Beur Cinema Analysis

With Film Analysis comes the analyzation of films and movies that depict narrative structure, cultural context, the evaluation of discourse, and many other approaches. The film, “Friday” (1995), is a comedy and drama that displays the relationship between two childhood friends growing up in an impoverished neighborhood. These two friends became affiliated with a neighborhoods drug dealer, and were startled and clueless as to how they were going to come up with the money they owed him by the end of the night! The characterization, setting, and conflicts are the three main elements, in which are portrayed can indicate the analyzation of contributing a larger meaning of this particular film.

Based off Charles Webb’s 1963 novel by the same name, The Graduate is an American romantic comedy/drama released in the United States on December 21, 1967 starring Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross, and William Daniels. The film was directed by Mike Nichols, produced by Lawrence Turman and the screenplay written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham. The film was produced by Lawrence Turman/Mike Nichols productions starting in March of 1967. Mike Nichols has also directed other well known films such as Catch-22 (1970), Working Girl (1988), and more recently Closer (2004). The film was distributed by AVCO Embassy Pictures nationally and United Artists internationally. AVCO Embassy Pictures studio, founded by Joseph E. Levine, the films executive producer, also claims production/distribution for other hit films such as Godzilla, King of Monsters! (1956), The Fog (1980), and Prom Night (1980). The movie was well received due to its $104 million dollar box office opening tab. The score was produced by Dave Grusin and the songs written by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.

Film- Precious Knowledge Precious Knowledge is a documentary that takes place in Tucson, Arizona and focuses on how the Unified School district wants to completely ban the Mexican American Studies Program. In the film there were many scenes with examples of rhetorical appeal. I believe that the way the film was set up since the beginning had an impactful and direct emotional appeal on the audience. For instance, in the first scenes of the film we have the opportunity to get to know the main characters in a more intimate level.

A League of Their Own (Marshall, 1992) explicitly characterizes an American era when a woman’s place was in the home. Even our modern perspective implicitly follows suit. Although women have gained rights and freedoms since the 1930’s, sexism remains prevalent in America. This film offers an illustration when men went to war and big business men utilized women as temporary replacements in factories, sports, and so on. Here, course concepts, such as gender socialization, gender expressions, role stereotypes, emotion expressions, and language, correspond to the film’s characters and themes.

The film “Juvies” really made me think about how the criminal justice system treats young children. Before watching the film, I was under the impression that children were treated fairly and with care when they commit a crime. After all, they are just kids. However, to my surprise, this was not the case. Many children have been cheated by the law because they are put through the adult system and are not given a fair trial. Meanwhile, these children are expected to make the rational decisions that an adult would make. There is biological evidence that kids do not have the ability to control impulsive behavior because their brains are underdeveloped. Thus, I believe this system is extremely unfair because children are not protected in adult prisons, which makes it very difficult for them to succeed once they are released back into the free world.

Throughout a variety of films in the 20th century, the motif of race, racism, and racial tensions have been a repetitive theme. This can be highlighted through the films “Birth of a Nation” (1915), “The Searchers” (1956), and “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1962). These iconic American movies illustrate the integral role that race plays in paralleling the attitudes of the audience watching the movie and how it fits within the larger historical tapestry. It can be observed how throughout overtime; these movies demonstrate a decrescendo in their prominence of highlighting the issue of race. However, it is important to note, that the interpretation of the films mentioned all provide aspects of wish fulfillment but mostly capture reality. Overall, these three iconic films are a way the popular films in American culture proposes specific viewpoints which can connect or be dissonant with the larger perspectives of society on topics such as race.

