Year: 2019

The Godfather is considered one of the greatest movies our time. It was the top grossing movie of 1972, won multiple Academy Awards and catapulted the organized crime genre into the popular culture limelight. The movie, following the story of the powerful Italian-American crime family, the Corleone’s, is a perfectly paced, character-driven drama crammed with fantastic dialogue, edge-of-your-seat scenes and an unforgettable storyline all told from the point of view of the criminals. It is a beautifully shot cinematic masterpiece featuring impeccable acting, music choices and overall look, making it truly compelling, powerful and memorable. Don Corleone is a man known for his ability to make decisions very quickly. He is a highly respected man who knows exactly what he wants and is able to execute his thoughts decisively, thus commanding respect through steadfast leadership. In his famous words, “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse,” he makes it clear that he doesn’t mess around during negotiations. An element that stood out was how he handled his business. Im not recommending that you go about threatening or killing each another to demand respect, but by knowing what you want from your business and being unwavering in your decisions, you stand a far better chance of succeeding in the cutthroat world of business. He got straight to the point during business decisions and made compelling offers that were attractive to the opposite party. Also, he worked closely with his team to ensure they were making the right choices, but at the same time choose his team wisely so that he could trust that they will make the right decisions. He wasnt hesitant; hesitation can all too easily lead to missed opportunities. Business is Business, Know your competition and remain one step ahead of the game in order to grab opportunities as they surface and beat the competition. In the words of Michael Corleone, “it’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business.” Sonny Corleone was a character known for his short temper and when he reacted impulsively and emotionally towards a photographer, this nearly killed his brother-in-law, which led to his demise. In business, there are winners and there are losers but at the end of the day, business is business and there is no point in reacting emotionally when it comes to making decisions. When people base their business decisions on emotion, mistakes happen, so eliminate emotion and ego from the equation. It shows the incidents which are wrong according to the law but as an audience we feel connected towards characters. It spell bounds the audience in a manner that everything looks right and appropriate. Nothing seems to be inappropriate which we can disapprove. A critical conversation read about the film was about the details of organised crime in the film and how much overall power the godfather had but No scene in movie shows any harm to civilians. It also does not show any women trapped into illegal and antisocial activities like prostitution. This movie does not show any wrecked life due to gambling. The movie shows mafia life from inside. There is a scene in which a person comes to Don. Don says ” Why did you go to police? You should have come to me. Your daughter is suffering on a daily basis. If you would have come to me then your enemy would have become mine, And then they would fear you”.This clearly shows the influence of Godfather. This movie would be considered a great  film because It shows the text of morality and humanity with a brushing of fear. It is a story of power with controlled manner. It a story of influence but with texture of humanity. It is a story of destruction but with clear depiction of family values. It is a masterpiece in real sense.

Sources

https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/packages/html/movies/bestpictures/godfather-re.html?scp=9&sq=loews&st=cse (Links to an external site.)

https://www.jstor.org/stable/29775826?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3A8c7271a81cb8c077f33adbfd79609fdc&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents (Links to an external site.)

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/godfather-review-1972-original-movie-986404

