In the movie School of Rock, the director uses a great deal of editing and transitions to make everything flow together perfectly. The director uses good coherence, continuity, and rhythm when changing to a shot of each actor playing or singing in the battle of the bands. The rhythm he uses allows us to feel like we are part of the crowd listening to the show live. Although the movie uses many transitions, I don’t remember the director using a wipe, flip frame, fade-out/fade-in, or a dissolve transition technique. In the beginning of the movie the author uses glancing rhythms to make it seem like Jack Black’s band is terrible and gives us the reason for why the crowd boos them off stage. The movie doesn’t use the editing techniques of expansion and compression of time or slow motion. I would find it interesting if they were to have used slow motion in the beginning of their performance in the battle of the bands. This would add a little emphasis on the lighting and catch the viewer’s attention.
In the School of Rock, the director doesn’t use very much color in his scenes. He uses more of the cool colors in each of the scenes. His scenes are darker but he uses different effects to attract our attention, such as lighting and music. The cooler colors allow us to feel more comfortable because it makes the scenes appear more laid back. I feel that if the director would have made the school uniforms more colorful, it would have made some of the scenes livelier. The director uses bright lights during the concert to give it that rock band feel; it captures the viewer’s attention and makes it feel like they are at an actual concert. In the film there aren’t any scenes that are in black and white and I feel that it is better that way. In comedy genre films its tougher to shoot in black and white and still keep the viewer’s attention. It is also hard to shoot a film in black and white these days because it is so unpopular and many people prefer color versus black and white.
The sound effects and dialogue play a very important role in the movie School of Rock. The use of Dolby-Surround Sound in this movie plays a very important role because in that way you are able to hear every note played on Black’s guitar or hear each word from the three singers. It also again gives you the feel like you are watching the performance and their practices live. The subjective point of view throughout most of the movie is Jack Black, it however changes to some of the students when they are asked question by Black or are conversing with him. The director uses sound as a transitional element. He does this when the students and Black sneak out of the school to go to audition for the battle of the bands. The movie does not use any voice-narration, voice dubbing, or subtitles.
The movie uses a few different types of musical score. The director uses the Mickey Mousing technique when the band is playing on the stage. When they are playing on the stage the music coming from their instrument or microphone it is in direct collaboration with their movement. The director also uses generalized score, he uses this when Black and his students sneak out and go to the audition. By using this technique it allows him to create that adrenaline rush of sneaking out and cutting school. This last example also uses a form of traveling music. The traveling music is used as background music and creates a sense of sneakiness. This technique pulls you in and makes you want to be a part of the action and be a rebel again. Overall I feel this movie has a great balance of musical score. Through the use of Mickey Mousing and generalized score, the movie pulls you in and makes you want to take part in every step along the way.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Memento
1. Why did the director choose to edit the film the way he did?
- I believe the director chose to edit the film the way he did because that way it would be more interesting for the viewer. Although the beginning was a little strange and kind of hard to pick up, once you started to understand the dynamics of the movie it was fun and exciting to watch every twist the movie took. I also believe he edited the film the way he did so that the people watching would have to pay attention to the whole movie to be able to understand it.
2. Why did the director change from color to black and white? Do you think it was necessary? Interesting? What did it add/subtract from the film?
-I believe the director changed the color from black to white to put an emphasis on the phone conversations. It also seemed to be that when the movie went to black and white, it was like a flashback into the movie. Throughout the whole movie the audience is wondering who he is talking to and how this is going to change the dynamic of the movie. When you finally find out that it was a detective calling him you realize that it was probably unnecessary for it to be in black and white. I thought it was an interesting way to emphasize certain parts but was in the end unnecessary. It added emphasis on certain parts but lost relevancy by not being a large part of the outcome.
3. What was the relevance of Sammy Jankis?
-Sammy Jankis throughout most of the movie is a man that Leonard came in contact with through his career as an insurance investigator. Sammy is a name that is suffering from short term memory loss; a condition in which he cannot register new memories in his brain. Memories such as people’s names, his name, or the place he lives. In the beginning and throughout most of the movie, the audience believes that he is real and the through an injury Leonard is suffering from the same condition. In the end we find out that Sammy Jankis has been made up and is just a name Leonard bases his life off of.
4. What is your theory about what happened at the end (which was really the beginning) of the movie?
-My theory about what happened at the end of the movie is that Leonard actually knew what he was doing the whole time. He was acting like he suffered from the same memory illness as Sammy Jankis so that he may kill people. I believe that Leonard intentionally killed his wife by giving her to much insulin and knew what he was doing the whole time. This is a very twisted movie that takes a lot of unexpected turns and is kind of hard to follow, but if one is able to follow the whole movie it actually is pretty well written.
The things I noticed about this movie is that the beginning of the movie is hard to follow but once you recognize the system it follows it is fun and exciting to watch. I also noticed that the director cuts the film to black and white at points to put an emphasis on certain parts of the movie; later in the movie you realize it is kind of unnecessary but is still interesting. The movie is also backwards and has the beginning at the end and the end at the beginning. By choosing this method I feel that the director makes the movie more interesting and forces the audience to pay attention to the whole movie and try to piece everything together. The questions that still remain for me are as follows: Did Leonard actually know what he was doing? Was Sammy Jankis actually a real person? And if Leonard actually suffered from this short term memory loss why was he not in a group home like Sammy Jankis? The parts of the movie that made it interesting was how you had to piece everything together to understand what was going on throughout the movie. It was also very interesting how Leonard used tattoos on his body to remind himself of certain things he couldn’t remember. It was also interesting how he used pictures of people to remember them and how he wrote certain things on the back of them to remember things about them. The ending put a very good emotional twist on the movie because you go from feeling bad for Leonard because people are taking advantage of him, but then it suggests that he knew what was going on the whole time so you feel like you felt bad for no reason. Overall this movie is a good thriller and takes a lot of interest twists.
