Online Film Analysis Assignment
Clip D from Magnolia: The almost the entire clip was a long shot and includes a lot of action, differing from the elevator scene is just a straight-on angle that is very common. The use of a steadicam makes it seem like the viewer is following the person who is central in the shot, making it feel like they are actually there. The music is non-diegetic and conveys almost a sense of urgency in the studio, aided by the brief, hurried interactions between people in the clip.
Clip E from Amadeus: The clips uses lots of short cuts between the two characters speaking, as well as during the flashback. The music from the flashback is both diegetic because it is heard by one character and non-diegetic because it is not heard by the other. Also the music from the flashback enters before the scene it is actually part of, as well as the cheering of the crowd.
Clip B from Strangers on a Train: The moment is very suspenseful, the scene is long with a single fight and at no point does the viewer know what will happen next. This feeling is intensified by the fast-paced non-diegetic music. The use of cuts in a montage from the fight on the carousel, the fearful crowd watching and the old man crawling under the carousel keep the viewer in suspense, unable to recognize exactly when each event is occurring.
Clip C from the Silence of the Lambs: This clip uses heavy cross-cutting to confuse the viewer into thinking that the two events are happening in the same place and the same time. The clip ends in the revelation that they are two separate events. Suspense is created by both the cross-cutting, the music and the tension created by the presence of the cops and the "crazy man" with the gun, and not knowing weather or not the situation will become violent.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Oscar Nomination Rankings
BRAINSTORM
The Social Network
1.Good use of music
2.Acting wasn't bad
3.Funny at times
True Grit
1. Jeff Bridges out acted by 13 year-old girl
2.More traditional than other Coen brothers movies
3.Change from western movies
Toy Story 3
1.Better than Toy Story 2
2.Pixar never fails
3.Elements for viewers other than kids
The King's Speech
1.Good Acting by Colin Firth
2.Timothy Spall...not a good Churchill
3.Very slow at times
Inception
1.Lots of action, very cool
2.Interesting idea
3.Not as deep or confusing as people say
Winter's Bone
1. Confusing at times, a little slow sometimes
2. Main character compelling.
3. Want to know what will happen next
RANKING
1. The Social Network This film was one of the better movies I have seen this year. The story was interesting because it shows origins Facebook and how the founder, Mark Zuckerberg differs from the entire concept in that he can't handle relationships with other people but connects 500 million. His product connects people but he himself can't deal with other people. The acting was great, how they showed the personal conflict between Zuckerberg and his CFO. Justin Timberlake's performance of Sean Parker was great, as well as the influence his character held on Zuckerberg and his paranoid personality. The use of music was great, playing a White strips song in the beginning linked the story to real collage life and the techno went great with the hacking.
2. Winter's Bone The film was, for me, a very captivating story. The led role, played by Jennifer Lawrence was very powerful, the idea of a 17 year-old taking care of two younger siblings and a mom is a shocking idea but her character, Ree handles it with better than anyone would expect. The movie had a good use of suspense that kept focused on what might happen next. The landscape of the Ozark mountains provides a great feeling of space, especially when Ree is trekking across half of it to find her father.
3. Inception This was one of the coolest movies I had seen in a long time. The thought of entering someone's dreams is exciting and the action-packed part of it kept me very entertained. I had heard from lots of people that the story was too hard to follow but I disagree. While I did notice more the second time I saw it I was able to follow the story pretty well. The cliff hanger ending, with the top still spinning leaves the ending open. I would like to think that it does fall and that everything turned out ok but even if it stays up, that just means that there is more to the story that has yet to be told...sequel?
4. True Grit This was an interesting Coen brothers film because it adds yet another twist onto western movies. The film differs from the original True Grit in that the young girl (played by Hailee Steinfeld) is more the main character and upstages both Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges. (Also the new character is much less annoying and whinny than the previous film) Despite this change the film was in many ways more traditional then other Coen films like O' Brother Where Art Thou? but none the less was a great movie.
5. The King's Speech While I didn't mind the movie and thought that Colin Firth did a very good job, this was a perfect example of a movie made specifically to get an Oscar. I am sure to many found the movie to seem slow and at time uninteresting. I think "Bertie" overcoming his stammer great and certainly interesting that he was able to have the effect he did in inspiring his people but I think the story needed a little more to it at times.
6. Toy Story 3 I was very excited to see this. Not because I have a great love for Toy Story (Not that I would admit to) but I wanted to see then end of the story. I found it kind of funny that I was the only one under the age of 18 in the theater when I first saw it which showed how popular these movies were across multiple generations. The animation, as one would expect from Pixar was great and the story had many funny parts that I would not have expected from Toy Story such as everyones opinion of the Ken doll as creepy, an opinion that I share with the characters.
