A movie is a piece of art and in art everything has or should have a reason to be part of it, otherwise there wouldn’t be a reason for a costume designer or a location scout, that is, if the details wouldn’t matter. A good movie goer or film critic will analyze everything from the film material, the lighting, the acting, the costumes, the shoes, the hair-cut, the movie cars… and the location, even if he doesn’t know for sure, if the movie director has chosen them with a purpose in mind or just by accident.
Films transport you deep into the location where they are filmed. Often using a particular city as the canvas, the settings serves as a dynamic character that plays a major role as the story is being told. Whether it's a gritty motorcycle
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Each of his films transports you into the location. Often using Brooklyn as his canvas in films like, “She’s Gotta Have It”, the story of a woman and her lovers around the streets of Brooklyn. Brooklyn has often been the subject or character of his films including “Do the Right Thing”, “Crooklyn” and “Clockers”.
Films are powerful storytelling devices, but what they reveal about the places in which they are made and set, is many times, more important. Brooklyn plays a critical role in Spike Lee’s films – in that Brooklyn becomes an additional character. Often, Lee demonstrates how the place or location of the film works together with other characters of the film.
In Do the Right Thing, the entire film takes place on the hottest day of the summer, in one particular Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn. Even more so, throughout the film, Brooklyn, the character, is not only interacting with the other characters but shaping the growth and changing the characters of the story. There’s no bigger character in a Spike Lee film than Brooklyn. Brooklyn is as prominent and charismatic as Mars Blackmon in “She’s Gotta Have It” and Radio Raheem in “Do the Right Thing”. The cinematic props of the steps of the stately brownstones and chalk-drawn sidewalks are also
Sean Penn’s film “Into the wild” demonstrates the process and implications of transitions through key cinematic techniques, such as camera angles and…… A transition is a period of great physical, spiritual and personal change. Such transitions can be challenging confronting and exiting. Ultimately, these challenge the way in which an individual sees the world, can bring new knowledge and ideas, a shift in attitudes, and a deepened understanding of the wider world. This is shown throughout Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild”, as we follow the protagonist Christopher McCandless, reject his parent’s materialistic world, into one where possessions are not valued.
Auteur theory is an important mode of film criticism that indicates the extent of the director’s involvement in the final output of the film. As it has been previously mentioned, Spike Lee’s films express certain notions about race that emerge from his personal viewpoint as well as from his political and aesthetic beliefs. The focal point of this chapter is the auteur theory and its relativity to Spike Lee. In order to prove the connection between the theory and his works, it is necessary to refer to Lee’s biography, since both his background and distinguishable personality have contributed to his technical skills as well as to his unique style as a film director. The particular chapter will also include the synopsis as well as the technical analysis of each film correspondingly.
In Do the Right Thing, albeit there are numerous demonstrations of scorn or opposition between characters, Lee continually counters these activities with those of adoration and resilience. Indeed, even in the music Lee takes after this idea of inconsistency. The sweet melodic tones of a jazz instrumental is a total inverse to the bumping rap musical proclamation of Public Enemy's
At the time of this movie, there were a lot of other films that were portraying Black youth as a certain stereotype. In the article “Musing New Hoods”, Spike Lee is quoted as saying, “… ‘all black people people lived in ghettos, did crack and rapped...’” (Ramsey, 2002, pg. 11) In Do the Right Thing, the characters challenge this stereotype and show the audience what it’s really like to be Black kid. Not every Black kid raps.
Accessed February 12, 2018. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangs_of_New_York . In this article it presents all the information behind the movie, “Gangs of New York”, while naming all the cast members and awards the movie received. This article also includes the production of the movie, a summary of the plot, soundtrack, and a statement on its historical accuracy.
