The Godfather Review

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

In class we learned that The Godfather uses the anit-hero theme. As I watched the film I found myself feeling sad when one of the "good guys" died or feeling happy when they were triumphant. I want the Corleone family to be successful and I want them to rule the day. What makes this very strange, however, is who they actually are. These people I'm rooting for are criminals. They are cold, hard murderers and thieves, yet here I am growing a liking for them. Does that make me a bad person? Should I re-evaluate my morals? The answer to both of those questions is no simply because it is not my fault. The way the film was made and the characters demonstrated is what is at fault. The characters are made to be loveable characters and the film puts us in their shoes. We see the situations through the eyes of a member of the Corleone family.

2)  Find a related article and summarize the content. 

One of the biggest challenges in making the film was casting it. One of the hardest members to cast was Marlon Brando and this was for multiple reasons. This article talks about how Brando was very troublesome when making the movie. The first step for Coppola in getting Brando on the team was convincing the producers. Marlon Brando had become wildly disliked amongst film producers because of how difficult he was to work with. He would cause countless problems on set and sabotage the films he was in. Paramount wanted nothing to do with him. Coppola almost lost the job as director of The Godfather by insisting that Brando be cast in the film. After a few weeks Paramount finally agreed only if Brando agreed to audition and work for no salary. Knowing that he could never get an audition from Brando, Coppola went to Brando's house and recorded him practicing the role and coming up with the character. The studio was so blown away by how Brando portrayed Don Corleone, they couldn't wait for him to sign the contract.

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/443184/The-Godfather/articles.html

 

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

While viewing the film in class, it was quite obvious that Marlon Brando was the star of the film. His performance was nearly perfect and gets critical acclaim all over the world. Coppola's mission to sign Marlon Brando into the movie was a valiant mission indeed because Brando really was the only man for the job. Out of any filmmaker in the world, I feel the most sympathy for Coppola. He struggles a lot when he wants to make a film, but that is also why I respect him so much. He went through a lot of headache to cast the right man for the role, but through his persistence he got what he wanted and it turned out great. 

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.  

Let's start off by saying "Wow what a great movie!" There are very few flaws in the film and to say I finally saw it is a load off of my back. I did see the movie before, but a long time ago and while I was with my girlfriend and they can be very...distracting. What makes the movie so great is thinking about it afterwards. The more you think about it the more impressed you become with it. The powerful symbolism and plethora of themes allows for many days of thought and appreciation. What else makes it such a great movie? All of the actors do a fantastic job. Each and everyone one of them put in so much effort and it all paid off. The movie was a huge success and launched their incredibly successful careers they have now. Everyone knows who Al Pacino is. The true backbone of the film though, is Francis Ford Coppola. Although he hasn't done a whole lot after The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now he still proved himself as a fantastic filmmaker with The Godfather. The wonderful cinematography and perfect pacing create an extraordinary viewing experience. The only thing I didn't like about watching the film in class was splitting it into two days. The week gap between the first half and the second half really took away from the experience so I will definitely have to see it again.

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_______________________

The Graduate Review

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

The Graduate won one Oscar and that was Best Director. The direction was probably the most notable aspect of the film. Mike Nichols did a fantastic job directing the film. One of the big reasons it was such a big success was the timing of the film. Nichols was able to direct it by presenting youth rebellion which was a big step for film. It was still in the process of stepping away from the censored, overly politically correct films. What was also very notable about the direction was the use of film techniques. While making the movie they actually cared about making a film, not just a piece of entertainment. Nichols managed to make the best of both worlds with his wildly entertaining film as well as using noticeable cuts and camera angles.

2)  Find a related article and summarize the content. 

One of the most acclaimed movie critics of all time had a lot of good things to say about The Graduate, but over time things seemed to change for him. Roger Ebert, may he rest in peace, wrote a review for the film when it came out in 1967. At the time he loved it and the only negative thing he had to say about it was the use of the Simon and Garfunkel songs. He even stated it as "the funniest American movie of the year." However, over time things changed. When the 30th Anniversary revival came out in 1997 for the film he rewrote his review. He still liked the film, but for its nostalgic value. He described as "is like looking at photos of yourself at an old fraternity dance. You're gawky and your hair is plastered down with Brylcreem, and your date looks as if you found her behind the counter at the Dairy Queen. But--who's the babe in the corner? The great-looking brunette with the wide-set eyes and the full lips and the knockout figure? Hey, it's the chaperone!" This time he pulled apart what the film was about and how each character was represented. Instead of seeing Benjamin as a heroic symbol of youth rebellion, he described him as an insufferable creep. He also changed his mind about the music. To him, the movie is like opening a time capsule and enjoying the movie for what it reminds him of.

