Movie: 1997, Romance/Drama, 194 Minutes
Director: James Cameron
Actors: Leonardo Dicaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane
Summary:
The movie begins with a group of treasure hunters searching for a diamond known as the "Heart of the Ocean". However, when they believe they have found the diamond, they instead find a drawing of a girl wearing it the night the Titanic sank. The girl, who is now an old lady, is named Rose Dawson Calvert, and contacts the treasure hunters and tells them she is the girl. She, along with her granddaughter Lizzy, are invited to join the treasure hunters on their ship. When she gets there, she retells the story of her experience of the Titanic - of how life was like, of how she finds love, and, most importantly, of how she survives the sinking. She explains how her real name was Rose Bukater, and how her life changed on the Titanic when she met her first love, a poor man named Jack Dawson. She retells their love story; of how she met Jack, how her family disapproved because of his social class, and, most of all, of how their love grew strong and how he saved her life the night the Titanic sank. In the end, Dawson dies of hypothermia as he and Rose wait for rescue in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Rose survives, and grows old and lives a happy life. However, there is one thing that Rose does not explain: What happened to the diamond. She purposely does not include the key fact that she found the diamond in her ex- fiances' coat pocket and kept it with her for her entire life. As the leader of the treasure hunters gives up hope of ever finding the diamond, an old Rose Dawson Calvert stands at the back of the coat and tosses the diamond overboard. The movie ends with Rose laying peacefully in her bed, dreaming that she is reunited with Jack and all the other people she loved so much who died the night the Titanic sank.
1. How does the wardrobe in the film help us distinguish between the different classes on the Titanic?
When we are first introduced to Rose Bukater, she is leaving a fancy car and wearing a lavish gown as she heads towards the entrance to the Titanic. Jack Dawson, on the other hand, is first introduced in a pub, wearing old, beat up clothes as he gambles and wins two lucky third class tickets on the Titanic. Immediately, the audience concludes that while Rose is of high class, Jack, on the other hand, is extremely poor. When Jack saves Roses' life, he is invited to join Rose and her family for a lavish dinner up in the first class dining hall. Luckily for Jack, Molly Brown offers to let him wear one of her son's suits - thus showing the clear distinctions between each class. When Jack takes Rose down to the third class party, it is clear that Jack, who is wearing a fancy suit, and Rose, who is wearing a nice dress, do not fit in to the wardrobe of the third class. The behavior is also different; the first class dinner is much more reserved where as, in the third class party, there is much more beer and excessive dancing.
2. How does Cameron's use of technology characterize the tragic fate of the Titanic?
Cameron uses technology in order to turn the present day Titanic into the Titanic it was when it first set sail on the Atlantic. We first explore the Titanic when it is in ruins, two miles underground, still intact but nonetheless old and rotten. As we explore this Titanic, the scene immediately transforms into a scene from the past. The old room we were once in has now been transformed into a newly furnished room. Cameron thus uses technology to characterize the fate of the Titanic and also show the contrast between the past Titanic and the Titanic in its current state.
2. E.T - The Extra Terrestrial
Movie: 1982, Scifi, 115 Minutes
Director: Steven Spielberg
Actors: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote
Summary:
The movie begins with an alien ship accidently leaving one small alien behind as it attempts to escape government officials by leaving planet earth. The alien, who is later named E.T, is left to fend on his own and finds shelter in the shed that belongs to the family of a little boy named Elliot. Elliot finds the alien and, although he is scared at first, brings E.T into his home and fakes sick the next day so he can stay with him. He introduces him to his two siblings, who chose to keep E.T a secret from their mother. We discover towards the middle of the movie that E.T can revive things. For example, he heals Elliot when he cuts his thumb. Soon, Elliot finds that he is beginning to feel a strong psychic connection with E.T (ex. he kisses his crush at school as E.T watches two people kiss in a movie). However, this connection soon turns problematic when E.T becomes sick and, because of this psychic connection, Elliot becomes sick too. Scientists soon arrive and begin to block off the house to investigate E.T and save Elliot. Elliot is saved and it is believed E.T is dead. However, when E.T suddenly comes back to life, Elliot and his brother steal the van E.T had been loaded into and attempt to evade the authorities. Elliot then choses to take E.T to the forest via bicycle, and E.T uses telekinesis to lift the bike in the air and fly towards the forest (This is one of Spielberg's most famous shots). Everyone miraculously arrives at the forest and says goodbye to E.T, who boards the spaceship and, with one last glance at planet earth, mutters the meaningful words "I'll be right here". The spaceship leaves a rainbow in the sky as it travels back to where it came from.
1. Spielberg tends to shoot most of the film from an angle lower than the hight of the average human being. Why does he do this?
I thought it was interesting that Spielberg lowered the camera angle for much of the film - so I asked myself: why would Spielberg have chosen to do this? At first I thought that maybe he wanted us to see the world from E.T's point of view, since the alien is typically shorter than the average human. However, as I thought about it a little more, I realized that it is more likely that Spielberg wanted us to see the film through the eyes of someone like Elliot. Elliot, the protagonist of the film, doesn't look at the world through the eyes of an adult; he sees E.T as a companion rather than an experiment. Because of this, Spielberg shot the movie from Elliot's point of view because he wanted us to see things through his eyes. In this way, Speilberg instills a feeling of innocence in the film, which is part of the reason why the film attracts both children and adults as viewers. When adults come into scenes, the camera is often placed at a low angle in order to further illustrate the viewpoint of a child like Elliot. It makes adults look superior thus preserves a sense of childhood innocence that both children and adults can relate to.
