Citizen Kane: Film review: Is Citizen Kane The Greatest Film Ever Made?

The 1941 film Citizen Kane was written, and directed by Orson Wells, who even co - stars in this film. Many film critics consider this film to be the greatest film ever made. This film symbolically narrates the lives of William Randolph Hearst and Orson Wells by narrating the life of Charles Foster Kane, a juggernaut in the American newspaper business. Interestingly, this film begins with the death of Charles Foster Kane (played by Orson Wells) and is narrated mostly through flashbacks of the people who knew him best.

A reporter, Jerry Thompson (played by William Alland) tries to find information about Kane's life and his dying word "Rosebud...". Thompson first encounters Kane's previous wife Susan Alexander (played by Dorothy Comingore) but she does not tell him anything other than," Get out!" So, Thompson then goes to an archive of Walter Thatcher (played by George Coulouris), a rich banker and Kane's guardian growing up. Thompson learns a lot about Kane's childhood. He discovers that Kane grew up in poverty as his parents were in charge of a boarding house. His parents ended up giving Kane away to Thatcher. At the age of 25, Kane enters the newspaper business and completely takes over the New York Inquirer. He hires elite journalists for the Inquirer. In fact, he persuades them to leave a paper called the Chronicle for the Inquirer. Everything starts off right for Kane as he is in charge of one of the most powerful Newspaper industries in the world, he marries the president's niece, Emily Monroe Norton (played by Ruth Warrick) and he launches his campaign to be the next Governor of New York. His newspaper even creates two separate headlines in case if Kane wins the election. However, Murphy's law soon comes into effect for Kane and he ends up having to make some tough decisions.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film. Personally, I think this is the greatest film ever made. I liked how the entire film is told through flashbacks. That's not something you see a whole lot in films today and it made me appreciate this film so much more. There's a mystery throughout the film that critics are calling the greatest mystery in all of cinema. This is a film that no matter how many times you watch it, you still leave with questions about it, particularly about Kane's dying word "Rosebud...". This is a film that definitely challenges you and really gets you thinking. That's what I liked most about it. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone looking for a great drama.

Film Noir Analytical Blog Entry

So what exactly is film noir? Film noir is actually a french term that literally means "black film". Generally, films in a film noir had a "dark" aura about them, most likely because film noirs originated after World War II and they correctly described society at that point in time. Personally, I strongly believe that film noir is not a genre. I believe that it describes an era. Film noirs refer to a set number of films that correctly described society after the second World War. There are several characteristics of a "film noir" that strongly persuade me to believe that "film noir" is not a genre.

Generally, a film noir is centered around a cold, pessimistic male character. These male characters typically encounter a beautiful and seductive femme fatale. We see all of this in films like the Maltese Falcon (when Spade (Humphrey Bogart) encounters Brigid O'Shaughnessy (Mary Astor) for the first time), and Chinatown (Gettis (Jack Nicholson) encounters the real Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) and ends up investigating a murder). However, we do not see a femme fatale in either Touch of Evil nor Night in the City. There is an obvious lead male character in both of these films though. The purpose of the femme fatale in a film noir is that the femme fatale will use her womanly wiles to manipulate the male character. We clearly see this in Chinatown, as Gettis is persuaded by Evelyn Mulwray to investigate her husband's murder. We also see this in The Maltese Falcon, as Spade meets with O'Shaughnessy and she tells him that she and Thursby were partners. She says that Thursby possibly killed Archer but she does not know how Thursby died. Spade agrees to investigate the murders of Archer and Thursby.

Some other key characteristics of a film noir are shifty alliances and moral ambiguity. We clearly see this in The Maltese Falcon. Spade is confused and at war with himself. He can't decide on whether to help himself, O'Shaughnessy, her enemies, or the police. We also see this Touch of Evil. However, it is not the central male character dealing with moral ambiguity or shifty alliances. The lying Hank Quinlan (played by the one and only Orson Wells) continually transitions alliances throughout the film. This is also evident in Chinatown as Jake Gettis has to deal with moral ambiguity. He has to deal with the law and he is continually transitioning his alliances with the law throughout the film. In Night and the City, this is somewhat evident as Harry Fabian (played by Richard Widmark), a hustler who is constantly coming up with different schemes that eventually go nowhere is constantly changing alliances all throughout the film.

