Citizen Kane

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

Citizen Kane is known by many for being the greatest movie of all time, and there are many aspects of the film that give meaning to the greatness of the film. There are many themes that take place throughout the film that give it special meaning and a special place in film history. Orson Welles in his debut as a film maker explores themes such as love and power with ground breaking methods of production. Wells was able to incorporate lighting, long takes, and a variety of camera movement and angles that no one has seen before. Wells also used new wide angle lenses that helped to keep everything in focus, giving many shots in the film a unique look but would also add drama and emotion to the shots. By creating a deep focus in some of the shots, which meant keeping everything from the foreground to the background in focus, it allowed the viewers to see expressions on multiple characters faces without having them standing right next to each other. This effect was used extremely well in some of the shots and definitely adds an element to the film that had not been used in films prior.

2) Find a related article (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content. You may use the library or the internet.

http://entertainment.time.com/2012/08/06/fraud-at-the-polls-the-best-film-of-all-time-is-not-citizen-kane/

This article from Time Magazine takes a look back at Citizen Kane and how it compares to other movies, and not just films from America but from the entire world. The author of the article, Richard Corliss starts off comparing Citizen Kane to other forms of media such as music and television. He makes the point that because it is old it must be outdated and that there have been newer more current movies to surpass it. Briefly after, Corliss discusses a list of the top 10 films of all time where Citizen Kane is not number one on the list, but instead Vertigo is. Throughout the middle part of the article, Corliss discusses many of the other influential films from the beginning of cinema. However to wrap up the article, the last few paragraphs start going into detail, explaining why Citizen Kane is so great. Corliss mentions a little of Orson Wells’ background and how his history with radio and theater allowed him to have his first movie be one of the greatest of all time. In the last two paragraphs of the article, Corliss really gives credit to Citizen Kane about how it “wants to be the best”. Because of that, Citizen Kane holds a standard for what people should aim to create when trying to make a movie.

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class. How did the article support or change the way you thought about the film, director, content, etc.?

After reading this article, I am left with an even more intense feeling about the film than after watching it the first couple of times. Part of me agreed with the way the article started but the other part of the me strongly disagreed. When I first began reading, I thought to myself, how could anything top Citizen Kane as the greatest movie of all time? Then I thought about the point the author made about comparing music from today to music back in the earlier 1900’s. That point was very interesting to me because in modern society people clearly have a different taste in music than in the earlier 1900’s, so it makes the point that the greatness of a song is really completely subjective to the time period and culture in which it was created. The point made me briefly think about its relation to film but then I realized that you can’t really compare film and music with that same attitude because the mediums are so different. As I kept reading and kept looking through some of the top 10 and top 100 film list in which Citizen Kane was not at the top, and it just didn't seem right to have any other film stand above Citizen Kane as the best film of all time, especially with seeing a film like Vertigo top it as number one. Veritgo is great in its own respect, however I do not feel that it holds the longevity and special place in film history that Citizen Kane has had for so many years. The part of the article that really made me appreciate the writers opinion was the way the article finished. The author wrote about how the film “demands to be approached in awe” and “is often named the world’s best film: because it wants to be”, which I think is completely true. No other film has really made such an impact as Citizen Kane and that’s the reason why it may be nearly impossible for any film to beat it out as the best film ever.

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 am less interested in whether you liked or disliked a film, (although that can be part of this) than I am in your understanding of its place in film history or the contributions of the director.

