Film Noir

In my own word film noir is a style marked by a mood of pessimism fatalism and menace. My definition of film noir compared to the film critics is relatively close but there definition of film noir goes more in depth/detail. I think I haven't seen any of the quintessential films, yes I do know some of the directors like Fritz Lang, Billy Wilder, Orson Welles and Michael Curtiz.

The Western

Some characteristics of westerns are from the 1960s and 1970s they often have more pessimistic view, glorifying a rebellious anti-hero and highlighting the cynicism, brutality and inequality of the American West. "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence" is a western by the plot and the actors in the film, I think another add is it takes place in the west and I believe it is a spaghetti western.

Horror Movies

My favorite horror movie I really can't say because I am a big fan of horror movies, so I like many. Scary to me varies there are many things that are scary so, just not one specific thing in general. Horror movies use a lot of techniques but I think one that is most common is the showing of the weapon and the object/person so the over the shoulder shot.

Gangster Movies

I think that americans like gangster movies because it's something that pulls there interest and is different,it's basically a whole different life that is the opposite of most peoples from good to bad. The popularity of these movies does say something of us as people,it says that we like more than one persona of life you can be good but everyone has a bad side to them. I guess it says something of our culture that we like violence and peace. Some of my favorite gangster movies are "Menace 2 society","Boyz n da hood", and "American me". What usually happens in the end of gangster movies is a tragic end or a revelation and the main character becomes good.

Introduction to Essay

Modern Times was deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress in 1989, and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Industry."Metropolis'' does what many great films do,creating a time,place and characters so striking that they become part of our arsenal of images for imagining the world. Metropolis-In a futuristic city divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working class girl who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences. Modern Times-The Tramp struggles to live in modern industrial society with the help of a young homeless woman (Gamin). Metropolis and Modern Times both use music to explain the mood/what's happening throughout the movie. I think that the way the film uses music is very unique and well put together for example when something bad is about to happen the sound/mood of the music dramatically changes from calm,easy going to fast and loud.

Practice Test

Buster Keaton

Why does he keep a serious face?
Because he learned that as a young child acting with his parent.

Why is he like Chaplin?
Because he does things on accident

How does he perform his stunts?

He performs all his stunts by himself

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

What is the significance of the set design?

The set design reflected the character's set of mind.

What was different from German Expressionism acting than from Hollywood?

The acting was more realistic.

How does lighting set the mood in the film?

The lighting is chiaroscuro so it is light and dark it sets the mood from fear to happiness.

Modern Times

Why did Charlie Chaplin base his movie Modern Times on the Great Depression?

Because he wanted to show people his view of the Great Depression.

Eisenstein

What other important movie did Eisenstein direct?

October: Ten Days That Shook the World

How does Eisenstein use the film to develop his theories of film structure?

He uses the film to further develop his theories of film to develop his theories of film structure by using a concept he described as "intellectual montage".

The Last Laugh

Why did Murnau decide to use German Expressionism to this film?

Probably because the time it came out before the first world war and everything. Also this was one of the movies at the time that German Expressionism came out of.

Why was the movie made silent?

Probably because during the German Expressionism time many movies like Metropolis and The Cabinet of Dr Caliagari they expressed what they had to say with silent film.

What type of lighting did they use?

It showed some chiaroscuro lighting when he was just standing still gazing.

Metropolis

True or False-Freder was in love with both "Robot Maria" and "Maria"?

Answer:False

Fill in Blank:(Blank) trades places with one of the workers for a day?

Answer:Freder

True or False-One of the villains in the movie was named "Rotwang"?

Answer:True

Why did Rotwang originally create his robot?

To make it look like Hel.

Who did Rotwang change the robot to look like?

He changed it to look like Maria.

Who did Joh Fredersen send to spy on his son.
The Thin Man

Buster Keaton

1. He got his start on the film:Butcher Boy also working in theatre with his parents. His family and vaudeville influenced his development by Buster being pushed around and not getting anything from his work he grew up with the attitude of you fall hard, you get right back up; the girl doesn't love you, do what you can and wait until she does.
2. What is unique about Keaton's comedy is his type of comedy is realistic,conceptual humor that is rather difficult to describe in words.
3. The writer compares Keaton to Chaplin as Keaton's films dull, preferring Chaplin's flash, his easy laughs and unearned tears,but Keaton is definitely the more realistic of the two; when he kicks a villain in the ass, as Chaplin did constantly, his foot gets hurt.
4. Keaton's career ended at a low or normal,after all his big films he turned up in bit roles and eventually television sustained him financially

Research/Quotes on Modern Times & Metropolis

Modern Times
Ebert on Modern Times:

1. His name is enshrined among the greatest geniuses of film; the French have a movie magazine titled simply Charlie, and Vachel Lindsay said a long time ago, "The cinema IS Chaplin."

2. "Modern Times" was Charlie's first film after five years of hibernation in the 1930s. He didn't much like talkies, and despite the introduction of sound in 1927, his "City Lights" (1931) was defiantly silent.

3. With "Modern Times," a fable about (among other things) automation, assembly lines and the enslaving of man by machines, he hit upon an effective way to introduce sound without disturbing his comedy of pantomime: The voices in the movie are channeled through other media.

Wiki on Modern Times:
4. Modern Times was deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress in 1989, and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Industry

Metropolis
Ebert on Modern Times:

1. The movie has a plot that defies common sense, but its very discontinuity is a strength. It makes "Metropolis" hallucinatory--a nightmare without the reassurance of a steadying story line. Few films have ever been more visually exhilarating.

2. Generally considered the first great science-fiction film, "Metropolis'' (1926) fixed for the rest of the century the image of a futuristic city as a hell of scientific progress and human despair.

