City Lights
Movie: City Lights, 1931, 87 minutes
· Director: Charles Chaplin
· Actors: Charles Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, and Florence Lee
City Lights is a film about a tramp, played by Charles Chaplin, who falls in love family is in financial trouble and Charlie Chaplin’s relationship with a rich drunk, played by Harry Myers, allows Charlie Chaplin to be the girl’s benefactor.
Are there any similarities in the relationship that the Tramp has with the rich drunk and the blind girl? And if so what are they?
Yes, there are similarities between the tramp’s relationship with the rich drunk and with the blind girl. Both the blind girl and the rich drunk do not recognize the tramp when they are handicapped in some way. The rich drunk only recognizes the tramp when the rich drunk is under the influence of alcohol. And when the rich drunk is sober, he has no idea who the tramp is. In the case of the blind girl, she only recognizes the tramp when she is blind. But ironically, when she is finally able to see, she has more difficulty in recognizing the tramp.
In some cases, why does Chaplin put the blind girl on a higher altitude than the tramp?
Chaplin puts the blind girl on a higher altitude as a foreshadowing device. A higher altitude suggests a point of advantage and this is what Chaplin is trying to portray. Chaplin is trying to foreshadow the final scene in the movie where it is in the blind girl’s hands whether to accept Chaplin for the tramp that he is or to not; and this decision is where the advantage lies. He is putting the girl on a pedestal because she ultimately has the decision to accept him or not.
The Graduate
Movie: The Graduate, 1967, 105 minutes
Director: Mike Nichols
Actors: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross
Summary: The Graduate is about an affair between Dustin Hoffman’s Benjamin Braddock and Anne Bancroft’s Mrs. Robinson. It is the story of Benjamin Braddock’s rebellion against the establishment of his parents. It is about his struggle to find what he wants to do with his life and than to top it all off, Benjamin falls in love with Mrs. Robinson’s daughter.
How is The Graduate a reflection of the times in which it was made, the 1960’s?
The Graduate is a certainly a reflection of the 1960’s. The movie is all about Benjamin’s rebellion against the establishment of his parents. The affair with Mrs. Robinson is all about the free love of the 1960’s. Also, all of the music is by Simon and Garfunkle. This music spoke to the generation of the 1960’s. Simon and Garfunkle spoke to a whole generation and were a part of causing them to rebel against the establishment. Also, when Benjamin falls in love with Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, Elaine, Mrs. Robinson tells Benjamin to stay away from Elaine. She tells him that if he doesn’t stay away from Elaine that she will tell everyone of their affair. This betrayal of the younger generation by the older generation is represents the misguidance of America’s youth by the older generation during the 1960’s.
In what way is the The Graduate portrayed as a "coming of age" movie?
Nichols portrays Benjamin as an unmotivated college graduate who has no idea what his future holds and doesn't seem to care. Some examples are Benjamin lounging in the pool, going through the motions of putting up with his parent's friends during his graduation party, which was mostly attended by his parent's older generation. He also shows no control over his life and is manipulated by his parents and Mrs. Robinson. "One scene is edited so that it appears Benjamin is walking directly from his parents' dining room into the hotel room he shares with Mrs. Robinson. This seems to accent the separation of he and his parents, though they still live under the same roof". This could also be seen as a transition for Benjamin as he becomes in control of his future. Although he was forced to go on a date with Elaine, Mrs. Robinson's daughter, by his parents, he tries to take control by making a disaster of the night to ensure that Elaine won't like him, giving him the opportunity to continue his affair with Elaine's mother. As he matures during the movie and tries to discover what he wants, he begins to stand up to take control of his life. He stalks Elaine at Berkeley because he realizes that Elaine is his true love and in a final attempt at shaping his future, ends the wedding between Elaine and her fiance, and runs away with her to begin a life that is truly his.
Taxi Driver
Movie: Taxi Driver, 1976, 113 minutes
Director: Martin Scorsese
Actors: Robert De Niro, Jody Foster, Cybill Sheperd
Summary: Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) is a Vietnam Veteran who works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City. He suffers from insomnia and is mentally unstable. He falls in love with a woman named Betsy (Cybill Sheperd) and becomes obsessed with her. After a falling out between the two of them, Travis believes that he must do whatever he can to make the world a better place. In the process, he tries to save a 12-year-old prostitute named Iris (Jody Foster). He eventually kills Iris' pimp and Iris is returned back to her family.
What does the $20 bill that Sport throws at Travis represent when Iris first comes into Travis' taxi?