Several philosophers until now have held the idea that our life on earth is nothing but a stage in the vastness of existence. Whether this means that there is another stage, after life on earth or that our life is merely a stage in the context of all existence, might vary. Nevertheless, our life is merely a stage.The film “2001: A Space Odyssey” is a film by Stanley Kubrick and explores the space mission of Bowman and the involvement of a space monolith that has been there since the time of the “ape-man.” This monolith is a part of a story that spans across millions of years and hence serves as a point of reference.The relativity is used to show the journey of man from primitive stages to extreme advancement and yet, the entire journey is merely a stepping stone in the grand scheme of things. Therefore, the film doesn’t view humanity as a final goal but more like a stage that is bound to transcend into something more.This film is fairly artistic and therefore open to interpretation. Different viewers have expressed their critique and understanding of the film differently. The journey of the story from the “ape-man” beginning to the moon exploration, up until the journey to Jupiter are different phases that seem to connect the story. The director Kubrick and the writer, Arthur Clarke purposefully left the film open for philosophical and allegorical interpretation. Like any good science fiction novel, 2001 provides a detailed look at the scientific world it chronicles. Great care is taken to ensure that the reader gets a sense of the experience of the technology described in the book. Dr. Floyd’s journey to Space Shuttle One is described with attention to details such as the experience of a high-acceleration liftoff, the adhesive sauces used to keep chops firmly in place on one’s plate, and even the rotating bathroom that allows for the effect of gravity on the spaceship. A Space Odyssey has the distinction of being one of only a few classic books to be based on a movie, rather than the other way around. Its author, Arthur C. Clarke, based the novel on a screenplay he wrote in conjunction with Stanley Kubrick in 1964. The book, which was released a few months after the movie, fills in many details left unsettled in the movie. 2001 was written at the very beginning of the space age, before man first set foot on the moon in 1969. It was clearly inspired by much of the fascination with space, which gripped a nation exploring an uncharted terrain in the 1960s. The 1960s were also a time of confrontation with the communist U.S.S.R. and tension over the potential for use of nuclear weapons. The Cuban Missile Crisis was recent history at the time 2001 was in the process of being conceived. The instability of foreign relations as well as the proliferation of nuclear weapons led many at the time to wonder whether a nuclear holocaust might be around the corner. A Space Odyssey explores technological innovation, its possibilities and its perils. Two particular dangers of technology are explored in great detail. First, Hal presents the problems that can arise when man creates machines, whose inner workings he does not fully understand. Second, the book explores the dangers associated with the nuclear age. The novel issues a warning against the destructive power associated with that technological innovation in the military arena.2001 takes a long-term view of development, human and otherwise. The story traces the development of man from man-ape. Uniquely, 2001 considers not only the evolution that has led to the development of man, but also the evolution that man might undergo in the future. Thus, we follow Bowman as he is turned into a star-child by the advanced civilization of extra- terrestrial intelligence. The novel recognizes that evolutionary theory implies that humanity is not the final goal of some process, but only a stopping point on an indirect process. One way this process might continue, the book imagines, is that humans will learn to rid themselves of their biological trappings.

Sources

1. http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180404-why-2001-a-space-odyssey-remains-a-mystery
2. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-2001-a-space-odyssey-1968

My experience watching the Godfather was very positive. Organized crime and corruption has always interested me and that is what The Godfather is all about. The Godfather was full of action from the very start which also kept me engaged even though it was a very long film. A scene that stood out to me in particular was when Johnny Fontane and Don Vito tried to convince Jack Woltz to give Johnny a part in a movie and when Woltz refuses they cut off the head of his horse and leave it in his bed the next morning. This scene stood out to me because it didn’t seem like it would be that big of a deal for Johnny to not get the acting part, but I thought that it symbolized that the family gets what they want by any means necessary and commit extremely personal crimes, like killing pets, to send a message. 

The elements of the film that stood out the most to me were the mise en scene and the sound. For the mise en scene, I thought that the setting was realistic and the costumes also helped play a role in shaping who the characters were. The sound also helped add to the film because it was kind of ling but the music let the audience know when something important was about to happen and helped me pay attention more. 

Critical conversations of The Godfather were very positive, this makes sense because The Godfather has been nominated for and won several awards. The Godfather is also viewed by many as “one of the most influential films of all time” (History). I also didn’t know that the film was based on a book originally but critical conversations also said that the film did a great job of staying consistent with the storyline of the book and capturing most necessary details. One critic had an interesting take on The Godfather and wrote, “The Godfather presents the gangster’s perspective of the Mafia as a response to corrupt society.  Although the Corleone family is presented as immensely rich and powerful, no scenes depict prostitution, gambling, loan sharking or other forms of racketeering,” (George De Stefano). 