Most importantly, I believe that film noir refers to an era of films that correctly described the darkness of society after World War II. I believe that these films were very specific to that time period. I feel that directors would make these movies in response to the atmosphere of society. Another reason why I think that film noir refers to an era is because films are clearly marked as "first" "second" , etc. For example, The Maltese Falcon was considered to be the "first" film noir. Touch of Evil was considered the "last" film noir. Film noirs only lasted from the mid 1940's to the late 1950's. There have been several attempts though to remake these films. However, I don't think these films succeed as film noirs. They take several characteristics of film noir but I don't think that they can be classified as a film noir because I feel that a film noir was very specific to a certain time period. I feel that these films can never be re-created because film noirs can't be appreciated the same way as it was back in the 40's and 50's. Director's can try and remake these films but they will not be appreciated as much as they were back in the 40s and 50s.

Night in the City: Film Reveiw

The 1950 film noir Night in the City was written by Gerald Kersh and Jo Eisinger. This film was directed by Jules Dassin. This film was based on the book written by the writer of the film Gerald Kersh. This film takes place in London and narrates the life of a hustler, Harry Fabian (played by Richard Widmark). Murphy's law is certainly in effect for Fabian throughout this film as nothing ever goes right for him. Until, one night in which he believes he has the opportunity of a lifetime. He encounters the most famous wrestler of all time, Gregorious (played by Stanislaus Zbyszko), and his son Kristo (played by Herbert Lom). He intends to take over professional wrestling now that he has a "connection" to the most famous wrestler of all time. However, in the end, Harry Fabian discovers that he is only fooling himself.

To be honest, this wasn't the greatest film I've ever seen. I thought it was good but I definitely would not recommend to anybody. I thought the plot of the story at times was kind of dry and it didn't do a very good job of attracting the viewer. I honestly had trouble following the plot of this film and many times I had to stop and rewind the film. I would definitely not recommend this film to anyone.

A Touch of Evil: Film Review

Over this past weekend, I discovered how to watch movies online. I watched two film noirs: Double Indemnity (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI73zPyYq1o&feature=PlayList&p=E3AA00E725036B6C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=23)and Touch of Evil (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l21H_XKWX0U&feature=PlayList&p=BC9D162BDF409A29&index=0). By far, I enjoyed Touch of Evil more. Touch of Evil is considered to be the "last" film of the film noir genre. It was written and directed by Orson Welles, who even co - starred in this film. This film begins with an amazing tracking shot that is actually considered to be one of the best tracking shots in the history of cinema! This is a continuous shot that lasts for approximately three and a half minutes. The shot begins on the Mexican/U.S. border and it pursues a car that just had a bomb planted in it. Soon, we see a couple walking down the street, who turn out to be the main characters, Miguel "Mike" Vargas (played by Charlton Heston), a drug enforcement official with the Mexican government, and Susie Vargas (played by the one and only Janet Leigh). This shot ends with this couple witnessing a car bomb explosion that kills the two people inside of the car. This instigates a major investigation that involves both the U.S. and Mexican police.

Soon, we get introduced to some new characters as Police Chief Pete Gould (played by Harry Shannon), District Attorney Adair (played by Ray Collins), Captain Hank Quinlan (played the famous Orson Wells), and Quinlan's partner, Pete Menzies (played by Joseph Calleia) arrive on the scene. As Quinlan and Menzies question a suspect, Mike Vargas goes to the bathroom and accidently bumps a shoe box into a bathtub. Vargas does not think too much of it and puts it back in its original place. Soon after, Menzies declares that some sticks of dynamite were found in a shoe box in the bathroom. Vargas concludes that Quinlan has been intentionally planting evidence to help him win arrests for years. Vargas confronts Quinlan about this and Quinlan calls Vargas racially biased and thinks that he completely supports his fellow Mexicans.

So, Mike Vargas tries to take matters into his own hands by investigating Quinlan. As he is doing so, his wife Susie is kidnapped by a gang member of the Grande crime family and is held at the family's hotel. As the film goes on, Vargas concludes that Quinlan has actually been planting evidence in order to win arrests for years. Vargas now has the difficult task of trying to prove Quinlan guilty of planting evidence while also trying to rescue his wife.

Overall, I really liked this movie a lot! Unlike Double Indemnity, I thought that Touch of Evil was much more suspenseful and had many twists and turns. It definitely kept me guessing about what was going to happen next. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone looking for a good thriller/suspense film. I can't say the same about Double Indemnity though..... :(

The Maltese Falcon: Film Review

The 1941 film The Maltese Falcon is considered to be the "first" film of the film noir genre. This film was written and directed by John Huston and it narrates a private detective, Sam Spade (played by Humphrey Bogart) in San Fransisco. In this film, a disturbed woman hires Sam's partner to follow a man.

