Contemporary Silent Films

1) What differences do you see in traditional silent films and films of today? The surroundings are different, there's more technology, and the music isn't as happy.
2) Which do you prefer? 
I liked the last two the best.
3) How will you use these differences in your own work?
I think I'm going to play with the slow motion effect and have some of my movie take place on my street with all the modern cars and buildings and such. 

Artist Review

1) Describe the film.


The film was about a prominent silent movie actor who became irrelevant once "talkies" came out. He had fallen in love with one of the extras in his movie, but when talkies became popular, so did she. Now he was the underdog and she was the star, and that hurt his pride. In the end they work it out and perform dancing duets together.
2) How is the story driven?  By the characters or plot?


The story is driven by both equally I think. The plot just shows how important the advent of talkies really was, but you end up falling in love with the main character. He is humbled greatly by the end of the movie, and the love story is adorable.
3) Talk about the cinematography.  How was the use of lighting, acting, camera angles scene development used to help enhance the film?


I loved that it was a silent movie. And I absolutely love how it was black and white. It made it classic. The acting was great. I usually rely on dialogue a lot when I watch movies, but the silence forced me to pay attention to the facial expressions. The shots were really varied, but they had to focus on the face a lot, since there was no sound.
4) What was you favorite scene from the film?  Why? Describe the scene as well as how it was shot.


My favorite scene was when the main character was about to shoot himself, and then "bang" comes up on the screen, but then it turns out it was just a crash and he's alive. I had been crying and I was very relieved.
5) What is the experience of watching a silent film like? How does it relate to watching a "talkie"?


I payed much more attention to the music and facial expressions. 

6) Would you encourage others to view the film?  Why or why not?
I definitely would. One of my favorites of the year. First time I cried during a movie in a while. 

Manhattan Review

I chose the film Manhattan directed by Woody Allen. I love his work so I thought I'd enjoy this film ( I did). It was definitely his style. It's one of the older ones so he played the main character. The film takes place in Manhattan (obviously) and he made an artistic decision for it to be black and white. It's about a T.V. show writer who is dating a 17 year old girl, but ends up falling in love with the woman his best friend is having an affair with, only to find out at the end of the movie that he is still in love with the now 18 year old girl. Even though the plot is perplexing, I found the character development to be more important. The thing is, that Woody Allen plays very similar characters in every single one of his movies, and he is always the main one. Sometimes it gets annoying, but in the end I end up really connecting to him. He's this intellectual, somewhat narcissistic, Jewish, neurotic writer who's very afraid of death and cynical about life. For me that always hits close to home. I think in Manhattan he was more lovable than say, in Annie Hall. The voiceovers and the moral lectures to other characters really got us deep into this character's brain (let's be honest it's Woody Allen's brain). I think the black and white really added a classic feel to the film, especially since it was shot in such a classic city like Manhattan. My favorite part of the film is that he had a lot of shots where it was just silhouettes of the characters with the background behind them still visible. You could hear them talking but you either couldn't see their faces, or you could only see part of them. Woody Allen is a brilliant director and I love him. And now I feel like I haven't let my people down, having watched every single Woody Allen and Mel Brooks film. I don't think anything could have been done differently to make it better. The Actors were brilliant, the black and white, the city, the writing, and obviously the director were flawless. If you don't get tired of the neurotic-ness, this man's movies are always a delight. I recommend this film wholeheartedly. It's one of the best that I've seen in a while. But honestly, Annie Hall is so overrated. If you want to see a good Woody Allen film, watch Manhattan, Bananas, or Crimes and Misdemeanors. Matchpoint and Vicky Christina Barcelona are of course marvelous, even Midnight in Paris is, but the old ones where Woody Allen is his own neurotic self are priceless. 

Melies

1) What did you notice/learn about Melies' style?
He is very comical and imaginative. In his movies everything looks like a bizarre dream. There are a lot of props that are used to drive the story.
2) Were there consistent elements in his films? What were they? There is always an element of magic in his movies, and there are always actors being filmed.
3) Did you enjoy his films? Which ones? Why? I really liked them actually! I think my favorite was The Triple Conjurer and the Living Head. I felt like I was watching a fantastical magic show. It left me wondering how he pulled it off and showed off his imagination.
4) What will you take away with you from watching these films? 
Movies can capture our dreams just as well as they capture reality. It really shows the endless possibilities of experimentation with film.