Children of Men - Screening Notes

Children of Men is highly acclaimed scifi dystopian film directed by Alfonso Cuaron. The film explores a world in which humans can no longer reproduce. In this world, a former activist, Theo (Clive Owen), must help transport a miraculously pregnant woman, to a scientific facility so she can be studied and hopefully and end can be put to the worldwide infertility. One of the most moving scenes to me was near the beginning of the film. In the scene, Theo walks into a very crowded small cafe. All of the cafes customers are visibly upset and fixated on the one tv that is in it which is broadcasting about the death of the youngest person still alive on earth. This person, Diego, was killed in a brawl after spitting in the face of a fan who asked for an autograph. The fan was killed by the angry crowd afterwards. While watching this, Theo makes his way to the front of the shop to buy a cup of coffee once he does this. He then walks outside and starts to put cream and sugar into his coffee at a random stand near the cafe. While doing this, the cafe explodes, Theo drops his coffee and runs, survivors from the blast stumble out screaming and crying. People are also lown into the street by the impact and cars are stop in their tracks on the nearby street. 

Hugo (2011) - Martin Scorsese Screening Notes

Here are three moments or things that stuck out to me in the film:

1)       1) The clock/time motif. Clocks are used as a major symbol throughout the film. Hugo learned from his father how to fix/maintain clocks and has been doing so ever since after his death. Since this film also deals a lot with film history, this motif can also be a metaphor for the history of film and how important it is to remember the founding of cinema.

2)               

A     2)  After learning about cinephilia, it was very interesting to see Scorsese display such cinephilic tendencies in this film. He is one of the most knowledgeable film directors still working today and it was great seeing his love of film displayed on the screen through various allusions, references, and props. This has been picked up by many leading some to call Hugo, “Scorsese’s love-letter to cinema.

3)      

        3) The film effectively used 3D that was seen as effective by most critics. Yet, while being considered one of the most advanced/modern films of recent times it still harkens back to classic films and film history. In this way, Scorsese is reminding us that while it is important to move forward in film through the use of new technology and innovations, it is always important to remember its beginnings and not lose site of the innate magic of the cinema.

A Single Man - Tom Ford (2009)

Tom Ford's 2009 film, A Single Man, is about a lost and depressed English professor, George Falconer (Colin Firth), who, in the wake of his life partner's death, becomes suicidal. The film is beautifully shot and Firth delivers a noteworthy performance as always. For me, one of the cinephilic moments in the film was when George drove to the liquor store and parked his car right against the wall that had a huge Psycho ad on it. The ad consisted of an extreme close up of Janet Leigh's eyes and was completely blue. The blue represented his depression and sadness and the eyes reminded me that we are always being watched. This correlates to the many people that George is watching throughout the film (neighbors, student, etc.) and the people who are watching him, (Kenny and Carlos). This also reminded me of the famous T.J. Eckelberg billboard in The Great Gatsby in which his enlarged eyes are meant to represent God's looking down on the corruption of society. 

The Prestige Blog - Christopher Nolan (2006)

There are three main questions that film scholars ask when watching, analyzing, and critiquing various films. These are:

1. What is film? (Theory)

2. What has film been? (Historicism) or what has film language been? (Semiotics)

3. What is the significance of this film and its relationship to others? (Criticism)

I will explore the first question as presented in Christopher Nolan’s “The Prestige”.  This ties in very well with my screening notes for the film.  I believe that Nolan’s views on film are expressed through a very important quote that is repeated throughout the film by Cutler (Michael Caine).  In this quote, he says,

“Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige".”

The “magic trick” that he is speaking about is a very strong metaphor for film and the cinematic experience.  Like the trick, most films are made up of three acts. In the first, a seemingly ordinary situation and set of characters are usually introduced by the end of the film you will realize they aren’t normal.  In the second, this seemingly ordinary character, or characters, do something extraordinary or are faced with an extraordinary situation/conflict. In the third, everything is wrapped up and the viewer is left satisfied. If the film fails to settle the conflicts and situations that arise throughout its duration, then the audiences are taken aback and upset. Also, the film’s third act is usually the hardest to execute as is a trick’s. Just like a magic trick, many film goers don’t like to look for the secrets within a film, whether they be in regards to the film’s plot or production. They want to be fooled and taken along for the ride. Film itself is a form of magic and while many aspects of it can be explained and analyzed, it is hard to truly explain the feeling that getting engrossed in a good film can create. So, following this pattern of thought, Nolan likens himself and other filmmakers to magician’s catering to an audience (film goers).  There is not just one scene or moment that this works to explain in the film, rather, it encompasses the film’s entire meaning and message about cinema. 

