The Godfather

The Godfather

1)      Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

Before watching the film, we learned about the director, Francis Ford Coppola. Coppola went to school with James Caan who plays Sonny in The Godfather. We also learned that this film had 11 nominations and have won three awards – best picture, best actor for Marlon Brando, and best adapted screenplay. We also learned about the actors and what other films that they were previously known for. Another thing that we discussed in class was the themes throughout the film and the main one was family. We can definitely see how family is important as there were the scenes of the wedding, baptism, and the many scenes where family come together over food. Family love was seen throughout the whole film, not just those scenes.

2)      Find a related article and summarize content.

http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/140791%7C0/The-Godfather.html

This related article discusses the process of filming The Godfather, especially the casting and how Coppola dealt with negative reactions to his directing. Coppola scouted locations for part of the film. He also had to face battles with the Italian-American Civic Rights League who thought that the film would change people’s thoughts of Italian citizens. Something this article mentions is that Marlon Brando was an actor who was disliked by many film producers. They way Coppola was able to get Brando to play Don Cortese and for producers to agree with it – he had to sneakily film Marlon Brando be the actor while being at his house and the producers found that Brando had to play the part. There was a time where rumors started that Coppola would be replace and he found out about the rumors when he was in the rest room and a couple of the crew members talked about it when they were washing their hands, not knowing that Coppola was in one of the stalls.

3)      Apply the article to the film screened in class.

Seeing as though one of the main characters and directors could’ve been two different people makes me think about how that would have affected the overall film. To me, Marlon Brando played a perfect Don Cortese and fit well with the rest of the cast and knowing that it could’ve been someone else – it could’ve not fit as well and the chemistry would’ve been off. It may have work but it would’ve still been different. The same goes with changing directors. The way the actors were directed would’ve been different so the film itself would’ve been different. We don’t know what it would’ve been like – it may have had a different look and who knows if it would’ve become the big film it became.

4)      Write a critical analysis of the film.

Prior to class, I have heard of The Godfather but I was never interested in watching the trilogy because of the violence and blood. I’m not a fan of blood. So when I heard that we were going to watch The Godfather, I was hesitant about it. As we watched the film, I realized that there was more to the film than violence. Family is a major part of it. I enjoyed when Sonny stood up for his sister with her husband even though the first time didn’t work and he was on his way to “take care” of him again. The camera angles were great, the music went along with the storyline, the actors portrayed the characters very well, etc. I am still not a fan of the violence and blood part of the film so I am not completely sure if I would watch it again or even watch the next two movies. But I am happy to say now that I have watched it.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper. 

The Graduate

The Graduate 

1)      Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

Before we watched the film, The Graduate, we discussed the director, actors, plot, success of the film, etc. Mike Nichols, director became one of the biggest directors after The Graduate came out and he has won the Academy Award for Best Director. The film has grossed $40 million at the Box Office. The Graduate was nominated for many Academy Awards and some were best picture, actor, actress, screenplay, etc. We learned that this film was one of the first true youth rebellion movies. It also helps us think about what to do after you have graduated from college. The film can fall under Modern Expressionist.

2)      Find a related article and summarize content.

http://www.filmsite.org/grad.html

In this article, it discusses how the film is “one of the key, ground-breaking films of the late 1960s, and helped to set in motion a new era of film-making.” It also discusses how it was influential, the themes of the film, the different generations that it has attracted, social classes, etc. The article also analyzes each scene of the film. If someone has watched the film but didn’t understand completely about it, this would be the article for that person.

3)      Apply the article to the film screened in class.

Part of the article discusses the growing dissatisfaction with the status quo and middle-class values. We can see that through the film as the Director used the character Benjamin to portray how unalive and aimless the young generation who is unaffected can be when they approach middle-age. The music that was played throughout the movie (music by Simon and Garfunkle) helped the film enhance its moods and themes.

4)      Write a critical analysis of the film.

I have heard of The Graduate prior to this class but I have never watched it before. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I actually enjoyed it. It had its funny moments, its seriousness moments, etc. I can see how it was one of the films that was ground-breaking. It went through social norms, sexual, etc. It also showed how innocent youth can be exploited, betrayed, etc. by an older generation. I believe this film was well done with the direction, actors, music and I think I would watch it again if I have a chance.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper. 

