M (Fritz Lang, 1931)
Summary:
The German film, “M”, directed by Fritz Lang in 1932 is about a child murder who takes a little girl name Elsie Beckman and gets away with her murder. But a group of criminals get frustrated with all the cops being all over the city, so instead of waiting for the cops to find the killer the group of criminals decide to catch the murderer themselves. The police are also looking all over for Elsie Beckman, in the forests, streets, and even tracking her scent with police dogs.
A creepy man looks at a little girl alone through a mirror and then starts to follow her but when he cuts the corner the little girls mom shows up so he plays it off like nothing happened. The killer then walks down the street and finds another little girl, but while he is walking he whistle the same tune he was whistling when he took Elsie Beckman. The blind man that gives out the balloons recognizes the whistling and tells a man to go after the man whistling with the little girl. The man the blind guy tells to go after the killer is in the group of criminals. The man then write and M on his hand with chalk and pass by the killer and tap him on the shoulder so it makes a white M on his jacket. The little girl he is with sees the white M on his back and starts to wipe it off with a rag, but while she is doing that the men spot the killer and start to go after him. The killer leaves the girl behind and runs into the office area where a bunch of people just got off work. He runs into the offices and hides in the attic of the offices. The group of men figure he is in the offices hiding since they didn’t see anyone with a white M on their back. While the killer is in the attic the night watchmen go in the room the killers in and start to look around but watchmen don’t find him.
The group of men make a plan to break into the offices, knockout the security, and look for the killer. While one of the men is upstairs he hears something in the room where the killer is, so he goes and tells the lead person of the group. While the killer is trying to pick the lock to get free he sees the door handle start to open so he goes and hides. The men get into the room and start looking through all the storage. Then the alarm starts to go off so they have to look quick before the police come. They go through the last storage room and find the killer. They put him in a bag and carry him to and old abandoned factory where a bunch of criminals are hiding.
One of the men in the group get left behind and the cops come and take him in for questioning. The inspector wonders why they broke into the offices if they didn’t take any money, then the inspector tells the man in the group one of the security guards died, and he is now getting charges with murder unless he tells him everything that happened. The man breaks and tells him where his group is at.
The killer then gets taken to a room full of criminals and they say they are going to have a trial to see if he gets executed. The killer admits to the murders but his defender says it’s not his fault because he is sick and needs to be taken to a hospital. The people say he needs to be killed then the killer wants to be taken to the police. The people start to rush the killer to try to kill him. But then everyone freezes and puts their hand up, the killer looks and then the cops take him away. The police tell the victim’s parents they caught the killer but they say that will not bring their children back.
Questions:
1.) What kind of song were the kids singing in the beginning of the movie?
2.) How many kids are missing in the beginning of the movie?
3.) What kind of places did the cops raid?
4.) What kind of people were in the group trying to catch the killer?
5.) What man notices the same whistling as the day Elsie went missing?
6.) How did the group of men put a mark on the killer?
7.) Where does the killer hide when he gets surrounded?
8.) Who finds the killer, the police, or the group of men?
9.) Where does the killer get taken to?
10.) What happens to the killer at the end of the story?
by Harrison Difuntorum
Film Comparison:
The movie “M” directed by Fritz Lang can be compared to a movie called “Taken.” In the movie “M” there is a kidnapper of little girls and he murders them. He would earn their trust buy being nice and buying them a balloon, shortly after he would then kill them. His incentives to do the killing were that ghosts and apparitions would constantly follow him around and torment him. The ghosts were of those who he had killed. However when he was doing the killing he would go into this trans like state where he would not be tormented and would be in peace. After the killing he would immediately regret what he did and not be able to recollect completely what had happened. So to him the killings were a no brainer, to kill and be left alone in peace and in complete tranquility for a brief moment was complete satisfaction.
So in the movie “Taken” this man, Liam Neeson, has a daughter who wants to desperately go to Paris with one of her friends. He didn’t wan to her to go and warned her of possible dangers but he let her go, because he saw how much it meant to her. Early on this man befriended both the daughter and her friend, just like the murder would do in “M,” she ended up giving him their address. Not too long after they got to their place men stormed in and took the daughter’s friend. She then got onto the phone with her father as she was being taken. The kidnapper took the phone and was warned by the father. So the father decided to take action in his own hands, he flew down to Paris without police help, just like the civilians of “M.” He ended up finding the kidnappers and took necessary steps to ensure him and his daughter’s safety.
So to sum up the relations of the two movies is the fact that both “Taken” and “M” have murders that were taken into justice by vigilantes, so to speak. The victims of both movies were also of the female gender, along with males who did the crimes. The killers were also repeat offenders; they didn’t just do it once, but time after time. The mistake made by the kidnapper in “Taken” was that he said good luck, and it allowed Liam Nesson’s character to know what he sounded like. In “M” a blind man was able to remember the down fall of the murder, which was his whistle.
by Mitchel Cabrera
The German film, “M”, directed by Fritz Lang in 1932 is about a child murder who takes a little girl name Elsie Beckman and gets away with her murder. But a group of criminals get frustrated with all the cops being all over the city, so instead of waiting for the cops to find the killer the group of criminals decide to catch the murderer themselves. The police are also looking all over for Elsie Beckman, in the forests, streets, and even tracking her scent with police dogs.
A creepy man looks at a little girl alone through a mirror and then starts to follow her but when he cuts the corner the little girls mom shows up so he plays it off like nothing happened. The killer then walks down the street and finds another little girl, but while he is walking he whistle the same tune he was whistling when he took Elsie Beckman. The blind man that gives out the balloons recognizes the whistling and tells a man to go after the man whistling with the little girl. The man the blind guy tells to go after the killer is in the group of criminals. The man then write and M on his hand with chalk and pass by the killer and tap him on the shoulder so it makes a white M on his jacket. The little girl he is with sees the white M on his back and starts to wipe it off with a rag, but while she is doing that the men spot the killer and start to go after him. The killer leaves the girl behind and runs into the office area where a bunch of people just got off work. He runs into the offices and hides in the attic of the offices. The group of men figure he is in the offices hiding since they didn’t see anyone with a white M on their back. While the killer is in the attic the night watchmen go in the room the killers in and start to look around but watchmen don’t find him.
The group of men make a plan to break into the offices, knockout the security, and look for the killer. While one of the men is upstairs he hears something in the room where the killer is, so he goes and tells the lead person of the group. While the killer is trying to pick the lock to get free he sees the door handle start to open so he goes and hides. The men get into the room and start looking through all the storage. Then the alarm starts to go off so they have to look quick before the police come. They go through the last storage room and find the killer. They put him in a bag and carry him to and old abandoned factory where a bunch of criminals are hiding.
One of the men in the group get left behind and the cops come and take him in for questioning. The inspector wonders why they broke into the offices if they didn’t take any money, then the inspector tells the man in the group one of the security guards died, and he is now getting charges with murder unless he tells him everything that happened. The man breaks and tells him where his group is at.
The killer then gets taken to a room full of criminals and they say they are going to have a trial to see if he gets executed. The killer admits to the murders but his defender says it’s not his fault because he is sick and needs to be taken to a hospital. The people say he needs to be killed then the killer wants to be taken to the police. The people start to rush the killer to try to kill him. But then everyone freezes and puts their hand up, the killer looks and then the cops take him away. The police tell the victim’s parents they caught the killer but they say that will not bring their children back.
Questions:
1.) What kind of song were the kids singing in the beginning of the movie?
2.) How many kids are missing in the beginning of the movie?
3.) What kind of places did the cops raid?
4.) What kind of people were in the group trying to catch the killer?
5.) What man notices the same whistling as the day Elsie went missing?
6.) How did the group of men put a mark on the killer?
7.) Where does the killer hide when he gets surrounded?
8.) Who finds the killer, the police, or the group of men?
9.) Where does the killer get taken to?
10.) What happens to the killer at the end of the story?
by Harrison Difuntorum
Film Comparison:
The movie “M” directed by Fritz Lang can be compared to a movie called “Taken.” In the movie “M” there is a kidnapper of little girls and he murders them. He would earn their trust buy being nice and buying them a balloon, shortly after he would then kill them. His incentives to do the killing were that ghosts and apparitions would constantly follow him around and torment him. The ghosts were of those who he had killed. However when he was doing the killing he would go into this trans like state where he would not be tormented and would be in peace. After the killing he would immediately regret what he did and not be able to recollect completely what had happened. So to him the killings were a no brainer, to kill and be left alone in peace and in complete tranquility for a brief moment was complete satisfaction.
So in the movie “Taken” this man, Liam Neeson, has a daughter who wants to desperately go to Paris with one of her friends. He didn’t wan to her to go and warned her of possible dangers but he let her go, because he saw how much it meant to her. Early on this man befriended both the daughter and her friend, just like the murder would do in “M,” she ended up giving him their address. Not too long after they got to their place men stormed in and took the daughter’s friend. She then got onto the phone with her father as she was being taken. The kidnapper took the phone and was warned by the father. So the father decided to take action in his own hands, he flew down to Paris without police help, just like the civilians of “M.” He ended up finding the kidnappers and took necessary steps to ensure him and his daughter’s safety.
So to sum up the relations of the two movies is the fact that both “Taken” and “M” have murders that were taken into justice by vigilantes, so to speak. The victims of both movies were also of the female gender, along with males who did the crimes. The killers were also repeat offenders; they didn’t just do it once, but time after time. The mistake made by the kidnapper in “Taken” was that he said good luck, and it allowed Liam Nesson’s character to know what he sounded like. In “M” a blind man was able to remember the down fall of the murder, which was his whistle.
by Mitchel Cabrera
Le Million (Rene Clair, 1931)
Summary:
The film opens with an aerial scene of a French town. The buildings appear old and rustic from the outside, but appear warmer and happier on the inside. The camera glides over to a rooftop, where two men peer down into a room of people dancing and singing. They ask what is going on, and the people inside agree to tell them. These people describe an intricate flashback that opens with a shot of the main character, a struggling artist named Michel.
Michel is seen painting a portrait of a woman. This naturally makes his fiancé, Beatrice, jealous, adding more complication to his already hectic and chaotic life. He is deep in debt and completely broke. Creditors harass him constantly in an attempt to take from him the money they are owed. He feels like everything is hopeless, and he wants to give up, but just then he reads an important newspaper article stating that he has won the lottery for one million in Dutch currency.
Naturally, Michel thinks all his troubles a thing of the past at this time, but in reality, all of his problems have really just begun. When he goes to retrieve the jacket in which his winning ticket resides, he realizes it is missing. He questions his wife, who breaks the news to him that she has given it to a thief to try to help him escape from the law. Michel finds out that the thief is commonly known as “Grandpa Tulip.” Michel and his friend Prosper track down Grandpa Tulip, who only tells them that he has sold the jacket to a tenor; however, Grandpa Tulip has taken a watch from the tenor, which he lets Michel inspect. As Michel is examining the watch, Grandpa Tulip and his associates slip away and ironically leave Michel standing there in the middle of a police raid. He is arrested.
Michel feels that everything he has worked for is over now, and he has given up. However, upon arriving at the police department, he overhears an important conversation. From this, he discovers that the tenor who has wrongfully gained possession of his jacket will be singing at the local opera house that night. His friend Prosper, having been instructed by the police to report to the police station, arrives shortly after Michel. Michel is relying on Prosper to vouch for him, but Prosper denies knowing Michel, despite the fact that they have been friends for over twenty years. Now Prosper’s true character is revealed: He is seen to be a cunning and deceptive person who is willing to ruin his friendship with Michel for Michel’s lottery ticket. Michel has no choice but to tell Prosper where and when the tenor will be singing, for if he does not tell him the money will be lost forever and neither man will see it again.
After learning that the tenor will be singing at the opera house that night, Prosper happily strolls out of the police station, leaving Michel to rot in jail while he goes out and finds the lottery ticket. Michel’s fortune turns around very soon, however, as the creditors who once hated him and harassed him constantly come to his rescue. Now that Michel is free, he heads out with the intent of getting his lottery ticket back.
That night, Prosper and Michel meet at the opera house and quarrel against one another in the hope of being the one to take home the lottery ticket. The tenor has decided to wear the jacket for his performance of “Les Bohemiens.” Michel and Prosper end up dressing in costumes and following the tenor onstage, where they continue to fight for the jacket. They rip the arms off it, and, to make matters more complicated, a group of thugs who have discovered the jacket’s value start fighting for it as well. At the end of this chaotic scene the jacket falls down a shoot, shattering everybody’s hopes of getting the ticket.
Unknown to any of the characters, the jacket has landed atop Michel’s awaiting taxi; as he and Beatrice are driving home Michel notices part of the jacket hanging outside his window. He tells the cab driver to stop, hops out, and retrieves the jacket, overjoyed at his fortune. Unfortunately, things quickly turn sour again when the group of thugs, who have followed Michel home, hold him at gunpoint and steal the jacket.
Michel despairingly trudges home and returns to his apartment to find people celebrating and dancing. They believe Michel has retrieved the ticket and is rich, but when they request to see it, Michel has nothing to show. Just as everyone is losing hope, a man enters the apartment and tells Michel he has retrieved the jacket and the ticket. Everyone is happy again, and they all continue to celebrate. At this point, the flashback skips forward to the present, where the man has finished telling his story and all the townspeople leave the building.
Questions:
1. Why does Prosper turn against his best friend?
The fact that he is poor just like Michel and the thought of being a millionaire were enough to turn Prosper against anybody, even his own best friend.
2. Why is the entire film in the form of a flashback?
This was probably a technique the director decided to use in order to draw audience members into the film by making the story more interesting and catching.
3. Why does Rene Clair limit real sounds and include more fake ones?
Rene Clair didn’t want to have to rely entirely on reality to make the audio in his film; he wanted to be create sounds the way he imagined they should sound.
4. What is the genre of this film?
It is not one genre, but a mix of two. It is an action film, as the plot is fast-paced and many eventful things occur, but there is also a good amount of singing and dancing, classifying it as a musical as well.
5. Who could be considered the most likeable character?
Initially, Prosper is portrayed as the innocent, out-of-luck person of the two friends, and is thus more likeable, but his true character is revealed later on; this makes the audience favor Michel and root for him.
6. Who was the man that finally returned Michel’s stolen jacket?
The answer to this question is something I will probably never know, but the man may have been a spy or undercover worker, a police officer, or even a mutual friend of Michel’s whose simply trying to help his friend help Michel.
7. Why did this man not keep the jacket for himself?
It is most likely the case that he did not realize the value of the jacket at first but was simply told to retrieve it by someone of higher authority.
8. Was this film intended to be primarily a musical?
Rene definitely wanted to use music in his film almost as a type of relief; the majority of the plot was action-packed and fast, and the music provided a break from this.
9. How was the quality of sound in the film?
Although sound was entirely experimental at this time, the quality of sound was actually very good, and it was well synchronized too.
10. How do the thugs learn about the value of Michel’s jacket?
The thugs are most likely associated with Grandpa Tulip; he tells them about the jacket.
by Nick Sichau
Film Element Analysis of Image and Sound:
The images of Le Million are of very good quality in this black-and-white musical. To form a foundation for image, Clair had a thorough misé en scene; the backgrounds consisted of necessary props and items to create a more accurate and realistic image on screen. For example, the streets would have real cars and people strolling around buildings that had windows on its walls. All this in the background makes the movie more believable. Le Million had a nice variety of settings, ranging from a bleak apartment to a ravishing opera house. In addition, Rene Clair makes sure to add some image creativity with the flamboyant actions of the characters; the movie consists of a ballet and opera performance, fast-paced chases, and the witty “football” scene.
Rene Clair combines image with sound logically and illogically, displaying the quirky sound creativity of Clair once again. The scenes felt harmonious with the background music that accompanied them; this particular aspect is also the reason why the musical numbers were interweaved into the storyline so fluidly. For example, in the scene when Michel leads the people he owes money to up the stairs, the music’s alacritous beat matched the pace of the marching. Then, they fluidly began to sing their musical number. On the other hand, Clair also mismatches the image and sound. Throughout the film, when the characters hit, punch, and slap each other, the sound would be some other percussional sound. Although it is incoherent matching, this piques viewer’s attention, and also makes them laugh.
Furthermore, the amount of sound in the film was ideal—it was sufficient enough so it did not leave the film lost in awkward silence, yet it was not overbearing to the ears. Dialogue was always clearly heard, but the background noise was not ever much of an issue. There was plenty of music and musical numbers, but they were not repetitive, nor were they long and excessively frequent. This characteristic of Le Million makes it a fantastic film to watch that will exhibit the artistic potentials of sound, yet also will compel viewers to appreciate the importance of pure image in film.
by Michelle Yang
Film to Film Comparison:
When you think about Le Million, you obviously know that it’s going to be a movie about a millionaire or a million dollars. When I compare Le Million with another movie I would think that it mostly compares to the movie called, Slumdog Millionaire from 2008. In Le Million you have a man named Michel, who is poor and never pays his servants, win the lottery ticket in which holds a fortune for him to become a millionaire. Michel’s jacket which holds the lottery ticket has been given away by Beatrice, Michel’s fiancé who tries to get Michel out of her life because of everything Michel would do but eventually end up with him. Beatrice has given the jacket to Tulip who was running away from the cops; eventually after a series of events like Michel going to jail and other disasters, Michel gets his jacket and his lottery ticket back by Tulip and makes his fortune. Towards the end of the movie, Michel and Beatrice fall in love with each other and stick together throughout the ending part of the movie. In the movie Slumdog Millionaire, a man named Jamal Malik from an Indian village is very poor and becomes a contestant on an Indian version of the game show called, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” Jamal enters the contest and answers every question correctly until he comes to the very last question where he can win twenty million dollars. Jamal gets arrested for cheating at the last question because the police say that it is impossible for a man to know all of the answers to all of the questions. Jamal has flashbacks of how he knows all of the answers and the police believe him so he goes on and wins his twenty million dollars. Throughout all of these events, Jamal falls in love with an Indian girl named Latika who tries to get Jamal out of her life throughout the movie but eventually ends up with him.
