12. Killer of Sheep – Although I found it interesting in its style and history, I found practically no enjoyment from this movie.

11. Freaks – Again, I found the political message regarding the use of people with physical handicaps in circuses to be interesting; however, the entire movie simply felt strange and uncomfortable. (Maybe that is how I am supposed to feel)

10. Detour – Overall, a somewhat entertaining movie; however, the plot was not earth shattering.  

9. Sherlock Jr. – I found this film to be funny and enjoyable with its slapstick humor and general cartoon nature.

8. Awara – Although this movie was incredibly long and sometimes drawn out it definitely had a good storyline that kept me intrigued and interested.

7. Frances Ha – I enjoyed the realistic nature of the film where it showed our current generation and what we truly sound like on a day to day basis.

6. Wendy and Lucy – The minimalist approach that was used to show poverty in the US was interesting. Also, it definitely captured the emotional bond between a human and his or her pet.

5. My Own Private Idaho – I really enjoyed the Shakespearean theme where the dialogue between characters was artistic and well thought out.

4. The Vanishing – It was interesting to go inside a psychopath’s mind and see how he planned his terrible actions against the main characters.

3. The Good the Bad and the Ugly – The way in which all of the separate stories of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly come together at the end is simply a masterpiece. (Also the one-liners are pretty awesome)

2. Moonrise Kingdom – This was simply an enjoyable movie. I enjoyed the way in which the scouts were portrayed… and the acting by the two kids was phenomenal.

1. O Brother Where art Thou – This was definitely my favorite movie. I enjoyed the music, the story, and the blend between humor and serious topics. I would definitely watch this movie again!

This set of pictures is from the beginning of the film where we first meet Frances and Sophie. We get to know Frances and Sophie and their great friendship through a montage that starts at the very beginning of the film where we see all of the things they do together. As seen in the first picture, both of the friends are “play fighting.” Next, we see Sophie playing the guitar wile Frances dances showing the viewer subliminally that they have varying abilities and interests that actually build on each other and make a great friendship. Later, we see them running through the streets of New York where they simply do not care what other people are thinking of them, because they have each other. Next, we see again that Sophie and Frances might not necessarily have the same interests but remain together, because Frances is reading while Sophie is doing a stretching workout. Later, we see a great picture where both individuals are sitting in separate windows but despite their separation they are still talking to each other. Lastly, we see that not only do they feel comfortable with each other while being active but also when they are relaxed which is the mark of true friendship with someone.

Once could also argue that this portion of the film is representative or a precursor to the entire storyline of e film. At the beginning of the montage, we see that both individuals are together. However, as the montage progresses, the distance between the two individuals increases. This can be representative of the separation hat built up between Frances and Sophie throughout the entire movie. Lastly, it shows both characters sleeping  in bed and this can resemble the “make-up” between Frances and Sophie at the end of the film.

In regards to the style of the film, it is obviously in black and white which I feel allows the viewer to focus on the colorful relationship and not on the colorful and flashy world of New York. The motion of the camera typically matched the emotions of the character where the camera would move with the same energy as the main characters. Also, the emotions of the characters seem to be portrayed in a realistic way where they are having fun in normal and realistic ways. Lastly, the scenes and clothing worn by the characters appeared realistic for the time period.

In all, I really enjoyed Frances Ha because it was not only entertaining through humor but was also thought provoking through its political stance on the current young generation.

This shot is at the end of the movie and Suzy and her brothers were called down for dinner. Sam has just left through the window that is in the background and Suzy is deciding whether she wants to go down for dinner. The design of the house is very standard and normal with beige and yellow walls and crown molding around the edge of the walls and ceiling. Almost everything in the image has a yellow such as the suitcase, Suzy’s dress, the wall in the background, the chair in the back room, and the device on the table to the right. We can also see that there is an impeccable amount of symmetry in this room where almost everything seems to balance. The bookcase on the left is balanced with the table and bookcase on the right. Even the books on the rug are displayed radially making the book on the left balance the book on the right. Despite the symmetry of the objects in the room, Suzy clearly unbalances the composition which complies with her role in the household where she never seemed to fit in with the rest of her family. Despite her unbalancing the picture, she does comply with the yellow theme in the room which makes the viewer come to believe that the household has come to accept her. As a result, the mise en scene appears to resemble Suzy’s position and role in the movie. 

Of the movies that we have watched during this semester, I feel that the “Killer of Sheep” is the best companion for “Wendy and Lucy”. It is quite obvious that both movies are trying to represent poverty in a realistic manner in order to break down stereotypes and misconceptions of those people who are more fortunate. In “Killer of Sheep”, the intent was to show how most African Americans were living during the 1960’s and 1970’s, because most popular films at the time were portraying African Americans males as violent and “manly.” On the other hand, “Wendy and Lucy” is trying to put a face to a problem faced by a great deal of Americans. In both films, the main characters appear hardened by their circumstances where Stan in “Killer of Sheep” appears to have absolutely no emotional response to almost every situation he encounters. Furthermore, Wendy appears to be robotic when she is caught stealing from the supermarket and questioned about her transgressions. These films are also similar, because of the realistic style in which they are filmed. In both films, there are little to no lighting enhancements that one would typically see in a Hollywood film where lighting is typically used to enhance the looks of the actors and actresses. Also, the mise en scene of both movies was not glorified or made to enhance the looks of the actors and actresses, instead it was realistic where Stan is seen wearing dirty clothes and Wendy is seen where the same two sets of clothing every day. As a result, I feel that both films are very similar and would make great companions in order to teach about poverty in a realistic manner.