2. How does the construction of Elliot's character parallel the construction of E.T's character?
When we meet Elliot for the first time, we immediately feel sympathy for him in the sense that he feels alone. He has been abandoned by his father and left with his brother, sister, and mother, who are also suffering emotionally by the abandonment of the father. Elliot is young and sees the world through the eyes of a naive child. He feels alone and desperately wants to be loved. E.T, an alien who is accidently left on earth by his fellow aliens also feels lost and wants to go home. Like Eliiot, E.T also feels abandoned by those whom he loved the most. This helps strengthen the common bond both Elliot and E.T share with one another. Their emotional bond with one another is represented through the connection between their fingers - a connection depicted remarkably similar to Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam" which he painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. While Elliot serves as the source E.T needs to both survive on earth and return home, E.T serves as the long time needed friend Elliot desperately wanted.
3. Goodfellas
Movie: 1990, Crime, 146 Minutes
Director: Martin Scorsese
Actors: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Summary:
The film revolves around a man named Henry Hill, who is a Lucchese crime family associate in New York City. We see Henry as a teenager who idolizes gangsters and spends all of his time at a mob hangout called the "Cab Stand". He is then introduced to a man named Jimmy, who gives him a job of selling stolen drinks and cigarettes. Although Henry is caught and arrested, he is released from court and continues to aspire to be a successful gangster. We then fast forward to where Henry is a young man - where he becomes a wealthy man through organized crime and meets his future wife Karen. We watch him go to prison, come out of prison, become rich, become poor, become rich again, and become addicted to drugs as his life slowly spirals out of control. He cheats on his wife with a girl named Janice, and sells drugs while he is in prison in order to support his family. After he is caught by the FBI with drugs, Hill is sent to jail and is completely broke. Paulie, who had originally brought Hill into the gangster business, is upset because Henry went against him and dealt drugs so he only gives Hill 3,200 in financial help and breaks him off from the "gangster world". The movie ends with Hill having to face reality and make a living in the real world - something he had never tried before.
1. What role does the opening scene play in establishing mood of the film?
Goodfellas is one of those movies that has an opening scene that basically sums up what the entire movie is going to be about. We see Henry, James, and Tommy standing over a car. We hear banging from the trunk, so we wonder: who is inside? Finally, the trunk is opened a we see a man dying from mortal wounds. Tommy and James begin to stab and shoot the man repeatedly. Then we see Henry, staring at what is happening as his voice comes over the scene and says the famous line "From as far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster." The scene is important for a number of reasons, the first being that it establishes the role violence plays in the movie. The second reason is that we are introduced in Henry's lifestyle before we are actually introduced to Henry, which to me implies that Henry is consumed by his desire to become a gangster. The third reason why it is important is because, after Henry says those famous words, the song "Rags to Riches" by Tony Bennet comes on and leads us into Henry's early childhood. This upbeat song contrasts with the violence, but at the same time gives his violent lifestyle a glamorous feel. The music also serves as a transition into the next scene, which I thought was an interesting idea of Scorsese's. The opening scene thus gives us an introduction into Henry's lifestyle, while at the same time establishes a mood of glamorousness in an otherwise violent lifestyle.
2. Throughout the film, there are a lot of close up, tracking, and medium to full shots. Yet, in the scene where Hill finds out that his wife flushed $60,000 of cocaine down the toilet, Scorsese choses to film the scene from afar. Why does he do this?
Scorsese uses a variety of techniques in Goodfellas, ranging from freeze frames, to close ups, to tracking shots, and even to hand held camera shots. With all of these techniques, Scorsese successfully makes the viewer feel as though they are a part of the movie - not just watching it. Yet, in one scene in particular, Scorsese choses to film the scene not as though we are a part of it, but as though we are watching the scene from afar. In it, Hill finds out that his wife flushed $60,000 worth of cocaine down the toilet and that he is broke. He and Karen, who are both high and distraught, sink to the ground and cry hysterically because they realize that they have no money left. Unlike the rest of the movie, Scorsese choses to film this scene as though we are watching it, and purposely does so because thats all we have left to do. The bad choices we saw Hill make and the life we were once a part of with him has now been lifted and Hill alone is left to deal with the consequences. Scorsese shot the scene from afar because he intended for us to watch the scene, not to be a part of it. In this, he lifts us out of Hill's life and turns us into onlookers - people who now get to watch Hill face the consequences of his mistakes.
4. Pulp FictionSummary:
The film revolves around a man named Henry Hill, who is a Lucchese crime family associate in New York City. We see Henry as a teenager who idolizes gangsters and spends all of his time at a mob hangout called the "Cab Stand". He is then introduced to a man named Jimmy, who gives him a job of selling stolen drinks and cigarettes. Although Henry is caught and arrested, he is released from court and continues to aspire to be a successful gangster. We then fast forward to where Henry is a young man - where he becomes a wealthy man through organized crime and meets his future wife Karen. We watch him go to prison, come out of prison, become rich, become poor, become rich again, and become addicted to drugs as his life slowly spirals out of control. He cheats on his wife with a girl named Janice, and sells drugs while he is in prison in order to support his family. After he is caught by the FBI with drugs, Hill is sent to jail and is completely broke. Paulie, who had originally brought Hill into the gangster business, is upset because Henry went against him and dealt drugs so he only gives Hill 3,200 in financial help and breaks him off from the "gangster world". The movie ends with Hill having to face reality and make a living in the real world - something he had never tried before.