The reason why Slumdog Millionaire compares to Le Million is because in both movies the main characters go to jail, have someone who loves them but tries to get the main characters out of their lives, both the main characters start off by being poor, and the outcome of both of the disasters in the movie come out to be a good one. The outcome of both movies was the two men, Jamal and Michel, becoming a millionaire. Both movies also take place in the past with Le Million already being directed and set in the 1930’s and Slumdog Millionaire having flashbacks to the past. Even though both films have different settings, different characters, different ways of getting money, and also totally different plots, they both have the same outcome of becoming a millionaire.
by Araz Merguerian
The film opens with an aerial scene of a French town. The buildings appear old and rustic from the outside, but appear warmer and happier on the inside. The camera glides over to a rooftop, where two men peer down into a room of people dancing and singing. They ask what is going on, and the people inside agree to tell them. These people describe an intricate flashback that opens with a shot of the main character, a struggling artist named Michel.
Michel is seen painting a portrait of a woman. This naturally makes his fiancé, Beatrice, jealous, adding more complication to his already hectic and chaotic life. He is deep in debt and completely broke. Creditors harass him constantly in an attempt to take from him the money they are owed. He feels like everything is hopeless, and he wants to give up, but just then he reads an important newspaper article stating that he has won the lottery for one million in Dutch currency.
Naturally, Michel thinks all his troubles a thing of the past at this time, but in reality, all of his problems have really just begun. When he goes to retrieve the jacket in which his winning ticket resides, he realizes it is missing. He questions his wife, who breaks the news to him that she has given it to a thief to try to help him escape from the law. Michel finds out that the thief is commonly known as “Grandpa Tulip.” Michel and his friend Prosper track down Grandpa Tulip, who only tells them that he has sold the jacket to a tenor; however, Grandpa Tulip has taken a watch from the tenor, which he lets Michel inspect. As Michel is examining the watch, Grandpa Tulip and his associates slip away and ironically leave Michel standing there in the middle of a police raid. He is arrested.
Michel feels that everything he has worked for is over now, and he has given up. However, upon arriving at the police department, he overhears an important conversation. From this, he discovers that the tenor who has wrongfully gained possession of his jacket will be singing at the local opera house that night. His friend Prosper, having been instructed by the police to report to the police station, arrives shortly after Michel. Michel is relying on Prosper to vouch for him, but Prosper denies knowing Michel, despite the fact that they have been friends for over twenty years. Now Prosper’s true character is revealed: He is seen to be a cunning and deceptive person who is willing to ruin his friendship with Michel for Michel’s lottery ticket. Michel has no choice but to tell Prosper where and when the tenor will be singing, for if he does not tell him the money will be lost forever and neither man will see it again.
After learning that the tenor will be singing at the opera house that night, Prosper happily strolls out of the police station, leaving Michel to rot in jail while he goes out and finds the lottery ticket. Michel’s fortune turns around very soon, however, as the creditors who once hated him and harassed him constantly come to his rescue. Now that Michel is free, he heads out with the intent of getting his lottery ticket back.
That night, Prosper and Michel meet at the opera house and quarrel against one another in the hope of being the one to take home the lottery ticket. The tenor has decided to wear the jacket for his performance of “Les Bohemiens.” Michel and Prosper end up dressing in costumes and following the tenor onstage, where they continue to fight for the jacket. They rip the arms off it, and, to make matters more complicated, a group of thugs who have discovered the jacket’s value start fighting for it as well. At the end of this chaotic scene the jacket falls down a shoot, shattering everybody’s hopes of getting the ticket.
Unknown to any of the characters, the jacket has landed atop Michel’s awaiting taxi; as he and Beatrice are driving home Michel notices part of the jacket hanging outside his window. He tells the cab driver to stop, hops out, and retrieves the jacket, overjoyed at his fortune. Unfortunately, things quickly turn sour again when the group of thugs, who have followed Michel home, hold him at gunpoint and steal the jacket.
Michel despairingly trudges home and returns to his apartment to find people celebrating and dancing. They believe Michel has retrieved the ticket and is rich, but when they request to see it, Michel has nothing to show. Just as everyone is losing hope, a man enters the apartment and tells Michel he has retrieved the jacket and the ticket. Everyone is happy again, and they all continue to celebrate. At this point, the flashback skips forward to the present, where the man has finished telling his story and all the townspeople leave the building.
Questions:
1. Why does Prosper turn against his best friend?
The fact that he is poor just like Michel and the thought of being a millionaire were enough to turn Prosper against anybody, even his own best friend.
2. Why is the entire film in the form of a flashback?
This was probably a technique the director decided to use in order to draw audience members into the film by making the story more interesting and catching.
3. Why does Rene Clair limit real sounds and include more fake ones?
Rene Clair didn’t want to have to rely entirely on reality to make the audio in his film; he wanted to be create sounds the way he imagined they should sound.
4. What is the genre of this film?
It is not one genre, but a mix of two. It is an action film, as the plot is fast-paced and many eventful things occur, but there is also a good amount of singing and dancing, classifying it as a musical as well.
5. Who could be considered the most likeable character?
Initially, Prosper is portrayed as the innocent, out-of-luck person of the two friends, and is thus more likeable, but his true character is revealed later on; this makes the audience favor Michel and root for him.
6. Who was the man that finally returned Michel’s stolen jacket?
The answer to this question is something I will probably never know, but the man may have been a spy or undercover worker, a police officer, or even a mutual friend of Michel’s whose simply trying to help his friend help Michel.
7. Why did this man not keep the jacket for himself?
It is most likely the case that he did not realize the value of the jacket at first but was simply told to retrieve it by someone of higher authority.
8. Was this film intended to be primarily a musical?
Rene definitely wanted to use music in his film almost as a type of relief; the majority of the plot was action-packed and fast, and the music provided a break from this.
9. How was the quality of sound in the film?
Although sound was entirely experimental at this time, the quality of sound was actually very good, and it was well synchronized too.
10. How do the thugs learn about the value of Michel’s jacket?
The thugs are most likely associated with Grandpa Tulip; he tells them about the jacket.
by Nick Sichau
Film Element Analysis of Image and Sound:
The images of Le Million are of very good quality in this black-and-white musical. To form a foundation for image, Clair had a thorough misé en scene; the backgrounds consisted of necessary props and items to create a more accurate and realistic image on screen. For example, the streets would have real cars and people strolling around buildings that had windows on its walls. All this in the background makes the movie more believable. Le Million had a nice variety of settings, ranging from a bleak apartment to a ravishing opera house. In addition, Rene Clair makes sure to add some image creativity with the flamboyant actions of the characters; the movie consists of a ballet and opera performance, fast-paced chases, and the witty “football” scene.
Rene Clair combines image with sound logically and illogically, displaying the quirky sound creativity of Clair once again. The scenes felt harmonious with the background music that accompanied them; this particular aspect is also the reason why the musical numbers were interweaved into the storyline so fluidly. For example, in the scene when Michel leads the people he owes money to up the stairs, the music’s alacritous beat matched the pace of the marching. Then, they fluidly began to sing their musical number. On the other hand, Clair also mismatches the image and sound. Throughout the film, when the characters hit, punch, and slap each other, the sound would be some other percussional sound. Although it is incoherent matching, this piques viewer’s attention, and also makes them laugh.
Furthermore, the amount of sound in the film was ideal—it was sufficient enough so it did not leave the film lost in awkward silence, yet it was not overbearing to the ears. Dialogue was always clearly heard, but the background noise was not ever much of an issue. There was plenty of music and musical numbers, but they were not repetitive, nor were they long and excessively frequent. This characteristic of Le Million makes it a fantastic film to watch that will exhibit the artistic potentials of sound, yet also will compel viewers to appreciate the importance of pure image in film.
by Michelle Yang
Film to Film Comparison:
When you think about Le Million, you obviously know that it’s going to be a movie about a millionaire or a million dollars. When I compare Le Million with another movie I would think that it mostly compares to the movie called, Slumdog Millionaire from 2008. In Le Million you have a man named Michel, who is poor and never pays his servants, win the lottery ticket in which holds a fortune for him to become a millionaire. Michel’s jacket which holds the lottery ticket has been given away by Beatrice, Michel’s fiancé who tries to get Michel out of her life because of everything Michel would do but eventually end up with him. Beatrice has given the jacket to Tulip who was running away from the cops; eventually after a series of events like Michel going to jail and other disasters, Michel gets his jacket and his lottery ticket back by Tulip and makes his fortune. Towards the end of the movie, Michel and Beatrice fall in love with each other and stick together throughout the ending part of the movie. In the movie Slumdog Millionaire, a man named Jamal Malik from an Indian village is very poor and becomes a contestant on an Indian version of the game show called, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” Jamal enters the contest and answers every question correctly until he comes to the very last question where he can win twenty million dollars. Jamal gets arrested for cheating at the last question because the police say that it is impossible for a man to know all of the answers to all of the questions. Jamal has flashbacks of how he knows all of the answers and the police believe him so he goes on and wins his twenty million dollars. Throughout all of these events, Jamal falls in love with an Indian girl named Latika who tries to get Jamal out of her life throughout the movie but eventually ends up with him.
The reason why Slumdog Millionaire compares to Le Million is because in both movies the main characters go to jail, have someone who loves them but tries to get the main characters out of their lives, both the main characters start off by being poor, and the outcome of both of the disasters in the movie come out to be a good one. The outcome of both movies was the two men, Jamal and Michel, becoming a millionaire. Both movies also take place in the past with Le Million already being directed and set in the 1930’s and Slumdog Millionaire having flashbacks to the past. Even though both films have different settings, different characters, different ways of getting money, and also totally different plots, they both have the same outcome of becoming a millionaire.
by Araz Merguerian
Carefree (Mark Sandrich, 1938)
Summary:
The movie Carefree by Mark Sandrich is a spectacular musical that defiantly isn’t over done. The movie begins with a man named Steve wondering what’s wrong with his fiancée, Amanda. So he decides to take her in to see a psychologist, see keeps breaking off their engagement. An appointment date is set by Tony, the psychologist, to meet with Amanda. During the appointment she heard a recording of Tony calling her “stupid,” she didn’t take too kindly to that. She then played stupid and Tony was then confused. That night Amanda had a dream of her and Tony dancing and having a great time, that’s when she thought she may really like him. The next day she wore a shirt of a heart with arrows going toward it, which represents the conflict in her love life.
Tony put Amanda under anesthesia to get to her subconscious, but she was taken out of the room while he was out by Tony. She had a broadcast to do so he put her in a taxi, unaware that she went out of the taxi on the other side. She strolled along town and ended up breaking a huge glass window with a cop’s baton, immediately she took off. Eventually Amanda got to the broadcast station and said not to use the product they were advertising, which happened to be toothpaste. Right after the broadcast was finished Tony and Steve show up with the cops and the window people right behind them. Cops say they are going to take her in, but Steve, with Tony’s suggestion, offers to pay for all damages done; Steve even offers to pay for loss profits on the broadcasting advertisement. All was fine until Amanda hit the officer as he turned around.
Next scene Amanda, Steve and the Judge are discussing the punishment, and the Judge decides to let this one slide. Steve then proceeds to offer him to a dinner he is having the following day, he accepts. At the dinner Amanda tells her aunt she is in love with Tony. Tony and Amanda then share a pleasant dance. Amanda wants to continue the dance so tells the band to keep playing, she ends up singing and the whole place dances along. After all of that she then talks to Steve, it’s about her feelings about Tony and him but she takes it the wrong way and tells everyone they are getting married.
Amanda is hypnotized during the next, and final appointment with Tony, he tells him that Steve is the man for her, and Tony is a bad man and should be shot down dead like a dog. He walks out and realizes her mistake but it’s too late, Amanda is almost to Steve. Once she gets to Steve she grabs a shotgun and shoots the judges clay pigeons during skeet shooting. Tony arrives and is almost killed by Amanda, so another court date with the judge has to happen. Tony tells Steve, “Amanda loves me, and I think I love her back.” Steve tells the judge he placed thoughts in Amanda’s head, he then is never to see her again. Eventually at the wedding Amanda gets punched by Steve on accident, he tried to hit Tony. Tony’s partner holds Steve down and Tony tells Amanda, “Tony loves Amanda.” They then get married instead of Steve and Amanda.
Questions:
by Mitchel Cabrera
Film Review:
What film is full of screwball comedy, romance, and is a musical all at once? Well there are a lot of movies like that today, but right now, I have the movie Carefree, which was directed by Mark Sandrich, in mind. Carefree is mainly about Steven( Ralph Bellamy) wanting help from his friend Tony Flagg( Fred Astaire) to make his fiancee, Amanda Cooper( Ginger Rogers), as Tony's new patient to subconsciously make her love Steven, but during the procedure, Amanda falls in love with Tony. In the end, it is obviously a happy ending and the two that are truly in love get married. My point is that not only did I just enjoyed it because I currently seen it in class, but I also enjoyed the film by being romantically and musically entertaining- yet has that cliche feeling.
I have felt like the love story was a bit cliche since some books and movies like The Hunger Games have a surprising outcome on who the main character ends up with. The ending wasn't an over-the-top happy ending like I wished it would be. What prevented that to occur were the final moments of the film happening to quick for me from Tony breaking in the groom's room to rushing over to the Amanda's room wanting to tell her that he loves her and then the next thing you know it poof! they get married.
Overall, I'd say it's actually a nice film to watch if you're in a mood for something new for a change( even though this movie is about 75 years old) and if you are in a mood to watch a musical that isn't overdone- yet does have amazing choreography that involves twirling over tables and hitting golf balls. On the other hand, I do not recommend this movie to any people who are going through a break up because it involves sweet, romantic scenes and a happy ending.
By: Marianne Buena
The movie Carefree by Mark Sandrich is a spectacular musical that defiantly isn’t over done. The movie begins with a man named Steve wondering what’s wrong with his fiancée, Amanda. So he decides to take her in to see a psychologist, see keeps breaking off their engagement. An appointment date is set by Tony, the psychologist, to meet with Amanda. During the appointment she heard a recording of Tony calling her “stupid,” she didn’t take too kindly to that. She then played stupid and Tony was then confused. That night Amanda had a dream of her and Tony dancing and having a great time, that’s when she thought she may really like him. The next day she wore a shirt of a heart with arrows going toward it, which represents the conflict in her love life.
Tony put Amanda under anesthesia to get to her subconscious, but she was taken out of the room while he was out by Tony. She had a broadcast to do so he put her in a taxi, unaware that she went out of the taxi on the other side. She strolled along town and ended up breaking a huge glass window with a cop’s baton, immediately she took off. Eventually Amanda got to the broadcast station and said not to use the product they were advertising, which happened to be toothpaste. Right after the broadcast was finished Tony and Steve show up with the cops and the window people right behind them. Cops say they are going to take her in, but Steve, with Tony’s suggestion, offers to pay for all damages done; Steve even offers to pay for loss profits on the broadcasting advertisement. All was fine until Amanda hit the officer as he turned around.
Next scene Amanda, Steve and the Judge are discussing the punishment, and the Judge decides to let this one slide. Steve then proceeds to offer him to a dinner he is having the following day, he accepts. At the dinner Amanda tells her aunt she is in love with Tony. Tony and Amanda then share a pleasant dance. Amanda wants to continue the dance so tells the band to keep playing, she ends up singing and the whole place dances along. After all of that she then talks to Steve, it’s about her feelings about Tony and him but she takes it the wrong way and tells everyone they are getting married.
Amanda is hypnotized during the next, and final appointment with Tony, he tells him that Steve is the man for her, and Tony is a bad man and should be shot down dead like a dog. He walks out and realizes her mistake but it’s too late, Amanda is almost to Steve. Once she gets to Steve she grabs a shotgun and shoots the judges clay pigeons during skeet shooting. Tony arrives and is almost killed by Amanda, so another court date with the judge has to happen. Tony tells Steve, “Amanda loves me, and I think I love her back.” Steve tells the judge he placed thoughts in Amanda’s head, he then is never to see her again. Eventually at the wedding Amanda gets punched by Steve on accident, he tried to hit Tony. Tony’s partner holds Steve down and Tony tells Amanda, “Tony loves Amanda.” They then get married instead of Steve and Amanda.
Questions:
- What did the heart with arrows going to it meant on Amanda’s shirt?
- Did this early musical have an overdone musical number?
- Why was the judge so lenient?
- Why did the movie only have, essentially one ethnicity in it?
- Amanda was stuck in a tight spot, what would you have done being in her position?
- How did Amanda feel when Steve had her brought to a Psychologist?
- The judge and Steve seemed to have such a great relationship, why is this?
- Were colors an issue when getting dresses and suits, with it being black and white?
- What made the director decide to do a musical with the love story line?
- Was Carefree to be a musical from the start?
by Mitchel Cabrera
Film Review:
What film is full of screwball comedy, romance, and is a musical all at once? Well there are a lot of movies like that today, but right now, I have the movie Carefree, which was directed by Mark Sandrich, in mind. Carefree is mainly about Steven( Ralph Bellamy) wanting help from his friend Tony Flagg( Fred Astaire) to make his fiancee, Amanda Cooper( Ginger Rogers), as Tony's new patient to subconsciously make her love Steven, but during the procedure, Amanda falls in love with Tony. In the end, it is obviously a happy ending and the two that are truly in love get married. My point is that not only did I just enjoyed it because I currently seen it in class, but I also enjoyed the film by being romantically and musically entertaining- yet has that cliche feeling.
I have felt like the love story was a bit cliche since some books and movies like The Hunger Games have a surprising outcome on who the main character ends up with. The ending wasn't an over-the-top happy ending like I wished it would be. What prevented that to occur were the final moments of the film happening to quick for me from Tony breaking in the groom's room to rushing over to the Amanda's room wanting to tell her that he loves her and then the next thing you know it poof! they get married.
Overall, I'd say it's actually a nice film to watch if you're in a mood for something new for a change( even though this movie is about 75 years old) and if you are in a mood to watch a musical that isn't overdone- yet does have amazing choreography that involves twirling over tables and hitting golf balls. On the other hand, I do not recommend this movie to any people who are going through a break up because it involves sweet, romantic scenes and a happy ending.