Interestingly, Sam's partner is murdered right after he is hired to follow this man. It turns out that the woman who hired Sam's partner, Brigid O'Shaughnessy (played by Mary Astor), was a criminal whose partner actually killed Sam's partner. She was also involved with other criminals such as Joel Cairo (played by Peter Lorre) and Kasper Gutman (played by Sydney Greenstreet).

Gutman has been lusting after a statue of a golden falcon for nearly two decades and was told that O'Shaughnessy had obtained it and she said she would be willing to sell it to him. However, Gutman doesn't get the falcon. So, Gutman and his gang try to handle things their own way, except detective Spade may too much for Gutman and his gang.

I thought that this was an excellent film and I enjoyed it a lot. It was so suspenseful and there were so many twists and turns that it kept the viewer guessing about what would happen next. I would recommend this film to anyone who is looking for a good thriller/suspense movie.

Chinatown: Film Review

The 1974 neo - noir film Chinatown was written by Robert Towne and directed by Roman Plonaski. This film displayed many characteristics of a film noir. For example, the plot of this story could be considered part mystery and part psychological drama. This film takes place in L.A. in 1937. Some woman hires a private investigator named J.J. Gettis (played by the one and only Jack Nicholson). This woman, who claims to be Evelyn Mulwray, (played by Diane Ladd) is concerned that her husband, Hollis Mulwray, is cheating on her and she hires Gettis to spy on him and confirm if he is cheating on her or not.

Gettis follows Hollis Mulwray and catches him with a young woman. Gettis photographs Mulwray with this young woman and publishes it in the local newspaper. However, these photographs cause a great conflict. The woman who originally hired Gettis and claimed to be Evelyn Mulwray was not actually Evelyn Mulwray. To Gettis's surprise, the actual Evelyn Mulwray shows up at Gettis's office with her lawyer. She sues Gettis for publishing absolutely false and ridiculous information. Gettis faces the difficult task of figuring out who really hired him so that he can protect his reputation.

Gettis ends up trying to find Mulwray so that he can talk to him about this situation. This does not happen at all as Gettis discovers the body of Hollis Mulwray in a reservoir. Gettis then visits Mulwray's wife to try and figure out what is going on. She ends up dropping the lawsuit against him and hires him to investigate her husband's murder. There are many twists and turns in this film and it keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat. In the end of this movie, there are many truths that are revealed that are very disturbing.

Overall, I really did enjoy this film. I thought it was very suspenseful and it always kept me guessing what was going to happen next. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone looking for a good suspense film.

Daughters of the Dust and Monsoon Wedding V.S. Hollywood Convention

Daughters of the Dust, Monsoon Wedding, and even a classic Hollywood film like Casablanca have all had different narration styles. Casablanca displayed the traditional Hollywood style of film, while Daughters of the Dust and Monsoon Wedding displayed different types of narration styles as both of these films were independent films.

In the conventional Hollywood film narration style, a common characteristic is to focus on one person (mainly the protagonist). Daughters of the Dust challenges Hollywood convention by focusing on the entire Gullah family instead of just one person. This difference goes to show how many different characters can impact the plot and the outcome of an independent film. The conventional Hollywood film narration style often ignores many secondary characters and focuses only on those characters that clearly stand out as significant in the film. Another difference between the conventional Hollywood style of narration and the style of narration that independent films use is the person who is narrating the film. For example, Daughters of the Dust is narrated by a child who has yet to born or in other words. In a conventional Hollywood Style of narration, the narrator of a film has nothing to do with what happens in the film or the narrator is simply one of the main characters (either the protagonist or the second - most important character). A film that instantly came to mind when saying that the narrator has nothing to do with what happens in the film is the comical film Anchorman starring Will Ferrell. That film is narrated by a man who at the end of the movie hires Ron (played by Will Ferrell) and Veronica (played by Christina Applegate) as the first mixed - gendered network anchors.

In Casablanca, the main characters of the movie, Rick (the protagonist), Ilsa (Rick's love interest), and Ilsa's husband, obviously stand out. The audience can easily identify who the main characters are. In fact, the movie makes it quite obvious who the main characters are. In an independent film like Monsoon Wedding or Daughters of the Dust, it is very confusing who the main character is. In Daughters of the Dust, the focus is on the entire Gullah family. The same thing in Monsoon Wedding. The focus is on the family of the bride.

