Daughters of the Dust-Film review

Daughters of the Dust (1991) Film Review
This movie is a lot different from typical Hollywood films. The English language that the characters use are so hard to understand it almost sounds like a completely different language. The director, Julie Dash, is an African-American female which is not surprising seeing that this film was all about African-American women and their family. There are several main characters in this film. The entire Peazant family is important to the plot. Nana Peazant (Cora Lee Ray) is the Peazant family matriarch who plans to stay at the island where they all grew up, Ibo Landing, when the rest of the family moves to the mainland (migrates North). Yellow Mary (Barbarao), another Peazant woman, comes back to the island to visit the family, with her companion, Trula (Trula Hoosier) who doesn’t seem to speak much but it always by Yellow Mary’s side. Viola Peazant (Cheryl Lynn Bruce), is returning from the mainland who’s trying to get her family to move North and brings along a photographer Mr. Snead (Tommy Redmond Hicks). Eula (Alva Rogers) and Eli Peazant (Adisa Anderson) are a married couple that has a situation where Eula was raped by a white man. They have an Unborn child (Kai-Lynn Warren) who narratives some of the film, that runs around the island as a little girl with a blue ribbon in her hair. Is this child Eli’s daughter, or is it from the white man that raped Eula? That is a question that I wasn’t sure of, even though it was clear that the girl resembling the “Unborn Child” was clearly fully African-American.
Haager Peazant (Kaycee Moore) is married into the family is a stubborn character who doesn’t hold to the family traditions. Her daughter Iona Peazant (Bahni Turpin) is in love with St. Julien Lastchild (M. Cochise Anderson), a youg Cherokee man who loves her in return, and ends up making her stay behind with him on the island.
This film was hard to follow. I was really confused because I didn’t understand the concept of why they were leaving in the first place. It looked like a beautiful island and from a long shot of the sun setting and two women running on the sand. The scenes when the “Unborn Child” was running through the island was in a dream-like slow motion effect that stood out in the film. I liked the concept of the child because it was as though she was in their presence in spirit even though she wasn’t out of her mother’s womb yet. I would not recommend this film to be watched because I didn’t enjoy watching it because it was hard to understand and didn’t have much of a thrill.

casablanca-film review

Casablanca (1942) film review
This 1942 Michael Curtiz film Casablanca is an American classic. In the beginning of the film the narration is in third-person omniscient. It gives a little background before the film begins. The three main characters which the film is based upon is Rick (Humphrey Bogart), owner of the Rick's Cafe Americain in Casablanca, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) a leader of the French resistance who’s wanted by the Nazis, and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergam) a beautiful woman caught between these two men whom she falls in love with both and can’t decide who she wants to be with. This love triangle between these three characters is a conflict that’s created all because Ilsa doesn’t ever explain herself until the very end of the film. (Which was very frustrating, especially when she went to go talk to Rick the first night and just walked out on him after he made some drunken comments). Ilsa’s actions in this film propel the film forward because she keeps her big secret about why she left Rick in France at the train station. Once we figure out the situation and she has to decide, Rick decides for her and does what’s the safest for the both of them.
Casablanca is a movie that I will remember because of its repetitive romantic line that Rick says to Ilsa, “Here’s to looking at you kid” every time she sees her. This film was a good film of it’s time, and had a rather astounding twist to it. Throughout the entire film I was very conspicuous about Captain Renault (Claude Rains). He was a corrupt German soldier that tried to do what was right but still ended up following the law and pursue his duty as a German soldier. I was confused about his actions because he seemed to be very carefree which caught me off guard. The final scene made me like him for his actions that showed true friendship between him and Rick.
After watching this film I didn’t really like it because the plot confused me. Certain aspects of the film, like why the soldiers that came into Rick’s café didn’t arrest Victor Laszlo right on the spot. He escaped from concentration camps, was he Jewish? However, once I thought about it this movie was really well put together. Ilsa was the only character who made me angry because of her secretive ways and stupid actions. But in the end Rick fixed the conflict and did it for the best.

