The Relationship Between Buster Keaton And Charlie Chaplin

“The struggle of the funny performer has remained a symbiosis of drive, jealousy, heartbreak, and triumph-- existing then as it exists now. Perhaps the only other constant is comedy’s unfailing popularity”

During the course of this essay it is my intention to discuss the differences between Classical Hollywood and post-Classical Hollywood. Although these terms refer to theoretical movements of which they are not definitive it is my goal to show that they are applicable in a broad way to a cinema tradition that dominated Hollywood production between 1916 and 1960 and which also pervaded Western Mainstream Cinema (Classical Hollywood or Classic Narrative Cinema) and to the movement and changes that came about following this time period (Post-Classical or New Hollywood). I intend to do this by first analysing and defining aspects of Classical Hollywood and having done that,

The film Sunset Boulevard directed by Billy Wilder and staring the main characters of Norma Desmond, Joe Gillis, and Max Von Mayerling is ideal example of how important film making techniques help depict a movie's core theme intentions with vivid clarity. Classic Hollywood is the first thing that comes to mind when one speaks about this film's style. This signature category combined with the visual style of realism and it's continuity editing; detailed mise-en-scene and all of its characteristics; and lastly the use of reoccurring motifs with formalistic qualities make the audience grasp the central theme of just how vicious the actual motion industry can be to the individuals that keep its

Billy Wilder’s work today remains masterful and memorable. From his skilled screenwriting to his directing, Wilder holds a key position in cinema history. Wilder’s stylistic and thematic elements are recognizable and give off a complex reflection of his American and European cultural influences. I think that Billy Wilder should be considered an “auteur” even if he is not already considered one, for his personal film style and the mere fact that his cynical vision allowed him to create many admirable films across a number of genre boundaries throughout his career. However, film critics tend to disagree and believe that Wilder was too cynical, while also complaining about the lack of

It had been a hot, midsummer day when Jacques Kubrick bestowed a camera upon his son, Stanley. It had been an old, Graflex camera, and from that day forward, young Stanley could be seen lugging around his father’s gift everywhere he went. He spent much of his time snapping still photos and creating home movies depicting the Bronx, his hometown, in all its glory (Uhlich). No one could have predicted that this gift was one that would affect the world. That day - July 26th, 1941 - had been renowned American filmmaker, director, and screenwriter Stanley Kubrick’s thirteenth birthday, and it had been a ripple in time, the simple start of a visionary whose future work would one day be celebrated on various platforms by more than one generation. As

“Humor is just another defensive against the universe,” famous words from Mel Brooks. He protects all of us with the films he writes! Mel Brooks is known for his comedy. Not only is he a writer, he's a comedian. Unknown to most people, Mel was telling jokes even before he knew that he wanted to be a comedian! Of course, he has many other talents that make him a modern day Renaissance man.

The form of Classical Hollywood films is, first and foremost, invisible. In a Classical Hollywood film, the narrative is foremost, and style serves the narrative. Camera angles, lighting and editing patterns such as the shot/reverse-shot pattern aim to give us the best possible perspective on the unfolding events(1). These events are arranged in a strongly causality-oriented linear narrative, with one event causing the next. This narrative is arranged around a central, active protagonist, whose decisions and actions are the key to the pattern of cause and effect that drives the story(2). This pattern seems so logical, so natural, that the audience of the classical Hollywood film is

Looking back at Casablanca in 1941, it is shocking to know that Humphrey Bogarts famous words “hears looking at you kid” was improvised on the spot. While this type of improvising is common today, it was taboo compared the structured and generic Golden Age of film (“Sorry Russell”). The studio system of the 1930s to 1960s dramatically changed the methods of film production, the types of movies made, and eventually caused its own demise.

