THE COMMITMENTS

The Commitments is a 1991 comedy-drama film from the novel The Commitments by Roddy Doyle. This film was directed by Alan Parker and Produced by Lynda Miles.  The story is about a teenage Dublin worker named Jimmy Rabbitte who aspires manage the world’s greatest rock band. In the movie he holds auditions to find the best people to form the band. It was a rough ride for him to find his band members but he eventually made it happen. Some of the band mates includes characters Natalie Murphy, Bernie McGloughlin, and, Imelda Quirke who were the back-up singers, Outspan Foster who plays the guitar, Derek "Meat man" Scully at bass, Declan "Deco" Cuffe as lead singer, Joey "The Lips" Fagan on the trumpet, and Dean Fay on the Saxophone.

Each of these characters are grappling with their own issues and it shows within the movies. Deco is my favorite character in the movie because he exemplifies how some rock stars act in today’s society. It is very clear that Deco has the best and most soulful voice in the film but he has a really messed up attitude to go with that soulful voice. He is perceived by the other characters as a jerk and it becomes harder for the other band mates to work with him as the movie goes along. The manager Jimmy had his heart in the right place when creating this band but when there are too many egos involved people tend class.

This movies is a perfect example of what happens to musicians in real life. One person is clearly more talented than the other members of the group but eventually leaves the group and go solo. I don’t like bring race into the factor but when I think of soul music the first thing that doesn’t come to my mind is a group of white people that were able to deliver the songs as well as the Commitments did. Another character that I enjoyed in the film was Joey Fagan. Fagan was by far the oldest character in the band but still managed to sleep with all the background singers who are way younger than him.

I compare this movie to the 2006 film Dream girls in several ways. One way these two movies compare is that each of these film involve a band breaking up because sexual relations within the band and egos clashing causing a fallout. The second way that these two films compare. Both of these films also use a different variety of song choices that can change the viewer’s mood depending on the song. Robert Ebert says that "The Commitments" is so much fun that maybe it's unfair of me to expect anything more. But I was rather disappointed that the movie seemed to dissipate toward the end. The band is created with great conviction, we feel we really know several of its members, and then Parker seems to choose music over story, as the band members quarrel offstage but spend most of their time onstage, playing. This film uses multiple shots to convey the different emotions and issues that each of the characters are having in the book. For example I notice when Deco hit the really strong notes the shot would be a close up probably because the director wanted to show the emotion in his face.

In conclusion, this is my first time seeing the commitments but it has already become one of the best musicals I’ve ever seen. It is not like your typical musical where they sing these cheesy happy songs all the time. I also enjoyed the of the film and watching how each of the characters moved on with their life after the band broke up. I would definitely recommend this movie for others to watch because it is simply fun and entertaining to watch.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19910816/REVIEWS/108160301/1023

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

*** (x) stands for criteria has been met

1) (x)  I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) (x)  If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) (x)  If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) (x)  I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) (x)  I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) (x)  I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) (x)  I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality. 

8) (x)  I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Brandon Strickland                                                           Date: 12/17/2012

THE SEARCHERS
The Searchers is an American film directed by John Ford, starring John Wayne. The film is set in 1868 Texas, featuring John Wayne as the main character Ethan Edwards.  In the plot of this film Ethan returns from the American Civil War, to the home of his brother Aaron and his family. Shortly after Ethan's arrival, cattle belonging to his neighbor Lars Jorgensen are stolen, and when Captain Samuel Clayton leads Ethan and a group of Rangers to follow the trail, they discover that the theft was a ploy by Comanche to draw the men away from their families.

When they return home, they find the Edwards homestead in flames, Aaron, his wife and their son Ben dead, and Debbie and her older sister Lucy abducted. Ethan ventures off with Martin, her adopted older brother, to catch the natives tribe and get her back. We follow Ethan and Martin as they vigorously search for years to find Debbie and bring her back to them.  The film touches on several racial issues, as well, many of which will turn off the views people have today. Horses, gunfights, etc. this film is everything an old school western film will have, plus the amazing acting of John Ford. Although I enjoyed watching the movie I feel that John Ford made the film with too much montage.

This film relate to what we’ve discussed in class about Eisenstein and his use of montage. Eisenstein talked about using conflict in order to produce a montage. I don’t really watch western films because they don’t interest me that much but after watching this film it definitely caught my attention. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, although holds the traditional values and attitude of the Western genre, is quite different from The Searchers. There is a 14 year difference in release dates between the 2 two films. In contrast to The Searchers, this film had a much greener landscape. The editing is stronger; action scenes have extraneous amounts of jump cuts compared to The Searchers.

            The direction is also more innovative; medium shots have now been replaced with very personal close-ups. In simple words, although the film maintains the characteristics of an old-school western genre, it is the director’s experimental/innovative delivery that separates Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid from the Searchers.  In the article entitled The Searchers: An American Dream" by Brian Henderson e find how important The Searchers is to film industry. Directors like, Martin Scorocese, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Paul Schrader, John Milius, and Michael Cimino have been influenced by this particular John Wayne film. Scorcese and Spielberg even state that they make sure they watch The Searchers at least once a year.