When Iris first comes into Travis' taxi, her pimp named Sport pulls her out and makes her go with him. Iris does not want to go with sport and fights back. Sport throws Travis a $20 bill and tells Travis to forget about the whole thing. This $20 bill lays on the passenger seat and is separate from the rest of his money that is in his cash box. For the rest of the movie the bill is crumpled up and kept in his pocket. It looks like it has been touched by many people and it stands out when he pulls out all of his cash to pay his friend $5. It represents the filth of the city and it shows that anybody can be bought for a certain price. It is ironic how the $20 bill does the exact opposite of what it was intended to do in the first place. Firstly, it is intended to make Travis forget about the situation. But in the end, it propels Travis to save Iris from Sport. The $20 bill actually comes full circle and Travis uses this $20 bill in order to talk to Iris for the first time.
Why does Travis have a weak and awkward handshake throughout the movie?
Throughout the movie, Travis has a weak handshake with certain individuals that he meets. Travis sort of grabs the fingers lightly of the person that is in his company in order to shake his or her hand. From the first point when I was introduced to Travis’ character, I sensed an aura of innocence and social awkwardness in him. I believe that this awkward handshake is a symbol of his alienation from society. Throughout the whole movie, Travis is a loner and does not have many friends and this social awkwardness is what alienates him. Our society alienates him and puts him in an unstable state. He starts to do crazy things like buy guns, get a Mohawk, etc. Only little actions like awkward handshakes cause people to be socially awkward. And once one is socially awkward, he or she is alienated from society. This handshake is a big part of why Travis is the way he is and it has an integral part in the course of the movie.
The Godfather I
Movie: The Godfather I, 1972
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Actors: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan
Summary: The Godfather I is the first part of the Godfather trilogy. It is the story of the transferring of power from Marlon Brando’s Vito Corleone to Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone. The movie portrays the structure of organized crime within the five families of New York. It emphasizes the value of loyalty and tradition.
How important is the concept of loyalty connected to the concept of revenge in the family?
The concept of loyalty in the Godfather is heavily emphasized. It is what drives the families actions. It can be seen that all of the Corleone family pays respect to the Godfather, Vito Corleone. During his daughter’s wedding, people paid respects to Vito by kissing his hand and bowing their heads. These actions signify that the Godfather has a lot of power. In the community, if the Godfather is protecting you, you are forever indebted to him and must do whatever he says. It is a repayment for the protection. The other side of loyalty is revenge. Revenge is prominent throughout the movie. Michael Corleone has a sister who is being beaten by her husband. At the end of the movie, Michael kills his sister’s husband against her wishes. Another example of revenge is the huge massacre at the end of the movie. Michael kills every leader of the five families because his father Vito was shot. Revenge is looked upon as being loyal to the family. If one does not take revenge, than one is not being loyal to the family.
How does Francis Ford Coppola use lighting to portray Vito Corleone’s character?
In the opening scene of The Godfather I, the lighting is very dim. When the viewer sees Don Vito for the first time, his eyes are completely blacked out. This effect is caused by an overhead lighting that creates two dark shadows under Don Vito’s eyes. Throughout the movie, Don Vito is very hard to read and it is difficult to understand his emotions. These shadows under his eyes in the first scene immediately portray Don Vito as dark but powerful character. Also, in the opening the opening scene, the dim light represents the mysteriousness of business going on in Don Vito’s office. The dark lighting shows corruption of business.
Deer Hunter
Movie: Deer Hunter, 1978, 182 minutes
Director: Michael Cimino
Actors: Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Cazale
Summary: The Deer Hunter is about how the Vietnam War changed the lives of three men for the worse. The film shows what kind of effect the war had on small towns and on the American working class. The film also explores the concept of friendship between the three friends who go to war.
How does Michael’s character evolve throughout the film and how does this relate to the concept of friendship?
In the beginning of the movie, Stan forgets his boots when they go deer hunting and asks Michael if he could borrow his spare. Michael responds by saying no and that Stan has to learn to bring all of his equipment with him. This ends up developing into a big argument. However, as time passed, Michael began to do a lot for his friends. Some incredible examples include the fact that a helicopter was rescuing them and Steve fell from the helicopter into the river. Without thinking, Michael jumped from the helicopter into the river in order to save Steve. An instant was that Michael saved himself and his friends from the prisoner of war camp. And finally at the end, Michael flies back all the ways to Vietnam in order to find Nick and bring him back home. In an attempt to make Nick remember who he is, Michael risks his life with a game of Russian Roulette. Michael puts a loaded gun to his head and shoots in order to make Nick remember him. Michael comes full circle in the film and it shows the power that war has on friendship.
What symbolism does Russian Roulette have in the film?
