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Pan's Labyrinth, Uncategorised

Pans Labyrinth

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First Impressions

Rating – 7/10  

  • My first impressions of Pan’s Labyrinth were that it was better than I thought it was going to be. Although it was in a different language, I thought you could really connect with the character and feel their emotions through the acting. The acting and facial expressions was good, this made the film seem easier to follow. I thought the Mise-en- scene was good and the props and costume helped to establish the time this film was set in. The most memorable scene for me was when Ofelia went down to the pale men and ate some food when she wasn’t supposed. I really liked this seen because at the end when she is trying to escape there is intense music, that feels like it is speeding up when Ofelia is being chase by the pale man and trying to escape. As the audience the music helped me feel more worried for Ofelia because she was vulnerable.  

10 things that the viewer knows in the 1st 10 mins.

1.  set in Spain in 1944
2. a young girl dies
3.  set in like a fantasy story
4. Ofelia likes reading book set in a fantasy world
5. Her other is pregnant and quite ill
6. the mother and daughter are moving from city to country
7.  Ofelia’s real dad isn’t here anymore, and the captain is not her real dad
8. Ofelia and the captain do not get along that well. The captain is a harsh person and isn’t very nice.
9. Mercedes is a nurturing person who works as a type of servant for the captain
10. there is a labyrinth near by

  • Cinematic breakdown of the 1st 3 mins.

The camera is at a canted angle and pans from what looks like a wall to Ofelia who is laying down covered in blood. The canted shot shows the distorted and uncomfortable vibe of Ofelia who looks severely injured and looks like she could pass at any time. The camera then zooms into Ofelia eye and takes us into a mystical world. The camera than tracks left to right in this world to show the audience this mysterious place. Then the camera tracks in to shows stairs and this girl running which creates the feeling that Ofelia is trying to runaway from something.

Micro-elements:

  • Sound

The Sound Design of the effects that accompany the violence is very realistic. This is most likely enhanced in post-production by Foley artists. As parts of this film fit a horror genre this adds to the horror and emotional impact of those violent actions on the viewer. There is also a music motif in the Lullaby that is sung to Ofelia. It can be diegetic when sung by an on-screen character (the mother or Mercedes) but it becomes the theme tune for the film taking on a number of different musical forms (orchestral) adding to the suspense in places or the emotional state of Ofelia (rather like the ‘Time Goes By’ tune is manipulated in ‘Casablanca’.

  • Cinematography

5.50 shows a slightly high angle mid close up shot of a watch, this watch is being held by the captain to shows his higher status and he is powerful. Making Ofelia and her mother in the car seem vulnerable as we can tell they are late due to the close up of the watch and the diegetic sound of the watching ticking. Furthermore the over the shoulder shot of the captain taking to Carmen shows his manipulation although we can’t see if face we can picture that he is being controlling and trying to hide the fact that his is controlling his new wife to sit on the chair through the use of a uncomfortable hug, although there isn’t an obvious set of dialogue for that part we can hear a quite whisper that shows that the captain is convincing Carmen to sit of the chair.

  • Mise-en-scene

The use of costumes and CGI help to achieve this terrifying, horror and fantasy look of the film. The make-up when the captain gets stabbed in the face and body helps the scene to look realistic and very horrifying. In the scene where the captain is fixing the watch we can see that the mechanisms look like the props of the old mill wheels in the background found in the back of the captain’s offices.

  • Editing

The styling of the editing is conventional although several diegetic wipes are used or cross-dissolves to and from black – thus forging a link between the real and the fantasy world. One example of this is when Ofelia, in close up lying on her mum’s tum, tells a story to her yet unborn brother and the shot literally tracks into the womb.

Representation (Gender)

How are men and women represented differently and how does this position the viewer?

Ofelia – daughter of Carmen – Ofelia is treated poorly by the captain, as it is evident that the captain wanted a son so therefore treats Ofelia badly. From the first scene the captain and Ofelia are together the captain looks like he is crushing her hands because she lifted her left hand instead of right hand when going in for a handshake. Ofelia is told off by her mother time and time again about being childish and reading children’s books, however you can see that her mother does care for her.

Carmen – heavily pregnant ‘new’ wife of the captain – We can see that Carmen is controlled and manipulated by her husband, the captain, we can she is getting poorly treated by him for example “kill her instead of the baby” which is said by the captain because he wants to have a son to keep family traditions. Carmen is represented as being vulnerable as she is made to sit down on the wheelchair showing she is at a lower position then everyone else and she is constantly ill.

Captain Vidal – Soldier in Franco’s Army – he is represented as being very controlling and shows him being manipulative towards people. He is a real word antagonist; he treats people poorly like killing the doctor for not going ahead with what the captain says. He is portrayed as a villain.

Mercedes – housekeeper – Mercedes is represented as a nurturing, kind, and thoughtful lady. She acts more maternal toward Ofelia than her own mother does, and she makes sure that Ofelia is safe and takes Ofelia with her when she tries to escape. Mercedes is very independent and makes sure that she is strong when facing the captain and rebelling to leave her job. She is thoughtful as she is trying to help her brother even though she isn’t allowed.

Aesthetics

What is the ‘look of the film’? How has this been achieved?


