Goodfellas is one of the many films directed the great Martin Scorsese. Released in 1990, the film is based on the true story of Henry Hill, a man who worked his way into and up in the mob. He is joined by a few friends, Jimmy and Tommy, and the three take on life as gangsters from the 1950s up until the 1980s. The character Henry narrates most of the film, and at one point he explains that they all refer to each other as "good fellas." For instance, he says whenever he or another member of the mob is introduced to someone else, they always say "hey you'll like him; he's a good fella." Although it was simple, I liked this brief explanation that made the title of the film seem all the more relevant.
The three main men are each portrayed by a brillian actor in my eyes. Henry is played by Ray Liotta, who does an excellent job portraying a rebellious gangster with a likeable quality. Although he is technically the bad guy, the audience roots for him and sympathizes with him during his struggles because we get an inside look into his life. Showing his less than perfect family life as a child definitely allows the audience to feel for Henry, and also even understand why he chose they lifestyle he did. Liotta also does a fantastic job at portraying Henry as an overall isolated man, a popular aspect each main character in Scorsese films seems to possess. Even though Henry is constantly surrounded by people, we still see a loneliness in him that is especially obvious toward the end of the film when he clearly states to his wife "I am all alone." Jimmy is played by Robert De Niro, who often partnered with Scorsese for films throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s. De Niro also does a great job making Jimmy to be a likeable character, even though we see him beat and kill people in several scenes. Also, the fact that he is so protective and kind to Henry, a character who the audience empathizes with, establishes him as a "good guy" in our eyes. Tommy was the one character that I wasn't particularly fond of, and I believe it was because of the wonderful performance by Joe Pesci. He did such a good job acting like a ruthless, vicious gangster that it made me not like him at all. That, to me, is an example of great acting. I am not sure if Scorsese meant for the character Tommy to be more unlikeable; however, this image was created due to Pesci's great style of acting.
I had never seen Goodfellas before viewing it in class, and I already want to watch it again. I really enjoy all of the Scorsese films that I have seen, and I think it is because of the way he presents his characters. Also, I believe audiences responded so well to Goodfellas because, similar to films like Bonnie and Clyde and Scarface, it glorifies rebellion and the outlaws. Our society seems to have such a fascination with gangster films because we are interested in seeing the lives of the bad guys. I think Scorsese did an excellent job with this film.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Weblog #9- "Bonnie and Clyde"
Although the film was not completely accurate in every aspect of the lives of Bonnie and Clyde, I believe it did quite a good job portraying them overall. Bonnie and Clyde was directed by Arthur Penn and released in 1967; however, it was set in the 1930s. It was interesting to see the style and representations of characters and things in the film that were meant to evoke the style of the 1930s, but certain things were clearly straight out of the 60s. The film is all about the adventures of Bonnie and Clyde and the Burrow gang, which included C.W. Moss, Clyde's brother Buck, and his wife Blanche. The gang journeyed all over robbing banks and eventually killing cops, all the while loving the adventure. Along with their crazy lives, the film conveys the love between Bonnie and Clyde. It ends, of course, with the death of Bonnie and Clyde in a violent scene where they get ambushed by a group of policemen. Though most of the audience expects this terrible fate, it is still a bit of a surprise to see the violence in the scene because most films up to this point abided by the code and did not show such intense scenes of murder.
One of the most interesting technical aspects of the film that I found was the use of fading between shots. Most of the scenes cut into the next or went to black before the following scene. I found it a bit ironic that the only few times a scene faded into another was when that next scene was a pivital scene in the film. For example, the scene where the food delivery boy recognizes Bonnie fades into the following scene that includes the dramatic fight with the police where they end up killing many officers. Also, the scene when Bonnie breaks down and explains that she wants to see her mother fades into the scene where she realizes her mother is not who she used to be, and she feels alone and without family. I am not sure if this is an intentional technique used by the director, but it was interesting and coincidental that the only few fades were dramatic scenes in the film. Another technical aspect I enjoyed was the music. I noticed that whenever there was a car chase or a scene with shooting or robbing where one would expect it to be serious and intense, the music would be light and folksy. This technique made the entire mood of the film less serious and almost comical. It definitely caused me to classify the movie as more of an exciting film rather than a dramatic one.
