Rating 8/10
I really enjoyed this film, i think the cinematography is unique to previous stuff i have seen before. I think the love story combined to the gangster aspect was setting a path for a new sub-genre of two partners in crime being lovers. A scene that sticks out to me is the opening scene of the film, I think the way Penn camera moved and follows Bonnie’s actions is seamless and a unique shot.
First response
Rating- 8/10
I think this movie is shot well and uses continuity editing well allowing you to watch the film without being completely aware of cuts. I think the story is timeless allowing it to be watched as entertainment instead of studying or learning from it. An iconic scene from this film for me is the final scene when rick lets Elsa leave Casablanca without him, it is memorable as i think its shot beautifully while capturing the characters felling and emotions towards the bitter sweet ending.
Hungarian director, made 173 films for warner brothers so he has knowledge of what its like leaving Europe. majority of the extras themselves where immigrants, therefore they where all portraying a experience they have lived. when they play the characters there is a huge amount of empathy and emotion when playing these roles for them.
Michael curtiz use of camera was unique, he broke away from the norm of the “Hollywood style” as the camera was usually kept still whereas he was moving the camera and the actors. the use of camera to actor choreography was key.
“Everyone comes to ricks” was received the day after the pearl harbour the Japanese bombed the American fleet in Hawaii at Perl harbour, Japan declared war on America. Boats where destroyed and people where killed. It was sent to many film composers however only 2 agreed to make it a movie, warner bros being the one to come out on top.
Within Casablanca mise en scene the set is designed to be very theatrical as at this time this was seen as real cinema. within the sets it was filled with plants and dangly lamps. with the use of painting with light the scenes where filled with shadows creating it to almost seem as though the characters are trapped, alluding to them being trapped in Casablanca.
This picture encapsulates Casablanca’s mise en scene with the set, it looks theatrical which was intend at the time of making, as it was seen as “real cinima”. It has got plants and shutters to create shadows and meaning with light.
The pacing of this movie is to make it feel as though it is short, however it is just he style of editing used. The toes from each shot are blended well by the editor though this the editor gives glances of movement, an example of this is the “22 scene” where rick is trying to help the woman’s husband gather enough money to leave Casablanca showing moments of emotion through rick.
In this scene the camera cuts quickly to show everyone’s facial expressions.
Music in Casablanca was constructed by Max Steiner, his music score was iconic to the film. the sound was dramatic and sometimes patriotic (seen in the singing scene) but the backing track of the film “time goes by” was originally not wanted to be in the film by Steiner however Ingrid refused and believed it should be in there. Within Steiner’s input to Casablanca it would be almost impossible to watch due to how much affect and emotion the score adds.
This scene where Elsa askes Sam to play “time goes by” in the introduction the the films score. This scene is iconic for its way of being shot beautifully paired with the melodic music. Giving a perfect basis for rick and Elsa’s meet cute.
The aesthetic through the film was tropical and forest-like, to the way Ingrid dresses and spoke to the set and to the extras the movie was supposed to be seen as exotic. In Ricks Americana there are plants covering the place and steam is produced from the bar to insinuate heat an tropical aspects. The use of lighting in this black and white film was crucial to create meaning and to add to the film noir aesthetic of it. the use of dark an light helps the story string along giving meanings behind the light and dark in some moments.
This scene depicts Casablanca’s aesthetic scene perfectly. Tt shows the elements the use of shadows and light adds to the film, the palm leaves reflecting in the back links to the “tropical” “exotic” theme.
There is a surprising amount of different kinds of people in Casablanca due to the nature of the story. the cast and extras where all most likely immigrants from around the world and where essentially playing roles similar to their personal experiences. The representation of women in the film are conventional to the time it was made, there is very little black representation in the film with there being only one black character, Sam. However black representation at all was out of the ordinary for this day and age therefore it is breaking the stereotype.
Casablanca hit a nerve for American audiences as it made them see light, victory. after Casablanca was made there was an invasion of Casablanca therefore this movies timing was vital as that was the talk of the news. there was a clear sense of patriotism through the film for French and American audiences.
Humphrey bogart- rick Blaine. his movies before Casablanca where all mostly gangster films. he had worked with warner bros before and they where building him to be a leading man, however he had never played a role like this before.
Ingrid Bergman – in Hollywood it wasn’t common foreign actors staring in movies however they wanted their love interest to be exotic and interesting for the American audience. she was 26 when she was cast, her first American role was a remake of a film she already did which was Swedish.
Paul Henreid was an Austrian-American actor, director, producer, and writer. He is best remembered for several film roles during the Second World War, including Capt. Karl Marsen in Night Train to Munich, Victor Laszlo in Casablanca and Jerry Durrance in Now, Voyager.
British American film actor, his acting debut was “the invisible man”.
German- British actor, previously famous from roles like “different from others” and the man who laughs.
his acting career began at age 61 his breakthrough role being the maltase falcon (1941).
