Full Metal Jacket
(Stanley Kubrick; 1987)

This film takes a look at the effect of the military mindset and war itself on Vietnam era Marines.
A two-segment story that follows young men from the start of recruit training in the Marine Corps to the lethal cauldron known as Vietnam.....

The first segment follows Joker, Pyle and others as they progress through the hell of USMC boot-camp at the hands of the foul-mouthed Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. The second begins in Vietnam, near Hue, at the time of the Tet Offensive. The men face threats such as ambush, booby traps, and Viet Cong snipers as they move through the city.

The combat film, or war film genre, is the most prevalent and often used genre in most films produced in the 21st century.....

"The war film genre is also referred to as the anti-war film genre, since some of the war films do not only discuss war sentiments, but anti-war sentiments as well. War as a film genre ?often acknowledge the horror and heartbreak of war, letting the actual combat fighting (against nations or humankind) provide the primary plot or background for the action of the film. Furthermore, war films can also be paired with other film genres, wherein the topic of war can be interspersed with comedy, drama, or romance as a co-or sub-genre of the film.

All Quiet on the Western Front (Delbert Mann; 1979): Paul Baumer is a young German who, along with his graduating high school classmates, enlist in the German Imperial Army during the First World War. Originally thinking war would be a great adventure, Paul and his friends discover exactly the opposite as the war drags on and one by one the members of the class are killed in action until only Paul remains......

Saving Private Ryan (Steven Speilberg; 1998): Saving Private Ryan opens with a 30-minute war scene that is without a doubt one of the finest half-hours ever on film. This sequence, a soldier's-eye view of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, is amazing not only in terms of technique but in the depth of viewer reaction it uses. Spielberg doenst hold anything back to the viewer of the horrors of battle, using every way he can to show the chaos and lives that were lost.

Formulate a film analysis using the following questions for both The Usual Suspects and 12 Monkeys.

Describe setting.
Describe the exposition of plotline.
Who are the main characters?
Can the narrator be trusted (explore this question in hindsight)?
What is the conflict(s)?
What changes occur in the characters - how is their true nature revealed?
What do the characters stand to loose/gain?
What is the over-arching purpose of each film?

*This assignment may be hand written/typed. Minimum 400 words.

DUE: Friday, April 3

12 MONKEYS

(Terry Gilliam; 1996)

IS THIS THE PRESENT?

IS THIS THE PAST?

An unknown and lethal virus has wiped out five billion people in 1996. Only 1% of the population has survived by the year 2035, and is forced to live underground. A convict reluctantly volunteers to be sent back in time to 1996 to gather information about the origin of the epidemic, which is thought to have been spread by a mysterious "Army of the Twelve Monkeys.”

The Usual Suspects

(Bryan Singer; 1995)

Following a truck hijack in New York, five conmen are arrested and brought together for questioning. As none of them is guilty, they plan a revenge operation against the police. The operation goes well, but then the influence of a legendary mastermind criminal called Keyser Söze is presented. It becomes clear that each one of them has wronged Söze at some point and must pay back now. The payback job leaves 27 men dead in a boat explosion, but the real question arises now: Who actually is Keyser Söze?

Police investigating an exploded boat on a San Pedro pier discover 27 bodies and $91 million worth of drug money. The only survivors are a severely burned and very scared Hungarian terrorist and Verbal Kint, a crippled con-man. Reluctantly, Kint is pressured into explaining exactly what happened on the boat. His story begins six weeks earlier with five criminals being dragged in by New York police desperate for suspects on a hijacked truck and ends with the possible identification of a criminal mastermind……

"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.''


ASSIGNMENT: From a modern perspective, Casablanca reveals interesting assumptions of the human condition. Ilsa Lund's role is basically that of a lover and helpmate to a great man; the movie's real question is, which great man should she be with?

How does SETTING influence this struggle and ultimately the climax of this film? Please respond in at least 200 words.
DUE: Friday, 3/13

Casablanca
One of their key contributions of this great film was to show us that its main characters lived in a complex time and place. What is intriguing is that none of the major characters are bad. Some are cynical, some lie, some kill, but all are redeemed.....(see full synopsis)

The black-and-white cinematography has not aged this film as color might, and the dialogue is so spare and cynical that it has not grown old-fashioned.

Casablanca was awarded many accolades at the the Oscars in 1942, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Film Editing, Best Score.

ON THE WATERFRONT

Elia Kazan (1954)

“Conscience. That stuff can drive you nuts.”

Terry Malloy, a “longshore man” on the docks in Hoboken, testifies against his corrupt union, which was run by New Jersey’s underground. This film was, among other things, Kazan’s justification for his decision to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). There, he named former associates who were involved with the Communist Party, and became a pariah in left-wing circles.In the film, when a union boss shouts, “You ratted us on Terry,” the Brando character shouts back, “I’m standing over here now. I was rattin’ on myself all these years. I didn’t even know it.” This reflects Kazan’s belief that communism was an evil that temporarily seduced him and had to be opposed. Some critics believe Kazan’s buried agenda tarnishes the film, using it to justify himself. Directors often make films for all sorts of hidden motives, some noble, some shameful, and at least Kazan was open about his own. He made a powerful and influential film, one that continued Brando’s immeasurable influence on the general change of tone in American movie acting in the 1950’s.

On the Waterfront was nominated for twelve Oscars and won eight, including best picture, actor, actress, and director. Ironically the other three were all for best supporting actor, where Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden and Rod Steiger split the vote.

Breakfast at Tiffany's
Blake Edwards (1961)

Based on Truman Capote's 1958 novella of the same title, is the quirky, funny, bewildering, serious, sophisticated and bittersweet story of a woman on her own making her way in the big city.

In a career that has spanned over fifty years as a writer, producer and director, Blake Edwards has provided audiences with classics in nearly every genre of the cinema. Known primarily for comedies series Pink Panther, Edwards is a moviemaker, usually associated with sophisticate, zany comedies, often scored by Henry Mancini. Other credits include “10” which made Dudley Moore famous and Bo Derek briefly a star, Victor/Victoria, in which he directed Julie Andrews on Broadway, Wine and Roses, A Shot in the Dark, and The Great Race to name a few. In 2004 Edwards accepted an honorary Oscar, "writing, directing and producing an extraordinary body of work for the screen." It was Edwards' only Academy Award.

VIEWING TODAY!!!

Laurel & Hardy

Laurel and Hardy's partnership at the Hal Roach studio began in 1926. Within a year of their first joint appearance, they were being touted as the new comedy team. After collaborating on many silent films, they took the transition to the talking film in stride. As their success spread throughout the world, they began making feature films as well and won an Oscar for their short subject entitled "The Music Box" (1932).

Lucille Ball

Remembered as a dizzy sitcom redhead with show business aspirations, Lucille Ball was, in fact, a show business powerhouse and television pioneer. Under contract to RKO and several small roles, she received starring roles in B-pictures and occasionally, a good role in an A-picture. Lucy met and fell madly in love with a young Cuban actor-musician named Desi Arnaz, with whom she is known for the infamous "I Love Lucy" (1951). Using 3-camera technique, they began the now standard in filming TV sitcoms, and the concept of syndicating television programs. She was also the first woman to own her own film studio.

ASSIGNMENT:

What parallels can you make between The Marx Brothers, Charlie Chaplin, The Three-Stooges, Laurel & Hardy, and Lucille Ball? Make a connection from their comedic genius to those contemporary ones of today. Be sure to use a specific example. Minimum 200 words.

DUE: Friday, 3/6

March 3

Viewing today:


The Kid (1921)



DUCK SOUP (1933)


Malice in the Palace (1949)