Blog Response--Taxi Driver

Taxi Driver is a film about many things, but overall, it is about the theme of isolation and focuses on one particular loner in a big city who can be construed as an antihero. It is a film that draws from many genres: the Western, horror, noir, and was also influenced by the films of the Italians (DeSica, Rosselini, Fellini).

Discuss in at least two paragraphs, the themes of isolation and/or the antihero and how Scorsese’s film is influenced by the different genres and by the Italians.

Due: January 3

Blog Response--Amarcord

Because I've been sick ever since we finished this film, I'd like to apologize for the tardiness of this assignment.

This should be easy. Choose a scene in the film and analyze it in depth. Be sure to discuss its sociocultural influences, why you chose the scene, and how the scene relates to the film as a whole. Your response should be thoughtful and along the lines of what you will do next month. Be thorough.

Due: Wednesday, 12/21

Blog Response--La Strada

Roger Ebert says:


"It is Quinn's performance that holds up best, because it is the simplest. Zampano is not much more intelligent than Gelsomina.

Life has made him a brute and an outcast, with one dumb trick (breaking a chain by expanding his chest muscles), and a memorized line of patter that was perhaps supplied to him by a circus owner years before. His tragedy is that he loves Gelsomina and does not know it, and that is the central tragedy for many of Fellini's characters: They are always turning away from the warmth and safety of those who understand them, to seek restlessly in the barren world."

Fellini has given us a film about outcasts. How do the roles of these outcasts reflect on each other? Do you see any signs of redemption? Choose a character and examine how that character redeems him or herself and how that character is presented as an outcast by society. Be mindful of all of Fellini's symbolism! Do this in at least 2 hearty paragraphs.

Scorsese's Hugo

This is a terrible interview, but I just wanted to note that you all won't be among the "young" who don't know the origins of film...

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7389111n&tag=strip

...for this you should be proud.

Oh, and if you haven't read the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, you should. It will take you about an hour.

Tying it all together...

Think about the three films we've watched so far in this unit--Let the Right One In, Ringu, and The Shining, and choose 2 to use in your essay. Choose one of these two prompts:

• Examine all aspects of mise-en-scene. Lighting, composition, set, properties, etc. This would include colors as well. Discuss the concept of "monster" through the mise-en-scene in each film. This exercise is going to help prepare you for your Independent Study and your Oral Presentation. Examine CLOSELY and offer me many details and examples. Think about what the director is trying to say IMPLICITLY. Tie both films in with each other. Discuss similarities and differences in the mise-en-scene in both films. Please do this in 4 well-developed paragraphs.

OR

• Choose a five-minute scene in both films and examine the role of women and how they are portrayed in your selected scenes and in the films as a whole. Be sure to discuss this topic CINEMATICALLY. How does the director show us? Do this in 4 well-developed paragraphs.

Have fun with this one. Be prepared for Alien next week!

Ringu

Remember how to look at a film through a feminist lens? Choose a five-minute scene in Ringu and examine the role of women and how they are portrayed in your selected scene and the film as a whole. Be sure to discuss this topic CINEMATICALLY. How does the director show us? Do this in 3 well-developed paragraphs.

Horror Mise-en-scene

I want you to think about the mise-en-scene in Let the Right One In. Examine all aspects of mise-en-scene. Lighting, composition, set, properties, etc. This would include colors as well. Discuss the concept of "monster" through the mise-en-scene in the film. This exercise is going to help prepare you for your Independent Study. Examine CLOSELY and offer me many details and examples. Think about what the director is trying to say IMPLICITLY. Please do this in 2 well-developed paragraphs.

The Passion of Joan of Arc

OK, guys. I am posting this a little late, so you get an extra night to work on it. Your responses are due on Tuesday, September 20. If you are having difficulties with Blogger, email me your responses. Please do try to post to the blog because I want to see you guys commenting on each other's comments. You get bonus points from me if you comment twice or more. Once as your response and once (or more) as a response to one of your colleagues.