He was a Hungarian-American actor who starred in “The Maltese falcon” , being his acting debut.
Hungarian actor who’s first big role was Casablanca. Moved from Hungary to America to pursue acting.
American film actress her most notable role was Casablanca
He was an American singer and actor with his most prominent role in Casablanca as Sam. he toured the world playing music in London and pars.
She was an American actor her most famous role being Casablanca.
John Qualen was an American character actor of Norwegian heritage who specialized in Scandinavian roles.
1. Why did film makers and producers
move to Hollywood?
Filmmakers moved to Hollywood in the early 1900s to avoid the costs of Edison’s patents
2. Name some of the big stars, directors
and pictures from the Silent Era of
Hollywood? (at least TWO of each)
3. In what ways were the early Hollywood
studio system like a factory or
production line or even the Premier League (football)?
stars, directors, writers, and crew all worked under long-term contracts. This setup allowed studios to produce films efficiently and consistently, creating a stronghold on the American entertainment landscape.
4. When and what was the first “talking
picture”?
The Jazz Singer1927
5. Why did the end of the silent era cause
problems for some performers working
in the film industry?
Many actors left their film careers due to voice issues
6.What was happening in America
(and around the world) at this time?
The great depression
Hollywood studio system-
2. RKO was known for things like musicals
3. paramount pictures was known for European films
4. MGM where known for their high budget comedy’s, melodramas
5. Fox was known for bigger more artistic and award winning films.
Within film the idea of invisible style is keeping the visuals beautiful and enticing but not distracting away from the narrative of the story. This allows the viewers to be more immersed into the narrative rather than the background.
2. what is continuity editing?
The use of editing to correctly string along the narrative of the story keeping it all cohesive.
Director: Dan Gilroy
aesthetic is the overall view and representation a person or place gives off due to its or their features such as clothes hair makeup etc.
verisimilitude: in film means the appearance being true or real.
eg- the realistic life’s of teenagers and their troubles highs and lows etc.
social realism: to give the audience a true sense of what the lives of these characters are like, and the social issues that are happening at the time.
eg- the events surrounding society ant its beliefs when this film was set.
magic realism: portrays fantastical events in an otherwise realistic tone
eg- the fantastical events within this film are shown to be realistic.
hyperreality: a condition in which what is real and what is fiction are seamlessly blended together so that there is no clear distinction between where one ends and the other begins.
eg- the idea that within Truman’s life none is entirely sure what real and what’s fake.
iconography: the use of recurring visual images and symbols in movies that convey specific themes, evoke emotions, and build a film’s narrative identity.
eg- the reoccurring bunny rabbit though the film while the plot thickens
intertextual referencing: when a piece of art is mentioned, examples being a book, a poem, another film etc..
eg- the mentions of all the literature within this film
visual/ sound motifs: sound or visual elements in film that reoccur to help tell the characters story.
eg-“number one rule about fight club” repetition
colour grading: putting a filter or a certain filter over a film to suit the mood or set a tone.
eg- summery and vibrant to match the contents of the film.
auteur trademarks- a directors following theme of vibe throughout there films
eg- Jordan Peele, reoccurring theme of black representation in horror films, realistic representation of fear.
pathos: an appeal to the audiences emotions. sad moments
Ethos- is a persuasive technique that appeals to an audience by highlighting credibility
bathos- anti-climax, unintentional lapse in mood.
suspense- a film that puts you on edge and unknowing of what’s to come.
dramatic irony- when the audience knows something that the character does not.
distancing effect- something to remind the viewers that it is just a story and to not get too emotionally invested in it.
post-modern humour: when a film has embraced multiple genres and embracing absurdity and breaking conventions.
In this movie the soundtrack is a very crucial thing, a example of this is the use of the smiths song please, please, please, let me get what i want in the final scene, i think the use of a sad song for this scene makes the viewers feel something for shauns character however it also indicates a new beginning for shaun and shows that things are going to go uphill for him as he is letting go of the racist beliefs he was taught.
The use of cinematography in this film is represented well in this image, this long shot of combos white supremacist group with combo placed in the middle shows how combo has such control on everyones a d their beliefs and how he is the most powerful of the group.
The use of editing and montage in this film helps establish to the audience not only the timeframe in which the movie is set but also the conflict in england at the time, and that people in england, like combo are focusing on the wrong problem.
In this film the elements of mise en scene are crucial to help viewers understand the context of production, the use of costume in this film establishes to audience that it is set in the 80s with the characters wearing high top doc martin boots and tight jeans with suspenders, the style of clothing also helps the viewers understand that majority of the characters are skinheads. The setting establishes that shaun is brought up in a working class area living in a large estate with small houses and run down corner shops.
