Method Acting in the Godfather.

The three actors , that I am looking at in the Godfather are: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and Jame Caan.  They do some of the best method acting in the first installment of the Godfather.  Method requires them to draw from their own memories and experiences to get to the heart of the character(Goodykoontz,2014).

Marlon Brando is considered one of the best method actors in the business.  In his movies he really takes hold of the characters.  In the Godfather, he really makes the audience feel as though he really is the Godfather.  In the following scene, this is the best scene from the Godfather and the results of method acting.  Brando and Pacino really make you feel as they are father and son and  they really care for one another. They really get to the heart of the characters and bring the audience into the emotions of the characters.

James Caan in his own way really gets into the character and you see his emotions come out.  As Sonny, you really feel the energy and how he can be a real wild card at times.  Caan does make this character as his own.

Then there is Al Pacino, another great method actor.  Him and Brando work so well together and they are so good at this style you might think they are really related.  Pacino brings his own flare and style to the character and you want to root for his success.

Al Pacino uses this style in all his films.  It seems that every character he plays you can see his really character coming through.  He has mastered this category and made it his niche in the film world.  He has been very successful with it as well.  As you can see in the clip below from Scent of a Woman.  He is really the character of Frank.

references:

Goodykoontz, B., Jacobs, C.  (2014)  Film: From Watching To Seeing.  San Diego, Ca.  Bridgepoint.

Coppla, Francis.  (1972). [Marlon Brando & Al Pacino Best Scene From Godfather 1972 10].  Retrieved from: http://youtu.be/DQ9-wNAfTSY.

Coppla, Francis. (1972). [James Caan Awesome Performance – The Godfather]. retrieved from:  http://youtu.be/PD61MGVXHRg.

Coppla, Francis. (1972). [ Don’t Ever Takes Sides Against the Family- The Godfather].  retrieved from:  http://youtu.be/jYnRBX2Trtk.

Brest, Martin. (1992). [Best Acting Scene Ever].  Retrieved from:  http://youtu.be/XbXr-h_oz9I

The Sounds Of The Godfather!

There are three basic elements of sound in film.  The first is dialogue, where the characters are talking with one another.  The second is sound effects, which is the sound associated with the action in the movie. The final and third is music, which is the score to tie it all together.(Goodykootz, 2014).

in The Godfather these categories of sound work together to make this one of the best movies to ever be made.  It is the number one gangster movie of all time, according to the American Film Institute. All of the sound in this movie really establish this as a all out gangster movie.  From the sound effects of the guns and the fighting among the characters.  through out the scenes you can feel that the characters just want to be the most powerful family in organized crime.

Sound is used in this movie to set the mood from the very beginning with the opening score.

it sets the mood of how much pain the characters will endure throughout this film.  The music in this film is place in such great areas to make you feel the emotions of the characters throughout.

The sound effects is what ties this movie to the gangster genre.  With the sounds of guns and fighting all through out the movie.

scenes like this are littered through out the film and it adds to the emotion of the characters and violence that comes with being in the mafia.

The sound in this movie are of the realistic side and as the audience can expect the outcome of the scenes based on the sounds.  This movie is set up in the best of fashions.  If one were going to use different sounds or different music, this movie would not have the same effect on the audience as it had.  Just taking out the music would make this movie much different,  the audience may not feel the emotion or the pain of the characters in this film.

references:

Goodykoontz, Bill and Jacobs, Christopher.  2014.  Film: From Watching to Seeing.  Bridgepoint Education. San Diego, Ca.

The Godfather movie clips:  Retrieved from:  www.youtube. com

SKYFALL

Skyfall (2012)

Writers: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan, and Ian Fleming

Director:  Sam Mendes

Actors: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, and Naomie Harris.

This is another installment of the James Bond franchise that Ian Fleming has made so famous.  The cinematographers have created a much darker theme in the movies here lately.

The cinematographers use two different lighting techinques through out this film.  They are using the three point and low key styles.  Throughout these movie you see Bond hiding in the shadows.  He is not the focal point, but his silhouette is and it helps put the audience in scene and see the danger he is facing.

CinemaSquid(2012)

The three point lighting is used when the cinematographers wanted the audience to focus on Bond and his facial features.  In the movie Bond is struggling with the fact his age may be interfering with his job. With the stress of basically dying in the early scenes, you see he ages a little more in this film.