1. What role does the opening scene play in establishing mood of the film?
Goodfellas is one of those movies that has an opening scene that basically sums up what the entire movie is going to be about. We see Henry, James, and Tommy standing over a car. We hear banging from the trunk, so we wonder: who is inside? Finally, the trunk is opened a we see a man dying from mortal wounds. Tommy and James begin to stab and shoot the man repeatedly. Then we see Henry, staring at what is happening as his voice comes over the scene and says the famous line "From as far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster." The scene is important for a number of reasons, the first being that it establishes the role violence plays in the movie. The second reason is that we are introduced in Henry's lifestyle before we are actually introduced to Henry, which to me implies that Henry is consumed by his desire to become a gangster. The third reason why it is important is because, after Henry says those famous words, the song "Rags to Riches" by Tony Bennet comes on and leads us into Henry's early childhood. This upbeat song contrasts with the violence, but at the same time gives his violent lifestyle a glamorous feel. The music also serves as a transition into the next scene, which I thought was an interesting idea of Scorsese's. The opening scene thus gives us an introduction into Henry's lifestyle, while at the same time establishes a mood of glamorousness in an otherwise violent lifestyle.
2. Throughout the film, there are a lot of close up, tracking, and medium to full shots. Yet, in the scene where Hill finds out that his wife flushed $60,000 of cocaine down the toilet, Scorsese choses to film the scene from afar. Why does he do this?
Scorsese uses a variety of techniques in Goodfellas, ranging from freeze frames, to close ups, to tracking shots, and even to hand held camera shots. With all of these techniques, Scorsese successfully makes the viewer feel as though they are a part of the movie - not just watching it. Yet, in one scene in particular, Scorsese choses to film the scene not as though we are a part of it, but as though we are watching the scene from afar. In it, Hill finds out that his wife flushed $60,000 worth of cocaine down the toilet and that he is broke. He and Karen, who are both high and distraught, sink to the ground and cry hysterically because they realize that they have no money left. Unlike the rest of the movie, Scorsese choses to film this scene as though we are watching it, and purposely does so because thats all we have left to do. The bad choices we saw Hill make and the life we were once a part of with him has now been lifted and Hill alone is left to deal with the consequences. Scorsese shot the scene from afar because he intended for us to watch the scene, not to be a part of it. In this, he lifts us out of Hill's life and turns us into onlookers - people who now get to watch Hill face the consequences of his mistakes.
Movie: 1994, Crime, 154 Minutes
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Actors: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel
Summary:
This movie is a little hard to summarize because all of the events that take place occur out of chronological sequence. There are typically three different story lines; however, these story lines often intersect with one another and are thus connected. Basically, to sum it all up, the film is about a group of Los Angeles mobsters and criminals. The movie is full of violence, sex, drugs, and through all of this, embodies the lifestyle of the mobsters of Los Angeles.
1. What makes the screenplay in this movie unique?
One of the reasons why the screenplay in this movie is so well done is because it is presented out of order. Normally, this way of presenting a story line would make viewers lose interest - but something about this movie makes the audience (or at least me) want to keep watching it. I like to think of it this way: Usually, a film is presented in the form of a line; or from destination A, to destination B. This film, however, is presented in the form of a line, but a curved line, so that, in the end, the line creates a sphere that syncs destination A and destination B together. This is one reason why the screenplay is so great: because it comes full circle. Another reason is just the way it plays around with words. For example, when Uma Thurman presents the concept of "comfortable silence". It is so true, but honestly, who else can come up with that but Quentin Tarantino? It also incorporates a biblical verse towards the beginning of the film, which says a message that ultimately serves as a theme after it is reprised at the end:
Ezekiel 25:17. "The path
of the righteous man is beset on
5. Moulin RougeSummary:
This movie is a little hard to summarize because all of the events that take place occur out of chronological sequence. There are typically three different story lines; however, these story lines often intersect with one another and are thus connected. Basically, to sum it all up, the film is about a group of Los Angeles mobsters and criminals. The movie is full of violence, sex, drugs, and through all of this, embodies the lifestyle of the mobsters of Los Angeles.
1. What makes the screenplay in this movie unique?
One of the reasons why the screenplay in this movie is so well done is because it is presented out of order. Normally, this way of presenting a story line would make viewers lose interest - but something about this movie makes the audience (or at least me) want to keep watching it. I like to think of it this way: Usually, a film is presented in the form of a line; or from destination A, to destination B. This film, however, is presented in the form of a line, but a curved line, so that, in the end, the line creates a sphere that syncs destination A and destination B together. This is one reason why the screenplay is so great: because it comes full circle. Another reason is just the way it plays around with words. For example, when Uma Thurman presents the concept of "comfortable silence". It is so true, but honestly, who else can come up with that but Quentin Tarantino? It also incorporates a biblical verse towards the beginning of the film, which says a message that ultimately serves as a theme after it is reprised at the end:
Ezekiel 25:17. "The path
of the righteous man is beset on
all sides by the inequities of the
selfish and the tyranny of evil
men. Blessed is he who, in the
name of charity and good will,
shepherds the weak through the
valley of darkness, for he is truly
his brother's keeper and the finder
of lost children. And I will
strike down upon thee with great
vengeance and furious anger those
who attempt to poison and destroy
my brothers. And you will know my
name is the Lord when I lay my
vengeance upon you."