Russian Roulette is very symbolic throughout the film. The symbolism starts even before Russian Roulette is introduced into the film. It starts when Michael says to Nick that you can only have one shot to kill a dear. The kill has to be clean with only one shot. Later when Russian Roulette is introduced in the prisoner of war camp, the atrocities of Russian Roulette begin to reveal themselves. The game is pure violence and results in the player’s insanity. The game represents the war and its pure violence. Later, Russian Roulette begins to symbolize other things. At the end of the movie, when Nick begins to realize who Michael really is, Nick says to Michael “one shot” and then Nick blows his own brains out. The game represents the fragility of life and how “one shot” can change everything. The theme of “one shot” presents itself at the end when Michael can’t shoot the deer. Michael is the leader of the deer hunters and now he can’t bring himself to kill a defenseless deer. He sees that life is so fragile and one pull of a trigger can bring a ripple effect so large that it is incomprehensible.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Movie: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977, 137 minutes
Director: Steven Spielberg
Actors: Richard Dreyfus, François Truffaut, Teri Garr
Summary: Close Encounters of the Third Kind is about a Richard Dreyfus’, Roy Neary’s close encounter with aliens. This close encounter changes his life and he becomes obsessed with finding out about them. He becomes obsessed with a mountain in Wyoming in which the aliens finally meet with the U.S. government. Neary finds other people who have his sam obsession and they go to this mountain. Finally when they go to the mountain, Neary volunteers to g with the aliens into outer space.
How does the music in the movie reflect the connection between alien and human?
In the movie, the theme song of the movie is the same as the communication efforts of the aliens. The communication of the aliens to the humans is a combination of lights and tones. These tones are also the theme song of the movie. After doing some research online, I found that the five notes that Williams and Spielberg use for the greeting that the aliens use are the notes where all music comes from. They wanted to use five notes because there are five letters in the word hello and they believe that greeting should be brief, just like the greeting between the aliens and the humans.
How is Close Encounters of the Third Kind a reflection of the times with regards to how the people viewed the government?
In the film, the government puts on a huge cover operation for the encounters with aliens. They lie to the people and say that it is dangerous to stay where they are because of some kind of chemical accident. They want everyone out of where the aliens are. There is a connection here with the government during the Vietnam War and the people’s mistrust for the government. During the late 1960’s and early 70’s the people didn’t trust the government very much. This film also reflects the countries feeling about the government with regards to Watergate. The cover up of the aliens’ presence is a direct comparison to the Watergate cover up.
Blade Runner
Movie: Blade Runner, 1982, 116 minutes
Director: Ridley Scott
Actors: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young
Summary: Blade Runner is a futuristic film in which Harrison Ford’s, Rick Deckard, has to terminate 4 replicants. These replicants are used to do dangerous jobs on earth’s space colonies. The replicants who do not cooperate in the jobs and return to earth are hunted down by police officers called blade runners. The film takes place in Los Angeles in 2019 and explores the effects that technology has on a society.
In the film, how does technology have a dehumanizing effect?
Throughout the film, technology has a dehumanizing effect. It is extremely rare to see a human character with no form of technology around him or her. Even when Deckard is doing the most leisurely activity such as drinking in his apartment, there is a television that is controlled by voice command in the room. It seems like that humans need to be in the presence of a piece of technology in order to function correctly. Another aspect of the film in which technology is dehumanizing is hovering vehicles. At one point in the film, a policeman in a hovering vehicle confronts Deckard. The human form of the police man is never showed. It is as if his hovering vehicle is him. These hovering vehicles are represented as a part of the owner instead of property of the person.
How is lighting used to portray a certain mood?
Lighting is very important in the overall message of the film. The light in the film is very dark. In fact, the sun is never actually seen in the movie. The dark lighting of the movie sends a message of how the society has lost the natural part of life and everything is now run by technology. The fact that the sun is never shown proves that the society has lost al regard for nature. Also, light is used to characterize Rick Deckard. Throughout the movie, there is a dark shadow that is thrown upon Deckard’s face. This dark lighting upon Rick Deckard’s face emphasizes that mysteriousness and darkness of Rick Deckard’s character.
American Graffiti
Movie: American Graffiti, 1973
Director: George Lucas
Actors: Richard Dreyfus, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat
Summary: American Graffiti is about a bunch of High School kids’ last night of summer. They want to have their last bit of fun before their responsibilities set in. A lot of the kids have personal dilemmas. Richard Dreyfus’s character, Curt, has mixed feelings about leaving for college. Paul Le Mat’s character, John, prepares for to keep his championship as he prepares for a big race.
What role does wardrobe have in the film?
