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La Jetee – analysis

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Part 1: Brief Reference 

What did you like about the film? I liked the ideas of the plot. The lighting was fun. The use of stills made it feel disconnected, possibly like the minds of the people who have been made mad because of the experiments. But the stills where cool sometimes.  What didn’t you like? The whispering. It was probably there for a reason, but it doesn’t feel good on my ears. The museum was a bit boring. I get it was there to establish a connection between them, I was just bored. 
What ideas could you use? Narrative or style? The lighting. The funny camera shots. The lighting in the present scenes gives a sense of unease. I like it. What ideas won’t you use? Why? The stills. I think it was effective in the way it makes the story feel alien which ties into its sci-fi genre, I don’t think it works for every sci-fi story (like Star Wars. Star Wars wouldn’t be shot in stills) 

Part 2: In-Depth Study – Narrative 

Narrative Feature Example Your own example 
Establishing protagonist – what information do we find out? How is it conveyed? Introduced only in narration – first in third person as “a man marked by an image”; then in first person -memory of incident at the airport. We don’t see him until the first experiment is shown. This shows how core the act of remembering is to his identity – indeed we find out very little about him (he remains nameless) apart from his ‘remembering’ (even when he is travelling in time).  We see that from the beginning, the woman will play a large part in the man’s story, her being the reason he is able to go back in time to do this research. The audience is immediately shown that she is of great importance due to her being the first full face that they see, the close-up being to emphasize how the only thing he remembers about that day is the woman and her appearance.  
Establishing other characters – what information do we find out? How is it conveyed? The Woman is the first person we see (“the only image to survive the war”) – and she is defined only by the fact the narrator remembers her. Feminist critics may comment on the fact she barely seems to exist outside the experiences of the narrator and her growing belief in him. The men who are experimenting on the protagonist are speaking in German. This could be to show that they are othered or could be referencing similar events that happened during World War 2. While not specifically time travel, the Germans did experiment of people cruelly. This could also be showing the still present fear of the Germans, in the scenario that World War 3 where to occur. They are also shown from high angles. 
Establishing location (time and place) – what information do we find out? How is it conveyed? We are told immediately that the location is Paris. The bombed-out wreckage of the city (real WW2 images) doesn’t immediately establish that this is the future until the narrator mentions radiation. The underground location beneath the Palais de Chaillot is shown by intercut images of broken cherubs and other sculptures.  The past is presented in a much brighter, as they are from the above ground pre-WW3 Paris. While the Present is shown in a very dark shadow (low lighting). This is connoting the fact there is no electricity, relating to the Sci-Fi Genre. The past is shown as very colorful (for black and White), with nature and people walking around. While the Present is shown as very industrial and cold, with the lack of color and limited set space. 
Creating Enigmas – what are they? How are they created? The image the narrator obsesses over is the central enigma: who is the man he witnesses dying? How does he die? Who is the woman? The still images and voiceover powerfully evoke the nature of memory.  What other questions are posed throughout the narrative?  Makes the audience wonder about this universe’s time travel policies. If he goes into the future to get the answers, did the people in the future get there by having him go forward in their timeline?? 
Narrative binary oppositions The ‘Living Present’ vs Past/Future. As the film progresses, what constitutes the ‘present’ (for the protagonist) seems to shift from his dystopian subterranean society to the ‘past’ of pre-apocalypse Paris. This is conveyed by the faster rhythm of the montage and the sequence (18:00-18:49) where the images almost become like traditional cinema.  The past is bright. The present is dark. The lighting crates a contrast. This is because it shows the protagonists comfort in each area of time. The past being the brightest, the present being darker and the future being almost completely black, the only light being on the faces of the people he sees. 
Crisis – how was this conveyed? Is it the first experiment? Is it the moment the man spots the woman from the airport? Or is it when the future society offers him the chance to escape to the future?  What do you think is the crisis point? How does this affect the rest of the narrative? When he witnesses the man dying (himself). It is the catalyst for everything else in the film to happen. Because without the hard memory of that, he wouldn’t be able to go back in time. 
Resolution – is it closed or open narrative? The narrative is closed – but it is also in a loop: the narrator is both the dying man and the child watching the scene. This ‘time paradox’ has inspired films as diverse as The Terminator and Looper (as well as 12 Monkeys which is almost a remake).  What do you think about the end? Is it closed – or endlessly circular? I assume that it is circular, but less like a circle and more like a jump ring. It is a loop but only for a certain amount of time, it will eventually be cut off and be able to change. 

