Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane is said to be the greatest American film of all time by a large group of reviewers. The director of this film, Orson Welles, was given the freedom to do whatever he wanted with the film. This was at a time when Hollywood kept putting out films in an assembly line type way. With no restrictions to what he could do, Orson Wells directed Citizen Kane. I believe that it's the greatest film of all time and many people share that same view.

For every person there is going to be a different opinion on what should be in a a film that beats the rest. Some people need the best actors and the best story line so that they can be compelled by the emotional entertainment for the film. Others need the greatest technique and cinematography and want an film that can stop at any time and look like a picture. If any film fully captures one of these two types of winning over the audience it will be considered great. The greatest American film of all time would have to incorporate both of these as well as possible in order to be appreciated for many years to come. To me, Citizen Kane is the greatest film of all time because it absolutely delivers in everything that makes a film great.

Citizen Kane's actors and story pull the viewer in to a developing plot line that always makes you wanting more or liking Citizen Kane (Orson Welles), the main star of the film. I think the story of Citizen Kane is one of the best plots of it's time and is still entertaining to this day. The cinematography and mise en scene of this film is nothing but timeless and captures the feel of the film the entire time. I don't consider myself somebody that can fully appreciate that side of a film because I have a hard time noticing the technical aspects of film making. Citizen Kane pushes the boundaries so that you can notice the directors ability to create a story.

The people that think Citizen Kane of all time would have to appreciate both sides of film making. A more technical viewer would notice the film making, and the people that enjoy plot would follow a great story. It is because I feel this way about the film Citizen Kane that I say it is the greatest American film of all time.

Monsoon Wedding

Monsoon Wedding is by far the best movie that I've seen in the past couple months. The film shows the Verma family prepare for the arranged marriage of their daughter Aditi. It's safe to say that the Verma family is the most complicated family you've ever seen on film. Aditi is confused about marrying the man she's been arranged to marry because of her ongoing relationship with Vikram who used to be her boss. Aditi's father struggles to organize and pay for the wedding and all along deals with the many family problems that they have.

Monsoon Wedding was shot in a Bollywood style but if nobody told me, I would have thought that film was American and just took place in India. I would recommend this film for everyone to watch because of the outstanding plot and the way that the characters lives intermingle. Captivating from the first scene of the film, Monsoon Wedding has quickly become on of my all time favorites.

Daughters of the Dust

What can I say about Daughters of the Dust, to be honest nothing good. It's not that I wasn't interested or couldn't get into the film, it's just that I hated it. The whole film I kept asking myself, "What is going on? and Why is this a good movie?" I still couldn't tell you.

Daughters of the Dust takes place on Ibo Landing a island of the coast of the Carolina's and follows a family that has lived there since coming to America. The Peazant family is debating whether or not to leave the island and the "Gulla" culture that has developed over generations on the island. You can't really say that there's a main character in this film but rather the whole family is the main character. Throughout the film we learn of each of the family members feelings about going to the mainland. The opinions on going to the mainland vary from ready to go right now, to we should never leave. The conflict in the film is caused by the varying feelings on the mainland and the differences in belief on the island.

The film uses a variety of voice overs, erratic cuts, and an almost unreal feeling that makes you feel lost in the plot of the film. I can honestly say that Daughters of the Dust was the hardest plot to follow out of all the films that I've seen. It's a good film experience to have because it will make you appreciate the classic narration and stability of most films.

Casablanca

The film Casablanca, released in 1942, takes place in Rick's Cafe, a club in Morocco. Rick, the owner of the club, played by Humphrey Bogart, is a mysterious character that plays the part of a middle man in a lot of the happenings in Morocco. Morocco at the time was a place for refugees and people trying to get out of Europe during the war. Morocco is the last stop for these escapees and the only way to make it out of Morocco is by knowing somebody powerful or through political influence. Throughout the film Rick Blaine is forced to deal with a variety of conflicts that test his reputation for remaining neutral during the complicated war.

Rick meets Ugarte who's a common criminal who has obtained papers which allow whoever has them to travel freely wherever they wish. Victor Laszlo who is a leader against the Nazis needs these papers in order to get to America and continue his fight against the Nazis. Rick refuses to get the letters for him and Laszlo's wife Ilsa, (and former lover of Rick) threatens to shoot Rick for the papers. After explaining their feelings for each other, Rick decides to get the papers for Laszlo so that he can get to America.

Casablanca is considered one of the great American classics by most movie lovers. I however didn't really enjoy it. While it is a great example of classic narration and the Hollywood style, it didn't really keep me interested. What can I say, i'm used to the newer movies of today and Casablanca couldn't keep my attention. Although I can appreciate the films reputation and style, I wouldn't watch it again.

The editing in the film Bonnie and Clyde was very different from other films of the time. Instead of continuous shots the editor would cut the film so that you skipped all of the travel time. A good example of this is at the beginning of the film when they leave Bonnie's house and are driving down the road. Instead of watching them drive the whole way, the editor cut and they were already in town. Another way that the movie was edited was to show two things happening at the same time in two different places. The fight scenes were good examples of this because there would be a shot of Bonnie and Clyde and then a cut to show the cops surrounding them outside.

