10English-SEXXY Paragraphs for The Power of One

In English, we have been studying SEXXY Paragraphs. This acronym stands for Statement, Example, Explain the Director's purpose, Explain the effect and Link. I have done 4 paragraphs on a great movie called The Power of One.


Introduction
The Power of One is a great movie for all students studying human rights. This movie is about a time where Apartheid was the norm and people were disgusted and avoided the black South Africans. I think that the director (John G. Avildsen) did an exquisite job at bringing this movie to life which showed us what Apartheid really was. Some of these top-of-the-notch quality aspects used included: Extreme close-ups, close-ups, mid shots, establishing shots, two shots, and long shots.

1st Paragraph


The film aspect used for this shot is an extreme close-up. This shot shows us that PK has been drained out of his energy and that he is just lying there before his mind and body decide on what to do next. For example, here we see PK lying flat on the ground and he looks at the camera with an exhausted expression which indicates to us that he has been in a tough and truly tiring fight. The purpose of this shot is to show the audience that PK has a fighting spirit and that he did not just walk away but he stayed there awaiting what he would do next. This makes the audience tense and anxious as we can see that he is still conscious but he is in a tired state. This is an excellent cliffhanger on what could be upcoming to this fight. This combines with the shot where PK was getting bullied at Boarding school as he had to wait for what was upcoming next and that he did not just give in to what had happened to him. This can link with the shot where PK gets urinated on. As he did not easily give in to it and he sought help rather than dealing with it on his own. This effect shows that he has a true fighter and resilient spirit.

2nd Paragraph 


The film aspect used here is an establishing/mid shot. This shot shows us that PK is teaching the South Africans English for probably what was the first time in they’re lives and they all seem to be learning it joyfully and they all accept PK as a great, cheerful teacher. For example, here we see a group of South Africans sitting closely together in a circle where they are learning some part of English. We also see PK in a teaching position and he looks enthusiastic and proud of what they are doing. The purpose of this shot is to show us that PK has a kind heart and that he chose to use his time wisely and share his language with the people who probably have not had lessons or have even been to a school before. This makes the audience proud and cheerful to see these South Africans joyfully learning English and also it makes us feel proud of what PK has chosen to do and how he used his time. This combines with the shot of where PK was in his class and he got rewarded with a scholarship. This is because we feel proud of him as we do in this shot. This can link with the shot of where PK is in front of his class as he was confidently talking to them about a subject that he seemed to have found interesting. This affects us as viewers as we see that he enjoys teaching and helping others in areas where they may struggle.

3rd Paragraph


The film aspect used is a long shot. This shot shows us how PK and a schoolboy are about to go into what looks like a tough fight. We can see that the trainers are giving the fighters suggestions before they fight in the ring. For example, here we see PK and the schoolboy warming up and they both wait for when the fight is going to begin. We can see that PK seems confident in what he is doing. The purpose of this shot is to show us the upcoming fight and that both of these boys are ready. It also partially foreshadows a long and interesting fight that is going to begin. This makes the audience anxious and intrigued as we excitedly wait for the fight to begin. We feel worried for PK as he is the main character, which makes us want him to win this fight. This combines with the shot of where PK is training for boxing when he was a boy as we can see his build up in confidence and knowledge in boxing. This can link with when PK fights Gideon as they both are in a tense situation and we know also that it was going to be a long and interesting fight. This effect shows us that PK always likes to pull an interesting show.

4th Paragraph


The film aspect used here is a close-up/focus shot of Maria as she is astonished at PK. We can see here that she has a focused gaze on someone who is in the ring, and this person was PK. For example, here we see Maria with a flattered and surprised look on her face as she had just seen PK give her a glance. The purpose of this shot is to show us how PK has found a love for him and that this love is going both ways. We can see Maria is astonished at him which means they may have something in common. This makes the audience feel proud for PK as he had found a perfect lover for his needs. We can see that they both instantly got feelings for each other, meaning there is a special bond between them. This combines with the scene at the start where his mother had loved him as she had loved her husband, meaning that in both of these times, the bond of love was strong. This can link with the scene of where Maria gets struck down by a policeman and instantly gets killed. This relates because we can see the strength of their love in both of these times.

5th Paragraph


The film aspect used here is a long shot. Here we can see the slums where the African people live in and it has all been engulfed by flames which indicate it has been struck down and torn to pieces by the pro-apartheid police. For example, here we see the whole slums in flames and it is all gloomy and sad as the effects of pathetic fallacy are used to make it seem a sad and horrid time. The purpose of this shot is to show us how when apartheid was around, life was horrid for all the black people and the police would even tear down whole slums just to catch 1 wrong move. This makes the audience feel sad and furious towards the police as they had no right to tear down a village for these people without any thought whatsoever. We also feel empathetic to the Africans as they no longer have a place to seek shelter anymore. This combines with the scene where the police take down the black and white boxing gym because we can see and feel the hate to the blacks from the police in both of these shots. This scene can link with the scene where The Judgemental police go into the place where PK was teaching some Africans English with Maria. The police even strike down on Maria (which ends up killing her) just because of their hate towards all blacks.

Conclusion
If you’re ever studying or just wondering about human rights or apartheid, be sure to view and understand this movie as the director had pushed many great film aspects to the limit of they’re use. I would recommend this to anyone, so why not give it a watch?