Part 3: Meaning and Effect 

What did you think was the intention of the filmmaker(s)? Intellectual message? Emotional response? Everyone is trapped in their time – they cannot escape it, even though memory. It is also about the concept of photography and cinema itself, trying to ‘freeze’ time with images despite time always being in motion.  That change can happen in something that seems frozen. That when something especially special is found or discovered, it can change a timeline that seems frozen. How was this achieved? The use of photomontage separates each frame of the story into a frozen image – even though these are joined together using traditional narrative film techniques such as voiceover, dissolves, fades and music. As the man begins to ‘live’ more and more in the ‘past’ with his lover, the space between these frames speeds up to resemble ‘motion picture’ speed at one point. The stuffed animals in the museum are also ‘frozen’ in a single moment. Your own idea: By having the woman be in regular motion picture speed for one single scene, it emphasizes how the man has impacted her life, letting her somewhat break free from the restraints of the single frame per second/couple of seconds. 
Aesthetic binary oppositions The use of still photo images are combined with traditional narrative cinematic techniques that bring them ‘to life’… until the moment around 18:00 when they flow together. The past is shown in the daylight, making the screen often very bright and almost colourful. While the present is shown in the dark Effect of these oppositions? Shows the intensity of emotion the narrator feels with his lover: like he is finally ‘living’ in moving time rather than a series of frozen, separated moments.  Your example: The visual differences in the past and present are clear as a way to show the audience that the man is uncertain in the present, as it is a much more dreary and drab sense of life as they are living underground because of the war. While the past is shown in a much brighter light to show how he knows what’s going on and to emphasize how bad the present is because of the war and how he may have taken the past for granted, as he seems it through a sense of rose tinted glasses. 

Inspirations – what ideas did this film give you for your own short film? 

Establishing characters, setting, plot, theme I like the idea of showing rather than telling. (the only scene with movie images showing that there has been a change and it’s not frozen and set in stone). Creating enigmas  By having the woman at the beginning, it makes the audience wonder how she is connected to the moment and how she is so important to his strong attachments to this memory. 
Narrative structure (non-/linear? Open/ closed ending?) By having the narrative almost split in two. The past and the present. It gets the audience more involved in the love story unfolding between the man and the woman in the past.  Striking use of technical features  I will probably not be using still images to tell my story. But i can see how there was a reason for them being used in the context of this short film. 
New Hollywood

New Hollywood

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New Hollywood: new film makers working with new influences. a revolution of the old way of making films.

Four films from this period:

Easy Rider: Dennis Hopper (starring Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson)

The Graduate: Mike Nichols (Starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft)

Midnight Cowboy: John Schlesinger (Starring Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman)

The Wild Bunch: Sam Peckinpah (Starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine and Warren Oates)

Events taking place in America and elsewhere:

Vietnam war– Young people protesting the war in Vietnam because many Americans where dying. They where asking for them to take the Americans out of Vietnam, who went there to stop the spread of communism.

Riots in the Ghettos– People fighting against racial inequality, neighborhoods being set on fire.

Political assassinations– Martin Luther king and JFK’s Brother where shot. JFK’s brother was at the time running for president

Political Disgrace– President Nixon had to resign because he was discovered to be behind a burglary where bugs where being planted in the Democrat’s Office.

All of these created a very violent image of America that was being shown to the American public on their Televisions.

USA Counter culture– where the younger people began to become a lot more liberal, being more accepting of people and advocating for peace. This included more accepting of things like drugs and sexual liberation as well as advocating for women’s rights and respecting sexuality.

  1. What is meant by French New Wave Cinema?

a movement that took place from late 50s to late 60s. The style is very experimental because it encouraged the rejection of the film making conventions Hollywood had at the time. They would often feature existential themes and different approaches to the way the film was constructed using its editing, narrative and visual style. Was meant to be experimental. French cinema was very literal, these French films worked against that. Most of the people making these experimental films where young people, who where often film critics who decided to make the films they wanted to see rather than the mainstream films of the time. Wanted directors to be credited rather than the studios, making directors the stars rather than the actors. They are the artistic driving force. Working with low budgets because of financial restraints of post ww2 France.

2. The Cinematography had a much more documentary approach, letting the camera run for a longer time so the audience can see their character more through actions. The films relied a lot more heavily on natural lights and real sets, which would allow for more movement from the actors as they would not have to worry about changing the lighting as they moved. The camera where often handheld and the actors they hired where not always professionals in the field, who would be improvising things like their blocking and dialogue, all this came together to go against the conventions and expectations of the current studio climate. The lower budget allowed more people to make films rather than just big studios. Natural locations and lighting allowed for there to be a smaller team of crew, therefore less people to pay. Jump cuts where used to signify the passage of time. The camera would stay in the same place but the camera would cut. A voice over is used in French New Wave films quite a lot. They can be used to show a characters inner monologue.

