Casablanca

Casablanca is a love story set during World War II, in the unoccupied French area of Morocco called Casablanca. This town is filled with refugees who are waiting for exit visas to the United States, and German military whose job is to keep people from leaving. Rick is the owner of Rick's cafe, a popular meeting spot in Casblanca. He is a jaded, mysterious and unopinionated man who is always looking out for himself over anyone else. We meet many people in Rick's, anyone from high profile military men to common criminals always looking to make a buck off of someone else. Then we meet Victor Laszlo and Isla, who come into Rick's seeing exit visas so they can finally be safe. Victor is a leader of the French resistance, and is wanted by the Nazis, and Ilsa is his seemingly loving and devoted wife. They meet Rick, but Rick already knows Ilsa. And while Victor is trying to get them out of Casablanca, Ilsa is rekindling her romance that she has with Rick back in Paris which Victor was trapped in a German concentration camp and thought to be dead. We find out that Ilsa broke Rick's heart, and that she is the cause of his cold and distant demeanor. The rest of the film centers on Victor trying to get a hold of stolen (but missing) exit visas for himself and Ilsa and evading the Nazis, while Ilsa tries to choose between her love for Victor and the love that she still has for Rick.

I have seen this movie before, and it is one of my all time favorites. Yes, some of the love scenes and reactions that Ilsa has are corny and overexxagerated but that's what distinguishes this movie as a romantic and emotionally riveting classic. I identified with the characters, and their feelings of love and loss and trying to leave the complacency that is Casablanca. It highlights the real nature of war, and how it destroys lives and relationships, but also how it brings people like Ilsa and Rick together, even if it is only for a few days. It is a classic love story, and a film that I don't think that I could ever get tired of watching.

Another look...Bonnie & Clyde

One of the main themes of Bonnie & Clyde that is highlighted and illustrated through the use of editing is the awkward sexual tension between Bonnie and Clyde that is overtly present through most of the film.

When we first meet Bonnie, she is in her bedroom. The first shot of the film is an extreme close-up focusing on Bonnie rubbing her lips together. This functions as an establishing shot, and after watching the film I believe that it establishes the notion that Bonnie functions as a sexual character in the film, especially in relation to Clyde as we see later on. Then the camera cuts to Bonnie looking at herself in the mirror, and slightly smiling while studying her reflection. Then, there is a cut on action as she stands up, looks around the room, and then fall down, somewhat dramatically, onto the bed where the camera focuses on her laying there and then hitting the bed in what seems to be frustration based on how the camera gets a close-up of her expression. Then we see her over by her dresser, reaching for a dress while we see her naked back in the shot. She sighs in boredom, and then the camera cuts to a shot of Clyde standing outside her window by her mother's car. The camera cuts back to Bonnie, who walks over to the window still naked and sees Clyde outside. He can obviously see that she is naked through the window, and she can obviously tell that his intention was to steal her mother's car. The camera cuts back and forth between Bonnie and Clyde, illustrated with cutting on action and camera movement, until she gets dressed and goes outside to confront him.

This scene establishes the sexual tension that is present between Bonnie and Clyde throughout the rest of the film. When Clyde first shows Bonnie his gun, the camera focuses on both the gun and Bonnie's expression in a way that suggests that his gun represents a phalic symbol that represents his manhood and the attraction Bonnie feels towards him. This representation doesn't last long however, because the sexuality between them becomes awkward and strained because Clyde is impotent. Without this use of editing to illustrate the sexual tension and awkwardness between the Bonnie and Clyde, I don't think I would have caught onto it as quickly as I did while watching the movie.

Bonnie & Clyde

Bonnie & Clyde is a film about Bonnie Parker, a small town woman who is unhappy living her mediocre life as a waitress who meets Clyde Barrow, a seasoned criminal who is looking for a parner, both in crime and in life. They begin to commit crimes all around the South as partners, starting with small petty crimes and eventually moving onto bank robberies all throughout Texas, all the while falling in love. They recruit others to join in their efforts throughout the film: a gas station attendant named C.W., and Clyde's brother and sister-in-law, Buck and Blanche. Together, they were known as the Barrow Gang and are hunted by the police wherever they go.

Bonnie & Clyde frustrated me because I felt like it didn't go anywhere. I felt as though the plot was dull and lifeless, and that every robbery was awkwardly staged and boring. The Barrow Gang, although violent at times, is the worst bunch of criminals that I have ever seen portrayed in a film. The monotonous and dull plot, combined with the bleak and empty backdrop of Texas bored me to the point where I was just wishing that Bonnie and Clyde would be shot and that the movie would be over. All together my frustration with the dynamic between Bonnie and Clyde, my frustration with the annoying nature of Buck and Blanche, and the story that never seemed to end made me feel so grateful that I never have to see this movie ever again.