I enjoyed this movie, however mostly for the message it was trying to get across to its viewers. I enjoyed the aspect of setting and costume as it seemed authentic to the 80s. With the use of a young boy being the main protagonist of the film is interesting as it shows all the racist ideology’s he was exposed to while being surrounded by the wrong crowd, I believe this film represents how racism is taught and is not ideas young people come up with on their own. A memorable scene in this movie was when milky and combo where talking in the apartment before combo beat him up, this scene was so memorable as it showed the sheer disrespect people have to deal with daily due to their race, the emotional aspect of makes it more impactful and powerful.
All aspects of film form including narrative contribute to the representations of cultures and societies (gender, ethnicity and age) including the ideological nature of those representation.
Ideology is set ideas
age
ethnicity
costume
facial expression
body language
Ideas that aren’t progressive and confining certain types of people into set categories based on gender, race, class etc.
The idea of braking away from set ideas and breaking harmful stereotypes. Example: a black president of America.
Sarah Conner in terminator one is represented as a young ditsy waitress, falling in the the stereotype that all women are girly and aren’t fit to do action and violence. however in the second film she transformed into nan action heroine to be a powerful woman with ability’s and skills to yield weapons and kill bad guys, this countertype wasn’t common for the release date of the film. you can see the difference between the two images and can see the large difference between the character in the two films, number one being her dressed in pink with soft feminine makeup, and number two her holding large weapon in a harsh black tank top showing her new muscular build, with her hair pulled into a messy ponytail with visors on showing her to be ready for action and combat.
1.WHO IS DOING THE REPRESENTATION? (DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT)
The director, Danny Boyle is choosing who and what is being represented.
2.WHO IS BEING REPRESENTED ? (Identify specific social groups)
There is representation of poor working class, representation of Scotland in the 1980s, representation of drugs, representation of drug addicts, representation of friendship, representation of sobriety.
3.WHAT SOCIAL GROUPS ARE OMITTED FROM THE REPRESENTATIONS?
There is very little representation of women positively as they are shown in not very positive light, no representation of any different races or different ethnicity’s other than white people, there is no representation of any lgbtq characters.
4.WHAT MESSAGES ABOUT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS ARE BEING CONVEYED?
It is conveyed that people who live in poverty throw their life’s away for drugs sex and alcohol, it shows that the poor will continue to be poor as they don’t try to achieve goals.
5.WHICH CHARACTERS OR SOCIAL GROUPS HAVE POWER WITHIN THE REPRESENTATIONS?
the characters in authority in this movie are the police, the parents, and the drug house runner. this shows that the only time people are in power are people who have something the characters want *(drugs) or have a higher social ranking.
6.DO THE CHARACTERS ADHERE TO OR CHALLENGE STEREOTYPES?
the characters adhere to stereotypes such as. women are only there for a relationship or sex. that all drug addicts are dirty and grimy. that people with addictions are irresponsible and do nothing but do drugs.
7.ARE THE CHARACTERS TYPICAL OF FILMS IN THAT GENRE?
the characters id say for a “black comedy” all act reasonably to fit the genre, as they still keep the film heavy and emotional yet still having the right comedic timing.
8.WHAT DO REPRESENTATIONS TELL AUDIENCES ABOUT SOCIETY AT THE TIME THE FILM WAS MADE AND/OR SET?
It shows within society that drugs where too normalised and by realising the film they shown people what drugs does to peoples lives.
9.HOW ARE ELEMENTS OF FILM FORM (MISE EN SCENE/PERFORMANCE/SOUND/EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY) BEING USED TO CONTRUCT THE REPRESENTATIONS?
The use of mise en scene depicts the reality of low class Scotland in the 1980s by showing their homes and the crack den to be mostly unpleasant. the performance of the actors shows the look and tries to convey the feeling of drugs to the audience. the editing in times shows the hallucinations of the main character, Renton.
Initial response: 6/10
This movie is raw and real showing the realistic effects of drug abuse with out glorifying it, that is why I believe it is good. However I found it difficult to stay focused as the plot line seemed a little weak, however I understand that its necessary for it to be like that for this movies subject. It shows getting clean from substance isn’t a straight road to recovery and becomes repetitive much like the movie.
During the beginning of the movie the main character Mark Renton runs along the streets of Scotland reciting the iconic “choose life” monologue accompanied with “lust for life” by Iggy Pop. The diegetic monologue is upbeat and positive, opposing the contents on the movie by this it adds more interest within the viewer.
The use of the colouring in this film is unique and interesting, as this photo not only depicts lots of colours of all the apartment curtains, yet it still manages to be so glum and drained of life, almost allowing you to see the world the way mark does. The lighting in this is dull and lifeless incorporating more into the depressing vibe the movie gives off. The set on this movie depicts the reality of the working class in the 1980s.
The use of editing in this film is crucial to represent what Renton feels and sees when he is high. This creates a connection between the audience and Rendon by taking a look into his mind while he is in euphoria.
the use of cinematography in trainspotting is crucial within this movie to create affect for the audience. The use of this medium close up eye level shot allows the reader to see Renton and get a better grasp of his emotions.