3. From this film, in various ways, descended not only "Dark City'' but "Blade Runner,'' "The Fifth Element,'' "Alphaville,'' "Escape From L.A.,'' "Gattaca,'' and Batman's Gotham City.

4. What many of these movies have in common is a loner hero who discovers the inner workings of the future society, penetrating the system that would control the population. Even Batman's villains are the descendants of Rotwang, giggling as they pull the levels that will enforce their will. The buried message is powerful: Science and industry will become the weapons of demagogues.

5. Lang filmed for nearly a year, driven by obsession, often cruel to his colleagues, a perfectionist madman, and the result is one of those seminal films without which the others cannot be fully appreciated.

6. "Metropolis'' does what many great films do, creating a time, place and characters so striking that they become part of our arsenal of images for imagining the world.

Parallel Sequencing

In Modern Times and Metropolis both films show the outcome of the movie in an almost tragic loss,but in the end they have what they were pursuing throughout the film which is "the girl". In the end of Modern Times the "Tramp" and the "Gamin"are stranded without a home and they talk about how they went through so many ups and downs but also discuss that everything well come out good. Thus they leave happy knowing they have each other and that's good enough. In Metropolis in the end it looks like they make it seem like they are burning Maria, Freder is in disbelief thinking it is Maria but then it turns out to be the "Robot Maria" and then everything turns out good, from there Freder has to rescue the real Maria from "Rotwang"(evil scientist). Just like in Modern Times Freder gets the girl in the end,through certain obstacles in the way.

Integrated Comparison of Metropolis, Modern Times

Some similarities between "Metropolis" and "Modern Times" are the title cards,the usage of them in particular scenes or parts of the movie for instance,when the sound of the music cannot explain what is going on they standby and show the cards to show something important. Another similarity is the main character's both have interests in a woman who they both want,in Metropolis Freder loves Maria then she turns into a robot and he is in pursuit of her through out the film. In Modern Times the tramp,all he wants is the "Gamin" and a successful life but always seems to find trouble. A difference in both of the movies is the type of movie they are like metropolis is a science fiction movie and modern times is a comedy. All in all, these are some comparisons and differences between metropolis and modern times.

Stars Wars and D.W Griffith

One film technique that George Lucas used is longshot. It compares with D.W Griffith by George Lucas using his techniques as like a stepping stone,where he got some of his ideas from.

Comedy

My favorite comedy movie would probably be "Hot Rod." The kind of comedy I like is just comedy I guess. Physical comedies are good "Ace Ventura" is a classic and all of Jim Carey's movies are good. British comedies not too sure about never really seen much of those. Comedies with stunts are pretty funny but sometimes they over exaggerate and take it to far. not to sure about teen comedies. Funny to me varies,don't really have an explanation to it.

Favorite Movie in the Last Month

My favorite movie from last month would have to be "Last House on the Left." The lighting it used varied some scenes they used light colors to show "hope" but for the most part it was a suspenseful movie with dark lighting to show the horror of the killings. To compare "Last house on the Left" to German Expressionism it would be the lighting the way they use certain scenes for certain lighting (ex. like dark lighting would signal something bad or suspenseful through the scene). It did use chiaroscuro lighting especially to focus on someone. The sets varied from big to small like from forest to house. Yes it filmed on location. The acting was good very straight forward on how the actors portrayed there characters.

Science Fiction

Some science-fiction movies I have seen are 28 days later,resident evil,star wars 1-6,time machine, and I am legend.some charecteristics of the genre are they are not real and really are an extension of your imagination and what you want it to be usually crazy and things you would usually not see/think of,like robots or zombies.

9-8-09 Q's from Beowulf Pt.1 Notes

I relatively got the concept of part one to Beowulf so I have no questions. Well the breakdown to the story so far is king Hrothgar asked Beowulf to come to his island and fight the monster "Grendel". Beowulf Waits in Herot(golden guest hall) for Grendel to arrive,Grendel arrives and Beowulf and Grendel clash,they struggle back and forth until Beowulf tears one of Grendel's arm with his bare hands off thus Grendel gets scared and realizes he has never met an opponent this feirce/strong so Grendel retreats to his foul mere(mountain lake). Beowulf hangs the arm over the rafters,but then Grendels mother comes to avenge her son,she attacks some soldiers and takes the arm all while Beowulf is asleep. King Hrothgar asks Beowulf for one more task and that is to defeat Grendels mother,Beowulf goes to the mere with some weapons and jumps in,he is falling into the world of Grendels mother and eventually reaches her they clash,Beowulf realizes that his weapons are of no use. Grendels mother gets Beowulf pinned down and for a moment it seems like Beowulf has met his end but,he is wearing a mail shirt and her claws can't penetrate it,Beowulf eventually sees a giant sword on the wall he grabs it and with one strike to the neck he defeats her. Beowulf then sees Grendel in a corner and finishes him off for good to finally end the whole situation.

German Expressionism

I think "german expressionism" is a creative movement in Germany before WWI during 1920's,German filmmakers used media including(theatre,architecture,music,painting,and sculpture).
Some famous films are
"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari","Nosferatu" and maybe "Metropolis".

Film Innovations Up 2 This Point

Top pic
Directer:Sergei Eisenstien
Film Name:BattleShip Potemkin
This piece of art is important in the development of film by it being based on real events and it being technically impressive (masses of extras,use of ships and cities) capturing chaos.

Middle pic
Directer:Georges Meiles
Film Name:Voyage to the Moon
This piece of art is important in the development of film by it kind of being the first
science-fiction film and it was a short film

Bottom pic
Directer(s):Auguste & Louis Lumiere
Film Name:The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat
This piece of art is important in the development of film by it being one of the first ever "films" or opening the door for them