The Coen Brothers

First off I would like to say that the Coen Brothers definitely have a style that is all their own, I have enjoyed every Coen film that I have seen and this is no joke, the Coen's films really hit close to home with me. I really think its amazing how every shot seems to be set up almost perfectly...all aspects of a shot in a Coen Brothers film are carefully picked over and meticulously examined with a craftsmanship of a...ship in a bottle enthusiast (i don't know?)...anyways what I am driving at here is that they are damn good filmmakers and when it comes to the what may seem like minute details the Coen's tend to be extremely finicky. After all they are, like any other filmmaker, putting a piece of themselves into the film so why not try to make every shot better than the last. The Coen's are excellent behind the camera and I think we can all agree that some of the most interesting characters in film today have come from a Coen picture whether it is Leonard Smalls or "the Dude" the Coen's know how to come up with interesting characters that are interesting to watch and follow through the plot. I must say I was never once bored or disappointed by the cinematography in the three films we watched in class. I found the camera work to be enticing and interesting to follow, some of the shots were really impressive and the great thing about the Coens is that they are willing to try a wide variety of shots whether it be low tracking shots in the chase scene in "Raising Arizona" or the still camera shots of the deserted wasteland in the opening scene of "No Country for Old Men" the Coen brothers keep the viewer guessing as to what they will do next. Overall the Coen Brothers are highly skilled filmmakers that excel in all aspects of filmmaking and for my sake and all movie lovers alike, I hope the Coens continue making movies for years to come.

Robert Altman

Robert Altman has an interesting directing style, he is unlike any other director that i have come into contact with over my life. In most of his films, Altman is working with a large cast weaving and intertwining their stories, he then directs the connections made between his characters towards a greater truth which is generally summed up in an abrupt ending. I found his style to be very different from the movies that I am used to. Altman combines a restless camera with multiple overlapping dialogue to add to the chaos within his films. I really liked how in "The Long Goodbye" the camera always seems to be moving and how Marlowe is in every scene of the film. These to cinematic aspects really made the viewer feel connected to Marlowe as a person and helped evoke the sense that Marlowe was always on the move and really determined to find the truth behind the death of Terry Lennox. I did at times find it hard to follow what was going on with his choice of overlapping dialogue, often times I would get lost in a conversation between the characters, but at the same time this really gave the film a very "real" feeling because rarely does someone get to talk and have the floor all to themselves there is often a bit of overlap. I would have to say that my preference for watching these films again would look something like this:

1) The Long Goodbye
2) The Player
3) Nashville

For some reason, Nashville just didn't meet my expectations after watching "The Long Goodbye", perhaps this is because I am partial to a private eye mystery over a country musical? I felt that "The Player" was a good movie to follow up Nashville and I think it cleaned the bad taste that "Nashville" left in my mouth. Overall I would have to say that Altman is an interesting director with a style all his own.

Akira Kurosawa: Better than TMNT?

I have always been a big fan of the teenage mutant ninja turtles but until just recently, I have learned that it takes more than a severe craving for pizza to be a real samurai. Although the TMNT were my favorite sword wielding heroes when I was a wee lad, I have come to realize that a samurai is not a turtle...no not a turtle at all, but a master swordsman often trained with the philosophy that life is to be lived out with pride, and discipline. This unit has been interesting and exciting for me being my first viewing of an Akira Kurosawa film, I must say that I enjoyed his style. I liked how Kurosawa utilizes artistic and visually appealing shots to make the audience feel connected to his work. Some shots that really stood out to me were the final standoff between Murakami and Yusa in Stray Dog when blood is dripping onto a flower petal at our hero's feet. Another thing I enjoyed about Kurosawa's work was his use of natural forces like the wind and an extreme heat wave to add to the intensity of the scene.

To me a Samurai film is supposed to be a bit over the top, I would say that AK accomplished this with his many looong takes, and extravagant battle scenes. The red paint used for blood really added to the brutality of the battle at the third tower in Kurosawa's epic film, "Ran". I liked the use of color in "Ran", this was really something that was lacking in "Stray Dog", and "Yojimbo" seeing that these were shot in black and white. I liked the separation of the armies using the three primary colors: RED, YELLOW, and BLUE. My favorite movie of the three was definitely "Yojimbo"...this film really captured my attention because it emphasizes the idea that the hero doesn't always have to be type-casted to one and only one role. The hero, Sanjuro, is my favorite character out of all of Kurosawa's characters because I can relate to him the most. This unit has inspired me to spend some time in some different parts of the movie store, I plan on checking out Kurosawa's epic film known around the world as "Seven Samurai".