The Frontline film Separate and Unequal discussed about creating a new school system; however, there are opposition by others who wants to maintain the current school system. If we look at the perspectives of the two groups, it is understandable in why there is support and opposition from the people of the city. The supporters of the new system wants a system that can provide better opportunities for their children without any violence. As the film claimed “the school was not teaching and were only babysitting the children”, which was likely a reason why there was a need for a new school system. With the chaotic and uncontrollable situation in the current system, many supporters have push forward the idea of a new system in a new city. From

Mathieu Kassovitz’s La Haine captures one day in the life of three young ‘outcasts’ from a French banlieue. French banlieues, or suburban outskirts, tend to emanate images of deviance, violence, and disorder among the majority of France. The film forces the viewer to acknowledge the marginalized others who are usually denied the right to represent themselves. La Haine challenges hegemonic conceptions of France’s imagined geographic identity, by exposing just one of the ways in which its society is actually segregated.

A Class Divide, a video filmed 14 years after the murder of a historical figure and leader, a group of former classmates coming together with their families to join their former 3rd grade teach, Ms. Jane Elliott, to re-watch the day that she decided to show them all, first-hand, what discrimination was and what is did to people. The lesson was taught in the days following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968. The video they watch will show Ms. Elliott splitting her classroom into two groups, brown eyes and blue eyes. On the first day of their lesson the blue eyes were given the upper hand. They were praised for the things they did and they were given special privileges. The brown eyed children were not given these privileges

The author, researcher at University of Toronto, chronologically studies the first one hundred years of both English Canadian and French Canadian cinema to critically examine Canada’s attempt to develop a national cinema and cultural identity. By examining genres of film, the filmmakers, and the political climate at the birth of films, he demonstrates to a non-academic audience that Canadian Cinema (with the exception of Quebec) has been unsuccessful at strengthening Canada’s national cultural identity.

The Guyver (1991) – Lisker- This science fiction film is loosely based on the Japanese manga series, "The Guyver", which is about Sean Barker, a young man who discovers an alien artifact, "the Unit", that changes Barker into an alien-hybrid super soldier, "the Guyver". Barker finds out that a major corporation, "Chronos", is seeking the Guyver unit and discovers that those who operate Chronos are not human. Chronos' president employs his henchman, Lisker, portrayed by Michael Berryman to retrieve the unit.

The French society – evolving during the history - became diverse and biased, especially bigger cities like Paris and Marseille. The capital, Paris is the crucible: people from different countries move there in the hope of a better life, while Marseille gives a good basic to the Arabic society, moreover they established their own cult. This essay will outline the contemporary French society and focus the misfits in it. It will be divided into two main parts: part one will be the movie of Intouchables which is one of the most successful movie in the French history based on a true story, part two will be about the short story of Filles du bord de ligne, a story about two girls trying to find their place in a new country, in a new culture and be a part of a completely different world.

Throughout this class, various discussions and blogs have been used to analyze the different elements of films such as theme, cinematic techniques and genre. It is time to bring all of these separate elements together in the analysis of one specific film, according to class text, “analyzing levels of meaning below the surface story can greatly enhance enjoyment as well as understanding of a film” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014. p. 10.03). There are several different approaches to film analysis including formalist, auteurist, and generic or any combination thereof. Utilizing a genre theory lens, the 1956 film The Searchers will be analyzed addressing contextual information, story/plot, aesthetic choices, social/personal impact and how these areas come together to develop the film.

Many live attempting to decipher the riddle of life. What is life? What is the purpose? What makes? Even though we only seek happiness why can’t we ever seem to achieve it? When we do reach happiness why can’t we seem to grasp it and hold it for more than the few short hours that pass like seconds? The question we must answer first is “What makes happiness, true?”

Analyze This is a hilarious, feel good movie about two men from different backgrounds living completely opposite lifestyles. Through a series of very funny, random and bizarre moments they form a memorable friendship together. The movie came to theatres in 1999, was directed by Harold Ramis and included a cast full of some of Hollywood’s brightest stars. It begins with two gangsters leaving a café, discussing their plans to attend a meeting involving the countries major crime bosses. One gangster goes back in the café to get a toothpick and at the same time the other gangster is killed from a drive-by shooting. The movie’s plot is based upon the surviving gangster seeking out a psychiatrist to help with his emotional