The General Film Write Up

Justin Noddle

Period 6

The General Film Write Up

The General is a silent film made in 1926 released by United Artists based up the Great Locomotive Chase from 1862. The movie was considered a box-office disaster after it was released, but now it is considered one of the best movies ever made. The plot is based off of a railroad conductor who goes through struggles during the time of the American Civil War. He also is in love with a woman, who is his fiancée.

1.     How is Buster Keaton able to make this film so comical without sound?

To being, Buster is a very talented man. He put his life in danger many times for his films. He enjoyed the danger and was a rather depressed man and would go to the extremes to make his film a success. Facial expressions and getting the perfect angle on zoom on each shot greatly contributed to this movie’s humorous aspect. Obviously, Keaton draws up a perfect plot in which he is able to make clumsy mistakes that lead to a chuckle from the audience.  He is able to communicate to the viewer what should be taken from the scene by using character wardrobe, makeup, and especially hand movements. Actions of the characters are even stronger than words and they can play out the movie alone, just as they did in this film.

2.     How does the time period of when the film is created impact the effect that the plot has on the viewer?

The film is created in the 1920s and the film is based off of an event in 1861. In the 1920s they did not have special effects, color cameras, sound, or anything that we have today that make movies what they are. In order to make a successful movie, the directing and acting must all be excellent. The time of day to film and the place must be perfect as well because there was no touching up the setting or the lighting. There were many disadvantages to this time period that this film faced in creating it, yet it has become much more popular as the years have gone by. The romantic part of this film is still very common in films today. This has not changed since the 1920s. Also, the film used a somewhat current event to easily relate to the viewer and establish a connection.

Taxi Driver Write Up

Justin Noddle

Period 6

Taxi Driver Write Up

Taxi Driver is a film directed by Martin Scorsese from 1976 that is set in New York City and is supposed to be just after the Vietnam War. Colombia Pictures distributed this 113-minute movie that had a budget of only $1.3 million. Travis Bickle is a lonely and depressed man who becomes a taxi driver. He meets a girl named Betsy that he really likes and tries to spend time with. He also tries to free a prostitute named Iris. In this process, he becomes a killer.

1.     Even though Travis kills a few men, he is still praised a hero. Why is this?

Everyone still calls Travis a hero even after killing men and shedding blood. This is because he sacrificed his own life to save this little girl’s. He murdered people that were hurting other peoples’ lives and were torturing them. A better approach than murder could have probably have been taken, yet the whole city ignores his murders and Travis becomes famous for his “good deeds.” This shows the type of place he lives in and the type of people that live there. It also reflects on the time period and shows that this was not as big of a deal at the time. It helps establish the setting.

2.     Why is a taxi so important to this film?

The taxi means many things in this film. To begin, the color yellow is rarely used in this film except for on taxis and the color is very bright and this makes them stand out. Also, at one point in the movie Betsy tries to run away from Travis. She calls a taxi to get away from Travis. This is very ironic because Travis is a Taxi driver.  Travis meets many important people in his taxi as well. Travis is the perfect taxi driver because they are usually in need for money, antisocial, and somewhat depressed. This describes Travis very well too. Travis’ job as a taxi driver is what led him to commit all actions that he did in this film.

Pulp Fiction Write Up

Justin Noddle

Period 6

Pulp Fiction Write Up

Pulp Fiction is an American crime film created in 1994 by Quentin Tarantino. It is 154 minutes long and had a budget of $8.5 million. It was nominated for seven Oscars and won Best Original Screenplay. This film contains a total of seven narrative sequences. The film Black Sabbath is what inspired Tarantino to create this magnificent work of art. No film score was produced for this movie either. Instead Tarantino used an electric mix of surf music, rock and roll, soul, and pop songs.

1.     The opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the movie. In what way does it do this?

The movie opens with the definition of pulp. The definition stated is a shapeless matter. In my opinion, the movie is just like pulp. The movie skipped form scene to screen and character to character at random.  Each story seemed completely unrelated until the end of the film also. The film is a group of miniature stories group together to create one film. It was a unique idea how the author relate this film to pulp and introduced the film with the definition of that word. Also, within each story of the movie, these stories are shapeless as well. The unexpected is always the outcome and the actions taking place are also very unrealistic and fictional. This is why the title is called Pulp Fiction

2.     Directors often use objects that the characters know about it but the viewer does not. Were there any objects in the movie that promote this idea? If so, what?

Vincent takes a suitcase and look s inside of the suitcase. He looks very pleased and tells his partner that they were successful. This makes the viewer desperately want to know what is in the suitcase. The viewer feels left out. Instead, Tarantino just went to the next scene. He kept bringing the suitcase back into the scene and talked about its importance, yet he never revealed what was inside. This kept the viewer on the edge of their seat waiting for it to be revealed. I am still wondering what was in the suitcase after the movie. It keeps you thinking and when a movie does that, it means that it was a well-done movie.

