It Happened One Night Review

1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

 Once sound made it to the movies, silent film practically went out the window. Many actors were out of jobs because they couldn't speak English very well or just had annoying voices. What also came along with sound however was censorship. The fact that people could now hear what the actors were saying meant that they could not say whatever they wanted. There had to be writers now and along with censorship rules they could not write whatever they wanted. Cinema was a lot different than it is today. It was also a lot different than silent films. Female characters were now playing much more masculine and independent women rather than sex symbols. In It Happened One Night directed by Frank Capra, Claudette Colbert's character is a prime of example of how female roles changed. The whole plot of the film revolves around a woman who doesn't take orders from anybody. She does what she wants. This movie, however, did take some risks. The focus at the end of the film is both characters going to have sex. Although the film doesn't show it, the innuendo is all there. Also, the fact that there is a scene where Clark Gable is shirtless was even a risk at the time. Oh, how movies have changed. 

2)  Find a related article and summarize the content.

This article gives a quick summary of what happened in the film as well as a quick review at the end. It begins with stating that the film is "One of the most enduring romantic comedies of Hollywood’s golden age" and then it gets into the summary. She mentions the two lead characters and how Colbert runs away from her father because she wants to get back to her fiance she is only marrying to spite her father. She then meets Clark Gable's character, an out of work newspaper man, who helps her get from Miami to New York. The article then proceeds to talk about how the the two, although very different, fall in love and end up getting married at the end. The article ends with mentioning the "Walls of Jericho" running theme and how it is a metaphor for sanctity before marriage.

http://www.decentfilms.com/reviews/ithappenedonenight

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class.

The article changed the way I thought of the film by helping me recognize the more subtle aspects of the movie. I didn't really pick up at first that she married King Westley to spite her father. I figured it was just a guy he didn't approve of. I also didn't realize the metaphor of the Wall of Jericho. After reading the article it makes perfect sense because the two didn't have sex until they "knocked down the wall" when they were married.

4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion,  formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article.

I was very pleasantly surprised with Frank Capra's, It Happened One Night. I figured it would be an average film about two people who, from the start, can easily be assumed they will fall in love. One of the strongest aspects of the film is its influence on the way film progressed. Despite all of the censorship of the time period, it took several risks. The scene that stuck out to me the most was after the bus crashes and Peter Warne is confronted by a man who knows that the woman he is with is the runaway heiress and not his wife. This man had bothered the two before and this time he offers to split the reward money with Warne. Warne leads the man into the woods away from the bus to discuss the terms with him. He tells the man that he has machine guns and is trying to ransom the heiress off for $1 million dollars. The man is shocked and Warne begins to threaten him. Warne's threats get very dark at this point as he begins to threaten murdering the man's children. I was very shocked by this because of the time period the film was made. It is very clear that the film deserves the title of classic and although I don't entirely believe that means one of the best, It Happened One Night, also deserves a spot in my top 250.

1) (Yes) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) (Yes) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) (Yes) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) (Yes) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) (Yes) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) (Yes) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) (Yes) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) (Yes) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Geoffrey Perez_____________________________  Date: 2/12/13_______________________