I like this movie a lot because of the fact that it was based on the lives of real people. Also, there is nothing wrong with having to stare at the lovely Warren Beaty for two hours :)
One of the most interesting technical aspects of the film that I found was the use of fading between shots. Most of the scenes cut into the next or went to black before the following scene. I found it a bit ironic that the only few times a scene faded into another was when that next scene was a pivital scene in the film. For example, the scene where the food delivery boy recognizes Bonnie fades into the following scene that includes the dramatic fight with the police where they end up killing many officers. Also, the scene when Bonnie breaks down and explains that she wants to see her mother fades into the scene where she realizes her mother is not who she used to be, and she feels alone and without family. I am not sure if this is an intentional technique used by the director, but it was interesting and coincidental that the only few fades were dramatic scenes in the film. Another technical aspect I enjoyed was the music. I noticed that whenever there was a car chase or a scene with shooting or robbing where one would expect it to be serious and intense, the music would be light and folksy. This technique made the entire mood of the film less serious and almost comical. It definitely caused me to classify the movie as more of an exciting film rather than a dramatic one.
I like this movie a lot because of the fact that it was based on the lives of real people. Also, there is nothing wrong with having to stare at the lovely Warren Beaty for two hours :)
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Weblog #8 "A Place in the Sun"
A Place in the Sun (1951) is a film based on a novel by Theodore Dreiser titled "An American Tragedy." Directed by George Stevens, this film focuses on George Eastman, the nephew of a wealthy executive who strives to move up in the business world. While first working for his uncle, George meets fellow worker Alice and the two begin a secret romance, as the workers are not to associate or date one another. His affection for her, however, diminishes when George meets Angela and the two begin seeing each other. While this romance grows very serious, Alice learns she is pregnant. Because George has never come clean to Alice about his love for Angela, Alice expects him to marry her and help raise the child. The remainder of the film deals with George's struggle to remain close to Angela while also dealing with the troubles brought on by Alice's situation. He does not want to leave Alice stranded, yet his love for Angela has him constantly pushing her aside until she finally asserts herself and leaves him no choice but to marry him.
The climax of the film comes when George takes Alice for a boat ride out on a secluded lake with the brief intention of drowning her. He most likely assumes that the end of Alice's life would mean the end of his problems, and he would then be able to live happily with Angela and continue to move up in the business world. Once on the lake, however, George has a slight change of heart and realizes he cannot kill Alice. Ironically, the two end up falling out of the boat and because she cannot swim, Alice drowns. George tries to hide this entire double life from Angela; however, he is eventually arrested and found guilty for the murder of Alice. The film ends as the audience sees George walking to his punishment: death by the electric chair.
This film was truly a thriller in my eyes, similar to the suspense in Double Indemnity. These two films differ, however, because of the amount of foreshadowing that exists in A Place in the Sun. Though there are many many examples of foreshadowing, two of the most noticeable to me were the scene with the news on the radio and the scene in the boat right before Alice dies. The radio scene shows George listening to a broadcasted news segment where he hears about the deaths of a number of people by drowning. The audience then sees his face change as the idea to get rid of Alice by drowning appears in his head- very obvious foreshadowing. In the scene in the boat, Alice tells George to wish upon a star. She then questions him about his wish and accuses him of wishing he was dead, clearly foreshadowing both her death and his conviction for her murder even though he was not technically responsible. I thought this film was very interesting to watch and I was very entertained.
The climax of the film comes when George takes Alice for a boat ride out on a secluded lake with the brief intention of drowning her. He most likely assumes that the end of Alice's life would mean the end of his problems, and he would then be able to live happily with Angela and continue to move up in the business world. Once on the lake, however, George has a slight change of heart and realizes he cannot kill Alice. Ironically, the two end up falling out of the boat and because she cannot swim, Alice drowns. George tries to hide this entire double life from Angela; however, he is eventually arrested and found guilty for the murder of Alice. The film ends as the audience sees George walking to his punishment: death by the electric chair.
