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Reviews
Casablanca (1942)
Great Classic Film
Great film about a man who owns a coffee shop during 1941. Many twists and turns throughout the film along with intertwined stories and alliances which make for an exciting story to follow. The owner of the cafe has to try very hard to remain neutral throughout all of the encounters with different people that come into his restaurant Great camera work by director Michael Curtiz. Especially when dealing with moving camera angles. Very appropriate lighting, for example, in the scene at the end it is dark and gives you a mysterious feel to the whole ordeal that occurs between the men. Overall a great movie, easy to get into.
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Loved the movie, takes a look at bigger picture
Director Spike Lee combats people's ideas of racism head on in the film. He shows racism from all angles and doesn't condone any actions that may occur. Instead he portrays all sides of the story from their own view and lets the viewer decide. Very powerful movie that has stuck with me since I've seen it and has made me think. Spike Lee is very socially conscious towards the problems seen in our world then and even today. Still remains a relevant film showing problems in Bedford Stuyvesant. Very cool camera angles. Lots of up close and personal shots of characters speaking. Moving scene at the end where the Korean begins telling the people of the neighborhood he is one of them
The Graduate (1967)
Captivating and Funny
Very funny movie dealing with intertwined relationships and romance. Camera work and lighting is virtually flawless and might be the best seen during this time period. Movie draws the viewer in by making him sympathetic for the main character as he deals with troubling situations involving a family friend. As he falls in love with the daughter of his affair things turn for the worst as she will not accept defeat. Some of the humor is very outrageous yet fits perfectly in the picture that the director painted for the viewer. The main character is a very animated person and does a very good job holding interest in the viewer and also developing a personality that people can relate to.
Jane Eyre (1943)
Very dark, romantic drama
The film directed by Robert Stevenson is about a girl Jane Eyre (Joan Fontaine) who has no family. She is sent to a harsh boarding school as a young girl named Lowood. The place is run by a very mean, and unforgiving man. She spends 10 years at the school when she decides to leave. She finds a job as a governess at Thornfield, a large estate owned by Edward Rochester (Orson Welles). As time passes she begins to fall for the older man and they begin to find love in each other. This film was put together excellently. At first, the movie is very dark and gloomy with very dark shadows and low light. Later, after they found love, the movie takes a turn in moods and it is turn brighter and more well lit. The sound in the movie was also spectacular. The speech was very clear in comparison to other films from this time, and also the music is great at building suspense with deep loud tones. I also noticed whenever it was dark and someone was carrying a candle the light seemed to follow them but not perfectly which made me believe a spotlight was used. Good film filled with drama and suspense.
Nothing Sacred (1937)
story of young woman caught up in lies
This film directed by William A. Wellman is a story about a country girl from Warsaw, Vermont. She is diagnosed by her country doctor as having terminal radium poisoning. The young woman, Hazel's (Carole Lombard), story is discovered by a reporter for the New York based Morning Star. The reporter Wally Cook (Fredric March) is just coming off of getting in a little trouble with his boss and wants to redeem himself with this story. The story of the young woman captures the attention of the entire city of New York. Soon after she is found to be healthy and gets caught up in an extremely sticky situation. Wellman uses very odd humor in a few parts of the movie which I found hilarious. For example, as Cook is walking around the town of Warsaw, a little boy chases after him and bites hit on the back of the knee, then runs away. Throughout the film the editing is quick, choppy editing making it exciting to follow. The lighting is very soft with little shadows or dark areas. There are many shots of landmarks in New York City which are amazing to see, including shots from a plane as it flies over the city. Visually pleasing and an easy to follow yet intriguing plot definitely would make this a must see film.
Scarface (1932)
Compelling American gangster film
Scarface directed by Howard Hawks and Richard Rosson is an American gangster story during prohibition. The film follows an ambitious mob member in Chicago, named Tony (Paul Muni) and his rise to power after the killing of a former mob leader. Throughout the film Tony begins to change due to the money, power, and corruption associated with being a prominent bootlegger. Although he starts to lose his mind you can still see he means well when he is constantly protecting his sister Cesca (Ann Dvorak). Paul Muni does a spectacular job throughout the entire film and really sells the intenseness of situations encountered. The lighting did a very good job of giving certain shots and scenes a certain mood depending on the action happening in the shot. For example, most of the time the on screen action was very serious, or sad, the lighting would create deep, dark shadows. This brought a real sullen feeling to the shots and contributed greatly to the overall scene. One memorable scene in the movie was the scene where there are 7 men lined up against the wall and all the camera shows is their shadows. The men are executed by a firing squad, bullets spray onto the wall, and the men drop to the ground. This extremely graphic scene made it so people could get a close look at how horrible the things happening were during this time. Very exciting and well-made film overall.