The Prestige - Christopher Nolan (2006)

Christopher Nolan's fifth film, The Prestige, starring Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, is a period mystery thriller about two rival magician's and their struggle to outdo each other on the way to the top. For me, one of the most interesting aspects of the film is it's commentary on conventional film form and the three act structure as a whole. Nolan is obsessed with how an audience perceives or comprehends stories and films. Just as he toys with this in Memento (unconventional story structure) and Inception (cinema as a dream), In The Prestige, Nolan likens cinema to a magic trick that the audience is participating in and being fooled by. The three parts of a trick that are explained act as metaphors for the three acts of a film. The first act is the set-up or exposition, in the second act, a strong conflict emerges, and in the third act, it is in some way resolved.  He is also saying that the movie going experience is truly magical itself. Seeing as though this focus on structure and the cinematic experience are such recurring themes throughout Nolan's body of work, they are something that I may explore further in our next essay. 

Melancholia

Lars Von Trier's 2011 film, Melancholia, focuses on two sisters, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), as they struggle with extreme depression. The film is broken into two parts. Part 1 is centered on the disaster that is Justine’s wedding party while part 2 is about Claire’s burgeoning depression as a rouge planet, named Melancholia, is about to collide with Earth.

This film was well received by critics and audiences alike and Dunst was universally praised for her portrayal of Justine. She would even go onto win the Best Actress Award at the prestigious Cannes film festival.

Melancholia is one of Von Triers most conventional films yet. Although he does still make the film very hard to watch and taxing on the viewer, he does so in a way that is much easier to comprehend and digest than in the past. Aside from the opening death/end of the world montage, the film moves forward in time and is not hard to follow in any way.

The film explores many very deep ideas and topics that also make viewers think and question a lot. Overall, while not a standalone masterpiece, the film is a very engaging, albeit unsettling, one that Von Trier has crafted from his own experiences with depression. It seems as though it will garner even more meaning with repeat viewings and analysis.

The Hurt Locker

Kathryn Bigelow 's The Hurt Locker (2008) is one of the most successful war movies of recent memory. Within the film, many ideas are explored about war, death, and violence.

Notably, the very opening title in which the Chris Hedges quote, "The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction , for war is a drug." fades out to just the words "war is a drug. Is extremely telling about the overall point of the film and how war is portrayed throughout.

One of the most jarring deaths shown in the film is that of Sargent Matt Thomson. Through the juxtaposition of quiet and deafening sound, as well as shaky, steady, and slow motion camera shots, Bigelow portrays death as both beautiful and sickening. 

I also think war is shown in the film to be a spectacle. In many parts throughout the film, while the main characters were in a squad and interacting or carrying out missions, foreign outsiders would stare and watch them no matter where they were. The camera would often show quick cuts of many different people or groups of people watching the american soliders.

Viaggio In Italia (Roberto Rossellini - 1954)

I’m going to focus on a small section of the opening scene of Roberto Rossellini’s 1954 film, Viaggio in Italia (Journey to Italy).  In the scene, Katherine and Alex Joyce, a newly married couple, are driving to Naples, Italy to work on selling a recently inherited piece of property.

Denotation: 

Alex and Katherine are bickering about the choice to drive to Naples instead of fly. Alex wanted to fly there because of how much time they would have saved, yet, Katherine chose to drive because she wanted him to have a rest. She then proceeds to say she didn’t know he would be so bored when spending time with her alone. We then learn that this is one of the first times since being married that they were alone together.

Connotation:

This introduces the audience to the marriage troubles that will plague the Joyces throughout the film and will lead to their eventual divorce. When a couple is already arguing right after being married, culturally, we know that this is a bad sign. Yet, we also can infer that they love each other at the core because, Katherine wanted to drive so Alex could get a break from his home life, and Alex didn’t impose his will to force them to fly even though he wanted to.