2. What is the purpose of the briefcase in the film?
I thought it was interesting that, although the briefcase serves as an undermining suspenseful device throughout the film, it's contents are never revealed. I think this was one of Tarantino's sneaky ways to keep the viewer in check when, really, the briefcase served no purpose other than to be suspenseful. For example, when Vincent opens the case in the apartment towards the beginning of the movie, it glows with and creates a suspenseful atmosphere. Little did we know that it really served no purpose. Somehow, Tarantino manages to make this work without being criticized for having an unfinished story line - something not many directors can do.
Movie: 2001, Musical, 128 Minutes
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Actors: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh
Summary:
This beautiful musical takes place in Paris in the year 1899 during the midst of the Bohemian Revolution. We are introduced to two main characters: Christian, a penniless writer in search of love, and Satine, an aspiring actress who works at the Moulin Rouge and cannot love because she is paid to make men believe that she loves them. However, Satine finds that she has fallen in love with Christian - but there is a catch. The Duke, who has invested his money in the Moulin Rouge, wants Satine all to himself. Because of this, Satine and Christian must conceal their love from both the Duke and everyone at the Moulin Rouge. Still, the Duke eventually finds out about their affair and is so overwhelmed with jealousy that he threatens to kill Christian. Satine is then informed that she is sick with consumption and then realizes then that, in order to save Christian, she must "hurt him to save him" and tell him that she does not love him anymore. Despite this fact, Christian and Satine confess their love to one another and the Duke is defeated by their love. However, Satine dies that same night of her illness and Christian is left alone to mourn her loss.
1. What techniques are used to edit this film and how to they help enhance the intensity of each scene?
Watch this! This number called "El Tango de Roxanne" is one of the many examples that display the incredible editing in Moulin Rouge. Jill Billcock, the editor of the movie, does a great job at capturing more than one storyline in each scene with quick and rapid cuts while simultaneously making the scene easy enough for us to follow without becoming confused. Still, Billcock also edits the film so well that she helps capture the intricacy within each of Luhrmann's scenes. Billcock's jump cuts also help increase the intensity of each scene, capturing the viewer and creating an intricately constructed work of art that was so well done that I found it hard to take my eyes off the screen. For example, in Roxanne, the scene begins with two people dancing. The camera switches to their feet, then jumps to them, then back to their feet, and then back to them again. We then have a quick overhead shot and then return to them dancing. These quick jumps continue throughout the scene and increase the intensity to a point where, by the end, we know exactly what is going on but cannot process every single little cut Billcock includes. The intricacy of her editing thus contributes to the intensity of the scene and to the entire movie as a whole.
2. Why do you think the film used popular music hits in order to push the storyline along rather than it's own music?
It seems as though the composers of the music in Moulin Rouge took a big risk in covering songs rather than creating their own soundtrack. However, I think that covering famous pop songs make the movie more successful because people were able to watch the film and hum along to the music. Also, I think the fact that each song was so well done also helped the music play a significant role in the film. Songs include "Nature Boy", sung by David Bowie, which establishes a major theme in the movie with it's famous line "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return". Other covers include Bowie's "Heroes", "Your Song" by Elton John, "Roxanne" by The Police, and a wonderful medley of love songs strung together to form one giant beautiful cover known as the "Elephant Medley". Both Kidman and McGregor successfully cover the songs and create a beautiful musical that, despite the fact that it does not have it's own music, still leaves it's own mark on songs we all know and love.
6. Citizen KaneSummary:
This beautiful musical takes place in Paris in the year 1899 during the midst of the Bohemian Revolution. We are introduced to two main characters: Christian, a penniless writer in search of love, and Satine, an aspiring actress who works at the Moulin Rouge and cannot love because she is paid to make men believe that she loves them. However, Satine finds that she has fallen in love with Christian - but there is a catch. The Duke, who has invested his money in the Moulin Rouge, wants Satine all to himself. Because of this, Satine and Christian must conceal their love from both the Duke and everyone at the Moulin Rouge. Still, the Duke eventually finds out about their affair and is so overwhelmed with jealousy that he threatens to kill Christian. Satine is then informed that she is sick with consumption and then realizes then that, in order to save Christian, she must "hurt him to save him" and tell him that she does not love him anymore. Despite this fact, Christian and Satine confess their love to one another and the Duke is defeated by their love. However, Satine dies that same night of her illness and Christian is left alone to mourn her loss.
1. What techniques are used to edit this film and how to they help enhance the intensity of each scene?
Watch this! This number called "El Tango de Roxanne" is one of the many examples that display the incredible editing in Moulin Rouge. Jill Billcock, the editor of the movie, does a great job at capturing more than one storyline in each scene with quick and rapid cuts while simultaneously making the scene easy enough for us to follow without becoming confused. Still, Billcock also edits the film so well that she helps capture the intricacy within each of Luhrmann's scenes. Billcock's jump cuts also help increase the intensity of each scene, capturing the viewer and creating an intricately constructed work of art that was so well done that I found it hard to take my eyes off the screen. For example, in Roxanne, the scene begins with two people dancing. The camera switches to their feet, then jumps to them, then back to their feet, and then back to them again. We then have a quick overhead shot and then return to them dancing. These quick jumps continue throughout the scene and increase the intensity to a point where, by the end, we know exactly what is going on but cannot process every single little cut Billcock includes. The intricacy of her editing thus contributes to the intensity of the scene and to the entire movie as a whole.