When looking at how Citizen Kane compares to all other movies in terms of the greatest movies of all time, to me Citizen Kane stands out as a hands down winner. One of the best things about Citizen Kane is that it does not do one or two things really well, but everything throughout the movie is on point. By using a combination of all of the parts of the film making process, Citizen Kane tells the perfect story of one man’s life, but it is a story that is relatable to so many people. The way Orson Wells uses new lighting techniques, camera movement and camera lenses, gives Citizen Kane the perfect look it needs to help tell its story. The lighting is moody when it needs to be and full with less contrast depending on what part of the film is being shown. The change in lighting techniques and camera angles throughout the film changes based on the mood and feel of the film that Orson Wells is trying to portray to the audience. The framing especially throughout the movie tells the story almost as well as the actual words that are spoken. Cinema to me is all about how well a story can be told through the use of moving pictures, and Citizen Kane does it better than just about every other movie ever made. The way that the camera is used to the story of Charles Foster Kane makes the movie stand out against any other movie from its time period but what I think is so special about the cinematography is that if the movie were to be played without sound or dialogue people would still be able to follow the story. But truly one of the most important things to remember about Citizen Kane is how it changed the way that people look at and make movies. If it wasn’t for Citizen Kane, the many aesthetic elements that we love about movies today might have never existed.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM 1) ( ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class. 2) ( ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper. 3) ( ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text. 4) () I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper. 5) ( ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read. 6) ( ) 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) ( ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality. 8) ( ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: ____Joe Katulak___________________________ Date: _10/29/14_________________

Gone With The Wind

Gone With The Wind

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

Not only is “Gone With The Wind” an epic, that is looked at as one of the greatest films of all time but it is also one of the first big Hollywood films to give African American actors major roles in feature films. Even though the African American actors were still not given glorious or heroic roles at the time Gone with the Wind was made, the African American actors from Gone with the Wind helped to break black actors onto the screen for the first time. Prior to Gone with the Wind, many black characters were played by white people in black face such as Al Jolson in “The Jazz Singer”. Not only was black face an inaccurate portrayal of African American’s but highly offensive as well; especially in early movies such as “The Birth of a Nation”. "Gone With The Wind" drastically changed how African American’s were portrayed in cinema because of the the amazing performance of Hattie McDaniel’s. Her performance allowed her to be the first African American actor or actress to bring home the academy award. “Gone With The Wind” is spectacular in more ways than one, and the way it helped African American actors and film makers is still something we need to take note of today.

2) Find a related article (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content. You may use the library or the internet.

The article from NPR titled, “When It Comes To 'Gone With The Wind,' Do Kids Today Give A Damn?” takes a look at how modern day film students view “Gone With The Wind” as an American classic. The article begins with a Grantland film critic describing one of the scenes from the movie and pointing out that overall the movie had a variety of shots and camera angles that set it apart from other films in the same time period. After the introduction, the article goes on describing the reactions and opinions of Georgetown University film class students. Many of the students did not have the same opinion as many other film critics have had. One of the students was quoted saying that, "Everything I've seen about it says it, like, glorifies the slave era ... and I dunno, what's the point of that?” However not every student thought that the movie was racist or glorifying the slave era; there was a variety of different responses from the students in the class. One student said she still viewed the film as a family movie, and another was able to make a connection about falling in love with someone who doesn’t love you, a universal experience that people throughout the world have experienced. Overall it was interesting to see how a younger generation reacted to film that is known as a timeless classic.

http://www.npr.org/2014/09/25/351437425/when-it-comes-to-gone-with-the-wind-do-kids-today-give-a-damn

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class. How did the article support or change the way you thought about the film, director, content, etc.?

The article titled “When It Comes To ‘Gone With The Wind,’ Do Kids Today Give A Damn?” was a different and interesting take on the film “Gone With The Wind” and there were points throughout the article that I agreed with and also disagreed with. In response to the first student that claimed that the film glorified the slavery era, I find that argument to be false. From what I could tell from the film, the actors and director were simply illustrating what life was like back during the times of slavery and the civil war. Slavery is part of American history and when making a film during the time of slavery, it is simply something that cannot be ignored. However for the majority of the rest of the article, the responses given by the students were similar to my original opinions on the film. The film deals with issues such as hunger, homelessness and post-war stress in a way that still makes it relatable today without feeling out dated, which is something that one of the students pointed out. In summary it was interesting to see the opinions from students in a similar age group as me. I can understand how the film does not appeal to everyone, but it does not take away from the fact that “Gone With The Wind” is an epic classic.

