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST). Luke risks his life going inside Mamertine Prison to visit Paul. Christians view Paul as a highly respected apostle who is wise, and Luke writes his words, which later become the book of Acts. Paul's jailer, Mauritius (Olivier Martinez), is the one other person he communicates with, as Mauritius struggles to understand how Paul has such a powerful effect on so many people.
PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST is a relevant movie, because not only does it remind the audience that "where sin abounds, grace abounds more," the filmmakers dedicate it to Christians who are currently being persecuted in various parts of the world. PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST is currently playing in theatres. The official Web site is http://www.paulmovie.com/site/.
SAMSON is an action drama film. It is based on the man Samson who is mentioned in the book of Judges in the Old Testament of the Bible. Samson is known for his strength. In the movie he expresses God gives him great strength as long as he does not drink wine, touch a dead body, or cut his hair. The great strength allows him to battle an entire Philistine army and kill a lion with his bare hands.
Samson (played by Taylor James) is called by God to lead his people. They rely on his strength when dealing with cruel treatment from the Philistines. Billy Zane plays King Balek, who orders his son Rallah (played by Jackson Rathbone) to kill Samson, but Rallah wants to keep Samson alive so he can discover why Samson is so strong. As a result, Rallah pays a woman named Delilah (played by Caitlin Leahy) to ask Samson about the source of his strength so that he can obtain it. Samson is faithful to God (that is his real strength) and hesitates, but eventually tells Delilah. His decision to share with Delilah changes everything.
TULIP FEVER is adapted from a novel by Deborah Moggach. Tom Stoppard is the screenwriter. The story is set in 17th century Amsterdam during a period known as tulip mania. The lively scenes of the movie take place at the tulip market. People invest in tulips and behave similar to what we would see in today's New York Stock Exchange.
Dame Judi Dench plays a nun, The Abbess of St. Ursula, who grows tulips at the convent for people interested in the tulip market. Her convent is where Sophia (played by Alicia Vikander) is raised. Sophia leaves the convent upon her marriage to an older gentleman named Cornelis (played by Christoph Waltz).
Cornelis desperately wants a child, but he and Sophia are unable to conceive. To place his mind on other matters, Cornelis hires artist Jan van Loos (played by Dane DeHaan) to paint a portrait of him and Sophia. Unfortunately, Sophia and Jan are immediately attracted to each other and begin an affair.
Meanwhile, Cornelis and Sophia's maid, Maria (played by Holliday Grainger), discovers she is pregnant by her estranged betrothed. The story becomes a soap opera when Maria knows Cornelis may not keep her on as help if he learns she is pregnant. As a result, Sophia suggests pretending she is the one who is pregnant. She and Cornelis will then have a child and everyone will be happy. However, due to Sophia's peculiar plans and promises to Jan, events do not flow so smoothly.
It is intriguing learning about the brave deeds of people during the Jewish Holocaust. THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE is based on the non-fiction book of the same title by Diane Ackerman and the diaries of Antonia Zabinska named People and Animals. The story depicts the rescue of Jews from the Warsaw, Poland Ghetto.
Antonia Zabinska (played by Jessica Chastain) and her husband Jan Zabinska (played by Johan Heldenbergh) manage The Warsaw Zoo and allow Jews to hide in the basement of their home on the premises. Their hospitality is courageous. It is commendable that they are so willing to risk their lives and their son's (played by Timothy Radford and later Val Maloku) life, along with the people who worked with them. All know it is wrong to seize Jews from their homes and find it unbearable to watch humanity being mistreated.
Daniel Bruhl plays Dr. Lutz Heck, the story's antagonist. Dr. Heck manages the Berlin Zoo. However, he is primarily "Hitler's zoologist."
THE BIRTH OF A NATION does a good job of helping the audience learn about its protagonist, Nat Turner (played by Nate Parker). The movie shows Turner as a young slave boy with the ability to read. The skill is encouraged and nurtured by Elizabeth (played by Penelope Ann Miller), his slave master's wife. As a result, Turner learns his calling to ministry and becomes a preacher. Studying God's word and sharing His good news with others is better than the laborious job of picking cotton, which is what Turner is required to do again after Elizabeth's husband dies.
When Turner starts his rebellion against slave masters, viewers are probably sympathetic to his cause after seeing how awful slavery is and getting to know Turner as a human being with much to offer. However, seeking revenge because people have done wrong, does not make the behavior acceptable. In the story, as in real life, all the violence and process of getting even just makes matters worse.
Despite the uncomfortable message in THE BIRTH OF A NATION, the story must be shared. Slavery is a significant part of American history.
THE BIRTH OF A NATION features several excellent performances by its cast and is currently playing in theatres.
Reinhard Heydrich was a high-ranking German Nazi official during World War II and one of the SS leaders responsible for constructing the Holocaust (Final Solution). The movie ANTHROPOID shows how two agents (played by Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan) from the Czechoslovak government go to Prague on a mission called Operation Anthropoid to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich. They receive help from more agents that are parachuted to Prague, along with some resistance fighters.
It is good when movies like ANTHROPOID are made, because this is a segment of history not often discussed. It is surprising, especially since Heydrich was the only successful government-organized assassination of a top-ranking Nazi during World War II. As a result, this film is an educational period piece.
Unfortunately, a resistance fighter turned on the agents and they were pursued at their place of refuge, Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Hundreds of Nazi soldiers annihilated the cathedral and a vicious battle took place in which all the agents were killed.
Director Sean Ellis, who also co-wrote the screenplay, does a fine job of capturing the time period and the principal photography actually took place in Prague at locations where Operation Anthropoid was executed. The cast is remarkable, as the audience is able to get a full sense of how each person portrayed was affected by the arduous task of evading the Nazis.
I saw the movie, WOMAN IN GOLD, almost one year ago. I realized I had not written about it here so today I will share my thoughts on this really nice film about Maria Altmann (played by Helen Mirren). Maria was a Jewish refugee forced to flee Vienna during World War II.
The movie begins at present day, following Maria living in Los Angeles, and the narrative is given in a series of flashbacks. She pursues obtaining a painting of her Aunt Adele, known as "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I." At the time Maria escaped from Vienna, not only are Jewish individuals being captured, but the Nazis are stealing many items from them. "Portrait of Adele Block-Bauer I" is a painting of the "Woman in Gold," and very special to Maria. It means so much to her that she hires an attorney, played by Ryan Reynolds, to help her get it back from Austria. Unfortunately, the Austrian minister and art director are unwilling to part with the painting.
It is intriguing watching Maria and her inexperienced lawyer, Randy, as they travel to Austria to retrieve the portrait. When the minister and art director insist on leaving the painting at the gallery, Maria and Randy argue their position within the law. The case is even heard by the United States Supreme Court.
WOMAN IN GOLD is a historical and educational film. Through literature I teach students about the Holocaust. The stories are usually from the point of view of survivors that were forced into concentration camps. Those stories are important and should be shared. However, WOMAN IN GOLD brings an awareness of the other wrongs committed by the Nazis, such as stealing valuable artwork. These details should become known and taught as well. It furthers the reality that the Jewish people taken by force had class and lived normal lives.
The Preston School of Industry is one of the oldest reform schools in the United States, as it opened in 1894 to house juvenile offenders, but was vacated in 1960. The castle is reputed to be haunted, especially since a female employee was murdered in the basement kitchen by one of the wards. Strange noises have been heard and individuals report seeing people who suddenly disappear. The above photograph is a room noted for having the most “activity,” and paranormal groups often gather there for investigations.