2. Why do you think the film used popular music hits in order to push the storyline along rather than it's own music?
It seems as though the composers of the music in Moulin Rouge took a big risk in covering songs rather than creating their own soundtrack. However, I think that covering famous pop songs make the movie more successful because people were able to watch the film and hum along to the music. Also, I think the fact that each song was so well done also helped the music play a significant role in the film. Songs include "Nature Boy", sung by David Bowie, which establishes a major theme in the movie with it's famous line "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return". Other covers include Bowie's "Heroes", "Your Song" by Elton John, "Roxanne" by The Police, and a wonderful medley of love songs strung together to form one giant beautiful cover known as the "Elephant Medley". Both Kidman and McGregor successfully cover the songs and create a beautiful musical that, despite the fact that it does not have it's own music, still leaves it's own mark on songs we all know and love.
Movie: 1941, Drama, 119 Minutes
Director: Orson Welles
Actors: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore
Summary:
Known by many people as the "Greatest movie of all time", Citizen Kane is about the extremely successful, but yet forever tragic life of a man named Charles Foster Kane. The movie begins with a dying Kane holding a snow globe and muttering the word "Rosebud..". Kane then drops the snow globe and dies. Thus, throughout the movie, we are left with an undermining question: Who, or what, is Rosebud? We follow Kane from his childhood up until when he becomes the most successful newspaper tycoon in the world. We see his first marriage fail after his affair with award winning actress Susan Alexander, which also brings about the end of his political career in his campaign to become the next governor of New York. He then marries Susan, but that marriage also fails because she feels isolated and eventually leaves him. By the end of his life, we see that Kane has all the money and success in the world, but we also see that he has no one to share it with. He spends his final years living alone and eventually dies, leaving his belongings to be either sold, cataloged, or gotten rid of. However, we still have not discovered why, of all the last words Kane could have said about his life, he chose to say "Rosebud..". In the final scene, we see people throwing some of Kane's old belongings being thrown into a furnace, one of them Kane's childhood sled with huge red letters that spelt Rosebud on the front. With this, we can conclude that, because the sled was from Kane's childhood, it represents the happiness that Kane once had, but lost with his financial success. It is believed by some that this movie was based off of the life of William Hurst, a real life newspaper tycoon who lived around the time Citizen Kane was released. Summary:
1. Why is the development of Kane's character so significant to the film?
As the movie progresses, we see Kane change from a happy, naive kid to a successful, but tragically lonely man who is, because of his loneliness, unhappy. Welles illustrates this change so well that Charles Kane truly becomes one of the best character developments of all time. We see him sent away by his mother to live with Thatcher, a man of whom Kane did not particularly care for. The lack of emotional attachment both Kane's mother and Thatcher had with Kane may have strongly contributed to Kane's inability to emotionally attach himself to anyone for the rest of his life. He becomes a selfish man - a man who craves money and power more than anything else in the world. We see that, because of this craving, Kane eventually drives away the people who can bring him happiness, such as his first wife and, eventually, his second one as well. He carelessly spends money hoping that he can buy his way through his unhappiness, but we see that by the end of the movie, Kane revisits the time in which he was happy by muttering the word Rosebud, but then dies a sad, lonely man. Welles displays Kane's character in such a way that we begin to feel sorry for him, even despite Kane's selfish actions. Still, it is through this selfishness that we feel sympathy for Kane and sorry about the fact that he cannot push past his selfishness in order to be truly happy. Part of the reason why Kane's character is so intricately developed is because his life story is told by the people who Kane had surrounded himself with, but then driven away. This incorporates a biographical element into the film, as well as shapes Kane's characters through the eyes of people with different perspectives. Still, all these people have one similar thing to say about Kane, and that is that he was too involved in his own world to emotionally attach himself to the people he had once attracted. This combined with Kane's last words creates an image of Kane that we as viewers feel sorry for.
2. How does Welles' use of the deep focus technique contribute to the cinematic structure of the film?
Throughout the movie, Welles uses the deep focus technique in order to not only highlight the subject of the scene, but also what is going on in the background. This typically makes each scene more intricate because there is more going on behind the subject. Deep focus is a technique that allows the camera to capture not only the subject in focus, but also everything in the background. Thus, Welles was able to focus on the subject of the scene, as well as the details in the background. This was a new, groundbreaking filming technique that eventually swept the industry by storm and became popular soon after Kane was released.
7. Forrest Gump
Movie:
Director:
Actors: Tom Hanks
Summary:
We are first introduced to Forrest Gump as he is waiting for a bus to take him to his long time best friend and favorite girl Jenny. We can see that he is not exactly the sharpest guy in the world, but we do see that he is ready to befriend and talk to anyone who will listen. So, it is not surprising that when someone sits down next to Forrest, he begins to tell his life story about his first pair of shoes, the first time he met Jenny, this college football days, his service in Vietnam, his ping pong career, his success in the shimpin' business and so much more. Along the way, Forrest seems to miraculously fit into every important political and social movement between the 1950's and the 1980's. Forrest doesn't think too hard or stress out about a lot of things, and it is because of this trait that he becomes so successful. He enjoys the simplicity in life while at the same time changes the world in so many complex ways. Although their relationship was complicated, Forrest discovers love with his long time best friend Jenny and they have a child together named Forrest. When Jenny dies three years later, Forrest is left to take care of Forrest, whom he adores and admires because of his smartness. In the end, we see Forrest taking his son to the bus stop for his first day of school - a simple, but perfect end to a wonderful movie.