3. Arthur Penn was influenced by directors like François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard. Bonnie and Clyde itself is a rejection of the tropes of Hollywood at the time, this is shown by the fact it wasn’t well liked by the Higherups at Warner Brothers when Penn first showed them the film, them not understanding it. So by having it take this more alternative approach to the cinematography and narrative would lend itself to the story he was trying to tell. Bonnie and Clyde is a character study of the two characters, it is historically based. Bonnie and Clyde takes from French New Wave in the aspect of their music, in the cars there is very lively music playing, often being blue grass music, the main instrument being a banjo that was being played very fast. The narrative is not always clear. There is a lot of mood changes.

3 scenes from Bonnie and Clyde that have stylistic features that have been influenced by French New Wave films:

1.

The scene where they are driving away after buck got shot. it is a lot of close ups on the characters as they drive which is a convention of the French New wave movement. this helps convey their emotions better to the audience.

2.

This is used throughout the movie, but Bonnie and Clyde was not shot on a pre-built set/sound stage. It utilized real locations for its backdrops rather than ones made by people to fit the scene. This is also a convention of the French New wave movement, due to most of the movies made during this era didn’t have the budget to have a set to film on.

3.

The final scene is very snappy, cutting between Bonnie and Clyde with extreme close ups, this is done to show their expressions better and convey their emotions to the audience better. This is a convention of the French new wave movement because it helps audience be aware of the fact they are watching a movie, something Classic Hollywood strayed away from, but French New wave embraced and set out to do.

New Hollywood Style:

1. How did new wave Hollywood directors like Penn approach Film narratives?

Plot that changes perspective, endings that aren’t always happy (usually ambiguous or sad) and more violent than others of the time. A lot of the acting was done by amatures and may have been improvised. Some of these aspects can be seen in Bonnie and Clyde, where Penn tackles a more taboo subject matter. while there is a story, the film is much more character driven than story driven, which makes the audience sympathize with two murderers. This goes against the Classic Hollywood style of Storytelling by not sticking to a strict linear structure. There is also focus on sexuality, though Bonnie and Clyde’s relationship and their struggles, which was also a taboo for the time period.

2. what is Discontinuity editing?

a style of editing that is used to draw attention to itself, it can be used to remind the audience is watching a movie. This will give the cut/shot an unnatural feel, which is often used in French New Wave cinema. This can be to draw the audience’s attention to an action, sound or place.

3. why is this time in film production sometimes referred to as ‘The Rise of the Auteurs’ in Hollywood?

The word ‘Auteur’ comes from the French word for author. directors where being referred to as Auteurs because they where viewed as the movies author rather than the screenwriter having that credit, showing that these movies where personal rather than product films. Many of these directors of the time had come from magazines where they would review films. not seeing any that they liked or connected with, they came to the conclusion that studios where ‘out of touch’, so they would go on to create movies that they wanted to see.

4. What is the lasting impact of the New Hollywood style on modern films?

Directors have become much more credited and are now a marketing tool like actors, having their names on the posters or advertising for a movie. More gritty movies have become mainstream rather than being something taboo. as well as this, the more experimental camera work of the time can be seen in directors such as Wes Anderson, who often uses the technique of having a character look directly down the camera lens, which can break the audiences immersion in a film, reminding them they are watching a film.

Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie and Clyde first response

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Rating: 8/10

I really enjoyed Bonnie and Clyde. I’m not usually a fan of Gangster movies but Bonnie and Clyde doesn’t feel like a normal Gangster film. I enjoyed the other characters in the main cast and how they all interacted with and dealt with the idea of robbing banks and running from the law. I enjoyed the romance between Bonnie and Clyde, I felt that their characters complimented each other very well and the development they offered each other made for a good story.

Stand out scene:

The stand out scene for me was when Bonnie and Clyde where shot. I feel that the faced paced editing cutting between their expressions before they die adds an aspect of humanity to them just as they get shot. the amount they get shot adds to the idea that they where deadly and this obscene amount of bullets they used on them makes it seem too dramatic, which would make the audience sympathise with Bonnie and Clyde despite the fact they had spent the whole film robbing places and killing people.

Bonnie and Clyde, New Hollywood

Bonnie and Clyde – New Hollywood

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Warren Beatty- Clyde Barrow

He was already a star before this. Bonnie and Clyde was a Star Vehicle for him. He was most known for his role in Splendour in the grass, his debut film. Before this he had won some awards for his only work on stage. Along with tis he had previously made appearances on Television in shows like The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, which he stayed on for its first season. After Bonnie and Clyde’s success, Beatty was able to gain a role in films like ‘Bugsy’ (1991) and ‘Shampoo’ (1975) which he also co-wrote.

