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.