NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN : Opening scenes analysis

Summarise and explain the following elements about the opening scenes ( including the coin toss scene) of No Country for Old Men  which introduce the three  main male characters

                                               Opening ( Sheriff Ed Tom Bell )

                                 Opening ( Sheriff Ed Tom Bell/Chigurh ) ( low quality)


The discovery  ( Llewellyn Moss)

                                                     Coin toss scene ( Anton Chigurh )


Spectatorship


What elements of film form are used  in the opening scenes to align audiences to be positioned with particular characters , and how is film form used to avoid alignment ?


What elements of film form or narrative are removed or minimised to encourage active spectatorship
and allow for individual audience responses and interpretation ?



Ideological themes


What moral or social themes are introduced in the opening scenes , including binary oppositions ( e.g chaos v order?) Who does the audience feel allegience and empathy with and why ?
 

APOCALYPSE NOW : ending and themes analysis

Analyse how the final  scenes ( and any other scenes ) in Apocalypse Now use film form to explore the themes in the film of the nature of war, the nature and background of the Vietnam war in particular , human nature, power. evil and colonialism and imperialism.

APOCALYPSE NOW opening analysis

OPENING SCENE

Analyse the opening  of the film  in terms of its use of film form to create meaning and provoke a response in the audience


Cinematography ( use of camera angle, movement and framing ,lighting and colour )

Editing ( transitions, order of shots and sequences, layering of images)

Mise-en-scene ( setting ,key props/objects , costume etc.)

Sound  ( music, sound effects and spoken word)

Performance  ( body language, posture, gesture,  tone, emotional impact etc.)



What do you think the intended response is by the director ?



How does it differ in introducing its main character from the methods used in Casablanca and why ?

SUMMARY OF STUDIO SYSTEM

Based on our class discussions and resources on the blog, briefly summarise the Hollywood studio system, focusing on the following :



During which decades was the Hollywood  studio system at its most powerful ?

What were the major "big five " studios ?

What areas and roles in film production did the studio system have direct control over ?

Why was this factory method of production successful ?

RECREATING KEY SCENE

Plan, shoot and edit  a key scene from Casablanca as closely as possible, making sure you follow some of the rules of classical style in its use of film form.


FULL SCRIPT 

CASABLANCA : Written analysis

Analyse  how film form ( cinematography,editing, mise-en-scene,sound and performance  creates meaning and audience response in the Rick's bar sequence  and one other  scene from the film.
( 800 words minimum).

How does the use of  film form in the scenes follow the rules of  classical Hollywood style to create responses such as intrigue, tension , patriotism  , nostalgia, loss and excitement in these scenes ?  Does the film bend or break any of these basic rules of Hollywood filmmaking ?




Deadline :  Monday October 7th

Casablanca : Intro written task

Briefly describe the main characters in Casablanca : their personalities , desires , goals , previous history, feelings and how they interact and feel about the other characters. How do they develop during the film ?

 Rick

Ilse 

Captain Renault

Victor Laszlo

First written task

Please complete a film review and analysis ( 800 words minimum)  of a film you have recently watched or are very familiar with. This must include the following.



Information and analysis of genre and  use of generic conventions , character, plot and narrative structure and any social or emotional themes in the film



Analysis of meaning and response created by all elements of film form :


Cinematography

Editing

Mise-en-scene

Sound 

Performance




You  should refer in detail to at least two key scenes from the film.

DEADLINE :  Monday September 23












EXTENSION :    Analyse another film of the same genre or by the same director, comparing the films' use of generic  conventions and technical codes.

Film Form Summary

Summarise and explain the following elements of film form ( and how they may create audience meaning and response ) with examples where relevant.




Cinematography 

Editing  

Mise-en-scene

Sound

Performance

Induction practical task

In groups of 2-3 , plan and shoot a homemade version of a favourite film scene as closely as possible.

You should consider the following :


Camera shots, angles  and movement

Mise-en-scene 

Performance

Sound





You can then edit the sequence on imovie.