Flags in the Film - Last of the Mohicans 1992

 July 4, 1757 the fates of the American Colonies were being dealt by the Empires that be, or so as the dominant narrative goes.  As if the colonists had no part in the destiny of North America, except for the lading at Jamestown and 'first' celebration of Thanksgiving Day.

 If the French won or at least maintained a smaller portion of North America?  Would the colonies ever have rebelled with the threat of a French Empire? 

In 1992 the best pre-Revolutionary Colonial American movie was made - Last of the Mochians starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Madelyn Stowe.  This film illustrates the lives, struggles, conflicts of the pre-Revolutionary ancestors of Canada and the US.

This war set up the historical fireworks for July 4, 1776.  During this war the colonies were allied with Prussia for world dominance.  Prussian-British victory after this nearly last of "Native American and French-Canadian Wars" put the English on a path for total world domination.

Usually the war depicted in the film is called the 'last' French and Indian War, but it was not.  For the French would fight the United Kingdom one last time on the continent from 1778 until peace was resolved and the 13 colonies made independent.  Although France was expelled from the mainland of North America she retained a few tiny isles in coastal areas of North America notably - St. Pierre and Miquelon.


Thus France gained a modicum of justice when the British lost their first born in 1776.  The American Revolution was also the proverbial final act or grand finale of the "French and Indian Wars" as the battles of the American Revolution involved "France" and "Indians."


 British and regimental flags with markings can be seen in the film.  The film maker, Michael Mann, did his homework and it paid off. 




This film also showed in brilliant color and depth the role that aboriginal-Americans played.  Previously before the 1960s Native Americas were portrayed in tacky one dimensional cartoonish like fashion who needed to be taught good western values with great insult to their religion and way of life.

In this film the negative and positive ways of aboriginal Native and Old World Newcomer Americans are dealt with, in an more honest light.

Flags in Eternal Sunshine, of the spotless mind 2004

Imagine if you could erase unwanted memories?   Would you undergo the procedure?  Certainly such a kind of technology is on the horizon.  Many already pop happy pills to alter their mood and can not function normally without the aid of intoxicants due to social anxiety.

In 2004 Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet starred in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and erasing unwanted memories is the premise of the movie.  Carrey and Winslet star as star crossed lovers whose painful relationship, causes them to undergo the procedure.



Of key importance to this blog are several vexilloids that appear in the movie.  The most unique flag appears in the drawing of Clementine that Joel had did.  In it Clementine is a skeleton except for her head and she is holding a tattered sun flag of yellow and pink that has come to symbolize the radically intense love of Joel and Clementine.

More conventional flags also appear in the movie.  During the flea market scene a person is wearing a hat with a US flag on it and colourful sales pennants can be seen fluttering in the background.  Also notice that this is a shot of memory being erased so the people in the background are loosing their faces. Another vexilloid antenna can be seen on the remote control airplane controller - it has a long blue streamer along the end.

 This movie is more than just a love story.  It has the capacity to stir the mind and stimulate discussion of dreams, mind, body, love, anguish and purpose in the most subtle of ways.  It is a subdued science fiction movie, without the sci-fi feeling.  Persons who never experienced a broken romantic heart may have difficulty understanding this work of art as will people who do not examine their dreams or refuse to trespass against the norms of modern society.





PS,
And a Sappy Summer Solstice to all my Northern Hemispherians, enjoy all the free sunshine while it's still free.

Flags in the Film 12 Monkeys - 1995

 The US flag makes a brief cameo in the seminal 1990s time travel movie 12 Monkeys. The film is a layered upon layered time drama that gets better with each viewing since it is designed with details that can only be noticed after secondary views.

 Red flags also appear at the 'airport-convention' center.  A group of tourists from East Asia are passing by when our hero and heroine meet each other.  Unlike most time travel movies, this one is where the traveler comes from the future to the present moment of 1995, Philadelphia.




