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.

The Conversations: Jaws

After watching the Spielberg-directed summer blockbuster Jaws (1975), we got the chance to read The Conversations: Jaws article, in which Jason Bellamy and Ed Howard discuss and analyse the film. I found the things they pointed out about the film intriguing, but what I found most interesting was when Bellamy mentioned that Spielberg intensifies situations such as the beach scene prior to Alex's death where "humor is just a few beats away: the gray hump headed toward the woman floating on her back turns out to be an old man in a gray swim cap; a screaming woman turns out to be wrestling with her boyfriend; and so on." By including these false alarms, it drives up the suspense for Brody as well as  the audience as they don't know when or if the shark is going to show up.

Furthermore, Spielberg also plays with the underlying theme of fear of the unknown. As Howard said, "Sometimes the tension builds only to be released, generating fear from the unseen shark and then refusing to resolve the tension, letting the fear of the unknown linger." The shark, in the first half of the film, is barely fully shown, which evokes anxiety and uncertainty about whether or not the shark is going to appear and do more harm or not.

Overall, I really enjoyed watching the film and analysing scenes using film techniques and elements. This article was also eye-opening in a delightfully engaging way.

Jaws: Blog Post 3

In this scene in Jaws, the three men, Quint, Brody, and Hooper, have set out to sea to capture the shark responsible for the deaths of people in their town. This scene occurs when the men spotted the shark and are horrified at its sheer size.

The trio are positioned in a triadic composition to stress the dynamic interplay between them. This scene is balanced as there is a character in each of the composition grounds-Quint in the foreground, Brody in the midground, and Hooper in the background. All three of them are looking in the same direction with similar expressions which suggests that despite their conflict before, they are now on the same side-against the shark.

The use of colour and props are other aspects of film that play an important part in creating mood and symbolism. The trio are wearing similar cool colours but Quint stands out a little more with his green jacket as opposed to Hooper and Brody in their grey outerwear. This suggests Quint's importance, dominance, and leadership. Quint is also the only one out of the three men to wear a cap, showing that he is more experienced in the capturing of the sharks than the other two.

A low-angled shot is used to encompass all three characters . Although Hooper is in the top of the frame, he is the furthest and therefore the smallest, suggesting insignificance despite his position in the frame. Quint, on the other hand, is cut out of the frame at his shoulders, and further in front of Hooper and Brody, which suggests that while Hooper is in control steering the boat, it is a false sense of power provided by Quint, the true dominant in the scene.

Jaws: Blog Post 2

Mise en scène is originally a French theatrical term meaning "placing on stage." It refers to the arrangement of all the visual elements of a theatrical production within the stage. In this particular scene of Jaws, the set design and props are important features in the symbolism of the picture.

Having the shark jaws centrally placed amount to it being the main focus of the shot. Subsequently, the camera zooms into the jaws as if it were foreshadowing that more characters may be victims of the shark-perhaps one of the three men (Hooper, Quint, Brody). As the camera zooms in, the focal point of the scene changes from being the jaws to being the harbour outside, The long stretch of waters leading out to the ocean suggests an arduous journey ahead for the three men.

In addition, as the shark's jaws become the frame of the scene, it comprises of a circular composition, suggesting entrapment (withing the shark's jaws or maybe conflict between the characters). The window is also closed and locked, with barred grilles, further emphasizing the theme of entrapment.

Jaws: Blog Post 1

Jaws (1975), directed by Steven Spielberg, is the first "Summer Blockbuster" to be made in motion picture history. Different shots and angles were used in this film to convey different feelings and moods.

The shot above is an example of an establishing shot. It shows the surroundings and emphasises vacancy and nothingness, yet the audience is able to feel the girl's freedom and carefreeness as well as the serenity in the air as she runs towards the waters.

A blue filter is utilised to, on one hand, emphasise the tranquility of the scene and setting, and on the other hand, the coldness of that tone of colour. The waters look warm and inviting due to the girl's merry demeanor, but they also convey a sense that they are cold and deadly. In addition, the blue filter allows for her silhouette and movements to be seen clearly.

This scene is shot from a low angle, as if the camera was placed on the sand and left there, forgotten. This adds to the carefreeness of the scene as it seems more natural. Usually in low-angled shots, the character is moving towards the camera to create a tense and fearful atmosphere, but this is not the case in this scene; the girl is moving away from the camera. Instead of the girl feeling frightened, this scene causes the audience to feel anxious for her. As the girl runs from the safety of the shores and land into the dark depths of the ocean, we, as the audience, feel as if we are losing her by the second. Her safety on land is guaranteed, but in the waters she is vulnerable and the audience is aware.

Buster Keaton - The General

Buster Keaton's The General is a fast-paced slapstick comedy about Buster Keaton and how he runs his beloved locomotive and keeps it going. This film distorted the feeling of time as it is sped up to match the mood of the upbeat music and to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Tension as well as excitement is portrayed in this film with the use of the camera's shots and angles. 

For example, in this scene, a medium shot is used to not only show Buster's confused expression, but also the trees in the back to show movement of the train. The eye-level angle is used in this scene to create a sense of expectancy. This angle is the most neutral as it shows the audience what they would see if they were in the film and it is as if they are watching the scene unfold right in front of them.

In this scene where Buster is running after his locomotive to catch up to it, an extreme long shot is used to establish the setting of the film.It also provides the audience context as to where the train is heading towards and its speed.

In addition, a high-angled medium shot is used below to convey the importance of the scene. The positioning of the camera above the character gives the audience an idea of Buster's vulnerability in the situation.

An oblique-angled full shot is used to portray the imbalance and instability of the scene. It's also used as a transition into the next scene. The horses here look as if they were coming straight at the audience, which suggests their significance.

Shots and angles play an important role in the making of a film. They can be used to portray foreshadowing, comedy, intensity of the situation etc. They also make a film more interesting than it would be if the film was shot in one take with a single and distance.

Shots and Emotions

A: A shot showing where the action is taking place

The establishing shot is the most appropriate for the setting of the scene as it gives the audience a reference setting for the closer shots.