«Ever since the creation of the first motion picture, there have been numerous debates over the “effectiveness” of a vast multitude of movies. The term effectiveness is a very broad expression and can be used to cover a huge variety of areas. On a...» Document abstract
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Language : english
film studies
presentation
date published
18/02/2008
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SummaryEver since the creation of the first motion picture, there have been numerous debates over the “effectiveness” of a vast multitude of movies. The term effectiveness is a very broad expression and can be used to cover a huge variety of areas. On a generic basis, did it make the viewer exert a certain emotion, laughter or tears; did it outrage the viewer; did it leave you thinking? Each of the above questions can be used to rank the effectiveness of any given movie. There are movies, however, that when viewed can evoke every possible emotion, outrage and teach you valuable lessons at the same time, and all around leave a lasting impression in the minds of those watching with both negative and positive connotations. In my generation, Larry Clark is a director that is renowned for creating such films. In his 1995 eye-opener, “KIDS”, Clark directs a movie that is the best example of this phenomenon I have seen. “KIDS” is a movie that has the capability of making you cry, laugh, become extremely angry, grow curious, etc. The fact that this movie was an effective one goes without question. It is a movie that after watching it for the first time is capable of lingering under your skin for a long time. The real question is what kind of effect does the movie actually have after it is viewed.
Table of Contents
- Immediately following the release of this film, the critics were split.
- In order to properly argue my points, I believe an extremely brief plot summary is necessary.
- I do not quite understand how any critic can call this film a realistic interpretation of mislead youth in modern day America.
- With all that being said there was one thing I did appreciate about the production.
- The fact that The New York Times called this film a 'wake-up call to the world' is something that baffles me.
Spiders or Virgins: Portrayals of Women in the Noir Films Laura, Out of the Past, and Double Indemnity
«In her article “Women in Film Noir” Janey Place states that women characters in noir films are divided into two archetypes: “the spider woman, the evil seductress who tempts man and brings about his destruction” and “the virgin, the mother, the...» Document abstract
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7 word format
Language : english
film studies
summaries
date published
11/04/2008
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SummaryIn her article “Women in Film Noir” Janey Place states that women characters in noir films are divided into two archetypes: “the spider woman, the evil seductress who tempts man and brings about his destruction” and “the virgin, the mother, the innocent, the redeemer.” This essay will examine and interpret the construction of three female characters in three noir films in terms of the visual motifs used in the presentation of the characters’ actions and dialogue. The characters examined will be Laura (Gene Tierney) in the film Laura (1944), Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) in the film Double Indemnity (1944), and Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer) in the film Out of the Past (1947). Does Place’s judgment hold true for these three characters? Can these characters be divided into two archetypes? This essay will show that Laura, Phyllis, and Kathie embody at times both of Place’s archetypes—each character changes from innocent virgin to spider woman. And it will be shown how these characterizations are achieved using cinematic techniques. Laura, however, is the only character of the three films to change back to innocent virgin by the end of the narrative.
Table of Contents
- The audience is first introduced to the character Laura in the noir film Laura by means of her painted portrait.
- In the same scene, when Laura reaches Lydecker's table she is promptly and rudely denied in her request.
- Laura and Shelby then rendezvous on the balcony at the party.
- Laura is visually introduced as an innocent young woman who notably requires aid from a distinguished gentleman.
- When Neff visits Phyllis a second time, we are shown her ankles again.
- A close-up of the solitary Lola'Phyllis's stepdaughter'places us in the Dietrichson house.
- Kathie is then absent for a good portion of the film, and when she is reintroduced it is during a scene on the balcony at Whit's estate.
«Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House is a play about a woman who comes to understand that she doesn’t necessarily understand anything at all. Or, more specific to Ibsen’s plot, it is a play about a woman who is forced to reveal a very precious secret and in...» Document abstract
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9 word format
Language : english
film studies
presentation
date published
14/04/2008
review : not yet assessed
level : Advanced
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SummaryHenrik Ibsen’s A Doll House is a play about a woman who comes to understand that she doesn’t necessarily understand anything at all. Or, more specific to Ibsen’s plot, it is a play about a woman who is forced to reveal a very precious secret and in doing so discovers that the life she is leading is not necessarily the life she wants and/or needs. Upon first glance, the play seems to be some sort of blackmail caper, where the action all centers around the question of how the protagonist is going to escape the horribly illegal situation in which she has found herself.
«Throughout history, both theatrical and otherwise, there are figures that stand out prominently in the collective memory. There are the giants, those triumphant individuals whose work has made an indelible impression on society. And then there are...» Document abstract
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4 word format
Language : english
film studies
presentation
date published
18/04/2008
review : not yet assessed
level : General public
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SummaryThroughout history, both theatrical and otherwise, there are figures that stand out prominently in the collective memory. There are the giants, those triumphant individuals whose work has made an indelible impression on society. And then there are those who stand behind the giants, their teachers, their inspiration. Often disregarded and ignored, these people gave life to the ideas their successors then expanded upon and organized. There are many such examples of this kind of a relationship, but one of the most classic examples is that of Bertolt Brecht and Erwin Piscator. Those who are familiar with theatrical theory and history recognize Brecht as the creator and theorist of epic theatre. Most people do not recognize the name of Erwin Piscator at all. However, Piscator was in fact the man who originated the idea of epic/political/documentary theatre
Table of Contents
- Erwin Piscator was born on December 17, 1893 into a Protestant family in Germany.