- I believe the director chose to edit the film the way he did because that way it would be more interesting for the viewer. Although the beginning was a little strange and kind of hard to pick up, once you started to understand the dynamics of the movie it was fun and exciting to watch every twist the movie took. I also believe he edited the film the way he did so that the people watching would have to pay attention to the whole movie to be able to understand it.
2. Why did the director change from color to black and white? Do you think it was necessary? Interesting? What did it add/subtract from the film?
-I believe the director changed the color from black to white to put an emphasis on the phone conversations. It also seemed to be that when the movie went to black and white, it was like a flashback into the movie. Throughout the whole movie the audience is wondering who he is talking to and how this is going to change the dynamic of the movie. When you finally find out that it was a detective calling him you realize that it was probably unnecessary for it to be in black and white. I thought it was an interesting way to emphasize certain parts but was in the end unnecessary. It added emphasis on certain parts but lost relevancy by not being a large part of the outcome.
3. What was the relevance of Sammy Jankis?
-Sammy Jankis throughout most of the movie is a man that Leonard came in contact with through his career as an insurance investigator. Sammy is a name that is suffering from short term memory loss; a condition in which he cannot register new memories in his brain. Memories such as people’s names, his name, or the place he lives. In the beginning and throughout most of the movie, the audience believes that he is real and the through an injury Leonard is suffering from the same condition. In the end we find out that Sammy Jankis has been made up and is just a name Leonard bases his life off of.
4. What is your theory about what happened at the end (which was really the beginning) of the movie?
-My theory about what happened at the end of the movie is that Leonard actually knew what he was doing the whole time. He was acting like he suffered from the same memory illness as Sammy Jankis so that he may kill people. I believe that Leonard intentionally killed his wife by giving her to much insulin and knew what he was doing the whole time. This is a very twisted movie that takes a lot of unexpected turns and is kind of hard to follow, but if one is able to follow the whole movie it actually is pretty well written.
The things I noticed about this movie is that the beginning of the movie is hard to follow but once you recognize the system it follows it is fun and exciting to watch. I also noticed that the director cuts the film to black and white at points to put an emphasis on certain parts of the movie; later in the movie you realize it is kind of unnecessary but is still interesting. The movie is also backwards and has the beginning at the end and the end at the beginning. By choosing this method I feel that the director makes the movie more interesting and forces the audience to pay attention to the whole movie and try to piece everything together. The questions that still remain for me are as follows: Did Leonard actually know what he was doing? Was Sammy Jankis actually a real person? And if Leonard actually suffered from this short term memory loss why was he not in a group home like Sammy Jankis? The parts of the movie that made it interesting was how you had to piece everything together to understand what was going on throughout the movie. It was also very interesting how Leonard used tattoos on his body to remind himself of certain things he couldn’t remember. It was also interesting how he used pictures of people to remember them and how he wrote certain things on the back of them to remember things about them. The ending put a very good emotional twist on the movie because you go from feeling bad for Leonard because people are taking advantage of him, but then it suggests that he knew what was going on the whole time so you feel like you felt bad for no reason. Overall this movie is a good thriller and takes a lot of interest twists.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire
“Slumdog Millionaire is a very Indian film, mixing together romance, crime, comedy, passion without sex, violence, and drama together in the Indian way—with an absurdly happy ending, of course” (Christie Davies). I couldn’t agree more with how the author of “Wagging the Slumdog” has described the motion picture that won eight Oscars. It was very fascinating to hear that many people in India got up early in the morning to watch the Oscar’s in real time at their house. This reminds me of when American’s get up at 3 a.m. to watch an event in the Olympics, so it is very astonishing when you see that for an event like the Oscar’s. The movie has also won many international awards from around the world. In Davies article, she shows that a majority of the population in India enjoyed the movie and how only a handful of Indian journalists and academics have given the movie bad reviews. The journalists and academics say that the movie depicts the slums of Mumbai and how that could turn off investors or land realtors, when this is actually the opposite. The movie actually shows both sides of Mumbai by showing the “dumpy” slums and the successful centers of trade, finance, and modern industry. The article also shows how this movie has come from an actual novel written by Swarup. This I feel doesn’t play a very important role in the final outcome because the overall journey of Jamal Malik’s life is more important.
The article the “The Original Amazing Indian Reality Show,” written by Bobby Ghosh shows a real-life story of two Indian boys who have took first and second in the Million Dollar Arm game show. The article says that a year before the television show the boys were throwing javelin for the national team and had basically never seen a baseball before. With the amount of money on the line and nothing to lose Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel tried out with the other 30,000 contestants. Singh was the overall winner and won $100,000 but wasn’t able to throw three consecutive pitches at 90 mph so he didn’t win the $1,000,000. After many workouts with the USC pitching coach and many classroom lessons they were ready to try-out for MLB scouts. With their first try-out being unsuccessful the second one was a charm. They both threw 90mph and were signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The article went on to say that they were going to compete on the single A farm team of the Pirates as relief pitchers and see where it went from there. This article was published a few years ago and I haven’t how things turned out for them. But this is a very inspirational story because these kids picked up baseball so fast and were able to be signed after only knowing the game for six months.
