Star Wars
Movie: 1977, color, 121 min.
- Director: George Lucus
- Actors: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Star Wars is the timeless tale of love and lost as a number of individual warriors, formerly known as the Jedi, fight against the Imperial Empire that has taken control of the Galaxy. Young Luke Skywalker, the last of the Jedi, learns about his past and prepares for his ultimate battle that will decide the fate of the Universe.
How is fluorescent light used in the film?
Lucas continually uses florescent light in order to display the supernatural. Beginning with the engine of star cruisers and all the way to the smoke of the devices that the empire uses, this fluorescent light makes its way into the film. Instead of using a regular type of vibe, the fluorescent light both emphasizes the devices and gives them a natural feel that is typical in this world that is supposed to have antiqued the useage of the equipment.
In many ways, the fluorescent lights allow the story to prove its antiquity. When we see the vibrant light sabers in contrast with the stark white background of the Death Star, the interior of the star looks knew while the sabers seem to be antiqued equipment.
How are the colors white and black used in the film?
The Star Wars films are most simply a fight between good and evil, between Sith and Jedi, and between Dark and Light. Lucas makes this idea obvious, though he does have an interesting twist on it. His interpretation on it places dark characters, such as Darth Vader, in areas that are both black and white, such as the Death Star. Storm troopers are both black and white, as they blindly serve whichever side they are told to obey. Darth Vader on the other hand, is entirely black, whereas Obi-Wan is a white old man. And as Black Space is dotted with many spots of light, so are many of the characters of the Star Wars Universe.
The Wizard of Oz
Movie: 1939, black and white/ color, 101 min.
- Director: Victor Flemming
- Actors: July Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bloger
The Wizard of Oz is the tale of Kansas born and raised girl Dorothy and her little dog Todo as they travel through the mysterious world of Oz, meet an exciting cast of creatures, and learn a little bit life and their fellow persons.
How is color used in the film and what effect has color had on the films legacy?
Color said a lot about the film, and the different hues were known for showing the mood of the film. In the beginning, the film was set in a bland, bland grey and at the same time Dorothy was feeling sad and grey herself. It was only once she arrived in the magical world of Oz, the grey turned to color and Dorothy’s world became a lot happier. As Dorothy returned to the real world, the world became sepia, as her life was a little bit happier and greater.
It was this astounding use of color that made the film such a legend. This use of color was unprecedented and such a film might not have gained the prominence it did and might not have sat in its place in cannon as such had its color not been utilized.
How is the yellow brick road pertinent to both the progression of story and to individual scenes?
The yellow brick road proves central to the story ‘s progression as it is this road that the crew uses to reach their ultimate destination. As it begins with the small town and ends at the wizard’s city, we understand the road to be the method on which the story follows. At the same time, the road’s central embodiment as a method of progression is utilized by the director to show scenes that deviate from the travel to the city of Oz and instead to do other things such as the meeting of a new character. When the road becomes present in the shot, we know that the team is moving forward, and when the road is not present, the scene is to deviate.
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
Movie: 1982, color, 115 min.
- Director: Steven Speilberg
- Actors: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial is the class story of a young boy and his tiny alien friend as they form a bond not condoned by society yet beautiful in nature. The two must escape from the prying eyes of neighbors, though the CIA eventually catches them. The story that encapsulates a generation through its kind and wonderful story.
How is humor used to drive the plot?
The inclusion of many hilarious points proves necessary to have a story involving an extra terrestrial. Stories like that require that the E.T. character has a personality of its own. The most typical personality would be a scary monster or a kind hearted, confused little creature. The humor that the E.T. encompasses is portrayed as the character is supposed to be confused. Thus, the humor that comes out of it is sensibly and is able to contribute and drive the plot by removing the confusion that a small alien creature might create and supplementing it with a creature that just doesn’t understand this new and alien world that he is forced to endure.
In what ways are the dark overtone contrasting with the bright white lights used?