- What exactly were the aims of Piscator's theatre?
- Brecht is often credited as having done most of the theoretical work regarding political theatre.
- All the King's Men, the story of corruption and politics set in Louisiana, appeared in 1947 in conjunction with The Dramatic Workshop.
- Another key element to Piscator's productions was his use of technical support, in particular machinery on stage.
- There have been references throughout this paper to Bertolt Brecht, Piscator's student, the more famous of the two.
«The film “kids” is a raw account of an urban adolescence focusing on experimentation with sex, drugs, liquor, and violence. The account examines these issues at their absolute worst. One of the issues that the film focuses on is adolescent...» Document abstract
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3 word format
Language : english
film studies
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date published
21/04/2008
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level : General public
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SummaryThe film “kids” is a raw account of an urban adolescence focusing on experimentation with sex, drugs, liquor, and violence. The account examines these issues at their absolute worst. One of the issues that the film focuses on is adolescent sexuality. The opening scene depicts a thirteen year old girl losing her virginity to a sixteen year old boy, without any protection or any significant relationship. Adolescent sexuality is a truth that society has a tendency to avoid. Many questions arise in regards to adolescent sexuality. The question of sexual education stimulates an opinionated debate of whether abstinence should be promoted or whether an education on safe sexual practices should be utilized.
Table of Contents
- Adolescent sexuality is a truth that society has a tendency to avoid. Many questions arise in regards to adolescent sexuality.
- Sexual education is a controversial issue world wide.
- The most significant aspect of the film pertains to the lack of sexual education.
- The definition of sex experiences a great deal of variation between adolescents.
- Adolescence is a difficult journey that everyone must travel.
- Although the film 'Kids' is raw and crude, it accurately correlates with the research in adolescent sexual development.
«ABC’s Lost, just as any other show, works to make you feel connected to its characters. From its beginning it has connected you with the characters and their experiences on the island, and has given you significant development of the characters...» Document abstract
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3 word format
Language : english
film studies
presentation
date published
19/05/2008
review : not yet assessed
level : General public
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SummaryABC’s Lost, just as any other show, works to make you feel connected to its characters. From its beginning it has connected you with the characters and their experiences on the island, and has given you significant development of the characters through flashbacks and eventual flash forwards. At times you are with them on the island, at other times you see what their family and friends (as well as their enemies) are thinking. You also see people searching for the wreckage and get an insight to their lives. All of these elements of the show, as well as a vast sea of fan guides, novelizations, its own wiki called Lostpedia, fan-fiction, video and online games, video diaries, and other cross-market promotions, work towards the heart of the Lost brand.
Table of Contents
- Convergence has made video games a powerful platform.
- Find 815 was another alternate reality game that was played on a smaller scale.
- Lost has a good deal of printed material that allows a fan to move beyond what is shown on ABC.
- There are many other adjacencies that Lost has in its repertoire.
«In the early quarter of the 20th century men of Ireland struggled for freedom; forming leagues and brotherhoods and secret organizations of resistance, unionizing labor and creating a more cohesive political resistance, arming themselves and...» Document abstract
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Language : english
film studies
presentation
date published
30/05/2008
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SummaryIn the early quarter of the 20th century men of Ireland struggled for freedom; forming leagues and brotherhoods and secret organizations of resistance, unionizing labor and creating a more cohesive political resistance, arming themselves and training for armed conflict, eventually fighting the English starting in 1916 and later each other in the Irish Civil War until 1924. Even when not involved in some sort of political upheaval, the men of Ireland were seldom at home; if fortunate to find work, they slaved away and often times spent their evenings in pubs. Whatever the source, there has traditionally been a large amount of absenteeism on the part of Irish fathers and men in general. This leaves the mothers of Ireland to rear the children, keep the house and hold the family together through the unceasing barrage of crisis. Time and time again, they were left to sit by and watch as their brothers, sons and husbands went off to die for some reason or another.
Table of Contents
- In his famous play, Cathleen Ni Houlihan, W. B. Yeats evokes the recurring legend of the old woman in search of a king.
- Again the old woman represents Ireland and the sacrifice she has made as well as the mother who has lost all her men to war.
- After the Easter Rising which sparked the Anglo-Irish War came the Irish Civil Wars between Free Stater's and Republicans.
- Along with similarities of the names themselves (Mary and Maurya), the loss bsuffered creates a connection, regardless of the outcome.
