Bonnie and Clyde

When looking at the way Bonnie and Clyde was edited we can see many different techniques that can be related back to the actions that are going on, on the screen. Throughout the film there are the traditional “cut and paste” techniques, where the scenes move and stream together nicely. This can be observed when the film was slow. This was usually when there was plot development, or when the characters were speaking to one another. These shots were much longer, as they were concentrating on a particular point in time. These shots can be contrasted to the techniques that were more quick and choppy. This editing style was used when the movie was picking up in action. Such as the chase scenes between the gang and the police, which occurred numerous times throughout the film. This type of editing made the film unique in the sense that it kept the audience on their toes. 

A major scene, which is a prominent aspect to the film, is a chase scene that occurs into Oklahoma. This take place just after the gang robs a bank and are being chased by the police. Most of the shots in this scene are very quick, only lasting somewhere between two to four seconds long. When the scene starts, a banjo begins to play a fast pace, upbeat song, which foreshadows how the scene is about to go. It gives the audience a sense of craziness. The scene is cut to show the gang then the police officers in the same place as where the gang was with the gang now in the distance. It cuts back and forth, so that the audience can see that the police are just missing the gang. The first scene shows the Barrows pulling away from the bank and then quickly the camera cuts to the same shot of the bank except with the police now coming around the corner and with the Barrows much further down the road than they were in the earlier shot. This use of the camera is used to link the gap of time that is actually passes between the two cars. This editing style also makes the chase scene more influential because the police seem to be much closer than reality. Again, the audience is on their toes, wondering if they are going to be captured.

It is important to note that in the chase scene there is music. This is the only point in time that there is. I think that this is done on purpose because the movie is about the relationship of the people. It is about their lives and how they are living in a time of depression.

It is also important to point out the earlier conversation or plot building scenes. For example when Bonnie and Clyde first meet, the camera follows them as they walk together. There is a point when the camera stops when an important recognition or finding is being made. For example when Bonnie asks a question, Clyde gives a shocking answer, Bonnie stops, as does the camera. The director wants the audience to stop just like the characters, and think about what we are learning about (in this moment) these characters. What they are saying is important to their development in the story.

Molly Koplos 

Group Four Presents:

Oh God, No....

Director's Commentary 

http://soundcloud.com/ben-gross/eng-281-director-commentary

Directors Commentary Transcript:

Ben Gross: Starting off one of the first things you notice is the music selection. The first song we chose is the intro to It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. It’s really happy almost a 50’s-esque sort of sound to it. It paints the picture of something positive and good going on. The first cut we do is you notice is outside, and before you actually see the title screen the actors are already on screen, and the title screen starts the movie and brings the audience into the story with the actors. It makes you feel apart of it. One of the first things with the camera work is the pan down to the cat, to show that the cat is one of the major players in the story line. You notice with the first transition that we use all of our smoother transitions, so fades and wipes to show the passing of time. Where as the direct cuts keep you still in the moment. The music also changes to the Psycho theme song, that’s when, the cat first strikes. That shows that the cat is terrifying, attacking and it’s trying to kill the cat sitter who is watching after him. We use a lot of close ups of the cat. For example in the second scene, it zooms up on the door to show the attempt of him trying to get her away. We use another close up of her sleeping on the couch. The cat is watching and is studying the enemy trying to take as many notes as possible.  Another close up is when she is in the kitchen and the cat leaves behind the poison. This shows the cats intent in the situation of him going at it, for the reason he is not at home with his owner, and he is hell bent on killing the woman for no apparent reason that we can see. We wanted to personify the cat in all of the shots, to show the scheming and conniving and planning that he has-- all of the things he does. He plans to lock her out. He plans to plant the poison. He plans to freak her out with the sign that said murder backwards on the door so that she sees it when she opens the door to the mirror. It was our intent to take a situation where everyone can see themselves watching a friend’s cat for a weekend while they are away. And try to make it seem like in the moment where the characters are you would be terrified. But watching it from this angle it is outrageous and it would never happen. So we get this view of something that is funny, it’s so ridiculous that you have to laugh it in the way that it is set up. When you get this close up of the phone, where it didn’t send the text message trying to say that she is being killed. You then get the last transition of music into the ukulele, which we had in the original sound. But since we cut the sound for the silent aspect of the film we re-recorded it because it fit so well with the dying in the tub. The cat actually being successful, in whichever task worked. That is sort of the mystery, you don’t actually know which one worked. Did he poison her or did he do something else. But he managed to succeed in killing this poor innocent girl, who is only looking after the cat for a few days for her friend. All in all, we had a good time filming, we had fun. We hope that everyone watching enjoys the video.