In conclusion, independent movies, such as Monsoon Wedding and Daughters of the Dust, and traditional Hollywood films such as Casablanca have very different narration styles. There are many arguments mentioned in this blog that accentuates this point.

Monsoon Wedding: Film Review

The 2001 Bollywood film Monsoon Wedding narrates a father, Lalit Verma (played by Naseeruddin Shah) who is trying to arrange a wedding for his daughter, Aditi Verma (played by Vasundhara Das). This film correctly depicts Punjabi culture as Aditi has only known the man who she been arranged to marry for a couple of weeks. This film primarily describes several romantic crisis's not only in the planning of this wedding but also amongst family members and friends.

Quite honestly, I somewhat liked this film. I thought that the beginning was a little dull with all of the family dialogue, but I thought that as the movie went on and as the plot unfolded more and more it got better. I would recommend this colorful film to anyone who is looking for a good romance film.

Daughters of the Dust: Film Review

The 1991 film Daughters of the Dust was written and directed by Julie Dash. This film narrates Gullah women and their family's migration from the mainland's to America. This film can be considered a narrative film, because interestingly it is narrated by a child who is yet to be born.

Honestly, I did not think too much of this film. I did not like it at all. It was very dry, and I did not find it interesting or exciting at all. At times it was difficult to follow the plot of the film and it was also difficult to understand the women's accents at times.

Casablanca

The 1942 film Casablanca tells the story of an emotionally wrecked nightclub owner, Rick (played by Humphrey Bogart) and his former lover, Ilsa (played by Ingrid Bergman). This film begins with a petty criminal named Ugarte (played by Peter Lorre) arriving in Rick's club with some valuable letters. Ugarte wants to sell them for as high as he possibly can. However Captain Renault (played by Claude Rains) arrests Ugarte.

Moments after this occurs, Rick's former lover Ilsa enters his club with her husband Victor (played by Paul Henreid). Ilsa and her husband need Ugarte's letters in order to leave Casablanca for America because Vicotr is wanted by the Nazis. It is at this point in the film where Rick must make a difficult choice: He must decide between his love for Ilsa and helping her escape from Casablanca.

Honestly, I liked this classic film. I thought that it was an exciting film to watch. I think that there's a difference between old films like Casablanca and films today. It makes you appreciate old films like this.

A Closer Look at Bonnie and Clyde

The 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde is considered a "landmark film" as it broke many traditional restrictions. This film completely changed film making mainly because of its unique style of editing. There were times when this film was very slow - paced and casual (as in dialogue scenes). The shots in these scenes lasted longer. However, there were times when this film was fast - paced (chase scenes). The shots in these scenes quickly alternated from Barrow's gang to the police, or whoever was chasing them. There were also times in this film in which the editing seemed very “choppy” (Bonnie and Clyde death scene). I believe “choppy” editing occurs in this film because it is a timing thing. It stresses the importance of the pace of the film. It also adds suspense to the film. However, this combination of editing styles added to the overall quality of the film and added suspense to the film.

There were a few scenes in this film that had choppy editing. However, there were two scenes that really stuck out to me. I thought these two scenes had a lot of choppy editing. The first scene that stuck out to me was the chase scene that eventually led Clyde and his gang into Oklahoma. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVsovDXPBb8 In this scene, Clyde and his gang have just pulled off their first bank robbery together. The camera alternates between quick 2 – 3 second shots of the car getting away and 2 – 3 second shots of Clyde and his gang in the car. This is to basically add suspense to the scene.

Another scene that I thought had choppy editing was the Bonnie and Clyde death scene at the end of the film. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5GDcs8i2ng&feature=related In this scene, Clyde and Bonnie discover C.W.’s father on the side of the road and they decide to pull over. They soon find out that they have been set up. C.W.’s father looks at the bushes when birds flew out and he hits the deck. Clyde realizes that he and Bonnie have been set up. The camera quickly alternates 1 second close – up shots of Bonnie and Clyde before they both end up getting shot to death. Again, this is to add suspense and uncertainty to the scene. Bonnie and Clyde have been caught and the choppy editing leaves the audience guessing about what’s going to happen to Bonnie and Clyde.

There were times in this film when the editing seemed choppy. However, the choppy editing occurred to add suspense to the film and to emphasize the overall pace of the film.

Bonnie and Clyde: Film Review

The 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde was directed by Arthur Penn and produced by Warren Beatty. This is a fast paced film that tells the true story of Bonnie Parker (played by Faye Dunaway) and Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty). This couple would travel the central part of the country to rob banks during the Great Depression.