I would tend to agree with the critics takes on The Godfather. I was worried about how my viewing experience would differ from critics because the film was made so long ago but I was engaged the entire time and thought it was very profound and interesting. 

 

Sources

1. https://books.google.com/books?id=2482tWkpfpQC&pg=PA94#v=twopage&q&f=false
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather

I thought Pulp Fiction was a good film and I can appreciate why it was critically acclaimed, however I thought the film was very drawn out and it focused on too many unnecessary details that draw away from the story line. The movie followed the characters scene by scene and didn’t skip around at all which made it seem more realistic but it also just dragged the movie and it was somewhat monotonous at times.

A moment that stood out to me was when Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace were sitting at the diner talking. This scene seemed to drag on for a really long time and it felt like almost half of the movie was their dialogue at the diner and seemed somewhat unnecessary to spend that much time on one scene. 

One element of the film that stood out to me was the use of segmenting to help break the film down and make it easier to comprehend and prepare the viewer for what’s about to happen. The movie is very long so it’s broken down into 7 main segments- “Prelude to The Gold Watch (flashback), Prelude to Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace’s Wife, The Bonnie Situation, The Diner, The Diner ii, Prelude to The Gold Watch (present), Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace’s Wife, and The Gold Watch” (Wikipedia). This was a smart choice by the director ton split the film up into segments so that it kept the audience engaged and let them know what to look for in each segment of the film and what to pay attention to. 

I read varying critical conversations about Pulp Fiction, some describe it as an excellent film while others describe the film as “authoritative, influential, and meaningless” (Foster Hirsch). Other critics think that Pulp Fiction is a reference to postmodernism because it has several references to the 1950s and was even called a masterpiece, “Describing the film in 2005 as Tarantino’s ‘postmodern masterpiece … to date’, David Walker writes that it “is marked by its playful reverence for the 1950s … and its constantly teasing and often deferential references to other films”. He characterizes its convoluted narrative technique as ‘postmodern tricksiness’,” (Wikipedia). 

I can agree with the varying critiques of the film because I can appreciate how influential and important its references to postmodernism ast the time of its release were but I also can understand how a critic would be harsh and write that it seems “meaningless” at times because I also felt that way during the film. 

 

Sources

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulp_Fiction#cite_note-164

My experience of The Shining was good but it could have been better. I thought it was interesting in the beginning when the chef knows that the boys mother calls him “Doc” and reveals that he is psychic to the boy and that he knows that the boy is psychic too. I thought maybe the director could have done a better job explaining that part of the movie. Another element I was confused about was in the end after Jack dies and it shows the poster for the Overlook Hotel in the year 1921 and in the very front is Jack. There were also a few scenes that confused me. One scene in particular that confused me was when Wendy locks Jack in the food pantry and he somehow escapes later. The movie didn’t show how he escaped and it seemed unrealistic. Other than those confusing spots of the film, I thought the director did a great job of keeping the audience engaged and keeping the tone of the film eerie and creepy throughout the whole movie. 

The elements of the film that I was most impressed with was the sound, visual effects, and editing used in the film. All of these elements usually play a critical role in most horror movies but The Shining did an excellent job of utilizing all three. 

In the very beginning of the film during the drive up to the hotel there is scary music playing which sets the tone for the whole movie and makes the audience aware that something bad is going to happen at the hotel. Then when Jack arrives and interviews at the hotel the manager tells him about the murders that had previously taken place at the hotel. Then whenever something bad is about to happen during the movie, like when Danny has a vision or when Jack is chasing around Wendy with an axe, scary music is playing and it crescendos when there is an anticipation scene. Also the lack of sound throughout other scenes in the movie adds to the loneliness and isolation of the hotel making it even more creepy. 