The Bicycle Thief Write Up

Justin Noddle

Period 6

The Bicycle Thief Write Up

The Bicycle Thief, also referred to as Bicycle Thieves, is a movie first released in Italy in 1948. It was then released to the United States over a year later in 1949. The director of this film is Vittorio De Sica. It is 93 minutes and the sound is all in Italian. The movie is in black and white as well. Antonio Ricci is a man who needs a bicycle for his job. When he buys one, it is stolen and he and his son Bruno much search to find the bicycle thief.

1.     How does the ending allow the viewer to decide how Antonio’s life continued?

This movie does not really have a conclusive ending. The movie finishes with Bruno and Antonio walking together to an unknown place. They are both crying and holding hands. The angle that this scene is shot at is constantly changing and may represent that there are more than one options where Antonio went with his life. This comes form the basis of Italian Neorealism principles. The audience knows that Antonio and his family are now in trouble but many questions were left unanswered and in open form. For example, did he ever find his bike? Or was he able to get his job? With these questions unanswered, the viewer is allowed to guess/assume what happened next.

2.     Why is the bike so important to Antonio in this movie and why is it so important to the movie in general?

The bike is extremely vital to the success of Antonio because he is a homeless man and the job he has been offered requires a bike for its work. Also, the bike is a wanted item by almost everybody in their society. Whenever bikes are present in the scene, there is chaos. In a way, the bicycle can be a symbol of jealousy and greed. The car has not yet been invented so the bike is the best form of transportation. A bicycle is not a necessity but it is very valuable. The director makes the bike seem as one of the most important objects in the world for this time. The bike, which is not very important to us today, was an extremely valuable item in this movie. In fact, the whole movie is about a certain bicycle being stolen.

Fargo Write-up

Justin Noddle

Period 6

Fargo Write-up

Fargo, written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, is a 98 minute movie made in 1996. This movie had a $7 million budget. This film won seven Academy Awards and was inducted into the United States National Film Registry in 2006. The film opens saying that it is a true story. However, the story is multiple stories mixed together to create one great movie.

1.     How can this plot be a moral lesson to all people who watch this movie?

This movie shows Jerry is a man in need of money. This results in him being greedy and taking dire consequences in to getting what he wants. He draws up and evil scheme to try get lots of money. This plan obviously backfires and now his life along with many others are put in jeopardy. Greed and jealousy is never a good thing. This movie is based off of true stories and it explains why wanting more and trying to steal from others is always a bad choice. Not just that, but he also hired people to do his dirty work for him. This made these people go through character changes in a bad way and become murderers. Jerry put himself through suffering but others as well.

2.     Why was the role of Marge such a perfect choice?

Marge’s role in this movie was the perfect character because she was a fierce woman who would not stop until she got what she wanted. Usually, people expect the leading police chief to be a man, but not in this case. However, she was perfect for the job. When interrogating, she would not take no for an answer and she showed her overwhelming power. She is also 7 months pregnant at this time. She is able to continue with her job and be brave with a child inside of her. She wants to make sure her people are safe and will not stop at anything. At first, she seems unintimidating but once you get to know her, she is one smart, manipulative woman.

Shawshank Redemption Write-up

Justin Noddle

Period 6

Shawshank Redemption Write-up

Shawshank Redemption, directed by Frank Darabont, is a 142 minute film distributed by Colombia Pictures. This movie had a budget of $25 million. This is a film from 1994 that was adapted from the Stephen King novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. Supposively, this is an allegory for maintaining one’s feeling of self worth when placed in a hopeless position.

1.     What does jail symbolize in this film?

People in our society today view jail as an incredibly frightening and horrible place. Just the thought of going to jail immediately strikes fear into everybody. However, in this movie, Andy arrives in jail and is very casual. He walks around like nothing is wrong and everything is just dandy. He acts very casual even though he is living a tough life. Many other people in the jail call it their “home.” When they leave their home, they do not know what to do any longer. They have been suffering in jail for so long that once they are free, they are really still in captivity. Jail changes a man no matter what. Andy states, “I had to come to jail to become a crook.”

2.     What was so great about the way Red’s exit from prison?

Red tried multiple times to be released from prison but each time the guards shot him down. He would go in and say the same thing and the same camera angle would show him getting rejected. His final time the same camera shots were taken, but he said different things and he was released. When he was out of jail and into the real world, he did the same routine as Brooks. He worked the same job and stayed at the same home as Brooks. Brooks finished with engraving his name on the roof and hanging himself, because he could not handle the life outside of jail. Red did the same thing but after he wrote he name he left to find Andy. This was so greatly shot because the shots were the same as Brooks and it made the audience very nervous as to if Red would take the same path as Brooks.

