The Seventh Seal

            In the movie, The Seventh Seal, the characters are used to represent different experiences and points of view in life. While watching this film, I was able to determine that the experiences most intriguing to me were those felt and represented by three characters, in particular, Jof, his wife Mia, and their son, Mikael. I believe that these three characters represent positivity and the experience of a new beginning. In this blog post, I will describe the behavior of these characters discuss why I believe this.

            In the beginning of the film, after the main character, Anotonius Block, makes a deal with the Devil to extend his life, Block and his counterpart, Jons, pass this family of three on their way to Block’s estate. Their jovial demeaners give the viewers a feeling of hope. Having just received an extra amount of time to fulfill his desires in life, Block and his new fate directly correspond to the introduction of these characters. In my opinion, these things correspond, not only because of their attitudes, but also because of Jof’s vision that morning. He sees what he believes to be the Mother Mary teaching Baby Jesus to walk in the field. This image shows new life learning to take its first steps, much like Block got a new chance to learn something in his life, “his first steps,” so to speak.

            The second instance during which Mia, Jof and Mikael represent hope and new life, is later in the film when Block and Jons join them for strawberries and milk. Right before this, Jof and Mia’s performance had been interrupted by flagellants and then Jof had been blamed and beaten up for a woman’s disappearance. Regardless of these occurrences, the couple still had the heart to share their only food with strangers, which is how they represent hope during this scene. During the meal, Mia describes her life. She says that everyday is similar to next and expresses her gratitude for the spring. Her reference to this season is another reminder that these characters represent new life.

            The third instance is at the end of the film. The scene has made a transition from the face a girl who is accepting death to a girl who is accepting life. The Devil has just left the Knights estate where he took the lives of Antonius Block and his then present company. The first face we see is the face of a girl from this company. Her last words are those of Jesus Christ, “It is finished.” The second face we see is the face of Mia. She is looking up into the bright sky with wide eyes. She is rejoicing the new day. As one life is finished, another day begins, and life continues. The little family’s perseverance is a reminder that everyday is new and we all must keep going.

            In conclusion, Jof, Mia, and Mikael’s presence in The Seventh Seal provides a feeling of refreshing renewal, one necessary for a film set in a rather dreary time. Jof’s visions about life and their kindness and appreciation for change within life are highlighted as significant points in the story. Their perspectives held my attention and also held true to the life versus death theme in the film.

Psycho; Bethan Parmenter

Alfred Hitchcock’s movie Psycho was one that shocked audiences everywhere and changed the meaning of Hollywood’s “horror” movies. This movie pushes several limits of cinematography that had yet to pushed. From revealing more skin than had been previously seen before, in the shower seen to scenes in which a character was shown in her underwear this movie was considered to be more on the racy side. As for the terror factor accompanying this movie for the 1960’s this was the scariest, most terrifying movie to be put in theatres. Compared to modern day slasher and murder movies it would not be considered all that scary due to the fact that there are only a few instances in which audiences are startled but the study of paranoia and fear and how it makes people react is why Psycho is considered to be such an epic scary movie.

            Another thing that made this movie so famous is the twist and turns in the plot line; viewers begin to consider Marion the heroine or main character until she is murdered approximately 40 minutes into the movie leaving viewers to now wonder who will be the focal point of this movie. While some parts now seem predictable when this movie first came out it kept audiences firmly glued to the screens wondering what was going to happen next. 

Nights of Cabiria

Cabiria, in the film Nights of Cabiria, lives a very sad life. She is a prostitute, but still carries an optimistic and romantic attitude, in search of having a happy, stable life. What confuses me in the film is that she expects to find the right man for her by living a life in prostitution, where she knows the men that she deals with are filth. She even says this when in the car with her pimp and prostitute friend essentially, saying “Why should I slave over pigs like you!”  This to me is a sure tell sign that she should not be expecting love in this type of profession. Yet she gets her hopes up with Alberto when he invites her home with him, even after witnessing him fighting, verbally and physically, with another girl right before she is asked to get in his car.