This film was truly a thriller in my eyes, similar to the suspense in Double Indemnity. These two films differ, however, because of the amount of foreshadowing that exists in A Place in the Sun. Though there are many many examples of foreshadowing, two of the most noticeable to me were the scene with the news on the radio and the scene in the boat right before Alice dies. The radio scene shows George listening to a broadcasted news segment where he hears about the deaths of a number of people by drowning. The audience then sees his face change as the idea to get rid of Alice by drowning appears in his head- very obvious foreshadowing. In the scene in the boat, Alice tells George to wish upon a star. She then questions him about his wish and accuses him of wishing he was dead, clearly foreshadowing both her death and his conviction for her murder even though he was not technically responsible. I thought this film was very interesting to watch and I was very entertained.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Weblog #7 "Double Indemnity"
Double Indemnity (1944), directed by Billy Wilder, is a very interesting film about an insurance salesman who gets tangled up with a woman who wishes to kill her husband in order to reap the benefits of his accidental insurance plan. Neff, the salesman, decides to help Phyllis murder her husband because he is in love with her and believes she will be with him after; however, in the end, Phyllis turns out to be nothing more than a "femme fatale," a woman who uses men for what she wants and will go as far as killing them after they are of no use to her.
Along with being a suspenseful movie, it most importantly can be classified as film noir for many reasons. First and most importantly, it is narrated by Neff and most scenes are flashbacks of the story leading up to the current scene with which the film opens. This voice-over style is an important theme of films noir, and its use helps add suspense to the movie. A more obvious quality of this movie that can be classified as film noir is the plot. It is all about people doing whatever they can to get more money. For instance, Phyllis and Neff are not happy simply getting $50,000 from her husband's insurance plan; instead, they create an entire scheme to get $100,000. The plot consists of the "get rich fast" theme of films noir, and ends with tragedy for almost all the main characters. Along with the plot, the characters are constantly talking at a quick pace with very witty dialogue. This is a well known classification of film noir, along with the innuendos that occur between the first conversation with Neff and Phyllis about supposed "speed limits." The scenes in the film are also mostly set in very close and confined spaces, such as Neff's car and his office. This, along with the immense amount of darkness and shadows created by lots of low-key lighting, are qualities of film noir that are prominent throughout the film.
Double Indemnity is a film that exhibits all the qualities of film noir. I really enjoyed the film mainly because it was suspenseful and kept me very interested until the very end. After reading about film noir I was anxious to see a great example of the style in order to more fully understand its qualities and how it left audiences feeling after viewing. It did leave me feeling a bit off; however, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys an exciting, suspenseful film.
Along with being a suspenseful movie, it most importantly can be classified as film noir for many reasons. First and most importantly, it is narrated by Neff and most scenes are flashbacks of the story leading up to the current scene with which the film opens. This voice-over style is an important theme of films noir, and its use helps add suspense to the movie. A more obvious quality of this movie that can be classified as film noir is the plot. It is all about people doing whatever they can to get more money. For instance, Phyllis and Neff are not happy simply getting $50,000 from her husband's insurance plan; instead, they create an entire scheme to get $100,000. The plot consists of the "get rich fast" theme of films noir, and ends with tragedy for almost all the main characters. Along with the plot, the characters are constantly talking at a quick pace with very witty dialogue. This is a well known classification of film noir, along with the innuendos that occur between the first conversation with Neff and Phyllis about supposed "speed limits." The scenes in the film are also mostly set in very close and confined spaces, such as Neff's car and his office. This, along with the immense amount of darkness and shadows created by lots of low-key lighting, are qualities of film noir that are prominent throughout the film.
Double Indemnity is a film that exhibits all the qualities of film noir. I really enjoyed the film mainly because it was suspenseful and kept me very interested until the very end. After reading about film noir I was anxious to see a great example of the style in order to more fully understand its qualities and how it left audiences feeling after viewing. It did leave me feeling a bit off; however, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys an exciting, suspenseful film.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Weblog #6 "Sullivan's Travels"
Sullivan's Travels (1941), directed by Preston Sturges, is an interesting film because it is all about one man's devotion to make a film. John Sullivan, a wealthy movie director, usually makes comedies; however, he decides he wants to make a dramatic film about those who suffer financially and otherwise in the United States. In order to correctly depict the lives of the poor, he makes the decision to travel for a couple weeks as a tramp with hardly any money. While doing so, he meets a girl and the two of them journey together a couple different times before John gets the true feel of what it is like to not live in luxury as he normally does. After many pitfalls, one including being arrested after everyone believes him to be dead, John finally resumes his status as a prestigious film maker; however, he changes his mind and decides he wants to make a comedy, not a drama, because he realizes that laughing is all some people have.