Another look...Run Lola Run

The use of editing in Run Lola Run makes this film a unique story of different pieces and techniques that are interwoven to create a cohesive illustration of the real life and vivid emotions that both Lola and Manni are experiencing as they face against the clock to try and save Manni's life. In my opinion, the first scene when Manni is calling Lola to tell her what happened sets the stage for the rest of the film and the editing in this scene sets the tone for the rest of the film as well.

The cutting back and forth between Lola and Manni during their phone conversation made the scene a lot more suspensful, and conveyed to me the amount of pressure they are both under, and the fear the both have of Manni being killed for his mistake. It illustrates the contrast between Manni's irrational and scared demeanor with Lola's more sensible and composed state. To me, it depicts what the dynamic most likely is within their relationship. As we can see, Manni relies on Lola to be a constant in his life. He relied on her to pick him up like she usually did and he is relying on her now to get the money that will save his life. Manni seems to be the risktaker and the provider in the relationship, and this was his one chance to make it big and now he has to deal with the possibly consequences of his negligence.

The flashbacks that occur while Manni is explaining what happened that day to Lola add more depth to the story that he is telling, and made the whole scene more real. You can see the progression of his actions, and how tedious the different steps that he had to go through were and that one mistake could ruin the entire operation. You see how Manni is out in the middle of nowhere, and that not having a ride back comprimises his task. You see the camera focus on the bum on the train, which made me curious as to what role he was going to play since the attention paid to him made him seem important within the scene. You see Manni's horrified reaction when he realizes that he forgot the bag on the train, and how his boss reacted to the one time that he forgot to return his cigarettes. It shows the audience how serious this mistake is, and if Manni's boss reacted that violently to a small mistake, that Manni is not going to live a second after 12:00.

The camera also moves around Lola's apartment and focuses on different objects that are around her while she is on the phone with Manni, adding to the chaos and insanity of the scene. You see Lola screaming and the glasses on top of her TV shattering at the sound. Then the camera cuts to the slanted window coverings, to the picture of Manni and Lola on the wall, to the dolls sitting on the table, and the turtle slowly crawling across the floor. In the background of all these shots, all you see is clutter and mess, a scene symbolic of their life and the ordeal that takes place throughout the movie. The scene that Lola is in reflects how she is feeling, overwhelmed and crazed at the thought of having to get Manni this money in 20 minutes. And then you see a long shot of Manni in the phone booth, with the scene seeming empty and less cluttered around him. Then the camera cuts into a close shot of Manni in the phone booth, looking towards the Rolle store. This editing is symbolic of the fact that Manni feels like the world is closing in on him, and that he is running out of both time and options. So he looks towards the store, and sees it as his saving grace and plans to steal money from them to get the $100,000 he needs.

Overall, the editing in this film was truly unique and created a sense of immediacy and heightened emotions that stuck with me throughout the film. I felt as though I was right there the entire time with Lola, and that time was running out to save the man I love from imminent death.

Run Lola Run

Run Lola Run is a uniquely creative and artsy German film, about a girl named Lola who is racing against time to try to save her boyfriend, Manni's, life after he makes a terrible mistake. Lola faces many obstacles during her rush to get $100,000 for Manni in 20 minutes, and interestingly enough each time she faces an obstacle in the film there is a flashforward which depicts how that encounter affected the course of the other person's life. But when you think that these obstacles have prevented Lola from making it to Manni in time, and that there is no hope, we are sent back to the beginning where Lola has another chance to save Manni from death by drug lord.

To me, watching this film was an interesting experience. I have seen films and television shows where they use flashbacks and flash forwards before, and have used them to replay the same scenes over and over again and show how all the actions involved have contributed to and affected the outcome of the plot (ex. Grey's Anatomy this past week- I know at least one person in class will be able to relate to that example). I found the film, especially the editing used to make it so unique, drew me into and made me relate to Lola: how many times in our lives do we wish that we could go back and do something just a little bit different, and maybe the outcome of a situation would have changed for the better. Run Lola Run illustrates this perfectly. The flashbacks, flashforwards and the real time action made this movie enticing, both aesthetically and cinematically. And it wasn't too long =) all in all, it was a unique but interestingly pleasing viewing.

