Once upon a Time in the West

Once upon a time in the West so far is my favorite movie we have watched in class. Serio Leone's film eally uses alot of the techniques we learned in class, while keeping the great story going throughout. This film falls under the revisonist catagorie because it is a more recent film, and it has many differences to the classic western films. It is way more complex than the typical western as each character's backround is slowly revealed throughout the movie.

I chose to write about the final scene in the movie because it shows how this film is revisionist and it pieces together the entire film. During this scene we finally find out what is Harmonica's driving force to kill Frank. As Harmonica and Frank stare each other down in the shootout, Director Serio Leone quicky cuts to a flashback in their lives. During this flashback Harmonica has a harmonica stuck in his mouth and is holding up his brother as he is being strangled with a rope around his neck. If Harmonica falls, his brohter dies. The camera then pans to Frank in the corner looking on. So we find out that Frank somehow forced Harmonica to kill his older brother. Harmonica draws his weapon first and hits Frank in the chest. Its over. Frank is done. But right as you think Harmonica will walk away, he goes up to Frank and puts his harmonica in his mouth. This part of the scene adds alot to the movie. It really got me jacked up.

throughout the story I was often asking myself where is this going? But with this final scene it all came together and made sense. The classical, lovable Harmonica gets revenge on the stone cold killing bad guy, then gives him a little taste of his own medicine. It can't really get much better. this movie shows that it is revisionist as all the different clues and backround information comes together with this scene. In the older classical westerns, things wernt so complex. Overall this western is an awesome film and I would reccomend it to anyone, even if you don't like westyerns. I klnow I didn't before this film

First Western: My darling Clementine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UrcR_01-bM

One important scene that stands out to me is the Shakespear scene where the man who is saying the "To be or not to be" poem cannot finish, and Doc Holliday takes over. This scene does alot for the movie. It takes us away from the usuall dancing, shooting and fighting of an old western bar scene, which to me was refreshing.It shows another side of Doc Holliday when he takes over performing the poem. We also find out that Doc has is either very sick or has a disease, when the coughs extremly hard and has to leave the bar. Much of this scene is show from a low angle with low key lighting, especially when focused on Doc and the performer. This seems to slow down the movie to emphasize this scene. Through this scene we see a good side of Doc Holliday for the first time, as he defends the man who is telling the poem. It takes us away from the usuall western bar scene for a while, but also jumps right back into it as Wyatt Earp again shows off his quick release of his pistil and his strong qualities of a marshall.

Pan's Labyrinth

The story of Pan's Labyrinth has a rich backround. Guillermo del Toro is the Director and Writer of the film. The story he came up with is a combination of old spanish myths and an actual civil war that happened in Spain. The name Pan refers to the mythoogical greek god, Pan. Guillermo del Toro got his ideas from a notebook he had been keeping for twenty years. In his notebooks he would write down all kinds of ideas, drawings and plotlines. In Del Toro's original plot, he tells a story of a pregnant women who falls in love with a faun. The final story ended up being very different. The pregnant women and the faun stay in the story, but the focus and main charater is a young daughter of the pregnant women awaiting the arival of her baby brother. A fairy comes to the daughter, Ofelia at night and leads her down to an old labyrinth in the woods. Here, Ofelia meets the faun, Pan. The mysterious Pan explains to her that she is a princess who was destined to return here to help restore the lives of those in the underworld. Pan then tells her how she must complete multiple tasks, using magic to do this. Ofelia meets the challenge and goes through many difficult mini journeys during the night. One encounter with a gaint toad, another with a monster from under the floors.
Throughout her quest she also must attempt to deal with a father he constantly abuses Ofelia and her mother. Even while Ofelia's mother is extremly sick and pregnant with her little brother. The faun Pan, tries to help Ofelia to overcome the troubles at their home by giving her a plant to put under her mothers bed. Each night Ofelia puts two drops of blood into the plant to keep the plant healthy. The magic plant works a miracle and mothers fever goes way down and things are looking up. But then her father finds the plant. Ofelia tries to tell her parents that that plant is the reason for mothers huge turn around, but they dont want her to believe in magic, so they throw the plant into the fire. As soon as the pant goes in you hear a shreek from the flames, and almost instantly after that, her mother drops to the ground, holding her baby in pain. Shortly after the boy is born, but Ofelia's mother does not make it. With this setback, Ofelia strives to keep her brother to have some type of family. She brings him to the labyrinth and there she is faced with her final task. Ultimatly she has to decide how important her family is. If she gives up her borther's life, she will be imortal. She chooses to save him and that ultimatly proves her of being the princess of the underworld.

This story is very interesting for many reasons; the amazing cinematography and music add alot to the film, but most of all the script is unbeatable. The way Del Toro contrasts the real life events, the fantasy story during night and day is so interesting to watch. The way you as the viewer know whatis happenening and are cheering on young Ofelia. Overall it is a great film to think about, especially if you know about the history behind it first.

