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.