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 am less interested in whether you liked or disliked a film, (although that can be part of this) than I am in your understanding of its place in film history or the contributions of the director.

"Gone With The Wind" is an epic masterpiece and there are so many reasons why it is so highly rated by critics. Made in 1939, “Gone With The Wind” is a dramatic period piece that takes place in the south during the time of the civil war. In one of the earlier shots in the film we see a beautiful silhouette shot of the main character Scarlett as she looks onto her house. The film contains many beautiful shots throughout the movie that help make the audience envision what it was like to live in the south during the time of the civil war. The film tackles issues such as hunger, rape and post-traumatic stress that have been issues almost through the entirety of America’s history.

After finishing watching the film “Gone With The Wind” for the first time, my jaw was dropped and I was left with a feeling of nothing less than “WOW”. After the dramatic scene of Melanie, Scarlett’s cousin passing away, we are brought right away to the dramatic ending of the movie. I thought the end of the movie was a perfect was to sum up the personality of both Scarlett and Rhett. In this last scene we see how Scarlett will never be able to be truly happy because she is always after the things she can’t get, which for the majority of the film was Melanie’s husband Ashley. Even though during the second half of the movie, after Scarlett marries Rhett, Scarlett appears happy even though there is still that underlying feeling that she cannot stop thinking about Ashley. Rhett finally realizes that there will be no way to truly make Scarlett happy once Melanie passes away and he sees that Scarlett is once again looking to be with Ashley. Rhett notices that instead of coming to him for comfort Scarlett seeks comfort from Ashley after she sees Melanie for the last time. This is the signal to Rhett that he will never be able to make this troubled woman happy. Rhett decides to take off and leaves Scarlett’s side without her even noticing, which was the final proof to Rhett that Scarlett was not truly in love with him. Once Scarlett notices that Rhett is missing and has left her, she quickly panics and chases Rhett downstairs just barely catching him before he walks out of the door, but it is too late and Rhett has made up his mind. What is so beautiful about this scene is that Rhett as well as the audience can see the insanity that lies with Scarlett but she is still completely unaware of her own madness. After Scarlett professes her love to Rhett one last time, we hear from Rhett one of the best and most famous movie quotes of all time, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” That jaw dropping quote sends Scarlett into tears but as she is lying alone on the steps she begins to hear voices from her father and somehow starts to begin to think that it is possible to meet up with Rhett once again to get back together. As if that scene wasn’t enough to end the movie, the film concludes with the dramatic silhouette shot of Scarlett looking out to the house, ready to start another day.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM 1) ( ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class. 2) ( ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper. 3) ( ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text. 4) () I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper. 5) ( ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read. 6) ( ) 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) ( ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality. 8) ( ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: __Joe Katulak___________________ Date:10/21/14_________________

Stagecoach

Stagecoach

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

“Stagecoach” which was made in 1939 was one of the earliest westerns made and holds a huge historical significance today. The end of the 1930’s and the beginning of the 1940’s was one of the most influential times in American cinema and it makes sense to why “Stagecoach” is still one of the best westerns of all time. Westerns were still a new style of cinema and the movies took the audience someplace very different from their everyday homes enviornments. That made this movie as well as others from the time period so important throughout the great depression because it would help bring the audience someplace away from their own reality. In “Stagecoach” new elements start to come to the screen such as mythical heroism and classic tragedies. These were not entirely new to storytelling but they were new elements that were yet to be seen on screen. The amazing job of director, John Ford really helped make this movie special as well.  Ford also took the chance of casting John Wayne for the part of Ringo. After “Stagecoach”, neither Wayne nor Ford looked back. “Stagecoach” was John Wayne’s first big movie, and since then he has worked with Ford on 24 other occasions. Overall “Stagecoach” was not only entertaining but it helped bring westerns to an “A” list status, and without it many of the best westerns of today might not exist.

