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.