 

I initially thought that she was a very oblivious woman who lived in denial. In the very beginning, Giorgio robs her and pushes her in the river and she almost dies. Once she is revived, she is so hung up on her dream of being in love that she convinces herself that she fell in the water, and she then goes looking for him. Another problem I saw with the Cabiria character is that she pushed away people who tried to help her. For example, Wanda is always concerned for her, from the beginning when she tells her that Giorgio was using her, to the end when she is confused and concerned that Cabiria is selling her stuff to be with Oscar. I believe that if Cabiria is miserable because goes after the people who make her suffer. All she wants in life is to have a man to love and provide her with a stable life. She is constantly telling men about how proud she is to own a house, but it is obvious that she wants more. 

 

She seems to be so obsessed with finding love and affection that she’ll be a prostitute and be with tons of men to find it, even if they end up hurting her afterwards. It’s sad to think that she had no other choice than to take what she could get in life; that she was unable to be anything else than a prostitute. This is why I found it to be an overall sad and disappointing movie. Deep down she knows she is foolish, calling herself a moron at one point in the movie. The fact that she is aware of this, and that she becomes more hesitant with men upon meeting Oscar, makes it all the more sad that the man who courts her and respects her for the first time in her life ends up hurting and leaving her like all the other men.

 

I appreciate her perseverance, but it is exhausting to watch someone go through so many downfalls. Even though this is what life is like realistically, it does not make it entertaining to watch for almost two hours. I found the movie to be very disappointing, but I suppose the message was to say that life goes on. She has been through many heart breaks, but she never gives up hope, as she walks away at the end of the movie smiling through her tears. It showed us the you’re going to make mistakes in life and people are going to hurt you, but there are happy things in life too, like random parading people that circle you in the streets who can lift you up and help you see the good in life. This theme is a nice, realistic one to live by in life, but that still doesn’t make the movie any less frustrating to watch.

By Katie Robinson

The Searchers

                What really stands out to me in “The Searchers” is the mise-en-scene. Our textbook defines mise-en-scene as the “elements of a movie scene that are put in position before the filming actually begins and employed in certain ways once it does begin” (p. 64). In the era that “The Searchers” was made, location shooting was a common practice in mainstream filmmaking (p. 66). According to IMDB, the film was shot in various desert locations in Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. Shots for the film were also taken on a set, or studio soundstage. The use of both expansive locations and the soundstage for scenes create a noticeable and distracting inconsistency of scenic realism throughout the film.

                I absolutely loved the scenes where the men on horseback rode through the desert surrounded by sandstone buttes. These scenes usually represent a transition of the characters from one location to another during their trek. I especially liked the placement of the actors in relation to natural formations and buildings during these scenes. For example, one scene has the men on horseback riding by in the foreground. In the midground is a cabin, and deep in the background is a beautiful, mountainous region. These vast, natural scenes caused me to pay careful attention to the sets and settings throughout the film. 

                That’s why I was taken by surprise when a new scene began that was obviously shot on a soundstage. This was the only scene where snow was falling. Ethan and Martin are having a conversation atop their horses in the middle of a snowy, wooded area. The audience watches this conversation through some tree branches. I thought this to be a neat effect, but later recognized that it may have been done to grab the audience’s focus so that their eyes won’t wonder off into the background. As the scene switched from a medium shot to a long shot, I then noticed how artificial the trees looked and how the background appeared painted. I know the set shouldn’t have been my main focus, but after gazing at the beautiful sceneries earlier in the film I couldn’t help but notice that the set was lackluster in comparison. In fact, it occupied my thoughts so much that I had to rewind the film to watch the scene again to key in to what Ethan and Martin were saying. 

                I find some of the indoor scenes to look a bit odd as well. It usually has to do with the lighting, which effects mise-en-scene. In one scene, the open door revealed a conspicuously red sky that shone brightly throughout the house. In a majority of the indoor scenes, the key light was very bright and shone from the direction of the camera. There didn’t appear to be much fill lighting to help balance the key light. This produced an effect that I would expect to see while watching a live stage performance. Each character was so brightly lit that their faces were nearly shining. 

                The desert scenes in this film look great. The only problem that I have is that they look so much better than the scenes shot in studio. It is an obvious inconsistency that continuously grabs my attention and takes my focus away from the story. It’s not that movies should be judged on how realistic they are, it’s that "The Searchers" contains so many scenes shot in beautiful locations that the scenes shot in studio look a bit awkward and unfitting in comparison. 