The thing I noticed about this movie right away that it was shot in a foreign country and it very closely depicted the struggles of the people living in the Mumbai slums. I noticed that I have never realized just how bad some of the people in these flourishing countries actually have it. I noticed this because when you watch the Travel Channel it only shows you the resorts and nice parts of a city and rarely shows you the slums or poverty stricken potions of the city. The director decided to show the slums of Mumbai because people like me coming into the movie only had seen the “nice” parts of these large cities and have rarely seen a movie show the poverty stricken parts of it. It was very eye opening and makes a person feel very sad to see all the kids living as orphans because their parents have been killed by extremists. The questions that still remain for me are as follows: Did Jamal ever get his money? What did he end up doing with all of it? Was he ever found by the gangster his brother worked for? And did he and Latika live happily ever after? One scene that I thought was funny was when Jamal’s friend locked him in the outhouse and he jumped into the defecations which was his only way out. Another part of the movie that was very emotional was when Jamal’s brother gave Latika the keys to his car and was willing to die so that his brother could have the girl he had always wanted. Overall this movie is one of the best I have ever watched and can see why it won eight Oscar’s.
The article the “The Original Amazing Indian Reality Show,” written by Bobby Ghosh shows a real-life story of two Indian boys who have took first and second in the Million Dollar Arm game show. The article says that a year before the television show the boys were throwing javelin for the national team and had basically never seen a baseball before. With the amount of money on the line and nothing to lose Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel tried out with the other 30,000 contestants. Singh was the overall winner and won $100,000 but wasn’t able to throw three consecutive pitches at 90 mph so he didn’t win the $1,000,000. After many workouts with the USC pitching coach and many classroom lessons they were ready to try-out for MLB scouts. With their first try-out being unsuccessful the second one was a charm. They both threw 90mph and were signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The article went on to say that they were going to compete on the single A farm team of the Pirates as relief pitchers and see where it went from there. This article was published a few years ago and I haven’t how things turned out for them. But this is a very inspirational story because these kids picked up baseball so fast and were able to be signed after only knowing the game for six months.
The thing I noticed about this movie right away that it was shot in a foreign country and it very closely depicted the struggles of the people living in the Mumbai slums. I noticed that I have never realized just how bad some of the people in these flourishing countries actually have it. I noticed this because when you watch the Travel Channel it only shows you the resorts and nice parts of a city and rarely shows you the slums or poverty stricken potions of the city. The director decided to show the slums of Mumbai because people like me coming into the movie only had seen the “nice” parts of these large cities and have rarely seen a movie show the poverty stricken parts of it. It was very eye opening and makes a person feel very sad to see all the kids living as orphans because their parents have been killed by extremists. The questions that still remain for me are as follows: Did Jamal ever get his money? What did he end up doing with all of it? Was he ever found by the gangster his brother worked for? And did he and Latika live happily ever after? One scene that I thought was funny was when Jamal’s friend locked him in the outhouse and he jumped into the defecations which was his only way out. Another part of the movie that was very emotional was when Jamal’s brother gave Latika the keys to his car and was willing to die so that his brother could have the girl he had always wanted. Overall this movie is one of the best I have ever watched and can see why it won eight Oscar’s.
Monsters Inc.
Monsters Inc. is a great animation film for any age of audience. It is another great motion picture shot by Walt Disney Productions. The movie is in color, obviously for many reasons; the main one is to attract more of an audience. The screen format changes depending on where you watched it. If you watched it in theaters my guess is that it was in Cinemascope or Panavision, and if you watched it at home it was in either standard or wide screen. The stock of film used for the movie is smooth-grain film stock because it has to show the artists wonderful color used for this animation film. The settings of the movie are different than a lot of other movies because it is in “Monstertropolis,” don’t quote me on the spelling but it is a made up place where the monsters in the show live. It is different from many of the other movies because the film is an animation and therefore is very fictional. The movie also uses the setting to create an emotional atmosphere. By shooting the film with bright colors, it creates a very comforting setting and gives it a Saturday cartoon feeling. This setting also makes the film more appealing to a younger audience. Lighting rarely plays an important role in the film but different types are still shown. For example, when the monsters are sent in to scare the children in the movie, the lighting goes darker to give it the scary feel. Other than diming the lighting for that purpose, the lighting stays the same throughout most of the movie and shows what would be a lot of natural lighting.
The cinematic point of view that the movie mainly shows is an objective point of view. By showing an objective point of view you feel like you are an observer for most of the movie. However, there are points in the movie when you feel like you are more part of the movie. The movie uses a subjective view point when Mikey and Sully are being chased by the CDA after Boo is seen at the sushi restaurant. It also shows some indirect-subjective viewpoint when the scene focuses on Sully’s “scaring face.” This technique could also be called an extreme close up because it is bringing us to the point where we are almost nose to nose with Sully. In chapter six, the book mentions how many of the new animations aren’t made for a specific audience but rather for everyone to enjoy. The loveable monsters in monsters inc. are made for the kids but the humor portrayed in the movie aimed for the adults. All in all this is a great movie for any audience. This movie is one that pokes fun at many children’s belief that there are “monsters” in their closet or under their bed. It also shows the progression of the character Sully. In the beginning of the movie he is on track for breaking the all-time scare record and only wants that. But at the end of the movie he finds more enjoyment in making children laugh than making them scream in terror. A part of the movie that got me thinking and was pretty emotional was the ending. After a scene shows Sully's clip board having Boo's picture and a piece of her shreaded door, Mikey tells Sully he has something to show him. Reluctantly Sully follows Mikey into another room. The thing that Mikey had to show Sully was Boo's door all patched up missing that one piece that Sully has kept. After adding that piece Sully enters Boo's door and he hears Boo's voice say "Kitty," and the movie ends. This is a great way to end the movie because everyone that watches this movie hopes that Sully will someday be able to see Boo one more time. Overall this is a great movie and I hope to enjoy more like this in the future.
