Do the Right Thing

Spike Lee used many interesting cinematic effects in his film Do the Right Thing, especially whenever Radio Raheem was a part of the scene. Most of the time, when Radio Raheem entered the shot, Lee used oblique angles, possibly to express unstability, or an unsure feeling. Radio Raheem was always shot at a low angle as well, to create a feeling of superiority, and to make him seem more powerful than those whom he was speaking with, which were shot at a high angle, and made to look weaker.

Otnemem

The film Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan, has a very unique way of playing with the audience and taunting their memory in a way. I find the way that this film is presented extraordinary. I believe that the reasoning for the order of the film, color scences backward, and the black and white forward, is to create the illusion that we are actually the main character, and share that same memory loss condition. I also think that the reason for the two different stories, Leonard's and Teddy's, is to show us that we cannot fully trust our memory at all times, just as Leonard cannot depend on his.

Kiss Me Deadly

I am not sure whether or not I liked Robert Aldrich's film, Kiss Me Deadly. While Kiss Me Deadly held my attention throughout most of the film, the end really threw me off. I am not a big sci-fi finatic, and I just didn't really understand the glowing box of death, or fire, or spirits, or whatever the heck it was that was in the box. I also didn't really understand the reason for having two different endings, because they seemed too similar to me. I just think that they could've improved the film a lot if they just changed that one aspect. Or if they had introduced the idea of sci-fi earlier in the film, then it may have made a little bit more sense, because it just seemed so out of the blue at the end.

Groundhog Day

I thouroughly enjoyed Harold Ramis' Groundhog Day. Although getting stuck in a time loop seems basically impossible at this time, I think that many of the ideas of Groundhog day are very realistic. We may not be reliving the same day over and over again, but we do lead very controlled and pre-planned lives. We go to school five out of the seven days of the week, nine out of the twelve months of the year, for 12 to 16 years of our lives. We go to the same classes at the same time every day, with the exception of the switches at semester. Once we graduate from high school and college, we find a job, and then, from there, we continue to attend that job 5 out of 7 days of the week, every month of the year, until we are either fired or retire. We might wonder if such a repetitive life is worth it. In Groundhog Day, Bill Murray's character, Phil, shows us that, yes, it is worth it. It's worth it to help others as best you can, and do what you can to enrich their lives.

Bringing Up Crap

As many of the other students from the class would agree with me, I did not enjoy Howard Hawks film, Bringing Up Baby. I am not sure whether it was the plot of the story, the script or Katharine Hepburn that made the film so unbearable. If it was indeed the script, then Hepburn did an amazing job conforming into the obnoxious character that she played! No matter the case, it is never a good idea to frustrate the audience that way, because it is extremely distracting from the film.

I would not reccomend this film.

Once Upon a Time in the West

I enjoyed Sergio Leone's film, Once Upon a Time in the West, very much. I liked how you never really knew what was going on, but you were still able to follow along with the story.

The use of sound throughout this film was incredible. The introduction was confusing, but interesting how each character was described using their body language and music. When Harmonica was first introduced, the sound of the harmonica that was associated with him sounded very eerie. As Harmonica continued to appear throughout the film, the harmonica always sounded nondiegetic, as if he were not there. Sometimes, we really weren't aware of his presence. For example, toward the beginning, when Jill and Cheyenne were in the shop, Cheyenne swung the lantern across the room, eventually revealing Harmonica's presence.

Casablanca

Michael Curitz’s film Casablanca first premiered in New York City at the Hollywood Theater on November 26, 1942. Casablanca’s general release occurred on January 23, 1943. James Berardinelli states that “Unlike many films that later became classics, Casablanca was popular in its day, although a cadre of officials at Warner Brothers were convinced that it would be a box-office failure.” The film was a noteworthy, yet not outstanding box-office success. On its initial U.S. release, Casablanca made $3.7 million, and became the seventh best-selling film of 1943.

James Berardinelli says “It's probably no stretch to say that Casablanca, arguably America's best-loved movie, has had more words written about it than any other motion picture.” Reviews of Casablanca were mostly positive as the film won three awards at the Oscars of 1944. Those awards included Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture. Eventually, by the year 1977, Casablanca became the most frequently broadcast film on American television.

In the film My Darling Clementine, the character Wyatt Earp is portrayed as a typical western hero at the beginning of the film when he comes out of nowhere and shows up the town sheriff by taking care of the drunk Indian with no problem at all. Also, during the scene when we are first introduced to Doc. Holiday, Wyatt just walks right up to Doc. after he has made a big scene, and knowing that he is a trouble maker, and doesn't even pull out a gun when Doc. threatens him.

At the end of the film, during the gunfight at the O.K. corral, Wyatt is shown as a hero by giving the Clanton's a chance to surrender before he begins to shoot. It is only after they refuse that he opens fire. He gives Mr. Clanton yet another chance to leave town after the gunfight has died down some, but Mr. Clanton chooses not to take this opportunity and when he reaches for his gun, he is shot.

Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane uses diegetic and nondiegetic sounds simultaneously throughout the film. For example, diegetic sounds are used during Kane's celebration with his song. At the point of the celebration his song has an upbeat and major sound, while later on in the film his song has a more minor sound when Kane's accomplishments begin to fall apart. An example of the use of nondiegetic sounds would be montage sequence at the breakfast table scene with Mr. and Mrs. Kane. The beginning of the scene, when they are getting along and happy, the background music is lighthearted and major tones, as the sequence continues, and the conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Kane becomes more distant, the music adjusts to this and becomes darker and almost sinister.

The Color Purple

The Color Purple is an amazing, well-thought out piece about a young African American woman, Celie, who is raped and impregnated by her father. Her father gives her children away, and is separated from her sister when her father forces her to marry an older black man named Albert and/or Mister.

The Color Purple was originally a novel written by Alice Walker, but was made into a film in 1985 with the help of director Steven Spielberg. Whoopi Goldberg does an incredible job transforming into the quiet and timid character of Celie. Daniel Glover also does a nice job taking on the role of the dark and controlling Albert/Mister. Participating in her first film, Oprah Winfrey does a fine job adapting to Harpo's (Willard E. Pugh) strong willed wife, Sofia

The beginning of The Color Purple takes place in the winter of 1909, a time when whites and blacks did not always agree. An example of the racial differences taking place in the dialogue would be when the mayor's wife (a white woman), asks Sofia if she and her children would come work for her. Sofia is a proud black woman, and says "Hell no." The mayor slaps her for speaking that way to his wife, and Sofia reacts by punching him, and is then sent to jail for eight years. In the end Sofia is forced to work for the mayor and his wife anyway.


A shot that appears many times throughout The Color Purple is the focus on a character's shadow. When Celie and Nettie are younger there is a shot where they are gossiping about Mister and the shot is focused on their shadows on the wall, through the door frame. Then later the camera follows young Celie when she is reading out loud to herself, cuts out for a moment, and then when it cuts back you hear a much more mature voice as it becomes older Celie, (Whoopi Goldberg).


Diegetic sounds seem to fuse together throughout this film. When Celie and Nettie are younger, they are playing a hand clapping game, and those sounds fade into the clatter of horses hoove beats on the road. While Celie is reading Nettie's letter from Africa the sounds of Celie's surroundings in America blend with those made from Nettie's surroundings in Africa.

Toward the end of the film there was one scene that seemed to be a mistake in continuity editing. The camera is following a group of people walking into a church, then when the shot cuts to the other end of the axis of action the people have already stopped walking. This was fairly distracting for me.

Overall I would say that this is a very good film, and I would recommend it to those who enjoy a more serious, but well-crafted film.

Blog 2, DENZEL!

Out of all the actors and actresses in Hollywood, Denzel Washington is my absolute favorite. Although he generally only partakes in a limited variety of film genres, such as drama and/or suspense, I think he does an amazing job taking on the role of each character, and adapting to their frame of mind, rather than his own. My favorite "Denzel films" (in no particular order) are: The Bone Collector, Remember the Titans, Out of Time, John Q., Antwone Fisher, Out of Time, Deja Vu, Man on Fire, and Inside Man.

Denzel shows his diversity playing Steve Biko in the strong and overwhelming story of Cry Freedom, and Don Pedro of Aragon in the forever "classic" Much Ado About Nothing.

The only time I have ever disliked a film of Denzel's was when I saw The Pelican Brief. It's possible that I wasn't paying attention, or that I simply did not understand the plot, but I found it very boring, and I couldn't tell you one thing that happened during the entire movie, except that I think Denzel and Julia Roberts (co-star) were in a big crowd together at one point in the film.

Two films that I have yet to see of Denzel's, and would really like to, are Training Day and The Manchurian Candidate. Hopefully I will be able to soon.

Superbad

I read a review of the movie, "Superbad", by Stephen Farber. I found it on www.rottentomatoes.com, and it was a “squashed” review. I have yet to see Superbad, but from all other sources, excluding this one, I have heard that it is amazing! Stephen Farber says that;

Some of the patter is funny, but the movie lacks the clever plot developments
and the character nuances of a classic like "American Graffiti."

This would be a problem for me because I cannot stand films that do not have a well thought out plot development, and that just run in circles until the end of the credits.

Stephen Farber claims at two different points during his review that “Superbad” will only appeal to a young male audience:

It's the script that brings the movie down. Guys who are the same age as the
characters will whoop it up, but the film won't reach beyond that young male
demographic, as "Knocked Up" and "Virgin" managed to do. Because it obviously
was made on a low budget, "Superbad" will make money for Sony, but don't expect
it to have much shelf life after the kids are back in school.

And then later he states that;

"Superbad" is stuck in a state of male arrested development, just like the
characters. The movie's low budget shows in rather primitive technical credits.
The super-cheap "Superbad" will get laughs from undemanding kids, but it doesn't
come close to transcending its dimwitted genre.

I disagree with this because I know many girls who absolutely loved this movie, and returned to overpriced movie theaters to see it over and over again.

Although this review was not in favor of the film “Superbad” it does not, however, have a great effect on my desire to see, or to not see the film. I still think that I would enjoy it a lot, and cannot wait until I get an opportunity to see it.

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