This film begins with Clyde attempting to steal a car that belongs to Bonnie's mother. Bonnie catches Clyde in the act, and the two of them strike up a conversation. Bonnie agrees to be Clyde's partner in crime, mainly because she is bored with her job as a waitress. The two of them pull off some local bank jobs. Soon the couple meets a gas station attendant named C.W. Moss, who they persuade to join them in their escapades. The couple is also joined by Clyde's brother, Buck, and his wife, Blanche. The five of them travel throughout the central part of the country to rob banks, with each job being more exciting than the previous one. However, a Texas ranger named Frank Hamer is determined to stop the couple by any means necessary.

Overall, I liked this film a lot. I thought that it was very suspenseful and an overall good film. I would recommend this film to anyone who is interested in seeing a good thriller.

A Closer Look at Run, Lola, Run

In Run, Lola, Run, Tom Tykwer (the director of the film) uses several transitional devices such as dissolves and wipes. Normally, these transitional devices occur when either a character is fatally injured or when a scene is about to end.

For example, in two of the three scenarios in this movie, someone is fatally injured. In the first scenario, Lola is shot in the chest accidentally. In the second scenario, Manni gets run over by a van. However, in each of these scenarios, the director will give a close - up shot of the person who is injured, then the background will fade to red. The screen will then show Manni and Lola lying in bed together. After their conversation ends, the screen will fade back to red and then a new scenario will start.

At the end of the first scenario, Lola is accidentally shot. The screen will zoom in on Lola's eyes and the screen will fade to red. Interestingly enough, Lola's red hair makes this fade consistent and congruent with the red coloring that the background fades to. It is also important to point out that when the screen fades to red, the screen will then show Lola and Manni in bed together, and obviously red lighting is used in this scene. I just thought that the red coloring was consistently used in this fade.

At the end of the second scenario, Manni gets run over by a van. The same thing happened in the first scenario happens in this scenario (except it is Manni this time who is fatally injured and not Lola). The screen zooms in on Manni's eyes and the screen fades to red. I thought that the blood coming out of Manni's nose and mouth served the same purpose as Lola's red hair did in the first scenario. The blood also makes this fade consistent and congruent with the red coloring that the background fades to. These two scenarios are perfect examples of dissolves that Tom Tykwer uses in this film.

Tykwer also uses wipes in this film. There are times in this film when the screen will show Lola running to where Manni said he would be on the right side of the screen and Manni standing outside of the drug store on the left side of the screen. There are even times in this film when there are three different things on the screen at one time. For example, towards the end of the second scenario, the screen shows Manni on the left of the screen, Lola on the right of the screen, and a clock on the bottom of the screen. Tykwer uses these wipes in the film to show relation to time.

Run, Lola, Run was a fast - paced film that kept the viewer in constant suspense. Tykwer correctly used successful transitional devices such as cuts, dissolves, and wipes to keep the suspense of the film in tact.

Run, Lola, Run: Film Review

The 1998 German film Run, Lola, Run was written and directed by Tom Tykwer. This film narrates a girl named Lola (played by Franka Potente) and her boyfriend Manni (played by Mortiz Bleibtreu). This film begins with Lola receiving a phone call from Manni, who is frantically telling her that he needs to obtain 100,000 Deutsche mark in twenty minutes or else his life would be in jeopardy. He also tells her that he is considering to rob a nearby drug store, so that he can obtain the money. However, Lola tells Manni to stay right where he is and she will figure out a way to obtain the money and then meet him where he is.

The interesting thing about this film is that from the moment that Lola hangs up the phone, the is divided into three different scenarios. In each scenario, Lola decides to go to her father for the money. She is always running through the streets of Berlin so that she can get to her father's bank. However, in each scenario something different happens. For example, in the first scenario, Lola's father refuses to give her the money and basically kicks her out of his bank. He tells her that he is not her actual father and that he is intending to leave Lola and her mother for another woman. Lola walks out of the bank, and even though she does not have the money, she runs to where Manni said he was. To her shock and surprise, when she gets to where Manni said he would be, Manni is already robbing the drug store that he said he was considering to rob. Lola decides then, to help Manni rob the drug store. They both leave the drug store together. However, they run into the police. The first scenario ends with a police officer accidentally shooting Lola. Her final words to Manni are," I don't want to leave.... Stop." The screen then fades to red.