This last point is what was most interesting to me about the film. I agree with John's views on comedy because people love to laugh. During those times of war and poverty, people did not need to be reminded of their suffering by seeing it in a dramatic film. In the beginning of Sullivan's Travels, John's butler makes a good point that only the rich will be able to appreciate the dramatic film that Sullivan wishes to make because they are the ones that don't have to experience it in reality. The one thing that can help take people's minds off of the horrible or unfortunate things they may be dealing with in their lives is a film consisting of good old fashioned comedy that can let people escape for just enough time that they are able to feel happy again. John makes this realization in a scene toward the end of the movie when he and the other prisoners get to have a night at the movies. They are shown a cartoon by Disney at which all the men laugh, and John finds himself laughing as well. It is at that point he realizes that making a comedy would be of so much more help to the struggling people than a film reminding them of their suffering because humor would allow them to feel a sense of happiness and content.
This unusual dramatic movie about comedy is a great tool to illustrate the importance of comedy in our world of film. Comedies are a genre to be valued because they let us laugh, something that every person needs to make it through life. Comedies are my personal favorite genre of film because I love to laugh, and even though Sullivan's Travels was not necessarily a comedy, I really liked the message it conveyed in the end.
This last point is what was most interesting to me about the film. I agree with John's views on comedy because people love to laugh. During those times of war and poverty, people did not need to be reminded of their suffering by seeing it in a dramatic film. In the beginning of Sullivan's Travels, John's butler makes a good point that only the rich will be able to appreciate the dramatic film that Sullivan wishes to make because they are the ones that don't have to experience it in reality. The one thing that can help take people's minds off of the horrible or unfortunate things they may be dealing with in their lives is a film consisting of good old fashioned comedy that can let people escape for just enough time that they are able to feel happy again. John makes this realization in a scene toward the end of the movie when he and the other prisoners get to have a night at the movies. They are shown a cartoon by Disney at which all the men laugh, and John finds himself laughing as well. It is at that point he realizes that making a comedy would be of so much more help to the struggling people than a film reminding them of their suffering because humor would allow them to feel a sense of happiness and content.
This unusual dramatic movie about comedy is a great tool to illustrate the importance of comedy in our world of film. Comedies are a genre to be valued because they let us laugh, something that every person needs to make it through life. Comedies are my personal favorite genre of film because I love to laugh, and even though Sullivan's Travels was not necessarily a comedy, I really liked the message it conveyed in the end.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Weblog #5- "Golddiggers of 1933"
Golddiggers of 1933 by Mervin Leroy is a musical about the lives of three showgirls as they struggle to make ends meet by finding work and falling in love. After watching this film, I would definitely categorize it as a Busby Berkely musical for many reasons. First, there are a number of elaborate musical productions that turn the normal theatre space into fantasy space. This was most obvious during the song "Pettin' in the Park." During this scene, the actors are supposedly only performing on a regular stage; however, due to cutting and fading in and out of certain spaces and images, the audience is taken to an almost fantasy world where there is much more going on than could actually fit on a stage. For example, the camera zooms in on the picture of monkeys on Paulie's cracker box and when it zooms back out, we see real monkeys in a cage in a real park. This is done to make the scene more elaborate and create excitement within the audience as they view fantasy coming to life. Another reason this film can be classified as a Busby Berkely musical is because the actors are no longer singled out, but become parts of a greater wholistic image within the scene. No longer are we as viewers solely able to look at Paulie and Brad. Instead, the use of the new fantasy space created by the different shots and transitions by the camera allows us to focus on a more abstract scene.
One prominent theme I noticed in this film was the mention and meaning associated with both monetary and personal worth. The value of money is a theme presented throughout the entire film, seen at the very start when we hear the opening number "We're in the Money." The three main showgirls are also struggling to support themselves and desire money in exchange for their work in the show as well as from two men that two of the women first use to simply buy them things. Personal worth and value is also a theme in this film concerning both the women and the veterans seen in the last musical number that closes the film. Being seen as nothing more than "vulgar showgirls" by most of the main men in the movie forces Paulie, Trixie, and Carol to prove their worth to others and show that they are people to be valued. Also, by portraying the veterans first in WWI uniforms and then standing in line for food sends a message to the audience that these men who once risked their lives for our country are now being forced to succumb to the Depression just like everyone else. To me, it was a way to let viewers know that these men should be appreciated and valued for their duty to our country.