Casablanca

Casablanca

1)      Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

In class, we have discussed who the director was, the film being #3 on the AFI Top 100 Films of All Time list, who written it, the actors and characters, awards, plot, themes, etc. The themes that were focused in the film were lost love and romance within a chaotic world, honor, and self-sacrifice in war which were easily seen throughout the film. The relationship between Rick and Ilsa can show the lost love and romance within a chaotic world. Due to the relationships they were in (Isla with Laszlo and Rick with his nightclub) and what was happening around them (war), they were unable to be together and Rick lets Ilsa get on the plane without him and with Laszlo.

2)      Find a related article and summarize content.

 http://www.filmspotting.net/about-us/writing/534-the-real-rick-a-rhetorical-analysis-of-casablanca.html

In this article, the writer uses the review that was written by Roger Ebert showing that it would be hard to do a rhetorical analysis for the film. The writer of this analysis decides to compare and contrast the filmmaking of Casablanca with the filmmaking of Citizen Kane showing that Casablanca did not have the “same level of ambitious filmmaking” but because of the characters, specifically Rick, it made it the film as we know it as one of the greatest films ever to be made. Throughout the rest of the article, the writer goes into detail and analyzes the Rick character.

3)      Apply the article to the film screened in class.

Looking at this article, we can look into the film with more thoughts about how the character of Rick should’ve been seen as the viewers. At first the character is supposed to be mysterious and give the viewers a feel of anticipation. It keeps the viewers attention to the film as they want to learn more of the character. The writer of this rhetorical analysis does very well with analyzing each part of the character and the comparison of the two films.

4)      Write a critical analysis of the film.

I have heard of Casablanca prior to this class but I have not seen the film before. I did know that it was one of the most-well-respected films of all-time and while watching the film, I can see why those thoughts were brought up. Yes, I agree with the writer of the article that I used that Citizen Kane did have more ambitious with their filmmaking as Orson Welles used different types of shots for the film but I also agree that because of the characters of Rick, Ilsa, Laszlo, etc. and the actors that portrayed those characters – we as the audience can feel with those audience which leads us to be more attentive and awed to the film. This film also had many different quotes that are still being used in today’s world and if that can happen then you know the film has a lasting impact on films and the history of those films.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper. 

Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane

1)      Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

In class, we discussed the plot, director, actors, etc. Citizen Kane was named the best American film of all time by the American Film Institute, in 1998. Citizen Kane also received nine Oscar nominations. When the film came out, it was a failure as it was almost not released. The film was based on William Randolph Hearst. Both Hearst and Kane believed that it would be “fun” to run a newspaper. Looking at the film, we can see how Kane did have fun running the paper. He liked to have control. When Kane passed away at the beginning of the film, Thompson decides to interview many people who knew Kane to figure out why and what his last word “Rosebud” meant.

2)      Find a related article and summarize content.

http://www.filmsite.org/citi.html

In this article, it discusses about the film being the world’s famous and high-rated film. It also mentions the budget and about the possibility of the film not being released, and there was also a controversy that was brought from the film because of it being related to the real life of William Hearst. In the article, they place a chart going over the similarities and some differences between Kane and Hearst. Also, in the article – the writer discusses the different aspects that have brought the film together: examples, subjective live camera, lighting, elaborate camera movements, talk-over dialogue, etc.

3)      Apply the article to the film screened in class.

With this article really focusing a part of it on the similarities between William Hearst and Charles Foster Kane, it makes you see the film kind of differently. It makes it more interesting since it was based on a real person, to think that someone went through what Kane went through. Some fans enjoy watching a film that is based on a true story so this can lead more viewers to watch. In the article, when mentioning the different aspects that brought the film together, deep focus was one of the aspects mentioned as well which played a role in the film as there were interesting parts where deep focus was a major aspect. One of the main ones was when Thatcher came and we see young Kane in the deep focus part having fun, being a kid – we can tell that with the deep focus, he may not stay that young happy kid anymore – and a few minutes he wasn’t as Thatcher decides to take Kane away from his parents. This article goes great with the film and helps the reader understand more behind the film than they could have thought while watching.

