The General (1926)

As I have mentioned many times I am pretty shallow when it comes to films. I normally pre judge a movie long before I even see the cover, and a silent film was no exception. I was automatically thinking that I was not going to enjoy it, and once again Dr. Carreiro proved me wrong. The General, by Buster Keaton turned out to be pretty good. Although it is a silent film, what it lacks in audio is made up for with its powerful use of cinematography, music, and of course the occasional subtitle. This film gave me a better understanding and appreciation of silent films, especially considering that I could not help but to compare it to something of Maya Deren’s, who completely confuses me. To say the least, after watching it I can understand why people enjoyed it, and how it definitely stimulated your imagination.
The General as the text even points out is a restricted narration (258) because it gives the experiences and thoughts of the civil war, confined to the personal perceptions of the main character, Johnnie Grey. Just to clarify, I use the term civil war loosely. In fact, Grey was rejected from enlisting when he first got word of the attack on Fort Sumter, as the subtitles pointed out. He was considered more valuable to the south remaining as an engineer than joining the militia, this bothered him and as the point-of-view (396) was carefully pieced together throughout the film, it was easily visible that he felt small compared to those who were able to enlist. In addition to his damaged pride, when he told his girlfriend, the love of his life second to only his train The General, that he was not able to enlist, she called him a liar and told him to not speak to her again unless he was in military uniform for the south. This is where the real story begins.
As the camera angles and the cinematography suggest at the beginning of the silent film, he absolutely loves two things, his engine, and his girlfriend. When his engine was stolen, girlfriend on board, Grey knew, whether enlisted or not, whether alone or with the help of soldiers, he was going after the stolen train. During this low-speed pursuit it almost seems that Grey is faced with some impossible obstacles, the biggest of which being his own clumsiness. Aside from tripping over his own feet, and single-handedly blowing a couple of good opportunities, the thieves had a few tricks up their sleeves. I could not help but to laugh at the silly mistakes he continuously made making his mission that much more difficult. All these things helps easily classify this film as a good example of a slapstick comedy (344).
At the end of the film there is a medium close-up shot (111) of Johnnie Grey that emphasizes his sense of satisfaction with himself that was not evident at the beginning of the film. He managed to obtain all three things that he struggled to get throughout the movie: his girl, his engine, and being able to join the military. As the text puts it, and I consider an understatement, the 1920’s, the era this film was made is the years of “refinement of Cinematography” (99).

Works Cited
Davidson, David. “The General.” Photo Blogger.com 19 Jun. 2009. Accessed Mar. 31, 2010. www.blogger.com/davidson/general.
The General. Dir. Buster Keaton Perfs. Buster Keaton. Buster Keaton Productions, 1926.
Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White"The Film Experience: An Introduction". Boston, Ma. Bedford/St. Martins Publishing. 2009 (text)

A Streetcar Named Desire

I tend to dislike older films, I do not know why, I just always do, but I found A Streetcar Named Desire to be a personal exception. I think the film itself, and the works of the director Elia Kazan, and especially the performers, Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh to be ahead of their times. The majority of films I have seen from this era present a different perspective of the lives of post WWII Americans. Despite the typical "happy days" portrayal I am used to, this film sheds a whole new light on the times.
Despite being a black and white motion picture, the lighting in the film contributes to the feelings and situations the actors are faced with. In combination with Marlon Brando's exceptional naturalistic acting (70), the film seems to engulf you in the flames of Stella, Stanley, and Blanche's issues. In my opinion, Brando grasped the concept and values of the character Stanley in such a unique and incomparable way. Brando did what all good actors attempt to do, to actually become their characters and make the audience develop feelings towards their role, and without a doubt, Brando nailed it.
The story begins when Blanche, due to her circumstances in Aureole, goes to New Orleans to stay with her younger sister and her husband, Stanley and Stella. Although their apartment is very small and cluttered Stella welcomes her sister with open arms, but Stanley is a little less welcoming and almost immediately tries to subdue Blanche with his controlling and brute personality, in which Stella has already become a victim to. This initial encounter between Stanley and Blanche paves the way for their argumentative relationship that is soon to develop. During this scene, the director uses key lighting (83) to intensify what is going on and brings focus to Blanche's mysteriousness.
As I mentioned, the lighting in this movie contributes to the feelings that surround it. In one scene with Blanche and Mitch, a friend of Stanley's, the importance of the lighting is highlighted. Mitch noticed that he has never met with Blanche during the day, and even when they meet in the evening they always go somewhere with dim lighting. Throughout the duration of the film, with the exception of this particular scene, Blanche's face was always shadowed and never visible under a strong light, again really contributing to the mysteriousness of her and her past.
In the end the truth comes out, and everyone finds out that Blanche left Aureole because of an affair she had with a 17 year old student of hers, and because of the loss of her job and her newly acquired reputation, she was forced to leave. She came to New Orleans in hopes of starting fresh, but not only does her past come to haunt her, but her welcoming wore off quickly.

