Abstract This paper explains that the movie "Purgatory" proves that it is better to possess free will, even if it is the will to sin, rather than to be made into a clockwork orange as a paradigm of virtue. The author relates that Blackjack Britton gang fleeing a posse rides into Refuge, a town of second chances where the people make every effort to be virtuous. The paper points out that Refuge is a clockwork orange in reverse because moral choice has been taken away. The paper concludes that Alex's brainwashed paradigm of virtue and the Refuge paradigm were broken apart by the free will choice to do something for oneself.
From the Paper "It is only when Sonny, who is in love with Rose and sacrifices himself for her, makes them realize their identities, that they in turn realize they do have a choice and take action. Sonny is surprised to find Hickok with his gun belt on coming out to stand with him in the classic gunfight scene: "What the hell," he says." "That's exactly what it is," Forest replies, "Hope you're ready to meet it." Alex's self-realization, even in the midst of his performance after the Ludovico Technique, is the same slow sign that there is still a spark of free will there."
This paper analyzes the film "Amadeus", directed by Milo Forman, from the perspective of an historian especially as it portrays the Age of Enlightenment.
Abstract This paper explains that the film "Amadeus", a fictionalized accounting of the life of Mozart, is set in the Enlightenment period in the late eighteenth century and depicts the higher urban, social class in Austria concentrating on rulers rather than commoners. The author points out that Salieri's telling the "Amadeus" story from a mental hospital is his penance, or his position in the Enlightenment purgatory. The paper relates that Mozart, viewed as an Enlightenment hero, is able to push some boundaries, such as composing the "Marriage of Figaro", because the Enlightenment was basically about shaking up the social structure.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Main Question
Conclusion
From the Paper "The characters in Forman's "Amadeus" are not fictional, but they are
fictionalized. They are based on real people who lived and died in Enlightenment Europe, but since no one was around to write down every word they said before they died, the director had to take liberties with dialog and action in a way that fictionalizes the story. The death of Mozart is already the stuff of legend and fiction, and this movie takes it further. The characters therefore represent actual historical figures, but they are still fictionalized. Forman's film was made in 1984, and this doesn't appear to have much impact on the story it is telling. The film was a Broadway musical before it was a movie."
Abstract Th is paper explains that "Fight Club" is a critique of consumerism, which is surprisingly radical for a mainstream Hollywood production. The author points out that the most significant aspect of the film is how this critique is intertwined with an analysis of the impact of globalized economics and the labor marketplace upon constructions of masculinity in modern culture. The paper argues that "Fight Club" represents the convergence of gender and globalized economics in terms of labor marginalized in both geographic space and economic relations.
From the Paper "The Hollywood film "Fight Club" (1999) is a complex depiction of masculinity in the postmodern consumer age. Although its critique of consumerism is surprisingly radical for a mainstream Hollywood production, the most significant aspect of the film is how this critique is intertwined with an analysis of the impact of globalized economics and the labor marketplace upon constructions of masculinity in modern culture. As this essay will argue, "Fight Club" represents the convergence of gender and globalized economics in terms of labor marginalized in both geographic space and economic relations."
Abstract This paper explains that the films "Jaws" (1975), by Steven Spielberg, and "Deep Blue Sea", (1999) by Renny Harlin, reveal similar films, but with different twists within the action/thriller shark movie category. In regards to the technology used in Spielberg's 1975 masterpiece, it appears that less was more in creating a monster that brought terror to the American population.
From the Paper "This formal film analysis will examine the comparison and contrast between the two films: "Jaws", (1975 by Steven Spielberg, and "Deep Blue Sea", (1999) by Renny Harlin. In this manner, the narrative structure of the film closely follows the dictates of dramatic representation in how human beings survive against sharks. The fury of nature and social hysteria becomes the critical focal point in both of these films, as the terrifying darkness of what may lurk in the oceans is brought forth."
Abstract The author of this paper uses four films and quotes to illustrate the influence that the Godfather Saga had on the film "Goodfellas". It summarizes each of the Godfather movies including character analysis and connects them to the characters in Goodfellas.