4)      Write a critical analysis of the film.

I have not heard of Citizen Kane before until this class so I didn’t know what to expect and I was surprised that I found it interesting. I enjoyed the different aspects especially the deep focus. It was my first time, I believe, where I focused on those moments and realized that without the deep focus scenes, the film could have been different. Also the different camera angles (low, high, even) gave each scene a different look. I enjoyed the slow-motion of when the snow globe fell from Kane’s hand because it showed that it was a very important part of the film which should be remembered throughout the rest of the film. I, overall, enjoyed the film and believe that it is still a great movie to watch during our time period. 

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper. 

Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind

1   1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

        

        Gone with the Wind was first a novel written by Margaret Mitchell and it took the author 10 years to   write and it was her only novel that was published during her life. When she sold the rights for the     film to be made, she made no part in the making of the film. Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh were the   two main stars while the supporting cast was Hattie McDaniel, Butterfly McQueen, Olivia De             Havilland, and Leslie Howard. Gone with the Wind won eight Academy Awards. The film was also   ranked fourth in American Film Institute’s Top 100 Best American films of all time.

  Prior to watching the film, we also learned about the black history in films. In the history, we learn     that most African-Americans that were actors played in slavery or “the help” which we can see in       the Gone with the Wind as the African Americans in the film were seen as “the help” when as the       actress Hattie McDaniel was seen as the housekeeper and helped Vivian Leigh’s (Scarlett) character   whenever she needed some type of help.

2) Find a related article and summarize content.

     http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/15/showbiz/movies/gone-with-the-wind-75th-anniversary-love-hate/

     In this article, the writer went into detail on why we love and hate Gone with the Wind. The article      was written to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of the premiere of the film. Some of the examples            that Todd Leopold, CNN, shared were: for the hate side – he writes that it is racist movie as the          African-American characters fell right in with the “stereotypes of slaves and maids;” for the love        side – it is still a powerful movie as the film can tell a story and tell that story well.

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class.

     When reading this article, I can picture everything that the writer put down as the love/hate things      of this film. As he mentioned the racist part of this film, we can see where he is coming from as          Hattie McDaniel, like I said in the third question, was seen as the housekeeper and she helped              Scarlett whenever she needed some type of help. There were other African-American characters          that followed in the same stereotypes of that time period. I agree that the film is still a powerful          movie. This was the first time that I have seen this film and when I watched it, I can see it being          powerful as we see what that time period was like with the stereotypes, what happened to the              towns during the town, what happened to the people, etc. I believe this article goes directly to the        film and is well-written by the writer.

4) Write a critical analysis of the film.

     This is my first time watching Gone with the Wind; however, it was not my first time hearing              about it. I always saw that the film was almost three hours long and I was never interested in                something that long but as we watched it in class, I am glad that we have watched it. It gave me a        chance to enjoy it. I have to say the second half of the film was better than the first half. When we      watched the film, I noticed that the African-Americans were indeed the stereotypical African-              Americans, just like as was said they would be in class. At the time period of when the film came        out, I believe this film was the perfect film to portray the war as it gave people, today, a chance to      see it, even though it’s a fiction film. People tend to lean towards a fiction film, rather than a                documentary so I believe if someone wanted to learn about this war but isn’t interested in                    documentaries, then they should watch Gone with the Wind. I also enjoyed Clark Gable’s                    character. I’m not sure which character of his I like best as it would be between this character and      his character in It Just Happened One Night. Overall, I believe this is a great film and I am happy        that we watched it in this class.  

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper. 

It Happened One Night

It Happened One Night

1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

In class, we discussed films prior to the code and then how the post-code movies were different. It Happened One Night was one of the first films post-code. Women were seen as strong and smart post-code which were what Claudette Colbert portrayed in her character in It Happened One Night. In screwball comedies, there is the war of the sexes and that can be seen in the film we watched between Colbert’s character and Clark Gable’s character as they had verbal sparring. We also learned about the synopsis of the film which is about a spoiled girl who runs away from her family and reporter decides to help her but in the end he falls in love with her.