The costume for the fantasy-based character is not CGI and they are made by designer that spend a lot of time creating the costume and fitting the costume onto the actor.

The film is a magical realist text – combining beautifully constructed but very dark fantasy sequences, some verging on horror, with a graphically violent rendering of factional fighting in Northern Spain in the early years of Franco’s dictatorship. In Pan’s Labyrinth, as we have already seen, Franco’s army unit is represented as a brutalising force of occupation and its commanding officer, Captain Vidal, as a sadistic epitome of evil: cruel to everyone including his wife and stepdaughter. His evident pleasure in torture is straight out of a psycho-horror film. The ruling elite who attends a banquet given by him are equally venal and corrupt and Del Toro clearly has little empathy for the priest and the organised Catholicism he represents. In contrast however we find the guerrillas and their supporters, such as Mercedes and the Doctor, are presented as honourable and caring people. Del Toro makes it very clear with whom we are positioned to side. Indeed, the narrative triumph of liberalism over fascism is literal as the movie ends with the captain’s execution by the victorious rebels and Ofelia’s imaginative or real resurrection in the Underworld.  Another motif, aside from the Gothic and gore discussed above is paganism. The moss-covered ruins of the Labyrinth and associated standing stones, and the tree beneath which Ofelia finds the toad, and from which blooms her own resurrection (see above – endings) all suggest a sophisticated and elemental pagan past now acting as rare portals to the fairy kingdom.

Set Design

The set design for the toad scene was first constructed to be a bigger space which took a lot of money and time/ effort however they decided not to use, and they quickly thought of a new idea in limited amount time and made in 2-3 days.

History and Social Contexts

Social – The representation of women referred to above is evidence of the social problems women faced in this patriarchal and macho era. A local priest, attending a meal held by the Captain, dismisses the possible pain felt by the rebels on theological grounds. His representation lacks humanity and is clearly a barbed commentary on an out of touch and complicit Catholic church: “God has already saved their souls. What happens to their bodies hardly matters to him.” Del Toro uses the cinematic conceit of a banquet to heighten the corruption of the local middle classes and ruling elite. Despite his criticisms of Catholicism as a dogma and institution it is clear that Del Toro admires the spirituality of his native religion – in a later film Crimson Peak, a ghost story, he commented on his belief in ghosts. The scene above is strongly redolent of a stylised heaven with its church-like setting, a rosary window flooded with golden light and a grey bearded father figure flanked by a doe-eyed mother. It is all rather stuffy and formal befitting a royal court perhaps but not a fairy domain. That said it is clearly Ofelia’s (Princess Moanna’s) ‘happy place’ – she has come home to a loving warm family and an adoring people.

History – The period featured, 1944 in Spain, is intriguing to the non-specialist as it is clearly a period where the rumblings from the Spanish Civil War are still being felt despite the war itself having finished in 1939.

Spanish Civil war – The Spanish Civil War was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republicans and the Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the left-leaning Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic. The Spanish Civil War broke out in July 1936, after a group of conservative militaries tried to overthrow the progressive government of the Popular Front. In January 1939, its capital, Barcelona, was captured, and soon after the rest of Catalonia fell. With the Republican cause all but lost, its leaders attempted to negotiate a peace, but Franco refused. On March 28, 1939, the victorious Nationalists entered Madrid in triumph, and the Spanish Civil War came to an end.

Labor unrest was widespread in the early 1930s, and the election of February 16, 1936, brought a leftist Popular Front government to power. Fascist and extreme-right forces responded in July 1936 with an army mutiny and coup attempt that expanded into a civil war.
The nationalist won the Spanish civil war. Pans Labyrinth – is set after the Spanish civil war. The whole of the Mis-en-scene is very accurate with the costumes and props.

Institutional context

  • Though Del Toro is Mexican, this is a Spanish film (filmed in Spain in Spanish using a predominantly Spanish crew and cast) and so is classed as a European production.
  • Money – Del Toro put up most of the money himself. It was a ‘passion project’ for him
  • Budget $19 million
    Box Office take $83 (4+ times more)
    The director put in a bit of their own money into the making of this film.
    It won three Oscars and was artistically successful –
    Three – Oscars where for: makeup, art direction and cinematography.

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Wild Tales – Analysis

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Wild Tales (Szifron, 2014) – Analysis Sheet for Evaluative Commentary

Film 1: Pasternak

What did you like about the film? I really liked the use of mise en scene – which really enhanced the acting, I liked the use of the film being in continuous shots.  What didn’t you like? Not knowing what would happen at the end of the film.  
What ideas could you use? Narrative or style? I think I will use the continuous style shots instead of singular images.  What ideas won’t you use? Why? The cliffhanger at the end of the film. As I want my film to have a full structure of beginning, middle and end.  

In-Depth Study – Film elements

Film elementExample
CinematographyExample 1: I liked the use a worm’s eye view for the beginning of the film it helped establish where he films, or scene was going to take place.   Example 2:  I like the use of high angle shot when the women was needing help to put her bag in the overhead locker, this helped establish the height different and the overall experience of getting on a plane
EditingExample 1: I like the use of shot reverse shot of the man and women chatting on the plane, this really showed a typical conversation   Example 2: I really like the quick editing when the plane was starting to crash this helped show the intense and worrying situation the characters are in. furthermore the quick editing makes you empathise with the characters as you are worried for them.
SoundExample 1: I like the use of the foley sound, like when the suitcase is rolling in the opening scene, this sound was good as it really set the scene of the film.   Example 2: I liked the contrast to the heavy pace of people screaming on the plane when it is crashing to the silence, and quite sound of the old people sitting in the garden, I like this contrast because it shows the difference between the old and young.