The Social Network
1.Good use of music
2.Acting wasn't bad
3.Funny at times
True Grit
1. Jeff Bridges out acted by 13 year-old girl
2.More traditional than other Coen brothers movies
3.Change from western movies
Toy Story 3
1.Better than Toy Story 2
2.Pixar never fails
3.Elements for viewers other than kids
The King's Speech
1.Good Acting by Colin Firth
2.Timothy Spall...not a good Churchill
3.Very slow at times
Inception
1.Lots of action, very cool
2.Interesting idea
3.Not as deep or confusing as people say
Winter's Bone
1. Confusing at times, a little slow sometimes
2. Main character compelling.
3. Want to know what will happen next
RANKING
1. The Social Network This film was one of the better movies I have seen this year. The story was interesting because it shows origins Facebook and how the founder, Mark Zuckerberg differs from the entire concept in that he can't handle relationships with other people but connects 500 million. His product connects people but he himself can't deal with other people. The acting was great, how they showed the personal conflict between Zuckerberg and his CFO. Justin Timberlake's performance of Sean Parker was great, as well as the influence his character held on Zuckerberg and his paranoid personality. The use of music was great, playing a White strips song in the beginning linked the story to real collage life and the techno went great with the hacking.
2. Winter's Bone The film was, for me, a very captivating story. The led role, played by Jennifer Lawrence was very powerful, the idea of a 17 year-old taking care of two younger siblings and a mom is a shocking idea but her character, Ree handles it with better than anyone would expect. The movie had a good use of suspense that kept focused on what might happen next. The landscape of the Ozark mountains provides a great feeling of space, especially when Ree is trekking across half of it to find her father.
3. Inception This was one of the coolest movies I had seen in a long time. The thought of entering someone's dreams is exciting and the action-packed part of it kept me very entertained. I had heard from lots of people that the story was too hard to follow but I disagree. While I did notice more the second time I saw it I was able to follow the story pretty well. The cliff hanger ending, with the top still spinning leaves the ending open. I would like to think that it does fall and that everything turned out ok but even if it stays up, that just means that there is more to the story that has yet to be told...sequel?
4. True Grit This was an interesting Coen brothers film because it adds yet another twist onto western movies. The film differs from the original True Grit in that the young girl (played by Hailee Steinfeld) is more the main character and upstages both Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges. (Also the new character is much less annoying and whinny than the previous film) Despite this change the film was in many ways more traditional then other Coen films like O' Brother Where Art Thou? but none the less was a great movie.
5. The King's Speech While I didn't mind the movie and thought that Colin Firth did a very good job, this was a perfect example of a movie made specifically to get an Oscar. I am sure to many found the movie to seem slow and at time uninteresting. I think "Bertie" overcoming his stammer great and certainly interesting that he was able to have the effect he did in inspiring his people but I think the story needed a little more to it at times.
6. Toy Story 3 I was very excited to see this. Not because I have a great love for Toy Story (Not that I would admit to) but I wanted to see then end of the story. I found it kind of funny that I was the only one under the age of 18 in the theater when I first saw it which showed how popular these movies were across multiple generations. The animation, as one would expect from Pixar was great and the story had many funny parts that I would not have expected from Toy Story such as everyones opinion of the Ken doll as creepy, an opinion that I share with the characters.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
My First Movie Review
Shawshank Redemption:
Brainstorm:
1. Great representation of prison life in 1940s/50s
2. Good acting
3. Music score was great
4. view on danger of false imprisonment
5. shows corruption that was present in legal system
5. compelling characters
6. sense of conclusion
7. shows effects of becoming institutionalized
8. lighting in some scenes adds to opressive feeling of the prison
9. plot is believable
10. engaging story
11. makes you root for the "bad guys"
12. thought provoking
13. uses period acurate props
14. interesting view point on what can be acomplished in jail
15. never any real slow, boring points of plot summary
Review of Shawshank Redemption:
The movie is great. In a story of a man sent to jail for murdering his wife, you wouldnt think that you could like the guy. But this is not a normal story. As the story progresses there is a sense that mabey the character is inocent, a joke to most inmates like the character Red played by Morgan Freedman who says "Everyone in here is inocent" The combination of acting, powerful dialog and music makes the movie both interesting and different. In few other movies have i been made to like what
Brainstorm:
1. Great representation of prison life in 1940s/50s
2. Good acting
3. Music score was great
4. view on danger of false imprisonment
5. shows corruption that was present in legal system
5. compelling characters
6. sense of conclusion
7. shows effects of becoming institutionalized
8. lighting in some scenes adds to opressive feeling of the prison
9. plot is believable
10. engaging story
11. makes you root for the "bad guys"
12. thought provoking
13. uses period acurate props
14. interesting view point on what can be acomplished in jail
15. never any real slow, boring points of plot summary
Review of Shawshank Redemption:
The movie is great. In a story of a man sent to jail for murdering his wife, you wouldnt think that you could like the guy. But this is not a normal story. As the story progresses there is a sense that mabey the character is inocent, a joke to most inmates like the character Red played by Morgan Freedman who says "Everyone in here is inocent" The combination of acting, powerful dialog and music makes the movie both interesting and different. In few other movies have i been made to like what
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