After The First is a parable - a story that has a moral or teaches a lesson. To figure out the moral of the film, first ask yourself what lesson Steve's father and mother wanted him to learn? Second, what do you think Steve actually learned?
Then discuss what the film taught you.
51 comments:
I thought “After the First” was a very interesting short film. I think that there were two different viewpoints expressed in the film. The father’s view was that it was just an animal that is being killed and it isn’t a big deal. On the other hand, the boy at first thought that hunting was going to be fun, but after seeing what it was really all about, he thought of it as very eye-opening and brutal. I think that this movie shows that you can’t really assume what something is going to be like until you actually experience it.
My thoughts on "After the First" was that the short film expressed two very different views of death and rite of passage. The young boy Steven was very excited about goig hunting for the first time and once he felt that first kick of the gun you could see that he felt natural with a gun in his hand. But after his father killed that first rabbit you could also see fear shoot down his body and when Steven himself shot and killed a rabbit you saw that fear increased. Unlike his father who killing was so natural to, Steven could not bring himself to feel anything but fear for what he had done. This is something that i feel is true with a lot of people cause only a select few of people really have it in them to take the life of another being.
I agree with Dan's point that fear really took control of Steven when he saw his father kill the first rabbit. It then escalated when he himself did the killing and in a way, it scare him for life.
i agree with Steven's point that you cannot assume something good or bad until you experience it.
I believe the purpose of viewing "After the First" was to display the consequences of premature judgement towards someone or something.I believe the story was saying that is it wrong and unfair to form opinions on things that are unfamiliar to you. It is important to be open minded and respectful throughout life.
I thought "After the First" was a very subliminal film. At first sight it just seems like a father taking his kid out to go hunt, a family tradition. I saw him kill the first rabbit and didn't think about it that much, but coming face to face with the second I felt what that 12 year old felt. It's not okay for humans to take out aggression on each other, but it is to take it out on defenseless animals even if that means deaf. Rites of passage are different for everyone and I think this kid realized that.
I agree with Dan that there are two very different views of death and the rite of passage. The boy likes shooting but not the death that usually comes along with it.
I agree with Dan that only certain people have the 'killer instinct'. For some people, this instinct is either non existent or tamed. I believe that society is becoming more violent and that death is becoming desensitized and commonplace.
I wasn't in class for the video.
I believe that "After the First" was a short film with a good moral. I believe that the moral was not to jump to conclusions and that you should not judge things on how they sound. Like Steve thought that shooting a gun and hunting for rabbits would be fun, but when the moment came he realized that the rabbit was a living thing and that he did not want to kill it after all. He also, thought that it would be cool to learn how to shoot a gun, and at first he thought it was coo, but I think at the end of the film, that maybe he does not want to shoot a gun ever again by the way he acted.
I agree with what Steven said about how after seeing the his father kill the rabit that he thought it was a brutal thing to do, and I think he felt it to be even more brutal after he killed the rabbit himself. As seen in the film, he was looking into the rabbits eyes for awhile and when he finally shot it he felt bad and looked very sad.
I think "after the first" was an interesting film. I believe the main character was too quick to assume he could have a great time hunting with his father. He thought hunting would be a lot of fun, but after he saw his father shoot the rabbit, he realized that it wasn't as great as he thought it would be. Also, I think the movie shows that people can be persuaded into doing things that they really don't want to do. For example, when the boy was aiming his shotgun at the rabbit, you could tell he didn't want to shoot it. The only reason he did was because his father was standing next to him cheering him on, and he didn't want to disappoint him.