The film is drafted heavily in tones of black. All the colors contain the dark tones and they are placed in to portray the dark sides of the reality. The dark overdraft portrays the foreboding fault that is construed to show how E.T. and the boy are to suffer from their separation. Yet, they become contrasted to the spots of light that assume the screen and disrupt the colors of the screen. They contrast as to show the powerful streams of emotion that those lights are attempting to intensify. They create a sentiment within the film that are able to quietly show the emotions that the director is attempting to push through into the minds of the audience.The Graduate
Movie: 1967, color, 106 min.
- Director: Mike Nichols
- Actors: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross
The Graduate is the story of the recent college graduate Benjamin Braddock as he had returned home from his school days. Things take a turn for the worse when the wife of his fathers business partner begin to seduce him, unsuccessfully, and then he falls for her daughter Elaine. The entire story becomes insane as tensions between the three as they attempt to keep their awkward love triangle under wraps.
How does the film make use of frames within frames to enhance the story?
The frame within a frame technique is used beautifully in this film in order to relay to the audience important messages. There are two very important instances where this occurs. Many times throughout the move, Ben is seen framed within a fishbowl. The director uses this frame within a frame technique to send a certain message to his audience. The technique is intended to show the hypothetical “fish bowl” that Ben is trapped in. Such as when he is in the house with Mrs. Robinson, he feels trapped and the fishbowl helps to symbolize this.
In one of the most iconic scenes in film, the scene within a scene is used while Mrs. Robinson attempts to seduce young Ben. She puts her leg up on a table as Ben says “Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me, aren’t you? The scene is then framed between her leg and Ben can be seen in the background, showing Ben’s reaction to being placed in such a position.
How does the director excess space in shots give the film an amateurish feel?
Though this film is in no way amateur, and its legacy can attest to this, the use of excess space in many of its shots allows the film to give off an air of an amateurish feel. As the graduate Ben himself is just a college graduate, thus an amateur into the world of adulthood, the film makes use of this off-balance film technique as a way to manipulate the viewer into understanding how Ben’s youth is integral to the decisions he makes during his tenure as the main character and in life.
Schindler’s List
Movie: 1993, black and white, 195 min.
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Actors: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley
Schindler’s List is the tale of Oscar Schindler, a German man during the Second World War, and his drastic transformation from a greedy German war mogul into a sympathetic hero and protector of Jews during this horrible period in the history of man.
What transitional technique does Spielberg employ and what significance is it to the films?
A very common transition that Stephen Spielberg seems to use constantly is the use of smoke to move from one scene to another. For example, an interesting scene shows how from the smoke of a candle we transition to a train about the leave the station. This shows, as the candle represents the hope of the people and their clinging to life, the Jews on the train need to hang onto hope as well. This effect is monumental in shaping the attitudes of the viewers, especially to those who already know the story of the jews, and the significance of the train.
Effects like this gave the film the “non-Hollywoodized” feel that tainted many of the films of the day. It contained such vivid underlying messages such as this one which allowed it to remain pure in content and feel and exist to be the film we enjoy today.
What does the use of a steady film camera tell about Oscar Schindler in the beginning of the film?
At the beginning of the film, a steady cam was used to film Oscar Schindler as he prepared for his big night. The cuts were fluid, moving around him as he prepared for his night of schmoozing and partying. This combined with the fancy ware and the high classed dressed men and extravagant background tells us how importance looks were to Schindler. For one of many reasons, this steady cam was also complemented by the number of pictures taken in the beginning. Though this was also Schindler’s way of becoming friendly with the German elite, it also helped to establish his worry of how he appeared to others.
American Graffiti
Movie: 1973, color, 110 min.
- Director: George Lucas
- Actors: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat
American Graffiti is the story of six high school graduates dealing with the difficult decision of if they want to leave their small town or not , those who can’t go deal with everyday life, and they all intertwine and meet and mix and have a night they will not soon forget.
How does Lucas use music in the film to represent the film as a whole?
Especially when in the business of period pieces, using music which represents the times when the film is set in makes the film that much more authentic. Especially to the trained and studied ear, the music that Lucas used was directly from the time period and just watching the film the music brought me back to the time period in which the films were shot mentally and allowed for me as a viewer to feel the motives of the time period authentically.