Raging Bull

There is something about the dynamic duo that is Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro that makes you want to curse up a storm and beat the shit out of everybody. In Scorsese's brutal depiction of Jake La Motta a ruthless boxer at reaching for the middleweight title in the 1940's, DeNiro and Pesci complement each other nicely. Scorsese seems to stick with what works, by combining two of hollywoods most famous wise-guys Scorsese is able to yet again blow the audience away with raw graphic violence, foul language and a fast dialogue. I like how Scorsese uses the same actors in a lot of his films because that way he is really able to get to know them and how they work. The film takes place in New York City in the 1940's following the ups and downs of boxer Jake La Motta, Scorsese captures the essence of the era and the city through advanced cinematography. Throughout the film there are many technical shots especially during a fight in the ring. The film is in black and white and opens with a robed Deniro dancing around in the ring practicing his footwork. This shot is in slow motion with classical music playing during the opening credits. Along with this shot, Scorsese uses a wide variety of techniques inside the ring, in one instance when La Motta gets hit in the face the camera reels around in a circle as if to show us how dizzy and rattled his brain must be. When the bell rings between rounds the camera focuses on La Motta (DeNiro) in the corner aith a dutch angle, oftentimes the camera is slowed down when his manager is cleaning his wounds and cleaning his face with a sponge full of water.

Along with many of these shots one stands out above the rest, this is obviously when Jake notices Vicky from across the dance floor in a restaurant. It is a slow motion zoom in on her face and as it it travels across the dance floor people dance in front of the camera making it seem as if we are gazing at this girl from across the room as well. One thing that I have noticed about Scorsese's films is that in every one they start out fairly slow giving some good background information on the characters, after all he is well known for his incredible character development. Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro dive so deep into their characters that it amazes me, for a minute there I actually believed they were brothers. Along with all of the violence and blood, Raging Bull spends a great amount of time on the ups and downs of Jake La Motta's boxing career and family life, which I really enjoyed. I like how Scorsese makes you feel as if you know this "character" personally after viewing the movie. I also enjoyed how much time Scorsese spent on developing Jake's nasty behavior and personality, he points out how jealousy, mistrust, and domestic violence destroys his career and breaks up his family. After viewing these three films by Scorsese I have grown in admiration of a man who has become a master of his craft.

Alfred Hitchcock: Master of Suspense?

First off I would like to answer my own question...YES...I do believe that Hitchcock is a master of suspense. In all three films, "The 39 Steps", "Rear Window", and "Vertigo" he is able to captivate his audiences and make the viewer feel as if he or she is really there with James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Cary Grant...etc. To me this is the most important detail in making a successful thriller, if the audience feels like they are in danger, then the director has done his job. The way Hitchcock is able to keep his audiences with white knuckles, sitting on the edge of their seats is truly amazing. In almost all of Hitchcock's film he keeps one thing consistent, an older male protagonist and a much younger blonde female "sidekick" if you will. By doing this the audience is able to connect with the characters on a more intimate level (especially when they watch two James Stuart films in a row like we did). We now feel as though we have met this character before and have gotten to know them, so NOW when this character's life is thrust into danger, we fear for their safety and well-being even more.
Hitchcock is known for being able to tell a story without words, he is a great visual artist and takes a lot of the things he learned from his silent film era and uses those talents in his later works. A great example of this is the opening scene from Rear Window where the camera pans across L.B. Jefferies broken leg and around the room clearly showing some of Jefferies photographs of the things he's done and the places he's been. Another key Hitchcockian trait is his character development. In almost all of Hitchcocks greatest films one variable remains constant: the ordinary man who is thrust into extraordinary situations. It seems that Hitchcock has proved himself as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time merely by using the skills he has picked up over the years and these experiences have made him what he is today...a legend.

"The Goodfellas" Scorsese Blog #2

Martin Sorcese's film "The Goodfellas" has been regarded as one of the best mobster movies of all time. One of the most interesting aspects of this film was the narration throughout by Ray Liotta who played Henry Hill, an upcoming mobster joining the ranks of some of the finest: Paulie Cicero, Tuddy Cicero, and Jimmy Conway (DeNiro). The introduction to the film was interesting because it was taken from the middle of the film and had just the right amount of graphic violence to catch the viewer's attention. One technical skill utilized by Scorsese was the use of freeze framing. Scorsese froze the shot in order to allow the viewer to take a minute to get a handle on all of these images that are being thrown at them. Scorsese freezes the shot and Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) comments on what is happening oftentimes explaining things that would otherwise be difficult to show visually. Along with the freeze frame Scorsese utilized many other cinematography techniques such as a slow motion shot of DeNiro taking a long drag from his cigarette while sitting down at the bar, low key lighting throughout the film, and red filters often in the presence of danger or anger. Scorsese is a master of his time and this is clearly made obvious through the many complex and meaningful cinematic techniques utilized throughout the film.