I agree with Robert. It was obvious that Steve's mindset completely changed when he saw his father kill the rabbit. When he had to kill the rabbit, you could tell he was doing it against his will
I think the lesson that Steve’s parents wanted him to learn is ultimately one of responsibility and a step towards adulthood. For Steve’s father, this hunting opportunity wasn’t just a chance to shoot some guns and explore the forest; it was a chance for Steve to prove himself as a young, confident man. After the incident in the forest, Steve’s father may’ve felt disappointed in his son’s reaction, but in the end Steve proved himself as a young man. He learned where he stood in the decision between life and death of an animal, and he learned where he chose to draw the line. This instance was one of self-discovery for Steve. This film taught me that we can perceive the way we will react to things to a certain extent, but it is when we try it and experience it for ourselves that we discover our true viewpoints and reactions.
I think that this post was about judgement and how the boy is really excited to go and hunt when he has never done so before. He predetermines that he is going to love hunting however when it comes to time to actually kill the rabbit his opinion changes. He is a little resistant to fire the gun. He finally shoots and kills the rabbit but the point had been made. Just because something seems really cool doesn't make it so and we should not predetermine what we will or will not like.
I agree with Jake i feel that this was about pre judgement, i like what he said about it.
I think Mike brings up a good point. Sometimes we are forced into doing things out of fear of letting someone down that we respect. That is exactly what happened in "After the First."
Watching "after the first" was interesting because I couldn't really tell what it had anything to do with our class at first. Up until the end, I couldn't see how a coming-of-age movie about a kid going hunting with his father was related to Facing History. But when you could see Steven's reaction to killing the rabbit, it made sense: he was very much against hunting other animals despite it being a passage to adulthood in his family. Even more, his dad's response, "it gets easier after the first," I found a little creepy because it was as if by desensitizing Steven to the hunting, he would be suddenly okay with what was happening.
I like how Juli put Steven's reaction to killing the rabbit: "He learned where he stood in the decision between life and death of an animal, and he learned where he chose to draw the line." It makes him seem more mature, as if he learned a lesson and "made the passage to adulthood" even though he did not want to hunt ever again.
What I got from watching “After the First” was that you can’t always make judgments. The kid in the movie thought that he was going to love hunting and killing things with his dad. He was so excited to shoot the gun for the first time but after shooting it he seemed a little hesitant to do it again. When it came time for him to shoot a live rabbit he almost didn’t do it, and when he did do it he wanted to stop hunting and go home. The kid’s judgment about hunting being a good and fun time was wrong, so you can’t always assume that you’re going to like something before you do it.
I agree with what Mark says about not predetermining what you will or will not like. Many people in this world decide they don’t like certain things and even certain types of people before they even meet them which is a huge problem.
In my opinion "After The First" rose more questions then it answered. I get the point that was being made but it just makes me think, "why?". At first the story started out as a Father - Son bonding experience, but then Steven realized hunting was a lot more serious then he previously assumed. What I don't get is if he didn't want to shoot the rabbit, why did he? Was it out of necessity? Did they need to hunt for food? and if not, why didn't he just say no? Why was the dad so pushy? I think all of these questions lead to a simple resolution: if you have an opinion speak up while you still can. Steven was the one with the gun, he was the one with the choice to shoot or not to shoot, so why didn't he make that choice for himself?
I agree with Mike Lubsen. I think the dad should have given him some room and backed off when Steven was reluctant to shoot. Was getting a rabbit really important enough to neglect the feelings of a 12 year old kid?
At the beginning of the film I believed that Steven was psyched to be doing an activity with his dad and he was exhilarated by the power of the gun. As soon as his father shot the bunny Stevens opinions were immediately altered. His view point on hunting changed even more when Steven himself killed a rabbit. In that moment he realized the reality of his actions and how he felt differently about hunting than his father did. i think what steve learned and what i learned as well was to not make assumptions too quickly regardless of how much you think you like someone or something because you never know what it really requires you to do.
I agree with mike lubsen as well. i believe the disgust and reluctance to shoot the rabbit was clear on steven's face and it was wrong to make him do it.