2) Find a related article and summarize content.

http://www.filmsite.org/itha.html

In this article, it goes into great detail about how this film opened doors for other screwball comedies that followed. The article discusses about the film is composed mostly of a road trip (filmsite). It also discusses about how the director, Frank Capra wanted Robert Montgomery and Myrna Loy to play the roles but did not get them. It Happened One Night won all of its five nominated categories for the Academy. At the bottom of the article, it also summarizes the whole movie by explaining in detail about what happened. 

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class.

Just like in my answer for this part for the Gold Rush, when I found out that the two main stars weren’t the “favorable” actors for the director, it made me think about the possibility of how the movie would have been portrayed. In this instance, I think it would have been different because Gable and Colbert ended up having a great chemistry for their roles and I don’t know if others would have fit right with their characters like they did. For “The Story” part of the article, I liked that this article placed it in because it helped me think about to the screening and remember those moments.

4) Write a critical analysis of the film.

Again, I wasn’t expecting anything from the film as I didn’t watch too many black & white films or films from that time period (other than It’s a Wonderful Life) but I have to say that I enjoyed it. I do, however, believe that they could have done the 20 minutes a little better. I’m not entirely sure how but it seemed that it could have been better. The shots for the scenes were well-done. You can sense the comedy coming out through the characters and the storyline was also well-done and continued on from the beginning to the end. Overall, it was a great movie and I’m glad that we screened it because it gave me this feeling that maybe I should give more films from that time period a chance. 

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper. 

The Gold Rush

The Gold Rush

1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

In class, we discussed the different characteristics in Chaplin films which has helped giving us an idea of what type of film that we were going to see in class. For the time period that his movies were in, they were perfect and it can be said that those movies are still good for the audience today. We have learned that Chaplin uses comedy when speaking of the social issues that we were facing: hunger, crime, and poverty.

In the Gold Rush, we can see those issues throughout the film. For an example, Crime: Black Larsen is running from the law and hiding out in the cabin. Another example is using the tramp character who is usually in need of food as she is hungry which falls under the social issue of hunger; also when Black Larsen, the lone prospector (Charles Chaplin), and Big Jim McKay ran out of food in the cabin. They use comedy in the particular hunger situation by cooking the shoe, the lone prospector hiding the dog thinking he/she might get eaten. These are only a few way where comedy was used to discuss social issues.

2) Find a related article and summarize content. 

http://www.charliechaplin.com/en/biography/articles/5-The-Gold-Rush

In this article, it discusses how Charlie Chaplin came up with the idea of The Gold Rush and he was inspired first as he was “viewing some stereoscope pictures of the Klondike gold rush, and was particularly struck by the image of an endless line of prospectors snaking up the Chilkoot Pass” (biography). He wanted to change the tragedy from being horror to something comedy. The article also discusses the relationship between Chaplin and the original leading lady who he ended up having an affair with and she ends up getting pregnant which “forced” them to get married. After three months of taking time off from the Gold Rush, they decided to find another leading lady to take place of Lillita and that’s how Georgia came about.

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class.

When I learned that Georgia was not the original leading lady made me think about the possibilities of how the film could have changed. Would it have been better? Worse? I know, one person doesn’t make the whole film but it can make a small difference as chemistry would be in question. How would the original character portray the tramp character? Also reading the rest of the article, they discuss at how when Big Jim “sees” the lone prospector as a chicken, it was a triumph for the cameraman and Chaplin.

4) Write a critical analysis of the film.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when watching the film. It was my first time watching a full silent movie. When we discussed in class about what the movie was about and it being a comedy, I wasn’t completely sure that I would be able to see the comedy come out through the characters as it was silent. But my mind changed when the movie started and while we were watching the movie. I noticed the different camera angles. Some were focused in one area while in other parts, we can see movement from side to side following the characters. I was also able to see the comedy throughout the characters, especially when in the cabin – the lone prospector changes into a chicken in the eyes of Big Jim, the lone prospector searches for the dog hoping Big Jim didn’t eat him, etc. I have to say I enjoyed watching the film and laughed at parts of the movie (especially the part when he was dancing with the tramp and got caught up with the dog). Overall, I enjoyed the film and I’m glad that we had the opportunity to watch it.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.