Please choose one essay prompt and write at least 2-3 well-developed paragraphs.

Essay #1: From Roger Ebert's essay on The Passion of Joan of Arc:

"There is not one single establishing shot in all of "The Passion of Joan of Arc,'' which is filmed entirely in closeups and medium shots, creating fearful intimacy between Joan and her tormentors. Nor are there easily read visual links between shots. In his brilliant shot-by-shot analysis of the film, David Bordwell of the University of Wisconsin concludes: "Of the film's over 1,500 cuts, fewer than 30 carry a figure or object over from one shot to another; and fewer than 15 constitute genuine matches on action.''


 Many avant garde films also do not have matches on action or carryover shots. Compare The Passion of Joan of Arc to one of the avant garde films we watched in regards to editing and mise en scene.


Essay #2: From the Ib Monty article I gave you:


"When the film was released, the close-up technique was regarded as shocking. Dreyer defended his method by stating: ‘‘The records give a shattering impression on the ways in which the trial was a conspir- acy of the judges against the solitary Jeanne, bravely defending herself against men who displayed a devilish cunning to trap her in their net. This conspiracy could be conveyed on the screen only through the huge close-ups, that exposed, with merciless realism, the callous cynicism of the judges hidden behind hypocritical compassion— and on the other hand there had to be equally huge close-ups of Jeanne, whose pure features would reveal that she alone found strength in her faith in God.’’ As in all of Dreyer’s major films the style grew out of the theme of the film. In La passion de Jeanne d’Arc Dreyer wanted ‘‘to move the audience so that they would themselves feel the suffering that Jeanne endured.’’ It was by using close-up that Dreyer could ‘‘lead the audience all the way into the hearts and guts of Jeanne and the judges.’’

Agree or disagree with this quote.

I look forward to reading your responses!

Avant Garde Cinema

Please post your answers to the Avant Garde screening sheet. Watch and write about all three films. Films are Le Retour a la Raison, Entr'acte, and Le Ballet Mecanique. If you are interested in watching other avant garde films, click here.

Independent Study Topics

OK. I know I dropped the ball last night. Sorry this wasn't posted until now!

Please post your overarching topic and your four films. Please comment and help your colleagues as well...

Blog Response #16--Seven Samurai

Please read this essay by Roger Ebert and respond to the following question...

Please discuss in three paragraphs (perhaps discussing three scenes) how the following statement is represented through the film's mise-en-scene.

"That purpose was to make a samurai movie that was anchored in ancient Japanese culture and yet argued for a flexible humanism in place of rigid traditions. One of the central truths of "Seven Samurai" is that the samurai and the villagers who hire them are of different castes and must never mix. Indeed, we learn that these villagers had earlier been hostile to samurai--and one of them, even now, hysterically fears that a samurai will make off with his daughter. Yet the bandits represent a greater threat, and so the samurai are hired, valued and resented in about equal measure."

Blog Response #15--White Heat

In at least 3 hearty paragraphs, discuss White Heat, as well as the characteristics of the gangster genre and its role as an art form. In your discussion, bring in another gangster film you've seen on your own (The Godfather, Goodfellas, etc.). Your discussion should be in relation to the Warshow article I handed out on Wednesday and the idea of the gangster as an individual. I want to see at least 2 quotes from the article in your discussion. Don't forget, your film textbook has a great section on gangster genre.

Even though I will not be in school, this is due by Thursday, May 19. I will log on from home to read your responses.

Also, your films should be edited by Friday, May 20. I want to arrive at school Monday morning and be able to watch the 2 chase movies.

Online space for your films...

I'm in the process of uploading everyone's films...

http://photobucket.com/chsibfilm

Gates of Heaven Monday Night!

For those of you interested in one of the most critically acclaimed and highly regarded documentaries ever produced (and, yes, one of my favorites), tune into Turner Classic Movies (ch. 50) Monday night at 8:00. Here's IMdb's link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077598/

For Roger Ebert's take on the film, click here. You'll like it if you like pets and if you like good film. I will say you probably will think it is sort of weird, but that is usually what makes for good documentary material.