Work's Cited
StreetCar Named Desire, Brando and Leigh, 2009. Art.com Accessed on March 28,2010. (photo)
"A Streetcar Named Desire". Dir. Elia Kazan Perf. Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh. Charles K. Felmen Group Films, 1951. (Film)
Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White"The Film Experience: An Introduction". Boston, Ma. Bedford/St. Martins Publishing. 2009 (text)

Too Much Extra "Loose Change"

The documentary film Loose Change: Final cut, is a very effective piece of work. As the text mentions there is only a slight difference between interrogative and persuasive positions (285) and this particular film snugly fits both descriptions. Although I do not know if I fully believe everything the documentary puts forth, whether the information is factual or fiction, the director Dylan Avery makes a valid argument.
Loose Change uses many persuasive real-life interviews with seemingly credible people. I noticed that there was an interview with a New York Fireman, and some distraught survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I could not help but to wonder how much effort went into finding people to interview that fit the idea Avery was trying to convey. In addition, I wondered how many people were interviewed during the production of this documentary that were not shown or did not make the "final cut". In reality, the people interviewed sounded convincing and I would never downsize what they went through, because it was terrible, but they represent only the views and opinions of Avery and themselves.
I think many of the incidents that were put under the scope by the film were definitely a little fishy, but I do not think I am completely convinced that the Bush administration, although horrible, would collaborate in any conspiracy involving the loss of thousands of American lives. In defense of the documentary, the facts, people, real experiences, and actual events are all described from a first hand experience's and therefore are the presumed truth in their eyes. I personally can not explain the explosions that people heard hours after the planes actually hit, and I was not there, so I really have no position to argue with what they saw and heard.
Despite my personal opinions on the events of the 9//11 attacks, and my agreements and disagreements with what Avery is saying in his film, I must say he does a profound job of making a case. His interviews all are very persuasive and definitely successful in making the viewer reconsider what they already have heard and probably believe about 9/11. He does a near perfect job of compiling different media clips, interviews, and congressional testimonies that strengthen the credibility of his accusations. Even if I think many of his factual statements may have been presented out of context, and could be exaggerated documentary propaganda (275), I must admit Avery is a very convincing director.

Works Cited

Loose Change, 2006. Libertydiscs.com Accessed March 14, 2010. (photo)
Loose Change. Dir. Dylan Avery. Louder Than Words Films,2007. (film)
Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White"The Film Experience: An Introduction". Boston, Ma. Bedford/St. Martins Publishing. 2009 (text)

Gomorra

So far this semester, Gomorra has been my personal favorite film and genre we have viewed. I have always been a fan of the crime or mafia related films, and Gomorra portrays a side of crime families that I have never seen, and absolutely loved watching. It is action packed, and the low budget used, in my opinion, contributes to the film's strong sense of cinematic realism. While I was watching this movie I noticed that during this film, not only where there multiple narrations going on, but also a few different good examples of character development.
The character of Don Ciro, who was the soft-spoken middleman who worked for Comorra gangsters and delivered money to the families of imprisoned gang members. His character evolves throughout the film from being portrayed as a stiff Comorra gangster, to a traitor to the gang. He is approached by two rival gang members who threaten his life, and when they do so, in hopes of saving his own life, he tells them he will be an informant for them. At this point his character is fully developed, and with his mind made up he becomes the guy who turned his back on the Comorra. With Ciro's inside information the two rival gangsters rob a Comorra stash house, killing everyone but Ciro.
The second case of character development, is Toto. Toto is a young grocery delivery boy, who at first seems innocent and almost childish. Throughout the film, a couple things happen to Toto that develops his character from the original childish grocery boy, to a young member of the infamous Comorra . First he witnesses drug dealers throw their drugs and guns when police ambush them, and Toto sneaks over and recovers them, and then brought them back to the gangsters, who because of this take him under their wings. As a young boy, he was almost instantly lured to the lifestyle. The film gives a perfect visual example of character development in Toto's initiation into the gang scene, where he is willingly shot with a bullet-proof vest on as a test of honor and courage. He was at that moment transferred from the grocery boy to the gangster, and he seemed to be proud of himself for going through with it. In the following scenes, Toto lures a woman he delivers groceries to out of her house, where she is then gunned down by the Comorra.
These two examples of character development, and the many others I left out, all varied greatly, but ended at the same place. Gomorra did a wonderful job intertwining all the multiple narrations that were going on, and despite the way each one unfolded, the Comorra put pressure, as the film portrays, on every aspect of life in modern day Italy.

Works Cited

Metro, Gomorrah, 2010. Metroactive.com Accessed March 1,2010. (photo)
Gomorrah. Dir. Matteo Garrone. Perf. Toni Servillo, Gianfelice Imparato. Fandango Films 2008.