I found “O Brother Where art Thou” to be a rollercoaster of emotion that was brought about by the music in the film. The music in this film was absolutely essential to what I believe to be the thesis of this wonderful movie. This film proposes a thesis about the modern age or present day America by going to the past that looks toward the present. George Clooney’s character, Everett represents the rational and logical thought process that many Americans attempt to employ when explaining events in their daily lives. However, through music, this film reminds the viewer that despite our greatest efforts to rationalize every detail of our lives, sometimes there is no logical explanation.

The film starts with three individuals, Everett, Pete, and Delmar running away from a chain gang doing manual labor. As they continue to run, they come across an older man pushing his way down the railroad on a rail cart. After basic conversation, the man starts telling them their fate in a form of poem or song with a guitar playing in the background. The guitar plays quitely and ominouosly and grows louder as the prophesy contines to flow from the older man's mouth. As he tells this prophesy, there is a shot of Delmar and Pete where their faces are amazed with open mouths. This simple close up shot in combination with the music during the scene tells the viewer that this scene is very important in terms of plot developmentt. Likewise, we see this man at the end of the film when Everett, Pete, Delmar, and Tommy are confronted by the man that has been chasing them the entire time they had escaped. As the four protagonists are about to be hung, the man from the rail cart starts singing once again. These two instances of singing represent how during the entire film, music is used to signify important plot developments that in turn help display the thesis. Since the old man had told them their fate and was correct, his reappearance into the film with song validates the thesis that despite Everett’s attempts to rationalize the instances that had unfolded he is unsuccessful.

As a result, I feel that this film is trying to represent the complexities and turns that our lives have taken to get us to the places we currently stand and to prove despite our greatest attempts, there are some things that we simply cannot rationalize.

"My Own Private Idaho" had many aspects that were very peculiar and different from standard Hollywood films. In my opinion, the scene in which Scott turns his back on Bob is pivotal as well as one of the many scenes that sets this film apart from typical Hollywood films. The scene starts with Bob noticing that Scott is entering into a fine eating establishment wearing high end clothing. As Bob enters the restaurant, he seems to narrate his entry by pointing out the unwelcoming looks of the people already in the restaurant. However, he continues, claiming that Scott will accept them and respect them as he did before. Despite their past history, when Bob calls Scott’s name, Scott does not even turn around. Instead, in a very Shakespearean fashion, he remains with his back toward Bob. Scott then tells Bob “I don't know you, old man. Please leave me alone. When I was young and you were my street tutor... an instigator for my bad behavior, I was planning a change. There was a time when I had the need to learn from you... my former and psychedelic teacher. And although I love you more dearly than my dead father... I have to turn away. Now that I have, and until I change back... don't come near me.” These words, as said seemed as if the viewer was actually hearing what Scott was thinking and not saying, because this is certainly not something one would say in this situation. Also, these words were daggers to Bob’s heart and finalized the transformation Scott has undergone. Scott as decided to turn his back on his friends and live a life of luxury while his friends suffer. As a result, I respect this film, because it used creative and artistic methodologies in showing the effect poverty and wealth have on humans regardless of sexual orientation.

Quotation supplied by: http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/my-own-private-idaho-script.html

Even though it was not necessarily similar to current Hollywood horror films, I would still denote “The Vanishing” as a horror film, for many reasons. First, horror films use the idea of suspense to bring about emotional responses in the viewers. In the very beginning of the film, when Rex and Saskia run out of gasoline in the tunnel I could not help but feel a certain suspense quickly build. When the gasoline runs out, the shot is fairly lit, because they are inside the car. However, the dialogue between Rex and Saskia remind the viewer that this is indeed a dangerous situation, because the oncoming traffic will not be able to see them. Then the camera goes to the beginning of the tunnel showing a truck entering the tunnel validating the dialogue the viewer just heard. When the camera goes back to the car, we see that both characters are getting nervous. Saskia goes through her belongings to find a flashlight but is originally unable to find it. While she is frantically looking for a flashlight, Rex decides to leave the car and walk down the tunnel. While the camera follows Rex down the dark tunnel, the viewer hears Saskia frantically screaming Rex’s name. Despite the screaming, Rex continues to walk down the tunnel and when the light hits his face, Rex actually gives a small smirk. As a result, I feel that this scene utilizes many different characteristics representative in a horror film. First, this scene is established with Saskia bringing about a potential conflict when she notices that the amount of fuel in the car is low. Next, this scene uses the darkness of the tunnel to foreshadow a possible conflict and to bring about a sense of uneasiness in the viewer. After, the scene uses the tension and excitement of the dialogue between Saskia and Rex to even further the tension felt by the viewer. Lastly, the viewer gets a sense of the loneliness felt by Saskia as Rex walked away. As a result, I feel that this scene encompasses many attributes of a horror film.

I also felt that this was a horror film, because it gave a look into the mind of a psychopath. Typically, viewers of horror films get to know psychopaths from the perspective of the protagonist. However, in this film the viewer was forced into the mind of the psychopath and heard the reasons why he did the horrible things he did through the dialogue he had with Rex. As a result, I feel that this is the main reason that the Vanishing is denoted as a horror film, because it forces the viewer into the mind that he or she feels uncomfortble to enter.