Bonnie and Clyde

The movie Bonnie and Clyde was a huge miss for me. I honestly didn't really like the film, I thought that the action in the film wasn't entertaining enough even though the story line was decent. You might not know but Bonnie and Clyde were two famous bank robbers in the southern United States. The story line basically follows the lives of Bonnie and Clyde and shows their developing relationship during the time of their run from the law. The story line and plot are the best parts of the film because the film Bonnie and Clyde show the real story of Bonnie and Clyde. The reason that I didn't like the film is because they could've embellished more in order to make the action parts of their story more entertaining.

The film The Godfather is spectacular in more ways than just one. The plot and acting might be amazing but, the way that mise-en-scene is used also adds value to the film. There are many different ways to look at the mise-en-scene in this film but i'm just going to look at the props.

Props have a vital role in The Godfather in both instrumental and metaphorical ways. Instrumental props are those that are used according to their normal function. When a prop is metaphorical, it hold a deeper meaning to part of the film. A metaphorical prop could show a theme or even allude to a character's feelings. An instrumental prop in this film would be any of the weapons that are used by the characters. On the other hand, a good example of a metaphorical prop would be the desk in the Don's office.

In my opinion, the most important prop in the film is the desk in Don Corleone's office. Throughout the film the desk is a separation between the Don, the rest of the family, and the people that come to ask the Don for advice or help. The only time that anybody beside the Don of the Corleone family comes behind the desk, is when they're invited. The desk is a symbol of the Don's power and also of the difference between the roles in the family. The first prop that you see in the film is the desk, and it is also the last one at the end when the family is moving out of the house.

The Godfather

The Godfather is easily one of the best films I've ever seen. The film is about about an Italian crime family (Corleone family) that is in New York. We follow the Corleone family for about ten years in the first of three films. Everything about this film makes you feel like you're part of the story and in some sense part of the family. Marlon Brando plays the part of the "Don" of the Corleone family and won an Academy Award for his performance. Not only does The Godfather portray an Italian-American crime family but also the family's interaction with the surrounding families and the city of New York. This film is a must see and make sure you watch it from start to finish so that you don't miss anything.

Apocalypse Now is a great film centered around cinematography. Everything from the framing to color stood out and helped give the film life in it's own disturbing way. Primarily the framing and movement made this film for me so that's what I'm going to spend my time talking about.
The framing of this film was very different from that of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly because it was mostly from a step back so that the viewer could get the big picture of what was going on in the environment around the characters. There always seemed to be something in the framing that through you off to one side or the other, whether it was an explosion or just another character on the screen.
The way that movement was used in this film definitely paralleled the mood of the situation that was being shot. When there was an eerie feel to what was happening, the shot moved really slow and deliberately, but when there was action or something unpredictable happening the shot was very fast and erratic. Just from the speed of the movement, you feel more "in" the film instead of just a casual viewer in a theater.

Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now is a film that depicts the Vietnam War. The films main character, Captain Willard, is sent into the jungle to assassinate a rogue operative that has apparently gone insane. While Willard makes his way through the jungle he becomes more and more animalistic in his behavior and seemingly loses all track of his objective. As the film goes on it's as if Willard is traveling farther and farther away from or out of reality. If you're going to watch this film, make sure you're ready to watch and pay attention for the entirety of the film. Apocalypse Now can be confusing if you don't really understand what is happening at the beginning of the film. This is definitely one of those films that you have to watch more than once to fully understand.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a great film to watch strictly for the cinematography. Each of the attributes of cinematography are used to the fullest to give the film some depth just through visuals.
The framing from the very beginning of the film acts as if we're in the body of Mr. Bauby. By canting the frame and not letting the viewer see everything in the room, the framing gives the viewer a sense of presence. It's as if you're actually "locked-in" to this view of the movie and every scene you wish you could get out of it.
The depth of field in the opening scene is shot with an obscure focus that almost puts us in the shoes of the character. The majority of the film is shot from the point of view of Jean Bauby and the focus helps to show us exactly what he's looking at.
Color in this film is extremely important and progresses throughout the film. When you are in the reality of Bauby's life, the colors are more dull and less exciting. On the other hand, the flashbacks are full of vibrant colors.
There is a lot of variation with the movement in this film. It goes back and forth between the picture moving and the actual camera moving. When you're in Bauby's perspective it's mostly the picture moving but, in the flashbacks it's both the camera and the picture.

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly

The film The Diving Bell and The Butterfly was worth the watch and I would advise everyone to see it. The Diving Bell and The Butterfly follows the life of Jean Bauby who is paralyzed from the neck down. The film narrates his life starting from the time he awoke from a coma. Throughout the film there are several flashbacks to what Jean's life was like before his stroke. The film puts the viewer a unique world almost inside the mind of Mr. Bauby and carries you through his struggle with being "locked-in" to his body. In my opinion this film was amazing, the cinematography was perfect and helped depict the "locked-in" feeling that Jean Bauby experienced. This film is definitely a can't miss in my book.