The visual effects during The Shining also contribute to the overall tone of the film and give it an alarming feel. A scene that stood out to me with effective visual effects was when Danny was having a vision and saw the hotel lobby flooded with blood. The color red often appears in this film, for example when Danny becomes possessed and starts saying “red rum” he writes it on the door in red lip gloss, a lot of the rooms in the hotel have red in them, and the characters are also wearing red clothes in many scenes. I think this choice was done on purpose by the director to symbolize violence, blood, and murder and was a prequel for what would take place later in the film when Jack goes crazy and murders Dick who came to rescue Danny and Wendy. 

The other element of the film that impressed me the most was the editing of scenes and the different types of editing used to have an optimal viewing experience. There are several eye line match shots in the film that create anticipation scenes and make the audience jump from their seats. One eye line match shot in particular that stood out to me was when Danny was riding his tricycle through the hotel lobby and then it switches to his face and you can see his expression go from normal to terrified and then the camera switches from Danny to the two girls asking Danny to come play with them and then it flashes to images of their chopped up bodies.  Another scene that stood out to me using analytical editing was when Jack is going crazy and then he sits down at the bar for a drink and at first it looks like no one is there but then Jack starts talking to himself, the camera zooms in on his face and then he begins talking to Lloyd the bartender and orders a drink. 

Critics have written several different opinions on The Shining. Although most critics have overwhelmingly positive reviews of the film, many critics have different interpretations of what the film symbolizes. One famous interpretation was by Bill Blakemore who suggested that the film was symbolic of the genocide of Native Americans, the reasoning being that the hotel is said to have been built over an Indian burial ground, there are several Native American artifcats depicted throughout the film, and Dick Hallorann was murdered on top of a Native American rug when he returns to rescue Danny and Wendy. 

The critiques I read somewhat matched my experience of the film but I thought it left a little more to be desired. There were a few holes in the storyline that I mentioned earlier which confused me and I thought that the director should have put more emphasis on Danny’s visions and made them seem more realistic and last longer than they actually did since they play a critical role in the film. 

 

Sources

1. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shining
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(film)#cite_note-92

My experience of the film was very positive. I thought the director, Steven Spielberg, did an excellent job of utilizing special effects throughout the film and making it an interesting science fiction film, while also making ET a heart warming story of a bond between Elliot, the main character and ET. 

The element that overwhelmingly stood out to me while watching ET was the use of special effects, especially on such a low budget. According to Box Office Mojo, ET only used $10.5 million dollars for their entire budget, while an average movie’s budget cost around $100-$150 million to make today. The use of special effects to create ET and other special effects throughout the whole film was groundbreaking at the time, especially at such a low cost. 

Another element of ET that stood out to me was the use of sound throughout the film. In the beginning of the film before the boys first meet ET and when ET is landing on Earth there is very ominous/scary music playing to create an element of fear and unknown. However once he boys befriend ET and start having more fun with him the music begins to lighten up and has a more joyful tune. Sound is actually what ET is most famous for, ET won several accolades including an Oscar for Best Sound and Best Sound Effect Editing “This musical element is the film’s most famous theme and ties to E.T.’s telekinetic ability to make Elliott and his friends fly on their bikes.  The theme creates a mood of wonder and amazement during the iconic scene when Elliot and E.T. fly past the moon,” (Davis). 

Critical conversations I read about the film raved about ET’s use of sound to set the mood and how the film achieved lofty goals on such a low budget. Critics also said that ET was a one of a kind film at the time and brought joy to their hearts. Roger Ebert even wrote, “This is not simply a good movie. It is one of those movies that brush away our cautions and win our hearts,” whcih is extremely high praise. 

I would say that the critical conversations I’ve read about ET fit what my experience of the film was as well. I was very impressed with the use of sound to add to the tone of the fil as well as the use of special effects to make the film seem more real even though it’s about an alien. 

 

Sources:

1. https://peterdavisfilmblog.wordpress.com/2014/10/10/e-t-the-extra-terrestrial-catagories-and-functions-of-sound/ 
2. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-et-the-extra-terrestrial-1982
3. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=et.htm