Extra credit for anyone who watches it and posts a review (at least 2 hearty paragraphs) here.

Blog Response #14 -- Bringing Up Baby

Think about the film's mise-en-scene. Choose a scene in the film and discuss the mise-en-scene (costumes, set, etc.) and its relation to the scene and the film as a whole. Use at least 2 hearty paragraphs for your discussion.

Also, please post your favorite line from the film. Mine is: "In a minute, Mr. Peabody!" We use this at home a lot.

George Eastman House

I hope you all had a good time on our field trip and learned a little something. I learned that George Eastman left a death note that read: Friends: My work is done. Why wait? I also learned a bit about how photos were taken during the Civil War. Thanks, Miles, for pointing out the interesting video.

Oh, and I had no idea that the George Eastman House is home to Selznick School of Film Preservation. Check it out: http://selznickschool.eastmanhouse.org/

Please let me know what you learned, found interesting, etc. And, have a great weekend! Don't forget to watch a film from the film movement you've chosen for your Independent Study!

Blog Response Lucky 13--The 400 Blows

I hope you all have read the essay by Marilyn Fabe. If you haven't yet, go away from your computer right now and take 15 minutes to read the essay.

OK. Now, take a look at this quote from Truffaut in a 1966 interview:

"Before I met Rossellini, I wanted to make films of course, but it seemed impossible. A dream. He made it all seem easy. He has a powerful gift for simplification. He told me, it isn't hard to write a screenplay, you only have to look at the reality around you...The 400 Blows owes a great deal to Rossellini...[H]e showed me that things must be close to life."

Think about this quote and respond to it, using at least one scene from The 400 Blows. Feel free to include evidence from Rome Open City to back up any statements you make regarding Rossellini's filmmaking style. Write at least 2 meaty paragraphs (be sure to write cinematically) and use at least one quote from the Marilyn Fabe essay.

Due: Wednesday, April 13.

Don't forget to choose your film movement and at least one film for your practice Independent Study--write this out and hand in by Monday, April 11.

Blog Response #12--Jean Renoir

Robin Wood wrote that there are many similarities between Renoir's The Rules of the Game (La regle du jeu) and Grand Illusion (La grande illusion). Wood states that in both films Renoir discusses the differences between people and what keeps them apart. "'How to belong, how to meet'--another way of putting it is to say that Renoir's perennial concern is with the boundaries; that keep people apart and the possibility of transcending them. The four-part structure [of both films] enables him to develop this theme through a network of shifting, interlocking relationships presented consistently in terms of difference and the overcoming of difference." He says of Grand Illusion: "The film's basic assumption--that 'difference' is socially constructed but so thoroughly internalized and so strongly institutionalized as to be very difficult to overcome..."

Think about the characters in each film and their relationships, and in 3-4 well-developed paragraphs discuss how they overcome or don't overcome their differences. Think cinematically, as well as narratively.

Bonus points (10): Add one well-developed paragraph that discusses a film you've seen (either in class or on your own) that examines differences and boundaries between people and how the director presents this theme.

Use this tool...

http://soshiku.com/

This is a tool to help you organize all of your assignments for your classes. I highly recommend you use this AT LEAST for IB Film. In fact, I'm going to require you all to get an account and put your analysis/research assignments and film production assignments into your account so you can keep on top of all of the work you have ahead of you.

Passion in Progress Needs Videographer(s)

If you're interested in working (filming) from 4:30-9:30 on Friday, March 25, get your name to me ASAP. Remember, this is a paid opportunity.

Renoir's Rules of the Game

Think about the way women are presented in the film. In at least 2 very well-developed paragraphs, analyze a 5-minute scene through a feminist lens. This does not mean to look only at the women as objects (of a male gaze), but to look at how women are treated as a whole in the film. Use specific cinematic examples.