The cinematic point of view that the movie mainly shows is an objective point of view. By showing an objective point of view you feel like you are an observer for most of the movie. However, there are points in the movie when you feel like you are more part of the movie. The movie uses a subjective view point when Mikey and Sully are being chased by the CDA after Boo is seen at the sushi restaurant. It also shows some indirect-subjective viewpoint when the scene focuses on Sully’s “scaring face.” This technique could also be called an extreme close up because it is bringing us to the point where we are almost nose to nose with Sully. In chapter six, the book mentions how many of the new animations aren’t made for a specific audience but rather for everyone to enjoy. The loveable monsters in monsters inc. are made for the kids but the humor portrayed in the movie aimed for the adults. All in all this is a great movie for any audience. This movie is one that pokes fun at many children’s belief that there are “monsters” in their closet or under their bed. It also shows the progression of the character Sully. In the beginning of the movie he is on track for breaking the all-time scare record and only wants that. But at the end of the movie he finds more enjoyment in making children laugh than making them scream in terror. A part of the movie that got me thinking and was pretty emotional was the ending. After a scene shows Sully's clip board having Boo's picture and a piece of her shreaded door, Mikey tells Sully he has something to show him. Reluctantly Sully follows Mikey into another room. The thing that Mikey had to show Sully was Boo's door all patched up missing that one piece that Sully has kept. After adding that piece Sully enters Boo's door and he hears Boo's voice say "Kitty," and the movie ends. This is a great way to end the movie because everyone that watches this movie hopes that Sully will someday be able to see Boo one more time. Overall this is a great movie and I hope to enjoy more like this in the future.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
8 Mile
In 1999, the album The Slim Shady was released and put a man that goes by the name Eminem, on the map. With his growing popularity the documentary production of his life, 8 Mile, came out in 2006. The movie depicts his life in the beginning of his early rapping career. In the movie, Eminem’s name is changed to Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith Jr. to make the movie appear to be a fictional movie, when it actually mirrors the life of Eminem almost exactly.
The story about Eminem is unified in plot because if a part of the movie or the life of Eminem was to be altered, we may not be finding ourselves or the teen age generation listening to any of his fascinating music that tells us about his life growing up and the problems he has faced. The story is also credible because it is a documentary of Marshall’s life and based off of events and things that happened to him. The story of Marshall’s life is also interesting. The director makes the movie suspenseful when Eminem goes on stage for his second rap battle. This is so suspenseful because in a previous rap battle he froze and was booed off stage. When he comes to the stage for his second battle the audience is unsure whether or not he is going to freeze again. The director also provides us as an audience with action throughout the movie. He provides the action of his rap battles and also the action of Marshall’s best friends, Cheddar Bob, shooting himself in the leg on accident. The story of 8 Mile is very simple to follow for basically any viewer because it often foreshadows or hints at what is coming next in the movie. The story is complex, however, when one tries to think of how Marshall is able to come up with his lines for rap battles with basically no time to rehearse lines or think of ideas. The title of 8 Mile isn’t very flashy or wouldn’t jump out at someone because the understanding of the title isn’t understood until one has watched the movie.
8 Mile’s dramatic structure is nonlinear because it starts in the middle of Marshall’s life instead of at the beginning when he was born. In the movie Eminem faces both external and internal conflicts. He faces external conflict throughout the movie because he is constantly trying to keep his job and support his family and slowly growing rap career. He also has to constantly try to fend off mugging attempts from the rap group “Free World.” Some of the internal conflicts that Marshall faces are when he freezes on stage in his first rap battle and is booed off stage. After that happens he is constantly thinking about whether or not he should still pursue a rap career. I believe the director uses characterization through appearance to allow us as an audience to make assumptions about the cast. He wants us to do this because by filming the movie in a rundown part of Detroit, the director shows how rough Marshall had it earlier in his life and it is almost like a rag to riches type story for him. In this way the director also portrays how rappers are generally dressed like thugs and look “gangster.” The director also uses characterization through dialogue. He shows how dumb Cheddar Bob is when he has him always blabbing about something or even when he blurts out “F*** the Free World.” In the movie the main character Jimmy is a round character because he has a very elaborate personality and it is hard to predict what he will do or say next.
8 Mile is filmed in color and if it were filmed in black in white I feel it would lose a large part of its audience. Film’s shot in black and white are usually older movies and give it a more rustic and original feel. Film’s shot in black and white usually attract an older generation for the audience and usually less from the younger generation. Being that 8 Mile is about the life of rapper Eminem, it needs to be shot in color so that it’s more appealing to the younger generation of fans that will most likely be watching it. A part in the movie when the screen format is very important is when Jimmy and Papa Doc are in the finals for the rap battle. It is important to have a Cinemascope shot of the crowd so that the audience can imagine the atmosphere and basically feel the people chanting for the rapper of choice. The stock of film that I thought the director used was smooth-grain film stock. I think this because it allowed the director to create artistic shadows and different contrasts in many of the scenes throughout the movie.
The setting portrayed in this film is a rundown area of Detroit, Michigan. The setting effects that have the most influence on the main character are social structures and economic factors. The social structures are outside characters like Papa Doc and Jimmy’s Mom. The economic factors are Jimmy having to work long hours to support his family. When he has to do this it takes away time he could be spending on improving his rapping skills. Lighting in this movie plays a very important role. One part where it is very important in is once again the rap battles. For instance, in the biggest rap battle of the movie the lighting is only focused on Jimmy and Papa Doc staring at each other. When the light is only focused on these two you are able to see how much they dislike each other and how intense the battle is about to get.
