Analysis Of Blazing Saddles

The camera stayed pointed at Bart while no one spoke. One can definitely tell by the look on Bart’s face, that he is trying not to look frightened and stay calm and collected. As soon as he took the podium, everyone in town pulled their loaded guns out and pointed them straight at Bart. He had a very uneasy look on his face as the camera captured every gun pointed at him in the picture. Everyone showed their extreme hatred toward another race. Bart soon made a quick decision and to turn the gun on himself. The crowd obviously has no idea what goes through another races’ head because he makes every

John Ford built a standard that many future directors would follow with his classic 1939 film “Stagecoach”. Although there were a plethora of western films made before 1939, the film “Stagecoach” revolutionized the western genre by elevating the genre from a “B” film into a more serious genre. The film challenged not only western stereotypes but also class divisions in society. Utilizing specific aspects of mise-en-scène and cinematography, John Ford displays his views of society.

The Motion Picture Production Code, commonly known as the Hays Code, was adopted in March 1930, though it was not truly enforced until four years later in 1934. This set of rules had tremendously influenced the way Hollywood movies were made for a number of years. This code was based on the ethics and norms if that time. There were three main principals of the Hays Code. The first was no picture shall be produced that will lower the moral standard of those who see it. What was meant by this was that sympathy should not be portrayed towards crimes, wrongdoings, evil or sins. The second stated that only a correct standard of living could be presented that are only subject to the requirements of drama and

Ford’s Stagecoach is an epic and revolutionary approach that displays the desert terrain and western inhabitant’s struggles. Stagecoach follows the lives of seven strangers in their attempt to arrive to Lordsburg, New Mexico. Each of these characters reflects the various types of people found in the western world. The film is laced with many American ideals of the time such as xenophobia, chivalry, the conventional standards of women, and much more. Stagecoach defies the conventional western film because it is no longer just men in a desert terrain with rifles.

The western movie I pick is John Ford’s movie Stagecoach (1939). The movie is about a group of people traveling together by stagecoach from the town Tonto to Lordsburg. The people traveling together are a diverse group of people. All of them have the specific motivation for going, but they all share the same goal reaching to Lordsburg. The characters are Dallas who’s a prostitute, Mrs. Lucy Mallory who is the wife of the Army Cavalry officer, Ellsworth Henry Gatewood who is a banker, Hatfield who is a gambler, Samuel Peacock who is whiskey salesman, Doc Josiah Boone who is a alcoholic doctor, Buck Rickabaugh who is a stage driver, Marshal Curley Wilcox who is a marshal riding shotgun, and Ringo Kid who is an escaped outlaw.

This film August: Osage County tells a story about the women of Weston and how their lives flipped outside down with a family crisis. In Lieu of an untimely death it brings all of them together under one roof, where they are forced to face some unwanted truths. The film depicts the effects of prescription pill abuse on a family unit and the ways that each individual character copes contributes to the family system.

In 1930, the Hay's Production Code was introduced into the film industry to regulate films that were produced. It regulated several different aspects of movie scenes containing crimes against the law, vulgarity, sex, obscenity, profanity, costume, dances, religion, locations, national feelings, titles and repellent subjects. (History of the Motion Picture Rating System) When scenes in films dealt with crimes committed against the law, the Hays Production Code stated that the crimes could never be presented in such a way to throw sympathy with the crime as against law and justice or to inspire others with a desire for imitation. The code goes into specific detail on several different crimes and how they shouldn't be shown in the films.

American western movies were a thing of the 1950’s but they were no longer captivating in the 1970’s. It was apparent that guns, cowboys, and American heroes were no longer seen as a point of interest for the viewing public. Mel Gibson’s film entitled, Blazing Saddles, debuted in 1974 and seemed to fit the bill of the post-1960’s western. Blazing Saddles is a film that is able to take on racism and utilize it as an important reflection of the time. The film goes where no film has gone before in terms of discussing race and Hollywood. Blazing Saddles was able to seemingly integrate elements of Blaxploitation and introduce the film industry’s first interracial buddy comedy.