It (1927)
great romantic comedy, a good silent film
Although the movie is silent I believe that Betty Lou (Clara Bow) is the reason why I liked this movie. She is a stunning talent and works amazingly with the plot of this film. She is extremely talented at having a personality despite not having any lines to say to the viewer. She is a very flirtatious young woman who seems to have "it". The film goes on to prove that not all people who are attractive have "it". I noticed that the editing seems a bit choppy and unpolished at times which occasionally would confuse me. I found that a few times during the movie the director used very good camera movement which seemed ahead of its time in the late 20's. Overall good movie, funny in many ways.
Frankenstein (1931)
very intense movie dealing with life and death
This film directed by James Whale is a film based off of a classic story written by Mary Shelley. It is about a doctor (Colin Clive) who wants to create life in a man who is already dead. He is assisted by his sidekick (Dwight Frye) as he spends many days working to bring life to the man. Whale uses foreshadowing in the scene where Fritz, the doctors sidekick, drops the jar containing the "good" brain and decides to just replace it labeled the "bad brain". This scene tells you a lot about what is going to happen. Whale also is responsible for one of the most intense and memorable scenes in all of American Cinema. The scene where they are in the laboratory finally making an attempt at bringing the monster to life. It is during the middle of a thunderstorm at night where you can hear the crashing of thunder and flash of lightning. After the monster is created you seem to almost feel bad for this monster as he is essentially a big baby. Whale portrays his innocence in the scene where he is just playing with the girl and then mistakenly throws her into the lake where she drowns. The viewer knows he did not want to harm her but in the film he is seen as a terrifying monster.
Citizen Kane (1941)
One of the greatest films of all-time
The film follows the life of Charles Foster Kane. Kane was a newspaper tycoon who slowly over to course of his life rose to be a very powerful man. The story started when he was a kid and followed him all the way to his downfall. The story is told primarily with flashbacks and memories of Kane. The director Orson Welles edited the movie flawlessly to gather suspense. HE also was very sound on techniques used in the film industry. For example, in one of the opening scenes he shows a light and as you get closer the light remains in the exact same area based on rule of thirds. His camera shots are very captivating and direct you exactly to the place he wants you to look. His outstanding film has made the word "rosebud" a staple in American Cinema.
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
Very exciting, intriguing plot
The film "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" directed by Mervyn LeRoy is an excellent film and a classic example of a suspense filled plot. LeRoy makes it very easy to identify with the main character Allen (Paul Muni) as he fights his way through a seemingly endless string of unfortunate events. At times it seemed as if LeRoy was trying to shine a light onto certain aspects of the criminal justice system shortly after World War I. The conditions shown in the film are very harsh and almost too intense. As the story progresses the viewer is sucked into the life of Allen. I found myself rooting for him the entire film due to the circumstances. The sound quality in the film is very good and almost flawless. For example, whenever the prisoners are moving in the chain gang, the sound syncs almost perfectly to the movements of prisoners. I also noticed that the acoustics of the sound change depending on the setting, specifically indoor and outdoor settings. Would recommend film to anybody interested in American classics.
Stagecoach (1939)
Well developed story, few flaws during production, amazing scenes
The film takes place in the Wild West which was unpredictable in dangerous. The story follows a stagecoach through remote, unsettled parts of the western United States which is Native American territory, Throughout the film the main characters are trying to stay away from Natives and to plan a way to travel safely. The characters in the story all have complicated, intertwined stories behind them which directly affect their actions throughout. The main message in the movie is to not judge a book by it's cover. This is illustrated a few ways throughout the movie but most notably when dealing with John Wayne's outlaw character. The film includes beautiful scenes of Monument Valley shot on location. Excellent camera work and acting throughout the entire confrontation with the Natives.
My Man Godfrey (1936)
Great film. Ahead of it's time
The film, directed by Gregory La Cava, was ahead of it's time in terms of production. The editing was flawless as was the acting. La Cava developed the characters exquisitely using well written dialogue as well as actions by the actor or actress. When the naive Irene, played by Carole Lombard, was introduced it was no surprise that she was going to have to learn a lesson. That's where Godfrey(William Powell) came in. He proved to be extremely witty and after finding out Irene's feelings for him he began to teach her life lessons. Godfrey believed it was in bad nature to get involved with the person hes working for. As the movie progressed, Godfrey also opened up and you found out way more about his life and personality then first encountered. La Cava used lighting to show very clearly the difference in setting. Throughout the film La Cava began to show brilliantly valuable life lessons.
The Circus (1928)
Great Film, Classic
Great movie in all aspects. The film uses slapstick comedy to entertain viewers from start to end all while sticking to an intriguing plot. Characters, acting, plot, and camera work are all virtually flawless. Chaplin has a very clean sense of humor and manages to keep it entertaining despite its vast differences from today's comedy. Chaplin also uses facial expressions and body language perfectly to keep the viewer engaged in the story throughout the film. Chaplin is a genius for being able to tell a story using absolutely no sound. At no point was I confused about the storyline during the movie. The film also develops characters very well. Although they never say words that you can actually hear, Chaplin finds a way to give every character a voice and a story behind them. I highly recommend the movie for anyone who has never seen a Chaplin film because "The Circus" is definitely one of his better creations.