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

Cinematography: I will be doing lots of different shots to shows the genre of the filmEditing: I will doing a mix of editing style and slow and quick pace to show the intensity of the films.
Sound: I will be adding different types of sound and  music to intense the scene making the audience feel intrigued by my film.Other:

Film 2: The Rats/Las Ratas

What did you like about the film? I really like the acting for this one. I think the acting enhanced the scene as the scene and location took place in one area and the mise en scene was the same, so by having good actors with amazing facial expression really helped enhance the seen for sure.  What didn’t you like? I didn’t really like the repetitiveness of the scenes. This is because the location was the same and the scenes kept changing from inside the restaurant to the kitchen.  
What ideas could you use? Narrative or style? I will be using similar music to my film which will add hints of intensities and intrigue my audience to keep watching.    What ideas won’t you use? Why? I don’t think I will include violence in my film as I want the film to feel not really scary but more mysterious.  

In-Depth study – Mise-en-scène

FeatureExample – how does it convey meaning or create an effect
Set Design  I really liked the set design it really communicated the idea of the film being set in a restaurant.  
Costume   The costume really set the characters and the jobs of the characters; however, you wouldn’t exactly know what the man does from his costume and what he is like.
Space   I liked the use of the filming and the space between people it made the film feel not cramped and not put together from one tiny room.
Lighting I liked the scene where there is light and dark colour of lighting use for example between the waitress and the chef to show each of their personalities.
CompositionI like when the chef and waitress was arguing in the kitchen and they were both in the middle of the shot showing how they both had different point but where both valid in their arguments.
Hair and makeup I like the use of the hair style of the waitress, it was put together however quite messy showing the nature of her job.  

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

Cinematography/Sound/Editing: I will be using similar style cinematography by capturing the essence and style/ genre of the filmNarrative structure: I think for my movie I will make sure there is a beginning, middle and end, like The Rats movie
Establishing characters, setting, plot, theme:  For my film there will be certain location that will really convey the theme of my film.  Creating enigmas: I really like not knowing whether the guy was going to die, and I think in my film you will find out the secret or equilibrium at the end

Film 3: Bombita

What did you like about the film? For the film I really like the story and plot of the film, going from him working then buying cake and then the end scene of the car blowing up. It was like a cycleWhat didn’t you like? I didn’t really like the main character as at first, I thought he was quite rude, I want my main character to be like by my audience straight away. I think I didn’t like this through the acting from him.  
What ideas could you use? Narrative or style? I really liked the narrative of the story. I like the plot of the first scene almost repeating in the last scenes.  What ideas won’t you use? Why? I don’t think the location of the film will best suite my genre of film.  

In-Depth study: All elements

FeatureExample
Narrative structureI really like the opening scene and ending scene as it showed a car blowing up, then ends in someone blowing candles out because it is their birthday, I really liked this because it was repetitive but slightly shown differently.
Establishing characters, setting, plot, themeI really liked the theme, which was revenge, however I was quite unsure during the middle of the film what could happen which for me was quite good as it added a sense of mystery to the film.
Mise-en-sceneI really like the props, by having a birthday cake and birthday props and more it really showcased where a scene was taking place and what could happen in the following scenes.
CinematographyI really like the use of different camera shot types especially long shot of the car blowing up. This long shot made the car blowing up more of a surprise as in the long shot there was quite a lot of things being shown so when the car blew up it was a bid more of a surprise then it being a close up shot.
EditingThe film’s editing was used effectively because I liked the sequence near the end where the newspaper reports about the attack are overlayed which creates a sense that news spread quickly.
SoundI really like the soundtrack – for example after the main characters has bought his cake and he starts to walk across the street, there is a soundtrack that makes the scene more intense and mysterious.

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

Cinematography/Sound/Editing: I think I will be using some similar shot types like having long angle, low angle, close up shot to make the scene feel more impactful.Narrative structure: I really like the idea of starting my short film and ending my short film in the same way to kind of show the cycle of life
Establishing characters, setting, plot, theme:  I think I will use a similar plot of having a problem and trying to overcome or fix the problem, I think I also want to use a similar theme of mystery.Creating enigmas: Towards the middle of the film, I was a bit unsure and confused what could happen next as he kept getting fined so it created this enigma of not knowing how the story could end.

Film 4: Til Death do us Part/Hasta que la muerte nos separe

What did you like about the film? I really like the shot types and the movement of the camera. It made you feel like you were part of the film. I really like the music and soundtrack, especially the opening scene really enhanced the scene making the party seem more believable.What didn’t you like? I didn’t like the narrative as much as the ending was a bit confusing and was a bit unexpected. I felt like the ending, I didn’t know how the story was ending.  
What ideas could you use? Narrative or style? I think I am going to use similar shot types as it enhanced the scenes. Especially the opening scene, it was quite a quick camera movement show case the busy atmosphere.  What ideas won’t you use? Why? I don’t think I will be using a confusing narrative. I want the audience to not feel confused at the end part.  