If you want to know more about this movie, then I suggest that you go see it. Personally, I liked this movie and I thought it was put together very well. I thought that it was action - packed and suspenseful. I also thought that this film not only told a suspenseful story, but also a romantic story. Throughout this film, the viewer discovers more and more how much Lola and Manni really love each other. Overall, I liked this film and I would recommend it to people who want to see a good thriller.

A Closer Look at Do The Right Thing: Analytical Review

In the 1989 film Do the Right Thing, Spike Lee displays an excellent use of mise - en - scene. He uses several different settings to establish meaningful environments in this film. For example, Sal's pizzeria portrayed Sal, his two sons, and Mookie on normal working days. The food market, located directly across from Sal's Pizzeria, also portrayed two Korean grocers on normal working days. There was also a section of Bed - Stuy that really interested me. Three African American men would always gather together on a sidewalk and talk about everything that is wrong with the town. There were several color schemes in this environment that got my attention. The red wall in the background was the biggest thing. I also noticed that the clothes that the men were wearing had several color schemes. For example, two men were wearing blue hats with the other man wearing a tan hat. Two of the men were also wearing two tan shirts with the other man wearing a blue shirt. Finally, two of the men were wearing blue pants with the other man wearing tan pants.

Spike Lee also uses several props to relate to the story of the film. Two of the most meaningful props in this film is the boombox that Radio Raheem always carries around, and perhaps the most important prop in the entire film are the "Love/Hate" brass knuckles of Radio Raheem. Interestingly, the only song that plays from Radio Raheem's boombox is Public Enemy's "Fight the Power" (which was also the background music to the opening credits). I believe this song is symbolic and relates to the message of the film, which is to ultimately do the right thing. I felt that Radio Raheem carried a quiet and yet eerie presence throughout the film. I felt however, that "Fight the Power" was a song that was meant to encourage the viewer to embrace courage and bravery and to just stand up and do the right thing.

Finally, I thought that Spike Lee used several lighting techniques to evoke certain meanings in this film. For example, in the beginning of the film, Senor love daddy says over his radio broadcast that it will be the hottest day of the summer. As Mookie walks out of his apartment, I thought that Spike Lee uses the correct lightning to make it seem like it is hot, hazy, and humid. I thought that the lighting had a slight reddish color to it. I also thought that the "hottest day of the summer" was a perfect example of foreshadowing in this film. While I was watching the beginning of this film, as soon as I heard Senor love daddy announce that it would be the hottest day of the summer, i thought that had some sort of significance to it. I thought that something was going to happen later on in the film. At the end of the film, we see all hell break loose on Sal's pizzeria.

All throughout this film, i thought that Spike Lee used excellent examples of mise - en - scene. He used several different settings to establish meaningful environments, such as Sal's Pizzeria. Lee also uses several props to relate to the story of the film, such as Radio Raheem's boombox and "love/hate" brass knuckles. Finally, Lee uses several lighting techniques to evoke certain meanings in the film. A perfect example of this occurs when Mookie walks out of his apartment, Spike Lee uses the correct lightning to make it seem like it is hot, hazy, and humid.

Do The Right Thing Film Review

The 1989 film Do the Right Thing was produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee. This film narrates the lives of people living in a rundown section of Brooklyn, New York called Bed - Stuy. This film describes the social and racial injustices that the people of Bed - Stuy must live with. There are many different ethnicities represented in this film. For example, Sal (played by Danny Aiello) and his two sons Vito (played by Richard Edson) and Pino (John Turturro) are an Italian family who run a pizzeria in Bed - Stuy. Sonny (played by John Park) and Kim (played by Ginny Yang) are Korean grocers that are located directly across the street from Sal's. The rest of the neighborhood represents the African - American and Latino population.

There are a lot of examples of racial and social inequality in this movie. For instance, there are three African American men, ML (played by Paul Benjamin), Sweet Dick Willie (played by Robin Harris), and Coconut Sid (played by Frankie Faison), who sit on the sidewalks of Bed - Stuy. They observe and comment on everything that goes on. One day, these three men are just minding their own business. A cop car comes by them, and Officer Long (played by Rick Aiello) looks directly at the three men and says with a sigh," What a waste." A second instance of racial and social inequality occurs when a young African - American man named Mookie (played by Spike Lee), who works for Sal, mentions freedom in Sal's Pizzeria. Sal responds by saying," Freedom?.... The only freedom you have here..... You take orders and you give them to him (Pino)." Sal is implying that because Mookie is an African - American, his only freedom is his employment. Finally, a third instance of racial and social inequality occurs when Pino vents about his anger, disgust, and frustration towards African - Americans. He compares the African - American/Latino neighborhood of Bed - Stuy to The Planet of the Apes. He suggests that he and his family "...should stay in our neighborhood and the (African - Americans) should stay in theirs."