Throughout Citizen Kane, Orson Welles great cinematography is key to how the movie is presented. During the film. The camera movement is very important to the film. He uses craning, panning and tilting alot in this film. He uses those types of movements to try to show the entire picture, while giving little clues about the film. For instance, during the opening scene the viewer sees the extreme closeup of his fence. Then, the camera slowly tilts upward to a closeup of "NO TRESPASSING". The viewer can infer here, that Kane is a secluded person who wants people to come in and out on his own terms. Welles also uses the craning method at the end of the film to show the large amount of statues in his collection. Then, at the end of the crane, zooms in on the sled, Rosebud. This time, you can imply that KAne had saved this sled since his early days. He saved it with all his expensive statues that came after he got rich. Why is Rosebud still there? Some viewers may say because it was the only thing he owned that represented any type of a childhood, and he wanted to remember that. Bottom line, Welles camera movements play a huge role in this film, and it wouldnt be nearly as interesting without them.

Not long ago I got a chance to re-watch one of my favorite movies of all time; The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. This film is a visual masterpiece. The way directer Peter Jackson uses the camera to catch his characters is amazing.

The story is about a one and only ring that has the power to rule the world. The ring was created by the Dark Lord Sauron. Sauron thought to have lost the ring when it ended up in the hands of a hobbit named Frodo. The story takes place in Middle-Earth which is a dark and stormy place. Frodo must journey across the land to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring. If Frodo destroys the ring, Sauron can't rule the people of middle earth and take over the world; butif he doesnt make it, that exactly will happen.

Throughout his journey, Frodo is joined by his good friend Sam, another hobbit from the Shire. Sam and Frodo struggle through many tough times, but help each other to move on. The ring seems to turn against our protagonist many times, forcing him to want to put on the ring and rellish in its power. When he does this, Sauron's 'eye' can see where the ring is. This is why Sam plays such an important role. Many times throughout the story Sam saves Frodo from putting on the ring, and risks his own life in the process.

During this film I noticed many different uses of cinematography. Peter Jackson uses a range of different lighting to illustrate the different scenes. He goes from the high key lighting of gorgeous panning views of the frosty mountains, to the dark gloomey, low key lighting of the cave where smeegle losses his precious. The camera angles also change alot to add to the particular scene. He often panns and cranes from afar to show the huge landscapes, as well as many high angles to show the monsterousness of Mount Doom, or low angles to emphasize the greatness of Gandolf.

Overall, this film cracks my top 10 list, along with numbers two and three of the series. The make believe world that is created by Jackson really portrays the story, written by JR Tolken. The beautiful scenery and grotesque, hell like areas contrast each other well. The main characters are the ones fighting for the good and the survival of mankind. You cant help but root for the little hobbit friends to take down the mighty Sauron. The special effects make it seem so real, and you start to convince yourself it actually happened long ago. This movie is an epic experience and it will leave you wanting more. Two thumbs up for the fellowship of the Ring.

Shawkshank Redemption

One of my favortite movies of all time is Shawshank Redemption, starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. The film is directed by Frank Darabont.

The story takes place in the Shawshank state prison in Maine, where Tim Robbins' character Andy is falsley charged for murdering his own wife. He and the warden of the prison have many disagreements and eventually get a rivalry going. Because of Andy's banking backround, he is able to get a sport working for the warden. in exchange Andy gets to fix up their library and make it his own. During this stint with the warden Andy finds out about some ilegal buisness affairs that is going on with the warden. This helps him later. Life was tough in prison; from getting raped by other inmates to constant trouble from the warden, Andy's determination and intelligence helps him to keep truckin' through the everyday life that is prison. Andy has one goal of getting out, and that is the only goal he wishes to reach. He once says " Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things; and good things never die"

This film is a story about a man whos life was unfair, but he never quit. This film be a movie for all ages in that sense, but is more of an adult film because of the realness of jail and conspiracy.

Although this movie wasn't a hit out of the gates at the box office, it has gone down as a top notch film that is becoming a classic. Both Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman won the 1994 best actor award for the film. It also won best picture from the national board of review, as well as best sound, editing, picture, cinimetagraphy, and adapted screenplay from the academy.

All the awards were well deserved, but the cinematography stood out to me. I remember the second time Andy gets raped in prison it is in a deep focus lense. I think he chose this lense to show that this wasn't one bad day, but something that was happening frequently, and there was nothing he could do. Yet, Andy kept pluggin' away. The cinematographer also used lots of low key lighting to show Andy in the dark and alone, I think to emphasize his personal struggle. While also using it on the warden to show that his power was soley his, like a dictator.

Overall, I can't say enough about this movie. It will go down with a spot in my top 5. I thought the plot of the story was amazing and the characters were great. But without the eerie sound effects and different uses of the camera, this movie wouldnt be nearly as intense and fulfilling. This one gets 2 thumbs up, 4 stars, 10/10 whatever you want to call it; it was the experience that you look for when walking into a theatre, and then some.