Singing in the Rain
Bethan Parmenter

Singin' in the Rain's  story line coincided perfectly with what was really happening in Hollywood at the time even though it was set in 1927. The transition from silent movies to talkies was not one easily made by many actors, especially ones like Lina Lamont, who were now being asked to sing, dance and really act in front of a camera. An aspect of this story that brings readers in is the common liking of the characters Kathy Seldon and Don Lockwood and their story of romance throughout the movie. Their infatuation with each other just seems to grow through the obstacles thrown at them making it even more endearing. While on the other side Lina Lamont is the typical Hollywood starlet who believes she deserves her fame, even though she clearly does not, especially after blackmailing the studio into having Kathy secretly voice over her movies so that she comes off as talented. It is comical in the end when it is revealed to the crowds that Kathy is the true star behind the movie, and the crowds make it clear by laughing at Lina that they do not approve or feel bad for her.
Another aspect that this movie had is the mise-en-scene that incorporated into its props, especially the umbrella that Gene Kelly uses while dancing. As the book said he takes a harmless object and uses it while dancing to show off his new love. He really makes the viewers believe that this is a vital prop needed to show emotion, its almost magical the way he incorporates it into what he is doing. Throughout the movie Gene Kelly's dancing is an amazing site to see, the way he uses his surroundings and captures the audiences hearts through a few dance moves, it his portrayal of these that makes them so magical and special.
One last thing that was important in the making of this movie was the use of sound and capturing the characters voices and talking. The issues with having Lina heard is almost comical. From where they hide the mikes to how terrible she sounds is some of the real struggles that production companies had with some of the first talking movies, which makes it so realistic in the movie. Again, this movie has a story within a story of actors making a movie about making a movie.

Singin in the Rain

            In the movie Singin in the Rain, the actors display a beautiful array of emotion through the use of voice and body movement. While watching this, I identified with the characters and understood the relationships between them. Through the use of their speech and gestures I was able to measure the condition of the dynamics between the three main characters, Don Lockwood, Kathy Selden, and Lina Lamont. In this blog post, I’ll the discuss the way in which these characters used their talents with body movement and gesture in order to communicate their emotions with one another throughout the movie.

            In the the beginning of the movie, Don is working as a stuntman for movies in which Lina Lamont always stars as the main supporting actor. At the end of a shoot one day, Don approaches Lina to tell her how much of an honor it has been working with her. She doesn’t’ say a word, but her cold, pompous manner, her high brow and chin, and the way in which she intentionally ignores him makes it clear to me that she not only is not interested in talking to him, but also considers herself to be much better than him. After she sees that he might become more than a stuntman, she stands right up next to him and smiles. This use of movement signifies that she is only interested in him for his “assets.” Though after this moment, he begins an on-stage relationship with her, this exchange between them is what solidifies Don’s decision to stop pursuing her offstage.

            After Don and Lina make a few movies together, Don accidentally meets Kathy at a red carpet premier. The first thing about her that surprises Don is that she does not recognize him. Everywhere he goes, he can’t seem to avoid adoring fans. In fact, they meet because he jumps in her car as a way to escape a mob of them. As he is telling her this, he starts to put his arm around her. This body language is an indication that he thinks he has her under his love spell. However, as soon as she notices, she scoots away from him, and her somewhat disgusted expression says, “Just because this guy is famous, he thinks he can be with anyone.” This expression of self-respect is what keeps Don intrigued with her. He spends the next three weeks thinking about and trying to find her. He finds out that Lina, with her scratchy voice (another character revealing device) is trying to keep them apart.

            As selfish as she is, Lina gets what’s coming to her in the end. While Lina is mouth-singing for an audience in front of a curtain and Kathy is singing behind it, Don lifts the curtain to reveal the real singer to the audience. Again, this action shows, without words, how Don really feels about Kathy. Despite the chances of losing his career for committing such an impromptu act onstage, he still took them for Kathy. He wanted the world to share his love for her.

            In conclusion, through observation of the characters’ physical movement, I was able to understand and identify with the characters and their relationships with one another. This shows that movie characters use multiple tools for communication, not just words.