Through out the movie there are a variety of things that pull and keep this movie flowing. By having a unified plot, a story that is credible, an interesting story, using different types of lighting to turn the audiences focus and a bunch of other things helps to keep the movie interesting and exciting throughout the duration. The only thing I feel the director is missing is making this movie appealing to an older generation that has never heard of Eminem. The director also leaves me wondering these questions: What happens to Jimmy after he walks off in the end of the movie? What do his friends end up doing? And do he and Alex ever get back together?
The story about Eminem is unified in plot because if a part of the movie or the life of Eminem was to be altered, we may not be finding ourselves or the teen age generation listening to any of his fascinating music that tells us about his life growing up and the problems he has faced. The story is also credible because it is a documentary of Marshall’s life and based off of events and things that happened to him. The story of Marshall’s life is also interesting. The director makes the movie suspenseful when Eminem goes on stage for his second rap battle. This is so suspenseful because in a previous rap battle he froze and was booed off stage. When he comes to the stage for his second battle the audience is unsure whether or not he is going to freeze again. The director also provides us as an audience with action throughout the movie. He provides the action of his rap battles and also the action of Marshall’s best friends, Cheddar Bob, shooting himself in the leg on accident. The story of 8 Mile is very simple to follow for basically any viewer because it often foreshadows or hints at what is coming next in the movie. The story is complex, however, when one tries to think of how Marshall is able to come up with his lines for rap battles with basically no time to rehearse lines or think of ideas. The title of 8 Mile isn’t very flashy or wouldn’t jump out at someone because the understanding of the title isn’t understood until one has watched the movie.
8 Mile’s dramatic structure is nonlinear because it starts in the middle of Marshall’s life instead of at the beginning when he was born. In the movie Eminem faces both external and internal conflicts. He faces external conflict throughout the movie because he is constantly trying to keep his job and support his family and slowly growing rap career. He also has to constantly try to fend off mugging attempts from the rap group “Free World.” Some of the internal conflicts that Marshall faces are when he freezes on stage in his first rap battle and is booed off stage. After that happens he is constantly thinking about whether or not he should still pursue a rap career. I believe the director uses characterization through appearance to allow us as an audience to make assumptions about the cast. He wants us to do this because by filming the movie in a rundown part of Detroit, the director shows how rough Marshall had it earlier in his life and it is almost like a rag to riches type story for him. In this way the director also portrays how rappers are generally dressed like thugs and look “gangster.” The director also uses characterization through dialogue. He shows how dumb Cheddar Bob is when he has him always blabbing about something or even when he blurts out “F*** the Free World.” In the movie the main character Jimmy is a round character because he has a very elaborate personality and it is hard to predict what he will do or say next.
8 Mile is filmed in color and if it were filmed in black in white I feel it would lose a large part of its audience. Film’s shot in black and white are usually older movies and give it a more rustic and original feel. Film’s shot in black and white usually attract an older generation for the audience and usually less from the younger generation. Being that 8 Mile is about the life of rapper Eminem, it needs to be shot in color so that it’s more appealing to the younger generation of fans that will most likely be watching it. A part in the movie when the screen format is very important is when Jimmy and Papa Doc are in the finals for the rap battle. It is important to have a Cinemascope shot of the crowd so that the audience can imagine the atmosphere and basically feel the people chanting for the rapper of choice. The stock of film that I thought the director used was smooth-grain film stock. I think this because it allowed the director to create artistic shadows and different contrasts in many of the scenes throughout the movie.
The setting portrayed in this film is a rundown area of Detroit, Michigan. The setting effects that have the most influence on the main character are social structures and economic factors. The social structures are outside characters like Papa Doc and Jimmy’s Mom. The economic factors are Jimmy having to work long hours to support his family. When he has to do this it takes away time he could be spending on improving his rapping skills. Lighting in this movie plays a very important role. One part where it is very important in is once again the rap battles. For instance, in the biggest rap battle of the movie the lighting is only focused on Jimmy and Papa Doc staring at each other. When the light is only focused on these two you are able to see how much they dislike each other and how intense the battle is about to get.
Through out the movie there are a variety of things that pull and keep this movie flowing. By having a unified plot, a story that is credible, an interesting story, using different types of lighting to turn the audiences focus and a bunch of other things helps to keep the movie interesting and exciting throughout the duration. The only thing I feel the director is missing is making this movie appealing to an older generation that has never heard of Eminem. The director also leaves me wondering these questions: What happens to Jimmy after he walks off in the end of the movie? What do his friends end up doing? And do he and Alex ever get back together?
Good Will Hunting
With a violent and troubling past, Will Hunting the genius MIT janitor finds himself in some trouble he can’t talk himself out of. After agreeing to meeting with a psychiatrist once a week, Will saves himself from spending some time in the slammer. Whether or not Will knows it, he is on the journey of turning his life around and using his genius ability for what it is intended. Although I have never seen this movie before it was easy to see why it was nominated for so many Oscar Awards. The story background and overall message I feel Affleck and Damon are trying to get across are very important for any of the people that may come into contact with real life Will Huntings’. As the article, “Two Thumbs Up, Five Stars, and an Oscar?” says gifted children need an array of people in their lives that help nurture their astonishing abilities. I believe an example of this is shown in the movie when after seeing five shrinks and running them all out, Will finally meets his match and is able to confide in someone that is actually going to help him with his anger and aggression problems. Through the weekly meetings with Sean Maguire, Will takes down his walls and is able to finally see what his life is intended for. Sean also helps Will develop into a whole person and love somebody that loves him in return.
