I am a lover of films – I believe a marvel instilled
I am a lover of films – I believe a marvel instilled
The concept of film form centers around the idea of effectively engaging an audience. Motion pictures that properly adhere to form are abundant in sensory, emotive, and thought-provoking elements. While form in any creative medium is made up of a vast number of different components, basic understanding can be met by following five general principles: function, similarity and repetition, difference and variation, development, and unity. In addition, this formal system categorizes a films ' elements as either narrative or stylistic. The film _Scott Pilgrim vs. the World_ is exemplary in its effective use of film form by not only involving its audience, but catering to each of the five principles of form.…
The film I picked for my critique is Red Tails, a historical World War II drama. The movie starred Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard and Gerald Mcraney, was written by John Ridley and Aaron McGruder, better known as the creator of the comic strip “the boondocks”, from a book by John B. Holway, directed by Anthony Hemingway and produced by George Lucas . In this paper the author will show how all elements of filmmaking come together to make Red Tails a memorable experience and a great American movie.…
Classical Hollywood films in the Golden Age in the United States contained complex storylines with cause-and-effect. For Hollywood filmmakers, the Classical Hollywood style was a persuasive and effective form of storytelling. Classical Hollywood cinema was by no means simplistic, as many films have complex plot webs. Because Classical Hollywood filmmakers used continuity editing, their focus was not to be as artistic as possible. One of the biggest differences between Classical Hollywood cinema and the Soviet Montage cinema lies in the causal agents—psychological vs. social.…
Hollows, Joanne, and Mark Jancovich, eds. Approaches to Popular Film. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1995. Print.…
The Classical Hollywood Narrative Style is the most commonly used technique in film creation. The term was coined by David Bordwell, Janet Staiger and Kristin Thompson in their study of Hollywood films between the years of 1917 to 1960. A film in this style would follow a set of rules which are unwritten but commonly accepted amongst film makers. This type of film is structured narratively with a clearly defined conflict which is introduced early in the movie, a problem arises and the characters are forced to work through it, and in the end the problem is resolved. In terms of realism and formalism the Classical Hollywood Narrative Style falls somewhere directly in the middle. Although the film is filmed in a controlled environment where the director is in control of what happens, the object of the film is to create an environment that resembles the real world and is believable by the viewer. Both Mise-en-scene and editing have their place and are crucial to the Classical Hollywood Narrative Style of filmmaking. Editing is important to keep the movie flowing by making the edit invisible, and make sure the viewer understands what the director is trying to portray. The editing takes place either on a glance or to follow the action. The Mise-en-scene of a scene in this style includes everything that is in the scene and is vital in keeping the movie believable. Part of this is that fact that character rarely look directly into the camera or address the audience. Also the set or background of the film must hold up the believability of the film. The narrative of the film is illustrated by the actor's reactions which are caught on screen.…
Lennie said, "George." "Yeah?" "I done another bad thing." Lennie said, "George." "Yeah?"…
References: J. Kris Malkiewicz, M. D. (2005). Cinematography: a guide for filmmakers and film teachers. New York: Fireside, rockefeller center.…
Within this film it is clear that the styles of narration used by the screenwriter's are classic Hollywood narrative styles, which is when there is a "strong central protagonist and neatly resolved climax" (Bordwell and Thompson, 2005). Another way of proving that this is a classic narrated Hollywood film is by looking at what Bordwell (2005), states as the action revolving around a central character that by the end of the film fulfills his/her goal. By looking at all of the above, the point argued in this essay is clear that this film is a typical Hollywood narrated film, even though there are some techniques used by the screenwriters and directors that lean towards the way non Hollywood films are narrated.…
This essay will take an in-depth look at the history of Hollywood during the late 60s and early 70s. This period of time is considered to have been a renaissance for American cinema, and was titled the ‘New Hollywood’ by cotemporary critics of the time. In order to understand the changes that Hollywood went through the late ‘60s, you first have to examine the preceding era of Hollywood filmmaking during the 30s and 40s. This was a period that is commonly referred to as Hollywood’s Golden Age; when the dream factories were in full swing and the audiences were in regular attendance. This period of time could be defined by a number of social, political or economic contexts, but it’s the filmmaking practices that were employed at the time which…
Movies have long been known to create a portal through which its viewers can transcend through their own realities and experience the unimaginable. The visual, sounds, and narrative of great movies immediately attract the focus of its audience as they move into a trance for those 1-2 hours of screen time. While many great movies introduce their audiences to varying experiences that heighten their senses and grasp their focus, some measure of relatability is necessary to connect with audiences. Such concepts of implementing elements of realism into the various facets of a film help establish a relevant connection, through which audiences can relate. However during the Hollywood Classical era, introducing such techniques of intensifying realism in movies was often unconventional and not an achievable goal for directors and cinematographers. The techniques required to implement such elements were either not well known or plausible. There were some movies during this era that did defy such tendencies and broke barriers in terms of delivering a movie that differentiated through such concepts like realism. Two famous films that have utilized certain techniques in creating an intensified form of realism in their own ways are Citizen Kane, by Orson Welles, and Double Indemnity, by Billy Wilder.…
Chapter five of The Cultures of American Film discusses the history of silent comedy. It focuses mainly on two of the most important actors of this gene: Buster Keaton, and Charlie Chaplin. They both starred in countless films within the silent film genre and changed the way we looked at them forever.…
Cinema has gone through numerous iterations since it inception in the late 1800s. Although film-making varied from generation to generation, one thing remained constant and that was the eight major Hollywood studios. Many of these studios are around today such as Warner Brothers, MGM, and Universal Pictures. Most of the studio’s longevity was based off of their involvement during the height of the studio era commonly referred to as the “Golden Age of Hollywood.” Throughout this essay I will decipher a film from 1930 to 1952 and discuss the major characteristics of narratives in the studio system era.…
In the early 1900’s silent films amazed audiences with images, later talkies impressed with sound, today we have 3D. As technology continues to evolve so too will film genres. Genres, while having some shared characteristics, also differ in terms of stylistic devices used. For instance, the dramatic film “The Notebook” effectively uses color to reinforce theme and has plausible performers as the two main protagonists.…
Your Study Guide offers a discussion of “Thinking and Writing about Film” (Supplementary Unit 2, pp. 127-133) which is part of the assignment for the start-up, and again for the week when this paper should be completed. The accompanying broadcast (shown only in the first week during the summer term, but with repeated broadcasts in the longer spring…
After such negative press on his films he exiled himself back to Europe. Then again after a few years in solitude Welles was back in action filming Touch of Evil in 1958. Again to the U.S. the film was a disaster although it won a few awards in Europe. Welles quoted "Create your own visual style... let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others." Which is quite laughable if you take the time to think about it, many of…