In-Depth study: All elements

FeatureExample
Narrative structureThe narrative was linear and in chronological order, which I quite liked.
Establishing characters, setting, plot, themeI really like the setting of the film, and I thought the characters where very interesting to follow along as they where very similar but had many differences as well.
Mise-en-sceneI really like the location of the film, which was like in a hotel, but they were also a scene on top of the hotel rooftop which was showed the city in the background. The props also helped to establish where the film took place.
CinematographyI really like the shot types and the movement of the camera. It made you feel like you were part of the film. The fast-paced camera movement when the party first started really showed the atmosphere of a party as if you were experiencing the same thing in the movie.
EditingThe editing was amazing because when the wedding was more alive and happier it was fast paced and quick and not noticeable when the shot changed, when the fights and commotion started happening it was good because the editing was slow and more noticeable.
SoundI really like the music and soundtrack, especially the opening scene really enhanced the scene making the party seem more believable.

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

Cinematography/Sound/Editing: I think I will be using similar editing techniques by having fast and slow-paced shots.  Narrative structure: I think this film has definitely showed me that I want a linear film and want y film to be shown in chronological order.
Establishing characters, settings, plot, theme:  I really like the character, and I think I will definitely have characters who are brave.Creating enigmas: I will definitely be using enigmas because my film will be the genre of mystery so by adding enigmas it will add more mystery to my film.
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La Jetée

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La Jetée (Marker, Korea, 1962) – Analysis Sheet for Evaluative Commentary

Part 1: Brief Reference

What did you like about the film? I like the film because there was a narration over the top allowing you to see the emotions and facial expression of the actors and actress, although the imaging was still shot images, it didn’t always feel like it, which was conveyed through dissolves.  What didn’t you like? Although I like some of the still image shots, some of it felt very repetitive, making the story feel very hard to follow along with and keep up with it. Some moments of the plot were hard to follow along, making the story quite confusing.  
What ideas could you use? Narrative or style? I might use a narration to help introduce my film.  What ideas won’t you use? Why? I don’t think my film will be in all still shots as I think it doesn’t convey the whole story.   

Part 2: In-Depth Study – Narrative

Narrative FeatureExampleYour 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).  There is an image of a young boy alongside two grownups (possibly parents), this could convey the young boy watching the scene and not seeing his face leaves a sense of mystery. Using text at 1:35 describes the emotion of what the protagonist felt without seeing an actual image of him. “The violence scene that upset him” this shows that the death and the scene caused him sadness and impacted him quite a lot.
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.  There is a lot of mid shots of the scientist, there is a few close-up shots of the scientist showing their important status in the film. There are also some low angles shot showing that they are in control and leaders and are the ones controlling the time travelling.
Establishing location (time and place) – what information do we find out? How is it conveyed?We were told immediately that the location was in 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.  There are many locations shot in Gardens exploring the romantic theme of the film, this also shows the peace and calm life before bombing and war  
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?  Why were the protagonists chosen to time travel? What is the significance of the women? Why did parents take their children to watch planes on Sunday morning? Were the women a decoy for the scientist to kill the man?
Narrative binary oppositionsThe ‘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.  Men vs women – the women are represented as an interest to the man but also appears at the end of the film to look like a decoy for the scientists to kill the protagonists.
Crisis – how was this conveyed?Is it the first experiment? 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? I think the crisis point is the first experiment because that is the time when things change for the man, and he isn’t really his normal sense.
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 think the ending is closed, as the man has seen the future and has been in the past and present so therefore there is an ending to the film.

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 through memory. It is also about concept of photography and cinema itself, trying to ‘freeze’ time with images despite time always being in motion.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.  
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.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.  

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

Establishing characters, setting, plot, theme   I really liked the setting of the film and the minimalistic look, it felt very powerful but also very simple. I really liked the plot of not knowing some of character and the reveal of the ending was really good and interesting to watch.Creating enigmas   I really liked the enigma of not knowing who the man was at the start, it really made the film worth watching as this enigma pulled me as the audience and spectator to continue watching the film.
Narrative structure (non-/linear? Open/ closed ending?)   I really liked the use of non linear narrative. The nonlinear narrative helped develop the character which resulted in in-depth emotional involvement of the audience.Striking use of technical features   The use of singular image put together, creates greater involvement for the viewer, after a while the use of singular images felt like it had merged into actual videos as you got used to the shots.
Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie and Clyde

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Cast

Warren Beatty – Clyde Barrow

Warren made his debut as a tortured teenager opposite Natalie Wood in Splendour in the Grass in 1967. He played a lot of drama, mystery and crime roles, in movies such as Bugsy, The parallax View.

Faye Dunaway – Bonnie Parker

Her career began in the early 1960s on Broadway. She made her screen debut in 1967 in the Happening, the same year she mad Hurry Sundown with an all – star cast, and rose to fame with her portrayal of outlaw Bonnie Parker. She played many role of the female lead in romantic films and also crime fiction. She was mainly unknown before starring in the film Bonnie and Clyde.