Another look...Do the Right Thing

The presence of mise-en-scène within the settings found within this film adds to the illustration of the pervasiveness of racism in the day-to-day lives of the characters. More specifically, the theme of characters looking through windows and the window-like framing within the different settings symbolizes the different lenses that the characters look at racism through and how it creates tension and difference within the neighborhood.

For a good deal of the film, you see Mother Sister looking out onto the interactions of the neighborhood through her window. To me, it seemed like this character placement and setting was portraying her as the grandmother of the neighborhood: she's a bit cynical because she's seen a lot during her time living there, but she just wants everyone to get along and to live in peace. Her window is a few floors above the street, which vaguely symbolizes her detachment from the neighborhood. She looks out onto everything and everyone, judges and makes comments, but only a few times in the film do we actually see her out of the context of her window.

Another example of the significance of windows in the film is DJ Mister Senor Love Daddy looking through his window all day, everyday while doing his radio show. The window in this context serves as a barrier between him and the neighborhood, much like Mother Sister and her window. He comments on everything that is going on in the neighborhood, because he knows all and sees all. He is the mouthpiece of the neighborhood. He knows what is going on in the neighborhood, the racist and hurtful actions that take place everyday. He serves as a peacemaker and a facilitator for equality in the neighborhood, but the presence of the window symbolizes the anger and resentful feelings within the neighborhood that restricts any real progrss.

Another representation of windows in this film is the window of the pizzeria that is broken after Radio Raheem's murder to symbolize the breakdown of the racial barriers within the neighborhood.

Another thing that I noticed within the various settings in this film was the framing that caused walls, in my interpretation, to resemble windows looking into the feelings of racism within the neighborhood. Specifically, I am referring to the various shots that focus on the "wall of fame" found in Sal's pizzeria. All of the pictures hanging on that wall were of famous Italian Americans, none of whom were black. This is a source of contention within the neighborhood, especially with Buggin' Out, because he feels that because this is a black neighborhood there should be pictues of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X on the wall as well. He sees this wall as a display of racism, because it is so prominently displayed and because Sal has refused to put anything black up on the wall.

Overall, even though I didn't particularly like this movie, the presence of mise-en-scène contributed to my understanding of the plot and what Spike Lee created Do the Right Thing to mean to our racially charged society.

Do the Right Thing

Do the Right Thing is a classic film by Spike Lee, highlighting the presence of racial tensions in Brooklyn during the 1980s. The plot follows the lives of the Afrcan Americans, Puerto Ricans and Italian Americans who live in the neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant on one of the hottest days of the summer, and how they deal with their inherent cultural and racial differences.

I understood the cultural significance of this movie, in that the plot displayed how racism is present in everyday, normal activities and that in order to overcome the tensions that we face in society we have to address racism from an interpesonal perspective. But I didn't really like this movie and found it to be really slow and uneventful up until the last ten minutes. I have seen Spike Lee's work before (Bamboozled) and I found it to be more interesting and captivating than Do the Right Thing, and still was able to illustrate the same point. I came away from watching this movie being convicted about the pervasiveness of racism in society, how it can ruin relationships and lives, and how it needs to be addressed on an interpersonal, person-to-person level but I was just bored throughout the movie while I was coming to that conclusion. I see the film for the messages and ideals that it represents, but I don't think that I could sit through watching this film again, for the lack of an emotionally intriguing and captivating plot.

Another look...The Godfather

While watching The Godfather, I noticed that the props that were used in the movie were especially important in terms of mise-en-scène and served as more than just props, but also as representative agents that give a greater insight into the lives and personalities of the characters we come into contact with.

In the opening scene, when we first meet Don Vito Corleone in his study talking to a "friend", he is sitting in a leather chair behind his desk with a cat in his lap. He strokes this cat through the entire conversation, and is attentive to the needs of the cat (ex. petting it when it purrs). I thought that this was an interesting choice for a metaphorical prop and that it demonstrated the emotional, human side of the Godfather. The "friend" that he is talking to is talking about how his daughter was raped by two men, and how he wants the Godfather to help him carry out revenge on these men. And all throughout this dialogue, the Godfather is calm and composed, just stroking the cat listening to this man talk. Even when he is telling him that he is trying to use him as an assassin, and that he isn't being given the respect he deserves, he still remains calm and holding the cat. This, to me, stood out because I saw the interaction between the Godfather and the cat representing his caring and emotional side, which we also see during his daughter's wedding. Showing the cat in his lap and then contrasting it with the nature of the conversation perfectly illustrates the constrast between love and hate throughout the entire film. Even during the wedding scene, we see the Godfather dancing with his wife and daughter, and then we see his son Sonny breaking a photographer's camera.