Faye Dunaway- Bonnie Parker

She was originally a Broadway actress before starring in Bonnie and Clyde. She performed in shows like ‘A Man for All Seasons’ and ‘After the Fall’. While Bonnie and Clyde was her raise to fame, it was not her screen debut, that was ‘The Happening’ where she was recognised by critics for her talents. That role was what got her hired for Bonnie, as Penn thought that her performance in it proved that she had the face for screen. After Bonnie and Clyde her roles included roles in The Handmaid’s tale (1990) and Arizona Dream (1994)

Michael J. Pollard- C.W. Moss

Pollard was chosen for the role by Beatty, as they knew each other due to them performing together on Broadway, likely in ‘A Loss of Roses’ in 1960. Before Bonnie and Clyde, Pollard had a few television appearances, notably in an adaptation of The Human Comedy. Due to him being known for his short stature, he was able to get younger roles into his thirties, such as small roles in ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Lost In Space’ While C.W. Moss was his best known role he has also had roles in Little Fauss and ‘Big Halsy’ and ‘Dirty Little Billy’.

Gene Hackman- Buck Barrow

Beatty saw him in his first credited screen role ‘Lilith’ (1964) and thought he was ‘a great actor’. He was on Broadway briefly in Children From Their Games, but had multiple stage appearances off Broadway in shows like ‘The Saintliness of Margery Kempe’ and ‘Come to the Palace of Sin’. After Bonnie and Clyde, he got a breakthrough role in ‘The French Connection’.

Estelle Parsons- Blanche Barrow

Parsons made her Broadway debut in 1956 in the musical ‘Happy Hunting’. After Bonnie and Clyde, she was nominated for her work in ‘Rachel, Rachel’ the following year. She has also portrayed Lady Macbeth on the stage in 1978.

Denver Pyle- Frank Hamer

Pyle’s screen debut came in 1947 in the movie Devil ship. Pyle had many roles in television as well, such as on ‘The Range Rider’, ’The Duke of Hazzard’ and ‘The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams’.

Dub Taylor- Ivan Moss

He had his screen debut in 1938 in ‘You Can’t Take It with You’. In 1939, Taylor get the part of Cannonball in ‘Taming of the West’, a character he would continue to play for 10 years. He was mainly known as a western actor.

Gene Wilder- Eugene Grizzard

Bonnie and Clyde was Wilder’s screen debut. before then, he had mainly been a stage actor, acting in shows like ‘The Complacent Lover’ and ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Next’. His most well known role is his portrait of Willy Wonka in the 1971 adaptation of ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’

Mise-en-Scene:

Locations and Sets – Bonnie and Clyde was largely filmed in Texas rather than in Holly wood. This was done firstly to try and stop studio interference and secondly because the real Bonnie and Clyde where from Texas. The locations that where filmed in where largely real places rather than studio backlot stages. The interiors where all made to represent the films time period (the 1930s)

Clothing – While most of the costume design is time period accurate, Bonnie is the exception. Her outfits are much more 60s inspired and went on to influence the fashion of the time period.

Props – All of the cars where leant to the studio by a collector, and are all from the 1930s.

Editing:

the editing in Bonnie and Clyde is very inspired by the French New wave, this is evident in the opening scene of this film. Instead of having an establishing long shot like Casablanca, Bonnie and Clyde starts with a close up on Bonnie’s mouth, it shifting to her in the mirror. This opening scene tries to show more metaphorically than literally, by showing her clutching the bars on her bedframe it tells the audience that she feels unhappy, or trapped in her current life, which is when Clyde appears outside, the man who will change her life and make her feel that freedom that she is longing for in that moment. As well as this, the editing takes heavy inspiration from the French New Wave in other ways, such as its snappy cuts, which goes against the typical old Hollywood style film. this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t take anything from the Old Hollywood style, it uses techniques like a ‘shot, reverse, shot’ when characters are talking to each other

Sound:

Underscoring– The underscore of Bonnie and Clyde is most prevalent during the car chase scenes, where blue grass style music is played in the background. This gives the, what would usually be intense, scene a sense of joy and whimsy. But this music will cut out when it is needed, which gives the audience the audible que that the scene has lost that sense of fun and is now much more serious. this is best seen towards the end of the Film where CW Moss’ father is meeting with someone and the music that had carried on from the previous scene of Bonnie and Clyde in the field is suddenly cut off when it is revealed that the person he was meeting with was Frank Hamer, the cop who is after Bonnie and Clyde. This sudden shift in tone with the audio tells the audience that this is a bad thing without the need for any dialogue. It is also used to establish scenes, like when Bonnie meets with her Mother. A small piece of music is played to establish the scene

Sound Motifs– Sound motifs are somewhat present in the film. The main one being the upbeat blue grass music in the car chases. The blue grass style music is meant to evoke the feeling of the great depression which further ground the film in its time period.

