Contemporary Silent Films

1. What differences do you see in traditional silent films and films of today?

The biggest difference that I noticed was the quality of the films today. Because of technology, filmmakers now have more options for the different directions they can take. For example, Nuit Blanche was super slowed down, and Momentos had a slight color to it instead of black and white.

2. Which do you prefer?

I enjoyed both silent film types for different reasons, however, I think I prefer the temporary films because of the different directions the filmmakers were able to take. Plus, I found them more relatable and enjoyable because it's more what I'm used to.

3. How will you use these differences in your own work?

I am really looking forward to playing with speed in my silent film and deciding whether it would be more effective to slow it down or speed it up. I also want to use the older trend of having the screens with words on it.

The Artist Review

1. This film follows George Valentin as his career as a silent movie actor deteriorates as talkies become more popular, and the rise of Peppy Miller’s career, which he was somewhat responsible for. As their lives go in different directions, they still stay connected. Valetin becomes desperate and loses all of his money, having no other companions except his dog, and Peppy Miller becomes more and more popular and happy. However, she still worries about him and they end of reuniting after George almost commits suicide.
2. The story is driven by the characters in my opinion since Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo were such fantastic actors. They were so animated and full of life that the plot became secondary since the characters and relationships between the characters was so strong.
3. The cinematography was very appropriate for the film. My favorite part was how the medium mocked the medium used in the 1920s by being black and white and silent. Then towards the end when Valentin is in a “talkie,” they have sound. Additionally, I really liked how when he was spending all of his money creating his own silent film, the scene of the ripping checks was transparent over the making of the movie because it added a neat effect of time going by.
4. My favorite scene was the end of the movie when George and Peppy were filming their dancing movie. I really like happy endings, so watching everything fall into place made me happy! I liked how after the music stopped, you could hear them breathing but not talking. It was an interesting choice to never have the characters speak which I thought worked out really well to enhance the film. I especially liked all of the clapboards in the beginning because it was a cute touch!
5. I really enjoyed watching the silent film, much to my surprise. I thought that I would be bored, but the actors vivaciousness and spirit really made the movie come to life. It was fun watching a movie without dialogue because I could really focus on the actors and how they expressed themselves without any words. In normal movies, you can lose yourself easily in the dialogue and not appreciate the acting skills, but in silent movies you can really appreciate the skills.
6. I would most definitely encourage someone to see The Artist!! I thought that it was SO good and fun to watch, especially since I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s so drastically different from the other movies of this time, which lends itself towards a very enjoyable and neat viewing experience! Plus, it’s great plot that’s well executed.

George Melies

1) What did you notice/learn about Melies' style?

Melies' style is very quirky. Since he was a magician, he played a lot with the new techniques he discovered to create a very odd and surreal feel. He liked to add and take away things and people within a frame, like with the people in The One Man Band.
2) Were there consistent elements in his films? What were they?

There was definitely consistency between the films with the whole strange, kind of confusing idea with items and people changing into different things and people disappearing and whatnot. In every single one of his films that we watched, he played with the idea of hectic confusion and people and things popping up out of nowhere.
3) Did you enjoy his films? Which ones? Why?

I did enjoy his films, especially The One Man Band. This one was my favorite because I thought it was really quirky and entertaining the idea of it, and his special effects worked really well for it. Also, the kind of choppy speed worked well with the idea and enhanced it.
4) What will you take away with you from watching these films?

From watching these films, I will take away with how you can do so much work and make something really great out of so little. Instead of relying on dialogue, color, and crazy special effects, you can really utilize simple tricks and concepts to create something great.

Casino Royale Movie Review

1) Provide a description of the film. Discuss the plot and characters and how they influenced the film. Was the plot line or character development more important? Why?

This James Bond movie with Daniel Craig is the first movie after Bond gets his 007 and follows him as he tries to take down Le Chiffre, a terrorist banker during a poker game in Montenegro. Le Chiffre lost all his organization's money, and is trying to win it back with a high stakes poker game. Bond follows him to this game with Vesper Lynd, a woman sent to keep an eye on him. Bond ends up winning the game (after almost losing it and almost dying) and falling in love with Vesper. However, it turns out that Vesper was working on the other side secretly and takes the money. Bond discovers this and tries to figure out if she was actually being dishonest but Vesper ends up committing suicide. The character development was more important in this film because no matter what crime or action Bond is involved in, it always goes back to James Bond. Additionally, his character development with Vesper is a large part of the film.
2) Think critically about how the film was shot, directed, use of lighting, etc. What do you think was effective in the making of the film? What took away or could have been done differently to enhance the film?

I really liked the way the film was shot. For example, in one scene when Bond is almost killed because he is poisoned, the camera was all shaky and close to his face which really added to the chaos of the scene. It was decisions like this with the shooting that really enhanced the film. I also really enjoyed the music. The song used in the opening credits was used throughout the rest of the movie (instrumental) and it nicely connected everything together. One thing that could have enhanced the movie would have been if they hadn't rushed the end so much. I felt as if a lot of really important things happened super quickly.
3) What is you overall opinion of the film? Would you recommend it? Why/why not?

Overall, I really enjoyed this film. I usually don't like action movies, but this one wasn't boring and was really well done. I thought that Daniel Craig makes a really good Bond, and that the overall plot line was interesting and different. I would recommend it to others because it's a lot a fun to watch and is really well done.