By: Marianne Buena
My Favorite Wife (Garson Kanin, 1940)
Summary:
My Favorite Wife a screwball comedy of the 1940’s , that stares to very actor of that time Irene Dunne as play the role of a Ellen. The whole movie revolves around her coming back to her family , husband and two children ,after seven years of being shipwrecked on a tropical island. Her husband is played by Cary Grant .It was directed by Garson Kanin and produced by Leo McCarey who both were involved in writing this comical witty film. The story is an adaptation of Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "Enoch Arden"; that is why the main characters' last name is Arden. The movie opens up with a man, Nick Arden standing in a court room talk to a judge. Through that conversion we find out he is that his wife was in a ship wreck and he was there to have her declared dead so that he can marry Bianca Bates, which he did seconds after, the first glimpse of comedy we see. That same day Ellen Arden, the wife he just declared dead returns home after being shipwrecked on an island off the coast of Indonesia for seven years. Talks to her kids, who don’t know who she is and her mother in law , who informs her that Nicky has left for Yosemite on his honeymoon to the same exact place they went on theirs , so fly their immediately. So wait for him but doesn’t go up and say anything, but Nick catches a glimpse of her right as the lodge elevator closes .He seems to be shock and doesn’t believe his eye, but soon discovers that his beloved Ellen has returned. After catching up he admits to Ellen that he never really loved Bianca, but he can’t cannot bring himself to tell Bianca, so he dodges her as much as possible and they leave honeymoon early . Bianca gets mad when he doesn’t tell his children, that she is “their new mom”. Ellen acts as a friend of the family from the South, while Bianca calls her mother to complain about Nick and says she going to leave him. Later that night an insurance investigator representing the company which paid Ellen's life insurance policy and has some interesting new to share with him. He tells him she wasn’t on the island alone was with a man the whole 7 years on it, called themselves "Eve" and "Adam." He confronts Ellen about Stephen the man she was on the island is, but she dismisses Stephen as a harmless old man. Nick and Bianca go to Dr. Kohlmar, to fix their problems. But they do not believe him, as Nick is trying to explain once again cops arrest him on the charge of bigamy. At the end of the Ellen doesn’t know if nick still loves her as he did before, but Stephan has asked to marry her and ask if she will go back the island they were stuck on for those long seven year. But has faith had it Nick and Ellen are once again together.
Questions:
1. What happened to Nicks first wife?
2. Why doesn’t Nick want to stay in suite A, what memories did he have about it?
3. How/ where did nick and Bianca meet?
4. Who was referred to as Adam and Eve?
5. What city was their honeymoon in ?
6. How many children did Nick and Ellen have , what were their names?
7. What did Ellen change about her dress while waiting for Nick?
8. How did the movie end? Who ended up with who?
by Sarah Emmett
Film Review:
From the opening scene Garson Kanin gives us many flashes of humor, setting the scene for a screwball comedy. Kanin does not disappoint as scene by scene the plot twists and makes for a more and more entertaining and amusing story. For example, after seeing Ellen in the lobby of the hotel, Nick buys her a room to stay in after just buying one for his new bride. The concierges face is priceless. The confusion that takes place is unmistakably hilarious and keeps the audience with a sense of dramatic irony, very well written.
Kanin makes another amazing decision when choosing his cast, Irene Dunne and Cary Grant are the best couple an audience could ever ask for. Throughout the whole film, Dunne seems to be getting off on the whole situation with her snide remarks and her quirky yet funny personality. While Grants famous, stuttering and confused moments are unbelievably comical. All the actors fit their characters and the story extremely well, portraying the correct emotions that the movie really needed to make it complete.
The plot twist at the end is what really seals the deal on the two thumbs up I would award to this movie. The look on Cary Grant's face when he is informed that his "old" wife has been alone on an island for seven years with another man brings the best jealous husband act out that I have ever seen. It’s a classic misconception throughout the whole film; it's incredibly juicy, romantic, comical and entertaining. This film receives five stars and two thumbs up.
by Kaitlyn Ellison
Film: Comparison:
The basic story for My Favorite wife is that a man must choose between two things that he loves, in Nick from My favorite Wife’s case is that its between his first wife and his new wife. On the other spectrum, in an late 1980s film by the name of Coming to America, Eddie Murphy’s character Prince Akeem must choose between the love his heart desires or what his cultures and traditions state. Both films have the same major overall theme but show their differences. Although these films are spread out by 40 years of time I still think that their similarities outweigh their differences.
One of the major similarities is obviously the theme, but more so their genre of romantic comedy. An example that is present frequently is the ironic situations the main characters put themselves into. In the film My Favorite Wife the situation arises that Nicks first wife says that they will get back together around Christmastime, so nick leaves the room for a few moments and the comes back dressed as Santa Clause to illustrate that it’s Christmastime. In comparison the film Coming to America, Akkem gets a job at the local fast food restaurant just to get close the woman he loves, and its ironic because Akeem is really a prince with a lot of wealth working a very low end job. Both of these scenes in each individual films influence the same kind of meaning.
In conclusion these two films both fit into the category of romantic comedy. I believe that both films have made a big impact in film history. Though the only detail that was pointed out was the genre, but usually films that are in the same genre have man similar characteristics.
by Darius Muir
Film Element Analysis of Sound and Image:When watching the 1940’s film, “My Favorite Wife”, the sound and image of the film was very outstanding. At certain moments in the film when the plot changed suddenly, and a shocking moment occurred, the perfect sound was added in to add the little cherry on top. The humorous imagery mixed with slapstick comedic sounds made the film very enjoyable to watch and listen to at the same. The addition of slapstick comedy to the mix of the film made it more creative, instead of the film being a complete romance. The image and sound was so spectacular, and made the film so enjoyable from start to finish.
The actors in the film were also very spectacular. They made the film comedic along with the music and sounds heard throughout. The use of imagery that contained coincidental happenings, like when Nick ran into his wife by the telephone booths, made the film so incredibly interesting to watch. The acting shined brightly when their reactions to situations were synchronized with slapstick sounds to add the perfect finish. The sound and image working together to show the film’s slapstick elements made watching “My Favorite Wife” so enjoyable.
by Kyle Filter
Film Element Analysis of Mise-en-Scene, Cinematography, and Editing:
My Favorite Wife, a screwball comedy starring the timeless Cary Grant and Irene Dunn, proved to be less than such on the technical side of things. Made in 1940, it clearly reflected the time period it was in. In almost every scene she was in, there was an extra spotlight on Ellen, causing her to have more shadows than the other characters. This was probably to highlight the fact that she was better than Bianca as a human being. Also, her costumes were more young and modest. While Bianca wore flashy clothing with fur and bright patterns, Ellen kept it reserved and modest.
One of the more noticeable of the techniques used were the constant camera angles and the unintentional to be seen scene switches. There was rarely a fade in/out, and it was often cut straight to another frame. During dialogue, they either showed the actors from the side or over another character's shoulder.
The scene where Steve is shown in the pool is the most prominent use of music throughout the whole film. They use a dramatic, romantic, orchestrated symphonic track, probably to emphasize the romanticized air of his character. They use the same type of music when they superimpose Steve's silhouette into Nick's office, which was the highlight (technically speaking) of the film. The superimposed image of Steve doing acrobatic acts on the rings while Nick is trying to focus was creative, unique, and well thought out.
Although the plot and literary elements of this film were unique and possibly more impressive than the technical aspect. This film felt very of the time period, and it was nothing to be impressed by yet.
by Emily Forschen
Literary Element Analysis of Point-of-view, Character, and Theme:
In My Favorite Wife, a 1940 screwball comedy film directed by Garson Kanin, several points of view are present. The most frequently used points of view in the film are mid shots, but some long shots and full shots are used as well to show several people in one shot or to show people from a distance, usually as they approach the camera. The mid shots are used in most scenes in an attempt to more clearly show characters and their facial expressions on screen while still catching all dialogue. For some scenes, especially ones that include both of Nick’s wives, the shot switches back and forth so that characters in different places can be in the same scene. In general, the point of view of this film is in the third person. The camera primarily follows Nick and focuses on his thoughts and actions. In most scenes, close-ups and zooming are not used; however, when the shots change, a transition from mid shots to full shots or full shots to mid shots often occurs. The simple techniques used to create the point of view in My Favorite Wife contribute much to making it a great film.
Another literary element in this film, as well as all other films and works of literature, is obviously the characters. The characters in My Favorite Wife show many unique and interesting traits that make it fun and easy to follow the main characters and keep up with their actions and dialogue. For example, Nick’s second wife, Bianca Bates, is moody and stuck-up; she doesn’t seem like a good match for Nick at all. Also, she is very particular about everything: She likes any problems that pop up to be corrected immediately and isn’t happy until everything is the way she wants it. Ellen Arden, Nick’s first wife, is almost the opposite of this: She is laid-back and carefree and doesn’t seem to become too upset about the situation with Nick and Bianca, but rather she slowly and calmly takes steps to correct it. Nick is an average man without any extraordinary talents or skills whose only goal throughout the film is to settle his wife situation. As with Bianca and Ellen, there is another character in the film who contradicts Nick: Stephen Burkett. Stephen is the foil character for Nick; he’s attractive, very talented, and strong. Overall, the use of unique, contrasting characters helps to draw audience into the story because it makes the audience want Nick and Ellen to get back together.
In My Favorite Wife, several themes are present. One of these themes could be stated as “Stay faithful to the one you love.” This theme is evident in the part of the film when Nick decides to remarry. Almost immediately afterwards, his original wife returns. This causes many problems, including Nick getting into trouble with law and his two wives quarreling. All of this could have been avoided if he hadn’t remarried.
by Nich Sichau
My Favorite Wife a screwball comedy of the 1940’s , that stares to very actor of that time Irene Dunne as play the role of a Ellen. The whole movie revolves around her coming back to her family , husband and two children ,after seven years of being shipwrecked on a tropical island. Her husband is played by Cary Grant .It was directed by Garson Kanin and produced by Leo McCarey who both were involved in writing this comical witty film. The story is an adaptation of Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "Enoch Arden"; that is why the main characters' last name is Arden. The movie opens up with a man, Nick Arden standing in a court room talk to a judge. Through that conversion we find out he is that his wife was in a ship wreck and he was there to have her declared dead so that he can marry Bianca Bates, which he did seconds after, the first glimpse of comedy we see. That same day Ellen Arden, the wife he just declared dead returns home after being shipwrecked on an island off the coast of Indonesia for seven years. Talks to her kids, who don’t know who she is and her mother in law , who informs her that Nicky has left for Yosemite on his honeymoon to the same exact place they went on theirs , so fly their immediately. So wait for him but doesn’t go up and say anything, but Nick catches a glimpse of her right as the lodge elevator closes .He seems to be shock and doesn’t believe his eye, but soon discovers that his beloved Ellen has returned. After catching up he admits to Ellen that he never really loved Bianca, but he can’t cannot bring himself to tell Bianca, so he dodges her as much as possible and they leave honeymoon early . Bianca gets mad when he doesn’t tell his children, that she is “their new mom”. Ellen acts as a friend of the family from the South, while Bianca calls her mother to complain about Nick and says she going to leave him. Later that night an insurance investigator representing the company which paid Ellen's life insurance policy and has some interesting new to share with him. He tells him she wasn’t on the island alone was with a man the whole 7 years on it, called themselves "Eve" and "Adam." He confronts Ellen about Stephen the man she was on the island is, but she dismisses Stephen as a harmless old man. Nick and Bianca go to Dr. Kohlmar, to fix their problems. But they do not believe him, as Nick is trying to explain once again cops arrest him on the charge of bigamy. At the end of the Ellen doesn’t know if nick still loves her as he did before, but Stephan has asked to marry her and ask if she will go back the island they were stuck on for those long seven year. But has faith had it Nick and Ellen are once again together.
Questions:
1. What happened to Nicks first wife?
2. Why doesn’t Nick want to stay in suite A, what memories did he have about it?
3. How/ where did nick and Bianca meet?
4. Who was referred to as Adam and Eve?
5. What city was their honeymoon in ?
6. How many children did Nick and Ellen have , what were their names?
7. What did Ellen change about her dress while waiting for Nick?
8. How did the movie end? Who ended up with who?
by Sarah Emmett
Film Review:
From the opening scene Garson Kanin gives us many flashes of humor, setting the scene for a screwball comedy. Kanin does not disappoint as scene by scene the plot twists and makes for a more and more entertaining and amusing story. For example, after seeing Ellen in the lobby of the hotel, Nick buys her a room to stay in after just buying one for his new bride. The concierges face is priceless. The confusion that takes place is unmistakably hilarious and keeps the audience with a sense of dramatic irony, very well written.
Kanin makes another amazing decision when choosing his cast, Irene Dunne and Cary Grant are the best couple an audience could ever ask for. Throughout the whole film, Dunne seems to be getting off on the whole situation with her snide remarks and her quirky yet funny personality. While Grants famous, stuttering and confused moments are unbelievably comical. All the actors fit their characters and the story extremely well, portraying the correct emotions that the movie really needed to make it complete.
The plot twist at the end is what really seals the deal on the two thumbs up I would award to this movie. The look on Cary Grant's face when he is informed that his "old" wife has been alone on an island for seven years with another man brings the best jealous husband act out that I have ever seen. It’s a classic misconception throughout the whole film; it's incredibly juicy, romantic, comical and entertaining. This film receives five stars and two thumbs up.
by Kaitlyn Ellison
Film: Comparison:
The basic story for My Favorite wife is that a man must choose between two things that he loves, in Nick from My favorite Wife’s case is that its between his first wife and his new wife. On the other spectrum, in an late 1980s film by the name of Coming to America, Eddie Murphy’s character Prince Akeem must choose between the love his heart desires or what his cultures and traditions state. Both films have the same major overall theme but show their differences. Although these films are spread out by 40 years of time I still think that their similarities outweigh their differences.
One of the major similarities is obviously the theme, but more so their genre of romantic comedy. An example that is present frequently is the ironic situations the main characters put themselves into. In the film My Favorite Wife the situation arises that Nicks first wife says that they will get back together around Christmastime, so nick leaves the room for a few moments and the comes back dressed as Santa Clause to illustrate that it’s Christmastime. In comparison the film Coming to America, Akkem gets a job at the local fast food restaurant just to get close the woman he loves, and its ironic because Akeem is really a prince with a lot of wealth working a very low end job. Both of these scenes in each individual films influence the same kind of meaning.
In conclusion these two films both fit into the category of romantic comedy. I believe that both films have made a big impact in film history. Though the only detail that was pointed out was the genre, but usually films that are in the same genre have man similar characteristics.
by Darius Muir
Film Element Analysis of Sound and Image:When watching the 1940’s film, “My Favorite Wife”, the sound and image of the film was very outstanding. At certain moments in the film when the plot changed suddenly, and a shocking moment occurred, the perfect sound was added in to add the little cherry on top. The humorous imagery mixed with slapstick comedic sounds made the film very enjoyable to watch and listen to at the same. The addition of slapstick comedy to the mix of the film made it more creative, instead of the film being a complete romance. The image and sound was so spectacular, and made the film so enjoyable from start to finish.
The actors in the film were also very spectacular. They made the film comedic along with the music and sounds heard throughout. The use of imagery that contained coincidental happenings, like when Nick ran into his wife by the telephone booths, made the film so incredibly interesting to watch. The acting shined brightly when their reactions to situations were synchronized with slapstick sounds to add the perfect finish. The sound and image working together to show the film’s slapstick elements made watching “My Favorite Wife” so enjoyable.
by Kyle Filter
Film Element Analysis of Mise-en-Scene, Cinematography, and Editing:
My Favorite Wife, a screwball comedy starring the timeless Cary Grant and Irene Dunn, proved to be less than such on the technical side of things. Made in 1940, it clearly reflected the time period it was in. In almost every scene she was in, there was an extra spotlight on Ellen, causing her to have more shadows than the other characters. This was probably to highlight the fact that she was better than Bianca as a human being. Also, her costumes were more young and modest. While Bianca wore flashy clothing with fur and bright patterns, Ellen kept it reserved and modest.
One of the more noticeable of the techniques used were the constant camera angles and the unintentional to be seen scene switches. There was rarely a fade in/out, and it was often cut straight to another frame. During dialogue, they either showed the actors from the side or over another character's shoulder.
The scene where Steve is shown in the pool is the most prominent use of music throughout the whole film. They use a dramatic, romantic, orchestrated symphonic track, probably to emphasize the romanticized air of his character. They use the same type of music when they superimpose Steve's silhouette into Nick's office, which was the highlight (technically speaking) of the film. The superimposed image of Steve doing acrobatic acts on the rings while Nick is trying to focus was creative, unique, and well thought out.
Although the plot and literary elements of this film were unique and possibly more impressive than the technical aspect. This film felt very of the time period, and it was nothing to be impressed by yet.
by Emily Forschen
Literary Element Analysis of Point-of-view, Character, and Theme:
In My Favorite Wife, a 1940 screwball comedy film directed by Garson Kanin, several points of view are present. The most frequently used points of view in the film are mid shots, but some long shots and full shots are used as well to show several people in one shot or to show people from a distance, usually as they approach the camera. The mid shots are used in most scenes in an attempt to more clearly show characters and their facial expressions on screen while still catching all dialogue. For some scenes, especially ones that include both of Nick’s wives, the shot switches back and forth so that characters in different places can be in the same scene. In general, the point of view of this film is in the third person. The camera primarily follows Nick and focuses on his thoughts and actions. In most scenes, close-ups and zooming are not used; however, when the shots change, a transition from mid shots to full shots or full shots to mid shots often occurs. The simple techniques used to create the point of view in My Favorite Wife contribute much to making it a great film.
Another literary element in this film, as well as all other films and works of literature, is obviously the characters. The characters in My Favorite Wife show many unique and interesting traits that make it fun and easy to follow the main characters and keep up with their actions and dialogue. For example, Nick’s second wife, Bianca Bates, is moody and stuck-up; she doesn’t seem like a good match for Nick at all. Also, she is very particular about everything: She likes any problems that pop up to be corrected immediately and isn’t happy until everything is the way she wants it. Ellen Arden, Nick’s first wife, is almost the opposite of this: She is laid-back and carefree and doesn’t seem to become too upset about the situation with Nick and Bianca, but rather she slowly and calmly takes steps to correct it. Nick is an average man without any extraordinary talents or skills whose only goal throughout the film is to settle his wife situation. As with Bianca and Ellen, there is another character in the film who contradicts Nick: Stephen Burkett. Stephen is the foil character for Nick; he’s attractive, very talented, and strong. Overall, the use of unique, contrasting characters helps to draw audience into the story because it makes the audience want Nick and Ellen to get back together.