I honestly did not like this film at all. However, I do think that the film had a good message to it. Ideally, people would want a multi-ethnic neighborhood to coincide. In reality though, people realize that it is impossible for a multi - ethnic neighborhood to coincide because people will have different values, morals, and beliefs. For example, Sal takes pride in his Italian heritage, which is why he has pictures of Italian people on his "Wall of Fame". Mookie's friend Buggin' Out (played by Giancarlo Esposito), who is an African - American, took offense to Sal's Wall of Fame. He thought there should be African - American people on the wall. After all, it was an African American/Latino neighborhood that they were living in. The message of the film, from my interpretation of the film, was that the people of a multi - ethnic neighborhood should at least attempt to be civil with each other. They should find a way that they all can co - exist.

Taking a Closer Look at The Godfather

The 1972 film The Godfather ends with Michael eliminating all of the heads of the rival families, while Michael's niece is being baptized. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O789amyaMvw&feature=related.

This scene is considered to be one of the greatest endings to a movie. Francis Ford Coppola is a directing mastermind as he displays an excellent use of mise - en - scene in this scene. The term "mise - en - scene", according to our textbook The Film Experience, literally means "placed on a stage" or in more simpler terms "onstage". Mise - en - scene contains certain elements from the movie, such as the actors / actresses, the sets, lighting, etc.

Some great examples of mise - en - scene in this scene are the Corleone soldiers preparing for the executions of the heads of the five rival families. He does a brilliant job of positioning the actors. For instance, the head that exits the building and points out to his wingman that there is a cop giving him a ticket, the man waiting calmly in the stairway, the man coming up the stairs with a package are examples of positioning the actors in this scene. When Michael is asked if he renounces Satan, the five heads are murdered. Their corpses are perfect examples of mise - en - scene, as they were planned to be put in a specific spot.

In conclusion, Copolla uses excellent mise - en - scene in this scene. His use of positioning the actors in this scene are great examples of mise - en - scene.

The 1972 film, The Godfather, was directed by Francis Ford Coppola. This film narrates the Corleone crime family, who reside in New York. This film takes place in 1945 and begins with the wedding reception of Don Vito Corleone's daughter, Connie Corleone Rizzi (played by Talia Shire). Meanwhile, Don Vito Corleone A.K.A "The Godfather" (played by Marlon Brando) is listening to requests inside his house. Soon after, the Don's youngest son Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino) returns home from war to join the reception.

Weeks later, a drug dealer named Sollozzo A.K.A "The Turk" meets with the Corleone family. Sollozzo asks the Don for money and protection so that Sollozzo can distribute and import heroin. The Don refuses, because he feels that his influence among very powerful people could be jeopardized. Shortly after the Don refuses Sollozzo's request, the Don is gunned down by Sollozzo's men. The Don does survive though, but this is what initiates a war between the five crime families.

The Godfather, is arguably one of the greatest movies ever made. The film is full of suspense and twists and turns to keep the viewer entertained. I can easily say that this film is, by far, my new favorite movie of all time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPXVGQnJm0w&feature=related

A Closer Look at Apocalypse Now

All throughout Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola uses excellent cinematography techniques, such as camera proximity, camera angles, and color. As Captain Willard is being asked to assassinate Colonel Kurtz "...with extreme prejudice...", Coppola uses great camera proximity as shoots the faces of Willard, General Corman, and Colonel Lucas at a reasonable close - up distance. I noticed that Coppola zooms in on objects as well. For example, when General Corman and Colonel Lucas play back voice of Colonel Kurtz, Coppola zooms in on the "tape recorder." The camera proximity technique adds to the intensity of the film as the audience can read the emotion on the actors faces.

Copolla also uses really good camera angles in this movie. For example, during the ride of the valkyrie scene, I noticed many canted shoots of the soldiers, helicopters, tape player that played the music, etc. These shots add to the excitement of this scene. As U.S. Helicopters are flying over the "hairy" villages near the AirCav, Ride of the Valkyries is playing in the background. Copolla also uses good high angle shots in this movie. Using the same scene, Ride of the Valkyries, Copolla offers the audience good views of the ocean that the U.S. soldiers are flying over. He even gives great shots of the helicopters from an elevated distance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz3Cc7wlfkI

Finally, Copolla also displays a very good use of color in this movie. A perfect example of color in this movie, is when Jay "chef" Hicks discovers the white puppy on the Asian trade ship. I strongly believe that Copolla uses color in this movie to imply certain things. For example, I believe that the white puppy meant peace. As soon as Willard ship was attacked and the puppy disappeared, there was no more peace in that situation.