Not only was Scorsese able to tell a story through filming and cinematography but he was able to make the focus of the film more obvious through repetition. Scorsese spends a lot of time pounding the idea of family being of huge importance by showing more than necessary shots of family dinners, parties, nights out, card games...etc. He also spends a great deal of the movie showing how important material things are to these people. In one scene Scorsese pans across Henry's closet showing all of his expensive suits and then goes on to pan across his wife's wardrobe as if to focus on how materialistic they really are and how wealth and power has consumed them. I liked how he made Henry's narration increase in speed and made all of the words seem to string together when he was all coked up and paranoid. It seems to me that in this film Scorsese places a lot of commentary on drug abuse and how it can tear up a person and leave them confused, lost and alone. Overall Scorsese's film, "The Goodfellas" is one of my all time favorites because to be completely honest the lifestyle definitely sounds like fun.

Scorsese's: The Departed

Martin Scorsese's film, "The Departed" is a masterpiece full of twists and turns. With an arsenal full of top actors, (Leonardo DeCaprio, Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, and Jack Nicholson...to name a few) "The Departed" is Scorsese's best film since The Goodfellas. A collaborative effort between these top actors and Scorsese's incredible vision for filmmaking has resulted in a massive blockbuster grossing more than $130,000,000 in the box office. Oftentimes the story is seen as the largest piece that contributes to a film,"The Departed" on the other hand, despite having a truly complex and twisted plotline also manages to tell a separate story through the genius of Martin Scorsese's cinematography. I really enjoyed the idea of having two moles, one infiltrating the boston police department and the other infiltrating the irish mafia. When these undercover moles went to work they would report to their higher ups: Frank Costello and Captain Queenan, this really highlighted the fact that these mens lives were essentially the same, living with danger and paranoia but their ultimate purposes were polar opposites. The film begins with some vintage footage from the past, when the film changes into the present it takes on a whole new look, sharper lines and bolder colors. Often in Scorsese's films, diagetic sounds are common, when the phone rings the viewer is able to listen to both sides of the conversation. Scorsese makes it a point to make the antaganist's main belief known in the beginning of his films, he accomplishes this by telling Jack Nicholson to repeat his motto over and over again: "No one gives it to ya, you have got to take it!" he also lets the antaganists beliefs known, for example Scorsese makes it clear that Costello, the irish mafia mob boss is against the church and its methods. This may seem unimportant but it does comment on Scorsese's filmmaking style, he lets the viewer know who the bad guy is but he makes it difficult to see who is in the right in the film. He essentially makes it hard to pick the protaganist out of the bunch.

Scorsese uses a wide variety of techniques throughout his films, a major component in a Scorsese film is the use of symbolism. The overall pace of the film is fast and quite choppy and jumpy with cuts fom past to present. It almost seems as though Scorsese breaks many of the rules when it comes to his film making. One thing that I found interesting and that I had never seen before was a circular zoom out: a character would be singled out and encompassed in a circular field as if to shout at the viewer that this character is important and you should be paying attention to him or her. Scorsese utilizes quick almost subliminal flashback images to alter the mood or feel of the scene. I really liked how fast paced and jumpy the movie was because it really keeps you on the edge of your seat and it keeps you involved and interested in the characters. I have realized that in many of his films there tends to be quite a bit of double crossing, violence and foul language which are all brought together over an opera soundtrack. I also noticed that Scorsese likes to pump up the volume of the music during intense scenes nearing the climax. Scorsese is a master of suspense and drama, he accomplishes this by putting the characters into compromising situations that cause conflicts. For example Billy Costigan (DeCaprio) and Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) are both in love with the same woman! Scorsese will often give certain characters long monologues where thay rant on and on spilling important information for the viewer to pick up on. In the end, I would have to say that Scorsese's most powerful attribute is his ability to incorporate symbolism throughout his films. "The Departed" has one recurring symbol that Scorsese is able to squeeze in there more than once and that is the "RAT". This is important because the whole movie was about two men getting wrapped up in doing something that could wind up getting them killed, the ending is a little ironic as nearly everyone dies in the last two minutes but the last image on the screen is a rat, alive and well running across the screen. Overall I really liked this film and I would recommend it to anyone with half a brain.