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-graduate-1967
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-graduate-1997

 

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

What do Roger Ebert's changing views of The Graduate have to say about the movie? They say that the movie is complicated. They say that there is more to it than just a college grad sleeping with a sexy, older woman. Like Ebert, I saw the film twice; once last summer and once in class. Viewing it a second time allowed me to focus on the the deeper meanings the film had to offer. What does Ben's character represent? Does it represent teenage rebellion of the 1960s or does it represent the deep generation gap of the time? These are questions raised when being able to see the film multiple times. It paves a path for a new perspective. Unlike most people in class, I had the opportunity to pick apart the film and dive deeper into what it presented. I was able to come out of my viewing with a whole new perspective on the film.

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.  

The Graduate is a film that not only will entertain, but also make the viewer think. It is incredibly funny, but also very intelligent. A lot of comedies nowadays focus on single straight forward jokes often times involving someone swearing a lot or without any clothes on; or perhaps even both. Don't get me wrong, I love watching cheep comedy just as much as the next guy, but there comes a time where there needs to be a comedy more refreshing and daring. The Graduate is that film. The film can be a movie for anyone because it provides what the general public wants but also what movie buffs want. Its clever yet sexual jokes will make anyone laugh and the creative use of the camera and the editing give film buffs something to take note of and learn from. The characters are also not your run-of-the-mill people who make you laugh when they fall down, they are much more deep than that. Each character has a story and has a soul that we can pull something from. For everyone that "something" is always different. The Graduate is a great film because it has that entertainment aspect that everyone can abide in, but also uses film as an art form which goes much more unnoticed these days.

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_______________________

Casablanca Review

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

In class the main thing that was focused on when learning about Casablanca was how praised the movie has become. It won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay as well as earning nominations for other categories. The film has plenty of famous lines which all receive recognition on many Top Movie Quote lists. "Here's looking at you kid" was one of the most famous lines from the movie and is considered one of the best. Casablanca was also ranked at number 3 on AFI's top movie list. The cast also gets a lot of applause. All of this praise and glory the film gets is very prevalent in the film. Listening to the writing of the film is quite an experience and watching the fantastic performances from the whole cast is exciting. The movie is very drawing and keeps you watching it.

2)  Find a related article and summarize the content. 

On IMDb.com, they post trivia for every movie they have on the website. For Casablanca a lot of the trivia involves the problems the film faced during production due to WWII. The film was not only filmed during that period, but the story had to do with the war. One piece of information IMDb gives is that the Allies actually invaded Casablanca on November 8, 1942. The studio executives suggested that the invasion was added into the film. The Warner Bros. chief, Jack L. Warner, objected to this idea because he thought the invasion deserved an entire film, not just an epilogue. He eventually agreed to this, but Bergman's contractor demanded an earlier release. It released in New York but did not premiere in L.A. until 1943 so it competed with 1943 for the Oscars.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv

 

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

When learning interesting facts about a movie it makes the movie that much more interesting. It allows the viewer to appreciate what they are seeing much more. It especially makes in more intriguing when you find out struggles the film went through. Also, after learning that there were two different versions of the film adds more to the film. Scenes that I saw in the movie are not in another version and make them more special. Some facts are also just humorous and give someone who has watched the film a good laugh.

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.  

Casablanca was one of those films that I was nervous to see but I knew I had to. I typically do not like movies that are romantic, but Casablanca is many times renowned as one of the best films ever made. If I want to pursue a career in filmmaking, Casabalnca is one of those movies I have to see. Luckily I got to see it in a class where I will ultimately get graded on so it's a win win. However after viewing it I would have been just fine seeing it any time. I was thoroughly impressed with the whole film and I have it very high up on my list of best films. For my tastes it had the perfect balance of romance and drama and never went over the top with the romance like many older films do, such as Gone With the Wind. What really impressed me the most was the writing. Good God was the writing fantastic. Every conversation the characters had with each other was a fun one to listen to. Who doesn't love Rick's many witty remarks? The pacing was great as well. At no point did I feel the film was dragging on or getting boring. I enjoyed every minute of it. The acting was also not overly theatrical like most older films. Casablanca was a fantastic film with very few flaws and I am happy to say my expectations were very much exceded while watching it.

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_______________________