 A story of love, fate, science and control it makes new connections that time travel has its hazards on the mind and shows the nature of man to seize freedom when given a chance to break free rather than return to doldrums of tyrannical corporate control. 

US Flag for all 74 American Sub-Federal Districts: 50 States, 16 non-states, 8 undecided entities

Officially speaking there are 50 States.  But there are additional sub-federal districts that are not represented on the official flag.  The most popular sub-federal non-state of the USA is the District of Columbia, Washington.  However there are more, 15 more to be exact.  Thus this flag gives total representation to all official 66 sub-federal districts.  

The badge is a shield of arms that has sixteen stars, to represent the sixteen sub-federal non-state districts.  The stars only have four points since they do not represent fully fledged states.  The official sixteen sub-federal districts are:

51 - Washington, DC
52 - Puerto Rico
53 - Guam
54 - American Samoa
55 - US Virgin Islands
56 - N. Mariana Is.
57 - Wake Island
58 - Palmyra Atoll
59 - Midway Atoll
60 - Navassa
61 - Johnston Island
62 - Baker Island
63 - Howland Island
64 - Swains Island
65 - Jarvis Island
66 - Kingman Reef



Additionally there is a white diagonal that has eight smaller red four pointed stars that represent the undecided parts of the world with an unresolved US Claim or are in a Compact of Free Association with the United States.  The C.F.A is up for congressional renewal, if it is not renewed then this flag will have to be altered minus a few red stars on the bend.


67 - Serranilla Bank 
68 - Bajo Nuevo Bank
69 - Ducie Island
70 - Antarctica
71 - Alto Velo Island 

C.F.A. - Regions

72 - Palau
73 - Micronesia
74 - Marshall Islands


Thus this US flag has noted symbolism that represents all 74 sub-federal areas of the USA: the 13 original colonies, via the 13 red and white stripes; 50 official states, via the 50 five pointed stars in the canton; 16 sub-federal non-states, via the four pointed white stars; and finally 8 four pointed red stars in the white bend of the badge that represent the five undecided land claims and three nations that are under the C.F.A.

A Guantanamo Bay Flag - The Official Seal on a White Background Flag

 

Guantanamo Bay is a twilight part of the United States.  The official seal is aquageotic since a brown map of Cuba is visible in the center.  Two palm trees can be seen sprouting out of the head. CUBA is written in gold capital letters, likewise under the island it is written GAUNTANAMO BAY with three waves underneath.  Around the map is chain link and then it is states that is indeed a US Naval Base and redundantly one more time that it is Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 

 If you could imagine the shape of Cuba being a giant blue whale then in between the lead-hand flipper and head is where Guantanamo Bay is located.  The trees sprouting out also look like water sprouts coming from the whale. 

Flag for the possible Future 13 States of the USA - State #53 to #69

Currently the United States in composed of 50 States, but in the near future more states can be added.  If technological progress continues, it is possible the 'unorganized parts of the USA' could become more habitable.  Perhaps underground Sealabs-Seacities will become the wave of the future?

This flag is for the possible 'Future 13 States' of the USA; theoretical states #53 unto #69.  The flag has a blue canton with 13 stars. In totality there are 66 official sub-federal entities in the United States. 

Official 16 'Bonus USA Territories' are:

51. The District of Columbia, Washington
52. Puerto Rico
53. Guam
54. US Virgin Islands 
55. Northern Mariana Islands
56. American Samoa
57. Wake Island
58. Midway Island
59. Palmyra Atoll
60. Navassa
61. Johnston Atoll
62. Baker Island
63. Howland Island
64. Jarvis Island
65. Kingman Reef
66. Swains Island

Thirteen States Flag Map Chart

This 13 States Flag Map Chart illustrates which states have claims to each of the 13 stars and stripes edition flag.  The Original Betsy Ross Flag has a certain charm, but it only represents the original 13, so in honor of each group of additional 13 states, they get their own distinct Betsy Ross Type of Flag.