Monday, May 4, 2009
Coen Brothers Post
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Altman Post
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Director Assignment Post #1: Goodfellas Directed by Martin Scorsese
An important scene in Goodfellas would be when the gang is playing poker and the bartender, "Spider" mistook Tommy Devitos drink. Tommy who is known for his temper gets very upset and shoots Spider in the foot. The next poker game Tommy tries to get a rise out of Spider, which he does, leading to Tommy killing Spider. Afterwards the fellow gang members are clearly perturbed and Tommy blows it off as if nothing happened, meanwhile Henry is sinking deeper and deeper into this dark world of his. This scene is important because it shows the complete coldbloodedness of Tommy and how the gang gets angry at Tommy for killing Spider because of the mess, not the actual act of murder.
The camerawork present in Goodfellas is superb, with very intelligent shots and with an almost minimalist style depending on cuts and editing to increase tension or invoke another emotion. A scene that is a wonderful example of the expertise of the camera would be the tracking shot of Henry and his future wife Karen taking the back door of a restaurant and walking all the way to the front table. The scene transitions wonderfully from a bustling street outside to a nice candlelit dinner in front of the band. There are quite a few tracking shots present in the film but are executed so smoothly that they almost goes unnoticed.
Goodfellas is recognized as one of Scorsese's greatest works due to the jawdropping revelations and masterfully crafted camerawork, this film gets the respect and adoration it deservedly recieves.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Journal #3 Lawrence of Arabia (Reception)
The public and critics both viewed the film as amazing and influential to fture films as they do today. Directed by David Lean who is well known for many of his other films such as Dr. Zhivago and many more is mostly renowned for his direction in Lawrence of Arabia.
People would react, in my opinion much different than they did when it came out because it doesn't have a very active, intriguing plotline throughout the first half of the film but for good reason, I feel it shows the agonizing slowness an dread of traveling through the desert, while it works very well in the movie it would not grab people's attention today as it would when it was released.
Truthfully I enjoyed the small little tendencies that made the cinematography what it was and how the character of Lawrence changed throughout the story in a almost comical way were just some of the reasons that this fim was given such a big response and is one of the most critically acclaimed movies of all time.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Too Tough To Die
Sunday, October 7, 2007
The Review Of Vertigo (Journal #2)
Vertigo, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock is a story of a former detective, John 'Scottie' Ferguson who suffers from Acrophobia, (gets dizzy and passes out from 10 feet and up,) is asked to follow a former friends wife who John fears is suicidal, and all the strange events that follow.
Vertigo is a story of love and obsession and the latter takes control over the last half of the movie as John keeps seeing his lost love in all the places he had followed her when he was hired to follow her. He has these strange dreams excellently choreographed to give the most suspense possible and make you feel truly uncomfortable watching this man so saddened and truly unable to decipher reality and tricks created by his own mind, ultimately his reality becomes ruined by his own doing and his inability to let anything go.
James Stewart plays the lead as John Ferguson, and plays him beautifully. His acting is so life like and real you forget that those scenes of Vertigo are created and not the actual visions of a delusional man. Kim Novak as one of the most interesting characters in any movie I have ever seen, playing the suicidal knowing damsel in self created distress and the uncertain loving and caring disillusioned woman who provides herself as the love interest. These two are the two and only main characters as their are in reality only about eight characters who actually have lines in the entire movie, they basically carry the entire movie on their shoulders and as well as keeping the story rolling and drama flowing.
Alfred Hitchcock again dazzles audiences with his master cinematography skills and his ability to weave a web that ties itself to completely different aspects of the film and ties them together to create a masterpiece of a movie. During the dream sequence of the wallowing state of John Ferguson's self pity, the screen is bombarded with visual illusions, color flooding the screen and eerie music which creates a mood of awkwardness, you don't know what to focus on, so many things are happening that you feel bombarded with visual magic, Hitchcock's true skill at work, the ability to create suspense and unbearable tension.
Overall the film is filled with amazing aspects of visual literacy way behead of its time, characters that compel you to watch them even if you know that they are doomed to lead a life of misfortune, his amazing cinematographic mind or his unparalleled stories, you watch his movies because they completely encompass you forcing you to have a keen eye and ear for details because they will unknowingly appear again, tension is supposed to be the greatest way to promote entertainment, even if the ending leaves you feeling a little short, you can't help but feel entertained.
photo courtesy of pos-pych.com
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Philadelphia: Photography
photo courtesy of: gezondeliefe.com