Ocean's Eleven

Ocean's Eleven stars George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia and a host of other characters. To summarize the plot, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his old pal Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) hire a team of men, each possessing a criminal specialty, to help them rob a vault that serves three of the largest casinos in Las Vegas. However, Danny has another reason for why he wants to rob these casinos. This reason is because these three casinos are owned by Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) who is married to Ocean's former lover Tess (Julia Roberts). The film is a remake from the 1960 film of the same name starring the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop).
I think that this is a great movie for our class to watch because we can discuss its similarities to The Beaver Coat and possibly The Broken Jug. Some other topics for discussion could be similarities between Danny Ocean and Mrs. Wolff, the question of “Is justice served?” by the end of the film, why does one sympathize with the criminal while watching this film and if not why, the similarities between the supporting characters of the plays and the film, how would someone feel while watching this film if the comedy was completely absent, and could we say this is a “Thief’s Comedy?”

Personally, I think this is one of George Clooney’s best films and, ladies, who does not like George Clooney. The film is not vulgar for all who have a problem with too much foul language and, or nudity. The story is clever, the comedy is smart and witty, and the host of characters is perfect. After all that has been said here, how can one not want to watch this movie?

The Beaver Coat: Wulkow in the Court

            August Phillip Wulkow: he is the character who paid for illegally hunted deer and a stolen coat. However, the author Gerhart Hauptmann wrote the story so that Wulkow would not be caught in the end along with Mrs. Wolff and her husband, but Hauptmann also allowed Wulkow to return in the play during the courthouse scene, where he was trying to register his newborn daughter. Hauptmann could’ve written the play where Wulkow actually got away and went up the canal with his boat and still have the play end with the same unsolved crime. Why did Hauptmann write the play so as to have Wulkow return in the end and not get caught? The main reason would be to support the irony of the final act.

For example, in the courthouse scene, Von Wehrhahn is able to utilize Wulkow to testify against Fleischer’s claim of seeing a boatman with Krueger’s stolen beaver coat. Wulkow said, “There’s plenty [boatmen], I can tell ya, that’s got the finest beaver coats. And why not? We all make enough money (pg.213).” Because Von Wehrhahn doesn’t know that Wulkow is involved in illegal activities, the dramatic irony here is to poke fun of his archetype (a judge who is supposed to have authority and high intelligence).

            Another example would be for Wulkow to reveal to the audience that his baby girl was recently born. Of all things Hauptmann would have Wulkow come to the courthouse for, he chose the birth of a child. A baby’s birth sometimes represents innocence, purity, goodness. Perhaps, Hauptmann wrote it like this to add to the irony in that Wulkow (a man who engaged in criminal activity) is given the wonderful event of the birth of his child: a criminal rewarded such a wonderful event (situational irony)!

            Thus, Wulkow’s role in appearing in the final act was to support the irony in this scene, which satirizes the justice system in this play. (Satirizing the justice system is another topic I could talk about… but that would make this post even longer. Sorry!)