Michael J. Pollard – C.W. Moss

Pollard was unknown before his fascinating entry in Bonnie and Clyde, bringing his squint and grin to the part of C.W Moss. He gained a cult following, usually portraying quirky, off beat, simplistic but likeable supporting characters. He played in our movies such as The Wild Angels, Hannibal Brooks.

Gene Hackman – Buck Barrow

For much of 1960s, Hackman was playing small roles on television shows. It wasn’t until his turn as Clyde Barrow’s Older brother in 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde, his first big movie role, that hackman began to really embody a movie star. He starred in roles which contained drama, dark comedy and thriller.

Estelle Parsons – Blanche

During the 1960s, Parsons became known her career on Broadway becoming a movie actress. She is best know for her roles in the movie Bonnie and Clyde, Rachel, Rachel and I never sang for my Father.

Denver Pyle – Frank Hamer

He first screen credit came in 1947, when he landed a small role in the high sea adventure “devil Ship” He worked steadily throughout the 1950s, appearing in the Western anthology series “Frontier” and on the popular family series “My Friend Flicka.” Although he acted primarily in western and crime television dramas.

Dub Taylor – Ivan Moss

Taylor made his film debut in 1938 as the cheerful ex – football captain Ed Carmichael in Frank Capra’s You can’t Take it With you. During 1950s and early 1960s, he used his xylophone skills on several televisions show.

Gene Wilder – Eugene Gizzard

He began his career on stage, and made his screen debut in an episode of the tv series The play of The Week in 1961. His first role was that of a hostage in the 1967 motion picture Bonnie and Clyde. He is best know for his role in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Mise En Scene

Location
– During New Hollywood there where many low budget film. Meaning that many sets where natural environment and place where there was no need for major change. During Bonnie and Clyde many scene where filmed in location that where realistic and verisimilitude for people creating a positive atmosphere for people from that time period.

Sets
– Most sets where filmed in Texas, as Bonnie and Clyde where from Texas. however the built sets where built in the Warner Brother Studio in California. The sets that where built looked realistic do the time and where built to look like other location in Texas.

 

Costumes
– The most iconic looks from the film, Bonnie and Clyde leaned heavily on the classics. Clyde’s pinstripe double- breasted suit was tailored to perfection, while her ribbed knit sweater, tweed pencil skirt, silk scarf and wool beret where criminally chic. The costume Faye Dunaway wore where very typical of the time period of 1950s and 1960s and the costumes where inspired by many, and was nominated for an Oscar that year for costume design. The film was made in the 1960s however was made to look like the 1940s which was when the real Bonnie and Clyde was robbing banks.

Props
– Props where used to show the time period of the film, the type of car used was many ford enthusiasts regard it as one of the most delicate designs by ford. There was also many props used in the banks scenes where the props made the scene come to life including the use of the gun and bags when collecting money from the cash registers.

Editing

Being an action and emotional film, the editing style that was used a lot was shots of the characters gazing at each other, this was used by Penn to make the audience sympathise with them. Jump cuts used inspired by the French New wave directors like Jean-LucGdard and Francois Truffaut show Penn’s film school background. Use of shot-reverse-shot in the diner conversation the simplistic editing and use of close ups encourages the audience to focus on the dynamic between the characters as Clyde is revealed to be insightful and intuitive. The editing was more visible editing.The opening scene of Bonnie and Clyde uses mainly close up shots of the Bonnie. There are no establishing shots used in the opening scene. However, we can gather information from many props in the scene. The fist shot is an extreme close up, then pans to her in a mirror. Then there is a cut and shows a medium shot of her shoulders and up. When she is on her bed the shot is used to make her feel trapped and mimics the way you would feel trapped in jail. At times in the film, the shots are very unconventional and inspired by French new wave however sometimes does included editing from classical Hollywood which is important to the story.

Sound

Every time the group makes a quick getaway, a chorus of Banjo music, a Bluegrass song called “foggy mountain breakdown” begins to play that evokes time from the Great Depression. The music is quick and light- hearted, and even when the plot has been dramatic, the folksy music makes the scene feel more humours, comic and upbeat. This recurring motif suggests to the audience that to Bonnie and Clyde and their components, crime is all a mater of fun and games. . A score is used when Bonnie and Clyde are driving away from their first robbery. The music is a fast – paced tune played by Banjo. However the lack of music during the actual Robbery scenes lends them a sense of realism.

The mood changes from the banjo style music which shows a comic and humorous tone, to no music where Frank Hamer, who is hunting for Bonnie and Clyde, which shows the seriousness and the change in atmosphere going on. We can tell from the stop in music that something bad might happen.

Sound Bridge – is when a sound is played from scene to another scene. Dede Allen ( editor of Bonnie and Clyde) was an innovator of the Sound Bridge and they get used a lot in the film.

Foley Sound ( diegetic sound ) – The shootouts are typically loud and violent and the loudness of the sound effect is deliberate, and is very elevated for the audience and makes the audience aware of the scene.

Aesthetics

Very diverse shot types, varying pace and discontinuity edits – the lack of clear patterns convey the unpredictability of New
Hollywood and the film’s protagonists. Inspired by Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai for the closing scene of the film. Influenced by convention challenging French New Wave directors. Truffaut even made contributes to the script. There was a lot of verisimilitude location and costumes which felt very comfortable for the audience of that generation.

