Citizen Kane

Gus Perez

11/7/11

Film 2600

Dr. Londino

1.     In regards to Citizen Kane and the discussion based on the film in class, I can say the film shows you the story of Charles Foster Kane, which throughout the whole film a group of reporters are trying to unravel the mystery of Charles last words before he died which were “Rose Bud”. The reporters then go around asking people that Mr. Kane was close to if they knew the significance of the word and each person depicts their own stories of how they encountered Mr. Kane and how drastic he changed within time. At the end of the film the word “Rose Bud” was metaphoric for something that meant something in his life, which the reporters ultimately never got the chance to solve. In the beginning of the film you see how Charles was brought up in a poor environment with his parents until he is then taken out of his home to live with Walter Thatcher who becomes Kane’s legal guardian which then causes Charles to become a business man himself and start his own newspaper company. Charles basically goes from rags to riches in the film as you see him in the movie his character gradually transforms into a stubborn, prideful, and ambitious character filled with power and money until he loses everything that he has from his wife, to best friend, to ultimately his life.

2.     http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/45/kane.php

3.     This article relates to the screening very much because they talk about credibility the movie received as far as the style, impact, meaning and success. The film mad a major impact on the film industry after its release especially after Orson Wells practically did it all in producing, writing, directing and even starring in the film himself. The article also talks about how the film was originally going to be called “The American” which was soon changed to “Citizen Kane”. Also mentioned in the article is the down fall and flaws that Charles had in the film which was the cause of his downfall and how he went from being a happily married man to an unhappy person with frustration and anger. As you also see in the movie every time some one is saying a story about Charles you see the changes that he makes towards the end of each story and you see how quickly his character changes from becoming a charming guy to a miserable man that most people don’t like nor appreciate.

4.     After watching Citizen Kane, I can truly say that this film has become on of my favorite films of all time. The cinematography, storyboard, and concept of the film were all phenomenal. Especially because the film was filmed at the early ages of Hollywood, this film took everything a film at the time was doing to a whole new aspect, which is why the movie has a big fan base, and positive reviews and critics. I can agree that this is possibly one of the greatest films of all time, at least top 10  

Grapes Of Wrath

Gus Perez

Film 2600

Dr. Londino

11/7/11

Grapes of Wrath

1.     The Grapes of Wrath who won the Pulitzer Prize of 1940 was published in 1939 after John Steinbeck observed “Okies” (Oklahoma immigrants) migrate to California white he lived there. From then John would observe them, visit them in their camps and researched them all. John recorded all the days when the dust would blow and days would go without rain. This all caused the earth to become dry hence the Dust Bowl. With this information Steinbeck would notice the behavior of the people and how this affected them from working, to migrating, to surviving with your families. This all intrigued Steinbeck and inspired him into screening of the Grapes of Wrath film. This relates to the film because the farmers in movie lost their farms and family history, this caused to farmers to migrate to California hoping that they would find better fields and places to start their new lives and jobs.

2.     http://www.shmoop.com/grapes-of-wrath/symbolism-imagery.html

3.     The article can relate to the screening because it essentially talks about everything that was discussed in class and it breaks down all the symbolism, imagery, and allegory that were shown in the film. The article also talks about how America was prejudice in the early 1900’s and how it was relevant in the movie, also farming takes a big role in this film especially after all families depend on agriculture for life, cultivation, and growth. This becomes a factor in the film after the dust bowl hits Oklahoma and “Okies” have to migrate to California and search for new life and new places to start their agriculture. The road in Grapes of Wrath also plays a significant part because when Tom Joad returns home he becomes amused at the road as he wonders how long he will take to get home, also it symbolizes on how that road will be the road to redemption and will also allow him to make up for his mistakes.

4.     Personally I enjoyed watching the film Grapes Of Wrath because it is an all time classic that everyone should watch and it also gives you many symbols that can relate to the viewer. Also you get to see the story of Tom Joad who comes from a low class family who is migrating from Oklahoma to California to start a new life, the only problem is that Joad is a fugitive who is being chased by police, making him to keep his whereabouts confidential. The whole cinematography of the film was impeccable in all aspects which is why its considered an all time great film. 

Stagecoach

Gus Perez

Stagecoach

Film 2600

1.                    After watching and discussing Stagecoach in class, we spoke on how the setting was in 1880 which had various roles from cowboys, outlaws, prostitute, bankers, sheriffs, and of course stagecoach. The screening of this film begins when a group of unfamiliar people starts to travel to Cheyenne in the same stagecoach, which correlates to the theme of the film, in which it consist of different classes of characters ranging from prejudice to redemption. The people in the stagecoach are, a girl who was thrown out of her town for being a prostitute, alcoholic doctor, confederate gambler, whiskey salesman, a thief of a banker, a pregnant woman who is destined to join her husband in the armed forces and a gunslinger. All these characters have different personalities and different stories to their background but once a Geronimo Indian clan ambushes them they decide that the best way to come out alive is to work together.

2.                    The article I choose to do was based on the background of Stagecoach. As mentioned in class it was a movie that was filmed by John Ford, which was his first sound western movie. Although Ford had a successful career filming movies Stagecoach stands out because it was the first film he placed the setting in Monument Valley of the Southwest. The film eventually was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Black and White Cinematography, etc… In this film John Ford also collaborated with John Wayne. http://www.filmsite.org/stagec.html

3.                     I can relate this article to the screening because just like in class they both discuss on how successful Stagecoach and John Fords career both went up after the film showed promise and it was taken into a whole new perspective when they decided to make the film a Western. Stagecoach revolutionized western films mainly because it made them go from being B films to becoming a serious adult genre, and in Stagecoach it had a great theme, it was in depth with the characters, sophisticated, and it also gained a lot of popularity from the crowds.

4.                    I Personally enjoyed watching this film, especially after not watching an Western films prior to this one, it definitely changed my whole perspective on Western films, and I’m glad we choose this film because as stated before this movie revolutionized the ideal Western movie to what they are now. If it were not for this film most Western films would not have the sophisticated way or direction that this movie had. So for this I have the most utterly respect for John Ford and all of his films.