2) Find a related article (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content. You may use the library or the internet.

The article “John Ford: at war and out West once again” describes and goes into detail about why stagecoach is such an influential movie, not only for westerns but for the movie industry in general. “Stagecoach” is one of Ford’s most remembered movies; and rightfully so because of the impact it had on the film industry. “Stagecoach” was Ford’s first non-silent western to come out of the film industry. Every single aspect of the film is what helps make it so great. Ford was able to do such a good job of building up the story through characters and commanding things on the set that he was able to create a story that was so much more complex than what people were used to seeing. By using such a large variety of characters it added many different elements to the film such as comedy and romance yet the majority of the film was led by the morals of the Ringo kid. The article also briefly talks about the recent release of the film onto Blu-ray and DVD. The film has been re-mastered from a duplicate of the original film negative and can now be seen in beautiful high definition.  The article also explains how some of John Ford’s other movies made it onto the Blu-ray copies of “Stagecoach” helping to further preserve some of Ford’s earlier work.

http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2010/05/23/with_stagecoach_ford_delivered_iconic_images/?page=full

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class. How did the article support or change the way you thought about the film, director, content, etc.?

The above article for sure supported the way I felt about the film “Stagecoach”. The article pointed out a lot of information about the film that I had previously not paid attention to such as the large variety of characters. No two characters that ride on the stagecoach are the same and that aspect helps add interest to the story, because then the audience becomes curious about how each character will interact with each other. Also I did not realize that this movie was Ford’s first non-silent western. The way Ford directs the movie and is able to get such important audio for the movie really makes a big difference. Whether it is the way he changes music between cuts, uses good sound effects for gun shots, or controls the pacing of the actors, Ford makes the movie feel like it could have been made in modern day. Lastly, it’s nice to know that “Stagecoach” has been re-mastered onto Blu-ray to help better insure that a classic movie like this will be able to be seen in high definition.

 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 am less interested in whether you liked or disliked a film, (although that can be part of this) than I am in your understanding of its place in film history or the contributions of the director.

“Stagecoach” is an extremely influential movie throughout film history and without it we probably wouldn't have many of the westerns we have today. There are so many amazing and ground breaking things about this movie that really makes it stand out against some of the other movies of its time period and even against many modern movies of the same genre. The movie has so many different things going on throughout, yet I never felt overwhelmed or confused to what was going on. We follow this big cast of characters as they make their way to a another city in a stagecoach; each one of the characters seemingly having their own plot and back story. Aside from the obvious escort mission of the stagecoach carrying the passengers, we also get to see a tale of revenge and of romance. When we are first introduced to Ringo and learn his back story, we quickly see that there is a strong plot point about revenge which makes the movie very interesting to me. Also one of the best parts of the movie for me was the chase scene towards the end of the movie. Even though there are other things going on in the movie such as Ringo’s revenge, and Dallas and Ringo’s romance, we still get taken back to the chase with the Apache’s. One of the underlining conflicts of the film was that the Apaches were the biggest danger to the stagecoach on its travels, and during the climax of the film we see why this is true.  The chase scene definitely does not disappoint as it is something that is hinted at throughout the film. The fast paced action, quick cuts and gun slinging make the chase scene feel real and authentic. The authenticity is one of the reasons why I liked the film so much and why I think it will forever be one of the greatest westerns of all time. Everything from the horses falling after getting shot, to the end scene where Ringo gets his revenge on the three brothers, “Stagecoach” is a brilliant western and should be recognized as one of the best westerns of all time. 

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM 1) ( ) I have not handed in this assignment for any
other class. 2) ( ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other
classes, I clearly explain that in the paper. 3) ( ) If I used any passages word for word, I
put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text. 4) (
) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in
the text of the paper. 5) ( ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally
read. 6) ( ) 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) ( ) I did not
so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality. 8) ( ) I
checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and
ideas used in my paper.
Name: __Joe Katulak_____________________________ Date: _10/8/14_________________