Sunset Boulevard: The Price of Fame

                Sunset Boulevard is a contagious tale about a chance encounter between an aging silent film star and a struggling screenwriter in 1950s Hollywood. The film is memorable to me because of the role of Norma Desmond played by Gloria Swanson. Norma absolutely owned every scene that she was in. Her extravagance is obviously noted when she is first introduced in the film. As Joe Gillis, the screenwriter, pulls into the driveway of her mansion with a flat tire, he is rushed inside and upstairs by the butler to Norma Desmond waiting for the undertaker to bring a coffin for her recently deceased monkey. Joe recognized her as an old silent film actress and mentioned that she used to be big. She responded with, “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.” From this point on it’s obvious that Norma Desmond has a huge ego that needs to be constantly fed.

Joe agrees to help her with the script that she wrote for her return to the pictures because he really needed the money. He received the flat tire running away from collectors who were trying to repossess his car. As he tried to fix the terrible script, Norma made it difficult by constantly watching over his shoulder. She would even intervene if he tried to throw a scene out. Meanwhile, Joe was literally forced to move into the mansion while he worked on her script. This is just another example of Norma getting whatever she wants. Soon, Joe became her plaything, which happened “conveniently” after the death of her pet. She took him out to buy all new suits and even gave him a gold plated cigarette case on New Year’s Eve.

Norma longed for her “return” and sent her newly revised script off to Cecil DeMille, a legendary director with whom she has worked with in the past. DeMille, of course, had no intention of making this film that would be as extravagant as Norma herself. The mansion did receive phone calls from Paramount though, but they only wanted to speak to Norma to rent her timeless car for a film. Norma never came to the phone though, because the caller wasn’t DeMille. She was too good for an assistant to call her.

Things started spiraling when Norma realized that Joe had been sneaking out at night. He had been working on a script with a young girl named Betty Schaefer, and the two began to fall in love. Norma’s melodramatic nature ensured that there were no limits to what she would do to get Joe to stay with her. After already once attempting “suicide”, she threatens Joe with it again. He responds with, “Oh, wake up, Norma, you’d be killing yourself to an empty house. The audience left twenty years ago.” After stating that he’d be leaving, Norma follows him outside and shoots him dead when he won’t stop. Norma gives the chilling line, “The stars are ageless, aren’t they?” In the end, she did get the cameras to roll for her again, as Paramount recorded her gracefully walking down her stairs.

It’s easy to just point out Norma’s crazy antics, but the movie was making a larger point with them. Sunset Boulevard exposes the cutthroat world of film making in Hollywood. It’s particularly harsh on women. When they are young and beautiful, they have all of the fame in the world, but fame doesn’t last forever. Further helping to prove the point, Gloria Swanson, who played the role of Norma, was a former silent film star herself. She, like Norma, was trying to make her comeback by playing a former silent film actress trying to make her comeback.

Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon"

Akira Kurosawa’s film titled “Rashomon” is considered by many to be a classic. Many others, however, do not see the significance of this film. At first, I was one of the skeptics. Okay, so there’s a murder in the woods, and there are conflicting stories. Big whoop, right? It sounds like another episode of CSI is you ask me. Upon looking further into this film though, you can begin to see why it has garnered the fame that it has. I think the first reason that it is so popular is the fact that Kurosawa only uses three total scenes in the entire movie (the Rashomon gate, the woods, and the courthouse). For an hour and twenty minute long movie, that’s pretty impressive! How many of today’s movies can you name that only use such a simple setting? The fact that Kurosawa took such a minimalist approach to set building and special effects really allowed the true art of the actors to shine through. Unlike modern films which rely heavily on special effects and heavy action sequences, this film allowed the true emotions of the actors to flow freely from every scene.

Another reason that I believe this film is considered a classic is because it has no definite ending. With all of the separate stories having their own alternate endings, it is up to the audience to decide how the crime actually plays out. It is very similar to many other movies that play out the same way that have won countless awards. The first example that comes to my mind is the movie “Slumdog Millionaire.” This movie uses a whole bunch of smaller stories to tell one big story. This technique is also used in the 2006 award winner “Babel,” and the 1998 award winner “Run Lola Run.” Now I’m no film junkie, but it seems fairly clear to me that this style of movie has been proven time and time again.

