Identify which actors were already stars

Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman & Paul Henreid

Give examples of their previous films

Humphrey – The Maltese Falcon (Directed by John Huston, 1941) ~ High Sierra (Directed by Raoul Walsh, 1941), He then went on to play roles in more films eg. The African Queen (Directed by John Huston, 1952)

Ingrid – Adam Had Four Sons (Directed by Gregory Ratoff, 1941) ~ Intermezzo (Directed by Gregory Ratoff, 1939), She then went on to play roles in more films eg. Gaslight (Directed by George Cukor, 1944)

Paul – Now, Voyager ( Directed by Irving Rapper, 1942) ~ Night Train to Munich (Directed by Carol Reed, 1940), He then went on to play roles in more films eg. Deception (Directed by Irving Rapper, 1946)

Explain their relationship to Warner Bros at the time of the film’s production in 1942

Humphrey Bogart – In 1936 Jack. L. Warner put him under contract for $550 a week, he claimed that at Warner Bros, he became a one-man film factory, he made 48 films for Warner Bros

Ingrid Bergman – Ingrid was already under contract with David O. Selznick but he allowed her to sign with Warner Bros to play Ilsa in Casablanca in exchange for Warner Bros lending him Olivia de Havilland.

Paul Henreid – He moved to warner bros in 1942 to star in Casablanca, he then briefly returned to RKO, then returned back to Warner Bros. He ended up buying out of his Warner Bros contract for $75,000.

Explain why you think they were cast in their role for this film

Humphrey Bogart – I think Humphrey was cast as Rick for Casablanca because in real life Humphrey was a tough, mysterious guy who matched the character Rick, as well as his age which fitted the backstory of the character and goes with the sternness of Rick.

Ingrid Bergman – Her beauty and mystery fits Ilsa’s character. The age difference is also noticeable in the film but adds affect to the storyline. It was also the norm in that era. She matches her young, vulnerable and innocent character persona.

rating – 6/10

I think this film had a good romantic narrative however for me it was difficult to go along with the story as alot was happening.

My memorable scene would be the scene where Sam plays the piano song for Ilsa as this song is Ilsa and Ricks song so it’s an emotional scene for her and brings back her memories that takes the audience with her.

Why did film makers and producers move to Hollywood?

The movie industry thrived in Hollywood because of the consistent climate for shooting and the filmmakers couldn’t be sued and could escape fees set by Thomas Edison who owned many patents on the movie making process.

Name some of the big stars, directors and pictures from the Silent Era of Hollywood.

Big stars – Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton

Directors – Tod Browning, Lois Weber

Pictures – The Road to Ruin, The Penalty

In what ways was the early Hollywood studio system like a factory or production line?

The studios owned every aspect of production (vertical integration) which meant they could control what they were doing.

When and what was the first ‘talking picture’?

The first feature film originally presented as a ‘talkie’ was The Jazz Singer, premiered October 6, 1927. It was made with Vitaphone.

Why did the end of the silent era cause problems for some performers working in the film industry?

Actors had to memorise their lines ahead of time and directors could no longer vocally direct actors while filming, since the microphones would pick up the sound.

What was happening in America (and around the world) at this time?

The stock market collapsed (the wall street crash) which started the great depression leading to hyperinflation and loss of jobs. In the film industry, the great depression caused many more people to go see films at the cinema to get away from the everyday life.

How does director Danny Boyle use micro elements to create meanings effectively?

sound – the song ‘Underworld – Born Slippy’ plays at the start of the film and plays at the end of the film to emphasise the story and show the character development. Each of the songs are played to elevate a particular scene or moment.

editing – the toilet scene is edited in a way to show the character appearing mad and the drugs taking effect, it shows his obsession with the drugs as he’s going down to reach them from the toilet. The editing of this scene shows the drug taking effect.

mise en scene – The shared flat that is featured in the film represents the tough lifestyle that they live in and it adds to the characters that they are and their obsession to drugs which is obviously shown by the way they live. For example if they lived in a clean, stylish flat which no cracks in the wall and proper furniture, they may not be hardcore drug users.

cinematography – the majority of the filming location was in Glasgow with a few final scenes being filmed in London. The rural countryside is quite typically opposite to the films characters story’s as if they were to match their characters completely it would maybe be filmed in a busy city in which more drugs are used. however the cinematography of the scenes shot really add effect to the storyline as it does match the characters.

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How does director Shane Meadows use micro elements to create meanings effectively?

sound – The film begins with a montage of British culture where they showcase things like sports, war, royals, British citizens, machines, crowds, violence, streets etc. The music played is 54-46 Was My Number – Toots and The Maytals. I think this music is untypical of the British culture as it’s reggae and used more in hot countries rather than rainy and cold England.

editing – The simple editing of the film creates a realistic and classic kind and means the film appears with more of a sense of verisimilitude because of the raw editing. The film is very realistic as the editing is just like filming a group on a day out, so the editing stays the same most of the film. It gives a documentary footage appearance. The main clip that was edited was the beginning montage.

mise en scene – The filming location was in Nottingham and the film itself was set in a Nottingham council estate in the 1980s. The town is a classic working class/lower-middle class neighbourhood. This is represented by the characters clothes, haircuts and lack of financial stability to be able to afford clothes e.g. when Shaun is joining the group and needs clothes to suit the group.

cinematography – close ups are used throughout the film to showcase the actors facial expressions during the scenes and wide shots of location views to enhance the theme of poverty and to show group violence throughout.

Score – 7/10

Memorable Scene – For me the most memorable scene was at the nightclub where Mark first saw Diane walking out of the club. I think it was a really nice and romantic scene because previously in the film Marks life had been rough and this was his moment and sign of hope for him (despite the obvious age difference we see later on).

film date – 10th December 2023

locations – jersey forest/woods areas, Plemont , Greve de Lecq

aims – To film aesthetically pleasing footage in order to achieve the brief of the nature and beautiful locations, I will then put audio onto the footage of a voiceover of the poem being read.