Another prop, a contextualized prop, that is significant in this film is the presence of alcohol when those within and associated with the Corleone family are about to have an important conversation or right before a serious, or violent moment. The alcohol represents somewhat of a calming effect upon those who are involved in the interaction that is taking place, and as the movie goes on, a foreshadowing of what is to come. There is wine present during the meeting of the five families; Michael, McCluskey and Sollozzo are all drinking wine right before Michael murders them both; Michael offers Carlo, Connie's husband, something to drink right before he sends him off to be killed.

Another aspect of mise-en-scène that I noticed when I looked at the picture above of the Godfather in the meeting of the five families is blocking. As you can see, the Godfather in this picture is blocking Tom during this conversation. I think that this example of blocking really illustrates the relationship between Tom, the consigliore, and the Godfather. This arrangement almost makes me think of the angel and the devil metaphor, one on each shoulder when a person is conflicted about making a decision. I think that perfectly explains Tom's influence on the Godfather. He is there to provide legal counsel, but to also give the Godfather advice. His role, in a way, is to be the Godfather conscience, advising him to do what is right for the situation. Sometimes the situation necessitates something good, other times it necessitates something bad and I think this example of blocking depicts that role that Tom has in the Corleone family.

Other thing that I noticed, and found quite interesting in portrayed the progression that takes place in the lives of the charaters were the use of costumes, specifically in realtion to Don Vito and Michael. When we first meet the Godfather, we see him in a tuxedo and he wears very nice (most likely expensive) suits and ties throughout the rest of his time as the Godfather. Then, in the end when he turns the title over to Michael, you see his wardrobe and his overall "look" completely change. He looks much older, and a bit haggard, and is wearing a sweater vest and other articles of clothing that typically characterize a grandfather figure. Michael's clothing also progresses, more so for the better, throughout the movie. We first meet Michael the army man at his sister's wedding, and he is dressed in his army uniform. Then, as he becomes more involved with his family business, he begins to wear more suits and dressing more smartly. In the end, when he has officially taken over as the Godfather, he is wearing a very expensive looking suit. It was just interesting to me how even something as obvious as wardrobe could contribute to the mise-en-scène and provided insight as to how the characters developed throughout the film.

Overall, these few example of mise-en-scène, although challenging to distinguish at first glace, added to my understanding of the plot of the film and the deeper meaning that it holds as well.

The Godfather

The Godfather is a movie depicting the life of a family involved in the Italian mafia network in New York during the 1940s. The Corleone's, who proudly hail from Sicily, are a close knit family consisting of Don Vito Corleone (known to all as "Godfather"), his sons Sonny (who is seemingly next in line to "inherit" the family business), Fredo, and Michael (a military man who wants nothing to do with the family business), along with adopted son Tom Hagan (the family's consigliore, or lawyer) and daughter Connie. Together, they make up the Corleone family, a ruthless group of businessmen who will do anything, and I mean anything, to stay on top. But when the prevalence of drug related business starts to take over the mafia, conflict begins to ensue among the other mafia families to keep their dealings"honest" but competitive at the same time. This film goes through the rise and fall of the Godfather, and the Corleone's, and how they constantly fought to stay ahead of the other four families.

The main themes of this movie are the importance of loyalty, trust and respect within the family. The Godfather controls his family and all of his dealings with a strong emphasis on these elements, which everyone either lives or dies by with no questions asked. It is also a story of what people will do for family and friendship in the name of love and hate. The storyline is a constant portrayal of the love of family and tradition, but the hate of the Corleone enemies and anyone else who tries to betray them. This movie is wrought with emotional turmoil and struggle, with the overarching theme of being true to your family in the best of times and worst of times.


It was really hard for me to review The Godfather because I am ambivalent as to how I feel about this movie. To rate how I feel about it on a scale of 1 to 10, I'll give it a 6. I did really like it, because of the fact that I find movies from this genre to be really interesting to watch but there is something I don't like about it that I can't put my finger on. Maybe it was the overwhelming amount of death and violence, or the way in which Michael's character so drastically changes throughout the movie that made me disappointed in the end. I think that this is a film that just has to grow on me, and that I'll have to get past the violent bloodshed and intense dramatics to see the movie for what it really is- a classic mob movie that will certainly live as a cinematic legend for many more years to come.