            The third main reason that this film is so critically acclaimed is because of Kurosawa’s subtle use of symbolism. The rain is the first thing that the audience notices when the film starts. Without even thinking about it, the audience already has a hint of the mood and setting of this film. The rain hints that the story that is about to be told is not one of joy and happiness, but rather one of melancholy, confusion, and mystery. The baby that appears towards the end of the film is another big use of symbolism. All throughout the length of the film, Kurosawa has been hinting that there is no good in humanity anymore. He uses the priest at Rashomon gate to express this quite often. Just when things are looking at their worst, this baby mysteriously appears. Instead of someone stepping up to take care of it, the first thing that happens is that the third man at the gate steals the kimono and the amulet that were left with the child. It appears as though the situation could not possibly reach a deeper mood of desperation after this point, so the priest takes the child and begins to walk away with it. The woodcutter then steps in and tries to take the child away to which the priest snaps at him asking that he please not take what little the child has left. The woodcutter then explains, much to the priest’s surprise, that he plans to take the child with him as he already has six others. The priest is overwhelmed with joy saying that perhaps there still is hope for mankind. This child is use as a symbol of hope for the human race. Kurosawa allures to his opinion that even though things appear as though they can not get any worse, there is always some hope to be had. It just has to be found.

The Maltese Falcon Review

By Katie Robinson

 

“The Maltese Falcon”, though classic in the history of films, is a confusing movie. There are a lot of characters, schemes and changing stories that it is sometimes difficult to keep track of what is happening and what will happen next most of the time. However, what is clear and remains constant in the movie is the cool, confident character of Sam Spade, which I find to be one of the most important aspects of the plot in this tale.

Emotions in general are very crucial to any plot in a movie, but this movie especially, where we see how life threatening lust, greed, and determination can be.  We see how being greedy can make a man, Kasper Gutman specifically, give up years of his life, as well as the lives of his friends and foes to find the precious Maltese Falcon. With the precious statue being the one priority in his life, he is more than willing to not only drag his partner, Joel Cairo, through years of illegally hunting down the trophy, but he also emotionlessly allows to give up his son-like apprentice, Wilmer, to the police in order to have an alibi for his own crime. Brigid O’Shaughnessy uses her lust to get what she wants, which is protection from the scary Gutman, as well as her own crimes involving the Maltese Falcon.

Yet Sam’s character is the one that makes up the solid core of the movie. He is the one who is in charge of solving the mystery of the Maltese Falcon, as well as ensuring the safety of Brigid, so he makes sure to not let his feelings get too much in the way of all the drama going on around him. This is seen in the way that he always stays calm and collected. Even when his partner is killed, or a gun is put to his head, he keeps a level-headed, cool attitude that keeps situations under control. We see how beneficial his wit and cleverness is when he has to make up fake stories to tell to the cops throughout the movie, in order to keep the case where he wants it and to protect the people involved. Even when he has to get information out of Brigid he doesn’t angrily demand it, but rather he is calm enough to ease the story out of her eventually.

 

 Keeping his emotions out of the way and staying dedicated and focused to his job and to himself ultimately ends up saving Spade’s life. His partner, Miles Archer was not so lucky, when he ends up getting killed while being swooned by the beautiful Ms. O’Shaughnessy on the job. Though Sam develops a romantic relationship with Brigid, we see that in the end it is not worth it for Sam to give up his legal responsibilities and life for a gorgeous, yet lying woman. Because of his uncanny knack for solving mysteries and staying cool, Sam Spade not only ensures his survival in the movie, but makes the film the classic story that it is today.

The Gold Rush Review

“The Gold Rush” is a silent film that was produced in 1952. Its unique portrayal of the Klondike Gold Rush was created by Charles Chaplin. Chaplin was and remains to be a cultural icon, but his reputation as an actor contains a comedic element (which is almost impossible to ignore.) How could he, as a seemingly light-hearted, comedic artist mimic a world full of strife and desperation? The reliably innovative “Charlie” Chaplin made the simple decision to add nothing other than a comedic element. Though this was a simple decision, however, it could not have been a simple process. Tragedy and comedy are not exactly complementary colors.

