The Lottery

I saw this movie when I was in high school. I didn't even know the name of it until just a few weeks ago when I began to search the web for anything that I thought might be this movie. I began asking friends if they had ever seen a movie about a small town in which a lottery is held, and the winner is, let's just say they are not your typical winner. It is some 30 years ago since I saw this movie. I would like to see it again. I would like to get a copy of it. If any body knows where I can find one please let me know. I would also like to thank my film appreciation teacher for allowing my classmates and I to view this short film. I will always remember that class, and the day I saw The Lottery.

While the production quality of this short film is lacking, especially by today's standards, the impact lingers. I first saw this film in American Liturature class my Junior year of high school. I have never forgotten it. Thirty-eight years later, I am still wanting to know, "Why?"

Viewing it today, in 2015, I think of the personalities and reactions of the townspeople; as a member of one evangelical church and an employee of another, I relate these people to members of the church, and the impact their beliefs and decisions have on the rest of the congregation. As an individual, I question why I have hung on dearly to some traditions, and how selfish it can be to do so. Which doesn't mean that all tradition is bad - we just need to carefully examine why we do what we do.

Watch this film without critiquing the cinematography or getting caught up in the outdated fashion. Just get lost in the story - it's amazing how easy it is to do in just 17 minutes.

I never read the short story, so watching this short film was a true shocker for me. Like many other people, I saw this in my English class a long time ago and since then, I still haven't seen it. But I still remember that time, it really stays with you. I remember everyone in my class with their jaws dropping, we couldn't believe it, it was awesome. The surprising thing about it is that you think the movie is silly at the beginning, the characters are annoying, and its just something the teacher is making us watch to waste time. But once these characters do something unexpected, its when you feel you need to thank your teacher. If you ever get to see this, then you are lucky. Or read the short story by Shirley Jackson, its probably better.

Excellent adaptation of Shirley Jackson's provocative short story, still has impact. Unsettling depiction of the banality of evil. Like the short story, the film begins casually with the start of the annual ritual lottery and grows more intense as we slowly realize the lottery's purpose. Its main character, Tessie Hutchinson, learns too late the dangers of not speaking up, and of blindly following and supporting tradition. Just ask yourself: What was Tessie Hutchinson doing last June? What goes around comes around. Tradition is symbolized by lucky "Old Man Warner"(77 years in the lottery). Like the short story, the film is shocking because of its matter-of-fact tone: the lottery is depicted as just another mundane yearly event. Spare, powerful, and thought-provoking. When the film ends you'll no doubt be going over it in your mind.

"The Lottery" (1969) is a short film adaptation of Shirley Jackson's short story of the same name. The film does a very good job portraying the short story, depicting a town's controversial lottery. The acting was fine for the 1960's, but the cinematography was sub-par. The camerawork seemed hastily done on a Saturday night, since the camera shakes a lot, detracting from the actual story. The movie also seems to also drag on for far too long. The story could have been the same, but in 10-15 minutes rather than the 18 minutes the film is depicted in. This could be seen as a positive though, since the films awkward length adds to the feeling of tension that the characters are feeling. The acting was not one of the highlights of the film, however, since Tessie Hutchinson, the one who is chosen in the lottery in both stories, is not very well acted, and is not who I expected to see representing her after reading the story. Old Man Warner, the grumpy old man of the actual story, however, was acted perfectly, in my opinion. The film has a certain charm to it, which I really enjoy. The feeling that you are there is very strong, but I would say that the "feeling" of being there is a bit too strong. Overall, while the movie is objectively a bad film, I would say it is not a bad adaptation of Shirley Jackson's short story. It does have it's flaws, but overall, one could surely do worse.