I thought "After the First" was a short film that had a lot to take away from it. I think Steve's parents wanted him to learn how to be safe while hunting but what he really learned is that you have to have a certain level of aggressiveness in order to get used to hunting. Steven didn't realize what hunting really meant beforehand and what it feels like to take a life. What I learned is that if you're uncomfortable with something keep trying it a couple times and you'll adapt to it.
I thought "After the First" was a short film that had a lot to take away from it. I think Steve's parents wanted him to learn how to be safe while hunting but what he really learned is that you have to have a certain level of aggressiveness in order to get used to hunting. Steven didn't realize what hunting really meant beforehand and what it feels like to take a life. What I learned is that if you're uncomfortable with something keep trying it a couple times and you'll adapt to it.
I thought "After the First" was a short film that had a lot to take away from it. I think Steve's parents wanted him to learn how to be safe while hunting but what he really learned is that you have to have a certain level of aggressiveness in order to get used to hunting. Steven didn't realize what hunting really meant beforehand and what it feels like to take a life. What I learned is that if you're uncomfortable with something keep trying it a couple times and you'll adapt to it.
I thought "After the First" was a short film that had a lot to take away from it. I think Steve's parents wanted him to learn how to be safe while hunting but what he really learned is that you have to have a certain level of aggressiveness in order to get used to hunting. Steven didn't realize what hunting really meant beforehand and what it feels like to take a life. What I learned is that if you're uncomfortable with something keep trying it a couple times and you'll adapt to it.
I think that the father really wanted Steven to go hunting because he thought of it as a rite of passage into adulthood. Since the father enjoys hunting, he assumed his son would too. The mother disagreed and didn’t want Steven to go as she thought he was too young. At first Steven was very excited to go hunting, but once he saw his father kill the animal, his attitude changed completely. Even though Steven did not want to kill the animal, he did it anyways to please his father, but regretted it immediately. This film showed the difference between people and how you can’t assume what other people will like.
I agree with Robert that Steven's perception of hunting changed when he went from learning how to shoot to learning how to kill an animal.
I agree with Kate that you can’t make assumptions too quickly regardless of how much you think someone will like a certain activity. This is because you never know what it requires and how it would affect another person.
Steve's father, like a lot of dads, wanted his son to follow in his footsteps of shooting and hunting. His mother was skeptical because Steven is only 12 years old. She thinks he is too young and won't be able to handle this adult activity, but she lets him go probably to see that it's not what he thinks it's going to be. Steven learned that shooting a real gun and targeting tree stumps in the woods is exhillerating and powerful. He also learns that shooting real live animals is actually horrifying and that he couldn't handle it. The film taught me that you can't expect to like (or not like) something until you try it because moral controversies will often come in to play. Self-discovery comes easier with experience rather than just assuming you will like something or are a certain way.
I agree with Mike that Steven shot the rabbit because of persuasion and pressure from his dad yelling for him to shoot. It was good that Steve stood up for what he believed after his father made him do something he clearly was not comfortable doing and it helped him learn that this was not the right "rite of passage" for Steve.
I think that the father in "After the First" was trying to teach Steve what he feels is valuable when he goes hunting. On the other hand, I think Steve's mother did not like the idea of him going hunting because she was afraid that he would lose his innocence. In the beginning, Steve really wants to go hunting because he sees how much satisfaction his father gets from it so he's excited, but when he finally kills the rabbit, he realizes that hunting isn't what he had imagined it to be and doesn't appreciate how easy it is to take a life. I think the purpose of the film was to make you think before you make a judgement towards others because it showed the mother, father's, and Steve's views on hunting in all different lights. I think the message that I received from it was to not be so quick to take sides until I have fully understood each perspective.
I really like the point Jake made about how you shouldn't form an immediate opinion just because something is unfamiliar to you. What you think may be the complete opposite of what someone else thinks and you both might think you're right, so it's really important to understand someone's perspective and where they're coming from before you make a judgement.