Psycho

In Alfred Hitchcock’s film Psycho, he implements a variety of camera angles to create a sense of anxiety by attacking the viewers’ senses. With a multitude of spilt second cuts, the scenes of attack become immensely real and terrifying. Instead of using a sequence shot to create one continuous, realistic scene, Hitchcock chooses to make lots of cuts between different shots to create a broken, anxious mood. This is especially portrayed in the shower scene where Marion Crane is stabbed to death. The beginning of the scene flows as one smooth, continuous shot in direct contrast of the chopped up cuts flashing back and forth between Norman and Marion.

At first, we see Marion peaceful in the shower, completely unaware of the horror that is about to come. We slowly see a figure creep in, whose identity is blurred through the shower curtain. Then all of the sudden, the shower curtain is aggressively ripped open, and the mood immediately changes with the shift from a sequence shot of her shower to rapid shots of her slaughter, instilling fear in the viewer. The dark silhouette of the attacker is outlined with the knife raised for slaughter. The camera zooms in for a close-up of her face, her mouth, to show the intensity her all-consuming terror as she screams out. The shots of her attack are shown from all different angles, which enable fear to completely consume the viewer. The shots rapidly flip back and forth from Marion, crying out in horror, to Norman indefatigably stabbing her. Back and forth, the struggle is shown from all perspectives to create a feeling of consumption and vulnerability: there is nowhere to go.

The rapid shots paired with the suspenseful music beating in the background, instill a building anxiety in the viewer as this scene of devastating violence unfolds. The viewer is put in the shoes of Marion as she is being brutally attacked and she tries to look up through the water. Along with Marion, the viewer cannot see the face of the attacker. The identity of the attacker is masked because of the water from the shower that fills her eyes, leaving the attacker dark and indefinable. At all times in this scene, the attacker’s identity is unknown. His face is hidden in shadows, blurred by the shower curtain, and distorted by the water.

Although the shots cover up the attacker’s face, they showcase Marion’s. The shots zoom in on her face in the light but hide his in darkness. The quick shots do not overly expose her body but portray enough to show that she is being stabbed, without any excess gore. In fact, we never actually see the knife enter her skin, but we see her stomach as the knife approaches in anticipation of attack. The quick switching of camera angles implies her stabbings and intensifies fear. This increases anxiety in the viewer being bombarded with different images. Our senses are overwhelmed with so many images and we begin to feel as though we are also being attacked along with Marion.

--Haley Gray  

Nights of Cabiria

Nights of Cabiria is a film not so much concerned with the plot, and the series of events that happen to the main character, Cabiria, but rather focuses on what impact these events have had on her as a person.  This film does not try to hide what Cabiria is.  She IS a prostitute. However, she is not the clichéd “prostitute with a heart of gold."  But she is a prostitute with a heart, and unfortunately, it is often breaking, despite her outward efforts to try and mask it. 

You cannot talk about Nights of Cabiria without mentioning post-war Rome, which in and of itself is a character as well. One scene in the film depicts a Good Samaritan bringing food, clothes and supplies to many citizens left homeless from the ravages of war; all the while Cabiria tries to seduce the clearly un-interested man in a "date."  While one man tries to help others, Cabiria is doing all she can to make her own way in this world.

Cabiria is not without a sense of shame or pity however.  This is evident in one of the final scenes when she sells her humble little house to a needy family in one of the more touching scenes in the film.  And that is the point.  Cabiria, despite her profession, is still a woman of high moral character.  Disappointment after disappointment continues to rain down on her and yet she refuses to give up.  She refuses to feel sorry for herself despite all that has happened.  At the end of the film, after a completely heartbreaking episode, she keeps her head held high and marches forward in a beautifully shot final scene.

