Title | Creator | Date | Era | City | Country | Emotional Sum (Sense of Life or emotional World View) | Theme | |
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Far Country, The | Author: Nevil Shute | 1952 | 1951 - 2000 | Australia |
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: |
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High Noon | Director: Fred Zinnemann | 1952 | 1951-1970 | United States |
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". |
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Rashomon | Director: Akira Kurosawa | 1950 | 1931-1950 | Japan |
The world is terrible and full of disasters and mankind is awful and pathetic. |
Objectivity is a myth -- everyone sees a different reality, a different "story". |
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Etudes | Choreographer: Harold Lander | 1948 | Pre-1950 Ballet/Dance | New York | 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. |
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Brief Encounter | Screenwriter: Noel Coward | 1945 | 1931-1950 | United Kingdom |
Passionate love. Tragic choices. |
High romance is possible. Such love is unlikely to survive. This film manages to embrace two contradictory themes, leading to a major bittersweet outcome. |
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Tzena Tzena Tzena | Miron - Parish: | 1941 | 1900s | Israel |
Joyous celebration |
Joyous celebration |
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Landfall | Shute, Nevil: | 1940 | 1900 - 1950 | United Kingdom |
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. |
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Johnson Wax Building | Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright | 1939 | 1900 - 1950 | Racine | United States |
Day to day life can be exalted and pleasurable. |
To Work should be a condition of grandeur and joy. |
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Anthem | Rand, Ayn: | 1938, revised 1946 | 1900 - 1950 |
The book starts out psychologically dark and disorienting because of the protagonist struggling with the radically collectivist world he was born into. But what shows even in the early pages, and grows to the climax is the triumphant struggle of a rare few who break free of the yoke of total mind control and become free to live a life as a conceptual human and rediscover what it means to be an individual. Thrilling and emotionally satisfying (unless the reader is a committed determinist.) |
Ego and using one's individual mind is the core of being human. |
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Blue Steps of Naumkeag | Landscape Designer: Fletcher Steele | 1937-39 | 1900 - 1950 | Stockbridge, MA | United States |
elegance and grace |
The man-made enhances nature -- it is what makes nature beautiful |
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Helene Arpels Dress | Designer: Maggy Rouff | 1937 | 1901-1950 | Paris | France |
Elegance and richness of detail |
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Fireplace and Door | Designer: Wharton Esherick | 1936c. | 1901-2000 | Philadelphia | United States |
Very orderly exuberance, via "explosive" geometry |
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Rembrandt | Director: Korda Alexander | 1936 | 1931-1950 | United Kingdom |
Life is hard as an independent spirit, and wealth will elude you, but you will be happy, after a fashion. |
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Ruggles of Red Gap | Director: Leo McCarey | 1935 | 1931-1950 | United States |
Happiness and fulfillment is in yourself. |
Personal declaration of independence from servitude |
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Boulevard of Broken Dreams | Composer: Warren and Dubin | 1933-34 | 1900s | United States |
Weariness & Sadness |
Life is loss of dreams and sadness |
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Day at the Beach | Painter: J.C. Leyendecker | 1932 | 1900s | United States |
Fun and cuteness. |
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Design for Living | Writer: Noel Coward | 1932 | 1900s | United Kingdom |
Life can be giddy and bright. Facing up to one's anti-conventional values is important. Conventional morality must be questioned if it causes suffering and conflict. |
You should follow your deepest values and accept them no matter how unconventional the outcome. A rare combination of the wittiest, lightest of Noel Coward's style, along with deeper themes of romantic love, proper morality and how should one live. |
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Covered Box | Designer: John Otar | 1930 | 1901-2000 | Santa Cruz, CA | United States |
Fun; complexity made from simplicity |
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Chocolate Pitcher and Butter Dish | Villeroy & Boch: | 1930 | Germany |
Friendly warmth (arising from the simple graceful lines, and the unadorned simplicity of the colors without ornament) |
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I'll See You Again | Composer: Noel Coward | 1929 | 1900s | Manchester | United Kingdom |
Life is bittersweet |
Sweet memories of love last forever |
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Crane Under the Rain | Ohara, Shoson: | 1928 | 1900s | Japan |
Life is difficult. |
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Are You Lonesome Tonight? | Composer: Lou Handman | 1926 | 1900s |
Sensuality and bitterness |
The remembrance of past love. |
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System of Architectural Ornament, A | Designer: Louis Henri Sullivan | 1922 | 1900s | Chicago | United States |
The world is a place of infinite, ordered, geometric, fluid possibilities. |
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Composition with Red Yellow Blue and Black | Painter: Piet Mondrian | 1921 | The Hague | Netherlands |
[Seems mute] |
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Blue Phoenix | Painter: Koyo Omura | 1921 | 1900s | Chicago | United States |
A pleasing and lush, possibly claustrophobic, world. |