The film "After the First" was a film that taught me that you need to go into new situations with an open mind. Steven didn't know what to expect when going hunting with his father but since his father enjoyed it, he assumed that he would enjoy it too. Steven was quick to make assumptions because when he was finally in the situation where he would actually hunt something, something living, he experienced fear and the guilt of killing something. I think this means that Steven isn't mature enough to handle this situation yet, and his father should have taken Steven's mother's advice.
I agree with Robert when he said that Steven came to a realization that he was actually killing something. I don't think Steven thought through what was actually going to take place so when he was in the situation, his true emotions were portrayed.
I agree with Jake's comment that it is wrong and unjust to form opinions about something that you have no clue about.
Steve’s father wanted him to go hunting in order for him to transition in adulthood and also have a father and son bonding experience. His mother was very apprehensive of Steve hunting due to his age, but she let him go anyways. The moral of the story was to teach you to understand the consequences and the reality of the choices that you make in life, rather than assuming you know what you are doing. Steven thought he would have a great time hunting with his dad, but in actuality he ended up regretting shooting the rabbit and killing an innocent animal.
I thought that "After the First" showed a lot of what people in our society is like today. Everyone is so quick to judge something that they know nothing about. Also that people don't think for themselves, they follow what other people think. Such as when Steven thought that hunting was going to be so much fun just because his father said it would be, but it turns out he didn't like it at all.
I agree with Jake when he said that it is unfair to form opinions on things that are unfamiliar to you. You should always be open to try new things and be yourself.
I personally didn't enjoy the movie, but I understood the basic moral point or decision it was trying to represent. The view was that humans seem to be able to adapt to killing something, either animal or otherwise, and can lose that sense of guilt or shame over time. The overall point was represented pretty well, but the movie itself was pretty horrible. It was boring and didn't attract or keep my undivided attention at all.
Juli's comment about the film being about self-discovery is something that I hadn't thought about prior to this, but now looking back on the film it makes sense and is quite interesting.
I think at the beginning of the video Steve’s father wanted him to go shooting with him as a rite of passage, to learn a skill that he probably learned as a kid. The mother seemed reluctant to let them go but submitted in the end because I think she accepted that it was something her son would have to do at one point. Steve and his dad both seemed excited because his dad wanted him to learn how to shoot and keep it as a hobby for when he grew older as well, but instead his reaction was more of shame about killing something that was alive. The film taught me that violence and aggression isn’t an instinct in human beings. I think it is more of a defense mechanism. But, if a child isn’t exposed to any threat or reason to become defensive, then there’s no need for this violence to come out.
I agree with Steven about how you can assume if you'll enjoy doing something before actually experiencing it. i think death and killing, when you think about it in your mind, seems a lot easier than when you actually have to do it yourself, but that you can be conditioned to become numb to the fear and shame of doing it "after the first."
I thought "After the First" was a decent film on how quick to judge people can be about doing different activities. As we saw the kid excited to go hunting and then learn what killing something really was, I feel that most people do this on a regular basis. It shows that you cannot assume that you're going to enjoy something or not like something until you experience it first hand.
I agree with Jake, in the manner that it is unfair to make judgements about things that are unfamiliar to you.
after watching "After the First", I was slightly confused as to what the purpose of the film was, as I picked up a few different viewpoints of it. After consideration, I noted that the underlying message was of the impact killing has on people. Three views on that were shown in the film. There was the mother, who was detatched form the scenario, but still wary for anyone to be exposed to it. There was Steven, who had never before encountered it, and didnt know what to expect going into it. And there was his father, who had killed before and showed no reaction to doing it again.
I Liked how Daniel presented the reactions of Steven in stages. There was the first stage where he was ready and excited for something he didnt fully understand, the second where he had shot the gun but not at the rabbit, the third where he became wary of the killing with his father doing the shooting, and finally the fourth, where he finally has to face the rabbit and do it himself, as well as come to bear with his newfound feelings on hunting.
I was absent.
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