Spielberg has gone as far as calling John Wayne's performance in the Searchers the best of his career. In conclusion I really enjoyed both of these movies but I would have to say that I enjoyed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid better than the searchers. I believe since the movies were 14 years apart from each other Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was able to improve their movie based on the traditional way of the searchers. In the Butch Cassidy film I really enjoyed watching the cops chasing butch and Sundance but were never able to be shown. As far as the searchers, he use of montage, realism, and Auteur make this film special. It is a unique film of its time and it should never be remade or duplicated.

Henderson, Brian. ""The Searchers": An American Dilemma." Film Quarterly 34.2 (1980): 9-23. abstract. (n.d.): n. pag. Print.

Yao, Liz H. "Life in the USA-301-Yojimbo, The Searchers, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: A Critical Comparison Concerning the Protagonists, Locations, Women, and Authority." Wordpress. Wordpress, 26 Nov. 2008. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://lizhuoyao.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/life-in-the-usa-301-yojimbo-the-searchers-and-butch-cassidy-and-the-sundance-kid-a-critical-comparison-concerning-the-protagonists-locations-women-and-authority/>.

                                           

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

*** (x) stands for criteria has been met

1) (x)  I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) (x)  If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) (x)  If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) (x)  I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) (x)  I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) (x)  I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) (x)  I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality. 

8) (x)  I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Brandon Strickland                                                     Date: 12/12/2012

Pans Labyrinth

Pan’s Labyrinth is a Spanish film directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film takes place in 1944 during a Spanish Civil War. The main character Ofelia is a little girl who is brought with her pregnant mother to a military base to stay with her stepfather Captain Vidal who is a ruthless killer. After Ofelia’s arrival to the base she encounters an insect fairy that leaders her to an ancient Labyrinth. Ofelia creates her own world in the film to escape the harsh realities of the Spanish war.

Upon a later arrival at the Labyrinth Ofelia encounters a mystical creature named Faun. Faun informs Ofelia that she is a princess and her father is the King of the Underworld. In order for Ofelia to reclaim her heir to the throne she had to complete three task before the full moon to prove her worthiness of being princess. Meanwhile Ofelia’s mother is growing very sick. Ofelia completed her first two task but was banished by Faun for not following instructions.

Later in the film Ofelia’s mother dies while giving birth to a baby boy. In the film women are looked upon as inferior which is why the character Mercedes was able to use this to her advantage. Mercedes is a servant of Captain Vidal who is secretly a spy for Vidal’s war enemy. Throughout the movie she is stealing supplies from Vidal’s base and giving them to his enemies so that they can have the advantage. After the death of Ofelia’s mother Faun decides to give her one more chance to prove her worthiness. For Ofelia’s third and final task she is instructed to take her brother and bring him to the Labyrinth.

Faun tells Ofelia that she has to kill her brother to be in the throne and she refuses. This hesitation in judgment causes Ofelia to be shot and killed by Captain Vidal who is ultimately killed by his rebellion. Ofelia awakes in the Underworld and is told by Faun that preserving the life of her brother was her final test to become princess. This film relates to the text when you talk about lighting.

 Pans Labyrinth has a dark lighting which represents a dark time. The light also sets the modd of what is going on in the film Throughout the whole film the lighting was dark until Ofelia returned to the Underworld Kingdom. A.O. Scott a journalist for the New York Times stats that “Pan’s Labyrinth” is a swift and accessible entertainment, blunt in its power and exquisite in its effects. A child could grasp its moral insights (though it is not a film I’d recommend for most children), while all but the most cynical of adults are likely to find themselves troubled to the point of heartbreak by its dark, rich and emphatic emotions.”

http://movies.nytimes.com/2006/12/29/movies/29laby.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

*** (x) stands for criteria has been met

1) (x)  I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) (x)  If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) (x)  If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) (x)  I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) (x)  I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) (x)  I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) (x)  I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality. 

8) (x)  I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Brandon Strickland                                                     Date: 12/12/2012

The Dark Knight Film Theory

Brandon Strickland

Comm 3002

Dr. Mirrer

9/18/12

The Dark Knight

            The movie that I chose to write about was Chris Nolan’s superhero film The Dark Knight. This is one of my favorite movies and I believe that it has a lot to do with film theory. The film is based on DC comic character Batman played by Christian Bale. This film is packed with a lot of action and shows a lot of visually cool scenes. Heath Ledger played Batman’s nemesis in the film the Joker. I believe that Ledger’s character in the film is what made the movie as great as it was. The reason why this movie is my favorite superhero film is because the Joker was always one step ahead of Batman and the police.

            One of the most visually coolest scenes in the movie was when the Joker broke out of jail and the police were on a high speed chase trying to catch him. Although that scene was very short being a film major, I could appreciate the little things that happen in movies. Batman is my favorite superhero so every time I watch this movie it is like I’m viewing it for the first time. I believe that even if you are not a fan of Batman you could go and see this movie and be amazed at how good it is. When watching other superhero films I become very disappointed with how the amount of action involved because I compare them to the action in the Dark Knight. Director Chris Nolan followed the Dark Knight with the Dark Knight Rises. The Dark Knight Rises is also a great movie but I believe that once you come out with a movie that is as great as the Dark Knight it is very had to produce a sequel that is better than the original.