Representations


Class – Bonnie and Clyde support the working classes throughout e.g. encouraging the evicted Otis Harris to shoot at the bank sign, letting the man in the bank robbery keep his own money.
People of Colour –


Women – Bonnie Parker starts the film feeling trapped and almost as if she is in jail and she doesn’t have much of a life, the extreme close up on her lips almost sexualises her and suggest this film will explore her identity, persona and characteristics. However, throughout the film Bonnie’s persona changes and becomes one of villainess protagonist go against her identity at eh start. Other than the start of the film Bonnie become comfortable with Clyde and shows her brave self off. She challenges the traditional Femme Fatal as she is the one rescuing other people and she is not in the need for rescuing by men, although she breaks taboo of the time by initiating intimacy with Clyde.
Blanche who is Buck’s wife is shown as being more vulnerable and a more realistic version of a Femme Fatal, who need constant reassuring and rescuing by the other gang members.


Men – Clyde is being represented as a strong male character. Clyde is represented as being a forerunners. Clyde helps Bonnie to show herself and others who she really is and who she wants to become, and not what other people want her to be. Clyde’s impotence, ‘I ain’t much of a lover boy”, was also a taboo subject and challenged stereotypes of the masculine virile hero.
C.W Moss importance to the plot of the film and to the gang in general is that he is loyal and idiocy. C.W moss is seen as being like a five year old kids for example parallel parking during one of the bank robbery scenes. When he finds out that Bonnie and Clyde would be killed he looks at them with great amount of sorrow and it shows he cares for them and he has a good heart.

Political and Social Context

The film was released at a time of social unrest in America when people, particularly the young, were challenging the government’s role in the Vietnam war, there were race riots
and a large counterculture developing. The film’s anti-authority message reflected this.
the 1950s was a decade marked by the post World war ll boom, the dawn of the cold war and civils right movement in the united states.
The story of Bonnie and Clyde, the notorious twosome who went on a viscous crime spree during the Great Depression was retooled to reflect the turbulent late 1960s society. Bonnie and Clyde’s anarchic rebellion resonated with a society in the midst of intense Vietnam war and civils right protests.

Uncategorised

French New Wave

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French New Wave – 1958 to 1960s

  • When American director took ideas and inspired by from French film makers. French New wave filmmakers explored new approaches to editing, visual style, and narrative, as well as the engagement with the social and political upheavals of the era. The movement was characterised by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favour of experimentation and a spirit of iconoclasm. Rejection of mainstream or old Hollywood film conventions. Working with low budgets as they are working with the end of WW2
  • Specific stylistic and structure Elements:
    – The auteur style – The auteur theory holds that the director is the “author” of their movies, with a personal signature visible from film to film.
    – Low Budget – natural lighting used, and natural set design using the most of the surroundings near by. There was many tight budgeting in the 1950s – 1960s when filmmaking so on location sets meant that the filmmakers are spending less money.
    – visual style – The cinematic stylings of the French New Wave brought a fresh look to the cinema with improvised dialogue, rapid changes of scene, and shots that broke the common 180 degrees axis of camera movement. In many films of the French – New Wave, the camera was used not to mesmerize the audience with elaborate narrative and illusory images, but rather to play with audience expectations. They used hand held camera which makes it feel like its a documentary style.
    – Experimentation – The French New wave is characterised by its innovative techniques, bold experimentation, and rejection of traditional cinema conventions. Directors employed unconventional editing techniques such as jump cuts and discontinuous narratives, creating a sense of spontaneity and subjectivity in their films.
  • Directors and Films from the French New wave that influenced Arthur Penn as he was making Bonnie and Clyde ?
    – Jump cuts used inspired by the French New wave directors like Jean-LucGdard and Francois Truffaut show Penn’s film school background. Use of the bluegrass song foggy Mountain Breakdown by Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt keeps the tone light during crime scenes lending a comedic tone to some moments. Bonnie and Clyde used a lot of music which was a lot of Banjo music
  • Three moment from Bonnie and Clyde that depict the French New Wave?
    – The opening credits, depicting period photographs accompanied by the sound of the camera clicks suggestive of gun shots.
    – The films boldly original framing, employing windows, glass and mirrors as recurring visual motifs.
New Hollywood

New Hollywood

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New Hollywood – It was a movement in American film history from the mid – 1960s to the early 1980s, when a new generation of filmmakers came to prominence. They influenced the types of film produced, their production and marketing and the way the major studios approached filmmaking.

Four films from New Hollywood


– Bonnie and Clyde

– The graduate


– Rosemary’s Baby


– Night of the Living Dead

Four Directors from New Hollywood

– Steven Spielberg


– John Milius


– Christopher Nolan


– Martin Scorsese


Four Stars from New Hollywood

– Max Von Sydow


– Shelley Winters


– Walter Matthau


– Robert Shaw

What events where taking place in America and elsewhere in the world around the period identified as the New Hollywood Era of cinema ?
The civils Right movement – equal rights for African Americans and for an end to racial segregation and exclusion , and the escalation of the Vietnam war.