In My Favorite Wife, several themes are present. One of these themes could be stated as “Stay faithful to the one you love.” This theme is evident in the part of the film when Nick decides to remarry. Almost immediately afterwards, his original wife returns. This causes many problems, including Nick getting into trouble with law and his two wives quarreling. All of this could have been avoided if he hadn’t remarried.
by Nich Sichau
Wuthering Heights (William Wyler, 1939)
Summary:
Wuthering Heights is a love movie about a young orphan who gets taken in by a Christian family who names him Heathcliff. The brother Hindley does not take too kindly to their new adoptive brother while the sister Cathy befriends Heathcliff. A few months later the father falls ill and dies leaving Hindley the master of the house. He makes Heathcilff a servant and treats him badly. Cathy talks about how she never loved Heathcliff and wants to marry someone else. Heartbroken Heathcliff runs away and travels to America where he becomes wealthy. Two years have gone by and Cathy marries Edgar Linton thinking that Heathcliff has disappeared. Heathcliff returns to find that she no longer loves him. Heathcliff runs off to the manor where he grew up he secretly buys Wuthering Heights from Hindley, who has become an alcoholic. Cathy’s stepsister Isabella falls in love with Heathcliff. Heathcliff marries Isabella to get revenge on Cathy. Cathy falls ill on her death bed she reveals that she loved Heathcliff all along. Cathy dies in his arms. Years have passed and Heathcliff still hears Cathy crying for him. In the beginning of the story a lone wanderer named Lockwood stays the night in Wuthering Heights when he hears Cathy crying for Heathcliff. Heathcliff runs out into the blizzard searching for her. He dies and their souls are bonded together forever. The symbol in this movie is that no matter who you are nothing is stronger than love.
Wuthering Heights is a love story and tragedy on how a former servant fell in love the upper class society women. She loved him back but they had to keep it a secret. Overtime we realize that she never did love Heathcliff so he runs off. Years later he returns and marries her Cathy’s stepsister Isabella to make her jealous. Cathy falls ill Heathcliff rushes to her side to realize that she actually loved him all along she died in Heathcliff’s arms.
by Joseph Lorusso
Questions:
1. What was the last thing on the end of the film?
2. How did Cathy die?
3. How many years did Heathcliff gone?
4. How did Heathcliff secretly buy Wuthering Heights from Hindley?
5. What was the name of Hindly’s sister?
6. Did the movie have flashbacks?
7. Who played Heathcliff in the film?
8. Did they make a novel on it?
9. Who was the director?
10. When was it made?
11. How many years did it take to make the movie?
12. Did u like the film?
13. How long is the film?
14. How did Heathcliff get wealthy? 15. How long did it take for Cathy to recover at Hindly’s house?
by Kristina Salinas
Film Review:
William Wyler introduces a romantic, gothic drama filled with heartache, confusion, as well as compassion all clashing together. Wuthering Heights, in short, is about a man, Heathcliff, and a women, Cathy, being so insanely in love. Cathy is torn between riches and Heathcliff, and there are times when Cathy believes that she is of higher quality and deserves better than the "gypsy stable boy."
The flashback played throughout the film is thorough and contains a narration by the maid who did an exceptional job on telling their story. Wyler kept his viewers at the edge of their seats, biting at their fingernails wondering just where Heathcliff had gone and if Cathy will finally get her senses straight that absolutely no one will love her just as much as Heathcliff does. There were times during the film when I would get enraged because of Cathy's idiotic ethics, yet she's always had a reason for them. I think she felt as if she needed to be of higher class in order to be happy, which did have a positive outcome until her "forbidden" lover returned for her. Which just shows in itself that you must never
give up or forget the ones you hold dear to you, and that Emily Brontë did a wonderful job portraying social classes, what it is like being in love, as well as showing ones devotion.
William Wyler had all the scenes in place, being a perfect shot with each and every sequence. Even though the film is in black and white, the scenery being shown had us, the viewers, imagining all the colors and the beauty of the shot.
Everything was steady and well planned out. The film Wuthering Heights not only shows the extent a person will go to win and fulfill a true love's needs, but it also deepens the feeling of not knowing what you had until it is taken away from you. Wuthering Heights is indeed one of the best films in the 1930s-1940s film era.
by Angelika Baumgarner
Film to Film Comparison:
The film adaptation of Wuthering Heights shares a multitude of similarities with a 2004 film adaptation of The Notebook that take place in structure and plot. Both, therefore, manage to hold places in film history as well-received romantic films.
In the beginning, both the films start in the present, and the vast majority of the film is told as a flashback. In Wuthering Heights, it is the Wuthering Heights servant Ellen that recounts the wicked yet ubiquitous love between Heathcliff and Cathy. In The Notebook the tragic yet beautiful love story between Noah and Allie is told by Noah himself to the dementia-ridden Allie. Something that is unique and evident in both films is that the present shown in the beginning is rather confusing and seems irrelevant from the main love story. But as the flashback progresses, the plot that is slowly unveiled finally explains how everything from the flashback truly influenced the present situation in a lucid and creative manner. In the case of Wuthering Heights, it is explained why the lone traveler hears a woman’s ghostly voice in the blizzard and the antipathetic Heathcliff loses composure and run outside in desperate pursuit of it. As for The Notebook, the film explains the connection between the elderly man reading a love story to an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s disease.
Even the plot of both Wuthering Heights and The Notebook resembles each other on broad levels of theme. Both romances in the film are between a poor, good-natured young man with a more privileged young woman. Both films have the theme of forbidden love consequently due to the social status gap between the man and woman. Wuthering Heights’s Heathcliff is Cathy Earnshaw’s stable boy and although they are heavily in love with each other, Cathy still keeps their romance a secret to prevent social disapproval—and a subconscious shame toward herself. Noah Calhoun in The Notebook is a poor country boy who has a deep romance with southern heiress Allie Hamilton against the will of Allie’s parents. As Allie’s parents are huge obstacles that keep Allie away from Noah for several years, there are parallel obstacles that keep Heathcliff from Cathy for years. First and foremost, Hindley and the Lintons both resent Heathcliff. More crucially, it was Cathy’s greed that was the obstacle that kept Heathcliff away from her. In Wuthering Heights and The Notebook, the obstacles were fueled by strict adherence to social status and standards—a theme that both films try to overcome with love.
Another prevalent theme was redemption. In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff, rejected by Cathy for being poor and degrading, runs away in a rainstorm—but not in vain. He returns back to the moors two years later, as a gentleman with a substantial fortune. In The Notebook, Noah similarly disappears for years to the war, but returns to buy the house he had promised to buy for Allie—and even renovates it himself. Rekindled love is then hinted, but falls temporarily futile against the marriages of their lovers to other rich men—Cathy to Edgar Linton, and Allie to Lon Hammond Jr. Nevertheless, the true love between Heathcliff and Cathy Earnshaw, and Noah Calhoun with Allie Hamilton was strong enough to surpass all the disfunctions and harsh obstacles to prevail for eternity. That kind of redemption successfully ties both love stories to a peaceful ending.
by Michelle Yang
Book to Film Comparison:
With every movie adaption of a novel the levels of difference and similarity are clear to the viewers that read the story and viewed the interpretation through a motion picture. In the case of Wuthering Heights, the point of similarity is very minute, in which the only true resemblance of the movie and classic novel is the ghostly atmosphere they both create. Of course, the achievement of creation was developed differently. Overall, there were more differences than similarities when comparing. To be more specific, the concept of realism, Catherine’s personality and the ending are to be examined.
When watching the film, one may feel that the general ambiance is closely related to the atmosphere of a soap opera. With many moments of intense close ups of a character and constant playing of over dramatic music, one may feel that s/he is watching Days of Our lives rather than an interpretation of Emilie Bronte’s classic novel. The actors’ accents do not aid the attempt of revealing a realistic portrayal either. The accents of the character’s can be described as “lazy” in which at times it seemed as if they made no attempt to speak in a British accent. The film is too “Americanized.” In other words, the director and crew put forth too much effort in simplifying the story and American audience appeal that they distanced themselves from the realism that the book provides. Bronte did not create a “cheesy” plot and endless clichés. Rather, she was one of the very few authors that originally developed the torment and difficulties of a “love triangle,” therefore her novel brings originality and realism.
Besides the comparison of realism, Catherine’s character must be examined. The movie portrays her as a superficial, materialistic, social status obsessed woman. This depiction is due to the only impasse involving Catherine’s and Heathcliff’s love that the film illuminates. The barrier that stops them from loving one another and exchanging vows is that of Cathy’s inability to marry someone that is of lower class. If Heathcliff was rich once they became older, Cathy would have exposed her love for him much more often and she would have never agreed to marry Edgar. The film omits other conflicts that inhibits Cathy from being with Heathcliff. The novel provides those omitted. The other issues involve Catherine’s inevitable need to transition into a young lady from a rough, aggressive friend of Heathcliff’s. Catherine’s family provided the inevitable and there was nothing that Catherine could really do to halt the clear, distinct difference between her and Heathcliff in a societal way. Another dilemma that separated the two lovers was Catherine’s brother, Hindley. In the book he plays a much larger role in attempting to alter their relationship as a nonexistent status. Therefore, when reading the novel, one will not be annoyed with Catherine’s character and will not struggle to empathize with her. Rather, s/he will understand the struggle of romantically uniting Catherine and Heathcliff.
One of the other, most vital differences among the two modes is the ending. The film resorted to the “Hollywood” movie resolution in which the two lovers finally live “happily ever after,” even though they are not actually alive and rather it can be interpreted that their souls are in everlasting unity. This joyful ending is a disappointment because the film actually shows the two walking together in the distance. Such a happy ending does not dignify the classic novel. The book makes the ending a less pleasant one, in which Heathcliff is buried next to Cathy. It may seem depressing to argue that the book ending was more satisfying because death is emphasized and the unity is a less pleasant one, but the tone and atmosphere should be gloomy and somber because the overall story is not about happiness but the struggle of love. Therefore, many differences triumph over the minimal similarities and the movie does not truly represent the novel with much resemblance.
by Kimberley Diaz
Analysis of Film Elements on Image and Sound:
Wuthering Heights, the 1939 film adaptation, is one of many interpretations of the classic novel by Emily Brontë. It consists of different film elements such as editing and cinematography but image and sound are possibly the most important in the movie. The director of the film, William Wyler, shot the movie in black-and-white which made the timeline of the story more authentic. The images in the movie were of great quality and considered to be outstanding for their time period. The director does a fantastic job of capturing a clear image and going one step further by adding close-up of the actor’s faces. By including close-ups the director shows great detail and clarity of the image.
The sound is done extremely well in Wuthering Heights, it clearly captures the voices of the actors and projects them without error. The sounds flow easily with the images in the scene creating a synchronized and enjoyable movie. William Wyler does an excellent job of including the right amount of sound into the movie and does not leave gaps of silence between scenes. In the scene where Cathy calls out to Heathcliff from the moors the sound helps create a emotional moment for the audience. Wyler was able to create a classic film with the perfect mixture of imagery and sound that is a stunning masterpiece.
by Ashley Simpson
Analysis of Film Elements on Mise-en-scene, Cinematography, and Editing:
Wuthering Heights like other movies uses images and different cuts between shots to emphasize meaning to the story. Wuthering Heights has meaningful editing, effective mise en scene, and unique cinematography.
Throughout the movie some of the editing had some meaning to the story with the fade outs showing emotion during that certain scene. There was a lot of close ups throughout the film showing the full emotion of that character and was usually between Cathy and Heathcliff. During the emotional scenes there was some slow camera movement which showed the importance of the scene. The editing really showed during the more powerful scenes while it seemed like it wasn’t there at all in the less important scenes. The editing was also very important during the beginning with the rain and lightning as well as the lighting at the cliff with Heathcliff and Cathy. Those were some of the most important scenes in which the editing needed to be perfect so it fully emphasized the meaning of the weather. Certain effects during the movie were cheesy such as the lighting on the cliff which didn’t look real at all.
The mis en scene in the film was unique with emotion playing a big part in arrangement of characters, weather, and props. In the start of the film it shows the lightning and rain with Heathcliff running out to find the voice which is shown as the weakest parts in the characters’ lives in which they have nothing else to live for. Cathy’s is when Heathcliff runs away and she runs out to find him and Heathcliff’s is when he is living in depression after her death. While the lightning was the weakest part because the sunlight was the strongest part and was shown when they were both on the cliff together. Cathy is shown as a two sided character and when she is married to Edgar her clothes show her as a changed character in which she has a lot of money which she wanted at a certain point. A big prop used is money which is very important to mostly all the characters in the film and separates two people from being together because of Cathy’s worry of being poor all her life.
Cinematography is used with a lot of different shots from different angles. The closer the shot got to the character the more emotion was shown. With many shots in each scene it shows the different aspects and the full setting which shows different meaning. There was also a good amount of shots to show the setting where the scene would take place.
There was a good use of cinematography, interesting mis en scene, and big use of editing in this film.
by Anthony Rizo
Literary Element Analysis on Point of View, Character, and Theme:
Wuthering Heights, a 1939 drama, is a story about two lovers and the hardships they face. The story is told in the point of view of the Wuthering Heights housekeeper, Ellen Dean. She witnesses the story of Cathy and Heathcliff and retells it to a traveler who has come to rest at Wuthering Heights. She narrates the story well, and gives good insight on how the characters well. The point of view of the camera however, is third person omniscient. The camera angle lets us see more, for example, we can see the cliff where Cathy and Heathcliff well.
The characters in Wuthering Heights can be very complex. For example, in the beginning of the story, Heathcliff is reluctant to be taken into Wuthering Heights. Later on he is very greathful. Another example is Cathy choosing between money and true love. To be completely honest, Cathy isn't that great of a person for choosing money over true love. One moment she is in love with Heathcliff, and the next she marries Edgar because of his wealth.
The theme of Wuthering Heights is to love someone for who they are, not for what they have. Cathy wasn't truly happy when she was with Edgar, the man she married for his money. She craved the wealthly lifestyle, something Heathcliff couldn't give her. When Cathy was on her deathbed, she wanted to be with Heathcliff instead of Edgar, because Heathcliff made her truly happy. Even as a child, Cathy was her happiest around Heathcliff. Wuthering Heights is overall a great film.
by Ally Beardsley
Literary Element Analysis of Genre, Symbolism, and Story:
In the film Wuthering heights by William Wyler the story is displayed in several ways. one of the ways is how they introduced the characters. Usually in a film characters are just simply displayed in the beginning. However in this film at the beginning you would think the man staying over at the cabin was the main character. Instead Heathcliff was introduced by being taken in by the owner of Wuthering Heights. The story was also mostly taken over by the story telling of the old lady. Although it isn't a uncommon thing this film is one of the few films taken over by a flashback.
There are several genres that Wuthering Heights can be categorized in. One of them being romance because of the relationship between
Heathcliff and Catherine. However the film may also be displayed as a tragedy because of Catherine's death at the end. Another example of romance in the film is how Heathcliff and Catherine were in love during childhood. However that love turns into tragedy turns into a bitter tragedy because Catherine loved money more than Heathcliff so she marries a rich man.
Wuthering Heights has amounts of symbolism within the film. Such as Wuthering heights itself. For it resembles Heathcliff and Catherine's childhood. The old log cabin that they grew up in resembled tragedy because that's where the father of Catherine died. Catherine in a way resembled all the problems in the story because
everything that happened in the story was all because of her. Like
when Heathcliff gets bit by the dog because he tried saving her.
Heathcliff became rich so that he could earn the love of Catherine.
by Richie Gov
Wuthering Heights is a love movie about a young orphan who gets taken in by a Christian family who names him Heathcliff. The brother Hindley does not take too kindly to their new adoptive brother while the sister Cathy befriends Heathcliff. A few months later the father falls ill and dies leaving Hindley the master of the house. He makes Heathcilff a servant and treats him badly. Cathy talks about how she never loved Heathcliff and wants to marry someone else. Heartbroken Heathcliff runs away and travels to America where he becomes wealthy. Two years have gone by and Cathy marries Edgar Linton thinking that Heathcliff has disappeared. Heathcliff returns to find that she no longer loves him. Heathcliff runs off to the manor where he grew up he secretly buys Wuthering Heights from Hindley, who has become an alcoholic. Cathy’s stepsister Isabella falls in love with Heathcliff. Heathcliff marries Isabella to get revenge on Cathy. Cathy falls ill on her death bed she reveals that she loved Heathcliff all along. Cathy dies in his arms. Years have passed and Heathcliff still hears Cathy crying for him. In the beginning of the story a lone wanderer named Lockwood stays the night in Wuthering Heights when he hears Cathy crying for Heathcliff. Heathcliff runs out into the blizzard searching for her. He dies and their souls are bonded together forever. The symbol in this movie is that no matter who you are nothing is stronger than love.
Wuthering Heights is a love story and tragedy on how a former servant fell in love the upper class society women. She loved him back but they had to keep it a secret. Overtime we realize that she never did love Heathcliff so he runs off. Years later he returns and marries her Cathy’s stepsister Isabella to make her jealous. Cathy falls ill Heathcliff rushes to her side to realize that she actually loved him all along she died in Heathcliff’s arms.
by Joseph Lorusso
Questions:
1. What was the last thing on the end of the film?
2. How did Cathy die?
3. How many years did Heathcliff gone?
4. How did Heathcliff secretly buy Wuthering Heights from Hindley?
5. What was the name of Hindly’s sister?
6. Did the movie have flashbacks?
7. Who played Heathcliff in the film?
8. Did they make a novel on it?
9. Who was the director?
10. When was it made?
11. How many years did it take to make the movie?
12. Did u like the film?
13. How long is the film?
14. How did Heathcliff get wealthy? 15. How long did it take for Cathy to recover at Hindly’s house?
by Kristina Salinas
Film Review:
William Wyler introduces a romantic, gothic drama filled with heartache, confusion, as well as compassion all clashing together. Wuthering Heights, in short, is about a man, Heathcliff, and a women, Cathy, being so insanely in love. Cathy is torn between riches and Heathcliff, and there are times when Cathy believes that she is of higher quality and deserves better than the "gypsy stable boy."
The flashback played throughout the film is thorough and contains a narration by the maid who did an exceptional job on telling their story. Wyler kept his viewers at the edge of their seats, biting at their fingernails wondering just where Heathcliff had gone and if Cathy will finally get her senses straight that absolutely no one will love her just as much as Heathcliff does. There were times during the film when I would get enraged because of Cathy's idiotic ethics, yet she's always had a reason for them. I think she felt as if she needed to be of higher class in order to be happy, which did have a positive outcome until her "forbidden" lover returned for her. Which just shows in itself that you must never
give up or forget the ones you hold dear to you, and that Emily Brontë did a wonderful job portraying social classes, what it is like being in love, as well as showing ones devotion.