Lucas also changes the music to suit each individual character. As the camera pans from one character to the next, the music changes to suit the character, their motives, their feelings, and their individual personalities.
How is each character represented by their hairdos?
Looking at each character, their hairdo lets the audience subconsciously learn something about their character. Looking at the nerd in the film, Charles Smith, his well-combed and well tended to hair is a stereotypical sign of his upstandingness. Contradictorily, the “tough guy”, John (Paul LeMat), his hair is unkempt and hardly touched, an obvious symbol of his lack of regard toward his looks. With the rest of the characters, they have mixed hairdos showing the degree to which their character truly cares about his appearance and also insight into their personalities.
Many people, as sad as it is, do not know the ins and outs of their political system. Words such as a “filibuster” or “motion” are somewhat foreign to them. The way that the director bypasses this is with the dialogue of his characters. He has some characters say things describing these terms and others explain their significance. Without this, many viewers would not have any background experience or understanding of what is actually happening behind the scenes and in the scene. This tactic is very useful and, when used discreetly, allows for the characters to dabble into very political ideas while still keeping the entire public on pat with them.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Movie: 1939, black and white, 129 min.
- Director: Frank Capra
- Actors: James Stweart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington tells the story of a young man, Mr. Smith, and his appointment to Washington as a Senator. As a freshman senetor, he begins to learn the ins and outs of American democracy and, finding dissent with it, attempts to stand up to the political machine with the power to take him down.
How are shadows used in the film and what might the director be telling us thorough their usage?
Considering the film is used to show the corruption in Washington, what could be better to show shady deals than shadows themselves? An important demonstration of this is when Mr. Smith and his assistant are speaking to one another after leaving the Lincoln monument. The two are discussing how they will take down the political machine and use a filibuster in order to stall the house until they wish to recognize his bill and understand the graft his opponent was taking in exchange for pushing through a bill. The ENTIRE scene is placed in dark shadows, which at first seems odd but then is understood that what they are discussing is so secret the shadows emphasize this.
How does the dialogue of characters help progress the story and inform the audience of important information?
Jaws
Movie: 1975, color, 124 min.
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Actors: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
In this timeless classic, Jaws tells the story of a town with a shark problem. The mayor does not wish to tell the city about the shark attacks as the fourth of July weekend is coming up, yet the town is beginning to become suspicious and are prepared to stop the shark in order to protect the town.
How does the story portray the idea of money over human life?
Considering the film is used to show the corruption in Washington, what could be better to show shady deals than shadows themselves? An important demonstration of this is when Mr. Smith and his assistant are speaking to one another after leaving the Lincoln monument. The two are discussing how they will take down the political machine and use a filibuster in order to stall the house until they wish to recognize his bill and understand the graft his opponent was taking in exchange for pushing through a bill. The ENTIRE scene is placed in dark shadows, which at first seems odd but then is understood that what they are discussing is so secret the shadows emphasize this.
How did Spielberg use music and sound in order to foreshadow things to come?
In one of the most iconic scenes in the history of film, the eminent shark attack that Jaws continuously strikes with has become the epitome of foreshadowing in film for all time. As jaws approaches, the music goes duh duh, duh duh, duh duh, duh duh duh duhd uhduhduhduhudhuidhudhuhduhd boom, shark attack! This scene goes upparralled in films and will be pariodied any time. Yet the scene could not have been made without the music.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Movie: 1962, black and white, 129 min.
- Director: Robert Mulligan
- Actors: George Peck, John Menga, Frank Overton
In To Kill a Mockingbird, young Scout Fitch is put through the greatest tests of his life, though he seems to exist soley in his small white town. He is forced to make some epic decisions, some which will determine how his life will continue as he progresses throughout the story. His encounters with Boo Radley will show how he has learned these lessons.
How does the black and white film contribute to the plot?
Right from the beginning, the entire film acts as an example of southern race relations. To put the film into black and white (though color was not readily available), speaks heavily to the period. They create a world where black and white seem to exist together, which is the point that they are trying to get across. Even in film re-releases the film remains in its natural state so as to not take away from the brilliance it began with.
How is the Southern Gospel element of the novel shown in the movie?