Sound Mixing- Music will suddenly cut out to evoke emotions in the audience. The sound director Dede Allan was one of the first people to utilise the technique of sound bridging (L/J-cuts). this can be seen in the scenes that play following most of the car chases. This helps to suddenly change to tone of a scene.

Aesthetics:

Realism– The movie takes heavy inspiration from the realism used in French new wave. this is accomplished by the sets being real places, which grounds the film in reality.

Tone– The tone in Bonnie and Clyde is constantly shifting. As said previously, the tone can shift from fun and whimsical with the car chases to very serious once a force that could endanger Bonnie and Clyde seriously comes into play, such as Frank Hamer at the end of the film.

Visual Style– the movie is very realistic with its lighting. the visual style takes inspiration from the French new wave with the cinematography (i.e. extreme close ups).

Representations:

Men-

Clyde and Buck are fearless and don’t show much emotion when committing their crimes, Moss is not like that (panic in cinema 29:11) and stays emotional throughout the film (1:22:32) but does drive them to get help when they get shot (1:28:29). Clyde is less intimate than Bonnie and shows some reluctance about it until the end of the film (32:54) (1:40:14) which was not conventional of men at tis time, making him less stereotypical.

Women-

They are shown as emotional (blanche) (bonnie getting emotional over her mother). Bonnie is shown to be just as bad as Clyde and so is seen as dangerous rather than timid. Bonnie is a revolutionary character for the time, being a lot more sexual and forward about that with Clyde. This is important because of the climate about sexuality from around the time, having the Counterculture movement be quite popular around the time. This sensuality about her is made clear from the very beginning when she is in her room nude, and the shot of her lips are the very beginning already telling the audience abut her focus on her looks.

Authority Figures-

Frank Hamer is made fun of at the beginning of the film when they humiliate him in the forest. (52:10) but then he comes back and is eventually the man who gets Bonnie and Clyde killed. Bonnie and Clyde are constantly running from Authorities in the movie, so the audience automatically buts them in a sort of villain role for the movie. The scenes are played off as comical with the music in the background putting that to the forefront. This makes the audience feel as if, while threatening to the protagonists, the Authorities are a joke in the context f the movie.

People of Colour-

There are only a few people on colour featured in the movie, and none of them have lines. There was racism in the south at the time. One of them is working with the farm family at the beginning

Working Class Americans-

Bonnie feels trapped in her old job at the beginning of the movie, this is shown visually at the beginning of the film with her reaching at her bedframe, giving the illusion tat they are some sort of prison bars. Which could also be taken a foreshadowing to her life in crime. She sees crime as her only way out of her current life. One of the banks that they rob is actually closing down, which shows that they’re not making enough money to keep themselves open. Towards the beginning of the film, Bonnie and Clyde take shelter in an unoccupied farm house, they are found in it as they are practicing shooting, and they find out the family who used o own the place had it taken from them by the bank. They give the farmer a gun to shoot at the house, which shows the attitudes towards the bank at the time, especially by Farmers.

Political and Social contexts:

When the film was being made, there was a large push by the American Counter Culture movement for a more Liberal society. This is impactful because the character of Bonnie is very aligned with the ideas of this time. She was much more sensual which was one of the things they advocated for, the idea of sexual liberation as well as the avocation for women’s rights. Along with this, due to the ongoing Vietnam war, Penn decided that more graphic violence would be needed for the film to reflect the society of the time.

While the context for the time period the movie is set in is the great depression. This was caused by the wall street crash in 1929, this caused a serious loss in money for almost everyone in American society. This can be seen in the film by the banks closing down and the farmers who had their property repossessed by the banks that are losing their money.

Casablanca

Casablanca

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Humphrey Bogart- Rick Blaine

before Casablanca he specialised in gangster movies. a leading man. He not had worked with Warner brothers as a leading man before, and never as a a romantic lead. He was ‘recognised as being a character actor’ and ‘being tough without a gun’. Which is a large difference from his previous roles. He had been mainly convicts and gangsters and other gritty roles, so this role was a large switch for him. He was on contract with Warner Brothers. Ronald Raegan was originally considered for this role.

Ingrid Bergman- Ilsa Lund

it wasn’t a decision from the start to have a foreign female lead. She was cast to be a more exotic pick other than being attractive. She had previous acting credits on screen and on stage. Casablanca was an early one of her American films. Americans typically like European accents.

