Film #22: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

            I have so many things to say about this film. First of all, it was amazing! Absolutely amazing! All of the production elements worked well together. The most notable aspects of this film are the cinematography, the lighting design, the production design, and the costumes.

The cinematography really shows off the design of the film. The extreme long, rotating shots that are used frequently to show the scenery are incredible. The cinematography really showed off the production design. I also think the shots of the battle/fighting scenes are great! The camera moves with the characters, the viewers can see everything that is happening, and the characters’ bloody and sweaty faces are accentuated.

The lighting design throughout the entire film are spectacular, however, I think the most notable lighting design is in the scenes where The Fellowship is in the mine. The light really accentuates the character’s emotions. There are also many close-ups used to show off the lighting design. The battle scene in the mine is made beautiful through the lighting. There are many blue glows in this scene. And every time Gandolf is shown, there is a blue glowing stream of light behind him. Not sure if that is coincidence or if I missed something, but it was really neat! The film used a lot of orange and blue light. The two colors coincide a lot especially when the forces of good and evil meet. The lighting design adds a lot to this film and makes the scenes beautiful works of art.

Of all the production elements of this film, I think the best one is the production design. The scenery and sets in this film are incredible. Everything, from the snow-covered mountains to the sun-filled forests, is so beautiful. I think this is the best production design I have seen. Even the sets, such as Bilbo’s house and room in which Frodo wakes up in at Rivendell, are beautifully designed. Bilbo’s house is quaint, small, and colorful. He has many belongings and it is clear he takes pride in his home. The room that Frodo wakes up in at Rivendell is probably the prettiest of all the sets. Everything in the room is white. The room’s white color symbolizes Frodo’s renewal after being injured in a battle. Again, the production design blew me away and it is beautifully done!

The costumes and makeup are amazing as well. I think the costumes show each character’s personality before they even speak. Each character wears something different. For example, Gandolf wears a blue-gray robe and a matching, pointy hat. This shows that he is an authoritative figure. Everyone else wears cloaks, shirts, and pants, and some variation of armor or protective wear. They are following him on the journey.

Overall, I loved this film because of its marvelous production elements. I highly recommend it. And not just because of the production elements, but it has a compelling story that keeps viewers’ attention for the entire three hours!

Film #21: Dr. Strangelove

Yet again, Stanley Kubrick successfully confuses me. This movie is so weird and odd and I had no idea what was happening at certain parts. It was a little frustrating to watch a movie that I could barely understand. Stanley Kubrick is a very interesting director. His stories are unique, random, and slightly chaotic. This one is no exception. However, I did like the lighting in this film. That is the film’s best feature. I especially liked the lighting of the room in the Pentagon for the meeting with the President. The cinematography was exceptional as well. My favorite shot is the close-up, low angle shot of General Jack Ripper speaking to Mandrake in his office. It exemplified Ripper’s authority in the situation and added intensity to his dialogue. Overall, I think this movie is very weird and I didn’t really enjoy it.

Film #20: City Lights

I really enjoyed City Lights! Who knew silent films could be this good? I think this film is comical, endearing, and just fun to watch! I think Charlie Chaplin is very talented and I thought the other actors in this production were great as well!

            The lighting is the best production element of this film. It really accentuated the simple sets and the characters’ faces- two very important things in a silent film. Another great element of this film is the music. The music made this film. It matched the characters’ movements perfectly. The beats were set to the steps of the characters. I think the music during the boxing match scene is the best. It makes the situation very comical and upbeat. However, the music did this throughout the entire film. It went with the characters’ moods and actions and put a swing in their step.

            Overall, I would highly recommend this film to anyone. It’s funny, entertaining, short, and has a sweet story. It’s production value is very good for its time and even though it’s a silent film, it’s one of the best films I’ve seen.  

Film #19: Shane

This 1952 western film has pros and cons, but I understand why it is on the Top 100 list. The story is interesting and the actors’ performances are great! The two best parts of this film are the actors and the setting/scenery in which the film takes place. Also, I think the cinematography is well done.

            The characters have very strong personalities in this film. The actors did a wonderful job of capturing their characters’ personalities and background. The performances were fantastic! The only role I didn’t think was cast well is Marian’s. I think Jean Arthur’s performance wasn’t very good and a little awkward at times. On the other hand, I think Brandon De Wilde’s played Joey perfectly. He has a very strong performance in this film and added much to the story.

            The setting in which this film was shot is the perfect western film location. It was shot in Wyoming and California. I think the idea of having two main locations for filming was a great idea! There was (1) the town and (2) there was the open plains with the Starrett’s house and Lewis’ house. I think the settings and the landscape were pretty and made the film look very “countryish”.

