The Graduate

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

In class, we talked about how films in color began in 1964. The Graduate came out in 1967. Therefore, the film was in color. When the film first came on, it was a good feeling to finally be watching a movie in full color. The content was also more forward than it used to be due to the Miracle Case.

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

The article, Why Mike Nichols got the gig to direct 'The Graduate' by Darby Maloney is an interview with producer Lawrence Turman after Mike Nichols death. Maloney asked Why Turman wanted Mike Nichols to direct 'The Graduate'. Turman said that Mike Nichos had only directed 'Barefoot in the Park' and "...I saw as just oozing smart, sensitive, funny direction." Therefore, he thought it'd be a perfect match; even investing his own money. 

When asked what attributes Mike Nichols brought to the film, he replied , "He's smart. He's funny. He's pinpointed. He has great people skills." He thought he would be a great director. He then continues to compliment him by saying, "...he seems to have intuitively the key to whatever it is that unlocks that person's security and confidence." 

Turman and Nichols had a great artistic relationship. Turman would come up with an idea and Nichols would say it's stupid. However, late on that night, Nichols would call Truman and say, "You know I've been thinking...." They would then have a "productive discussion."

http://www.scpr.org/programs/the-frame/2014/11/20/40452/why-mike-nichols-got-the-gig-to-direct-the-graduat/

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

This article is saying that Turman got Mike Nichols to direct this film. He got him to film it because he saw his potential. He knew that Mike Nichols was smart, sensitive and funny and that's the kind of film "The Graduate" is. Turman liked his directing style of being able to make people feel comfortable, thus being able to direct them more easily. 


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 do not like this film. I think there were funny moments, but overall it did not interest me. Mike Nichols directing style of comedy mixed with sensitivity is not my cup of tea. However, it seems as though the artistic collaboration was phenomenal.

The Big Sleep

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

In class, one of the first things that was mentioned was that Humphrey Bogart starred in yet another film we were going to watch. This intrigued me because I like Bogart's acting style. It was then said that his costar was also well known and that she is supposed to be just like Bogart. Ms. Bacall is indeed Bogart, as a female. Their level of toughness and independence is well played and interesting. I felt like it kept the film going.

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

The article, Mystery of 'The Big Sleep' Solved, by William Grimes discusses how The Big Sleep became a success. "The 1946 film that audiences have known and loved is actually a revised version of an unreleased ''Big Sleep'' that was made in late 1944 and early 1945 and left forgotten in the Warner Brothers vaults for nearly half a century." The preservation officer of the Film and Television Archive at the University of California at Los Angeles, Bob Gitt discovered the original version. The 1942 version, which is the revised version was cut down so 18 minutes of new material could be added. The new material included more interactions between Ms. Bacall and her sister, Carmen with Bogart.

Since the revised version was cut down, some of the necessary scenes that explained the plot were eliminated. Therefore, making the film hard to follow. However, these new scenes made the film more interesting. ''The original is more linear, a bit clearer and somehow a little less intriguing. Stylistically it's less exotic.''

The original Big Sleep was not released when it was supposed to because World War II was coming to an end and Warner Brothers were worried that war related films would be dated and therefore they rushed the films to be released. Confidential Agent was one of those films, which starred Ms. Bacall. "Unfortunately, the film was a failure that put her career in jeopardy." That is why they added more Bogart-Bacall interactions to show the same insolent and provocative nature that she had in 'To Have and Have Not'.

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/09/movies/mystery-of-the-big-sleep-solved.html

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

The article relates to the film because it explains why the film is the way that it is. To me, the actual plot was incomplete. I felt like pieces were missing. I thought they focused more on Bogart and Bacall's relationship more than they did on the storyline. This article just clarified my feelings. The parts of the film that explained the plot, were cut out to add in more scenes between Bogart and Bacall because Warner Brothers couldn't afford to lose Bacall.

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.

Now that I've read this article, explaining how this film was made the way that it was I don't think it is very good. I liked it, don't get me wrong, but the storyline is incomplete. This film was not about the actual plot, but about saving Ms. Bacall's career. Although the acting was good and intriguing, it takes more than that to be a good film.

Casablanca

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

This week, we watched the film Casablanca, directed by Michael Curtiz. In class, we talked about how the film industry began a propaganda industry. Casablanca is an anti- Nazi propaganda film. In the film, there was even a scene in "Rick's Café Americain" where Nazi soldiers began singing to show their patriotism and everyone else began singing to show their patriotism. Eventually, the Nazi's realized they were being out sang and stopped singing and sat down.

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

The article, "The lessons of 'Casablanca' still apply, as time goes by" by Nicolaus Mills explains what was happening in the world when 'Casablanca' came out. "Few films have benefited as much from the real-world geopolitics surrounding them as "Casablanca," which opened on Thanksgiving 1942, when the nation was well into World War II, at New York's Hollywood Theater. Just 18 days earlier in Operation Torch, the Allies had invaded North Africa with a force of 65,000; among the cities they quickly captured was Casablanca." Everyone knew that 'Casablanca' needed to take advantage of this perfect opportunity. People wanted 'Casablanca.' People needed 'Casablanca.'

This film is extremely patriotic. Rick Blaine helps get his former lover, Ilsa Lund and her husband, the Czech resistance leader, Victor Laszlo escape safely to Lisbon by giving them stolen letters of transit. As Rick is saying goodbye, he tells Ilsa, "I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world." He puts the well being of the country before his own.

Then the article relates 'Casablanca' back to present day. Mills says, "But what does resonate in our post-9/11 world is Rick's complexity. Rick is a loner who won't let his idealism get the better of his pragmatism."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/07/opinion/mills-casablanca/

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

The article shows the time of 1942, when all Hell was breaking lose and all that the people had left was their patriotism. They wanted to help each other break free of the Germans while also helping themselves, if they could. The entangled love triangle of Rick Blaine, Ilsa Lund and Victor Laszlo proves that patriotism is bigger than love and bigger than just an individual. Patriotism affects the whole country.

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 think Casablanca is a good film because it's historically accurate. The story itself may not be true, but the Nazi's invading people's daily lives and the American dream is. Everyone wanted to go to America because they could start over, they could be free and safe. They would do any and everything to get to America. It would be almost impossible to be able to leave Casablanca without a letter of transit. Casablanca address all of this.