The article “Holden Caulfield, Alex Portnoy, and Good Will Hunting: Coming of Age in American Films and Novels,” by Lawrence E. Ziewacz shows a long and drawn out detailed description of the movie. Some critics say that Gus Van Sant had lost his edge as leading director (McGurk, Eklias). Others like Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle found “Van Sant’s off-center approach” helped “make an odd collection of characters come alive.” I would have to disagree with the critics that said this wasn’t some of Van Sant’s best work because it won two Oscars Awards and was nominated for many other awards along the way. I do, however, agree with the article when it says the ending is a bit too perfect and the final outcome is pretty predictable. With that being said the point of this movie is very beneficial if understood completely. The point is to use your abilities to the fullest and to share the experiences with someone else that is very special to you.
In the article “Too smart for their own good,” author Patrick McCormick explains the importance of not over-stressing that your kids should get good grades. He believes that if you do overstress this it may be threatening to steal a portion of your sons or daughters childhood. The older they get the more you can stress it but you have to allow your kids to be kids while they still can. I would tie what the author is saying in this article to the movie by saying this it closely resembles what I believe Will is thinking. Will doesn’t want to lose a part of his life in school learning things that he could teach himself. He is also very independent and feels like he doesn’t need anyone’s help. Right away he says he doesn’t need therapy but in the end I think he realizes and is very happy that he ended up going and getting it.
The things I noticed about the movie were that the acting in the fight between Will and his posse versus his elementary bully was very poor. When the actors would throw punches you could tell they weren’t even hitting the other person. Other than that I thought the acting was very good. I believe the director made the choice of having a lot of scenes where Will would manipulate other people because this way it would seem that over the course of the movie you would see Will grow up. I also feel that in this way Will became a more whole person and a contributing member of society. The questions that this movie left remaining were as follows: Did Will and Skyler ever end up back together? What happened to Will’s friends after he left? And what ever happened to Sean after he went away? A part in the movie that was emotional to me was when Will and Skyler got in a fight. Skyler said that if Will doesn’t love her he should just say it, and he said he didn’t. It was emotional because throughout the movie you could tell how much Will liked Skyler and you could just tell he was throwing the relationship away because he liked to say goodbye before people said goodbye to him. A thing in the movie that was interesting to me was Will’s progression of the movie. In the beginning of the movie I felt that Will was very childish and as the movie progressed I felt like he became a more whole person and also became a man. These last two examples were times that made me think and react to the things that were going on in the movie.
The article “Holden Caulfield, Alex Portnoy, and Good Will Hunting: Coming of Age in American Films and Novels,” by Lawrence E. Ziewacz shows a long and drawn out detailed description of the movie. Some critics say that Gus Van Sant had lost his edge as leading director (McGurk, Eklias). Others like Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle found “Van Sant’s off-center approach” helped “make an odd collection of characters come alive.” I would have to disagree with the critics that said this wasn’t some of Van Sant’s best work because it won two Oscars Awards and was nominated for many other awards along the way. I do, however, agree with the article when it says the ending is a bit too perfect and the final outcome is pretty predictable. With that being said the point of this movie is very beneficial if understood completely. The point is to use your abilities to the fullest and to share the experiences with someone else that is very special to you.
In the article “Too smart for their own good,” author Patrick McCormick explains the importance of not over-stressing that your kids should get good grades. He believes that if you do overstress this it may be threatening to steal a portion of your sons or daughters childhood. The older they get the more you can stress it but you have to allow your kids to be kids while they still can. I would tie what the author is saying in this article to the movie by saying this it closely resembles what I believe Will is thinking. Will doesn’t want to lose a part of his life in school learning things that he could teach himself. He is also very independent and feels like he doesn’t need anyone’s help. Right away he says he doesn’t need therapy but in the end I think he realizes and is very happy that he ended up going and getting it.
The things I noticed about the movie were that the acting in the fight between Will and his posse versus his elementary bully was very poor. When the actors would throw punches you could tell they weren’t even hitting the other person. Other than that I thought the acting was very good. I believe the director made the choice of having a lot of scenes where Will would manipulate other people because this way it would seem that over the course of the movie you would see Will grow up. I also feel that in this way Will became a more whole person and a contributing member of society. The questions that this movie left remaining were as follows: Did Will and Skyler ever end up back together? What happened to Will’s friends after he left? And what ever happened to Sean after he went away? A part in the movie that was emotional to me was when Will and Skyler got in a fight. Skyler said that if Will doesn’t love her he should just say it, and he said he didn’t. It was emotional because throughout the movie you could tell how much Will liked Skyler and you could just tell he was throwing the relationship away because he liked to say goodbye before people said goodbye to him. A thing in the movie that was interesting to me was Will’s progression of the movie. In the beginning of the movie I felt that Will was very childish and as the movie progressed I felt like he became a more whole person and also became a man. These last two examples were times that made me think and react to the things that were going on in the movie.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Casablanca
A movie with romance, action, drama, comedy, and just about anything else you could put in a movie, Casablanca has it all. It is a must watch movie for people of all ages. Coming into my film class, I had never heard of this movie but now know why it is holds the title of second best film in the nineteenth century according to an article by Kathy Jackson and Jack Nachbar. It is a timeless classic that people have tried duplicate in a variety of ways, with none of attempts coming out with a product that could shine a light to the film that premiered in 1942. Even though I had not seen or heard of the movie before watching it, I do vaguely remember hearing the line, “Here’s looking at you, Kid,” in another movie. Although I don’t recall which movie I heard it in, the article “Playing It Again and Again,” says that the line has been used in a few other movies and television shows. Of all the gin joins in all the towns all over the world, she walks into mine,” and “Everybody comes to Rick’s,” are a few of the other famous lines from the movie that have been used in a variety of different things.
