On November 19th I attended an opera by the Auburn University’s Department of Music Opera Workshop. The opera was titled “The Art of Deception” and consisted of 6 marvelous pieces, numerous with sub-pieces that summed it up as a whole. The opera’s intent was to deceive you as well as create wondering in your imagination, with numerous illusions and mysteries portrayed in the performance itself.…
In the Parlor scene from Hitchcock’s Psycho, where Marion and Norman are talking during her first and last night at the hotel, the mise-en-scene expresses the true nature and, to a certain extent, the intentions of both characters. The illumination in this scene adds to the movies suspense and significance, the props foreshadow what’s to come, as well as what is said by Norman. This scene is where the viewers are introduced to Norman Bates and his strange life, and allowing them realize that there’s something not right about him.…
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film by Orson Welles, its producer, co-author, director and star. The picture was Welles's first feature film. Nominated for Academy Awards in nine categories, it won an Academy Award for Best Writing by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Welles. Considered by many critics, filmmakers, and fans to be the greatest film ever made, Citizen Kane was voted the greatest film of all time in five consecutive Sight & Sound polls of critics, until it was displaced by Vertigo in the 2012 poll. It topped the American Film Institute's 100 Years ... 100 Movies list in 1998, as well as AFI's 2007 update. Citizen Kane is particularly praised for its cinematography, music, and narrative structure, which were innovative for its…
In the novel Rebecca, du Maurier uses techniques, such as dialogue and setting description, to create suspense and tension. But in the movie, Hitchcock uses different techniques, like music and scenery, to create the right kind of suspense and tension for his audience. The plots are the same, but the techniques are not.…
The juxtaposition of Innocence and corruption is expertly displayed during scenes at the Philadelphia train station. Samuel Lapp oozes innocence. His formal attire complete with the "halo - like" hat confirm his amish background. The use of medium angle camera shots and camera tracking ensures that the viewer explores the unfamiliar territory of the Philadelphia train station from Samuel's perspective. Close ups and extreme close ups of Samuels facial expressions convey the fascination and bewilderment as he is confronted with foreign objects such as the water bubbler but also allow the viewer to share the initial happiness (smiles) as he falsely thinks the Jewish gentleman is a familiar Amish figure. This scene is not complicated by dialogue therefore allowing the viewer to absorb the visual aspects.…
Deceit is arguably the fundamental provocation of the The Crucible. Abigail was able to manipulate to the entire town into believing that John Proctor was involved in witchcraft. Now this raises the question of why. It was likely a combination of factors that were prerequisites that enabled them to be deceived. The most likely motive would have to be the severity of the accusation, in addition to the social stature of the accuser. With such a grievous accusation, few would question the motive for dishonesty of something so horrendous.…
At times, we don't understand why things occur. In the story "The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier and The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock, all types of birds begin to attack the people for an unknown reason. The short story and the movie each have a different way of presenting the main idea and creating suspense. Throughout the film and short story, we see how the citizen's cope with the bird attacks and what happens to the birds. In my opinion, I thought that the movie was more suspenseful then the short story for multiple reasons.…
When you are viewing the shadowing figure you can see that he has a knife in one hand and what seems to be a mask in the other. The knife could show that the man is a killer and the mask could be used to hide his identity. However, it could be linking the figure to the firy…
The way the suspect spoke it explained how he acts or how he choose what he said , the victim was a simple old man who had a blue eye with a veil over it ,it bothered the suspect so he decided to kill him. “ I was never kinder to the old man then during the whole week before i killed him” (90) , but the sane examples would explain how he is a normal guy who was bothered by something so simple and he decided to just kill him , in advance of being…
Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is a mystery and thriller that leaves audiences in a constant state of suspense. Rear Window opens by showing photographs of high risk environments hanging on a wall of an apartment. This leads one to believe that whoever owns the apartment lives a high risk and adventurous life. However, once the broken camera is shown, it is understood that the main character, L.B Jefferies, is a photographer before it is stated through dialogue in the film.…
An illusion is defined as: a thing is or is likely to be wrong perceived or interpreted by the senses. Illusions occur everywhere and are unavoidable, however when faced with them, they are likely perceived or told wrong. Illusions are found in the novel through the theme of “Step into another’s skin”/ Appearance vs. Reality. Characters and symbols strongly exemplify this theme in multiple ways. In Harper Lee’s book: To Kill a Mockingbird she effectively uses characters and symbols in both hidden and obvious ways to get the theme through to the reader.…
There are roughly about 7 billion people in the world, and yet many of our youth often find themselves adrift from those surrounding them whether they be friends, family, or the entire population in general. They struggle to find their identity and a place in society where they can feel they belong. This is the case with Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger's main character in the book The Catcher In the Rye, a adolescent boy conflicted with his own feelings of isolation and alienation. This is made apparent by his lack of friends, his attempts to be accepted by others, and his longing for his dead older brother.…
Murder on the Orient Express is more than just a murder mystery. It is a novel that utilizes a great deal of existing social issues of the era in which it was written and formed a commentary on those issues while giving the reader an intriguing yet approachable narrative. Through this approach, Agatha Christie has given the reader an opportunity to see the world through the eyes of the seasoned private investigator Hercule Poirot. In this world, nothing is at it seems and apparent coincidence belies a hidden truth, a world in which the geographical connections created by passenger railways allowed people of different nationalities and classes to rub elbows. Stereotypes of class and nationalities are both dominant social themes that persist throughout the novel. Social themes of crime, as well as good versus evil of the era also play an important role in the narrative.…
After the shooting of Salvatore Colasberna, Captain Bellodi goes on a mad goose chase to find the cause and culprit of this murder. Throughout this chase, there are grand attempts to conceal the truth and hide what is going on. The reader slowly begins to discover small indications as to the picture of what is going on in this corrupted Sicilian society. Immediately after police officers began investigating, the bus driver, who was right next to the shooting, attempts to mask the truth. When the sergeant-major inquired about how many passengers were on the bus, the driver responded saying, “How should I know…More than five or six though. Maybe more; maybe the bus was full. I never look to see who’s there. I just get into my seat and off we go. The road’s the only thing I look at; that’s what I’m paid for…to look at the road” (Sciascia 11). Instantly after the shooting, the reader is introduced to a little hint that the truth of the shooting may be concealed. The sergeant-major later points out that the bus driver should know the amount of passengers because he tears off the passengers’ tickets. This concealment of truth leads the reader to believe there is an underlying reason…
“But what has good Parson Hooper got upon his face?” (pg.1). This the first peak we get of the black veil that obscures the minister's face; through the sexton, in Nathaniel Hawthorne's “The Minister's Black Veil”. We can also determine what kind of man the minister was by his own actions, his words, and what others say of him. Hawthorne tells the story of good Parson Hooper, a minister who one day decides to cover his face with a black veil for unknown reasons. No one seems to understand why good Parson Hooper, a beloved gentleman, kind hearted and respected hides his face from the world.…