William Wyler had all the scenes in place, being a perfect shot with each and every sequence. Even though the film is in black and white, the scenery being shown had us, the viewers, imagining all the colors and the beauty of the shot.
Everything was steady and well planned out. The film Wuthering Heights not only shows the extent a person will go to win and fulfill a true love's needs, but it also deepens the feeling of not knowing what you had until it is taken away from you. Wuthering Heights is indeed one of the best films in the 1930s-1940s film era.
by Angelika Baumgarner
Film to Film Comparison:
The film adaptation of Wuthering Heights shares a multitude of similarities with a 2004 film adaptation of The Notebook that take place in structure and plot. Both, therefore, manage to hold places in film history as well-received romantic films.
In the beginning, both the films start in the present, and the vast majority of the film is told as a flashback. In Wuthering Heights, it is the Wuthering Heights servant Ellen that recounts the wicked yet ubiquitous love between Heathcliff and Cathy. In The Notebook the tragic yet beautiful love story between Noah and Allie is told by Noah himself to the dementia-ridden Allie. Something that is unique and evident in both films is that the present shown in the beginning is rather confusing and seems irrelevant from the main love story. But as the flashback progresses, the plot that is slowly unveiled finally explains how everything from the flashback truly influenced the present situation in a lucid and creative manner. In the case of Wuthering Heights, it is explained why the lone traveler hears a woman’s ghostly voice in the blizzard and the antipathetic Heathcliff loses composure and run outside in desperate pursuit of it. As for The Notebook, the film explains the connection between the elderly man reading a love story to an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s disease.
Even the plot of both Wuthering Heights and The Notebook resembles each other on broad levels of theme. Both romances in the film are between a poor, good-natured young man with a more privileged young woman. Both films have the theme of forbidden love consequently due to the social status gap between the man and woman. Wuthering Heights’s Heathcliff is Cathy Earnshaw’s stable boy and although they are heavily in love with each other, Cathy still keeps their romance a secret to prevent social disapproval—and a subconscious shame toward herself. Noah Calhoun in The Notebook is a poor country boy who has a deep romance with southern heiress Allie Hamilton against the will of Allie’s parents. As Allie’s parents are huge obstacles that keep Allie away from Noah for several years, there are parallel obstacles that keep Heathcliff from Cathy for years. First and foremost, Hindley and the Lintons both resent Heathcliff. More crucially, it was Cathy’s greed that was the obstacle that kept Heathcliff away from her. In Wuthering Heights and The Notebook, the obstacles were fueled by strict adherence to social status and standards—a theme that both films try to overcome with love.
Another prevalent theme was redemption. In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff, rejected by Cathy for being poor and degrading, runs away in a rainstorm—but not in vain. He returns back to the moors two years later, as a gentleman with a substantial fortune. In The Notebook, Noah similarly disappears for years to the war, but returns to buy the house he had promised to buy for Allie—and even renovates it himself. Rekindled love is then hinted, but falls temporarily futile against the marriages of their lovers to other rich men—Cathy to Edgar Linton, and Allie to Lon Hammond Jr. Nevertheless, the true love between Heathcliff and Cathy Earnshaw, and Noah Calhoun with Allie Hamilton was strong enough to surpass all the disfunctions and harsh obstacles to prevail for eternity. That kind of redemption successfully ties both love stories to a peaceful ending.
by Michelle Yang
Book to Film Comparison:
With every movie adaption of a novel the levels of difference and similarity are clear to the viewers that read the story and viewed the interpretation through a motion picture. In the case of Wuthering Heights, the point of similarity is very minute, in which the only true resemblance of the movie and classic novel is the ghostly atmosphere they both create. Of course, the achievement of creation was developed differently. Overall, there were more differences than similarities when comparing. To be more specific, the concept of realism, Catherine’s personality and the ending are to be examined.
When watching the film, one may feel that the general ambiance is closely related to the atmosphere of a soap opera. With many moments of intense close ups of a character and constant playing of over dramatic music, one may feel that s/he is watching Days of Our lives rather than an interpretation of Emilie Bronte’s classic novel. The actors’ accents do not aid the attempt of revealing a realistic portrayal either. The accents of the character’s can be described as “lazy” in which at times it seemed as if they made no attempt to speak in a British accent. The film is too “Americanized.” In other words, the director and crew put forth too much effort in simplifying the story and American audience appeal that they distanced themselves from the realism that the book provides. Bronte did not create a “cheesy” plot and endless clichés. Rather, she was one of the very few authors that originally developed the torment and difficulties of a “love triangle,” therefore her novel brings originality and realism.
Besides the comparison of realism, Catherine’s character must be examined. The movie portrays her as a superficial, materialistic, social status obsessed woman. This depiction is due to the only impasse involving Catherine’s and Heathcliff’s love that the film illuminates. The barrier that stops them from loving one another and exchanging vows is that of Cathy’s inability to marry someone that is of lower class. If Heathcliff was rich once they became older, Cathy would have exposed her love for him much more often and she would have never agreed to marry Edgar. The film omits other conflicts that inhibits Cathy from being with Heathcliff. The novel provides those omitted. The other issues involve Catherine’s inevitable need to transition into a young lady from a rough, aggressive friend of Heathcliff’s. Catherine’s family provided the inevitable and there was nothing that Catherine could really do to halt the clear, distinct difference between her and Heathcliff in a societal way. Another dilemma that separated the two lovers was Catherine’s brother, Hindley. In the book he plays a much larger role in attempting to alter their relationship as a nonexistent status. Therefore, when reading the novel, one will not be annoyed with Catherine’s character and will not struggle to empathize with her. Rather, s/he will understand the struggle of romantically uniting Catherine and Heathcliff.
One of the other, most vital differences among the two modes is the ending. The film resorted to the “Hollywood” movie resolution in which the two lovers finally live “happily ever after,” even though they are not actually alive and rather it can be interpreted that their souls are in everlasting unity. This joyful ending is a disappointment because the film actually shows the two walking together in the distance. Such a happy ending does not dignify the classic novel. The book makes the ending a less pleasant one, in which Heathcliff is buried next to Cathy. It may seem depressing to argue that the book ending was more satisfying because death is emphasized and the unity is a less pleasant one, but the tone and atmosphere should be gloomy and somber because the overall story is not about happiness but the struggle of love. Therefore, many differences triumph over the minimal similarities and the movie does not truly represent the novel with much resemblance.
by Kimberley Diaz
Analysis of Film Elements on Image and Sound:
Wuthering Heights, the 1939 film adaptation, is one of many interpretations of the classic novel by Emily Brontë. It consists of different film elements such as editing and cinematography but image and sound are possibly the most important in the movie. The director of the film, William Wyler, shot the movie in black-and-white which made the timeline of the story more authentic. The images in the movie were of great quality and considered to be outstanding for their time period. The director does a fantastic job of capturing a clear image and going one step further by adding close-up of the actor’s faces. By including close-ups the director shows great detail and clarity of the image.
The sound is done extremely well in Wuthering Heights, it clearly captures the voices of the actors and projects them without error. The sounds flow easily with the images in the scene creating a synchronized and enjoyable movie. William Wyler does an excellent job of including the right amount of sound into the movie and does not leave gaps of silence between scenes. In the scene where Cathy calls out to Heathcliff from the moors the sound helps create a emotional moment for the audience. Wyler was able to create a classic film with the perfect mixture of imagery and sound that is a stunning masterpiece.
by Ashley Simpson
Analysis of Film Elements on Mise-en-scene, Cinematography, and Editing:
Wuthering Heights like other movies uses images and different cuts between shots to emphasize meaning to the story. Wuthering Heights has meaningful editing, effective mise en scene, and unique cinematography.
Throughout the movie some of the editing had some meaning to the story with the fade outs showing emotion during that certain scene. There was a lot of close ups throughout the film showing the full emotion of that character and was usually between Cathy and Heathcliff. During the emotional scenes there was some slow camera movement which showed the importance of the scene. The editing really showed during the more powerful scenes while it seemed like it wasn’t there at all in the less important scenes. The editing was also very important during the beginning with the rain and lightning as well as the lighting at the cliff with Heathcliff and Cathy. Those were some of the most important scenes in which the editing needed to be perfect so it fully emphasized the meaning of the weather. Certain effects during the movie were cheesy such as the lighting on the cliff which didn’t look real at all.
The mis en scene in the film was unique with emotion playing a big part in arrangement of characters, weather, and props. In the start of the film it shows the lightning and rain with Heathcliff running out to find the voice which is shown as the weakest parts in the characters’ lives in which they have nothing else to live for. Cathy’s is when Heathcliff runs away and she runs out to find him and Heathcliff’s is when he is living in depression after her death. While the lightning was the weakest part because the sunlight was the strongest part and was shown when they were both on the cliff together. Cathy is shown as a two sided character and when she is married to Edgar her clothes show her as a changed character in which she has a lot of money which she wanted at a certain point. A big prop used is money which is very important to mostly all the characters in the film and separates two people from being together because of Cathy’s worry of being poor all her life.
Cinematography is used with a lot of different shots from different angles. The closer the shot got to the character the more emotion was shown. With many shots in each scene it shows the different aspects and the full setting which shows different meaning. There was also a good amount of shots to show the setting where the scene would take place.
There was a good use of cinematography, interesting mis en scene, and big use of editing in this film.
by Anthony Rizo
Literary Element Analysis on Point of View, Character, and Theme:
Wuthering Heights, a 1939 drama, is a story about two lovers and the hardships they face. The story is told in the point of view of the Wuthering Heights housekeeper, Ellen Dean. She witnesses the story of Cathy and Heathcliff and retells it to a traveler who has come to rest at Wuthering Heights. She narrates the story well, and gives good insight on how the characters well. The point of view of the camera however, is third person omniscient. The camera angle lets us see more, for example, we can see the cliff where Cathy and Heathcliff well.
The characters in Wuthering Heights can be very complex. For example, in the beginning of the story, Heathcliff is reluctant to be taken into Wuthering Heights. Later on he is very greathful. Another example is Cathy choosing between money and true love. To be completely honest, Cathy isn't that great of a person for choosing money over true love. One moment she is in love with Heathcliff, and the next she marries Edgar because of his wealth.
The theme of Wuthering Heights is to love someone for who they are, not for what they have. Cathy wasn't truly happy when she was with Edgar, the man she married for his money. She craved the wealthly lifestyle, something Heathcliff couldn't give her. When Cathy was on her deathbed, she wanted to be with Heathcliff instead of Edgar, because Heathcliff made her truly happy. Even as a child, Cathy was her happiest around Heathcliff. Wuthering Heights is overall a great film.
by Ally Beardsley
Literary Element Analysis of Genre, Symbolism, and Story:
In the film Wuthering heights by William Wyler the story is displayed in several ways. one of the ways is how they introduced the characters. Usually in a film characters are just simply displayed in the beginning. However in this film at the beginning you would think the man staying over at the cabin was the main character. Instead Heathcliff was introduced by being taken in by the owner of Wuthering Heights. The story was also mostly taken over by the story telling of the old lady. Although it isn't a uncommon thing this film is one of the few films taken over by a flashback.
There are several genres that Wuthering Heights can be categorized in. One of them being romance because of the relationship between
Heathcliff and Catherine. However the film may also be displayed as a tragedy because of Catherine's death at the end. Another example of romance in the film is how Heathcliff and Catherine were in love during childhood. However that love turns into tragedy turns into a bitter tragedy because Catherine loved money more than Heathcliff so she marries a rich man.
Wuthering Heights has amounts of symbolism within the film. Such as Wuthering heights itself. For it resembles Heathcliff and Catherine's childhood. The old log cabin that they grew up in resembled tragedy because that's where the father of Catherine died. Catherine in a way resembled all the problems in the story because
everything that happened in the story was all because of her. Like
when Heathcliff gets bit by the dog because he tried saving her.
Heathcliff became rich so that he could earn the love of Catherine.
by Richie Gov
Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)
Summary:
The story begins as an elderly man is on his death bed and while not many seem to be around and the camera zooms on this man as he utters his final words, Rose Bud. Soon after the media of the time is swarming around these final words and their meaning. By this time the story is revealed to us by show what the main focus will be. The story is shown through a flash back of the elderly man in the beginning by the name of Charles Foster Kane.
In the first flashback it starts out as Kane’s early childhood, which was spent in a poverty stricken time, because of his parents condition Kane is sent to live on the east coast of America and become educated to acquire his possessions when he becomes 25. Although Kane was educated by the time he was 25 he had entered the journalism business and owned his own newspaper called the New York Inquirer which is where public opinion is persuaded about the Spanish-American War. While this was going on is the business perspective Kane is running for a political office but there is a marriage scandal that is going on with him and this ruins his political career
After Kane ends his first marriage he begins a second one with his mistress Susan and he entices her to persue her opera career even though many know that she cant sing. Over the course of many years his marriage to Susan slowly fades into nonexistence. During this time Kane has built an opera house, and a castle named Xanadu, which is filled with extremely lavish statues and other antiquities that he believed would satisfy Susan, but in the end this turns out to be an expensive failure. Years down the line of his destroyed marriages we return to the beginning scene of the elderly man lying on his death bed and uttering his final words Rose Bud, but instead we see Kane’s collection of various item and we see people destroying them and the last item we see is a sleigh with a name Rose Bud be destroyed in a furnace and that ends the film.
Citizen Kane Questions
1. What interested Kane so much that he wanted to go into the newspaper business?
2. Who was the man who discovered Kane’s affair with Susan?
3. What political position was Kane running for?
4. What do you believe the snow globe represent?
5. What technique did Kane use in his newspaper to change public opinion about the Spanish-American war?
6. Why was the other newspapers so focused on Kane’s final words?
7. How did Kane acquire so many people to dislike him while still having a positive reputation?
8. What were some of the film techniques that were noticeable?
9. Does the flashback storytelling still follow the three part story structure?
10. Does the film portray William Randolph Hearst’s life accurately.
by Darius Muir
Film Review:
Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is not only a technological marvel that vastly influenced the medium of film for future generations to come but also is able to stay relevant in today’s modern world due to the commentary on life that it provides it’s viewers with. The story starts off with a man named Charles Foster Kane on his deathbed. In this scene we witness his death along with his dying words “Rosebud” which becomes the driving force behind the story. The rest of the film is told through a series of flashbacks by people that were knew Kane personally. These flashbacks were told to a reporter who was in charge of finding out what Kane meant when he said “Rosebud”. In the end the reporter does not find out what it means, however the audience is shown a sled burning in Kane’s mansion with the word “Rosebud” on it revealing that Kane longed for the innocence of his childhood that he was never able to buy back.
The reason that Citizen Kane has been able to stand up to the test of time and still be regarded today as one of the best movies of all time is because of the modern day misconception that it explains to the audience. The average person goes about their life dreaming about what it would be like if they did not have to worry or if they had the power to do whatever they want. To many this type of life would be a bliss that they would nearly give up everything for. In the film we witness the life of a man that appears to be able to have anything that he wants but he is not happy. This makes the audience not like the character of Kane because we believe that life should not be able to create problems for a man in the position that he is in. This is when the film takes the opportunity to educate the audience and show them that the things that make you happy are sometimes unattainable from money. In the final scene we see a sled from earlier in the movie from when Kane was a child. The idea behind this sled is that all Kane wanted in life was to go back to a time before he had all of his power and he was able to just play in the snow all day. Once the audience sees this detail Kane transforms from a character that we hate and do not understand to one that we feel very sorry for. Through this transformation it is revealed to the audience that money and power does not equate to happiness.
On a technical aspect the film is astounding due to the fact of its unorthodox story telling that is still influencing film in today’s world. Early on in the film we see a "News on the March" clip that outlines very briefly the life of Charles Foster Kane and consequently the rest of the film. Through the rest of the film the audience is able to understand the journey that Kane went through while having available what his final destination will be. This technique captivates the audience because it keeps them wondering how will Kane get to the state that we know he will get to.
In conclusion, Citizen Kane deserves its place near the top of not only one of the best films ever made but also as one of the most influential in terms as film and life. Due to the fact that its story has remained relevant to life at all levels nearly seventy years later. The film is also responsible for introducing techniques that would shape film for decades to come. Citizen Kane is not only a movie that everyone should not only watch at least once but also a movie that everyone needs to take the time to understand.
by Ryan Thompson
Analysis of Film Elements: Image and Sound:
In any film viewing, sound and image play a large role in the level of importance. But it is too what degree that varies from movie to movie. In one of the greatest films in history, Citizen Kane, image and sound cannot be neglected and must be analyzed.
In terms of visuals, contrast, shadows and other newly developed techniques are the main focus. In the beginning of Citizen Kane, starting credits are omitted and the film leads straight to a shot of an old, rundown castle. In one memorable, early shot, the humongous estate is positioned in the top right of the frame from a great distance whereas the front gates are at a much closer range This intriguing creepiness is accompanied by fog and darkness to introduce a consistent, ominous, eerie feeling the audience will receive and contain throughout the rest of the film. But this image is not only memorable for the ambiance it produces but for the contrast it develops by the showing of several, following shots. After the eeriness is established through the revealing of the current state of the castle, the unexpected montage of a news report on Kane and his estate quickly follows. The utilization of brightly lit images of the castle, animals and other aspects involving the protagonist is a clear, direct contrast to the previous images. This distinction in image aspects is not only limited to the beginning of the film but in many other moments. And it is the usage of shadows that distinguishes the past from the present. Although Citizen Kane follows the investigation of what Kane’s last words meant, exploring past events is a vital part of discovering. Hence, a need to differentiate recall and living in the present was a great part of the film that could not be ignored in order to avoid confusion. Therefore, who could ask for a better differentiation than the display of shadows not only to provide clarity but the addition of unsettling atmosphere? Though it may be noticed by viewers that at certain times shadows are emphasized in both time realms, it does not inhibit the clearness of the attempt to distinguish. Rather, it is a subtle hint that the past memories and present investigation are reaching a shorter time gap. In other words, the more shadow utilized in the past, the closer that certain events are to the exploration of the meaning, “rosebud.” And the most important shot of the entire movie, which is the showing of the sled labeled “rosebud” being burned in a furnace must be analyzed. Granting that it does not utilize contrast or much shadow, it does contribute to the film tactic of revealing the answer in a film that has been begging the question in one, significant shot. This approach does has its pros and cons, with the benefit of being extremely dramatic, memorable and effective but if one misses it, the movie can be a large disappointment.
