The Godfather

Gustavo Perez

Film 2600

Dr. Londino

12/14/2011

1.       In class the discussion that was based on the film The Godfather was that it was one of the best American films directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film shows how the Italian-Mob oriented families from the years 1945-1955. In the film you see the importance of family traditions such as weddings and other events, in which they carry abundances of food. Also they tend to show how significant honor and loyalty is for the Italian families. The film also gives you a better look of how Mob families would run their businesses. Till this day the film is highly considered as a top 10 film of all times. The film also influenced many directors in making movies with the similarities of Mob related families and how they operate. One influenced would be Martin Scorsese’s and the film Goodfellas. The show Goodfellas would also be another film that was influenced by the great film The Godfather. The film also shows a lot of tragedy, sex, and violence which was not too popular with how most films were directed in the time the movie was released.

2.       This article basically talks about the importance of The Godfather and how it revolutionized the thought of many films after it and the impact that it created in Hollywood. Also it shows on how successful the film was in the time that it came out grossing $134 million in the box office. The film was also nominated for Ten Academy Awards nomination winning 3 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlo Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay.  http://www.filmsite.org/godf.html

3.       The article summarizes the main parts of the film itself. The only difference is that in order to embrace on how good the film actually is, is by watching the movie and visualizing the effects, camera angling, and the significant parts played by each character and how they influence each seen and other characters around them. The article also highlights the most important and influential parts of the movies such as quotes and scenes which soon enough transpired into other Hollywood films, mainly the ones that we see today.

4.       Personally, The Godfather was definitely a top ten film in which I would recommend to every Film student and anybody pursuing a career with media and film, because the film just shows many aspects of an Italian-Mob based family in the late 40’s early 50’s and it depicts actual violence and realistic scenes that would most likely occur. The filming and lighting to the film is also exceptional. The lighting determines the mood and the setting of the characters and gives you a feeling of what is going to come next. As stated before the film shows a different aspect in general and it is definitely a must watch. Come to think of it, it made me appreciate American Film making much more than what it did before.

Casablanca

Gus Perez

Film History

Journal

Casablanca

1.     From what was discussed in the class and in the screening, Casablanca is arguably considered one of the greatest films of its time and possibly all times. The film takes place in Casablanca, Morocco during the era of World War II. The main characters of the film are Humphrey Bogart who plays Rick, Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa, and Paul Henreid as Victor. Rick is the owner of a café in Casablanca, Morroco and finds himself meeting his past love Ilsa who is then married to Victor. The film mostly focuses on how Casablanca was during the war and also the love story of Rick and Ilsa previously when they lived in Paris together. Throughout the movie they show the relationship between Rick and Ilsa from the past and how they would have a great time spending with each other and how they got split up. Ilsa then meets and marries Victor leaving them to end up in Casablanca where Rick rejoins Ilsa, making Ilsa indecisive in which she does not know whether she loves Rick or Victor. Right before the movie ends Rick tells her to go with Victor after she is deciding whether to stay or go, eventually leaving with Victor and Rick staying in Casablanca

2.     The classic and much-loved romantic melodrama Casablanca always found on top-ten lists of films, is a masterful tale of two men vying for the same woman's love in a love triangle. The story of political and romantic espionage is set against the backdrop of the wartime conflict between democracy and totalitarianism. http://www.filmsite.org/casa.html

3.     The article relates to the film because it generally talks about the film in all aspects from setting of the film in which it was in Morocco during World War II and also the love connection between the main Characters Rick and Ilsa and their true love. Also, the films shows a lot of Patriotism from the character Rick in which he does anything in his power to make sure that Ilsa and her husband make it out alive Casablanca, despite him having said in the beginning of the film that he would not stick his neck out for anybody.

4.     I enjoyed Casablanca because the story and plot of the film was exceptional especially for the time that it came out. Showing great deal of love, patriotism, and different tones from the characters and the film in general. Although the United States was going through tough times with the World War and Great Depression the film still managed to be successful with critics and viewers as well.

The Graduate

Gus Perez

Film History

Journal

The Graduate

1.     The discussion for “The Graduate” was simply that Benjamin Braddock, a recently college graduate comes home and soon enough finds himself in an affair with Mrs. Robinson, a close friend of the family and his fathers business partner. It is only after that, Benjamin rejoins with the Robinsons daughter, Elaine after she is on break from her college. At first Ben shows no emotion towards Elaine, until he takes the time to talk and catch up with her making him realize that he has a profound love for her and deciding he does not want to have an affair with Mrs. Robinson anymore after coming to conclusion that he has nothing in common with her and her being too old. Mrs. Robinson then threatens Ben that if he continues to see Elaine she will expose their affair to her daughter. Ben chooses to confess the secret to Elaine him self before Mrs. Robinson does, causing Elaine to be heartbroken and not wanting to talk to Benjamin anymore.

2.     The Graduate is one of the key, groundbreaking films of the late 1960s, that helped to set in motion to a new era of filmmaking. The influential film is a biting satire/comedy about a recent nebbish, East Coast college graduate who finds himself alienated and adrift in the shifting, social and sexual mores of the 1960s, and questioning the values of society. The themes of the film also mirrored the changes occurring in Hollywood, as new vanguards of younger directors were coming to the forefront. http://www.filmsite.org/grad.html

3.     The article relates to the screening because it simply talks about the growing generations of the youths in the late sixties, that was filled with youths rebelling against war, society was more exposing of sex and how a college graduate from the east coast tries to fit himself back at home in the west coast and tries to establish himself and soon falls in love with the daughter of the women whom he was having an affair with.

4.     I personally enjoyed the film “The Graduate” simply because Benjamin went through all the struggles to get Elaine back and winning her heart despite having told her that he had an affair with her mother before falling in love with her. The film also showed an image of what life was like for a college graduate at the time and how parents expect the most out of you and how society at the time was especially in a time when our country was involved in war.