In conclusion, Copolla uses excellent camera proximity, color, and camera angles in this film. He does this to add to the excitement and the intensity of this film.

Apocalypse Now

The 1979 war film Apocalypse Now, takes place during the Vietnam War. Captain Benjamin Willard (played by Martin Sheen) is lifted from his drunken and depressed state and is approached by General Corman (played by G.D. Spradlin) and Colonel Lucas (played by the one and only Harrison Ford) with an assignment: travel up the Nung River into the Cambodian jungle to kill one of the U.S. army's own men, Colonel Walter Kurtz (played by Marlon Brando). Willard is informed that Kurtz has gone insane and Willard must end the Colonel's command.

The U.S. army has ordered a boat, commanded by Chief Phillips (played by Albert Hall), to take Willard up the Nung River. Joining Phillips and Willard are Tyrone "Clean" Miller (played by Lawrence Fisher), Jay "Chef" Hicks (played by Frederic Forrest), and Lance Johnson (played by Sam Bottoms). After many near - death encounters, Willard and his remaining crew finally make it to the Cambodian jungle. He approaches Kurtz and is taken hostage. Willard is determined though, to finish his mission and assassinate Colonel Kurtz.

Overall, I thought that this was an excellent and exciting film to watch. I loved all of the action throughout the entire movie. From the beginning of the movie, where Willard is ordered to take out Colonel Kurtz's command "...with extreme prejudice..." to Willard rising out of the swamp water to assassinate Colonel Kurtz, I enjoyed it all. I would seriously recommend this movie to anybody I know, because I think it was a very well produced movie.

All throughout The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Julian Schnabel (the director) displays a wonderful use of color and point-of-view-shots. Jean - Dominique Bauby has suffered a stroke and has been in a coma for twenty days. He is "...completely paralyzed from head to toe..." and his stroke led him into a condition called locked - in syndrome.

Schnabel offers the audience an accurate POV shot as the movie begins in a hospital room and Bauby is trying to wake up. It is as if Schnabel shoots from the inside of Bauby's eyelids. He uses accurate color schemes, such as the color of the inside of Bauby's eyelids and displaying bright light after his eyes are open.

When Dr. Cochetan is examining Bauby, Schnabel uses excellent techniques such as blurring the shot, correctly framing Dr. Cochetan's finger, and the light that he shines into Bauby's eye and opening and closing the camera lens making it seem like Bauby is struggling to keep his eyes open.

There is a particular moment in this scene in which Bauby dreams about the women that he loves (Ines). Schnabel uses a constant contrast in lighting in this moment. He flickers between bright and normal light, making it seem like an old - fashioned movie. Bauby also dreams about his son, of whom we find out about later on in the film. We discover that his son was with him when he had his stroke. Suddenly, a nurse comes into his room and wakes him up by pulling open the curtains of the nearby window.

Finally, the scene ends with Bauby's neurologist, Alain Lepage explaining to Bauby what has happened to him. Dr. Lepage says to Bauby that he has had a cerebrovascular accident and that he is "...completely paralyzed..." Schnapel uses the correct POV shot as Lepage talks directly to the camera. This makes it seem like Lepage is actually talking to Bauby.

In conclusion, Schnapel displays an excellent use of color and POV shots in the first scene of this film. He correctly portrays the perspective of Bauby. The audience can sense the fear of Bauby in this scene.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly describes the life of Jean - Dominique Bauby after he suffers a stroke that leaves him in a coma for twenty days. His stroke led him into a condition called "locked in syndrome". Bauby is "...completely paralyzed from head to toe..." and must learn to communicate by the blinking of his eye. Bauby will have a nurse in his room, periodically, who will act as a translator. She will ask him a yes or no question, and Bauby must either blink once for "yes" or twice for "no". She will also recite the french alphabet and Bauby must blink for a certain letter.

Personally, I did not like this film. I thought it was very hard and uncomfortable to watch. It was difficult having to see what Bauby's life was like afterwards. In the beginning of the film, Bauby is in a hospital room with a nurse. They are working on his communication skills. She is reciting him the french alphabet and he is blinking for each letter that he wants. He spells out "I want death." This was a very hard and difficult movie for me to watch.