When it comes to sound, the utilization of contrast is at an even deeper level than in imagery. In other words, contrast is used in many sorts of comparisons. It is not restricted to simply a shot by shot or scene by scene incident, but can be observed in all forms. For instance, in the most meaningful scene of the entire movie, which is the flashback of Kane’s childhood, there is a noticeable difference in sound. When his parents are discussing with the future guardian, Kane can be heard in the background while playing in the snow. His parents and guardian usually spoke with inside voices whereas Kane yelled with much conviction and child-like innocence. With a scene by scene contrast, the beginning of the movie can once again be considered. The very first scene of Citizen Kane, does not involve any sound, which oddly intensifies the eerie environment of the castle. And the following scene is accompanied by loud music and an enthusiastic narrator. This contrast can be deliberated as traditional because it is a persistent trend. And in another contrast example, in the scene in which Kane is holding a party and dancing with the showgirls, loud music can be heard. Then the following scene returns to present day in which silence/gloomy music dominate the real timeline.
Overall, image and sound are utilized in unique ways in the classic film. Such genuine techniques illustrate the importance of image and sound in Citizen Kane and cannot be overlooked.
by Kimberly Diaz
Analysis of Film Elements: Mise-en-Scene, Cinematography, and Editing
Citizen Kane is commonly regarded as the best film ever made. Part of this is due to the advanced, unique and cleverly used technological advancements. With deep, dramatic lighting and shadoes, dramatic camera movement and modernized camera angles (for 1941), these elements caught the eyes of many and made this one of the most recognizable, smart, and updated movies of the time period.
Perhaps the most prominent of the elements used was the lighting. Long shadows were drawn in scenes where a feeling of passion, deep emotion, or anything extreme was to be felt. The lighting also shaped the characters in ways many people don't notice. In present-day scenes where they interviewed Susan Alexander, she was under a spotlight. Dark surrounded her, emphasizing the thrown-out dirty nature of her character. In the beginning of the film, when Kane was ambitious and optimistic, he was always surrounded by light. In his downfall, he is often shown as a silhouette, darkness in the light.
More very important elements were the updated camera angles. The camera was always looking down at Susan, to emphasize her recessive, low-life air. At the height of Kane's career, the camera always was looking up at him to make it stand out how dominant, socially influential, and important he was. This was also shown in his governor's campaign poster, his face is shown from an angle that is looking up at him. Important character traits can be identified in this way throughout almost all films, but this movie especially made it stand out.
The important technological advancements made through Citizen Kane are unforgettable; and perhaps the reason why it was remembered. Well-deserved winner of Best Film of All Time in the polls for 50 years, it proved itself time and time again through the clever, modern, and still unique way of presenting its case through the film elements.
by Emily Forschen
Literary Element Analysis of Symbolism, Story, and Genre:
Citizen Kane is a mystery drama film made in 1941. The film begins with the scene of the main character Charles Kane dying unknowingly. He is holding a snow globe as he whispers his last words which are “Rosebud “he then drops the snow globe and dies. The story continues with events occurring after Kane’s death like news stories and talking to his ex-wife and guardian about Kane. The story then continues on with flash backs of Kane’s life starting with his childhood leading to his death, which was shown in the beginning. The structure of this movie shows forms of symbolism, for example the sled and globe were examples of symbolism. The film used flash backs to explain the beginning of the film.
Three forms of symbolism show in this film were the sled, the snow globe, and the statues. The sled symbolizes Kane’s barrier between his youth and his adulthood. The sled was named “Rosebud” which is what Kane whispered before he died and it was the last connection he had with his childhood. Another form of symbolism in the film was the snow globes that Kane drops when he dies in the end of the film. The snow globe symbolized end of his life. The scene that showed the snow globe showed that the snow globe was peaceful and quiet like when Kane lived with his parents before his new guardian came. The last form of symbolism shown was the statues that Kane collected. The statues resembled Kane not being able to control people sp the statues were a replacement because he was able to do anything to them.
by Cameron Estrada
Literary Element Analysis of Point of View, Characters, and Theme:
Who the heck is in this movie? Is probably a question most of us would have questioned ourselves when we started and finished watching Citizen Kane(and no, Citizen Kane isn't a character, but some of the characters have the last name with Kane like the main character, Charles Foster Kane.). The main character, Charles Foster Kane, is neither a protagonist nor an antagonist. The movie starts off with him dying, but the point of the movie was to show his past and figure out what his last words, "Rosebud," meant. In the flashbacks, we can see that he just makes things worse for himself by choosing the wrong choices by not appropriately using his power, but abuses it and that the only person who can save anyone from being hurt is himself which, in this case, is no hero. He lives his whole life as if he were in complete control of the Inquirer(his newspaper company), Mr. Thatcher(the man who raised him making him even more stubborn), and even his wives who, surprisingly, try to spend time with him. Charles was known publicly as a rich, successful man who is also admired as being a true American to some, but, in reality, the news just make dead people look good, so that news segment was based off of nothing but lies, except for his somewhat accomplishments and his scandal with Susan Alexander who became his wife after Emily Monroe preventing him from becoming a governor. The person finding out these snippets of Kane's past was Mr. Thompson. Although he didn't quite figure out what "Rosebud" meant in the end, he still did a decent job on doing so. Mr. Thompson was a man who would not leave that particular person until he got a story confessed out of them. Charles's first wife, Emily Monroe was young and in love with Charles, but the longer their marriage went, the more Kane got caught up in the inquirer and talked to her less weakening their marriage. What ended their marriage was Charles affair with Susan Alexander. Susan was also young lady who was too child-like for a man like Charles to marry. She wanted to explore the world and live a life she wanted, but Charles trapped her in a mansion he'd made her and wouldn't really allow her to go where she wanted. Charles two friends were Mr. Bernstein and Mr. Leland. Mr. Leland and Charles's friendship didn't last long when Mr. Leland was in the middle of writing an article of how Susan sang terribly in her performance at her own opera house. Through good times and bad, those 3 know that they had fun. Finally, Kane's parents were nothing but greedy on sending their only child away for money(What kind of love is that?).
The point of view of this movie was omniscient. You could tell with all of the camera angles in the movie going all directions as if we were ghosts only being able to see on what is important. For instance, in the scene near the end, the camera is slowly hovering over Kane's collection. That particular scene makes us feel like we are actually flying above the many exotic objects, you'd can feel the tone being dramatic and you'd feel a bit scared with that slow, dark music in the background.
There are so many themes you can depict from this movie. One theme can be: love is a weakness. For example. when Charles married Emily and Susan, he became like a ripe fruit: appealing at first sight, then rotten and insipid in the end,just like his two marriages. Love has brought out the worst of him and his 2 wives scarring them for life(except for Susan when she left him near the end.). Another theme may be: once you lost the only thing you love, you've lost everything. Charles was being dragged out of his home so that when he gets older, he can run the Inquirer making him hate his life as if his real home was everything to him. This theme leads me to my final theme which is: home is where the heart is. Wouldn't Charles be a different person if he hadn't been taken by Mr, Thatcher? He could have had a life he really desired, but in the end, as we know it, the only thing he couldn't control was his unhappy childhood.
By Marianne Buena
Film Comparison:
Citizen Kane, made in 1941 by Orson Welles, was and still is considered the best film ever made. It has many aspects of the film that greatly compares to the movie, or musical, known as The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Weber. Citizen Kane has a boy named Charles Kane being sold away by his mother to a rich man when his father strongly disagreed; when his mother only agreed selling him because of his father's constant physical punishments. A somewhat similar storyline happens in The Phantom of the Opera when Erik, the phantom, was taken away and sold to a carnival where people would make fun of him and probe him with sticks for a deformity on the left side of his face. The same harassment and abuse happened to both Erik and Charles.
Both of the two films have a main female role, Citizen Kane being Susan Alexander Kane who was Kane's second wife. She sang at the opera he had built for her even though she would, at times, refuse to sing and hated it completely. In The Phantom of the Opera, Christine Daaé was Erik's prized "possession" per se. He would make sure she had the lead roles and he was her 'Angel of Music.' Erik, whom supposedly owned the opera house, had the new managers pay him a salary for running the place. Which you can also conclude that he is wealthy. Yet, not as wealthy as the multi-millionaire and newspaper publisher, Charles Kane.
The camera techniques in these films were also quite similar. There were many sequences throughout these films and the mise-en-scene were also alike. In Citizen Kane the end scene had all the statues he has purchased through all his life. The phantom is known as a prodigy of music which shows that the two, Erik and Charles, both had a love for the fine arts.
Citizen Kane and The Phantom of the Opera show two men being frowned upon by society. As well as the hatred and sorrow one can get by their childhood being taken away from them.
by Angelika Bumgarner
Essay:
"Citizen Kane" directed by Orson Welles in 1941 was considered one of the best films ever in film history. Citizen Kane is about Charles Foster Kane, a very wealthy newspaper publisher who dies saying his last word, Rosebud. His death was all over the country and a reporter named Jerry Thompson tries to find out about Kane's life and the meaning of his last word(which remained a mystery for people). Talking to the people Kane knew, he discover many things from his past. Citizen Kane had many high ratings and had many Academy Award nominations. In agreement to its reviews, this movie is no doubt, well done. Orson Welles made this film so good because he provided an interesting, circular storyline that is very intentive, the casting of the characters was portrayed well, and the focusing of lighting was well-achieved.
Citizen Kane provided a visual, well told flashback story about Kane's life. The story is perfectly told on what happens in his childhood to his end of marriage and the end of his political career. The movie showed a great example of a rising action and a falling action as Kane was such a big success in the New York Inquiry and his run for governor. But, as he wasn't that good to his wife and had an affair led to his divorce and the end of his political career as his enemy found out about his affair. The movie also had a great choice of casting. Orson Welles's acting was very dramatic and intense in this film. For example, when he was breaking and throwing all of the stuff in the room and his mean approach towards his wife was very professionally done. He made us feel exactly what the is character really feeling. Same with the other actors in this film, they all played their part all serious and had feeling in it just like Welles. In this noir film and they all gave an influential performance. Lastly, this film was tremendous with its focus of lighting. The movie had a well-focused picture extending all the way to the background of the frame which makes you forget that this is not effects though all films should be like that.
Although this film is not liked as much as it was before the reasons why this film is good is still true. Orson Welles was best known for this film. He can set a great example for a good story, acting, and his film techniques especially in lighting. This movie influenced many films to be created which also made it an important film to film history.
by William Butiu
The story begins as an elderly man is on his death bed and while not many seem to be around and the camera zooms on this man as he utters his final words, Rose Bud. Soon after the media of the time is swarming around these final words and their meaning. By this time the story is revealed to us by show what the main focus will be. The story is shown through a flash back of the elderly man in the beginning by the name of Charles Foster Kane.
In the first flashback it starts out as Kane’s early childhood, which was spent in a poverty stricken time, because of his parents condition Kane is sent to live on the east coast of America and become educated to acquire his possessions when he becomes 25. Although Kane was educated by the time he was 25 he had entered the journalism business and owned his own newspaper called the New York Inquirer which is where public opinion is persuaded about the Spanish-American War. While this was going on is the business perspective Kane is running for a political office but there is a marriage scandal that is going on with him and this ruins his political career
After Kane ends his first marriage he begins a second one with his mistress Susan and he entices her to persue her opera career even though many know that she cant sing. Over the course of many years his marriage to Susan slowly fades into nonexistence. During this time Kane has built an opera house, and a castle named Xanadu, which is filled with extremely lavish statues and other antiquities that he believed would satisfy Susan, but in the end this turns out to be an expensive failure. Years down the line of his destroyed marriages we return to the beginning scene of the elderly man lying on his death bed and uttering his final words Rose Bud, but instead we see Kane’s collection of various item and we see people destroying them and the last item we see is a sleigh with a name Rose Bud be destroyed in a furnace and that ends the film.
Citizen Kane Questions
1. What interested Kane so much that he wanted to go into the newspaper business?
2. Who was the man who discovered Kane’s affair with Susan?
3. What political position was Kane running for?
4. What do you believe the snow globe represent?
5. What technique did Kane use in his newspaper to change public opinion about the Spanish-American war?
6. Why was the other newspapers so focused on Kane’s final words?
7. How did Kane acquire so many people to dislike him while still having a positive reputation?
8. What were some of the film techniques that were noticeable?
9. Does the flashback storytelling still follow the three part story structure?
10. Does the film portray William Randolph Hearst’s life accurately.
by Darius Muir
Film Review:
Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is not only a technological marvel that vastly influenced the medium of film for future generations to come but also is able to stay relevant in today’s modern world due to the commentary on life that it provides it’s viewers with. The story starts off with a man named Charles Foster Kane on his deathbed. In this scene we witness his death along with his dying words “Rosebud” which becomes the driving force behind the story. The rest of the film is told through a series of flashbacks by people that were knew Kane personally. These flashbacks were told to a reporter who was in charge of finding out what Kane meant when he said “Rosebud”. In the end the reporter does not find out what it means, however the audience is shown a sled burning in Kane’s mansion with the word “Rosebud” on it revealing that Kane longed for the innocence of his childhood that he was never able to buy back.
The reason that Citizen Kane has been able to stand up to the test of time and still be regarded today as one of the best movies of all time is because of the modern day misconception that it explains to the audience. The average person goes about their life dreaming about what it would be like if they did not have to worry or if they had the power to do whatever they want. To many this type of life would be a bliss that they would nearly give up everything for. In the film we witness the life of a man that appears to be able to have anything that he wants but he is not happy. This makes the audience not like the character of Kane because we believe that life should not be able to create problems for a man in the position that he is in. This is when the film takes the opportunity to educate the audience and show them that the things that make you happy are sometimes unattainable from money. In the final scene we see a sled from earlier in the movie from when Kane was a child. The idea behind this sled is that all Kane wanted in life was to go back to a time before he had all of his power and he was able to just play in the snow all day. Once the audience sees this detail Kane transforms from a character that we hate and do not understand to one that we feel very sorry for. Through this transformation it is revealed to the audience that money and power does not equate to happiness.
On a technical aspect the film is astounding due to the fact of its unorthodox story telling that is still influencing film in today’s world. Early on in the film we see a "News on the March" clip that outlines very briefly the life of Charles Foster Kane and consequently the rest of the film. Through the rest of the film the audience is able to understand the journey that Kane went through while having available what his final destination will be. This technique captivates the audience because it keeps them wondering how will Kane get to the state that we know he will get to.
In conclusion, Citizen Kane deserves its place near the top of not only one of the best films ever made but also as one of the most influential in terms as film and life. Due to the fact that its story has remained relevant to life at all levels nearly seventy years later. The film is also responsible for introducing techniques that would shape film for decades to come. Citizen Kane is not only a movie that everyone should not only watch at least once but also a movie that everyone needs to take the time to understand.
by Ryan Thompson
Analysis of Film Elements: Image and Sound:
In any film viewing, sound and image play a large role in the level of importance. But it is too what degree that varies from movie to movie. In one of the greatest films in history, Citizen Kane, image and sound cannot be neglected and must be analyzed.
In terms of visuals, contrast, shadows and other newly developed techniques are the main focus. In the beginning of Citizen Kane, starting credits are omitted and the film leads straight to a shot of an old, rundown castle. In one memorable, early shot, the humongous estate is positioned in the top right of the frame from a great distance whereas the front gates are at a much closer range This intriguing creepiness is accompanied by fog and darkness to introduce a consistent, ominous, eerie feeling the audience will receive and contain throughout the rest of the film. But this image is not only memorable for the ambiance it produces but for the contrast it develops by the showing of several, following shots. After the eeriness is established through the revealing of the current state of the castle, the unexpected montage of a news report on Kane and his estate quickly follows. The utilization of brightly lit images of the castle, animals and other aspects involving the protagonist is a clear, direct contrast to the previous images. This distinction in image aspects is not only limited to the beginning of the film but in many other moments. And it is the usage of shadows that distinguishes the past from the present. Although Citizen Kane follows the investigation of what Kane’s last words meant, exploring past events is a vital part of discovering. Hence, a need to differentiate recall and living in the present was a great part of the film that could not be ignored in order to avoid confusion. Therefore, who could ask for a better differentiation than the display of shadows not only to provide clarity but the addition of unsettling atmosphere? Though it may be noticed by viewers that at certain times shadows are emphasized in both time realms, it does not inhibit the clearness of the attempt to distinguish. Rather, it is a subtle hint that the past memories and present investigation are reaching a shorter time gap. In other words, the more shadow utilized in the past, the closer that certain events are to the exploration of the meaning, “rosebud.” And the most important shot of the entire movie, which is the showing of the sled labeled “rosebud” being burned in a furnace must be analyzed. Granting that it does not utilize contrast or much shadow, it does contribute to the film tactic of revealing the answer in a film that has been begging the question in one, significant shot. This approach does has its pros and cons, with the benefit of being extremely dramatic, memorable and effective but if one misses it, the movie can be a large disappointment.
When it comes to sound, the utilization of contrast is at an even deeper level than in imagery. In other words, contrast is used in many sorts of comparisons. It is not restricted to simply a shot by shot or scene by scene incident, but can be observed in all forms. For instance, in the most meaningful scene of the entire movie, which is the flashback of Kane’s childhood, there is a noticeable difference in sound. When his parents are discussing with the future guardian, Kane can be heard in the background while playing in the snow. His parents and guardian usually spoke with inside voices whereas Kane yelled with much conviction and child-like innocence. With a scene by scene contrast, the beginning of the movie can once again be considered. The very first scene of Citizen Kane, does not involve any sound, which oddly intensifies the eerie environment of the castle. And the following scene is accompanied by loud music and an enthusiastic narrator. This contrast can be deliberated as traditional because it is a persistent trend. And in another contrast example, in the scene in which Kane is holding a party and dancing with the showgirls, loud music can be heard. Then the following scene returns to present day in which silence/gloomy music dominate the real timeline.
Overall, image and sound are utilized in unique ways in the classic film. Such genuine techniques illustrate the importance of image and sound in Citizen Kane and cannot be overlooked.
by Kimberly Diaz
Analysis of Film Elements: Mise-en-Scene, Cinematography, and Editing
Citizen Kane is commonly regarded as the best film ever made. Part of this is due to the advanced, unique and cleverly used technological advancements. With deep, dramatic lighting and shadoes, dramatic camera movement and modernized camera angles (for 1941), these elements caught the eyes of many and made this one of the most recognizable, smart, and updated movies of the time period.