From the paper:
"Gangster films have been popular for many years. Everybody loves a film that depicts the days of mobsters and the many deals and connections that were portrayed within those films. Perhaps there is a small piece of each of us secretly wishing we could throw away the straight-laced life and become a part of the gangster scene back when it had respect. Whatever the reason America loves the films they are a sure moneymaker at the box office. The Godfather Trilogy began in 1972 and had three films to its saga. Each one was popular and picked up where the other left us hanging to continue the story. We expected each Godfather film to resemble the previous work of art. What we didn?t expect was the impact and influence these three films would have on a more recent project called Goodfellas. While Goodfellas is its own movie in its own right the movies is filled with the obvious influence of the Godfather Saga. "
Abstract Among the various styles of producing films, the noir style is one that has come to be recognized for its uniqueness in characterization, camera work and striking dialogue. Film Noir of the 1940s and 50s was well known for feminine characters that were the protagonists, the femme fatale. This was most common with the French and later accepted in the United States. This paper begins by introducing film noir, its definition, how it started and also the history of this genre in the United States of America. It looks at films such as the "Maltese Falcon" (1941) and "A Touch of Evil" (1958). In the second section, the paper explores how women are represented in film noir (heroine and femme fatal) by discussing the aforementioned films and analyzing them. The paper examines different authors, such as Ann Mary Doane whose research is based on feminism and psychoanalysis and Ewing Dale ("Style and Content in Film Noir"), to discuss their ideas. The paper also compares two film noirs - the "Maltese Falcon" (1941) and "Basic Instinct" (a contemporary noir), to see how women express themselves, looking to see whether they express themselves through their sexual diversity. In the third and last section, the paper examines how women are represented in contemporary noir by analyzing and discussing one contemporary noir - "Mulholland Drive" (2001). The paper analyzes sequences to demonstrate the movie's connection with film noir and examines the role of women in the film. The paper includes illustrations from movies.
From the Paper "Mulholland Drive reinforces the dominance of the femme fatale in contemporary film noir. In present times the role of the woman in society is observed to have a variation, and this is because of the fact that there is a change in the way that she can express herself. It also highlights the way that she can dominate men without them even knowing it. It is perhaps only when they reach their ultimate doom that they realize that women have exploited them. This kind of character portrayal is one that has increased over the years since the beginning of the film noirs. From then it has developed itself in American filmmaking, which has reflected the strengths and weaknesses both in American society."
This paper examines the horror film genre, also known as realist horror, while focusing on two specific films, "The Blair Witch Project" and "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer."
Abstract This paper analyzes the realist horror genre in film. The realist horror genre was spearheaded by Alfred Hitchcock in his 1960 film "Psycho." Horror films proliferated throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s in Hollywood. Most of these films used comedy to portray killings, veering away from realism. The writer of this paper contends that the realist aspect of actual human killers is enough to leave lingering fears long after the viewing has ended. This paper focuses on this particular style of filmmaking, in which the approach is to focus on the killer rather than victim, resulting in terrifying the viewing audience. This well-researched paper notes the similarities and differences in "The Blair Witch Project" and "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer." This paper describes how both films leave the viewer with a lingering thought and fear of the real world. Specifically, fear of the horrific possibilities. "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer" is based on real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. The movie follows the daily life of Henry, beginning with aftermath shots of freshly murdered victims juxtaposed with images of Henry. This illustrates to the audience that Henry is indeed a bona-fide serial killer. "The Blair Witch Project" is a far cry from the typical slasher film. It uses an entirely different approach to realist horror. The film is shown as a documentary and the actors are not actors at all, but real victims captured on video.
From the Paper "The presentation style changes only during the murder scenes. The pictures are graphic and almost too gory to be real. One woman is seen with a bottle shoved into her throat and the electronics salesman's head goes through a television picture tube - just before the television is plugged in - electrocuting him. Background electric guitar is also present mostly during the build up to a murder. It is not overdone and avoids appearing out of place. Rather, it helps the viewer realize something important in happening. Overall the film does achieve a realism most slasher films cannot approach. This purposeful use of a home-movie style subtly reminds the viewer that the onscreen events are based in truth. Blair Witch takes the realist style one step further by using the camera as a prop in the film. The viewer is constantly reminded that an off-screen character is behind the lens."
Abstract This paper analyzes the 1933 film, "King Kong" and discusses several important elements of the film. More specifically, the paper analyzes the main characters in the film, the film's plot, the acting, mise-en-scene, the film's use of special effects, the use of sound, the cinemaphotogray and the main themes in the film. The paper also discusses the film's powerful emotional impact and the sexual interplay in the play.
Abstract This paper reviews the Canadian film industry, one that is said to be a composite of three different unique bodies that have combined to create a dynamic film environment; albeit not a uniquely Canadian one. The paper goes on to discuss how while the indigenous Canadian film industry is still extant it might be described as moribund at best. If not for governmental support for the indigenous film industry, independent Canadian film making might already be extinct. The Canadian film industry is relatively healthy overall but the figures indicate strictly indigenous Canadian films, outside of one or two major production houses, may suffer revenue and market difficulties in the years ahead.
