3 Movies I enjoyed most and why
1. Pulp Fiction: Pulp Fiction is a classic film and one of my favorites of all time. It has memorable dialogue and action. It is a good example of a film whose plot jumps around and ends where it started.
2. Double Indemnity: I had never seen or heard of this film and before this class I had never been a fan of classic black and white films. This class opened up my eyes to the greatness of these films. The really liked the filmoir genre and this movie made me appreciate films of the past in a way I never thought I would. I watched it from a historical sense and appreciate its value to the film industry.
3. Raging Bull: I am a huge Robert DeNiro fan and I like watching Martin Scorsese films. I had not seen it before this class but was always interested in watching it. I'm glad I was able to watch it and get an inside perspective on the techniques used to film it.
Films that Should be Seen in Future Classes
1. Citizen Kane: According to you and several classmates it is considered the greatest film of all time. That is a huge statement and I wish I had the opportunity to watch the film that was the standard that all films after it tried to reach.
2. The Godfather: In class there were a ton of references to the Godfather be it the director, cinematographer or the actors. As a film fan I'm embarrassed to admit i have not yet seen them. I really want to and would have liked to hear your insight on what to look for or notice as I watched this classic.
3. City of God: I love this movie but it is very graphic in its content but the reason I chose it was because it is a foreign film. Film extends beyond the United States as we all know, and watching and learning about foreign film would further expand my interest in film.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Cinamatography
Raging Bull (1980)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cinematographer: Michael Chapman
Shot #1:Ext, LS-ES, Low Angle, Mounted, Outside of the Barbizon Plaza
Shot#2: Ext, ES,High Angle, Mounted, Sign reading A Night with Jake Lomatta ft. the Works of
Patty Chajefsky and Rod Serling
Shot#3: Int, ES, Low Angle, Mounted, Establishing the setting of the dressing room
Shot#4: Int, ES, Eye Level, Mounted, Establishing the setting of the dressing room
Shot#5: Int, ES, Eye Level, Mounted, Establishing the setting of the dressing room
Shot#6: Int, ES, Eye Level, Mounted, Establishing the setting of the dressing room
Shot#7: Int, Medium Close up, Eye Level, Mounted, Shot of Jake Lomatta from behind as he recites a scene from On the Waterfront into the mirror before he goes out to do his show.
Monday, May 17, 2010
"Quentin Tarantino Interviewed on the Treatment"
For my interview I decided to chose a film personality who's style of film making and directing has always interested me going all the way back to his famous work in Pulp Fiction. Quentin Tarantino is a pioneer of his time and is not afraid to go outside the box of traditional film making and storytelling. His work is critically acclaimed and criticized, he isn't afraid of public opinion when it comes to creating his artistic vision. He is a film director, producer, screenwriter, and also an actor. His most famous works are Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown,Kill Bill Vol. I and II, Deathproof, and most recently Inglorious Bastards.
From this interview I learned that Quentin Tarantino is truly an artist and a visionary. He writes and directs films to be exactly as he envisioned it. With his first original script being Pulp Fiction, he set the stage for what can be called a "Quentin Tarantino film." He likes to structure his films in chapters with very strong characters with interesting personalities. His movies are often very violent and graphic and have characters that go through events that lead ultimately to their demise. His characters are not protected by the script so to say and can be ousted at any moment. I was surprised how long it took for him to cut down the script for Inglorious Bastards. He said he had so much material that it could have been a mini series because he had background on every character. True works of art are not made overnight, but rather a lengthy process that is constantly refined over time.
From this interview I learned that Quentin Tarantino is truly an artist and a visionary. He writes and directs films to be exactly as he envisioned it. With his first original script being Pulp Fiction, he set the stage for what can be called a "Quentin Tarantino film." He likes to structure his films in chapters with very strong characters with interesting personalities. His movies are often very violent and graphic and have characters that go through events that lead ultimately to their demise. His characters are not protected by the script so to say and can be ousted at any moment. I was surprised how long it took for him to cut down the script for Inglorious Bastards. He said he had so much material that it could have been a mini series because he had background on every character. True works of art are not made overnight, but rather a lengthy process that is constantly refined over time.