1. As I watched this movie, the music really stuck out to me. So I thought: what role does the music play throughout the film and why is it important?
At first, the soundtrack really stuck out to me because I liked almost every song in the movie. However, as the movie progressed, I realized that the soundtrack was used as a device in order to both establish a specific setting and show the progressiveness of time. Every song that either played in or underlined a scene paralleled the emotions of a specific character. Example's include Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" playing when Forrest arrives in Vietnam, and Jackson Browne's "Runnin' on Empty", which plays as Forrest runs across the country. In both of these examples, music is used as a hidden voice in order to characterize the feelings Forrest is feeling internally, but cannot physically state. Also, the music is used to establish the mood of the setting and to emphasize the progression of time. Every song that is played, is played at a part in the movie where the time period of the setting parallels the time period in which the song was released. In some scenes, it is even used to show the political and cultural changes of a specific time period.
2. Why does the movie both start and end with a feather?
It is important that we fully understand the content of the film because there are so many symbols and messages within the movie. One of the things that puzzled me the most was the significance of the feather in both the opening scene and the final scene. You see, the feather sort of ties the movie together. For his whole life, Forrest always just kind of floated along until he landed somewhere where he could make a difference. The feather is the same way. We watch it float around in the sky completely careless of where it lands. Finally, it lands beneath Forrest's feet, where Forrest then sees it, picks it up, and puts it in a book from his childhood. In the final scene, Forrest open the book and the feather is once again lifted up by the wind and carried away to it's next destination. In both scenes, it symbolizes Forrest's philosophy on life: for people should just float along and take things as they come because, if they do it right, they'll end up in the right place. I think this is why the movie both starts and ends with a feather - it basically sums up what the movie is trying to portray.
8. Saving Private Ryan
Movie: 1998, War, 169 Minutes
Director: Steven Spielberg
Actors: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore
Summary:
We are first introduced to Private Ryan when he is an old man. He is with his family, visiting a cemetery when he comes upon the grave he had been looking for. He gazes at it with sorry blue eyes, where the scene then jumps to a flashback of D-Day in Normandy, France during WWII. From there, the story develops as a man named John Miller goes on a quest to find a man named James Ryan after he learns that all three of Ryan's brothers have been killed. We watch Miller and his team travel through Normandy as they attempt to locate the whereabouts of Ryan, while at the same time escaping then numerous obstacles that stand in their way. In the end, the team finds Ryan, but Miller is wounded and killed in the act. The movie then flashes back to a present day Ryan, who is still gazing down at the gravestone of John Miller: the man who saved his life. He hopes he has been a good man and worthy of the sacrifices Miller and his team made to save him.
1. How does Spielberg use sound in order to enhance the element of fear in the film?
In the gruesome opening scene of the film, the sound of a gun is used to create a feeling of fear in the viewer. It is the sound of war, and it is the sound of death. People who are watching automatically become uneasy and fearful about the memorable scene that is about to take place. It sets the mood for the scene, while at the same time it also establishes a feeling of fear. We see men throwing up in the rain, scared for their lives as their approach the beach of Normandy. I'm sure the gunshot was somewhat manipulated for the film in order to establish a stronger impact on the viewer. Nonetheless, the gun represents the fear the soldiers have for their lives as they slowly approach the battle that would ultimately take most of their lives.
2. How does the makeup make the film more intense? What does it help achieve?
I was most intrigued with the makeup in this particular film, especially in the opening scene, where we see hundreds of men shot, covered in blood, and wounded in all sorts of other disgusting ways. For me, the makeup did two things. The first thing it did was help intensify the emotional impact of the scene. I watched with horror as these men were killed, completely in awe that this is what war is actually like. The grotesqueness of the scene helps emphasize a theme of violence, while at the same time emotionally breaking down the viewer. The other important thing that makeup does is help establish the historical accuracy of the film. It helps us see the realities of World War II and how disturbing and violent war really is. The makeup helps insinuate violence, which draws the viewer in while, at the same time, establishes an important theme in both the film and World War II.
9. Battleship Potempkin
Movie: 1925, Silent, 75 Minutes
Director: Sergei Eisenstein
Actors: NA
Summary:
This silent film is an over-dramatic version of the 1905 mutiny of the crew members on a Russian ship called Battleship Potempkin. They rebel against the officers of the Czar, much similar to the Russian revolution that would take place 13 years later. The film served as a propaganda device against the imperial regime of the Czar, mainly through the Odessa Steps scene, where the Czar's soldiers march down a large flight of steps and kill innocent people. The events in the film miraculously parallel the events that occurred during the Russian revolution. We see in the end a ship raising up a red communist flag as sailors cheer for glory.
1. In what ways did the content of the film serve as a propaganda device against the Czar of Russia?
In the first half of the film, we see a group of sailors rebelling against the leader of their ship and killing him in the process. This parallels the events of the Russian Revolution of 1918, when rebels in Russia killed the Czar and his family in order to establish a new, communist regime. In this way, the content serves as the most primary component of establishing a pro-communist form of propaganda in the film. Also, there are scenes that include a man resembling that of Rasputin, who, during the revolution, was looked down upon by the people of Russia. The dialectic storyline also allows Eisenstein to incorporate Marxist ideals and elements of the Bolshevik Revolution into the film. In the famous “Odessa Steps” scene, Eisenstein successfully exempts his theory of dialectic montage. He first flashes to the Communist troops, which become the thesis of the scene. He then flashes to the people of Russia, or the antithesis. They then collide with one another, which is portrayed throughout the entire “Odessa Steps” scene. Thus, Eisensteins dialectic theory helps progress the effectiveness of the propaganda against the Czar.