As I mentioned before, I hadn’t ever seen or heard of this movie before watching it, so it would make sense that I wouldn’t have known that the film was actually based off of the popular play written by Murray Burnett, called “Everybody Comes to Rick’s.” The article “Casablanca,” by Ray Merlock gave me a very in depth look at how the play was turned into one of the best motion pictures of the nineteenth century and arguably one of the bests of all time. Ray’s article showed that even though the movie wasn’t an exact reflection of the play, it had many of the same actors used in the play and just a few of the lines and names of characters were changed. His article also mentioned that the cast and crew of the movie represented thirty four different nationalities, which was a very astounding statistic.
The first thing that I noticed about the movie off the bat was that it was in black and white. This was kind of a turn off for me at first because it made me instantly think that it was going to be boring. However, as I continued watching the movie I noticed that the director used different types of lighting to create different effects. One example is how they always showed Ilas in a much brighter and warming light. This made her come off as being a center piece throughout much of the movie. The director also used more lighting to show happier moments in the movie and less light when something bad or a more dramatic effect was needed. Through reading the articles that referred to this movie I also found out that a color copy of this movie is out there, which makes me interested in seeing whether or not the same effects were able to be portrayed. The ending of the movie was a good ending but it still left some unanswered questions I had. I wondered: What happened with Rick and Captain Renault?, If Ilsa and Victor ever made it to America safely?, and if Rick and Ilsa ever got to see each other again?
Although the movie being in black and white made it boring at times, the director’s use of emotional scenes kept me interested and wanting more. An emotional scene for me was when Victor and Ilsa left on the plane. This was sad because as a viewer I knew that Ilsa still loved Rick and Rick still loved Ilsa, so it made me imagine how tough it would be to do the right thing like Rick does and let Ilsa leave with Victor. Another scene that was very interesting to me was how Rick had a tender enough heart to let the young couple in his saloon win enough money in craps to pay for their way out of Casablanca. Throughout the movie the character of Rick is portrayed as the person that always does the right thing no matter what it entails. He is willing to bend over backwards so that people are able to get what is the best for them. When the article “Playing It Again and Again,” says that Casablanca is an enduring classic that has left its mark on American mass media and popular culture, I believe it because it has left a mark on me. It makes me inspire to be more like Rick and have the courage to do the sacrifices for what is right. I also hope that anyone who watches this will be inspired to do the same thing.
As I mentioned before, I hadn’t ever seen or heard of this movie before watching it, so it would make sense that I wouldn’t have known that the film was actually based off of the popular play written by Murray Burnett, called “Everybody Comes to Rick’s.” The article “Casablanca,” by Ray Merlock gave me a very in depth look at how the play was turned into one of the best motion pictures of the nineteenth century and arguably one of the bests of all time. Ray’s article showed that even though the movie wasn’t an exact reflection of the play, it had many of the same actors used in the play and just a few of the lines and names of characters were changed. His article also mentioned that the cast and crew of the movie represented thirty four different nationalities, which was a very astounding statistic.
The first thing that I noticed about the movie off the bat was that it was in black and white. This was kind of a turn off for me at first because it made me instantly think that it was going to be boring. However, as I continued watching the movie I noticed that the director used different types of lighting to create different effects. One example is how they always showed Ilas in a much brighter and warming light. This made her come off as being a center piece throughout much of the movie. The director also used more lighting to show happier moments in the movie and less light when something bad or a more dramatic effect was needed. Through reading the articles that referred to this movie I also found out that a color copy of this movie is out there, which makes me interested in seeing whether or not the same effects were able to be portrayed. The ending of the movie was a good ending but it still left some unanswered questions I had. I wondered: What happened with Rick and Captain Renault?, If Ilsa and Victor ever made it to America safely?, and if Rick and Ilsa ever got to see each other again?
Although the movie being in black and white made it boring at times, the director’s use of emotional scenes kept me interested and wanting more. An emotional scene for me was when Victor and Ilsa left on the plane. This was sad because as a viewer I knew that Ilsa still loved Rick and Rick still loved Ilsa, so it made me imagine how tough it would be to do the right thing like Rick does and let Ilsa leave with Victor. Another scene that was very interesting to me was how Rick had a tender enough heart to let the young couple in his saloon win enough money in craps to pay for their way out of Casablanca. Throughout the movie the character of Rick is portrayed as the person that always does the right thing no matter what it entails. He is willing to bend over backwards so that people are able to get what is the best for them. When the article “Playing It Again and Again,” says that Casablanca is an enduring classic that has left its mark on American mass media and popular culture, I believe it because it has left a mark on me. It makes me inspire to be more like Rick and have the courage to do the sacrifices for what is right. I also hope that anyone who watches this will be inspired to do the same thing.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Cinderella Man
Although this was the second time I have watched Cinderella Man, each of the fights that Jim Braddock fought in still left me on the edge of my seat. The director uses a variety of different things to keep you on edge throughout the movie. Whether it be slowing down the punches and showing Jim's hand or ribs brake, it always left me wondering if Jim was going to make it to the end of the fight. When the director bases the movie off the actual life of Jim Braddock it makes the movie more credible and more entertaining to anyone that watches it.