Analytical Review- Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie and Clyde was an amazing film. It showed rhythmic editing especially at the final scene where Bonnie and Clyde are gunned down from people hiding in the bushes across the street. The killing of Bonnie and Clyde was so dramatic and featured many cuts to each of their facial expressions to the people in the bushes that were about to catch them for good.
The short cuts make the scene go at a faster pace, especially when the shooting starts. It picks up right after the man who set them up dove underneath his truck to hide for safety so he wouldn't get shot accidentally.
The reaction shots of Bonnie and Clyde were interesting as they kept being shot constantly by the non stop bullets that kept shooting until they were both fallen to the ground unable to move. The way Clyde died was intriguing because he fell the the ground and after he was shot more than 30 times he was still able to roll over on his side to his final breath. As Bonnie fell out the car door she was able to die in an awkward position with her hand hanging out the car and her body halfway falling out of the side of the car. It was a very dramatic and rhythmic editing.
The way Dede Allen edited this film was phenomenal to time it was released because the pattern was different then the typical Hollywood style.

Bonnie and Clyde film review

Arthur Penn's classic movie, Bonnie and Clyde, is based on a story of a couple in love that rob banks in the 1920s. Bonnie Parker is bored with her life and wants a change. She is dreading to go to work one day and looks out her window and sees Clyde about to steal her mama's car. She runs downstairs and meets him and he tells her that he robs banks. His charming good looks and dreams of living carefree in the Great Depression, finalizes Bonnie's decision to join Clyde on his crime spree that extends from Oklahoma to Texas. The two fall in love and begin robbing banks together and forming a gang that becomes disperse once the police are close to catching them, but always seem to get away. They become wanted celebrities known across the country. People who have encounters with Bonnie and Clyde are proud to be interviewed and speak with the press about their experience.
This film is a story about an ongoing car chase and doesn't end until Bonnie and Clyde are defeated. Bonnie writes a poem that Clyde sends to the newspapers to be published that describes their adventure and it foreshadows their future. I enjoyed watching this film because it showed the point of view of being rebels and trying to get away with taking money when everyone else had none at this time. They were breaking free from the chains of society and were ambitious enough to last as long as they did on their long run from the cops. This movie seems a bit too long but the ending made up for it because it got straight to the point and ended abruptly which made up for the dragged on events that happened leading up to the last scene.

Run Lola Run Analytical Editing Review

In this film the editing is astounding. The same event occurs 3 times and it replays Lola's running encounter different ways each time. The movie includes all types of editing. From split screen, black and white, animation, point of view shots,and the sequence of still shots. The plot is easy to follow except when she bumps into the random people and the series of shots of their life flash before the screen and it's so quick and random it symbolizes fate and destiny of each person that Lola runs by. Every time the event plays over, the person's series of still images change.

The director, Tom Tywker, used interesting techniques throughout the film. I enjoyed watching the animation sequence while Lola ran down the stairs and out the door of her home. Right when she runs out the door it shows an overhead shot and goes back to real footage. Another memorable sequence in this film was each time Lola ran into someone on the street. The picture images of each person was quickly shown on screen but it gave enough information to understand what happened in their life. I really liked that way of editing because it made characters that didn't have a major role have a major effect on Lola. It was a film that made me think "I wonder what I would do if I could have done it a different way". This film definitley shows that and I was satisfied with the last result.

Run, Lola, Run! Film Review

The 1998 German film, Run Lola Run seems longer than only 81 minutes. The same event happens 3 times and each time it gets better and better. Lola needs to fulfill a task that helps her boyfriend who is at risk of being killed if she doesn't come up with 100,000 dollars in 20 minutes. This film seems longer than what it is because it shows the same event happen 3 times with different ways of Lola getting the money.
This film is really cool because it shows animation and reality. I was really attracted to the soundtrack and the bright red color of Lola's hair. It really grasp my attention how there was so many different kinds of lighting in this film. There was black and white, and all red scenes when Manni and Lola are laying in bed together talking about their love for each other. The editing caught my eye because I enjoyed how they created quick flashes of people and places in a certain scene. For example, in the beginning of the film when Lola is trying to figure out who to ask for help, it flashes quickly to so many faces of who she is thinking of. This film is thrilling and has issues of fate and destiny about each person who Lola runs into. I recommend watching this film because it's high sense of urgency really drew me in and it is spontaneous editing.