2. What components of Soviet Montage does Eisenstein successfully use in order to convey a series of realistic events?
In Eisenstein’s theory of montage, each image in a scene is not followed by a corresponding image, but rather succeeded by a completely different shot. The difference between Eisenstein’s montage from other montages is that each image is not linked with one another. Instead, Eisenstein manages to tell a story by colliding a series of independent shots and building each one off of one another. He also incorporates his theory of dialectic montage: or the idea that a thesis combined with an antithesis will eventually create a synthesis. Eisenstein most effectively does this in the Odessa Steps scene, where he successfully synthesizes the citizens of Russia and the Czar's soldiers by embodying the ideology of the Revolution. As far as the camera goes, it moves back and forth from the troops to the people – or from the thesis to the antithesis. At one point, the tempo of the music speeds up really fast until it suddenly stops: A shot of a lady holding her dying son soon encompasses the scene, which becomes enveloped with silence and visually outlined by the shadows both the thesis and the antithesis. Then, suddenly, a gun goes off, the lady falls to the ground, and the music starts up again. Not only that – the shadow of the lady (the antithesis) shrinks, and the shadows of the troops get bigger. This signifies that the combination of the two did not create an equal synthesis, but instead created a synthesis dominated by its original thesis. Thus, Eisenstein uses his dialectic theory in order to illustrate a lack of synthesis as well as a successful synthesis.
10. Rear Window
Movie: 1954, Suspense, 112 Minutes
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Actors: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter
Summary:
L.B Jefferies is confined to his apartment after breaking his leg in a dangerous photography mission. He often gazes out of his rear window at the other apartments in the complex and watches the people who inhabit them. It isn't surprising then that, one night, Jefferies sees a possible murder in the window of a man named Thorwald. He believes Thorwald murdered his wife. A few days later, a dog is discovered dead by the tenants of the apartment complex. Everyone comes out to see what is going on except for Thorwald, adding more suspense to the situation. Eventually, the situation heats up so much that Thorward storms up to Jefferies' apartment and throws him out the window. The police arrest him and he confesses to the murder of his wife and the dog. The movie ends with Jeff, who now has two broken legs, sleeping as his girlfriend ditches a travel magazine for a fashion magazine.
1. How does Hitchcock use inanimate objects in order to transition the camera from one shot to the next?
In the opening scene, Hitchcock pans the camera across the entire apartment complex in order to establish the setting of the film. However, he does this in such a way that the shot always has some sort of focus, or subject. For example, we see the shot panning along the ground as a cat walks in a similar pace. Our eyes directly move towards the cat because it is moving at the same pace as the camera. Then, the cat reaches a dead end, suddenly, our eyes are drawn to a ladder, which then guides us to another part of the apartment complex. In this way, Hitchcock uses inanimate objects in order to keep us focused on a particular subject in the scene, while at the same time establishes a setting that serves to be a subject within itself throughout the movie.
2. How does Hitchcock's use of panning shots successfully intricately establish the setting of the movie?
Hitchcock uses a lot of panning in Rear Window. In the previous question, I talked about how he uses inanimate objects in order to guide the camera from one subject to the next. However, I would also like to mention that Hitchcock's panning also allows us to see a variety of different components going on throughout the complex. All in one shot, we are introduced to almost all of Jefferies' neighbors and, finally, Jefferies himself. Thus, Hitchcock miraculously introduces the viewer to the setting and the protagonist all with one long panning shot.
Summary:
We are first introduced to Private Ryan when he is an old man. He is with his family, visiting a cemetery when he comes upon the grave he had been looking for. He gazes at it with sorry blue eyes, where the scene then jumps to a flashback of D-Day in Normandy, France during WWII. From there, the story develops as a man named John Miller goes on a quest to find a man named James Ryan after he learns that all three of Ryan's brothers have been killed. We watch Miller and his team travel through Normandy as they attempt to locate the whereabouts of Ryan, while at the same time escaping then numerous obstacles that stand in their way. In the end, the team finds Ryan, but Miller is wounded and killed in the act. The movie then flashes back to a present day Ryan, who is still gazing down at the gravestone of John Miller: the man who saved his life. He hopes he has been a good man and worthy of the sacrifices Miller and his team made to save him.
1. How does Spielberg use sound in order to enhance the element of fear in the film?
In the gruesome opening scene of the film, the sound of a gun is used to create a feeling of fear in the viewer. It is the sound of war, and it is the sound of death. People who are watching automatically become uneasy and fearful about the memorable scene that is about to take place. It sets the mood for the scene, while at the same time it also establishes a feeling of fear. We see men throwing up in the rain, scared for their lives as their approach the beach of Normandy. I'm sure the gunshot was somewhat manipulated for the film in order to establish a stronger impact on the viewer. Nonetheless, the gun represents the fear the soldiers have for their lives as they slowly approach the battle that would ultimately take most of their lives.