            I think the cinematography of this film is neat. However, some of the camera angles were really weird and nothing I’ve ever seen before. Some of them were just awkward. For example, the scene in which Mr. Torrey is walking towards Mr. Wilson, the camera shows all the men in the shot, but its at such an angle that it doesn’t show the front of the saloon or their faces. The audience just sees Mr. Torrey walking slowly. Another weird camera angle is when Joe Starrett and Shane are fighting in the Starrett’s yard. The camera shows them fighting from the inside of the house looking out of the window. I thought it was the strangest thing. The audience watches from an almost non-existent view of the fight for the longest time until the camera finally shows the two men fighting outside.

            Lastly, Shane is such a wholesome movie, which is refreshing to watch in this day and age. I get so tired of seeing broken relationships and separation in films these days. In this story, it’s obvious that Shane and Marian find each other attractive and have some sort of love interest in each other. They looked at each other for long periods of time and in the scene when they are dancing together on the Fourth of July, Joe looks jealous. However, neither Marian nor Shane acts on their attraction because Marian is married to Joe and that is the respectable thing to do. I really enjoyed this aspect of the story.

            Overall, this film has an interesting story, good actors, and unique cinematography. I did enjoy watching this film and I do recommend you watch it.

Film #18: King Kong (1976)

King Kong is definitely one of the weirdest films I’ve ever seen. There isn’t anything special about any of the production elements, so I’m mostly going to talk about the story. When I was watching the film, at first I thought the plot of the story was ridiculous. It is ridiculous, but the producers did a good job of making it into something interesting. The movie is exciting, suspenseful, and even a little stressful at times. There was a lot of repetition, such as Kong picking up Dwan probably 10-15 times total throughout the film and, therefore, Jack having to save Dwan each time. The “damsel in distress” theme was overused. But even with all its absurdity, I can see why this film is on the Top 100 list. It is one of the most unique plots anyone has ever seen- a giant ape falling in love with a woman- and it’s a film that keeps the viewers’ attention. It’s not one of my favorites, but I understand why it’s a legend.

Film #17: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a neat film with a unique story. I ended up liking it mostly because the moral of the story is that you don’t need riches to live a comfortable life. I’m not a fan of western films, but this one surprised me. The story is interesting and different and the actors have strong performances. As far as production elements go, I think the lighting is the best in this film. The lighting is especially good in the scenes when the three men are talking in their tent. The shadows that are cast and the light on their eyes really sets the tone for each scene and tells the viewers what each character is thinking. Overall, I think this is a good western film and a movie worth watching because of its message.  

Film #16: Chinatown

Chinatown is a brilliant film! It kept my attention with its compelling story and wonderful acting. I think the screenwriting is the film’s strongest element. The story is great because not too much or too little is revealed throughout the film. The viewers find out new things in every scene. As far as mystery films go, I thought this to be one of the best.

            Jack Nicholson plays the role of Gittes really well. His performance is shockingly good. The only other films I’ve seen him in are Batman and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. So personally, I think this is the best performance of his that I’ve seen. However, all of the actors are great! For this type of film, the acting has to be good and Chinatown certainly didn’t disappoint.

            Besides the screenwriting and casting, this film has many other good elements, such as cinematography, costumes, and production design. Chinatown is a well-rounded mystery film that will keep you surprised! I highly recommend this film to anyone looking for a good mystery movie or just a really good story.

Film #15: Schindler’s List

I was not looking forward to watching Schindler’s List because I had heard it is one of the most depressing films ever made. And now that I have seen it, I would agree. However, this film is worth watching. The story and the production elements are phenomenal. I don’t have one bad thing to say about it. Steven Spielberg did a fantastic job capturing and accurately portraying the horrific events of the Holocaust.

            The story is unique and captures viewers’ attention. It is very interesting and the fact that it is a true story makes it that much more intriguing. Schindler did in real life what was in this movie. This changes one’s perspective while watching this film. But even if it wasn’t based on a true story, this narrative would still be amazing. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that a Nazi saved hundreds of Jews by himself. And not nearly as many people would know about it had Spielberg not made this film.

            The cinematography and lighting were spectacular. I think every single type of shot was used in this film at one point or another. The lighting brought it all together. If the lighting hadn’t captured the right moments or cast the right shadows, the cinematography would have suffered. However, with the lighting and cinematography working together, every shot was perfect. I think these two elements were the film’s strongest.

            The characters, costumes, and sets were all brilliant and added to the reality of all that was taking place. Overall, this film is beautiful and I think Spielberg did an amazing job. Although it is a very sad subject, the film is a wonderful piece of art and I would recommend it for those who are interested in seeing a beautiful film.