The acting in the film is incredible. And more importantly, it portrays the southern gospel element that is prevalent throughout the novels major themes. The actors act in such a way that does more than parallel their characters. The gusto with which they progress is evident as they seem to take over the screen in their entirety and use this form of acting in order to presume and prevail the Souther Gosipilic traditions.
8 1/2
Federico Fellinilngmar (1963)
8 1/2 is the story of a young director with writers block. As he attempts to overcome his block his memories return him to his younger days when he fell in love with film and his many successes and failures.
How instrumental is sound and audio in this film?
The sound in this film plays a double role. If one looks into production notes, they would learn how the audio was to be dubbed in later and that the actors on the screen were mouthing nothing more than random words. One would think that audio was unimportant in this film. But actually, the audio is instrumental in the creation and implication of this movie. A certain scene comes to mind, when the projector in the old movie theatre is turned so as to face the outside, allowing the mob to watch the movie. They are unsatisfied until he audio is also turned to the outdoors and the entire film experience is given. The audio in this film is instrumental in setting the stage for both action and emotion.
How is the fact that this is a film about filmmaking instrumental in the beauty of the film itself?
One ought to question another motivation behind the work they create. Film, like many art forms, is the physical representation of its creators, life, imagination, or emotions. Thus, the difficult in taking something personal and making it relatable to the world is a difficult task, taken upon by only the most accomplished artists. it is not just taking experiences and putting them onto film, but being able to take ones experiences, build out of them a message, and be able to put that message back into a story line that others are able to relate to. The beauty behind this film comes from just that. We learn about the directors introduction into the world of filmmaking, and follow him as he matures with the art. The fact that it is a filmmaker making a film about being a filmmaker gives it that much more legitimacy.
400 Blows
Francois Truffant
The 400 Blows is the story of Antonie Doinel and his apparent misdeeds growing up in school, at home, and in Paris in general. His misdeeds lead him to learn terrible secrets about the world around him and, though his misdeeds are inexcusable, he is forced to live with his decisions.
How does the time period contribute to the plot as a whole?
The 1950's in France were a terrible time to be an adolescent. Laws against children were cruel, and the public capacity to deal with their shenanigans was at an all time low. Punishment was even worse: forced labor camps were a common feature, along side centers such as the Observation center where Antoine was placed. The films unwillingness to deal with Antonie as a troubled child and declare him unruly is the premise for the film as a whole.
What does the last scene in the movie say about the story as a whole?
In the very very last scene of the movie, we see Antoine staring at the camera. His face is worn and torn, yet contains a certain amount of joy, as he has gotten to the sea, a love of his. The wear and tare that we can observe in his face is incredibly symbolic. It is horrid, yet the fact that he is still alive is suggestive of the power of his will and that of the youth in his time. We here feel, finally, that he is maybe not a bad child as we were presented, but a movement to a world more accepting of those who act out, which could be interpreted as not following in his culture. It is heroic, iconic, and symbolic for the film as a whole.
Cinema Paradisio
Giuseppe Tornatore
In this beautiful little film, a now-famous film director awakens to news that his old friend Alfredo has passed away. As he hears the news, he suddenly begins to reminisce about his life as a child and his time with Alfredo, the man who introduced him to the incredible world of films and forever changed his life.
How does the soundtrack contribute to the film as a whole?
The sound proves incredibly important in this film. There is not one moment in this piece where the sound doesn't complement the film. In fact, there is one scene where this is brilliantly illustrated: when the projector in the Cinema Paradisio is turned as to face the outside, allowing those present to watch the movie. They are incredibly transfixed until until he audio is also turned to the outdoors and the entire film experience is given. The audio in this film is instrumental in setting the stage for both action and emotion.
In what ways are flashbacks and reminisces used to further our understanding of the characters?
The entire movie is based off the idea of these flashbacks. if the entire film were set in the present, the relationship between us and the characters that we meet and learn the history of our heros. From the humble beginnings to his final days as a big shot movie director, it's the flashbacks that give us our insight, and the liberties a flashback can take allow for a fantastical element to exist within the flashbacks, adding the emotion of the characters to be portrayed as well.
