JAWS

I am pleased to say that I have seen Jaws and it is a classic favorite of mine. It was nice to have an excuse to watch it again. The music in this film is infamous. Everyone knows the Jaws music. Whenever I hear it I instantly think of Jaws and sharks. I love sharks and find them fascinating. I look forward to shark week on Discovery Channel every year. That being said,  I am terrified of sharks. I am aware of the odds of a shark attack. They talk about frequently on Shark Week. However, it still makes me nervous to swim in a lake let alone the ocean. This is why this film is scary. Unfortunately, shark attacks have happened and will continue to happen. This fact makes this film scary because it can happen. The ocean is full of mysteries and a giant rogue shark could be out there, who really knows?
The editing in this film also helps in giving this film tension and that scare factor. Cutting back and forth between people on the beach and people playing in the ocean and then to an underwater point of view that can only be the shark. Keeps the audience on their toes and makes them uncomfortable. There is one shot when the chief of police is on the boat with the two other men who are hunting the rogue shark and the chief is literally in the middle of a sentence and it fades out and to a new scene. That was a little wierd and the timing felt off.
As mentioned above the music from this film is infamous and most everyone is familiar with it. The use of music in this film helps to build tension and curiosity. The use of silence is also helpful in this film. It will be an underwater shot from the shark's perspective and you can only hear the water and the muffled sounds of children playing and people enjoying the beach and sunshine. It gives the audience an idea of what the shark hears while at the same time seeing what he sees.
I honestly feel like this film would still do well today in the box office. Imagine seeing a classic like Jaws on the big screen in 3D. Jurassic Park was awesome when they brought that back to theatres and I feel like Jaws would do just as well. Sharks are still real and attacks are still happening so the scary aspect is still there. Jaws is awesome and always will be.

DANCES WITH WOLVES

I had never seen this movie before this class and I was a little worried that it would be a snooze fest. I had a hard time watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and I was sure this would be another tough one to sit through. However, I was pleasently surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. It is a little bit of a western with the gun fights, monologue, and wide open landscape shots but I believe it is mostly a drama due to the real life characters in real life situations. It also has Man vs. Man and Man vs. Nature as well as diary entries. Throughout the film Kevin Costner writes in a journal about his experiences with the indians and such. 

Music plays an important role in this movie. It helps set the mood and scene for the movie. It is only instrumental music with no words or singing which is fitting for this movie. I think it would be odd to put songs with lyrics in this movie. It would throw things off. It can go from peaceful music showing the open landscape as Kevin Costner rides horseback to being anxious about the sound he hears in the early morning light creeping around his fort which turns out to be his beloved horse to pain and sadness when watching the infamous wolf Two Socks is killed. It really helps put the audience in the moment and feel the emotions the characters are feeling. 

Overall, this was a great film and I am glad that I have now seen some of these amazing films in class. The acting was very good in my opinion. Stands with a Fist is very believable. You feel her pain as she is mourning for her husband and her fear of the white men when she encounters John on the prairie. I love the way the actors portrayed the language barrier. Keven acting out a buffalo and then Stands with a Fist trying to remember how to speak english. Even later in the film when she's had practice she has some trouble and it is believable and realistic. It was a very well done film and it absolutely deserved to win the Oscar. There is a little of everything in this film. There is lonliness, trimph, sadness, anger, love and romance, war, drama, and even a little humor. It tells a believable and evertaining story. 

CHARIOTS OF FIRE

This film was a bit slow for me. However, there are good attributes about this film. This film's theme is about changing yourself to become who you want to be but not completely losing oneself. Abrahams is trying to be himself but he also wants to win the olympics as a jewish runner. Little wants to win as well but is torn because he also wants to follow God. The acting in this film is fairly decent. It is believable and draws you in. They bring life to the characters and make them relatable. The music isn't bad either in this film. It also helps make you feel like you are apart of the film and experiencing the highs and lows with the characters. Production design was well thought out and portrayed. The costumes are good and help set the time. The editing is a big part in every film and this film was well edited. I believe it was the story line that is a bit slow for me but the editing helps it along and keeps you interested in the plot. It is a relatable story due to the fact that the antagonist is themselves. They need to stop holding themselves back. That is relatable and well recieved in any time line. People will always second guess themselves and worry what other people think. The human race will never be able to trust that we are good enough and worthy. The characters depict this very well. That is what I pulled from the film.