New Hollywood Style

  • How did New Hollywood directors like Penn approach film narrative?
    – Filmmakers of the New Hollywood era embraced innovative and experimental visual style. The use of Handheld camera, unconventional angles and naturalistic lighting contributed to the immersive and authentic feel of the film, which made visual storytelling a crucial aspect of the new wave film.
  • What is discontinuity editing?
    – when the audience visually notices a cut, because something about the cut calls attention to itself and it does not feel natural or seamless.
  • The rise of the Auteurs in Hollywood?
    – New Hollywood is often known as the rise of the Auteurs as it as the beginning of when many films where being made by the same directors which meant you could tell the visual style and the differences in the directors. “It was a rallying cry for director as artists to say ” we can influence what these movies are.”
  • What is the lasting impact of the New Hollywood style of modern films?
    – While the era eventually gave way to the blockbuster-dominated landscape of the 1980s, its impact on filmmaking techniques, narrative structures, and thematic exploration remains profound. The New Hollywood movement demonstrated that commercially successful films could also be artistically daring and socially relevant.
Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie and Clyde

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First Response

Rating – 8/10
Overall, I really liked this film, however I felt like the ending came really fast, and I wasn’t expecting them main characters to die that suddenly. I thought the overall genre of the film was shown really well through out the film and the character development of Bonnie was great to watch.

My favourite scene from the film was when they went into the bank and stole the money, this was my favourite scene as it showed key crime conventions throughout the whole scene, and showed they key character traits of a crime genre.

Casablanca

Casablanca (1942)

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Cast – Key Characters

Humphrey Bogart

Character – Rick

Before Casablanca, Bogart was already a veteran star, but hardly the top actor in the industry. He became a star when playing the lead role in The Maltese Falcon (1941). Before he was a character actor who was tough without a gun, he mainly was in gangster movies or crime and detective genre. He was not none as being a romantic lead in a movie previously. Bogart was unhappy when it came to scripts as they where given normally on the day when they where filming. He was only on the contract for Warner Brothers, and he was normally known for smaller parts until he was the lead role in Casablanca. His traits where cynical and selfish.

Ingrid Bergman

Character – Ilsa Lund

Was casted when the writers though about having a lead female character who was foreign, as they wanted to showcase many people all over Europe wanted to escape Europe and go to America. She remade a film in America from a film in Swedish. She is fresh-faced foreign actress. Bergman’s noteable performances in the 1940’s include the whom the bells trolls, which earned nominations for the best actress.

Paul Henreid

Character – Victor Laszlo

Paul was an Austrian – American actor, director. He appeared in films such as Goodbye Mr, Chips and Night train to Munich before starring in Casablanca. He played many roles during the second worlds War, and was acting in film with romance.

Claude Rains

Character – Captain Louis Renault

Claude Rains was a British and American actor. He starred in movies such as The invisible man, Now, Voyager, the wolf man and many more before starring in Casablanca.

Conrad Veidt

Character – major Heinrich Strasser

Conrad was German but naturalised British actor. He was in movies such as The Man Who Laughs, All through the night, The spy in Black before he starred in Casablanca. He died in 1943 and the role of Major Strasser was his last role.

Sydney Greenstreet

Character – Signor Ferrari

Greenstreet was a British and American actor. While he did not begin his career in films until the age of 61, he had of significant motion pictures in a Hollywood career lasting through the 1940s. Movies he was in – across the pacific, and the Maltese falcon.

Peter Lorre

Character – Ugarte

He is Slovakian, but worked with German producers and films. He was known for his timidly devious characters, his appearance and accented voice he was frequently typecast as a sinister foreign. Movies he was in before Casablanca – The Maltese Falcon, The man who knew too much.

S.Z Sakall

Character – Carl

He was Hungarian – American stage and film character actor. He appeared in many prominent movies, including Casablanca, Christmas in Connecticut, In the good old summertime

Madeleine Lebeau

Character – Yvonne

She was a French film actress who also appeared in American Films. Casablanca was the her first movie and after it she played many movies such as, Parisians, The country I come from and many other film both in French and in English.

Dooley Wilson

Character – Sam

He was an American actor, singer and musician. He played in movies such as Cairo, My favourite Blonde, Take a letter, Darling before he starred in Casablanca as the pianists.

Director of Film

Michael Curtiz
He was a Hungarian Refugees. Has knowledge of trying to leave Europe. He casted refugees to be the extras. Most of them where immigrants. Curtiz directed 173 movies. He broke away from the normal Hollywood style of camera movements like using the dolly shots and the movement of the actors which was seen as the dancing with the camera. Script came after Pearl Harbour (it is what brought America into the war). There was 34 different nationalities behind and in front of the camera