Myth Producing:

-Men are controlled by women. (The fact that they are driving to Naples which Katherine wanted and Alex didn’t)

-Your true relationship is revealed once away from other people. (Arguing during their first true time alone after marriage)

Blog Assignment #4: Like a Shooting Script, but for an Essay

Our first essay topic asks us to compare and distinguish between two very different styles of film theory, the Formalist Approach and the Ideological Approach. We then must explain which approach we think is the most effective for studying film and why. To do this, we will use a number of outside sources and one of the films that we have screened in class.

(1)    Main Argument:  While the Formalist and Ideological approaches to Film Theory are different in a number of significant ways, they are both important aspects of Film Theory that can be used to adequately analyze and study films. However, I believe that the Formalist Approach is the more effective of the two.

(2)    Claim #1: (Background (Credibility)): In-depth explanations of both Formalist and Ideological Approaches. The Formalist Approach to film focuses on the analysis of formal structures within a film. It also pays special attention to motifs or patterns that may occur multiple times throughout a film. Most importantly, it doesn’t analyze of emphasize anything that is outside of the film’s proper. On the other hand, the Ideological Film Approach places an emphasis on the many themes and messages in a film as interpreted though our individual values and beliefs.  Support: Articles by Perkins , wood, Eisenstein, mulvey, film history text.

(3)    Claim #2: The Formalist approach to film analysis is the more effective of the two. It focuses more on the importance of what is within the film and the choices that were made during it’s production. Ideological film Theory on the other hand necessitates that one must use their pre conceived values and beliefs while analyzing a film which can lead to extreme bias and thus invalidate their analysis.  Support: I will find articles (probably from the MOVIE) criticizing Ideological film Theory.

(4)    Claim #3: Will analyze Psycho from the Formalist perspective. Looking at many of the motifs throughout the film as well as the mise en scene. Will also address many of Hitchcock’s deliberate decisions that changed the film.  Support: Psycho, Robin Woods article.

Psycho - Alfred Hitchcock (1960)

Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is considered by many to be one of the greatest horror films of all time. I won adoration from both audiences and critics alike upon it's release and has since been rendered a classic. Psycho has a number of significant cinematic moments that are worth mentioning.

Although it may sound cliche, I think the three most cinematic scenes are the glorified shower murder scene, , the reveal scene, and the final scene.

The shower scene's intensity and sheer brilliance is astounding. The music, extremely fast cuts, and mixture of close ups and medium shots combine to make one of the most well recognized scenes in cinematic history.

The reveal scene in which Lila goes into Norman's basement and finds "Mother's" corpse, followed soon after by Norman dressed in his mother's clothes running at her with a knife, is also very cinematic. It manipulates expectations and scares the audience in a way that arguably no other medium can.

The final scene is consists of a the camera zooming in on Norman's face as he is smiling creepily. For a split second, his head turns into part of a bleached skull. This reminded me of a reverse version of the iconic opening zoom out in A Clockwork Orange.

Blog Assignment #3: To betray, or not to betray, that is the question.

1)      1)The majority of John Ford and Gregg Toland’s classic film adaption of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath remained faithful to its source material; yet, they did change some aspects of the story to make it more cinematic. Arguably the biggest change comes near the end of the film. While the novel ends with the saddening downfall of the Joad family, the film ends with them landing in a government supported agriculture camp and being able to stay together. I don’t feel as though this departure is indicative any auteur changes by either Ford or Toland. It seems as though something that the studio changed to cater the story to mass audiences. Seeing as though in many cases it is hard to accredit certain choices in any given film to the studio or director, I could be wrong about this.

2)   2)  I think that if used correctly, Auteur theory is a very important and relevant branch of film study, theory, and analysis. I think that it has been looked down upon in recent years because it has been used incorrectly by many film critics. Auteur theory should be used to asses a given film or a set of films in comparison to a directors complete body of work (filmography). It should in no way be used in a normal review of a film which must be unbiased and objective. If used in this setting, Auteur theory can cloud a reviewer’s judgment and invalidate their ideas about the film. Auteur theory is a very useful tool in analyzing any director’s stylistic trademarks as used in multiple films. It is especially insightful for directors who have a set of distinguished trademarks that are easy to spot and analyze such as, in the modern film scene, Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, David Fincher,  the Coen brothers, Alexander Payne, Wes Anderson, and Edgar Wright (among many others).