Abstract This paper explains that the way women are depicted in film generally reflects how women are viewed in the society, which produced the film. The women in the 1940 films were empowered because of woman who worked in a factory during the war; however, the 1950s film depicted a return to a more domestic image of women, though challenged by the sex bomb. The author points out that these film images of women contributed to the unrest and dissatisfaction that led to the development of the women's liberation movement in the 1960s. The paper analyzes in detail 1940s films "The Philadelphia Story", Mildred Pierce", "Now, Voyager" and "Double Indemnity " and 1950s films "The African Queen", "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison", "The Girl Can't Help It" and "Some Like It Hot".
Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Forties
The Fifties
Conclusion
From the Paper "Elizabeth Mulvey describes the view prevalent of the woman as being woman as icon, and Tracy clearly does represent an iconic image to every male in the film and to many of the woman as well. She is the goddess to Dexter, Connor, and her fiancee, though in different ways and with differing degrees of acceptance. To her father, she is a failed woman, a woman who will never be a true woman until she changes her way of relating to men and her way of being looked at and being displayed."
Tags: stereotype, film noir, davis crawford hepburn
Abstract This paper studies the concept of suturing which is defined in many different ways such as sewing something back together, gesture or pseudo-identification, the individual watching a film as a stand-in for the camera and more. It looks at the filmmaker Ranier Werner Fassbinder's work 'Despair' as an example of a film that attempts to undercut notions of the gazer of the film becoming sutured into the web of the film and of becoming socially subjected to the predetermined constructions of reality within the film's text. Finally, it concludes that the destabilizing of a master narrative with the particularity of autobiography is better than the complicated suturing.
From the Paper "On a very literal level, to suture something is to sew something back together, usually imperfectly, usually with a substance that is alien to the body that is being altered?such as the doctor's suturing thread that stitches together an open wound. On a semiotic level, according to Jacques-Alain Miller, Miller's definition of suture (in a nutshell) is that the suturing process in culture is the process through which a subject is joined into the signifying chain of culture, allowing a signifier to stand-in for the subject's absence in discourse. (Suture as a Laconian Concept) "
Abstract This paper presents a summary of "Chapter 3 of Film History: Theory and Practice" by Robert Allen and Douglas Gomeny that focuses on the need for an active process of reading and studying film history. It looks at film as a narrative and the personal agenda of the film historian. It looks at the economic and cultural assumptions of the film historian.
Abstract This paper considers aspects of film business economics. The writer notes differences between studio films and independent films in terms of grosses and the relationship between opening weekend grosses and total grosses for a number of films. In this article, the writer uses Miramax as an example of an independent company showing a different pattern, as it opens films more slowly and makes money more slowly as well.
From the Paper "The economics of the film business change over time, and much of what applied in the studio era is no longer applicable, and even what worked for the major companies in the 1970s is not applicable today. The business has become consolidated at the top, with the major studios dominating, while also opening the way for smaller companies at various times. The fact that film exhibition is now targeted more at multiplexes than at large stand-alone theaters has contributed to this change, given that exhibitors have more screens to fill. While they often do this by putting the same film on two or three screens at a time, they also rely on a larger number of films to keep patrons coming back week after week if not more often."
Abstract The paper discusses how the techniques of close framing, rapid editing and ranging cameras are the basis of David Bordwell's filming styles of the modern age. The paper illustrates how in this manner, the film "Fight Club," directed by David Fincher, helps to convey these exact techniques, which have become a staple in the Hollywood filming style. The paper portrays how through the various scenes of Jack's intensifying insanity, one can realize the depth and scope of the portrayal of insanity through the use of the camera. The paper shows how in this manner, the shooting techniques of modern film create the intensified continuity for audiences that Fincher intends in "Fight Club."
From the Paper "This film study will analyze the film techniques expressed by David Bordwell in relation to the film "Fight Club" (1999), directed by David Fincher. By analyzing the film technique concepts of "close framing", "rapid editing" and "the free-ranging camera," one can realize how these filming techniques abide within the film "Fight Club." By examining a series of scenes from this film, there is a sense of technique that Bordwell exemplifies in his analysis of "intensified continuity" in the modern filmmaking process. The use of "close framing" is an essential aspect of Bordwell's use of filming that abides in creating intensity of continuity in the extremely violent portrayal of Jack (Edward Norton) in "Fight Club," as a schizophrenic head case addicted to recovery groups."
Abstract This paper analyzes the film "Jerry McGuire" in order to analyze the characterization of women in film. Several analysis techniques are used for the analysis, such as looking at the life styles portrayed in the film, the film's language, the argument within the text, and the reception of the audience.