Paul Henreid- Victor Lazlo

Austrian American actor, director, producer and writer. He was in films like ‘Night Train to Munich'(1940) and ‘Now, Voyager'(1942)

Claude Rains- Captain Louis Renult

British American actor. Worked for 65 years as an actor. He was in films like ‘The invisible Man'(1933) and ‘Phantom of the Opera'(1943). Won the ‘best actor in a play’ Tony award in 1951 for ‘Darkness at Noon’.

Sydney Greenstreet- Signor Ferrari

British American actor. He was in film like ‘The Maltese Falcon'(1941) and ‘Passage to Marseille'(1944). Started his acting career in a 1902 production of Sherlock Holmes.

Peter Lorre- Ugarte

Hungarian American actor. He was in films like ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much'(1934) and ‘M'(1934). He was originally an active actor in Europe before moving to America.

S.Z. Sakall- Carl

Hungarian American actor. He was in films like ‘Christmas in Connecticut'(1945) and ‘Lullaby of Broadway'(1951).

Dooley Wilson- Sam

American actor. He is in films like ‘My Favourite Blonde'(1942) and ‘Stormy Weather'(1943). Began performing at 7 years old, in churches.

Madeline Lebeau- Yvonne

French actress. She was in films like ‘Hold Back the Dawn'(1941) and ‘Gentleman Jim'(1942). She lived Paris until she fled in 1940 because of the German invasion.

Joy Page- Annina Brandel

American actress. She was in films like ‘Kismet'(1944) and the first season of ‘The Swamp Fox'(1959)

John Qualen- Berger

American actor. He was in films like ‘The Grapes of Wrath'(1940) and ‘His Girl Friday'(1940). He also appeared in plays such as ‘Street Scene’ and ‘Arrowsmith’

Michael Curtiz- director

Hungarian. works on 173 films for WB over 40 years. HE has knowledge on what it is like leaving Europe. His job is making sure everyone in on top of their game. His use of camera movement was impressive in the film. His use of dolly shots broke away from the norm, making the scenes look like a dance, having both the camera and the actors moving. Most of the extras he cast where refugees/immigrants in real life as well as on stage. this is so they have the actual experience of leaving their country and feeling before, so they are able to portray these same feelings on screen. Their passion comes through in the scene where the patrons all sing the French National Anthem. 34 different nationalities are represented in front and behind the camera. the film is a studio’ed film, so there is contracted stars in this.

The script for the play Casablanca is based on ‘Everybody Comes to Rick’s’ arrives at WB the day after Pearl Harbour (the Japanese bombed the American fleet in Hawaii. an unprovoked attack).

Warner brothers was known as the Gangster studio in its early days.

The producer is the one who oversees all of the behind the scenes aspects of production. Hal Wallace was the Producer on Casablanca. Mainly the producer will be the one to get the team of writers together and secure the rights for the script. They may also make changes to the script (i.e. making the female lead non-American), they will often do this to suit their message better (make her more sympathetic to American audiences so they feel sympathetic towards Europeans.)

Mise-en-Scene in Casablanca

The lighting in Casablanca is used to create mood. Without colour, it only has blacks, whites and greys to work with. The lighting plays a key role in this, As darker colours can be used to represent intimacy, such as when Rick and Ilsa are dancing. In this scene, they are lit from behind and a shadow is cast over their faces, only showing the prominent details of their faces. As well as this, the costuming plays another large role in Casablanca. The characters the audience is meant to be sympathetic with and root for are in pale colours, usually white, the colours associated with good. While the characters we are meant to be against are all in darker colours, usually black, this again references the common trope of the bad characters wearing black. the props that where used for Casablanca

Editing in Casablanca

The editing that was used in Casablanca was the popular style of editing at the time, Invisible editing. This style was used so the audience could stay invested in the Film. It makes sure that the continuity of the movie is straight forward, going from start to middle to end.

Sound in Casablanca

there is a repeated sound motif with the use of the song as time goes by, and the section that Ilsa hums. It is put into a lot of the score.

Aesthetics in Casablanca

The locations where all purpose built for Casablanca. They where made based off of a few photos that had been taken years earlier, since it was mid war, they couldn’t fly over as they pleased. So the film takes on an idealistic view of Casablanca.

Themes and issues:

isolationism – the choice to remain apart from interests of other countries political affairs.

what was Americas view on world war 2 – they where unsure on if they should get involved in a European war. This links to rick because he didn’t want to get into the war until it concerned him, then he began to help. at the start of ww2, 96% of Americans didn’t want to get involved with the phoney war in Europe.

Rick is an isolationist/cynical character, but by the end he has helped people and became a sentimentalist and much more patriotic.