Tim Burton. Dubbed the golden standard for film making, because of his exotic use of various cinematic techniques; he can truly bring a piece to life. From Willy Wonka, to Edward Scissorhands, to Big Fish, Burton proves that the use of music, lighting, and camera angles are the ingredients to a cocktail of magic, with just the right amount of, “Whoa.” In this essay, I will bring forth how Burton utilizes these techniques of the cinema world, to create the masterpieces we all know and love.

Nominated for seven academy awards for his work in cinematography, and propelled by Wilder’s film noir style, we see the excellent use of lighting and camera work that is almost lost on modern cinema. The more sinister characters are silhouetted, obscured by clouds of their own cigarette smoke, or viewed from a slightly upward angle, as to make them appear looming and threatening. The protagonist of our film is always well lit, shot from a level surface, and is often wholly visible in every frame he inhabits. Less serious and goofy characters often take up very small portions of the screen, and are shot on a downward angle, as if to make us literally look down upon them. As important as the use of angles with characters are, the score to the film is a character all its own. Franz Waxman is the mastermind behind this very

Classical Hollywood film sprung up in the 1920s and lasted until the mid to late 1960s. This type of cinema, now know as the “Golden Age of Hollywood,” had a very specific style. It used flashbacks, continuity editing as well as “narratives structured around the goals of individual characters” (Belton 44), also known as a deadline device. Stars of that era were chosen specifically to play the individual main characters and they had more traits than less involved characters, such as launching the main actions of the story. Verisimilitude, the appearance of being true or real, was an attribute aspired to be reached through the use of props, settings and décor. In addition, music and lighting were used to stimulate an emotional connection and/or response to the story. The film Casablanca is one of the greatest examples of the classical Hollywood era because it embodies everything the style entails, but especially the mise-en-scene, sound and lighting used throughout the film.

The Lumiere brothers debuted their first motion picture on their brand new invention, the Cinematographe, in 1895. Since then, the movie industry has soared on to become one of the most influential mediums of the 20th and 21st century. 100 years later, Sarah Moon’s documentary Lumiere and Company (1995) reflected on the impact of the Lumiere brothers’ first films using testimonies and cinematic tributes from multiple international directors. Focusing on two Lumiere films; Workers Leaving the Factory (1895), and Demolition of a Wall (1896), as well as two cinematic tributes from two different directors; David Lynch, and Merzak Allouache, the everlasting impact of the Lumiere films can be recognized in both a current context and the context of

In this essay I will be discussing five key points throughout Post Production history between the 1900s-1960s. Post Production is seen as a vital component in the cinematic industry as it essentially finalises the final products. Techniques that have been developed over the years are incredibly important, but they all have an origin. Although these techniques started out without overwhelming effect, they are now unbelievably crucial to how films are constructed. The five points I wish to discuss go as follows: The Great Train Robbery and Edwin Porter himself, D.W. Griffith and his overwhelming influence on editing, The Jazz Singer, the Kuleshov Effect and finally, 2001: A Space Odyssey. As well as discussing these key factors, this essay will take into consideration secondary material.

Montage, a name synonymous with Editing, is an original film style with different techniques used by the Soviet filmmakers between 1924 and 1930 to construct a film narrative. Montage is the connection between one shot and the other, a continuous or discontinuous relationship between shots. According to David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson (2012: 478), Soviet directors maintained that, “through editing, two shots give birth to a feeling or idea not present in either one”. This ‘feeling’ or ‘idea’ then guides a viewer into understanding or making a “conceptual connection” of the narrative (Bordwell 1972: 10). Strike (1925) and Mother (1926), directed by Sergei Eisenstein and Vsevolod Pudovkin respectively, are films made in the Soviet Montage era that show a juxtaposition between shots across the film. This essay discusses the different techniques used in these films that show the functions and effects of Montage.

Every day millions of Americans go to theaters with their families to enjoy movies. Watching films has become one of the most popular activities to do. Although plenty of people know of Charlie Chaplin, most do not know any real information about him. Charlie Chaplin has been a major contributor to America’s advancement in the film industry from his innovative beginnings, and perseverance to improve and succeed, to his overall achievements in history.