2. How does the makeup make the film more intense? What does it help achieve?
I was most intrigued with the makeup in this particular film, especially in the opening scene, where we see hundreds of men shot, covered in blood, and wounded in all sorts of other disgusting ways. For me, the makeup did two things. The first thing it did was help intensify the emotional impact of the scene. I watched with horror as these men were killed, completely in awe that this is what war is actually like. The grotesqueness of the scene helps emphasize a theme of violence, while at the same time emotionally breaking down the viewer. The other important thing that makeup does is help establish the historical accuracy of the film. It helps us see the realities of World War II and how disturbing and violent war really is. The makeup helps insinuate violence, which draws the viewer in while, at the same time, establishes an important theme in both the film and World War II.
9. Battleship Potempkin
Movie: 1925, Silent, 75 Minutes
Director: Sergei Eisenstein
Actors: NA
Summary:
This silent film is an over-dramatic version of the 1905 mutiny of the crew members on a Russian ship called Battleship Potempkin. They rebel against the officers of the Czar, much similar to the Russian revolution that would take place 13 years later. The film served as a propaganda device against the imperial regime of the Czar, mainly through the Odessa Steps scene, where the Czar's soldiers march down a large flight of steps and kill innocent people. The events in the film miraculously parallel the events that occurred during the Russian revolution. We see in the end a ship raising up a red communist flag as sailors cheer for glory.
1. In what ways did the content of the film serve as a propaganda device against the Czar of Russia?
In the first half of the film, we see a group of sailors rebelling against the leader of their ship and killing him in the process. This parallels the events of the Russian Revolution of 1918, when rebels in Russia killed the Czar and his family in order to establish a new, communist regime. In this way, the content serves as the most primary component of establishing a pro-communist form of propaganda in the film. Also, there are scenes that include a man resembling that of Rasputin, who, during the revolution, was looked down upon by the people of Russia. The dialectic storyline also allows Eisenstein to incorporate Marxist ideals and elements of the Bolshevik Revolution into the film. In the famous “Odessa Steps” scene, Eisenstein successfully exempts his theory of dialectic montage. He first flashes to the Communist troops, which become the thesis of the scene. He then flashes to the people of Russia, or the antithesis. They then collide with one another, which is portrayed throughout the entire “Odessa Steps” scene. Thus, Eisensteins dialectic theory helps progress the effectiveness of the propaganda against the Czar.
2. What components of Soviet Montage does Eisenstein successfully use in order to convey a series of realistic events?
In Eisenstein’s theory of montage, each image in a scene is not followed by a corresponding image, but rather succeeded by a completely different shot. The difference between Eisenstein’s montage from other montages is that each image is not linked with one another. Instead, Eisenstein manages to tell a story by colliding a series of independent shots and building each one off of one another. He also incorporates his theory of dialectic montage: or the idea that a thesis combined with an antithesis will eventually create a synthesis. Eisenstein most effectively does this in the Odessa Steps scene, where he successfully synthesizes the citizens of Russia and the Czar's soldiers by embodying the ideology of the Revolution. As far as the camera goes, it moves back and forth from the troops to the people – or from the thesis to the antithesis. At one point, the tempo of the music speeds up really fast until it suddenly stops: A shot of a lady holding her dying son soon encompasses the scene, which becomes enveloped with silence and visually outlined by the shadows both the thesis and the antithesis. Then, suddenly, a gun goes off, the lady falls to the ground, and the music starts up again. Not only that – the shadow of the lady (the antithesis) shrinks, and the shadows of the troops get bigger. This signifies that the combination of the two did not create an equal synthesis, but instead created a synthesis dominated by its original thesis. Thus, Eisenstein uses his dialectic theory in order to illustrate a lack of synthesis as well as a successful synthesis.
10. Rear Window
Movie: 1954, Suspense, 112 Minutes
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Actors: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter
Summary:
L.B Jefferies is confined to his apartment after breaking his leg in a dangerous photography mission. He often gazes out of his rear window at the other apartments in the complex and watches the people who inhabit them. It isn't surprising then that, one night, Jefferies sees a possible murder in the window of a man named Thorwald. He believes Thorwald murdered his wife. A few days later, a dog is discovered dead by the tenants of the apartment complex. Everyone comes out to see what is going on except for Thorwald, adding more suspense to the situation. Eventually, the situation heats up so much that Thorward storms up to Jefferies' apartment and throws him out the window. The police arrest him and he confesses to the murder of his wife and the dog. The movie ends with Jeff, who now has two broken legs, sleeping as his girlfriend ditches a travel magazine for a fashion magazine.
1. How does Hitchcock use inanimate objects in order to transition the camera from one shot to the next?
In the opening scene, Hitchcock pans the camera across the entire apartment complex in order to establish the setting of the film. However, he does this in such a way that the shot always has some sort of focus, or subject. For example, we see the shot panning along the ground as a cat walks in a similar pace. Our eyes directly move towards the cat because it is moving at the same pace as the camera. Then, the cat reaches a dead end, suddenly, our eyes are drawn to a ladder, which then guides us to another part of the apartment complex. In this way, Hitchcock uses inanimate objects in order to keep us focused on a particular subject in the scene, while at the same time establishes a setting that serves to be a subject within itself throughout the movie.
2. How does Hitchcock's use of panning shots successfully intricately establish the setting of the movie?
Hitchcock uses a lot of panning in Rear Window. In the previous question, I talked about how he uses inanimate objects in order to guide the camera from one subject to the next. However, I would also like to mention that Hitchcock's panning also allows us to see a variety of different components going on throughout the complex. All in one shot, we are introduced to almost all of Jefferies' neighbors and, finally, Jefferies himself. Thus, Hitchcock miraculously introduces the viewer to the setting and the protagonist all with one long panning shot.