Taking a look at his personal life, we can begin to understand how he was able to accomplish such a feat. According to the Official Charlie Chaplin Website, his parents were talented performers, therefore, he had a natural taking to acting beginning at a young age. Not only did he have experience with performance, but he also had experience with devastation. Before he reached ten years, Charlie’s father passed away, and his mother became ill shortly thereafter. As a result, Charlie and his brother Sydney were forced to fend for themselves. This need to survive and deal with heartache and sudden independence quickly afforded Charlie attention from the public for his ability to dance.

We fast-forward in time to when Charlie embarks on making this comedic tragedy, “The Gold Rush”. In order to do this, Chaplin had to use his long-lived independence and light-heartedness to his advantage. By adding an essential element to the film, romance, he was more successful at achieving his desired tone. Chaplin’s character, “The Lone Prospector” falls in love at a dance with the character, “Georgia.” “The Lone Prospector represents not just any man who endured the hardship of the Gold Rush, but a benevolently aimless man traveling with an eye of wonder. Even when the prospector is given a large amount of gold, he still isn’t quite satisfied without the woman whom he adores. This would be a direct contrast to the character of a typical person desperately searching for riches in the cold Arctic mountains.

                  Pretending to scale Arctic Mountains, however, was not the personal hardship Charlie had to mask. In his search for a lead lady, he chose the fifteen year old, Lillita MacMurray, whom he had worked with in a previous film of his, “The Kid”. After shooting for “The Gold Rush” began, however, Lillita (Lita Grey) found out she was pregnant with Charlie’s child. Shooting had to be postponed for three months, and Charlie had to find a new lead woman. His love life’s affect on his work life may have provided some of the real emotions permeating through the film.

 This character development urges viewers to speculate that the Prospector was never actually searching for material riches. The aimless wanderer may have been searching for riches within all along (the riches of love). With this implication and with the help of comedic elements and his enigmatic, romantic personality, Chaplin probably intended for his audience to understand a theme to this story: that no external richness can compare to the internal richness felt for another person.

Citizen Kane Review

In Citizen Kane, Orson Welles takes his audience on a fascinating journey to discover the meaning of Charles Foster Kane’s last word, “Rosebud.” In which, viewers are encouraged to embark on this journey to help solve the identity of Charles Kane. Through each turn, however, the viewer finds out other information about Charles Kane’s life without fully uncovering the story behind his last word. It isn’t until the final scene of the film that the secret possession is revealed for only the audience to notice, while the characters on set are left to wonder what Kane’s untold mystery was. During the conclusion of the film after many failed attempts at cracking this case, reporter, Jerry Thompson stated, “I don’t think a word could explain a man’s life.” However, I believe that the audience might think otherwise based on the significance of the term, “Rosebud.” This word does not simply identify an old-fashioned sleigh that Kane used to play with during his childhood; it represents an entire chapter in his life that has been suppressed by years of fame and fortune. 

Although it may appear to others that Kane had everything a man could want in his life, he was never truly satisfied because money and popularity do not equate to personal happiness. During the years of his honored success, Kane found himself being known for his actions and accomplishments.  He was often referred to as a social icon.  These false identities had actually robbed him of his true identity.   In hopes of self-discovery, he continued to search for more political fame and social acceptance.  As a result, Kane’s self-centeredness left him with a great amount of wealth, power, and prestige.  In the process, however, Kane also becomes separated and disconnected from his pure childhood innocence.  Viewers can conclude that Kane’s last word served as his final effort in reclamation of his fondest memories as a child.  As an audience, to fully understand the mystery of Charles Kane, investigators must peel back the layers in Kane’s life to determine his true identity.  Before there was ever any fame and fortune, who was Charles Foster Kane?  What were Kane’s most valuable possessions as a child? 

During the most heartbreaking scene in the movie where his wife, Susan, left him, Kane stumbled across an old snow globe.  This couldn’t have been just any ordinary snow globe, however, because unlike all the rest of the useless possessions in the room that he wrecked and destroyed, Kane kept this item in his hand as he staggered out of the room.  Something about that object gave Charles Kane the most indescribable look on his face.  It’s as if all those years of repressed memories and emotions had struck him all at once.  Kane could no longer protect himself from the feelings that were associated with his childhood and the legendary sled, “Rosebud,” because he realized that those were the years of his life that brought him pure happiness.  If only Kane had rediscovered the joy from his childhood, perhaps his life would not have ended in tragedy and guilt.  In the end, Kane lost everything that ever meant anything to him at all.