Perhaps the most prominent of the elements used was the lighting. Long shadows were drawn in scenes where a feeling of passion, deep emotion, or anything extreme was to be felt. The lighting also shaped the characters in ways many people don't notice. In present-day scenes where they interviewed Susan Alexander, she was under a spotlight. Dark surrounded her, emphasizing the thrown-out dirty nature of her character. In the beginning of the film, when Kane was ambitious and optimistic, he was always surrounded by light. In his downfall, he is often shown as a silhouette, darkness in the light.
More very important elements were the updated camera angles. The camera was always looking down at Susan, to emphasize her recessive, low-life air. At the height of Kane's career, the camera always was looking up at him to make it stand out how dominant, socially influential, and important he was. This was also shown in his governor's campaign poster, his face is shown from an angle that is looking up at him. Important character traits can be identified in this way throughout almost all films, but this movie especially made it stand out.
The important technological advancements made through Citizen Kane are unforgettable; and perhaps the reason why it was remembered. Well-deserved winner of Best Film of All Time in the polls for 50 years, it proved itself time and time again through the clever, modern, and still unique way of presenting its case through the film elements.
by Emily Forschen
Literary Element Analysis of Symbolism, Story, and Genre:
Citizen Kane is a mystery drama film made in 1941. The film begins with the scene of the main character Charles Kane dying unknowingly. He is holding a snow globe as he whispers his last words which are “Rosebud “he then drops the snow globe and dies. The story continues with events occurring after Kane’s death like news stories and talking to his ex-wife and guardian about Kane. The story then continues on with flash backs of Kane’s life starting with his childhood leading to his death, which was shown in the beginning. The structure of this movie shows forms of symbolism, for example the sled and globe were examples of symbolism. The film used flash backs to explain the beginning of the film.
Three forms of symbolism show in this film were the sled, the snow globe, and the statues. The sled symbolizes Kane’s barrier between his youth and his adulthood. The sled was named “Rosebud” which is what Kane whispered before he died and it was the last connection he had with his childhood. Another form of symbolism in the film was the snow globes that Kane drops when he dies in the end of the film. The snow globe symbolized end of his life. The scene that showed the snow globe showed that the snow globe was peaceful and quiet like when Kane lived with his parents before his new guardian came. The last form of symbolism shown was the statues that Kane collected. The statues resembled Kane not being able to control people sp the statues were a replacement because he was able to do anything to them.
by Cameron Estrada
Literary Element Analysis of Point of View, Characters, and Theme:
Who the heck is in this movie? Is probably a question most of us would have questioned ourselves when we started and finished watching Citizen Kane(and no, Citizen Kane isn't a character, but some of the characters have the last name with Kane like the main character, Charles Foster Kane.). The main character, Charles Foster Kane, is neither a protagonist nor an antagonist. The movie starts off with him dying, but the point of the movie was to show his past and figure out what his last words, "Rosebud," meant. In the flashbacks, we can see that he just makes things worse for himself by choosing the wrong choices by not appropriately using his power, but abuses it and that the only person who can save anyone from being hurt is himself which, in this case, is no hero. He lives his whole life as if he were in complete control of the Inquirer(his newspaper company), Mr. Thatcher(the man who raised him making him even more stubborn), and even his wives who, surprisingly, try to spend time with him. Charles was known publicly as a rich, successful man who is also admired as being a true American to some, but, in reality, the news just make dead people look good, so that news segment was based off of nothing but lies, except for his somewhat accomplishments and his scandal with Susan Alexander who became his wife after Emily Monroe preventing him from becoming a governor. The person finding out these snippets of Kane's past was Mr. Thompson. Although he didn't quite figure out what "Rosebud" meant in the end, he still did a decent job on doing so. Mr. Thompson was a man who would not leave that particular person until he got a story confessed out of them. Charles's first wife, Emily Monroe was young and in love with Charles, but the longer their marriage went, the more Kane got caught up in the inquirer and talked to her less weakening their marriage. What ended their marriage was Charles affair with Susan Alexander. Susan was also young lady who was too child-like for a man like Charles to marry. She wanted to explore the world and live a life she wanted, but Charles trapped her in a mansion he'd made her and wouldn't really allow her to go where she wanted. Charles two friends were Mr. Bernstein and Mr. Leland. Mr. Leland and Charles's friendship didn't last long when Mr. Leland was in the middle of writing an article of how Susan sang terribly in her performance at her own opera house. Through good times and bad, those 3 know that they had fun. Finally, Kane's parents were nothing but greedy on sending their only child away for money(What kind of love is that?).
The point of view of this movie was omniscient. You could tell with all of the camera angles in the movie going all directions as if we were ghosts only being able to see on what is important. For instance, in the scene near the end, the camera is slowly hovering over Kane's collection. That particular scene makes us feel like we are actually flying above the many exotic objects, you'd can feel the tone being dramatic and you'd feel a bit scared with that slow, dark music in the background.
There are so many themes you can depict from this movie. One theme can be: love is a weakness. For example. when Charles married Emily and Susan, he became like a ripe fruit: appealing at first sight, then rotten and insipid in the end,just like his two marriages. Love has brought out the worst of him and his 2 wives scarring them for life(except for Susan when she left him near the end.). Another theme may be: once you lost the only thing you love, you've lost everything. Charles was being dragged out of his home so that when he gets older, he can run the Inquirer making him hate his life as if his real home was everything to him. This theme leads me to my final theme which is: home is where the heart is. Wouldn't Charles be a different person if he hadn't been taken by Mr, Thatcher? He could have had a life he really desired, but in the end, as we know it, the only thing he couldn't control was his unhappy childhood.
By Marianne Buena
Film Comparison:
Citizen Kane, made in 1941 by Orson Welles, was and still is considered the best film ever made. It has many aspects of the film that greatly compares to the movie, or musical, known as The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Weber. Citizen Kane has a boy named Charles Kane being sold away by his mother to a rich man when his father strongly disagreed; when his mother only agreed selling him because of his father's constant physical punishments. A somewhat similar storyline happens in The Phantom of the Opera when Erik, the phantom, was taken away and sold to a carnival where people would make fun of him and probe him with sticks for a deformity on the left side of his face. The same harassment and abuse happened to both Erik and Charles.
Both of the two films have a main female role, Citizen Kane being Susan Alexander Kane who was Kane's second wife. She sang at the opera he had built for her even though she would, at times, refuse to sing and hated it completely. In The Phantom of the Opera, Christine Daaé was Erik's prized "possession" per se. He would make sure she had the lead roles and he was her 'Angel of Music.' Erik, whom supposedly owned the opera house, had the new managers pay him a salary for running the place. Which you can also conclude that he is wealthy. Yet, not as wealthy as the multi-millionaire and newspaper publisher, Charles Kane.
The camera techniques in these films were also quite similar. There were many sequences throughout these films and the mise-en-scene were also alike. In Citizen Kane the end scene had all the statues he has purchased through all his life. The phantom is known as a prodigy of music which shows that the two, Erik and Charles, both had a love for the fine arts.
Citizen Kane and The Phantom of the Opera show two men being frowned upon by society. As well as the hatred and sorrow one can get by their childhood being taken away from them.
by Angelika Bumgarner
Essay:
"Citizen Kane" directed by Orson Welles in 1941 was considered one of the best films ever in film history. Citizen Kane is about Charles Foster Kane, a very wealthy newspaper publisher who dies saying his last word, Rosebud. His death was all over the country and a reporter named Jerry Thompson tries to find out about Kane's life and the meaning of his last word(which remained a mystery for people). Talking to the people Kane knew, he discover many things from his past. Citizen Kane had many high ratings and had many Academy Award nominations. In agreement to its reviews, this movie is no doubt, well done. Orson Welles made this film so good because he provided an interesting, circular storyline that is very intentive, the casting of the characters was portrayed well, and the focusing of lighting was well-achieved.
Citizen Kane provided a visual, well told flashback story about Kane's life. The story is perfectly told on what happens in his childhood to his end of marriage and the end of his political career. The movie showed a great example of a rising action and a falling action as Kane was such a big success in the New York Inquiry and his run for governor. But, as he wasn't that good to his wife and had an affair led to his divorce and the end of his political career as his enemy found out about his affair. The movie also had a great choice of casting. Orson Welles's acting was very dramatic and intense in this film. For example, when he was breaking and throwing all of the stuff in the room and his mean approach towards his wife was very professionally done. He made us feel exactly what the is character really feeling. Same with the other actors in this film, they all played their part all serious and had feeling in it just like Welles. In this noir film and they all gave an influential performance. Lastly, this film was tremendous with its focus of lighting. The movie had a well-focused picture extending all the way to the background of the frame which makes you forget that this is not effects though all films should be like that.
Although this film is not liked as much as it was before the reasons why this film is good is still true. Orson Welles was best known for this film. He can set a great example for a good story, acting, and his film techniques especially in lighting. This movie influenced many films to be created which also made it an important film to film history.
by William Butiu
Mildred Pierce (Michael Curtiz, 1945)
Summary/Questions:
The movie starts as the questioning of Mildred by cops. When they have found her 2nd husband
named Monte. Monte last words were Mildred. He is found in Mildred’s 1st husband restaurant. The
cops believe that he has done it. In the middle of the movie Mildred’s daughter dies of pneumonia.
After, Mildred opens a new restaurant, with the help of her friend named Wally. Veda hates being poor
and Mildred wants her to be happy so she marries Monte Beragon. After a while we discover that Veda
and Monte had a thing with each other and when Veda brings up marriage he doesn’t want to and Veda gets mad and shot him. At the end Mildred can’t hide the truth no more and Veda is taken to jail for killing her mother’s 2nd husband. The last words that Mildred said to her daughter was “I’m sorry I tired” and Veda said “don’t worry about me I’ll get by”.
1. Who die in the beginning?
2. Who was the person who went to jail for it?
3. Who helps Mildred get the restaurant?
4. Where do they find the body?
5. Did Mildred have two husbands?
6. What happens to the killer at the end of the story?
7. Who did the cops think it was before they found the real killer?
8. Who got slapped in the film?
9. What was the name of Mildred’s kids?
10. What does Mildred do once her kid died?
by Kristina Salinas
Film Review:Mildred Pierce, the film noir movie directed by Michael Curtiz, was overall interesting to watch. The story plot was quite intriguing because of its roller-coaster sequence of events. Because Mildred Pierce is a melodrama, the serious emphasis of acting only strengthened the emotional tolls felt by characters. This classic film noir exemplifies exactly how a good mystery can shine in this genre’s dismal, black-and-white atmosphere. The plot was neither too elementary nor too complicated, and the dramatic acting added more intensity. Some may claim it is overly dramatic, but in my opinion the dramatic acting was suitable in bringing the severity of the story right into the faces of the viewers.
The main characters were great in that none of them are completely good. Most, if not all were introduced as well-dressed, decently courteous people. Mildred Pierce stood out again as it showed a deterioration of all of the characters throughout the plot. This is interesting since we tend to seek out a character in a film as an idealized version of real people, to give us a subtle comfort away from society. Mildred Pierce does not give the audience the chance to do this. Mildred Pierce reels us in and throws us out into the cynic’s world by doing quite the opposite. The movie is fueled by the shortcomings of each character, which we can definitely find within the “characters” of our real world—us.
The movie’s use of shadows was very creative to see. Inspired by German impressionism, the shadows acted in the film as well, following actors, usually expanding the movements. The shadows definitely fit the atmosphere of a film noir movie and worked well to add a dimension to the mise-en-scene. The mise-en-scene was quite accurate to the mood and plot, ranging from minimalistic to extravagant.
Mildred Pierce was a great film for our class to watch, for it had many of the signature elements that characterize film noir, and was a murder mystery that was enticing from beginning to end. Overall, I would recommend this film to someone who is interested in film noir and needed a movie to start with.
by Michelle Yang
Film Element Analysis of Image and Sound:
Throughout the whole film of, “Mildred Pierce”, they use a lot of suspenseful music that makes you think something bad is going to happen. In the first couple minutes of the movie when they have the scene when Mildred is walking on the pier and Wallie walks up to her you could tell something bad was going to happen because of the suspenseful music. That’s when Mildred takes Wallie to her house to drink, while the body of Monty was still in the house. The music gets real eerie when Wallie is walking to look for Mildred, who left the house so Wallie would be blamed, the closer he gets to the body the creepier and louder the music gets until he finds the body.
They also use real eerie music when they show who actually killed Monty at Mildred’s house. Mildred goes to her house with a gun to find her daughter Veda with Monty. Veda says they are getting married so Mildred throws the gun on the ground and leaves to her car, but while she is leaving Monty says they aren’t getting married so Veda gets mad, and it plays revenge music, so Veda grabs the gun and kills Monty. Mildred runs in and see’s but then she tries to cover up for Veda. The suspenseful music made it to where you know when something bad has or is going to happen, or when someone wanted revenge or gets angry.
Also in the scene when Mildred was on the Pier it had a creepy camera angle when it shows Mildred looking off into the ocean and it looks like Wallie is creeping up on her, but Mildred was just looking to use him so the cops think he killed Monty. You can tell by the shot when it shows the door and then Mildred walking out and locking the door.
Also you can tell it’s a flashback when the camera is moving showing the house that Mildred lived in with her first husband, then Mildred in the house cooking and before when she was a at home mother. It goes from past to present throughout the whole movie showing a bunch of history of Mildred and also evidence of who was the murderer.
Film Element Analysis of Mise-en-scene, Cinematography, and Editing:
An effective piece of iconography are the the classic Venitian blinds, an almost cliche in Film noir. It's most noticeable usage is when Mildred guns down Monte and shadows line her face, which shows her dark side in contrast to the loving mother we saw.
Towards the end, after a long and grueling night of interrogation, Mildred finally gets busted and the police get to the bottom of it. The iconography and symbolism are presented by the opening of the Venitian blinds, in which lets the light floods in the previously dark room.
The movie starts with happy and pleasant opening; waves splashing ashore and very sunny, which overthrows the genre. However, the next scene when someone is shot to death is far more shocking, mainly because it comes immediately after we have witnessed such a relaxing and peaceful scenery. Also it makes trust our characters with more caution during the rest of the film because we don't know what to expect, and we expect the worst. So in this sense, it does conform to a Film Noir's expectations, provoking distrust and shocking its audience.
The movie starts as the questioning of Mildred by cops. When they have found her 2nd husband
named Monte. Monte last words were Mildred. He is found in Mildred’s 1st husband restaurant. The
cops believe that he has done it. In the middle of the movie Mildred’s daughter dies of pneumonia.
After, Mildred opens a new restaurant, with the help of her friend named Wally. Veda hates being poor
and Mildred wants her to be happy so she marries Monte Beragon. After a while we discover that Veda
and Monte had a thing with each other and when Veda brings up marriage he doesn’t want to and Veda gets mad and shot him. At the end Mildred can’t hide the truth no more and Veda is taken to jail for killing her mother’s 2nd husband. The last words that Mildred said to her daughter was “I’m sorry I tired” and Veda said “don’t worry about me I’ll get by”.
1. Who die in the beginning?
2. Who was the person who went to jail for it?
3. Who helps Mildred get the restaurant?
4. Where do they find the body?
5. Did Mildred have two husbands?
6. What happens to the killer at the end of the story?
7. Who did the cops think it was before they found the real killer?
8. Who got slapped in the film?
9. What was the name of Mildred’s kids?
10. What does Mildred do once her kid died?
by Kristina Salinas
Film Review:Mildred Pierce, the film noir movie directed by Michael Curtiz, was overall interesting to watch. The story plot was quite intriguing because of its roller-coaster sequence of events. Because Mildred Pierce is a melodrama, the serious emphasis of acting only strengthened the emotional tolls felt by characters. This classic film noir exemplifies exactly how a good mystery can shine in this genre’s dismal, black-and-white atmosphere. The plot was neither too elementary nor too complicated, and the dramatic acting added more intensity. Some may claim it is overly dramatic, but in my opinion the dramatic acting was suitable in bringing the severity of the story right into the faces of the viewers.
The main characters were great in that none of them are completely good. Most, if not all were introduced as well-dressed, decently courteous people. Mildred Pierce stood out again as it showed a deterioration of all of the characters throughout the plot. This is interesting since we tend to seek out a character in a film as an idealized version of real people, to give us a subtle comfort away from society. Mildred Pierce does not give the audience the chance to do this. Mildred Pierce reels us in and throws us out into the cynic’s world by doing quite the opposite. The movie is fueled by the shortcomings of each character, which we can definitely find within the “characters” of our real world—us.
The movie’s use of shadows was very creative to see. Inspired by German impressionism, the shadows acted in the film as well, following actors, usually expanding the movements. The shadows definitely fit the atmosphere of a film noir movie and worked well to add a dimension to the mise-en-scene. The mise-en-scene was quite accurate to the mood and plot, ranging from minimalistic to extravagant.
Mildred Pierce was a great film for our class to watch, for it had many of the signature elements that characterize film noir, and was a murder mystery that was enticing from beginning to end. Overall, I would recommend this film to someone who is interested in film noir and needed a movie to start with.
by Michelle Yang
Film Element Analysis of Image and Sound:
Throughout the whole film of, “Mildred Pierce”, they use a lot of suspenseful music that makes you think something bad is going to happen. In the first couple minutes of the movie when they have the scene when Mildred is walking on the pier and Wallie walks up to her you could tell something bad was going to happen because of the suspenseful music. That’s when Mildred takes Wallie to her house to drink, while the body of Monty was still in the house. The music gets real eerie when Wallie is walking to look for Mildred, who left the house so Wallie would be blamed, the closer he gets to the body the creepier and louder the music gets until he finds the body.
They also use real eerie music when they show who actually killed Monty at Mildred’s house. Mildred goes to her house with a gun to find her daughter Veda with Monty. Veda says they are getting married so Mildred throws the gun on the ground and leaves to her car, but while she is leaving Monty says they aren’t getting married so Veda gets mad, and it plays revenge music, so Veda grabs the gun and kills Monty. Mildred runs in and see’s but then she tries to cover up for Veda. The suspenseful music made it to where you know when something bad has or is going to happen, or when someone wanted revenge or gets angry.
