ill give the film a 9/10 i really liked it because it had a really good story line.
one memorable scene in the movie was when they humiliated the Sheriff by taking photos with him and pushing him into the lake. it really showed that they didn’t have any respect towards the police.
What were the Big 5 studios & what type of movies was each studio famous for?
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer – The Wizard of Oz, The Thin Man
Warner Bros – Casablanca, The Adventures of Robin Hood
Paramount – Double Indemnity, It’s a Wonderful Life
Fox – Les Misérables, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
RKO – King Kong, Citizen Kane
Explain what vertical integration and block-booking was?
Vertical integration is the term used to describe a business strategy in which a company takes ownership of two or more key stages of its supply chain so in film it’s when a Media Company owns different businesses in the same chain of production and distribution. Block-booking is a system of selling multiple films to a theatre as a unit.
Why and when did the original studio system collapse?
The studio system that thrived during Hollywood’s Golden Age died in the 1960s. Challenges in the form of pay TV, antitrust legislation, low admissions, and censorship had worn down the studios in the previous decade.
What was happening in America (and around the world) at this time?
The era was marked by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and antiwar protests, countercultural movements, political assassinations and the emerging “generation gap.” It was also a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and Western United States.
What is meant by the invisible style of storytelling?
Invisible style does not highlight the narrative directly, so the editing, continuity editing, camera and sound should be considered ‘invisible’ to the viewers, the goal is to overcome or conceal the two-dimensionality of film.
What is continuity editing?
A system of cutting used to maintain continuous and clear narrative action by following a set of rules so that the narrative has structure, the shot sequence flow seamlessly into each other and so it’s easy to watch the film.
French New Wave – A film movement beginning in the late 50s and throughout the 60s that rose to popularity in Paris. It saw directors obtain full creative control of their work, making more experimental films then following traditional conventions of filmmaking.
Specific stylist and structural elements – These films countered tradition by including the likes of long tracking shots, fourth wall breaks, the breaking of the 180 degree rule, and existential themes. Discontinuity editing, such as jump cuts and freeze frames, was common at this time.
Directors and films that influenced Arthur Penn – François Truffaut (The 400 Blows) and Jean-Luc Godard (Breathless) both were approached during the production of the film.
The French New Wave was a movement by French filmmakers when they rejected the traditional conventions during the late 1950s, partially because of their lack of budget in post WW2 France. They opted for a new, more experimental editing/visual style.
Stylistic/structural elements:
These techniques are used to make the audience aware that they are watching a film, to wake them up.
Films/directors that inspired Arthur Penn:
This Film, Breathless (1960) directed by Jean-Luc Godard heavily inspired Arthur Penn.
Casablanca uses continuity editing to give a steady flow to the narrative an example being the scene with the letters of transport
shot 1: MCU eye level shot to show who the scene as about. with the main character being centre of the screen
shot 2: MCU shot of man running out of door. he is blurred as he is moving fast
shot 3: low angle close up to show the mans emotion. the use of a low angle shot shows he’s scared
shot 4; low angle medium shot to capture the man firing his gun
shot 5: eye level medium close up shot. the man is looking up at rick showing that he has the status and authority in this scen. the man is asking rick for help
shot 6: a medium close up eye level shot to show the man getting taken away by the authorities
French New Wave –
The ‘French New Wave’ was a French art film movement that came about in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. The movement stemmed away from the traditional film making, but instead used experimentation and creative freedom, involving some aspects of a spirit of iconoclasm. Films focused on personal, experimental and unconventional storytelling.
What specific stylistic and structural elements are present in French New Wave Films?
The stylistic elements of the ‘French New Wave’ consisted of a mix of realism, subjectivity and authorial commentary: these created a sense ambiguity within the films that made the viewers question things that are not answered within the film.
The structural elements consisted of fragmented, discontinuous editing were no smooth flows between shots were edited together. This creates a disruption between shots therefore forming a ‘Jump cut’. Other structural elements consisted of long takes and Freeze frames, these were used to break the immersion of the film to ensure a viewer isn’t just watching a film to turn off, but to view it for artistic purpose.
Which directors and films from the French New Wave influenced Arthur Penn as he was making Bonnie and Clyde? Why do you think this is the case?
Breathless, made in 1960 was directed Jean-Luc Godard. This film was apart of the French New Wave as its plot was about a petty thief falling in love with a journalist.
The 400 Blows, made in 1959, was directed by François Truffaut. This was about a Parisian boy surrounded by inconsiderate adults and neglectful parents. Forming a plan to runaway with his friend, this gets him into more trouble with unsympathetic authority figures. This would go onto inspire other film directors, with the most recent being Shane Meadows, where his ending to ‘this is England’ is reminiscent to the ending of the 400 blows.
The French new wave is a French art movement that emerged in the late 1950’s. It rejected traditional film making conventions in favour of experimentation and a spirit of iconoclasm.
There is elements of realism, subjectivity, and authorial commentary
Arthur Penn was inspired by French new wave directors like Jean-Luc Goadard and Francois Truffaut. I think this was the case because he wished to change the style of films at the time.
French new wave is a film movement from France in the 1950-1970 rejecting traditional filmmaking with more creative freedom for individual directors making more experimental films with different editing and visual styles.
French new wave films experiment with editing using long shots and discontinuous editing. Realism and commentary was also played around with within French new wave films.
Many French directors like Jean-Luc Goadard and Francois Truffaut inspired Arthur Penn to create Bonne and Clyde inspired by the style and sense of freedom from French filmmaking.