In the short video “Death by Fire” we learn of the story of Todd Willingham. We are presented with facts about a fire, which killed Willingham’s three children, which ultimately sent him to his death. The case begins in the small town of Corsicana, Texas. On December 13, 1991 Todd Willingham’s home was ablaze and his children were trapped inside. Neighbors say they witnessed Willingham outside, on the front porch screaming for his children and screaming for help. As the fire raged, firefighters arrived on the scene and were able to pull one of the children out of the home. Unfortunately all of the children died due to injuries they sustained in the fire. While the fire raged in the house Todd’s wife Stacy was out Christmas shopping and was unharmed. The attitude of Todd after the fire began to raise question with those who were close to him and also with investigators. The night after the fire, a local bar had a benefit to raise money for Todd’s family to help pay for the costs they would soon face. Many say that Todd became too involved with the festivities and seemed like he did not care his kids had just died. They say that Todd was bragging about how money would begin to roll in because people would feel bad for him. Having seen these things, investigators immediately labeled Todd as their prime suspect.

The question is whether No Country for Old Men and Stagecoach provide adequate examples of the decline in American moral values. From my perspective of today’s world and my interpretation of No Country for Old Men and Stagecoach, I can see how the argument could be made that they have declined or haven’t changed at all. I see a difference between the relationship of Ringo and Dallas vs other members of their traveling group compared to Sheriff Bell vs Chigurh. These relationships, in my opinion, explains a lot about the development of moral values, or lack of, in the western United States. In this paper, I will describe the moral values that are represented in each movie and I will also try to describe my understanding of why American moral values may have declined between No Country for Old Men and Stagecoach.

Book by James Lapine was a great story overall. I truly enjoyed watching the show especially when the Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim played perfectly during the show. Director Eve Himmelheber was able to put out a such an amazing show. I really enjoyed watching Into The Woods because it was colorful, every character was really great with their role, and so much more. I could not be more amazed of how beautiful the production came out. Musical Director Mitchell Hanlon was really great with every musical that played throughout the show. He was always in time of making the sound when a character would kick the floor or any action that was necessary during the play. Scenic Designer Mauri Anne Smith and Ashley Strain created such an amazing setting for the production. The scene looked very realistic, which is really great because it gave me a different feel of the show. Costume Designer Michelle Kincaid created such beautiful costumes for every single character. Whether the costumes were bought, hand made, or both it still came out pretty good. The costume definitely matched the theme of having several characters from different show. Lighting Designer Ben Hawkins made the interior and

The movie Mrs. Doubtfire was written by Leslie Dixon and Randi Mayem Singer. Leslie Dixon is also known for her works on Limitless, Hairspray, Freaky Friday, and Gone Girl. Randi Mayem Singer has not had as many works as Dixon but you may know her from her work on Tooth Fairy, and Jack & Jill. The director of Mrs. Doubtfire is Chris Columbus. He has directed a lot of movies but the ones that stand out to me are Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets, Home Alone, Nine Months, and Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

William Faulkner’s ‘Barn Burning’, is the tale of a young man by the name of Colonel “Sarty” Sartoris Snopes, his father, Abner “Ab” Snopes, and the difference between right and wrong. The story commences in a courtroom, where Ab is on trial for burning a barn. Young Sarty is called to the stand to testify as to what took place, until the plaintiff told the judge he did not want him to question the young child. However, Sarty was unsure of the decision he would make if he was questioned. Sarty was unsure if he would choose his loyalty to his father, or if he would do the noble thing and tell the truth. Sarty and Ab’s relationship was strained with abuse, anxiety, and fear; Sarty’s devotion to Ab never reciprocated until Sarty makes the most important decision of his childhood taking him into adulthood to confess his father’s crime.

Through the 1920´s 30s and 40s Hollywood was dominated by the studio system. This system gave studios unparalleled control over film production and the people who worked on them. However, this level of control was not to last as several important events in the late 1940s would dramatically influence the film business. These events were the Paramount decision of 1948 and the Hollywood blacklists in the late 1940s. Both of these events would profoundly reshape the filmmaking business and the way it operated, with effects that last to this very day.

I find the film “Stagecoach” to be a top level film of its time and a leading Western to this day, which came to set a new standard for Western films. “Stagecoach” didn’t stick to the norm of the time, where Western movies were considered low-grade and appealed to young boys, it exceeded people’s expectations. As Film theorist Andre Bazin wrote of “Stagecoach”, “it is the ideal example of the maturity of a style brought to classic perfection.” Many things in “Stagecoach” were upgraded from previous films of its genre, from the level that the story delves into the characters journey in the stagecoach, to the location that it was filmed at.