DON'T FORGET!!

TO READ THE INDEPENDENT STUDIES THAT I GAVE YOU THIS PAST WEEK. Be prepared to discuss them on Monday!

Homework Assignment: Rome Open City

This is basically the same assignment I gave you for Rififi and The Bicycle Thieves, but now I want you to analyze a scene from Rome Open City. Remember to use the Internet sparingly--don't get caught up in what you read online about the film--the IB (and I) want to hear what you have to say!

OK. Remember, this assignment is MORE practice for the Presentation assessment next year. Choose a 5 minute scene in Rome Open City to analyze. Use the dubbed DVD I've made for you (sorry for the cheesy dubbing).

After you have your 5 minute scene chosen, analyze it completely. Remember that you need to mention why you chose the scene and this scene's relation to the film as a whole. In addition, pay close attention to: mise en scene, lighting, camera angles, shot types, etc. Here is a list of items to pay attention to when you are writing your 750 words (at least) and when you are doing your oral presentation:

• How well do I understand how meaning is constructed through the use of film language in this extract?
• How well do I understand the extract’s relationship to the film as a whole?
• How well do I understand the influences of the film’s genre?
• How well can I place the film and this extract in a broader socio-cultural context?
• How insightful is my analysis of the director’s intention?
• How coherent, incisive, insightful, and detailed is my evaluative interpretation of this contract?

Here is a list of "vocab" you can use:
narrative
direction
cinematography
mise-en-scene
lighting (which is often, but not always, considered part of mise-en-scene)
camera movement
editing
sound (diagetic and non-diagetic)

Be sure your paper is AT LEAST 750 words. Let your ideas flow. Don't keep counting words and they will come. I promise you. As you start talking about what you see and hear in the film, you won't want to stop!

Please see me/email me with questions if needed.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO DISCUSS IMPLICIT MEANING AS YOU ANALYZE THE SCENE!!!

This is due on Wednesday, March 9. Feel free to email me your completed essay when done. I will print it in the Library.

Interesting NPR Series

Ever wonder how they gather all of the props they need for a film?

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/24/134001280/objectively-speaking-its-all-about-the-prop-master?sc=fb&cc=fp

You Go, John!

Here is a story for which our own John Guinane was nominated for an Emmy. Watch and comment...

http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=78266&catid=13

Congratulations, John! Great piece!

Homework Assignment for Bicycle Thieves

This is basically the same assignment I gave you for Rififi, but I want you to analyze a scene from The Bicycle Thieves. Remember to use the Internet sparingly--don't get caught up in what you read online about the film--the IB (and I) want to hear what you have to say!

OK. Remember, this assignment is MORE practice for the Presentation assessment next year. Choose a 5 minute scene in The Bicycle Thieves to analyze. Use the dubbed DVD I've made for you (sorry for the cheesy dubbing).

After you have your 5 minute scene chosen, analyze it completely. Remember that you need to mention why you chose the scene and this scene's relation to the film as a whole. In addition, pay close attention to: mise en scene, lighting, camera angles, shot types, etc. Here is a list of items to pay attention to when you are writing your 750 words (at least) and when you are doing your oral presentation:

• How well do I understand how meaning is constructed through the use of film language in this extract?
• How well do I understand the extract’s relationship to the film as a whole?
• How well do I understand the influences of the film’s genre?
• How well can I place the film and this extract in a broader socio-cultural context?
• How insightful is my analysis of the director’s intention?
• How coherent, incisive, insightful, and detailed is my evaluative interpretation of this contract?

Here is a list of "vocab" you can use:
narrative
direction
cinematography
mise-en-scene
lighting (which is often, but not always, considered part of mise-en-scene)
camera movement
editing
sound (diagetic and non-diagetic)

Be sure your paper is AT LEAST 750 words. Let your ideas flow. Don't keep counting words and they will come. I promise you. As you start talking about what you see and hear in the film, you won't want to stop!