Representation in Casablanca

women- women are portrayed to be weak and emotional in the movie. they are also used as plot devices to forward the male characters. While Ilsa is a central character, she is used as Rick’s love interest to make him look better. they are treated like things to be protected.

men- they are shown as very dominant, because of how they are all in the roles of power. Rick is the one running the place. they are shown as violent.

authority figures- they are all men. there are no women in positions of power in this, reinforcing the idea of the time that women cannot be in positions of power.

people of colour- the only POC that is predominantly featured in Casablanca is Sam. he is shown in as a positive character. He has always been playing music for Rick, following him from place to place.

Americans- they are shown in a savior type role. the movie is very patriotic and rick is shown as a hero by having him let Ilsa escape with her husband.

Europeans- Europeans are shown in a positive light, as they all rise to sing La Marseillaise. This is a representation of hope from the occupation of Germans.

Political and Social Contexts in Casablanca

Allies – Great Britain, USA, USSR

Axis – Germany, Italy, Japan

France- Originally an allied power but surrendered to Germany. Some soldiers and generals want to fight on, (free French – allies) Vichy France is a territory and it has its own government, basically just the Germans. Vichy France controls Casablanca (not the film)

Casablanca is in Morocco, it is part of French territory.

“it captures the zeitgeist”: Zeitgeist – the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history (shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time)

the war starts in 1939, America joins in 1941 because Japan bombed Pearl Harbour

Operation Torch – an allied invasion of French North Africa in the second world war (November 1942)

Casablanca has its world Premiere on November 26 1942 in New York. goes on General release in January 1943.

Casablanca Conference – a meeting between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill in Casablanca. It most notably finalised the plans for a policy of an ‘Unconditional surrender’ (January 1943)

In the Cinema they would have movie reels, like in news. They learn about the war through these reels and through the radio and news papers.

Serendipity – luck or chance.

Casablanca

Casablanca First Response

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Rating: 6/10

I can see why Casablanca is enjoyed by a large number of Film fans, the cinematography and lighting is great and definitely one of the stage out aspects of it. I personally couldn’t get into the story that much.

Stand out scene:

I think the stand out scene for me was when Ilsa asks Sam to play ‘As Time Goes By’. I think it is a good insight to her character and how she is still attached to her past with Rick.

Hollywood

the birth of Hollywood

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1900-1930

1 – why did film makers and producters move to hollywood?

to avoid Thomas Edison’s film laws

2 – two actors and directors/producers from the silent era:

actors: Charlie Chaplin – known for The Kid, Modern Times and his character of The Tramp

King Baggot – known for Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Ivanhoe and he was also a director for movies such as Tumbleweeds and The Home Maker.

directors:

Buster Keaton – known for The General, Seven Chances and was also an actor.

Sergei Eisenstein – known for Battleship Potemkin, Alexander Nevsky and Strike.

pictures: The general and battleship Potemkin

3 – in what ways were the early Hollywood studio system like a factory or production lines? or football teams?

the main roles of the film making process where split up into many different roles so multiple projects could be being made at the same time. if actors where not doing well, they could have their contract cut short

4- When and what was the first ‘talking picture’?

the jazz singer – 1927

5 – why did the end of the silent era cause problems for some performers in the film industry?

their voices (funny or thick accent)

6 – what was happening at the time in America?

world war one 1914, wall street crash 1929, great depression 1929

The golden age of Hollywood 1930-47:

1 – what where the big 5 studios and what movies did they made

MGM – Wizard of Oz

Paramount – Shanghai Express

RKO – Bringing up Baby

20th Century FOX – How Green Was My Valley

Warner Brothers – Footlight Parade

2 – Vertical Integration: where one company would own every aspect of the film’s production (the making, advertising, distribution and exhibition)

Block booking: ensuring that seats will be filled (the act of owning the theaters as well as the movies themselves)

3- why and when did the original studio system collapse?

1948 – united states versus Paramount Pictures.

this case argued that by owning all aspects of production, it was ruining competition.

4- what was happened in america at the time

the great depression/wall street crash

5- what genres where popular at the time? and why would people go to the movies in this time period?

musicals, westerns and gangster movies. people would go as a form of escapism, because of how bad their lives where outside of the movies.

Classical Hollywood Style

Invisible Style of Storytelling- making the editing style of the movie not noticeable by the audience to keep them immersed in the movie. focused on the Plot and Character development, it is told Chronologically.

Continuity Editing- blending multiple camera shots together to create a consistent and cohesive narrative.