Also in the scene when Mildred was on the Pier it had a creepy camera angle when it shows Mildred looking off into the ocean and it looks like Wallie is creeping up on her, but Mildred was just looking to use him so the cops think he killed Monty. You can tell by the shot when it shows the door and then Mildred walking out and locking the door.
Also you can tell it’s a flashback when the camera is moving showing the house that Mildred lived in with her first husband, then Mildred in the house cooking and before when she was a at home mother. It goes from past to present throughout the whole movie showing a bunch of history of Mildred and also evidence of who was the murderer.
Film Element Analysis of Mise-en-scene, Cinematography, and Editing:
An effective piece of iconography are the the classic Venitian blinds, an almost cliche in Film noir. It's most noticeable usage is when Mildred guns down Monte and shadows line her face, which shows her dark side in contrast to the loving mother we saw.
Towards the end, after a long and grueling night of interrogation, Mildred finally gets busted and the police get to the bottom of it. The iconography and symbolism are presented by the opening of the Venitian blinds, in which lets the light floods in the previously dark room.
The movie starts with happy and pleasant opening; waves splashing ashore and very sunny, which overthrows the genre. However, the next scene when someone is shot to death is far more shocking, mainly because it comes immediately after we have witnessed such a relaxing and peaceful scenery. Also it makes trust our characters with more caution during the rest of the film because we don't know what to expect, and we expect the worst. So in this sense, it does conform to a Film Noir's expectations, provoking distrust and shocking its audience.
Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica, 1948)
Summary:
Bicycle Thieves is a neorealistic foreign film made in 1948, and directed by Vittorio De Sica. The film follows the normal life of Antonio Ricci, a desperate family man in need of a job to support his family, and his son, Bruno Ricci. When Antonio finally finds a job that will support his family, he gets his bike stolen, which was his transportation. When Antonio’s bike is stolen, he and his son go on a journey to recover the bike from the thief who stole it.
Rome is a big city, and the neorealism of this film shows this in great detail. Finding a single bicycle in an entire city is nearly impossible, and “Bicycle Thieves” shows the struggle that a person in the same situation would go through. The acting in the film is phenomenal and very realistic. When Antonio and Bruno finally see his bike, it is taken away again by the same thief. This close encounter was a very frustrating scene. Antonio and Bruno ask an old man that the boy was talking to where the boy might have gone. After getting an address, Antonio and Bruno travel to the boy’s house, only to discover that the bicycle was recently scrapped for parts, and there is no possible way to prove that the boy stole the bike. Angered by the situation, Antonio makes a desperate move, and attempts to steal another stranger’s bike, but is caught by the police.
After being let go without any pressed charges, Antonio walks off into the distance with his son, angered by losing his bicycle once and for all. Even though this ending is unsatisfying, it is very unexpected, and adds even more to the film’s neorealism. Since neorealism was the main goal for the film, the director and actors/actresses did a terrific job in making “Bicycle Thieves” a very successful film.
by
Kyle Filter
Analysis of Film Elements: Mise-en-scene, Cinematography, and Editing:
With a neorealistic film like “Bicycle Thieves”, you never know what secrets the director will leave in the shots that will make the experience of watching it so much different. Examining the film’s Mise-En-Scene, you can tell how the surrounding city played a big role is making the film feel more alive to everyday standards of poverty life. The clothes worn by the folks in the city also resembled the struggles they all go through on a daily basis. Torn down buildings, rough streets, and poverty-stricken neighborhoods all played a big role in adding to the film’s neorealism. The feeling of the film is more realistic when you see extras who are just as affected by the surroundings as the main characters are. The setting of the big city of Rome also played a huge role in the struggle of finding a single bicycle in a big place. This helped add to the film’s realism, and to the struggles of the main characters as well.
Moving on to the cinematography of “Bicycle Thieves”, the film’s shots and the angles of which the story was depicted changed the way you see the film, as well as the characters. When a frustrating situation would arise in the plot, the perfect angle would be added to show the emotions bombarding the characters being affected. Close-ups in the film gave you a close look at the ways that the characters dealt with the hurdles being thrown at them. There were also many establishing shots showing vast expansions of the big city of Rome. These shots gave us a feel of not only how it was to live in these times/places, but how impossible it would be to find a single bicycle in this large city. There were also some interesting pans with the camera sweeping from one action to another occurring in the film. These pans would show the many pedestrians lining the gloomy streets looking for a job, and just going about their daily lives. These pans were also utilized to show how close or far away the main characters were from the action. For instance, when Antonio and Bruno were walking along the street, the camera panned over to show the boy with Antonio’s bicycle, while he was talking to the old man. The camera then panned to a close-up of Antonio, in order to give the audience a feeling of the emotions going through Antonio’s head. The overall used of cinematography in the film gave the feeling of watching a neorealistic film such as “Bicycle Thieves” such a good feeling.
Finally, the use of editing in the film was examined. Although there were many uses of editing in the film, there were some strong uses that completely stood out. One smart edit that was common in the film, was the use of quick cuts, along with jump cuts. These both worked together to keep the action going. Quick cuts kept the plot flowing in and out throughout the different situations that the characters went through. Quick cuts also gave the action a feeling of continuity along with making the film’s crucial scenes easy to understand, even though they occurred quickly. The use of jump cuts transferred the action from one area of the action (boy on bicycle) to another (Antonio and Bruno chasing the boy). These cuts also helped keep the scenes more interesting, and much easier and smoother to watch.
Working together to make “Bicycle Thieves” much more understandable and enjoyable, the uses of Mise-En-Scene, cinematography, and editing created a very neorealistic film that turned out to be very successful, and it is not hard to see why.
by Kyle Filter
Literary Element Analysis of Genre, Symbolism, and Story:
The movie Bicycle Thief is a Drama because of all the bad things that happen to Antonio and when he tries to make things better he never succeeds. I think the most dramatic scene of the movie is when Antonio is working the first day of his job and while he is working someone steals his bike right in front of him. Antonio gets a ride from a car to try to catch the thief but the thief ends up getting away. This scene is very dramatic because the worst thing possible happens to him on his first day of the job, and the thief gets away. I think this movie is a Drama because no matter how hard Antonio tries to keep his job and find his bike nothing good ends up happening for him. This movie is also a Italian neo-realism because it’s in Italy after WWII and it has real life situations of that time, because of the situation he is in where he needs the bike to provide for his family.
They show good symbolism in this movie because it is hard to find. The best symbolism they have is what the bike symbolizes. The bike symbolizes the main thing in the story, his job. The bike symbolizes his job because the reason why he got the job is because he said he had a bike; because the thief stole his bike he pretty much lost his job. In order to get his job back he would have to find his bike, or in Antonio’s case try to steal a bike, which would symbolize him taking someone job. This is good symbolism because it’s simple but hard to find. The bike also symbolizes the difference between getting money and providing for his family, or not providing for his family because without the bike he won’t get paid so he can’t help a lot with whatever they need.
This is a good movie because it’s a real life situation that Antonio has to deal with. He got the job because he got a bike, but someone steals it on his first day, and this means he can lose his job if he doesn’t find the bike or get a new one. This is a real life situation because he either finds the bike, or buys a new one and keeps his job, or he gets fired and can’t make money for his family. This makes the movie good because it shows what it’s like to be an adult and have to have a job to provide for your family or yourself.
by Harrison Difuntorum
Literary Element Analysis of Point of View, Character, and Theme:
Is this movie Bicycle Thieves going to be good? This is probably a question the whole audience has before watching this movie. Others might think of a practical, boring crime movie though it is more than that. This is a film that deals with a simple plot along with many characters. The main character, Antonio Ricci, is shown to be the helpless victim in the story. The movie starts off with Antonio helplessly looking for a job like everyone else until he is called up for one. However, this required a bike that took him to sacrifice things, but one day it was stolen. As a result, Antonio along with his son search around Italy to find his bike. This also showed many characteristics between the two during the journey. In the end, Antonio and his son Bruno find stroll down the city in misery as they cannot find there bike. Though during this journey, Antonio show to be very protective and negative to his son as they search for this bike. For example, as both of them lose the older gentlemen, Antonio slaps his son Bruno to be quiet and stop messing around. This shows the negatively and father like traits Antonio has. Another example of Antonio’s character is when he tells Bruno about not being able to be rich like the other people in the restaurant. Antonio sadly turns down Bruno’s happiness as he teaches his son a lesson. On the other hand, Bruno’s character is more enjoyable and adorable. Bruno takes a lot of responsibility and is very loving towards his father. Such like at the end, Bruno is still loyal to his father after his father stole a stranger’s bike. Also, he is shown to be very enjoyable as his eats his sandwich, this makes the scene happy even though in a tough situation. As a result these two characters showed to display the film with an opposite message between both of their characteristics.
The point of view on this film was third-person. The story was just told on like a book as if everything was known about except for the plot. The camera angles of the film showed a set view of the setting and the characters, however the camera keeps rolling on with the plot to see what may happen next. As well, the dark, Italian neorealism film illustrated many of the actions that happened during that time of the film. You may feel the black and white dramatic mood as the camera angles display the scenes of the film. Though in the film, it also illustrated the time period during the time in the movie very well. For example, the police could not help Antonio with his bike because it was hard during that time. It was also ironic to see Antonio put his bike a few feet away from him while he was doing his work because he was living in hard times during that time period. Although the point of view in the movie showed a broad illustration of time period in that time.
This film showed to make a good amount of morals to come through to develop a theme. One theme can be, “Bad things happen to good people.” For example, Antonio spends great amount of time in supporting his family with their necessary resources to survive in their poverty. Though by getting this only job, he needs a bike, therefore he spends all this time on getting a bike to get this job. Though on top of that, his bike gets stolen as he is left with nothing to help his family. Another possible theme of this film can be, “Perseverance can go a long way.” As Antonio was turned down by the police and told he was crazy by people, he did not stop fighting to get his bike back. This leads to the last theme, “Some things are not meant to be.” Even though getting a good job and losing his bike, maybe the losing of his bike symbolized that there is more to come for him in his future, maybe the bike was not meant to be.
by Esteban Almanza
Bicycle Thieves is a neorealistic foreign film made in 1948, and directed by Vittorio De Sica. The film follows the normal life of Antonio Ricci, a desperate family man in need of a job to support his family, and his son, Bruno Ricci. When Antonio finally finds a job that will support his family, he gets his bike stolen, which was his transportation. When Antonio’s bike is stolen, he and his son go on a journey to recover the bike from the thief who stole it.
Rome is a big city, and the neorealism of this film shows this in great detail. Finding a single bicycle in an entire city is nearly impossible, and “Bicycle Thieves” shows the struggle that a person in the same situation would go through. The acting in the film is phenomenal and very realistic. When Antonio and Bruno finally see his bike, it is taken away again by the same thief. This close encounter was a very frustrating scene. Antonio and Bruno ask an old man that the boy was talking to where the boy might have gone. After getting an address, Antonio and Bruno travel to the boy’s house, only to discover that the bicycle was recently scrapped for parts, and there is no possible way to prove that the boy stole the bike. Angered by the situation, Antonio makes a desperate move, and attempts to steal another stranger’s bike, but is caught by the police.
After being let go without any pressed charges, Antonio walks off into the distance with his son, angered by losing his bicycle once and for all. Even though this ending is unsatisfying, it is very unexpected, and adds even more to the film’s neorealism. Since neorealism was the main goal for the film, the director and actors/actresses did a terrific job in making “Bicycle Thieves” a very successful film.
by
Kyle Filter
Analysis of Film Elements: Mise-en-scene, Cinematography, and Editing:
With a neorealistic film like “Bicycle Thieves”, you never know what secrets the director will leave in the shots that will make the experience of watching it so much different. Examining the film’s Mise-En-Scene, you can tell how the surrounding city played a big role is making the film feel more alive to everyday standards of poverty life. The clothes worn by the folks in the city also resembled the struggles they all go through on a daily basis. Torn down buildings, rough streets, and poverty-stricken neighborhoods all played a big role in adding to the film’s neorealism. The feeling of the film is more realistic when you see extras who are just as affected by the surroundings as the main characters are. The setting of the big city of Rome also played a huge role in the struggle of finding a single bicycle in a big place. This helped add to the film’s realism, and to the struggles of the main characters as well.
Moving on to the cinematography of “Bicycle Thieves”, the film’s shots and the angles of which the story was depicted changed the way you see the film, as well as the characters. When a frustrating situation would arise in the plot, the perfect angle would be added to show the emotions bombarding the characters being affected. Close-ups in the film gave you a close look at the ways that the characters dealt with the hurdles being thrown at them. There were also many establishing shots showing vast expansions of the big city of Rome. These shots gave us a feel of not only how it was to live in these times/places, but how impossible it would be to find a single bicycle in this large city. There were also some interesting pans with the camera sweeping from one action to another occurring in the film. These pans would show the many pedestrians lining the gloomy streets looking for a job, and just going about their daily lives. These pans were also utilized to show how close or far away the main characters were from the action. For instance, when Antonio and Bruno were walking along the street, the camera panned over to show the boy with Antonio’s bicycle, while he was talking to the old man. The camera then panned to a close-up of Antonio, in order to give the audience a feeling of the emotions going through Antonio’s head. The overall used of cinematography in the film gave the feeling of watching a neorealistic film such as “Bicycle Thieves” such a good feeling.
Finally, the use of editing in the film was examined. Although there were many uses of editing in the film, there were some strong uses that completely stood out. One smart edit that was common in the film, was the use of quick cuts, along with jump cuts. These both worked together to keep the action going. Quick cuts kept the plot flowing in and out throughout the different situations that the characters went through. Quick cuts also gave the action a feeling of continuity along with making the film’s crucial scenes easy to understand, even though they occurred quickly. The use of jump cuts transferred the action from one area of the action (boy on bicycle) to another (Antonio and Bruno chasing the boy). These cuts also helped keep the scenes more interesting, and much easier and smoother to watch.
Working together to make “Bicycle Thieves” much more understandable and enjoyable, the uses of Mise-En-Scene, cinematography, and editing created a very neorealistic film that turned out to be very successful, and it is not hard to see why.
by Kyle Filter
Literary Element Analysis of Genre, Symbolism, and Story:
The movie Bicycle Thief is a Drama because of all the bad things that happen to Antonio and when he tries to make things better he never succeeds. I think the most dramatic scene of the movie is when Antonio is working the first day of his job and while he is working someone steals his bike right in front of him. Antonio gets a ride from a car to try to catch the thief but the thief ends up getting away. This scene is very dramatic because the worst thing possible happens to him on his first day of the job, and the thief gets away. I think this movie is a Drama because no matter how hard Antonio tries to keep his job and find his bike nothing good ends up happening for him. This movie is also a Italian neo-realism because it’s in Italy after WWII and it has real life situations of that time, because of the situation he is in where he needs the bike to provide for his family.
They show good symbolism in this movie because it is hard to find. The best symbolism they have is what the bike symbolizes. The bike symbolizes the main thing in the story, his job. The bike symbolizes his job because the reason why he got the job is because he said he had a bike; because the thief stole his bike he pretty much lost his job. In order to get his job back he would have to find his bike, or in Antonio’s case try to steal a bike, which would symbolize him taking someone job. This is good symbolism because it’s simple but hard to find. The bike also symbolizes the difference between getting money and providing for his family, or not providing for his family because without the bike he won’t get paid so he can’t help a lot with whatever they need.
This is a good movie because it’s a real life situation that Antonio has to deal with. He got the job because he got a bike, but someone steals it on his first day, and this means he can lose his job if he doesn’t find the bike or get a new one. This is a real life situation because he either finds the bike, or buys a new one and keeps his job, or he gets fired and can’t make money for his family. This makes the movie good because it shows what it’s like to be an adult and have to have a job to provide for your family or yourself.
by Harrison Difuntorum
Literary Element Analysis of Point of View, Character, and Theme:
Is this movie Bicycle Thieves going to be good? This is probably a question the whole audience has before watching this movie. Others might think of a practical, boring crime movie though it is more than that. This is a film that deals with a simple plot along with many characters. The main character, Antonio Ricci, is shown to be the helpless victim in the story. The movie starts off with Antonio helplessly looking for a job like everyone else until he is called up for one. However, this required a bike that took him to sacrifice things, but one day it was stolen. As a result, Antonio along with his son search around Italy to find his bike. This also showed many characteristics between the two during the journey. In the end, Antonio and his son Bruno find stroll down the city in misery as they cannot find there bike. Though during this journey, Antonio show to be very protective and negative to his son as they search for this bike. For example, as both of them lose the older gentlemen, Antonio slaps his son Bruno to be quiet and stop messing around. This shows the negatively and father like traits Antonio has. Another example of Antonio’s character is when he tells Bruno about not being able to be rich like the other people in the restaurant. Antonio sadly turns down Bruno’s happiness as he teaches his son a lesson. On the other hand, Bruno’s character is more enjoyable and adorable. Bruno takes a lot of responsibility and is very loving towards his father. Such like at the end, Bruno is still loyal to his father after his father stole a stranger’s bike. Also, he is shown to be very enjoyable as his eats his sandwich, this makes the scene happy even though in a tough situation. As a result these two characters showed to display the film with an opposite message between both of their characteristics.
The point of view on this film was third-person. The story was just told on like a book as if everything was known about except for the plot. The camera angles of the film showed a set view of the setting and the characters, however the camera keeps rolling on with the plot to see what may happen next. As well, the dark, Italian neorealism film illustrated many of the actions that happened during that time of the film. You may feel the black and white dramatic mood as the camera angles display the scenes of the film. Though in the film, it also illustrated the time period during the time in the movie very well. For example, the police could not help Antonio with his bike because it was hard during that time. It was also ironic to see Antonio put his bike a few feet away from him while he was doing his work because he was living in hard times during that time period. Although the point of view in the movie showed a broad illustration of time period in that time.
This film showed to make a good amount of morals to come through to develop a theme. One theme can be, “Bad things happen to good people.” For example, Antonio spends great amount of time in supporting his family with their necessary resources to survive in their poverty. Though by getting this only job, he needs a bike, therefore he spends all this time on getting a bike to get this job. Though on top of that, his bike gets stolen as he is left with nothing to help his family. Another possible theme of this film can be, “Perseverance can go a long way.” As Antonio was turned down by the police and told he was crazy by people, he did not stop fighting to get his bike back. This leads to the last theme, “Some things are not meant to be.” Even though getting a good job and losing his bike, maybe the losing of his bike symbolized that there is more to come for him in his future, maybe the bike was not meant to be.
by Esteban Almanza