We first see Cabiria walking by the lake with a lover, Giorgio, who steals her purse, then throws her into the water.  It is a familiar pattern with Cabiria: men, who exploit her, then abandon her.  She is not morally bankrupt, but deeply spiritual, extremely optimistic given her circumstances, and trusting.  She attempts to project an image that she is confidently in control.  Yet, we see that she is a victim of circumstance.  She resorts to prostitution as a means of income in an economically depressed city.  She is duped by pilgrims professing to witness a miracle.  She is denied an evening with a celebrity when his girlfriend unexpectedly returns to reconcile. 

The imagery of water is a prevalent theme in Nights of Cabiria.  It is the symbol of eternity.  In Nights of Cabiria, the film begins and ends with water.  It is an image that illustrates that life, itself, is as eternal as the human condition.  Water is also a symbol of purification.  Cabiria's soul remains untainted, despite her profession.  It is a humanist idea that people are innately good, but forced by their circumstances into acts of desperation.  The result is a powerful metaphor: a fusion of hope and misery, perseverance and suffering.

--Rachel K.

Women in “The Searchers”

In westerns, the main protagonist is generally an older male.  In fact, in many instances, westerns seem to cater to men (specifically American men).  This main character happens to embody the “true American spirit” and is often rough and unrefined.  He has a take-charge approach to difficult situations.  He is willing to stand up for what he believes and defend his country.  Contrast this characterization with the female actresses in westerns.  They are often the ones that need to be saved.  They are taken advantage of and very rarely do they even play a large role in the actual film.  Women in westerns (and especially in “The Searchers”) are often depicted as weak and/or incapable of handling extreme pressure. 

The first female character in “The Searchers” to truly demonstrate these unfortunate characteristics is Debbie.  Debbie ends up being captured by Scar and forced to be one of his wives.  This is the first example of her being weak.  Instead of fighting off the Comanches like the men in the film do, she allows herself to be captured.  Once she is captured, she is essentially “brainwashed”.  No male character is ever captured and then psychologically (and possibly physically) manipulated to live with the Indians.  This showcases how women are weaker minded and easily swayed mentally.  It isn’t until Debbie is rescued by the white male, that she seems to snap out of her Comanche trance.  The idea furthers itself when Ethan goes into a room full of other women who were kidnapped by the Comanches (while searching for Debbie with Jeffrey).  These women act like they have completely lost all sense of humanity and are depicted as stereotypical savages.  Yet another example of how only women seem to be the ones ever manipulated and are continuously represented as the weaker sex.

Women in “The Searchers” are also portrayed as being incapable of handling extreme pressure.  When Lucy (Debbie’s sister) realizes that they are about to be attacked by the Comanches she screams dramatically.  The image of her screaming takes up the entire screen.  A large amount of focus is put on her terror and powerlessness.  Compared to all of the other family members, she is overly dramatic.  Her own mother ends up slapping her to get her to calm down.  But her younger sister (who at this point seems more mature than Lucy herself) and father appear very calm.  Eventually the viewer discovers that once she was captured, Lucy was later killed. 

The one female character who breaks the mold of the weak/defenseless woman actually happens to be Martha.  While the Comanches early on in the film kill her, her short amount of screen time depicts her as a capable strong-minded woman.  Even during the scene shortly before the Comanches attack she appears to be able to handle the pressure.  She helps push her daughter to a safer location, she works on calming Lucy down (ironically, by slapping her), and is selfless in her actions.  This stronger female character does not live long and leaves one to question: why is there not a single strong lead female in “The Searchers”?

-Bonnie Hance

Singin’ In The Rain.

Everyone always has their own idea of how things in the world are. In Singin’ in the Rain, we can see a perspective of how different one’s own opinion of the world can be from the actually of what’s happening. Though this is not new to modern day movie watchers, or those of the past who watched this film during it’s debut, it is an often unnoticed aspect of both film and culture.