The Godfather Write Up

Justin Noddle

Period 6

Godfather Write-Up

The Godfather is a 175 minute long movie that was made in 1972. It is a mob-film directed by Francis Ford Coppola based on the novel, The Godfather. This movie had a budget of $6.5 million and was made in both English and Italian. Two sequels follows this movie. The Godfather received Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

1.     Why does the opening scene of the movie have such a strong impact for the film?

The movie opens with music playing and as it slowly fades out, a voice begins to speak. At this point the screen is still black. This creates a sense of curiosity and anxiety for the viewer. Slowly, the blackness fades out and the camera is shooting an extreme close-up on the man. The camera slowly fades out as this man tells his story. However, he is not looking at this camera. This lets the audience know that he is not speaking to the viewer, but he is speaking to someone else. He is very upset because he is telling his child’s story. As the scene continues to zoom out, the godfather appears and it becomes apparent that the man is telling the story to the godfather and asking for a favor. This was a bold introduction to this movie.

2.     What are some of the ironic hints that the director uses?

The man asks for “justice.” When the man says justice, he really means revenge. The term justice in this case is used as murder. Murder is quite the opposite from just. “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.”  This is what the Godfather responds with. This sounds like something an advertiser would pitch, but we all know that is means a murder threat. As they say, murderers mean business. In this film, the murderers and all of the criminals would always meet up with each other wearing suits. They were very proper. Even when discussing murder and killing people, they all seemed so happy as if it was completely harmless.

Jaws Film Write-Up

Justin Noddle

Period 6

Jaws Film Write-Up

Jaws is a thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg in 1975. It is based off of the novel, Jaws. This movie is 124 minutes long and was created by Universal Pictures. The movie had a budget of $7 million. The sequel, Jaws 2, and then two more after that followed this movie. The movie as about a man-eating shark and the terror it causes. Men try to capture and kill the shark.

1.     What did the angle at which shots were taken allow the viewer to feel more related to the people in the film?

When a swimmer was swimming in the water, the camera took a low angle shot looking up at the person and at their feet. This puts the camera at the perspective of the shark. This also shows us that the swimmer is oblivious to what is below him and about to attack. Martin Brody is reading a book about sharks to learn about them so he can save many peoples’ lives. The shot, however, is pointed towards Brody and the audience is able to see what Brody is reading because of the reflection on his glasses. This allowed the director to have the focus on Brody but still show exactly what he needed to.

2.     How did facial expressions add emotion for this film?

After the shark killed a woman, the audience does not know this yet. However, a police officer runs onto the beach and looks very frightened and upset at something. This allows the viewer to assume that the woman was attacked by the shark. As the shark is biting at the woman, she is screaming and makes herself looked very afraid and in pain. She sells the attack really well and makes the viewer afraid of the shark as well. At the beach, everyone looks very relaxed and this shows that they have not hear about the shark attacks, but when the shark comes everyone’s face turns to fear. When debating about what to do with the shark, all of the men’s faces are scrunched in anger and this shows the tension of their argument.

Crash Film Write-Up

Justin Noddle

Period 6

Crash Film Write-up

The movie Crash was released in 2005 as an American drama film co-written, produced, and directed by Paul Haggis. This film focuses on racism and social tensions in Los Angeles. Paul was inspired to make this movie by a real life incident. This movie won three Oscars. This movie is 128 minutes long and was filmed in the United States. There are many different stories going on during this film that collide together near the end of the film. Each story involves a part of either racism or sexism.

1.     How does the music and sound of the movie contribute to the mood of the scene?

There are many sounds from this film that hint at being certain things. For example, the sound of a siren signifies cops, which usually brings fear to people. Screaming and yelling in this movie showed frustration and fear. Crying showed sadness, but fear as well. Fear was a major contributor to this film. Much of the music played for this film was in a foreign language and viewer could not understand what it meant. This meant that the viewer was completely focused on what was occurring on the screen. At the end of the movie, a song played in English and the lyrics were very relevant to the scene occurring at the moment. A common trend to this movie was when people were angry and shouting, the music would speed up and get louder just as the characters in the movie did. In one of the most dramatic scenes of the film, all voices were completely taken out and only music was playing. This was an open form as to what the characters were saying but it also gave the scene a more drastic effect.

2.     How were the lighting and colors of Crash able to act as symbols for other objects?

Lighting and bright color were used to point out the dominants. Flashing lights, light sirens, immediately drew the attention of the viewer.  Many of the important and frightening scenes occurred at night. This is because the lighting is much lower, like a high key, and this added an eerie feel to the area. Bright lights from the sun created a blur effect, which then faded away and focused in to exactly what the director wanted it to. Black lighting was used often in this film. A man wearing a white shirt was standing in from of a black background. This shows the outline and shadow of the man but does not allow the viewer to make out, who the character is. The color red symbolizes many things in this movie. Red is the color of blood. Men are murdered and shed blood as a main part of the plot. At a stoplight, the red light means stop. Also, the woman is trapped in her car and a giant fire erupts. The fire is red, ride fire trucks arrive, and the woman’s dress is red. A major climax to the film is the red bullets that were bought that turned out to be blanks. Red was very symbolic.