Analytical Review- Do the Right Thing

*spoiler alert* Do the Right Thing had a very scattered plot with several main characters. I noticed that Spike Lee was a fan of dutch angles because they were used very often in this film. The screening was askew because the whole movie didn't make much sense until you realize in the end that Buggin Out (Giancarlo Esposito) just wanted justice in Sal's (Danny Aiello) pizzeria shop, by having some African-American's up on his "wall of fame". I want to focus on the last scene of the movie because that is a very good example of mis en scene. There was a lot going on, from screaming black folks to Sal breaking Radio Raheem's (Bill Nunn) boom box. The bat that Sal uses as a weapon to destroy Radio Raheem's boom box is a metaphorical prop, because it wasn't used for hitting a baseball, it was used to show the emotions and feelings of how Sal felt about the loud music blasting in his restaurant. Once the beating was over, the black folks had a rage and once Raheem pulls him over the counter to beat him up everyone starts attacking him. At this point, everyone is ganging up on Sal while his two sons are trying to pull people off him. Once they drag him outside, other locals notice the riot and start running towards the chaos. Walls and windows are a great significance to this film, especially with Mother Sister's windowsill where she "sees all" and DJ Mister Senor Love Daddy's window is like a window to the entire neighborhood: he watches the entire destruction occur. The Wall of Fame is the basis of the issue, where only Italians and whites hang up on it. Another wall that stuck out to me that is of importance was the big red brick wall behind where Sweet Dick Willie (Robin Harris), ML (Paul Benjamin), and Coconut Sid (Frankie Faison) sat all day discussing and observing what is going on amongst the town.
Do The Right Thing features costumes that reflect styles of 1980s fashion. Each character's costume created realism to their personality. Radio Raheem's costume included a boom box, because it becomes his instrumental prop and you never see him without it throughout the entire film. Da Mayor (Ossie Davis) outfit was dirty, wrinkled suit was very different from the younger characters with bright crazy outfits. Mookie (Spike Lee) wore Jackie Robinson jersey with long shorts and tall socks. Everyone had their own style. Costumes play a big racial role in this film. For example, when a white man on a bicycle runs over Buggin Out's Air Jordan sneakers, it becomes a very violent problem.
Once Radio Raheem is killed by the white police officer, there becomes a fine line between the Italian's and the blacks and Latinos. The film ends with many racial conflicts and it's very ironic because it goes against the title of the film.

Do the Right Thing- Film Review

This film was extremely ironic. Director Spike Lee starred himself as the main character Mookie. Samuel L. Jackson also stars in this film as the town DJ whom they call “Mister Senor Love Daddy.” Samuel Jackson is one of my favorite actors and right when I saw him in this motion picture I knew it was going to be a phenomenal and well designed film. Do the Right Thing is based on a 24-hour period on the hottest day of summer in Brooklyn, NY. Throughout the beginning of the film, we are introduced to the town locals (all of them played a pretty important role) and watch them go about their daily lives.
There’s the Italian father Sal (Danny Aiello) and his two sons Vito (Richard Edson) and Pino (John Turturro) who own Sal’s Famous Pizzeria, a very popular and delicious pizza place in town. Mookie (Spike Lee) works for Sal and a friend of Mookie’s, Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito), causes a dispute about Sal’s business. In the tiny restaurant there is a “Wall of Fame” that is filled with all Italian and white folks; Buggin’ Out complains that there should be some “black brothers” up on that wall. Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn), a towering black man who spends the day wandering around the neighborhood blasting the same song on his boom box, gets involved with this controversy and tries to do something about this issue with Buggin’ Out. The results are not pleasant, especially for Radio Raheem. Da Mayor (Ossie Davis), the town drunk, always seems to give the best advice and even tells Mookie in the beginning of the movie to just “do the right thing.” Unfortunately, this movie was the exact opposite of its title.
The movie confronts racism to its fullest, with each race present in this film being discriminated against. Lee’s set up of this film just creates a situation, then allows the events to play out. At first I was getting a little bored because I didn’t think there was a main plot, but then it all came together in the end. Buggin’ Out and Radio Raheem tried to force Sal to put important African-American people on the wall, like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. The irony was the way they went about doing it: in violence and destruction. Malcolm X and Martin Luther were speakers of peace and diversity. It is not a good way to be put on a wall of fame through the exact opposite of what these political leaders stood for. I enjoyed watching this movie I was so scatter brained and distorted because so many controversial issues arose all in one scene in the end with the huge riot and fire. It kept me thinking about how race is such an issue and it really shouldn’t be!