Please see me/email me with questions if needed.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO DISCUSS IMPLICIT MEANING AS YOU ANALYZE THE SCENE!!!

This is due on Monday, February 28. Feel free to email me your completed essay when done. I will print it in the Library.

AFI Top 100 Films

I just added a link on the right for the American Film Institute's Top 100 films of all time. Check it out and check off what you've seen...

International Women's Film Fest at UB

You might be interested in this film festival coming up soon through UB...

http://genderin.buffalo.edu/filmfest.php

Rififi Assignment

I hope you liked Rififi more than you thought you would!

OK. Remember, this assignment is MORE practice for the Presentation assessment next year. Choose a 5 minute scene in Rififi to analyze. There may be clips on YouTube, but you can also come into the library to re-watch scenes.

After you have your 5 minute scene chosen, analyze it completely. Remember that you need to mention why you chose the scene and this scene's relation to the film as a whole. In addition, pay close attention to: mise en scene, lighting, camera angles, shot types, etc. Here is a list of items to pay attention to when you are writing your 750 words (at least) and when you are doing your oral presentation:

• How well do I understand how meaning is constructed through the use of film language in this extract?
• How well do I understand the extract’s relationship to the film as a whole?
• How well do I understand the influences of the film’s genre?
• How well can I place the film and this extract in a broader socio-cultural context?
• How insightful is my analysis of the director’s intention?
• How coherent, incisive, insightful, and detailed is my evaluative interpretation of this contract?

Here is a list of "vocab" you can use:
narrative
direction
cinematography
mise-en-scene
lighting (which is often, but not always, considered part of mise-en-scene)
camera movement
editing
sound (diagetic and non-diagetic)

Be sure your paper is AT LEAST 750 words. Let your ideas flow. Don't keep counting words and they will come. I promise you. As you start talking about what you see and hear in the film, you won't want to stop!

Please see me/email me with questions if needed.

Blog Response #10

Having read Eisenstein's, Pudovkin's, and Alexandrov's Statement on Sound, and using an example of a film we have screened in class, agree or disagree with the following, in 2-3 well-developed paragraphs:

We who work in the USSR recognise that, given our technical capabilities, the practical implementation of sound cinema is not feasible in the near future. At the same time we consider it opportune to make a statement on a number of prerequisite theoretical principles, particularly as according to reports reaching us, attempts are being made to use this new improvement in cinema for the wrong purposes. In addition, an incorrect understanding of the potential of the new technical invention might not only hinder the development and improvement of cinema as an art form but might also threaten to destroy all its formal achievements to date.

If you choose to use a sound film to disagree with the statement, your essay will be stronger if you include an example from a silent film we've viewed (or one you've viewed on your own). Vice versa, if you choose to agree with the statement and use a silent film as your choice, be sure to include examples from a sound film to make your point.

If you have any questions, please see me.

Due: Friday, February 4, 2011.

Article in today's NY Times...

There's a really good article in today's paper about Fritz Lang, director of M.

Blood Simple

In case you are interested in reading the script for Blood Simple, it can be found here.

Roger Ebert's essay on the 15th anniversary of the film can be found here.

Ebert's original review of Blood Simple is here.

Blog Post #9--Film Noir

Having read Paul Schrader's Notes on Film Noir, please discuss Double Indemnity and your choice of another film noir that Schrader talks about. Discuss, in at least 3-4 well-developed paragraphs, the films' implicit meanings and how the directors portray these meanings cinematically. Be sure to use lots of visual examples (camera angles, shots, movement, editing, sequencing, lighting, mise en scene, etc.). Look at representation of the characters and issues. Ask yourself, Why? For example, Why did the director choose to light a scene a certain way?

In order to make this a manageable task, choose a 5-minute scene from each film and focus on that scene and how it relates to the film as a whole.

Remember, these exercises are preparing you for the Presentation assessment.

Be sure to read Schrader's essay and tie in some of what he says into your essay.

I'm looking forward to reading your essays. (Really, I am!)