This film was very fun to watch. I have always been a big fan of musicals, but have not seen too many classics or musical films probably from before the 1960s. I enjoyed this film very much as well as the clips we viewed of other musicals.
One prominent theme I noticed in this film was the mention and meaning associated with both monetary and personal worth. The value of money is a theme presented throughout the entire film, seen at the very start when we hear the opening number "We're in the Money." The three main showgirls are also struggling to support themselves and desire money in exchange for their work in the show as well as from two men that two of the women first use to simply buy them things. Personal worth and value is also a theme in this film concerning both the women and the veterans seen in the last musical number that closes the film. Being seen as nothing more than "vulgar showgirls" by most of the main men in the movie forces Paulie, Trixie, and Carol to prove their worth to others and show that they are people to be valued. Also, by portraying the veterans first in WWI uniforms and then standing in line for food sends a message to the audience that these men who once risked their lives for our country are now being forced to succumb to the Depression just like everyone else. To me, it was a way to let viewers know that these men should be appreciated and valued for their duty to our country.
This film was very fun to watch. I have always been a big fan of musicals, but have not seen too many classics or musical films probably from before the 1960s. I enjoyed this film very much as well as the clips we viewed of other musicals.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Weblog #4- "Baby Face"
Baby Face (1933) is a film about a woman who uses her sexuality and power over men to move up in the world of business and get what she wants. It falls into the Fallen Woman category of film because of the way the main character, Lily, trades sex for power in order to remain economically and financially stable. It is somewhat similar, however, to the idea of gangster films we have viewed because it still deals with a person who will do just about anything to get ahead. Where in gangster films the main male character will often use violence to get what he wants, in this fallen woman film the main female character uses sexuality in order to control men into giving her what she desires.
Throughout the film, Lily goes from man to man using them for many different reasons. It starts out with convincing a young man who catches her and her servant, Chico, stowing away on a train to not take them to prison. With a few blinks of her eyes and the line, "why don't we go sit down and talk this over," Lily has the man mesmerized. The remaining majority of the film revolves around Lily's seduction of a variety of business men. With each one, she utters the same line and convinces them to give her what she wants solely based on her sexual nature. Also, with each man she moves higher up in the business world and becomes wealtheir and wealthier as she persuades them to give her money. While she is physically getting everything she wants, Lily is still emotionally unhappy, never finding love or true happiness with any of the men. Only when she meets and begins dating Trentholm, a man who sees through her unmoral actions but is willing to accept them, does she truly find peace and is able to finally give up all the material securities she once thought she needed. This is an aspect of the film that I found interesting. Some may view Lily's manipulation of men a form of female empowerment; however, she is not internally empowered until she meets the right man. Instead, the exchange of sex for power and money only leaves her empty and unsettled. It is interesting to me that Lily felt complete and happy only when she fell in love and found security in a man. Perhaps another theme that can be taken away from this aspect is that one cannot find solice only in the material things in life.
I really enjoyed this film. Apart from the fact that it had sound, making it slightly more enjoyable than some of the silent films we viewed, it was amusing and very fun to watch.
Throughout the film, Lily goes from man to man using them for many different reasons. It starts out with convincing a young man who catches her and her servant, Chico, stowing away on a train to not take them to prison. With a few blinks of her eyes and the line, "why don't we go sit down and talk this over," Lily has the man mesmerized. The remaining majority of the film revolves around Lily's seduction of a variety of business men. With each one, she utters the same line and convinces them to give her what she wants solely based on her sexual nature. Also, with each man she moves higher up in the business world and becomes wealtheir and wealthier as she persuades them to give her money. While she is physically getting everything she wants, Lily is still emotionally unhappy, never finding love or true happiness with any of the men. Only when she meets and begins dating Trentholm, a man who sees through her unmoral actions but is willing to accept them, does she truly find peace and is able to finally give up all the material securities she once thought she needed. This is an aspect of the film that I found interesting. Some may view Lily's manipulation of men a form of female empowerment; however, she is not internally empowered until she meets the right man. Instead, the exchange of sex for power and money only leaves her empty and unsettled. It is interesting to me that Lily felt complete and happy only when she fell in love and found security in a man. Perhaps another theme that can be taken away from this aspect is that one cannot find solice only in the material things in life.
I really enjoyed this film. Apart from the fact that it had sound, making it slightly more enjoyable than some of the silent films we viewed, it was amusing and very fun to watch.
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