Tarantino had a lot of very insightful quotes into his film making style. The interview between him and Elvis Mitchell was about his new film Inglorious Bastards. He was discussing his two criteria for choosing actors to play in his film. He said "I look for two things in my actors: 1. Intelligence and 2. They have to love language." He was referring to the often complex, sophisticated, and lengthy dialogue that are in his films. In Inglorious Bastards there are long stretches of dialogue that have a poetic aspect to it. Dialogue that has a musical and comedic rhythm to it. As he says "language is a bitch you dominate." His way of saying that mastering language is vital in his films. In Bastards, the main character Hans Landa played by Christoph Waltz, spoke French, German, and English perfectly throughout the whole film and it was a defining characteristic of Hans Landa.
As I said early Quentin Tarantino spent 10 years writing the script to Inglorious Bastards. He said he refined it while he was making the Kill Bill volumes. He said some scripts are written for certain actors such as Uma Thurman. They fit the role and are modified to fit the actors strengths. In Inglorious Bastards the script was written from the ground up. He had no actors in mind for any of the role, they just had to capture the role as it was written. Tarantino was so fixed in what he wanted he said "I would have published the script and not made the movie had I not found what I was looking for." That one quote amazed me. He would have not made an academy award nominated film if he felt the actor was not what he envisioned. I also read that he turned down making Men In Black and Speed so he could go to Amsterdam to write Pulp Fiction. This sh0ws that he doesn't make films for the paycheck but because its a passion and an artistic expression. Hes doing what he loves and it must be done exactly as he sees it. I'm sure all great filmmakers had this same mentality.
"I love the idea of the unreliable character." This quote was kind of an eye opener as to how he tells his stories. His stories are told from the characters who most the time are unreliable in nature. Be it two hitman in Pulp Fiction, or story information told from a Jews perspective when interrogated by Nazi. The information cant really be taken at face value under the circumstances the characters are in or because the characters themselves are just shady in nature. In Inglorious Bastards he broke away from his normal story telling style and actually gave the audience a traditional climactic ending. Hes not one for tradition but in this case a climactic ending was appropriate.
This interview was very insightful and entertaining. Tarantino is not classical in any sense but rather a sarcastic foulmouthed who puts his own personality into his films. Elvis Mitchell asked very good questions that got him to open up into how he looks at film and whats important to him. He is known as one of the best directors today and his work is well respected and received. It made me appreciate him and his work more than I already did. The Treatment is very informative and I plan on listening to more interviews from my favorite film personalities.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Blog Assignment 2
Surprise- The scene I chose from Pulp Fiction for the surprise is the scene where Vincent and Jules are driving from the apartment where they retrieved Marceles' suit case that was stolen by Marvin and his friends. In the apartment they killed the two men in the living room and spared Marvin. When they were about to leave, a fourth man comes out of the bathroom and fires off several rounds from a gun, non of which hit either Vincent or Jules. In the car, they are arguing over whether or not the fact they were not killed was divine intervention or if they were just lucky. In discussing this, Vincent turns to Marvin and asks Marvin's opinion of the matter. In turning Vincent has his gun pointing at Marvin, and without forewarning the gun goes off and Marvin's brains are splattered on the back window. This sets Vincent and Jules in a state of panic because they are now driving a car in the middle of the day on a busy Los Angeles street with blood and brains splattered all over the interior of the car. This scene is a surprise because it totally catches the audience and the characters themselves off guard and gives the explanation of how and why they were in that diner and dressed the way they were in the beginning of the movie and end of the movie. That single scene sets the narrative of the story.
Suspense- The suspense scene from Pulp Fiction is when Mia Wallace snorts a line of what she thinks is cocaine but is heroin and she starts convulsing on the floor and bleeding from her nose. This sent Vincent into a panic because he was responsible for the wife of his boss who is a crime boss. Vincent has his own life on the line if Mrs. Wallace dies. Earlier in the story Marceles Wallace supposedly threw a man from out the window for giving Mrs. Wallace a foot massage. This fact is running through Vincent's head as he speeds to his drug dealers house to save her life. As he arrives to his drug dealers house, the drug dealer freaks out because he is bringing a women who is ODing off the drugs he sells in that house. They have to inject a shot of adrenaline to save her life but they don't have any idea as to how to do this. The suspense mounts as Mrs. Wallace lays dying on the floor. They argue as to who gives the shot then draw a red dot on her chest. Vincent stabs the needle through the breastplate and they wait for a response. After being stabbed she takes a huge gasp for air, she appears to be alright. This whole scene shows the unforgiving character of Marceles and the same time the panicked fear that Vincent, a cold blooded no fear assassin, has for his boss.
