Citizen Kane

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

Citizen Kane is based off of the newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst. Obviously, once the word got out that it was based off of Hearst, the Hearst media empire tried to suppress the film. The film showed Hearsts' life story and how everyone viewed him. There were mostly negative thoughts pertaining Hearst and that showed in the film. In the film, most people thought Kane was self-centered and did not particularly like him. The same way people felt about Hearst.

2. Find a related article (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content.

This article basically tells the life of William Randolph Hearst as a newspaper mogul. Apparently Hearst was both born and he died in California, but he was a true New Yorker. He did all of his business in New York. Trying to change the city in the process. Hearst wanted to become mayor, running twice, but not winning. Whenever he wanted something, he just bought it and didn't care how it affected anyone else. "Hearst was a man who got everything he wanted and then lost it." He'd go through so much just to build his empire, but it slowly crumpled. No one fully knows the reasoning behind a lot of the projects he started, but couldn't finish. He bought whole buildings, built chapels, built an empire. He did it all or at least he tried to.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E06E1DD1439F930A35750C0A9649D8B63

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

In the film, there was a moment when Kane decided to buy an entire newspaper just because it seemed fun to him. In the article, it is mentioned that Hearst wanted to lease two floors inside of a building ad the landlord wouldn't let him so he just bought the whole building. Orson Welles definitely got Hearst's personality correct with that one. He did things just because he could. Also, in the article it says how Hearst had a movie studio in which his mistress starred in about a third of the productions. That is just like in the film, Kane had his mistress performing all of the time. Even when she didn't want to. Even though the audience didn't really like her. He still made her do it. Almost everything that is presented in the article correlates to the film. There is no doubt that Welles based Citizen Kane off of William Randolph Hearst.

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.

Citizen Kane is sort of like a biography. It shows William Hearst's life perfectly. It may not be exact stories, but they're definitely based off of him. Orson Welles used the major newspaper mogul to make his first film. The amount of money, research and time that went into this film is evident. This has to be my favorite film that we've viewed so far because I can directly see where the story came from. Welles theatrical background definitely helped him when he decided to make this film. For this to be his first film and it's known as one of the greatest movies in history is absolutely amazing.

Gone with the Wind

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

In class, we talked about how Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and after watching the movie I see why. McDaniel's role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind was a very intricate part of the film. Her being the house slave and therefore always watching over Scarlett played a huge role. McDaniel would constantly scold Scarlett for the way she was acting, for the things she was doing. If it wasn't for Mammy, I think the film would've went in a totally different direction.

2. Find a related article (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content.

The article, A Man's Man off the Screen Too, written by Joe Hyams is about how down to earth Clark Gable was. "...Clark Gable, the original macho man of movies.." was not only loved by women, but admired by men as well. According to Hyams, Gable made all of his roles believable and that's what was so good about him.

Hyams then tells the story of when he met Clark Gable. They met in the Fall of 1951 in New York while Gable was promoting his latest film, "Across the Wide Missouri." They met at the hotel that Gable was staying at. Gable had an errand to run and asked if Hyams would accompany him and they would talk on the way. Instead of taking a limo like the big movie star he was, Gable chose to walk down Manhattan's streets like a normal individual.

On their little adventure, fans immediately recognized Clark Gable and began to follow him. It went from a small crowd to almost a parade of people following behind them. However, Gable was unconcerned by the amount of fans. When they got to their destination, Gable had obviously ordered a gun that he had to go pick up. He tests the gun out for a few, compliments the man for being a good gunsmith and they leave.

On their way back to the hotel, they took a cab. At a stop light, a woman screamed his name because she recognized who he was. Immediately, a crowd of hysterical women crowded around the cab, trying to open the doors. Gable simply locked them and waited for the police to clear the crowd. All while he smiled and waved to the women.

http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jan/28/entertainment/ca-17918

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

The article showed me how Clark Gable was known for being a man's man. He was confident in himself and the most masculine man anyone's ever seen. Rhett Butler was also a confident man. Rhett Butler had dark, good lucks and a wild behavior that made people talk. Clark Gable was born for the part. He is naturally, tall, dark and handsome with an I don't care attitude. Life just sort of happened and he went with the flow of things. The same way I feel like Rhett Butler was.

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 film, Gone with the Wind is an all around great movie. The actors individually made their roles significant. Hattie McDaniel was the first black American to win an Oscar. She made the role, her role. There was a long, grueling process when trying to cast the role of Mammy and McDaniel got it. I believe she got it for a reason. Clark Gable was already a known actor, but his career was definitely heightened by Gone with the Wind. In my opinion, he was made for the role of Rhett Butler. Gone with the Wind made great actors, but without those great actors it would not have been as successful.


 

Stagecoach

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

The focus of this week is the Western genre. Western genre usually focuses on a wandering cowboy or gunfighter who ends up usually having a showdown. In the film, Stagecoach that is the same case. This is the story of the Ringo Kid and everyone else he encounters. He is a fugitive who is searching for Luke Plummer in Lordsburg. In the end, they have a showdown and Luke Plummer s killed. Kid is arrested and the Western film is over.

