David Lyncg 's Blue Velvet And Psycho

How auteur theory can be applied to the study of Hitchcock’s North by Northwest and Vertigo

Throughout the term I have begun experiencing movies in a different way. The class has taken ideas of cinematography, theory, and film history and practically applied it to physically watching movies. By breaking down scenes and movies as a whole, the way I look at films in general has developed. A reflection on two of the films from this term, Casablanca (Curtiz, 1942) and North by Northwest (Hitchcock, 1959) will carry the bulk of the essay. Though, I will also be discussing how this class changed the way I saw a movie just a few weeks ago. Casablanca’s script and acting are of particular caliber, and North by Northwest unfortunately does not deliver with the dialogue and casting of lead actor Cary Grant. Though, overall, they both

The Prestige is a film adaptation of the Christopher Priest novel bearing the same name. The story is set in the turn-of-the-century London about two stage magicians, their rivalry, and their obsession to be the best with the artistry and secrecy of illusion. The analysis of The Prestige will examine several aspects of the film including plot, character development, use of sound, use of photography, set design, lighting, and role of the collaborators. Each of these areas is important to create the emotion, suspense, and energy for a successful and entertaining film.

The Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard wasn’t only scaring due to the controversial subject matter alone, but also due to the realistic casting the leading roles. Swanson Gloria was astounding in the part of Desmond Norma because of her real-life skill with her faded career. Similarly, Stroheim’s career also diminished after the twenties, as it prepared him for his role that undertook as the silent-film director that turned the butler in the film. The most interesting idea of this life-like cast was the chemistry between these two role characters due to their relationships of the past

Romeo and Juliet’s actions may seem rushed and immature, but Baz Luhrmann’s movie offers a compelling insight into their decisions. By setting this Elizabethan era play in the present day, the viewer can see past the differences in scenery and clothing compared to those of their lives, to analyze the unique characteristics of the lovers’ society and upbringing that may have led to their hasty love affair and violent end. Luhrmann creates a culture of violence and speed through careful decisions regarding cinematography, editing, and sound.

Penelope Allen’s appearance of a dishelved women fighting for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth defines how heightened emotions transcend time –

Modern day directors use a variety of methods to hold ones interest. Ethan Hawke and Kenneth Branagh’s created versions of Hamlet that shared some similarities, but ultimately had many differences in respects to an audience’s appeal. An appealing movie is one that has an alluring ambiance and an intellectual stimulus. With these two movie versions, a setting and a mood forced an audience to acquire specific emotions, but Ethan Hawke’s version generated emotions more strongly and effectively. Also, these movies had extremely different uses of music and visuals, but both movie versions incorporated them well for the ambiance it tried to obtain. Finally, both movie

The choice of actors and actresses further contributes to the presentation of gender in both films. As with any artist, their individual performances go on to contribute to an overall body of work that informs the public’s perception of that artist, leading to stars commonly being classified by their typical presentation, for example ‘bad boys’, ‘sweethearts’, and ‘heart throbs’. Zeffirelli selected two epic stars of the time to represent two key characters; Glenn Close as Gertrude and Mel Gibson as Hamlet. Both selections could not have been more apt or brilliant at laying the foundation for deep and memorable characters. In Gertrude, the audience is presented with a woman clearly conforming to a traditional

The first half of this course focused on Alfred Hitchcock and how his techniques are now recognized as iconic. From class discussions and film screenings, it is clear that Hitchcock pays every attention to detail when he crafts a scene. Many Hitchcock films we have seen this semester highlight how he builds suspense through cinematic elements such as shadow, dialogue, and composition. While many of his suspenseful scenes stir feelings of intensity and uncertainty, Alfred Hitchcock builds a more romantic suspense in his 1955 film To Catch a Thief in the fireworks scene (1:06:35-1:11:00).

Being one of the world’s most popular art forms, it was inevitable that these archetypes would find their way into film as well. In this essay I will argue that the

The Alfred Hitchcock film; Vertigo is a narrative film that is a perfect example of a Hollywood Classical Film. I will be examining the following characteristics of the film Vertigo: 1)individual characters who act as casual agents, the main characters in Vertigo, 2)desire to reach to goals, 3)conflicts, 4)appointments, 5)deadlines, 6)James Stewart’s focus shifts and 7)Kim Novak’s characters drives the action in the film. Most of the film is viewed in the 3rd person, except for the reaction shots (point of view shot) which are seen through the eyes of the main character.(1st person) The film has a strong closure and uses continuity editing(180 degree rule). The stylistic (technical) film form of Vertigo makes the film much more

“Sunset Blvd” is not subtle in stating illusion will win out over reality. After all, Norma Desmond, the aged silent movie star who deludes herself into believing that she will be famous again, kills Joe Gillis, our involved narrator and voice of reason. But before we analyze the dramatic pool scene, which dispels any idea that “Sunset Blvd” sides with reality, we must first look at the characters, the embodiments of dreams and of reality in this movie. Norma Desmond, who dreams of rising to greatness again, refuses to believe that time has passed and that she no longer has any fans. Max, her butler and first husband, feeds into this facade by writing her fan mail, encouraging her

Alfred Hitchcock's film Psycho Psycho, by Alfred Hitchcock, was shocking for its time. Made in the 1960's when film censorship was very tight to today's standards, Hitchcock pushed the limits of what could be shown and did with psycho things that had never been done before. The cinematic art, symbolism and sub-conscious images in this film were brilliant for the time and still are now. Realised for this, psycho has been copied in many ways and the things that made it great have become very clichéd.

The third chapter will mainly discuss Woody Allen?s The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) to examine how a theme about cinema-goers reflects a desire from the filmmaker and the audience. The film fabricates a fantasy where the protagonist of a film called ?The Purple Rose of Cairo?, Tom Baxter (enacted by Jeff Daniels), ?steps? out of the film during a screening. He joins Cecilia (starred by Mia Farrow), a frustrated waitress and aggrieved wife who has watched this film countless times, and starts an adventure in the real world. Confronting the chaos caused by Tom arbitrarily leaving the screen, Gil Shepard, an actor who impersonates Tom, comes to persuade Tom to return to the film, while pursuing Cecilia at the same time. In the end, Cecilia chooses to stay in reality but ends up alone due to Gil abandoning her for his career in Hollywood.

As actors are the most influential block of the Academy, it is easy to understand why both films, “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Network” are so successful. Both films featured outstanding performances, arguably none more outstanding than that of the female lead in “A Streetcar Named Desire” Vivien Leigh. While the performances off all the actors in each of the films are notable, to accurately discuss how the actors, distinguish themselves, some context of the plot of each film must be noted, so that the characters (and therefore the actor’s performances playing said actors) can be fairly observed. The emphasis on the explanation of plot will be geared to focus on actor