Film #27: Rocky

Although I’m not one to like boxing, I really enjoyed this film! It has a great cast, a surprisingly good story, and many qualities that prove it deserves to be on the AFI Top 100 list. The focus of the film is not only on boxing, but also on Rocky’s life outside of the sport he loves. The cinematography and music are the best production elements of this film and are what made it stand out.

The cinematography is exceptional because several different shots were used that revealed that there was more to the characters than meets the eye. Long shots and extreme long shots are used a lot when Rocky is on the streets of Philadelphia, whether he’s running, walking, talking to a friend, etc. They show that Rocky is on a long journey and he has a goal that he is trying to achieve. He leaves the past behind and works towards a brighter future for himself when he decides to work hard to beat Apollo Creed in the New Year’s Day fight. The fact that the long shots and extreme long shots are used over and over again show the length of his journey and how he works hard to get to a better point in his life.

There are many impressive shots in this film, but one that sticks out the most is the medium close-up of Mickey on the staircase in Rocky’s apartment building as he is leaving Rocky’s apartment. He looks up at Rocky’s front door as Rocky yells at him. The light hits Mickey’s body perfectly and we see the pained look on his face, as if he feels sorry for Rocky. The shot is beautifully composed and moves the audience to feel the same feelings as Mickey is in that moment.

A very important part of this film is its music. We have all heard Rocky theme song, “Gonna Fly Now”, whether is has been at a sporting event or elsewhere. This song encompasses how Rocky is feeling about the fight after he has trained for a long time for it. He is confident, ready, and “on top of the world”, as illustrated by him running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This song makes this movie timeless.

Film #26: It Happened One Night

It Happened One Night tells the story of a young woman who runs away from her father and her husband because she’s sick of them always telling her what to do. She heads for New York on a bus and along the way, she meets and falls in love with a man named Peter Warne. This movie is a classic and I’m glad that I was finally able to watch it!

 
The most notable production elements of this film are the cinematography and the lighting. The cinematography in this film is amazing and some of the shots are very well done. The one that stands out the most is the wide shot of the two main characters, Ellie and Peter, in the bedroom that they paid to stay in for the night. The blanket hung on the rope between their beds is there because they are not married and they are sleeping in the same room. In this scene, the blanket splits the screen perfectly. It really shows how the two characters are separated and living in their own little worlds. The blanket hung in the middle of the room, the “walls of Jericho” as Peter likes to call them, represent the virtual wall between Ellie and Peter. She comes from wealth and is used to having the best of everything. He is a news reporter who makes just enough to get by. This particular shot represents their different backgrounds.

 
The lighting in this film really brought out Ellie’s beauty. The scene with the best lighting that brings out her features the most is the scene during which Peter makes beds out of hay for he and Ellie to sleep on for the night. Ellie is lying down and the light reflects off her face so much that there is a certain glow about her. This is also when she begins to realize that she likes Peter and doesn’t want him to leave her. Therefore, the lighting was used strategically to help tell the story.

 
For being made in 1934, It Happened One Night has incredible production elements! Not only are the cinematography and lighting amazing, but also the acting and the screenplay. It is definitely worth watching and I highly recommend it.