Final Exam Update

I've just completed creating the Final Exam and you will have 65 minutes to answer 80 questions worth a total of 200 points and 2 extra credit questions worth 2 points each.  The test is a bit longer than the 75 questions I anticipated, but I've given you an extra 5 minutes for the additional 5 questions.

The Final Exam

Although it is still a few days away, I wanted to take a moment to go over what you should expect on the Final Exam.  After all, it's never too early to start preparing for it.

Discussions and the Critical Analysis give you the opportunity to demonstrate your critical thinking skills in relation to the films, film movements, and directors we've studied.  The Final Exam, on the other hand, is designed to see who has watched the films and read the assigned readings closely.  Indeed, some questions are designed simply to tell if you watched the film vs. just read about it.  And others are designed to see if you really did the assigned readings.

To help give you a better idea of what you're going to need to know, here are some examples of the type of material I will be testing you on.

1) Questions about the films themselves 

Key plot items.  For example, you should be able to tell me who was killed or who killed someone in a film. Or who was in love, who got who pregnant, who betrayed who, etc.

Themes.  For example, you should be able to tell me which film emphasized the theme of the superficiality of modern life.

Cinematography/Editing.  You should be able to tell me what was special about a film's cinematography and editing.  Or whether the film was in color or black and white?  Or which film featured montage? etc.

Things associated with a film.  If I say "chess board" you should be able to tell me which film it most applies to.

Characters.  You should be able to tell me important things about the characters.  For example, if a character walks with a limp or always wore black or changed their name, you should know that.

Key lines of dialogue. You should be able to identify key lines of dialogue and who said them.

Setting.  You should be able to tell me where a film took place, how long a period of time it covered, etc.

Sound.  You should be able to tell me if a film did something special in regards to sound or the lack thereof.

Background on the films.  For example, you should be able to tell me who wrote the screenplay and who directed the film.  And you should be able to tell me if the film was a critical or commercial success when it was originally released.

2) Questions about the films movements

Characteristics of each film movement.  You should know what defines each of the film movements.

The various schools or groups within the movement. If there are different groups within the movement, you should be able to identify them. 

Influences upon the film movement.  You should know how historical forces, other film movements, and technological developments influenced the film movement. 

How the film movement/subgroup influenced filmmaking.  You should know how each movement influenced filmmaking in general.  At times, certain subgroups have developed their own rules for filmmaking that have been influential.  You should know these.

The history of film within national cinemas.  You should understand how filmmaking developed within each national cinema.

3) Questions about major directors whose films we watched

Basic biographical information.  You should know any relevant biographical information about the director.

What the director is known for in general and re the film(s) we watched.  For example, you should know how Ozu and Kurosawa have different approaches to cinematography.

Challenges, controversy, and awards.  You should know any particular challenges the director faced in making the film(s), any controversy generated by the film(s), and any major recognition the director received.

Other films by the director.  You should be familiar on a more general level with other films made by the director, particularly those that were discussed at length in the text.

4) Questions about directors whose films we haven't watched 

There will be a few questions about other major directors who are discussed in the text, but whose films we didn't have time to watch.  

What the director is known for.  For example, in Soviet Montage, we studied Eisenstein, but a question was asked about Pudovkin because he was known for a different approach to montage.

Significant films.  You should know a film that was important in film history, even if we didn't study it.  For example, Godard's Breathless is one of two seminal films in the French New Wave.  We didn't watch the other one, made by Truffaut, but I would expect you to know its title, that he made it, and why it was important.

The Final Exam consists of 80 questions worth 200 points (plus two extra credit questions worth a total of 4 points).  You take the exam on blackboard by clicking on the Assignments link, then clicking on  Final Fall 2011.

The Final is made up of True/False, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer, Fill-in-the-blank(s), and Matching questions.

You will have 65 minutes to take the exam.  You should set your own timer, so that you do not exceed the time limit.  You will lose one point for each minute you go over the time limit.

You will receive the questions one at a time.  Once you pass a question by, there is no going back to it.

The Final is open book/open note, but given the time constraints you won't have much time to go searching for answers.

And you must close all other windows and browsers before and during the exam, as multiple windows or browsers will cause the exam to crash.  Also, be sure your browser it up-to-date.

If you have technological problems for reasons other than multiple windows or browsers when taking the exam, email me ASAP.

Good Luck!