  • Mise En Scene
    The set design of the film was supposed to look like they where built, however contain special and suitable props for example shutters, lamps exotic plants which was to create some sort of reality and verisimilitude of items in Casablanca. The set design was supposed to feel like a magical place unlike the real country itself. The costumes where important as it gave extra gleam towards the film. Many of the key characters had there own colour pallet for example, Ilsa had very light colour which connoted innocence and youth.
  • Sound
    Music played an important role in the movie as they had important character information for example when there was mention of Germans they would play a more ominous sound This would be an example of non diegetic sound as only the audience can hear it. The sound also provided key themes for the Film to make a point. And they sound acted as a classical motif. The frequent use of the song ” as time goes by” showed the audience the way the film connoted idea and genre for example it being romantic showing the song mean a lot of precious times for Rick and Ilsa.
  • Editing
    The editing of the film was very fast pace with many shot reverse shots being used. Although the film was an 1 and 20 minutes it felt less more like just 20 minutes due to the fast pace editing. The editing also showed key character information and each of the characters personalities. Many close up used a lot to convey emotions and the close up shot where normally held for longer. The editing of the scene getting darker created the feeling of when characters where in love and held intimacy with each other. The film adheres to the rule of classical Hollywood continuity editing. The editing appears seamless and invisible throughout.
  • Aesthetic
    Although the film is not real, many part of the film could be real aspects to some people’s life’s. It has become the most recognizable ” screen memory ” of the escape and exile routes of World War II. The aesthetics depict a sense of romantic longing- smoky bars, exotic location, the foggy runway and wartime costumes all contribute to the film’s classical look. The film combines the aesthetics of film noir, expressionism, melodrama and documentary. Warner’s tight budget policy was reflected in the aesthetics of their films – low-key lighting and fog were often used to disguise cheap sets, as evident in the final scene in the aircraft hangar.
    – Themes and issues :
    Isolationism – what was America’s view on world war ll ?
    88% of Americans opposed the idea of declaring war against the axis power in Europe. As late of June 35% of Americans believed their government should risk war to help the British. Rick represents US foreign policy, from isolationist to
    intervention. Rick displays neutrality and portrays isolation tendencies. After pearl harbour the US had finally break their neutrality and join WWll. Later Rick shoots a German in order to help Ilsa. At the start 96 % of Americans wanted to stay out of the war. Rick turn from being a cynical guy, who is tough, and horrible to women then he becomes a sentimental and loveable guys who is willing to help a lot of people, and becomes patriotic for his country.
  • The producers of the film (Hal B. Wallis) Casablanca oversea the whole film production they put the team together by creating the scripts, coordinate scenes etc. The film starts to promote propaganda.
  • Representation Featured
    – Women = the main female character Ilsa is incapable of making her own decisions. Ilsa is shown to be torn between two male characters in the film showing that she cannot make a choice and it is Rick who makes the choices of duty over love The women are either victims or trophies to be competed for between men. The camera portrays these women literally in a different light than it does the men: they are more brightly lit, without shadows, and very often in soft focus. Both in her entrances into scenes and in her conversations with other characters, Ilsa maintains the attention of the camera; in several instances the lens remains fixated upon her even when she is not speaking.
    – Men = The film occurs in very male dominated world. The plot and the historic timeline that it follows reflects stereotypically masculine concerns: war, duty to country, and freedom. Rick turn from being a cynical guy, who is tough, and horrible to women then he becomes a sentimental and loveable guys who is willing to help a lot of people, and becomes patriotic for his country.
    – people of colour- there is only one person in the film who is a person with colour, which is Sam who is the pianist. Sam follows alongside Rick. Sam came from Paris then came to Casablanca when Rick asked him to continue playing the piano from rick at his café/bar.
    – Overall there are many different cultures represented. Furthermore there where a lot of actors playing German roles. For example there is a German couple represented as being comedic and lively while they are talking about leaving the country to go to America. There was also Refugees, from all over Europe, who where casted by the director to play small parts and extras in the film.

Historical and Political context in Casablanca

Casablanca takes place on the four days leading up to the Japanese attack on the US military base at Pearl Harbour on 7th December 1941. The event led directly to USA entry into WW2. Rick represents US foreign policy, from isolationist to
intervention.

Allies – Britain, USA and USSR
Axis – Germany, Italy and Japan

France – France begins as Allies, but soon into the war they where invaded and became occupied by Germany. There was some soldiers decided to continue to fight. Vichy France was a territory and had tis own government but was like a puppet to the Germans. Morocco was part of the French (Vichy) territory.

The World War ll started in 1939 America started the war in 1941 due to the Pearl Harbour bombing.

  • Operation Torch
    “it captured the zeitgeist”
    – Zeitgeist = spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.
    – Operation Torch (8th November 1942) was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during the second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa while allowing American armed forces the opportunity to begin their fight against Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy on a limited scale.
  • Opening world Premier of Casablanca – It had its world premiere on November 26, 1942, in New York City and was released nationally in the United States on January 23, 1943. The cinema showed movie reels that communicated the news to the public. Otherwise you would get the news from the radio or newspaper.
  • Casablanca Conference
    – The Casablanca Conference was a meeting between U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the city of Casablanca, Morocco that took place from January 14–24, 1943. During the first month of 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British prime minister Winston S. Churchill met at the Anfa Hotel in Casablanca in French Morocco for a ten day conference to plan the next stages of the war against the Axis.

serendipity – the luck of something or chance.

Y12 Starter tasks

Film Noir

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Film noir is a style or genre of cinematographic film marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism and menace. It is used primarily to describe stylised Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasise cynical attitudes and motivations.

A classical Noir movie example would be :
Touch of Evil

A Neo Noir movie example would be :
Absence of Malice