From the beginning, we see that Hollywood executives have created drama and story line purely to generate profit by claiming that stars Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont create such great onscreen chemistry because of their real life connection. They mention on more than one occasion that any change to the stage relationship Don and Lina are rumored to have would be detrimental to their stardom. This is paired with the notion that the newest technology, the talking picture, is both a disgraceful thing, and it is a fad that will go away. The audience is tricked once more when the movie “The Dancing Cavalier” first plays into thinking that Lina has a beautiful speaking and singing voice. From these three examples, we see how common it is to be of a firm belief, but to be quite wrong in that belief. It doesn’t have a large negative effect on most of the characters–Don and Kathy presumably go on to become big stars in the talkies, the studio started the transition to movies with sound and had a positive first outcome, and the public seems more excited by the actual love story of Don and Kathy, since it’s real, than with the fake one that was “forced” on them­. Indeed, it is only Lina, who was generally disliked by the rest, who was laughed out of the spotlight. This, however, could be caused by the fact that she not only buys into the studio’s fabricated romance between Don and herself, but also because she is an uncaring person who seeks to destroy Kathy’s career so that hers may continue to thrive.

This movie is also an interesting piece to look at in the context of ancestry of modern films. Though the musical has close to died out, with fewer and fewer being released on an annual basis, there remains the select few which still win the hearts of the masses. It is however more interesting and relevant to see where we have come with the romantic comedy. From film’s early beginnings, it was rather unclear the outcome it would have. Early films were similar to plays, couldn’t rely on dialogue, and were confined to small spaces due to the immobility of the cameras. With this film, we see how the narrative of film has changed, even the differences of over the top acting in “Cavaliers” compared to the more realistic approach of “Singin,’” this movie is almost historical in it’s documentation of film, and the industry wide transition from silent to talkie.

Ben Gross

Sunset Boulevard

Billy Wilder’s film, Sunset Boulevard (1950), showcases the illusion of Hollywood.  From the start of the 40’s, society slowly began obsessing over the idea of Hollywood and those involved in the sphere.  Celebrity was a glamorous idea, perpetuated by glamorous outward appearances.  Not only were people obsessed with those who were famous, but also they began longing for a similar type of fame for themselves.  The lure of Fame and famous celebrities (actors and actresses) created delusions of grandeur.  Those not involved in the circle of Hollywood were unable to realize the harshness of the system.  Wilder’s film could potentially be interpreted as an exposé of the Hollywood industry’s dark side and the dangers fame revolves around.

The illusion of Hollywood is most clearly embodied in the character of Norma Desmond.  Wilder very nearly creates a documentary about the life of someone who was once famous and now must deal with being thrown from the Hollywood scene.  In the 50’s, numerous once-famous actors experienced a decline in fame when the transition away from silent film to talkies occurred.  While this happened to both male and female actors, Wilder wisely chooses to let the victim of this be a woman.  By focusing on a female character, Wilder may be even further commenting that female celebrity declines more sharply than the fame of a male.  Actresses are expected to be at their prime at all times (although there are a handful of exceptions).  As soon as this idealized sense of “beauty” declines, they find difficulty with maintaining acting work.  Women are forced into this mold of beauty, which becomes nearly impossible to live up to.  This takes a toll on someone both mentally and emotionally.  The house Norma lives in happens to be quite dilapidated on the outside, but the inside is lavish and grand.  This creates a parallel between the setting and Norma’s mental health: on the inside, Norma thinks she is still famous.  But on the outside, Norma’s fame is not recognized and relatively ignored by the rest of the world.  Outsiders no longer recognize her beauty, but Norma fails to see this as true.  This break with reality represents the dangers of having fame and what happens when that fame is lost.

Billy Wilder wanted to show the rest of the world that being a part of Hollywood is not necessarily something that people should strive for.  He showcases just how corrupt the entire “system” actually is.  It’s mostly a system based on vanity and lies.  When Norma desperately tries to make a comeback, she begins applying more and more makeup.  In fact, Gillis even mentions that she was wearing about “half a pound of makeup” when they are on their way to see the director.  And when Norma finally gets to meet with DeMille, he doesn’t want to tell her the truth about her screenplay.  This just continues to further the idea that everyone in the industry feeds into the lies.  Even Max cannot handle telling Norma the truth and writes her fake fan mail in order to boost her ego.

----Bonnie Hance