Interview with Tomas Alfredson

Click below to read an interview with the director of Let the Right One In:

Bright Lights Film Journal :: Of Bullies and Blood Drinkers: Talking to Tomas Alfredson about Let the Right One In

Advice for your Critical Analysis Essay

As you're all aware, the Critical Analysis is due Saturday 12/3.  While your Critical Analysis is a bit different than the standard essay paper (click on the Critical Analysis link on the tabbed menu above if you haven't already), many of the points made in the advice I give students when writing a typical essay paper apply.  Therefore, I'm including my advice on how to write more effective essays below.   

How to Write More Effective Essays

1) Have an interesting title.  Think of the title appearing in a Table of Contents.  Would your title entice a reader to choose it first to read?

2) In screenplays we call the first five minutes the hook. They tell screenwriters that if you can't hook the reader of the screenplay in the first five pages, agents and studio readers often won't read any further.  The same approach applies to an essay.  Your introductory paragraph is your hook.  You need to grab your audience's attention.  Use the trick screenwriters do...start in medias res (the middle of things). This forces your audience to catch up and draws them into your paper. Finally, most teachers will tell you that they can recognize an A paper in the first paragraph.  Ask yourself, is this an A intro?

3) Deeper is better than broader in analysis.  A common error in student essays is that the writer tries to cover too much material in a relatively short essay.  It is preferable to focus on a  specific/narrower topic and explore it in greater depth than to provide a broad but shallow analysis.

4) When writing about literature or film, be sure to give your reader enough context to understand what's going on even if they have not read the book or seen the film.  The ultimate goal is to write publishable essays and you can't assume that everyone in your audience will have read the text or seen the film recently enough to remember everything. 

5) Make sure that you get the details correct.  For example, you should know that all movie titles are italicized.  Also, getting a title or character wrong in your essay ruins your credibility. Imagine if you are reading an essay about Star Wars that constantly refers to the film as Star Trek.  How much confidence would you have in the writer?

6) Eliminate all the boring parts. Don't tell me "This essay is about . . . ."  Your writing should not sound like a five paragraph essay that you wrote in high school.  So don't tell me what it is about or what you are going to cover.  Just get to the interesting stuff. 

7) Support, support, support. You must support your analysis with the three E's: evidence, examples, and experts.

8) Use metaphors. As humans we think metaphorically. Therefore, if you want to communicate effectively and efficiently, metaphors are like having a brilliant translator at your side when visiting a country where you don't speak the language.

9) Your papers should have perfect mechanics.  Use spell check, grammar check, and have someone else read your paper.  You don't want to distract your reader with easily correctable errors.  Besides, these types of errors tell the reader that you don't care.  And if you don't care, then why should the professor care about giving you a good grade?

10) Your conclusion is typically the last thing read before your paper is graded.  Just as introductions are critical, so are conclusions.  It should be the strongest part of your paper. And do not simply repeat what you've already said.  The five paragraph essay should be dead to you.

11) When writing your essay, you don't have to write it in order.  It's fine to start with a body paragraph and to even leave notes for yourself in the draft like "I need to get a good quote here" or "I need to research x."  Simply getting started on an essay can build positive momentum.

12) Give yourself enough time for a rewrite.  Just about everyone will write a better paper if given the opportunity to rewrite it.  Professional writers know this, so should you.

13) Finally, pick a topic that you find interesting and try to make your paper entertaining as well as informative.  Typically, people do not spend enough time coming up with a good idea.  You should always force yourself to come up with, at least, five ideas.  If you do this, often you'll find that your first idea was not the best.  And don't be afraid to let your voice come through in your essay.  Remember, no one wants to write or read a boring paper.

Good Luck!

Things to Watch for in The Seventh Seal

The following are some things to watch for as you view The Seventh Seal a second time:

• The title of the film comes from Revelation 8:1 – “And when the Lamb had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.” The silence refers to the silence of God in our world. Notice how that is a theme throughout the film.
  
• Notice how the chess game goes on throughout the entire movie. This could be a parallel to everyone’s life. In a way, we’re all playing a chess game with Death.
  
• When it was released, many critics compared The Seventh Seal to Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc. Do you see a resemblance?
  
• Block is the main character who is ravaged by the silence of God. Notice how he spends the film unable to believe, but unwilling to not believe.
  
• Does the relationship between the knight Block and his squire Jöns remind you of the relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza?
  
• Bergman’s representation of Death and his main character playing chess with Death has been parodied many times. Where else have you seen these representations?
  
• Notice how Death here doesn’t seem to be taking people to judgment, but taking people into the unknown. He seems to not be working for God at all.
  
• Notice the intentional use of Jof and Mia as parallels to Joseph and Mary.
  
• Notice the how Eucharistic the strawberry and milk picnic seems. Conversely, notice how bread and wine are man-made items while strawberries and milk are natural.
  