With Rear Window (1954), Alfred Hitchcock proved himself to be one of the best directors of suspense thrillers filled with mystery and humour. He himself called the film his most cinematic one because it was told only in visual terms (Morrow), but it was also a challenging “editing experiment” as the entire film was shot from one place, Jeff’s apartment that overlooked his backyard. The Film follows L.B. Jeffries “Jeff” (James Stewart), a photographer confined to a wheelchair in his apartment after breaking his leg at work. He spends his days watching his neighbours and eventually suspects that one of them killed his wife. His caretaker, his girlfriend Lisa and his detective friend, at first unconvinced of his suspicion, eventually join him in his voyeurism and help him to solve the crime.
The director of the movie might have added locations to make the visuals more interesting. When a movie is set in only one space it can become boring for the viewer. Therefore,
The film “Raging Bull” made in 1980 by Martin Scorsese was based on a self destructive, highly emotional boxer named Jake La Motta as he battles through life. As his fierce attitude and violent temper takes him to the top of ring it ruins his family and life outside of boxing. Throughout the film we discussed the importance of the cinematography through out the film and why it played such an important role in developing “Raging bull”. Also the theme of anger and violence is displayed throughout the film. Jake never changes, from start to finish he is an emotional wreck, isolated and quick tempered.
The movie “Boyz N’ the Hood” is a story centered on the issues that are seen in the urban areas of Los Angeles every day. Tre (the main character) is raised in a way that seems to be correct but he still ends up being a part of criminal activity. While watching this film in an academic setting it is easy to see the social and political reform messages that are being communicated to the audience. On the political side it is easy to see the race and ethnicity of the film maker while on the social side the audience can tell the filmmaker is spreading a message. All together “Boyz N’ the Hood” is a very good film that depicts the type of stuff that happens in the poorer parts of Los Angeles.
What Can “Forrest Gump” (1994) Teach Us About Scriptwriting? Forrest Gump (1994), an American comedy-drama film based on the novel by Winston Groom, with the screenplay adapted by Eric Roth, tells the story of a mentally disabled and very kind-hearted child that comes to lead an extraordinary life. The movie revolves around the irony that the protagonist, Forrest Gump, even though the most simple-minded character in the film, becomes the most successful, as his talents involve him in US history's most prominent historical events between the 50's and 80's. The storyline is very character-driven and resembles a ‘vignette into one's life' as opposed to having a traditional story structure. This is seen through the feather motif and the well-known
Falon Ortega Robert Reynolds Cinema 101 22 November 2015 North by Northwest Essay In North by Northwest, the main character Roger Thornhill is mistaken to be a spy named George Kaplan by the villainous Phillip Vandamm and his henchmen. When no one believes him about his own kidnapping, not even his mother, Thornhill flees persecution from his pursuers as he seeks the real Kaplan. Along the way, he unknowingly meets the spy the false Kaplan identity was a cover for, the secondary protagonist and his love interest, Eve Kendall. North by Northwest is a visually stunning and thrilling action film of the classic Hollywood film narrative, with romance and injustice.
This film is a great image of how American pop culture was consumed in the early 90s. Summary of the Contents of the Film This film focuses on the relationship and interactions between three African American males Tre Styles, Darrin Baker, and Ricky Baker.
Tim Burton is well known film director. The movies that he has created are often described as mysterious, odd, and intriguing. Burton's movies use certain film techniques to create a certain feeling for the audience to experience. The three main techniques that Tim Burton usually uses is the lighting, camera angles, and sound techniques.
When he is in the city he is happy as can be and is safe. This suggests that the city is a safe space for African Americans. The film then moves to a secluded area where Chris goes with his white girlfriend, Rose to meet her wealthy family. This suggests that a secluded
La La Land, directed by Damien Chazelle, has won many awards and is about the love story between Sebastian and Mia, who come together because of their common goal of making it big time in Hollywood. The scene that follows is when they are having dinner after some time apart. It portrays the theme of how change can affect relationships. Initially in the scene, the camera is placed over the shoulder of Sebastian, with the view of Mia as they are having a conversation over dinner. This is a two shot scene accompanied by very minimal editing, indicating they are sharing the frame as a couple.