The first time that I saw the movie I rented it and watched it on a plasma television, however the second time I watched a pirated version of it off some Chinese website. The two environments are considerably different and vastly different than a movie theater. When our text book mentions that the film-viewing environment plays a large role in how one perceives and reacts to a movie, it isn’t lying. I feel that if I was to have watched Cinderella Man in a theater with stadium seating and surround sound, I would have been able to view this movie in a sharper clarity and felt like I was more involved in the movie. Having surround sound and a larger screen would have added to the overall experience of Cinderella Man. Although there are negatives from watching a movie at home instead of in theaters, there are some positives. Being that I watched the movie on a pirated site means I didn’t have to pay to rent the movie or pay the expensive movie fee to see it in theaters. Another positive was that I wasn’t bugged by people leaving to go to the bathroom nor by anyone’s cell phone going off. Overall I feel that for one to get the best understanding of a movie they would have to see it in theaters.
The next section of our text book was concentrated on the theme and focus of a movie. In Cinderella Man, I believe the main theme was centered on the life of Jim Braddock, a legendary boxer during the Great Depression. I also feel that an underlying theme in the movie was used to show just how bad people struggled and had it during those times. I also feel that this movie shows more than just one of the four major elements of focus. I feel that even though the movie is part of the character element, it also at times shows a focus on the emotional effect or mood. It shows the element of character because it is based on the life of Jim Braddock. The qualities that set him apart from other characters in the movie are that he is very likable and many people look to him as a glimmer of hope in the rough times they face. He was an extreme underdog against the cocky defending heavyweight champion Max Baer, but he defied all odds and beat him in a fight that went the distance. He ended up winning the fight with a unanimous decision. Jim is the character that seems to bring the whole movie together and is an inspiration to everyone during the tough times. I also feel that there is a focus on the emotional effect and mood of the movie. A very sad and emotional part of the movie comes when Jim has had to send his kids away to Mae’s sister’s house and they are without any heat in their home. Running short of money and with no steady work on the docks, Jim heads to Madison Square Garden to ask for money from Mr. Johnston and his trainer Joe Gould. The reason this scene is so emotional is because at the beginning of the movie Jim is a well known and well paid boxer, but now he has been reduced to what people believe is a "washed up boxer" that is struggling to pay the electricity and heat bill. I believe the director uses this to show people that no matter who you were before the depression, anyone can be effected by it. Another point in which the movie focuses on emotional effect is when Jim is introduced for the fight against Max Baer and the crowd is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. As he enters the area, everyone stands and stares before they erupt with a standing ovation and a hero’s welcome. This is an example completely different than the last one I referred to. In this example it is very emotional because the director shows that even though Jim is a five to one underdog, everyone wants him to win. The significant statement that I believe this film is making, is that even though the depression was rough and extremely difficult, many people didn’t just give up because they had people like Jim Braddock to look up to and be their glimmer of hope in the harsh times.
The first time that I saw the movie I rented it and watched it on a plasma television, however the second time I watched a pirated version of it off some Chinese website. The two environments are considerably different and vastly different than a movie theater. When our text book mentions that the film-viewing environment plays a large role in how one perceives and reacts to a movie, it isn’t lying. I feel that if I was to have watched Cinderella Man in a theater with stadium seating and surround sound, I would have been able to view this movie in a sharper clarity and felt like I was more involved in the movie. Having surround sound and a larger screen would have added to the overall experience of Cinderella Man. Although there are negatives from watching a movie at home instead of in theaters, there are some positives. Being that I watched the movie on a pirated site means I didn’t have to pay to rent the movie or pay the expensive movie fee to see it in theaters. Another positive was that I wasn’t bugged by people leaving to go to the bathroom nor by anyone’s cell phone going off. Overall I feel that for one to get the best understanding of a movie they would have to see it in theaters.
The next section of our text book was concentrated on the theme and focus of a movie. In Cinderella Man, I believe the main theme was centered on the life of Jim Braddock, a legendary boxer during the Great Depression. I also feel that an underlying theme in the movie was used to show just how bad people struggled and had it during those times. I also feel that this movie shows more than just one of the four major elements of focus. I feel that even though the movie is part of the character element, it also at times shows a focus on the emotional effect or mood. It shows the element of character because it is based on the life of Jim Braddock. The qualities that set him apart from other characters in the movie are that he is very likable and many people look to him as a glimmer of hope in the rough times they face. He was an extreme underdog against the cocky defending heavyweight champion Max Baer, but he defied all odds and beat him in a fight that went the distance. He ended up winning the fight with a unanimous decision. Jim is the character that seems to bring the whole movie together and is an inspiration to everyone during the tough times. I also feel that there is a focus on the emotional effect and mood of the movie. A very sad and emotional part of the movie comes when Jim has had to send his kids away to Mae’s sister’s house and they are without any heat in their home. Running short of money and with no steady work on the docks, Jim heads to Madison Square Garden to ask for money from Mr. Johnston and his trainer Joe Gould. The reason this scene is so emotional is because at the beginning of the movie Jim is a well known and well paid boxer, but now he has been reduced to what people believe is a "washed up boxer" that is struggling to pay the electricity and heat bill. I believe the director uses this to show people that no matter who you were before the depression, anyone can be effected by it. Another point in which the movie focuses on emotional effect is when Jim is introduced for the fight against Max Baer and the crowd is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. As he enters the area, everyone stands and stares before they erupt with a standing ovation and a hero’s welcome. This is an example completely different than the last one I referred to. In this example it is very emotional because the director shows that even though Jim is a five to one underdog, everyone wants him to win. The significant statement that I believe this film is making, is that even though the depression was rough and extremely difficult, many people didn’t just give up because they had people like Jim Braddock to look up to and be their glimmer of hope in the harsh times.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)