Grapes of Wrath

John Ford's classic 1940 film of John Steinbeck's best-selling novel The Grapes of Wrath, is widely regarded as one of the best film adaptions of all time. Having never read the book, I can't comment on any cinematic changes that were made for the film (although I've read about a number of them), but I would venture to say to that every moment in movie is cinematic. Any given scene is filled with selective framing, mise-en-scene, impressive sound design, and great acting. Whether it's the opening shot of the film wherein Tom Joad is walking down the desolate and dusty street with birds chirping around him, or his famous "I'll be there" speech at the end of the film in which extreme close ups are used. Every scene brings you a unique sense or realism that cannot be created by any other medium individually (literature, photography, music), but is produced by the combination of all of them.

Midnight In Paris - Woody Allen (2011)

Woody Allen’s 2011 film, Midnight in Paris, focuses mainly on something that is referred to as golden age thinking – the idea that a different time period was much better than the one in which we live. Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), is a struggling American writer who constantly thinks about Paris in the 1920’s and all of the famous intellectuals who lived in the city at the time. In his midnight journeys to such a time, he gets to meet the likes of Ernest Hemmingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, and Cole Porter, yet by the end of the film, he realizes that where he wants to stay is in the present. When in the 1920’s world that he visits nightly, Gil falls in love with Adriana, a beautiful woman who has relations with many of the famous artists and writers in the film. When conversing with her, we learn that she despises the time in which she lives and wishes she could live in Paris during the Belle Epoque. When they get transported there for a night, they speak with a number of intellectuals who view The Renaissance as the best period in European history. Through all of this, Allen is trying to make the simple point that most people in society don’t recognize how great of a time they live in. Through making this his most conventional film, it seems as though he is working to appreciate and utilize the common film form of our time and not criticize and rebel against it like he has with many of his other films. 

Film Blog #1 - Masculine Feminin

A midst the many inter titles that riddles Jean - Luc Godard's  1966 film Masculine Feminin, one stuck out at me as the most important insight into what Godard thinks film can be. The title reads, "This movie could be called The Children of Marx and Coca-Cola". This eludes to the fact that Godard uses film in a way to make political statements and present many of his political views. When you apply this idea to the film as a whole, it fits very well. It is apparent throughout that the male lead, Paul, embodies the idea of film Marxism in a  human form. He is dominated by a number of ideas such as meaningless acts of political activism, that bear no relation to the reality in which he lives. At the same time, he is ignorant of many of the real relationships that do exist in his society, such as those between Madeleine and Elisabeth, and even Elisabeth and himself. He is very oblivious about what's going on around him. It is also worth noting that all of the other main characters in the film, except for Robert, are completely oblivious to many political and international affairs that don't directly affect them. They don't know about the wars going on, they don't know what countries they are in, and they have no idea what they are about. By making the characters so oblivious to current events, Godard is making a comment on the self-involvement of most people and their lack of knowledge about the things that are going on around them.The Coca-Cola generation refers merely to the youth culture of the 1960's. This can be seen through the music choices of the film, the characters obsession with sexuality and the american way of life, and the day to day activities of the main characters. 

Masculine Feminine - Jean-Luc Godard (1966)

Jean-Luc Godard's 1966 film Masculine Feminine breaks away from much of the traditional film language and story techniques that were developed through, what many film theorists call, the Institutional Mode of Representation (IMR). Many such departures can be seen in the film's opening scene alone.Then, when Paul (Jean-Pierre Léaud) speaks with Madeleine Zimmer (Chantal Goya) in a small French cafe, the cross cutting between the two abruptly stops and the camera linger on a given character long after the other has begun to talk.  When Godard wants to draw your attention to an arguing couple behind Paul and Madeline, he blatantly breaks the 180 degree rule and turns the camera completely around. The couple then proceeds to continue their fight outside and the wife shoots her husband in what is one of the highest action points of the entire film. This shows that Godard also had no regard for the basic linear plot pattern that most films at the time followed. Examples such as these continue throughout the film as we are also presented with a myriad of non-diegetic sounds, randomly dispersed title screens, and other classical film faux pas. This film was made near the end of the French New Wave period that Godard had been a major progenitor of and it is clear through it's many experimental aspects that he was beginning to explore many different genres and film making techniques while also rebelling from various classic film models.