Diegetic music- The diegetic music in the film was when they were at the 50s diner and Mia and Vincent, at Mia's request, competed in a dance competition held by the restaurant. They danced the twist to a Chuck Barry song. The song was used because it was a popular song of the time and was a good song to do the twist to. A song that is familiar to all audiences.
Nondiegetic- The nondiegetic material that was not music was titles to different chapters of the story. The titling of the chapters were Quinten Tarantino's structure of the plot. The film jumps around, and the nondiegetic titles give you an indication of what the chapter is about.
MacGuffin- The MacGuffin in the film was the briefcase. It greatly influenced every ones actions but you never really find out what was in the brief case or what its importance is but it is inferred that it is very important.
Suspense- The suspense scene from Pulp Fiction is when Mia Wallace snorts a line of what she thinks is cocaine but is heroin and she starts convulsing on the floor and bleeding from her nose. This sent Vincent into a panic because he was responsible for the wife of his boss who is a crime boss. Vincent has his own life on the line if Mrs. Wallace dies. Earlier in the story Marceles Wallace supposedly threw a man from out the window for giving Mrs. Wallace a foot massage. This fact is running through Vincent's head as he speeds to his drug dealers house to save her life. As he arrives to his drug dealers house, the drug dealer freaks out because he is bringing a women who is ODing off the drugs he sells in that house. They have to inject a shot of adrenaline to save her life but they don't have any idea as to how to do this. The suspense mounts as Mrs. Wallace lays dying on the floor. They argue as to who gives the shot then draw a red dot on her chest. Vincent stabs the needle through the breastplate and they wait for a response. After being stabbed she takes a huge gasp for air, she appears to be alright. This whole scene shows the unforgiving character of Marceles and the same time the panicked fear that Vincent, a cold blooded no fear assassin, has for his boss.
Diegetic music- The diegetic music in the film was when they were at the 50s diner and Mia and Vincent, at Mia's request, competed in a dance competition held by the restaurant. They danced the twist to a Chuck Barry song. The song was used because it was a popular song of the time and was a good song to do the twist to. A song that is familiar to all audiences.
Nondiegetic- The nondiegetic material that was not music was titles to different chapters of the story. The titling of the chapters were Quinten Tarantino's structure of the plot. The film jumps around, and the nondiegetic titles give you an indication of what the chapter is about.
MacGuffin- The MacGuffin in the film was the briefcase. It greatly influenced every ones actions but you never really find out what was in the brief case or what its importance is but it is inferred that it is very important.
Monday, February 15, 2010
criteria for a great movie
There are hundreds of thousands of movies that have been made of every genre imaginable. From comedy to romance, action to suspense, science fiction to true stories, there are movies out there for everyone to enjoy no matter what their preference may be. I am a huge film lover and I appreciate the entertainment value in most movies I watch. So when I was asked, what in my opinion makes for a great movie, I had to sleep on it for a few days and really give it some thought. After a few days of gathering my thoughts I came up with a few elements that make a great movie, in my opinion. The first thing I look for in a good movie is a believable story line. Science fiction movies are fun but that's all they are to me. I want to appreciate the story itself more then the production value of the film. I look for a struggle between the main character and the antagonist that is "real". A struggle that people can relate to in their everyday lives. I also appreciate a very strong character. A character who shows perseverance and strength throughout the story. I like strong actors that give powerful performances and convey pain and struggle to perfection. But for me, the most important element of a movie is whether or not the movie has a lasting impression on you. I love when I feel like I am better for having watched the film. A movie that you can watch over and over and never get tired of it. This "great movie" for me is Shawshank Redemption. This is a dramatic movie that has real human struggle and depicts a man who never loses hope and never gives up on life and refuses to be beat. I can watch this movie anytime and it still gives me the chills. Shawshank Redemption is a timeless movie and it has everything I love about films.
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