Title Creator Date Era City Country Emotional Sum (Sense of Life or emotional World View) Theme
Love Actually Director and Screenwriter: Curtis, Richard 2003 1991-2010 Romantic love, family love, filial love, and the love of friendship are of central importance to human existence, and are possible to achieve.

Wonderful experiences of love are found in many forms and places.
Laocoon (Laocoön and His Sons) Sculptor: Agesander 1st century BCE to 1st century CE 500 BCE - 1 CE United States Life is a desperate, agonizing struggle.

The heroic but agonizing defeat of Men. This sculpture certainly represents at the same time the heroic nature of men but cast into an impossible situation that can only be tragic.
Landfall Shute, Nevil 1940 1900 - 1950 Heroes and Heroines are self-made, by anyone at any level of intelligence who seriously pursues what is important in their lives.

Truth will triumph -- with perseverance.
La Grande Nevrose Loysel, Jacques c.1896 1800s The dynamic female body is beautiful and exciting. Although it may not explicitly suggest it, the nude and its tense position could be felt as erotic.

An animated female body is a vessel of perfection.
La Gomena (Towing a Boat) Painter: Tito, Ettore 1909 1900s Roma Italy There is great effort in life, and a woman can be the master of it.
This painting is a curious combination of romantic heroism and 19th century genre naturalism. It has a visual dynamism and dramatic content that is strongly romantic, yet the subject is the prosaic task of pulling a boat out of the water.

The will and the power of a woman. Implacable determination.
King in Khaki, A Author: Webster, Henry Kitchell 1909 1900 - 1950 Honesty is a noble and practical way of life.

Business acumen produces both material wealth and moral right.

The success of the entrepreneur in this story, along with his relation to all his staff and secondary and tertiary folks on the island who work for him -- makes him into a "king" based on important human relations and the rightness of his decisions that result in a successful business enterprise.

A subsidiary theme might be termed the power of morality over physical power or economic "power".
Johnson Wax Building Architect: Wright, Frank Lloyd 1939 1900 - 1950 United States Day to day life can be exalted and pleasurable.

To Work should be a condition of grandeur and joy.<br>
I'll See You Again Composer: Coward, Noel 1929 Life is bittersweet

Sweet memories of love last forever
Hyacinths to feed thy soul White, James Terry 1911c 1900s United States Hopeful. Even in poverty one can have beauty.

Beauty is a form of sustenance
Horse Seen from Behind Draftsman: Boscoli, Andrea 1587c 1500s Not much except perhaps stylistic -- confident, strong drafting style, and a vibrant, alive, horse.
High Noon Director: Zinnemann, Fred 1952 1951-1970 There is palpable evil in the world. There is heroism in the face of evil in the world. The movie is full of fear and foreboding and betrayal.

Civil Society is the ideal, and worth fighting for. Doing what is right is the right way to live. Don't let the evil bastards win. The theme is expressed repeatedly in the movie via the contrast of the Marshall who grimly faces the need to do what he lives for, despite the death facing him, vs. the mealy mouthed town folk, many of which who won't fight for their civil society, and vs. the deputy marshall who portrays the sellout who will give into evil force in order to "get along".
Her Face to the Wind Painter: Hosner, William 2006 2000s United States One gets the feeling that the young woman is able to stand strong in the world, with panache and beauty all at once.

Facing life in a fresh, strong, vivacious way.
Helene Arpels Dress Designer: Rouff, Maggy 1937 1901-1950 Elegance and richness of detail
Head of a Bearded Man Domenichino 1625c 1600s Pensive, worried, detached qualities of humanity

Worry is the way of the world.
Greystoke Director: Hudson, Hugh 1984 1971-1990 United States Life is Loss -- life is grim and culture is grim and the jungle is grim. All is grim.

The other important feature of the film emotionally is that Tarzan has been crippled by his circumstances of being brought up in the jungle -- he cannot live as a man, so the great tragedy of the story is that he has to return to the jungle, which is below primitive -- it is an isolated hell in which death is at every corner, and at best the companionship of apes. Given that the story partly portrays civilized men as brutes who relish killing animals, perhaps the emotional intent is to make the choice to return to the jungle as positive, but for this reviewer it is unutterably tragic and ugly.

Loss, Loss, Loss. Man as metaphysically alien from human culture.
Green fabric Designer: Fortuny, Mariano circa 1920 Still produced by the Fortuny fabric company.
Godfather Director: Coppola Francis Ford 1972 1971-1990 United States Life demands death; life is a horror of killing and retribution. Life is tragedy and malevolence

Behind beauty and success lies corruption and death.
Flying Fish Dancers: Torvill and Dean c.1995 (verify) 1990-2009 A heightened sense that Life is fantastically unbounded by daily cares. Life is imbued with unlimited potential and ease of movement.

Life is light and fluid.
Fireplace and Door Designer: Esherick, Wharton 1936c. 1901-2000 Very orderly exuberance, via "explosive" geometry
Ferrari Dino 246 GT Designer: Ferrari, Enzo 1969 The world is a place of speed and elegance.
Feast of Belshazzar Painter: Van Rijn, Rembrandt 1635c. 1600s The only way to know the sense of life or world view of the painting is through it's history, since the image is very mixed. Shows an opulent and sumptuous world, but the people are obviously distressed over something. Assuming one knows its history, you could conclude it is an exercise in depicting the dangers of the worldly pursuits and wealth.
Far Country, The Author: Shute, Nevil 1952 1951 - 2000 Life can be bright, happy and successful, but hard decisions must be faced and dealt with.

A good and happy life is made up of self-directed actions, self-chosen goals.

A less important theme is:
Freedom from government control.
Whether the government control results from devastating wars, or from socialist control of medical care, freedom is to be sought and prized.
Fame Director: Parker, Alan 1980 1971-1990 Life is hard, but you can succeed, and it is worth it and exhilarating.

Go after your heart's desire.
Euphronios Krater aka Sarpedon Krater Vase Painter: Euphronios 515 BC (empty) Exquisitely beautiful hardship.
Etudes Choreographer: Lander, Harold 1948 Pre-1950 Ballet/Dance United States

Thrilling pleasure at beautiful movement and great success at developing the best within you.
 

Hard work results in great achievement in life -- and that results in beauty and excitement in life.<br>