Uncategorised

Film Noir

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Definition- a genre or style of film that is typically a thriller or detective film made mainly during 1944-1954 that are in black and white. The use of black and white is usually done to visually show the divide between a good and evil force. The characters are usually pessimistic or menacing.

Classic Noir:

Strangers on a Train -1951

Neo Noir:

The Lighthouse – 2019

This is England

This is England: Micro Elements

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Cinematography:

During this sequence Shaun is talking to Combo, their conversation is boosted by the use of cutting between extreme close ups of each other. During this scene Combo is acting like a father figure to Shaun, so the closeness could be a representation of that.

Mise-en-Scene:

during this scene, you can easily tell that this house has been run down for years, but judging by the small glimpse of Shaun’s house, you can assume that even before is was abandoned, it still wouldn’t have been in the best state. This is connoting that the area they live in is run down. This is shown by the dim lighting, the chipping paint on the walls, the already broken debris on the countertop and the dust/sawdust on the floors.

Editing:

The opening to This is England is is edited with cuts to what looks like mixes of tv recordings and home videos, this helps to put the audience into the mindset of the time. It also helps ground the story and subtly show what the main plot points will be about. The stark contrast between the clips at the beginning and end help encapsulate the mindset of the time. The imagery going from videos of live performances and people dancing in clubs, to images of war and the people effected by it.

Sound:

music is a large part of This is England, as most alternative subcultures have a style of music they are associated with. Along with this, there is a large amount of popular music from the time period. this is displayed in the opening scene, where the 1968 ska song ’54-46 Was my Number’ is playing in the background. Ska along with Soul, R&B and early reggae where popular with skinheads during this time.

This is England

This is England: Representation

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Young people:

while most of the People Shaun hangs out with are young adults, the youngest character is Shaun himself. At the beginning the movie he is portrayed as short tempered and naïve. This aspect of him is later taken advantage of by Combo and his group to make Shaun start to hold nationalistic ideals.

Older people:

Combo is the best example of an older person in This is England. He is shown at first to be a well meaning but badly executing man, but later he is shown as borderline psychopathic. He is almost a father figure towards Shaun, so when he starts to take him to these nationalist events/meetings, he trusts him and where he holds his views.

Class:

the main class of people represented in This is England is lower class people. The areas that they are shown to live in/hang out in are often run down or in a not great condition. This is giving the audience the impression that lower class areas are more run down. it is best shown in the scene when Shaun wakes up, because you can see his wall in the back is damaged and hasn’t been fixed.

English people:

A huge part of This is England is the idea of nationalism. The idea that a lot of the cast are very proud about being English is most exemplified by the scene where Combo is asking Milky if he considers himself English, there is a sense of tension and suspense that is weighted on his answer.

People of colour:

A lot of the movie hinges on the idea of nationalism, which itself is grounded in racist ideology. This is best shown through the sequence that leads up to Combo robbing the corner store. You see him teaching Shaun slurs and hateful language to use against the man in the shop, who he interacted with at the beginning of the film. During this robbery, an extreme act of violence, or at least the threat of it, takes place. By showing that Combo would gladly pull out a machete and threaten this man’s life with it, it shows his hatred so much more than just him teaching Shaun how to speak. Along with this, Combo is the main portrayer of violence, both in general and towards people of colour. This is once again shown by the scene where he beats Milky almost to death, purely for speaking about his family.

Men/ the idea of masculinity:

Masculinity is a very important part of Combo’s character. this is best exemplified in the scene right after he bead Milky to near death. Shaun is crying over this because he cares for Milky and his safety, while Combo shouts at him to help him carry Milky. During his shouting, he tells Shaun that men don’t cry, which was a common term used by people at that time to teach young boys about masculinity. He is also seen in an earlier scene trying not to cry after he was rejected by Lol, he responds to this feeling of sadness with violence, which could have lead to the later outburst with Milky, because he viewed himself as less masculine so had to prove himself to himself that he is still masculine, by teaching a young boy the same ideals that he learnt.

Women:

Women take less of a main role as the male characters do in This is England, but are shown in a way that is mean to mimic real life, showing how they themselves can be confident, but also showing the struggles that come with being a woman. This is best shown in the scene where Combo pressures Lol into following him to his car while she is on her way to work. Combo is shown to be praying apon her, as he talks bout a night they had together, Lol clarifying that it was the worst of her life, while Combo saying it was the best. She puts herself forward and makes it known that she doesn’t want that, showing that she can be domineering and stern. He clearly doesn’t get the idea that Lol probably didn’t want anything to do with him after that, so still continues to try and talk her into a relationship while she declines. But women are also shown to be in that same situation, with characters like Smell, who accepts Shaun’s offer of being his girlfriend, despite the fact she herself is 18 and Shaun is 12.