2. Find a related article (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content.

The article, 'Stagecoach' remains a film masterpiece by Larry Robinson praises John Ford. Robinson talks about where Ford is from and where he got his start. Ford started with "Birth of a Nation" as an extra with D.W. Griffith. Robinson continues to talk about the other great accomplishments that Ford has done in film. Apparently, no one supported 'Stagecoach' except the screenwriter, Dudley Nichols and John Ford himself. Although no one supported him, Ford was already respected in the film industry and therefore decided to go forward with 'Stagecoach' on his own. He got a script, budget and cast of known and unknown actors.

Nichols and Ford did not like too much dialogue so they used the same basic format for this film as they did previous silent films. Ford also had a very controversial moment. He decided to use actual Native Americans to play Native Americans which was frowned upon in this time period. The audience appreciated the way the film was shot with the races across the flats. "It's the chase across the flats that keeps audiences enthralled by "Stagecoach." Ford put his camera beneath the racing coach, so we get the awesome rush of raging hoofbeats passing right over our heads." The dangerous stunts that were done were done by a rodeo champion named, Yakima Canutt. "Admiral John Ford made 140 films, but if all he's remembered for is "Stagecoach," hey, how bad is that?"

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/entertainment/movies/2014/09/11/reel-film-larry-robinson-john-ford/15407035/

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

Learning that John Ford wanted 'Stagecoach' and didn't have much support shows in the film. It's shown by how successful it is. This film was one of his babies. He casted, known and unknown actors for his film. A lot of the time, big named directors do not cast unknown actors. They work with only the best, but John Ford decided that he wanted John Wayne as his star and he made it happen. Ford was dedicated to making 'Stagecoach' great, even if that meant doing it alone.

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.
Personally, I admire John Ford's dedication. He was not supported on this film, but he did it anyway. He had unknown actors, real Native Americans, a stunt devil, nice camera angles and sound effects. To think that he started it off with a silent film feel of not too much dialogue and it coming out the way that it did is amazing. I liked this film, a lot. I found it interesting that almost all of the characters were social pariahs, yet they had redeeming qualities that made me pity them.

It Happened One Night

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

In class, we were introduced to a new genre. The genre is called, screwball comedy. Screwball comedy was very popular during the Great Depression. It started in the 1930s and continued to thrive until the early 1940s. It Happened One Night was the first film to be recognized for screwball comedy in 1934. In screw ball comedies, the female protagonist dominates the male protagonist. Ellen "Ellie" Andrews tries to declare her independence and dominance over Peter Warne. Peter's masculinity is challenged throughout the film on whether or not he's a real man. That is another characteristic of screw ball comedy. Screw ball comedy also has an escapists theme and the plots involve marriage. It Happened One Night is the epitome of a crew ball comedy.


2. Find a related article (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content.

The article, The art in film history: Frank Capra’s grand slam at the Oscar’s by Katie McGuire talks about how It Happened One Night is a movie worth watching. She starts the article off by telling the basic plot of a rich girl, running away from home because her expectations at home are too high and she just wants to do what makes her happy. Her father, of course, tries to control every decision that she makes. She meets someone on the way that in the beginning, she hates, but falls in love with at the end. This plot was first done by director, Frank Capra. "Director Frank Capra introduced this plot to the world in his 1934 "It Happened One Night” — the first film to win Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress in Oscar history."

McGuire then goes into the fact that this film was the first screw ball comedy and that although it was written in the 1930s, the humor is still relevant today. That is why it is such a great film. She then talks about how much the film cost to make, which was an estimated amount of $325,000 in the 1930s. McGuire likes this film because of the actor who plays Peter Warne, Clark Gable. Clark Gable's career started with this film and continued strong. Capra had to beg Gable to do the film and up the actress who plays Ellie, Claudette Colbert's salary. The two actors stripped on film, which in that time period was frowned upon. In conclusion she includes a fun fact that It Happened One Night is known to be Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin's favorite movie which makes the film internationally successful.

http://volanteonline.com/2014/10/art-film-history-frank-capras-grand-slam-oscars/

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

I did not think about the fact that since this film came out in 1934, Ellie and Peter stripping on camera was a really big deal. Also, at the end, Frank Capra included a sexual innuendo when Ellie and Peter get married. They knock down the "walls of Jericho." Frank Capra was a great director because he came up with a plot that no one else had done. His plot is still being used, to this day. That is why the film won Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress.

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.

Overall, I think It Happened One Night needs to be recognized more. Frank Capra was a genius for the plot and the fact that it is continuously done over and over and over again is remarkable. Most people do not know where the plot came from and I think they'd be very intrigued to find out. For the 1930s, this film was a huge deal. Not only was it the first screw ball comedy, it also had two characters strip down more than what was appropriate for that time period. On top of that, he spent about $325,000 on it. Capra put his heart and soul into this film and I feel as though it should be recognized more.