«In “Wall Street,” the one of the most valuable resources is information. It is also a scarce thing to come by because stockbrokers are reluctant to share what they know, it’s difficult and sometimes illegal to acquire information about a firm, and...» Document abstract
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Language : english
film studies
presentation
date published
03/06/2008
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level : General public
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SummaryIn “Wall Street,” the one of the most valuable resources is information. It is also a scarce thing to come by because stockbrokers are reluctant to share what they know, it’s difficult and sometimes illegal to acquire information about a firm, and there’s a tacit understanding overall to keep circulating information about stocks between a handful of people. This knowledge refers to changes and developments of a company that would affect its stock value. While people who work for the company are aware of these changes, they are not allowed to share such nonpublic information with those who would misappropriate private information, trade on it, or pass it on. In the movie, information regarding a company is allocated in two ways. First, there are the brokers who work for their money by keeping up with news and acting quickly when it comes to buying and selling stock. They rely on their own knowledge of how the economy works and when it’s best to invest or otherwise. They win some and lose some. They make an honest profit and over the years, it accumulates to a point where they become wealthy. Then, there are other people in the business who look for shortcuts because they’re desperate to get to the top.
Table of Contents
- Insider trading is illegal chiefly because it eliminates competition.
- Because the stock market is still a part of the greater economy, it can be regulated and kept in check.
- Case in point, if someone had a great amount of money and therefore power, that person could manipulate the economy and control things that would put others at a disadvantage.
- Greed will not fix the problems of a more troubled country because people who are greedy care little about others and much about elevating their own status.
- Greed would make people accumulate a good by taking it away from others.
«A significant yet easily overlooked element of G.W. Pabst’s film The Joyless Street is the cinematic representation of text. In the film various crucial developments in the narrative are determined by characters’ reactions to information conveyed...» Document abstract
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3 word format
Language : english
film studies
summaries
date published
03/06/2008
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level : General public
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SummaryA significant yet easily overlooked element of G.W. Pabst’s film The Joyless Street is the cinematic representation of text. In the film various crucial developments in the narrative are determined by characters’ reactions to information conveyed by text. In each case text becomes a disruptive part of the scenery, a distraction which first catches the attention of a character and is then brought to focus for the viewer in the form of a close-up which isolates it from the rest of the background. It is this disruptiveness, coupled with the urgency and import of the new information conveyed by text which the film effectively uses to portray inflation-era Austria in 1923: in a world where most news is bad news, but where people are desperate for any information, even if it is incomplete and comes on a tiny slip of paper, the visual representations of text show how the lives of Austrian citizens were in constant flux and fatally hinged on the receipt of information which came from outside sources and which was outside of their control.
Table of Contents
- The Joyless Street opens with slow-moving figures in the dark, shuffling along Melchiorstrasse they have nothing to look forward to.
- The flimsy piece of paper pretends to be no more than the announcement of a possible business transaction.
- The Joyless Street portrays its entropic world-view by contrasting the innocuous images of text.
- The cinematic depiction of textual exchange is an important element of The Joyless Street because it portrays visually, how dependent the lives of the characters are on chaotic forces outside of their control.
«Many a novice viewer of Bollywood movies has offered the comment that “they are all the same.” Such comments, of course, may be the result of an othering Gaze that, by paying attention to stylized ritual and ceremony, does not perceive subtle but...» Document abstract
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8 word format
Language : english
film studies
presentation
date published
03/06/2008
review : not yet assessed
level : Advanced
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SummaryMany a novice viewer of Bollywood movies has offered the comment that “they are all the same.” Such comments, of course, may be the result of an othering Gaze that, by paying attention to stylized ritual and ceremony, does not perceive subtle but important differences. On the other hand, filmmakers in the Bollywood tradition often have to work with a limited number of “stock” plots, characters, and music—but this comment can be made of Hollywood as well.
Compared to the homogeneity of both Hollywood and Bollywood, Mira Nair’s work in Monsoon Wedding is distinct and novel. Her hybrid Hindi-Punjabi-English dialogue and transnational characters are suitable material for her global audiences. Perhaps Nair’s awareness of a very broad audience inspired her to deal with “traditional” themes like love, marriage, and family, but by drawing attention to the constitutive forces behind these constructs, and within the context of a more inclusive and increasingly global India.
Compared to the homogeneity of both Hollywood and Bollywood, Mira Nair’s work in Monsoon Wedding is distinct and novel. Her hybrid Hindi-Punjabi-English dialogue and transnational characters are suitable material for her global audiences. Perhaps Nair’s awareness of a very broad audience inspired her to deal with “traditional” themes like love, marriage, and family, but by drawing attention to the constitutive forces behind these constructs, and within the context of a more inclusive and increasingly global India.
Table of Contents
- Total, Social, Phenomenal.
- Reversing Rituals.
- Divisions of Labor.
- Economic Entanglement.
- Agency as Gift.
- Inclusion via Alienation.
- Marking the 'Indian?.
- Power of the Director.
- Conclusion.
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