CinemaSquid(2012)

I believe these were the best techniques to use in this film.  It really help tell the story and the struggles Bond faces throughout the movie.  I do not think you would have gotten the same feel for the film if you had use a high key light.  This would have put a more happy feel to the film and you would not have felt the struggle that Bond had.

To me the best scene was when Bond opens the garage and you see the Aston Martin from the orginal Bond From Russia With Love.  You get to see the low key lighting and the sense that Bond is going to succed.

CinemaSquid(2012)

CinemaSquid.(2012), Skyfall (2012). Retreived From:  http://www.cinemasquid.com/screenshots/sets/james-bond-skyfall-2012-us-fox-blu-ray-2013/1c0620de-3ca7-4a63-a3e3-fe8ed19c34fc

YouTube. Skyfall(2012) Trailer.  Retreived from:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceeV2lrqonQ

After Earth

Title:  After Earth

Writer: M. Night Shyamalan and Gary Whitta

Director:  M. Night Shyamalan

Year: 2013

Actors: Will Smith and Jaden Smith

Story: After Earth is a 2013 movie about how humans are no longer the supreme species.  Earth has been wiped out by an alien race.  The aliens continue to hunt and kill all humans.  Human kind has found way to travel through space, in hopes of surviving.

Plot:  The film beings by showing how the alien race feeds off of the fear the humans have for them.  This is how they track and kill all humans.  Then along comes the one they call ghost.  Captain Cypher Raige.  He has found a way to hide his fear and defeat the aliens, because they can not see him.  His son, Kitai Raige is trying his best follow in his father’s footsteps.  He is trying to join the rangers and be just like his dad.  Kitai finds out the he is not being chosen to join the rangers and pleads for a second chance.  He wants to have good news for his father, because father is due back home that day.  The relationship between Kitai and his father is very strained through this film.  Cypher decides to take his son with him on a trip to another planet.  During this trip Kitai finds out the ship he is on, has a unhatched egg of the alien.  The ship is caught in a storm and is damaged and they crash on a planet that is deemed unfit for humans.  They find out that this is the planet Earth.  Cypher is badly hurt in the crash and he sends his son out to find the homing beacon to contact their planet.   During the Kitai journey to the other half of the ship, he encounters many trials.  He is faced with a herd of orangutans, that become very aggressive and want to inflict harm on him.   He attacked by a large bird that takes Kitai to her nest.  The nest is attacked by Tigers and Kitai try to help and fight off the tigers, to try and prevent them from getting to the bird’s eggs.  His attempt is unsuccessful, and you are shown how upset and distraught the mother is.  The bird follow Kitai for most of his journey.  Kitai is over taken by the cold and passes out.  The bird makes a nest to help and protect him.  The next morning Kitai awakes and sees what the bird has done.  The bird also dies due to the cold.  The bird sacrifices itself, to repay Kitai for his help.  Kitai makes it to the other half of the site and finds out that the egg has hatched and the alien has been tracking him the whole time.  Kitai climbs to the top of the mountain to send out the distress signal.  The Kitai is faced with the biggest fight of his life.  The alien has final caught up to him.  The alien has Kitai to the point of his death and Kitai finds away to hide is fear and kill the alien.  There are multiple flash backs in this movie to show the relationship of Kitai and Cypher.

Chronology:  This film was told in non-linearly way.   This helped the film build to the end to show the characters relationship and how they two are the same, by showing the flash backs of how and why their relationship is strained.   It showed how most teenage sons and their dads are.  The kids what to impress the dad and the dad want what is best for the kids.  The audience is shown how bad their relationship is and how much Kitai wants his dad’s approval.

If the film had been done in chronological order, the audience may have not seen how Kitai really grows as person throughout the movie. To see him now and where he ends up, may not have been as powerful in the end.  You would not have had the hatred toward his father if you knew what took place first and then seen the love he has for his family.

Resources:

Columbia Pictures. (2013, May 31).  After Earth Official movie trailer.

Retrieved from http://youtu.be/CZIt20emgLY

Lassister, J. (Producer), Shyamalan, M. (Director).2013.  After Earth.

[motion picture]. United States: Columbia Pictures.