ROCKY

Rocky is a well made film with a good, accurate story line. It is not hard to see why it won Best Picture. It is a Cinderella story that is uplifting and gives the feel good vibe.
Diegetic Sound: An example of this is when Rocky is training and he is running and there is a train in the background as he runs through the field. You can see it and hear it and you know the sound is coming from the train. 
Non-Diegetic Sound: An example of this is from the same scene as above when Rocky is running and the Eye of the Tiger song is playing. It adds to the scene but it isn't part of Rocky's world. He doesn't hear the music. 
Off-screen Sound: An example of this would be when Rocky and Adrian are sitting on the couch watching TV and Adrian's brother comes home and is yelling at Adrian and saying mean things to her. The camera remains on Rocky and Adrian but you can hear her brother yelling. 
Theme: This films scene is about Rocky finding himself. He wants to win the big fight and prove he is more than just a leg breaker for the mob. 
Save the cat: Rocky wanting to be with Adrian. Even her own brother thinks it is hopeless and that she will never marry. He gives her a chance and sees beauty where others do not. 
Another instance is when Rocky doesn't break the thumb of a guy who owes the mob leader money. He believes him when he says he will get the money and gives him a chance to follow through with his promise. It makes the mob leader angry but Rocky wants to give him a chance. 
I believe another moment is when he gives his previous trainer another opportunity to be his trainer. His trainer doesn't believe in him until after he gets invited to the big fight. Rocky originally tells him no when he first asks but then gives in and lets him be his trainer. 
These relate to the anti hero because Rocky is a leg breaker for the mob but he also has a heart. He wants to be more and show people he is more than just muscle. It was well recieved because it is a good story with a feel good vibe and people can feel for the characters and relate. 

AMADEUS

       Amadeus was an interesting film. It is not what I had expected at all. I am not really sure what I thought it would be about but my mind never once went to Mozart. It was very well done. I often do not think of these famous people as regular people. What kind of life did they have and how they lived. The costumes in this film are very extravagant. Big, full dresses and lots of hats. Almost everyone is wearing a dramatic hat at one point or another in this film. The circle that Mozart runs in is high up in social standing so there are parties all the time and costumes for the parties. As in the characters in the film are dressing up and wearing masks for the parties and other events. The use of color in this film mostly light with dark dramatic costumes and props. It makes them pop and more noticable. However, there are parts in this film when the color pallet is dull and toned down. For instance when Mozart is writing the opera for whom he thinks is his father's ghost he is troubled. He is in a dark place and the use of color helps bring you in to his darkness. If not for the candles and the fire it would be pitch black dark. There isn't much color in the costumes and the set. It makes you focus on Mazart and what he is going through.
     The production design also helps to portray the story. In the beginning when we first see the mental hospital it gives you a sense of hopelessness. There are men literally in cages. This also helps us to see how far we've come as far as helping those with mental illness since the time of this film. We don't lock them in a place with others like them without help and just forget them. The houses in this film portray extravagance and luxury and riches. While Mozart's home is far from a mansion it also shows us that he is far from living in a dump. There are big fire places and crown molding and large doors windows and fancy chandeliers.
    I think the theme that I took away from this film is to be careful what you wish for. It may seem like something you really want or need at the time but have you looked at the big picture and how whatever it is you want will affect it?

THE GODFATHER

        The Godfather is arguably one of the greatest films of all time. While I didn't particually enjoy it I can still appreciate the film. The film is very serious and the use of color helps portray the emotions in this film. For instance, in the beginning, during the wedding scene it shows the outside and things are bright and cheerful. The characters are in pastel colors and the sun is shining. However, when it switches to the inside where Vito is doing business the lights are dark and there are lots of shadows. This part of the film shows the most drastic change in color. For the most part the rest of the film is in sepia: tans, browns, and off white. There is also a lot of black in this movie. The suits that the men wear are always black and the cars they drive are as well. The long over coats are gray. Lots of low lighting. The use of shadowing was used throughout the film as well. It gives a sense of suspicion, importance, and fear. It is intriguing. It made me want to know more about the character and his business. The camera was more stationary in this film. It does a lot of person to person filming but other than that it stays in one place.
     This film is important even today because it tells us what is going on. Even though we may deny it or ignore it the time of the mob and mobsters existed and still does. Michael is a good guy. He tries very hard to stay out of the family business but in the end he stays loyal to his family and joins the business and takes over for his father. The Godfather is a well made film and deserves credit for that.

REAR WINDOW

 We just finished up watching an Alfred Hitchcock film, Rear Window. This was a great film. It was a little cheesey at times but given its age and what they had to work with at the time it is very well done. I believe the explicit meaning of this film was perserverence and pushing an issue when you know you are right. Do not let people talk you out of things you feel strongly about. The implicit meaning is that you never really know a person. You could be living next to a murderer and never even know it. Someone could be suffering but put on a good show in public. Be kind to others because they might end your life or their own simply because of something you said or did. The ethical issue that this film brings up as far as if you see a nieghbor about to commit suicide but you only know this because you are spying should you report it? I believe that you should. It is absolutely an invasion of privacy by peeking at them through a window but that person needs help. They need to know someone cares. If they get help it could change their life and they could be forever grateful. Or they could be really mad and sue you like the guy on The Incredibles. For me personally i would rest better knowing I tried. Back to the film side of things tho. I honestly feel like the acting in this film was reaaly good. It was believable and relatable. You really get a sense of each character and who they are. That is also a direct result of good directing. The director works closely with the actors to portray the story and this was very well done. The camera movement and lighting also contribute to the high rating of this film. It helps to build suspense and tension. Overall this film is awesome and has made me want to look into more Hitchcock films. Loved this film!