In the film, wardrobe has an important role n depicting the characters. For instance, Ron Howard’s character, Steve, is very well dressed and dresses preppy. In the movie, he is the one that is for sure going to college and is successful. His neatness and his tucked in collard shirt portray him as intelligent. Also, he has a watch on which portrays him as a reasonable character. Paul Le Mat’s character, John, is also characterized by wardrobe. His hair is slicked back and he has a tight plain white shirt on. Also, he has a cigarette pack in his sleeve. In the film he, John is portrayed as the cool guy. Also, his cigarettes characterize him as a rebel. He races cars and puts his safety in danger. Also, he is not going to college. Charles Martin Smith’s character, Terry, is also characterized by wardrobe. His hair is dorky and he has glasses. His overall appearance gives the viewer a sense that he is accident prone. Later in the movie, Terry actually loses Steve’s car on accident.
How does Lucas use Richard Dreyfus’ wardrobe to show that he has a big decision to make?
Richard Dreyfus’ character, Curt, is certainly characterized by wardrobe. His wardrobe is a mix between John’s wardrobe and Steve’s wardrobe. He is not quite as preppy as Steve but has a collard shirt that is unbuttoned. He also has a plain white shirt on just like John’s underneath his collard shirt. Throughout the movie, Curt is trying to decide whether he should go to college or not. He wants to go but he also does not want to leave his town. His wardrobe portrays his dilemma because it is a mixture between Steve’s, who is going to college for sure, and John’s, who is certainly not going to college. Curt’s wardrobe is a mixture between the two extremes and therefore, his situation is literally in the middle of John and Steve.
Bicycle Thieves
Movie: Bicycle Thieves, 1948, 93 minutes
Director: Vittorio De Sica
Actors: Lamberto Maggioani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carrell
Summary: The film is about a father and his son attempting to find the father’s stolen bicycle. The father is an unemployed man and he finally finds a job that requires a bicycle. On his first day on the job, the father’s bicycle is stolen. The film is about the father’s journey to find his bicycle and save his job.
What does the German hat represent?
When the father first comes in contact with the accused thief, the thief is wearing a German hat. Italian Neorealist films portray Fascism in a dark light. The films show the poverty how Mussolini’s Fascism was terrible for Italy. In the Bicycle Thieves, the “bad guy” in the movie is wearing a German hat. The hat represents a fascist Germany and by placing the hat on the thief, it is putting Germany and Fascism in a bad light. In addition to the thief wearing a German hat, the people that were supporting and defending the thief were also wearing German hats. This as well puts Germany and Fascism in a bad light.
How does the film portray the situation that the working class is in?
Throughout the film, people in the background of many scenes are working. People are always carrying things from sand bags to ladders to buckets of water. In one of the first scenes of the movie, when the viewer is introduced to the wife, she is carrying heavy buckets of water to the apartment. Then, when she finally gets up to the apartment, she makes the bed, does laundry, and cooks basically all at the same time. Another way that the film portrays the working class of Italy, is the story of the father. At first he is the one that has been stolen from. After hours and hours of searching for his stolen bicycle, his only choice is to steal a bicycle. The father comes full circle from being stolen from to stealing. This shows the dire situation that the citizens are in. In the beginning, the father is portrayed as a good man and at the end, he steals for his own good. Stealing was the only way to keep his job and put food on the table for his family. This fact shows that the working class is in a terrible economic situation.
Crash
Movie: Crash, 2004, 112 minutes
Director: Paul Haggis
Actors: Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock,Thandie Newton, Matt Dillon, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Terrance Howard
Summary: Crash is a film about two days in Los Angeles and the racial barriers society has set up. The film gives different stories of people of different races and connects them all with different events. The film shows the tension between different races.
What film techniques for Haggis use to portray that everything is connected?
There are countless times where Haggis uses film techniques to show how connected things really are and how one small action has a complete effect on another persons life. When there is a scene change into another story in the film, Haggis often uses a technique where he shows someone walking into one door and has someone else from a different story finish the action of walking through the door. The genius transitions show how one person can be directly involved with another person's life even if they do not even know the person that they are effecting. They show a person can effect another just as simply as walking through a door. These transitions are clever and subtle but extremely powerful.
What is the significance of the ending scene?
The ending scene in the film is very important. It wraps up the message of the film. The movie begins with a rear end auto accident and someone gets mad at someone and the whole story starts. The movie ends with Ludacris’ character letting the human cargo out into Chinatown. The camera then zooms out and shows another rear end car accident. The camera then shows an aerial view of the city. This car accident shows the story starting all over again and the aerial view of the city shows that this type of story is not a once in a lifetime series of event. This type of series of event can happen anywhere at anytime.
