The Godfather: Blog Post 2

The part that was most interesting to me so far was when Sonny got shot and killed. I didn't see it coming because after the whole ordeal with people trying to kill Don Vito, the story progressed more in the direction of the family portion of the film instead of the mafia; Michael got married to a Sicilian lady, seemingly having forgotten about Kay, and Connie Corleone was being abused by her husband, Carlo Rizzi. This was what drew Sonny out for he had already beaten up Carlo once for abusing his sister, but when he found out the second time, he rushed out to get back at Carlo. 

I got a little confused at this scene, because it was so sudden. The audience is so focused on how much Carlo is going to regret what he did to Connie that the unbelievably excessive shooting of Sonny came out of nowhere. I feel that Coppola had Sonny shot l so many times as he wanted the audience to be sure that Sonny was going to die, instead of miraculously living like how Don Vito did after several shots to his body.

There is definitely a contrast between Vito and Michael in that whereas Vito was powerful, calm, and composed, possessing a quiet intensity, Michael is explosive and rash, trying hard to live up to his father's expectations but not quite there yet.

The Godfather: Blog Post 1

The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is a 1972 American crime film based on Mario Puzo's best-selling novel The Godfather. The film is regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema, and as one of the most influential, especially in the gangster genre.

The first part of the film we watched focused on "Don" Vito Corleone, the leader of a New York crime family, played by Marlon Brando. Don Vito is seen as the most powerful figure in the beginning. This is shown by the camera techniques, mise en scène, and editing. 

There is, first of all, a stark contrast between Don Vito's mafia life and his family life. The film begins with Amerigo Bonasera asking/begging for Don Vito's assistance for revenge against the men who tried to rape his daughter. This scene begins with Bonasera's face filling most of the frame, but as his story proceeds and his appeal becomes clear, the camera has zoomed out making him seem small and insignificant compared to Don Vito Corleone, who despite him facing away from the camera and being in the corner of the frame, is powerful and has the upper hand. In his mafia life, Don Corleone is grim and composed, while in his family life he is more open and lively. This can also be seen from his clothes. Don Vito was wearing a black suit to match his sketchy gangster life, but it is contrasted with the bright red rose in his jacket pocket symbolising his other life.

While the wedding was taking place, Michael, Vito's youngest son, talks to his girlfriend Kay, vaguely telling her about his father. The things he says about Don Vito is an example of indirect characterisation as the audience learns more about Don Vito through Michael. This is an important aspect of the film because it tells the audience how other characters view this all-mighty leader and it allows us to form an idea of what Don Vito's character is like.

Rear Window: Blog Post 2

In the second part of Rear Window, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, we see how the use of different elements of film are used to convey mystery and suspense.

Quicker jump cuts between Jeff as well as between the different views of the neighbours' apartments signify Jeff's anticipation and eagerness for something to happen for he would catch them in the act. In addition, the narrow space between two building walls allows for only a slim view of the street that Jeff is able to see. This setting aids in building suspense when Mr. Thorwald walks across it in the middle of the night as he is already a suspicious character, and the restricted view of the rest of the street that Jeff - along with the audience - sees, makes Thorwald more of an untrustworthy and sketchy character. 

There were a large number of fade-out shots in this second part of the film. The screen fades to black to represent the end of a scene in addition to the building of suspense for the next scene, as the ending scene may leave the audience with questions about what is going to happen next. The fade-outs also is a useful element of editing to show the passing of subjective time. It is used for this purpose many times in the film so far (so much so I feel that it may be overused). It can likewise serve as a scene's "full-stop" in film grammar, showing when a scene is over and done with.

Rear Window: Blog Post 1

Rear Window is a 1954 American mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, originally based off of Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder."

Instead of an establishing shot, jump cuts to long shots are used in the start of the film to give the audience the sense that this little neighbourhood area is small and compact - therefore allowing the main character, L.B. Jefferies, to look out of his window into his neighbours'. A panning shot combined with a tilt shift moves around the set to allow viewers to take in the setting. Reaction shots are also used - through eyeline matching - to show dialogue, conflict, and reactions of the characters.

[REVISED] Film Analysis - Sherlock "The Woman"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWp5I5XLvqQ

Film Analysis - Sherlock "The Woman"

https://youtu.be/93pLgcfTo5k

[REVISED] Frame Analysis Final Paragraph

[REVISED]

In this shot from Spielberg’s Jaws, the man in the boat is trying to swim away from the shark after his boat had been overturned. By using an extreme high-angled long shot, the filmmakers are able to convey a sense of fear, vulnerability, and tension in the audience, in addition to its dramatic effect. The extreme high angle shot reduces the importance of the main subject in the scene - the man, and makes him look vulnerable. Additionally, he is in the bottom of the frame, which further suggests subservience and powerlessness, as compared to the shark in the top of the frame, which implies power, dominance, and is seen as a threat. The dominant contrast of this shot is the orange-red boat, a warm colour. Our eyes are naturally drawn to the boat first, followed by the warm black of the man’s suit (and therefore the man), then the cool tones of the shark (the subsidiary contrast) and water. Furthermore, the bright orange-red colour of the boat seems to signify the man’s impending doom. This shot is in open form as the boat and shark are cut off, implying that outside of the frame the objects still exist. It is framed loosely and is densely textured in the bottom left of the frame. There is a lot of empty space in the waters, yet this scene gives the audience a feeling of entrapment due to the use of the extreme high-angled shot as well as the placement of the character. I also feel that since the waters are the shark's domain rather than humans', it is seen as a superior character, reinforcing the man's helplessness and fatality. The devouring of the man by the shark, however, is essential in the building of suspense for the audience to see if Brody’s son becomes victim as well.

[ORIGINAL]

In this shot from Spielberg’s Jaws, the man in the boat is trying to swim away from the shark after his boat had been overturned. By using an extreme high-angled long shot, the filmmakers are able to convey a sense of fear and tension in the audience. The extreme high angle shot reduces the importance of the main subject in the scene - the man, and makes him look vulnerable. In addition, he is in the bottom of the frame, which further suggests subservience and powerlessness, as compared to the shark in the top of the frame, which implies power, dominance, and is seen as a threat. The dominant contrast of this shot is the orange-red boat, a warm colour. Our eyes are naturally drawn to the boat first, followed by the warm black of the man’s suit (and therefore the man), then the cool tones of the shark (the subsidiary contrast) and water. Furthermore, the bright orange-red colour of the boat seems to signify the man’s impending doom. This shot is in open form as the boat and shark are cut off, implying that outside of the frame the objects still exist. It is framed loosely and is densely textured in the bottom left of the frame. There is a lot of empty space in the waters yet this scene gives the audience a feeling of entrapment due to the use of the extreme high-angled shot as well as the placement of the character. The devouring of the man by the shark, however, is essential in the building of suspense for the audience to see if Brody’s son becomes victim as well.

[REFLECTION]

I included a little more as to what effect this shot has on the scene, as well as adding some personal insight and thought on why the man in this shot is in his most defenseless state. I also feel that the paragraph is coherent as the elements of mise en scène are intertwined and are combined well with connectors.