Analytical Review- the Godfather

Analytical Review- The Godfather
Mise en scene, also known as what’s ‘onstage’, is a way that films display scenic elements in a shot. When the movie is paused at a certain point, the particular objects and lighting in that scene is what mise en scene is. In the Godfather, there are many props that are metaphorical and instrumental. The lighting is a very important aspect of this film because it’s mostly darkness throughout the entire film.
At the beginning of the movie there is darkness. It’s in Don Vito’s office (Marlon Brando) and we see his first client asking for a favor. There is very little lighting, the only light you really see is the top of the man’s head as he speaks; everything around him is dark. It’s aware that when someone talks to Don Vito and is on the other side of his desk, it means they are doing business. The desk is an instrumental prop in this scene because it’s a source of power and distance. The first shot we see of Don Vito is the back of his image sitting in a chair with the point of view of the client in focus. The room is dark, and once we see Don Vito, he is stroking a cat while listening to the man’s request. The cat is a prop as well, and I think it’s a metaphorical prop. The cat symbolizes how the Godfather takes care of so many people and grants requests to his friends and people who honor him. He strokes the cat gently and carefully just like his care for his clients. When he pets the cat it makes him look like less of a powerful mafia man and more of a caring Italian family man. It makes the audience have a soft side for him even though his job is to order murders and commit crimes.
It’s important to notice that there is a fine line between business and family in this film. In the office it’s all business. There is a part in the scene where children run into the office and Tom (Robert Duvall) puts his hands out and abruptly leads them out of the room. Light shines on them as they enter the room and the girls have colorful dresses on; however, they are rushed out. There is symbolism there because it makes it clear that family and business should not intertwine. I think the children resemble a metaphorical prop because they wouldn’t have had that happen in the film if it wasn’t significant. It also shows that Don Vito is a family man, because he wasn’t angry or concerned that the children ran in so suddenly.
The setting of the wedding creates a whole new atmosphere. The sun is shining on a beautiful day and all the woman and children are wearing colorful vibrant dresses. It’s very distinct that it is an Italian family wedding. Everyone has dark hair dark brown eyes. One thing I thought was interesting was how the family wouldn’t allow pictures being taken for the wedding. When a man tried taking a picture of a large group of men, they kicked him out of the wedding and smashed his camera. The costumes of the men really stand out especially outside in the bright sunny weather. The large group of men were all wearing very similar attire, a black suit and tie, and it was aware that they were all ‘business’ men. The darkness of their suits can symbolize the darkness and suspicion of the family business. They stood out amongst the crowd because everyone else was so colorful. The only man who wasn’t wearing a black suit was one of Don Vito’s sons, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), who was wearing an army suit.
It’s ironic that Michael is the only one not wearing a black suit; in the beginning of the film he was the only son that didn’t want to get involved with the family business, however, as the movie goes on he has no choice and ends up just like his father, and I think even worse. Michael’s set of costumes change throughout the movie. He slowly starts to wear all black as he becomes more involved with the family business. Lighting, costumes, and props are three main products of mis en scene in The Godfather. Lighting is one of the main ones because throughout the entire film it’s all dark shadows and there’s barely any light. This symbolizes the tasks and events that happen in the film because everything that happens in this movie is dramatic, murderous, and illegal.