• Notice how organized religion and its representatives are portrayed in the film.
  
• The movie is based on Bergman’s play "Wood Painting." Notice the similarities between the movie and a play: simple scenarios and camera movements.
  
• Note how Jof represents the artist and how he, like Block, can see death.
  
• Note how the mute girl appears to see Death in the castle before anyone else. Why?
  
• Trivia: The inspiration for this film was said to be drawn from the period films of Akira Kurosawa, of which Ingmar Bergman was a big fan.
  
• More Trivia: The chess pieces used in the movie was sold from Ingmar Bergman's descendent's estate in 2009 for 1m Swedish Krona (around USD$145,000 at the time).

Critical Analysis Link is now Active/New Poll Question

Please note that I have activated the Critical Analysis link (see the tabbed menu above).  Be sure to read through it today, so that you can begin thinking about the topic you want to write about.  Also note that if you want to write on a topic other than the ones I've outlined as options, you will need my approval at least two weeks before the paper's due date.  So email me your topic (if it's not one of the first nine options listed) ASAP. 

I've also posted a new poll question.  Please respond.

Things to Watch For in La Dolce Vita

The following are some things to watch for as you view La Dolce Vita a second time:

• Note the irony in the film's title.
  
  
• Note how the film is divided into 7 episodes and how the action typically occurs in the wee hours of the morning.  Is there any significance to this? 
  
  
• Note the famous Trevi fountain scene. What is its significance?
  
  
• Note the religious imagery throughout the film.  
  
  
• Note the theme of the sacred and the profane. How is that illustrated in the famous opening scene with the statue of Jesus being towed by helicopter?
  
  
• Note the movie posters on the wall where Marcello and his date pick up the prostitute.
  
  
• What does Steiner represent to Marcello? Note the framing of the scene with Marcello, Steiner, and the cross. Note the contrast between Marcello's work and Steiner's? Why does Steiner become a family annihilator?
  
  
• Note Marcello's relationship with his father.  Note the statue of the female body that is present behind Marcello's father while they're in the cabaret. It is featured around him and behind him in every shot. Why do you think this is?
  
  
• How does Fellini portray the paparazzi? What is Marcello's relationship with his co-workers?
  
  
• Note the contrast between Marcello's crush the movie star Sylvia and Marcello's fiance Emma.
  
  
• What statement is Fellini making with the scene of the children and their "miracle"?
  
  
• What is the significance of the leviathan, the stingray-like creature that is washed up on the beach?
  
  
• What is the significance of the young waitress Paola? Note the lighting in the scenes with her. What does it mean when Marcello cannot hear her at the end of the film?
  
  
• Trivia: The film contributed the term "paparazzo" to the language. The term derives from Marcello's photographer friend Paparazzo. Federico Fellini took the name "Paparazzo", as he explained in a later interview, from the name of someone he met in Calabria (Southern Italy) where Greek names are still common. "Paparazzi" is the plural meaning. 
  
  
• More Trivia: When shooting the famous Fontana di Trevi scene, director Federico Fellini complained that the water in the fountain looked dirty. A representative of Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) present at the shooting was able to supply the film team with some of the airline's green sea dye marker (for use in case of an emergency landing at sea). This was used to color the water, and the director was satisfied. 

Things to Watch For in Breathless

The following are some things to watch for as you view A bout de souffle a second time:

• Note the unconventional opening. No establishing shot or shot of the main character. So right off the bat Godard tells us he won't be using the usual film grammar.
  
  
• Note the use of jump cuts to break conventional film continuity.
  
  
• Note the use of handheld cameras, the amount of close-ups, and the long takes.
  
  
• Also note the Griffith-esque iris in and iris out shots.
  
• Note how film plays an important role in this film. For example, who is Michel imitating when he rubs his upper lip in his characteristic gesture throughout the film?
  
  
• Note how Michel breaks the fourth wall by directly addressing the camera/audience.
  
  
• Note Michel's rule for driving.
  
  
• Note the line on the movie poster sign--live dangerously until the end.
  
  
• Note how when Patricia loses her tail by escaping through the restroom window, we hear the gunshots from the Western she and Michel will see in the next scene before the current escape scene is over, i.e., as her tail comes outside looking for her.
  
  
• Note Michel's response to the automobile accident where a man is run over.
  
  
• Why does Michel call Patricia a coward?
  
  
• According to Michel, what are the two things that matter in life?
  
  
• Note the high angle shots in the apartment just before Patricia goes to betray him and again when she returns from doing so.
  
  
• Note Michel's actions as lies dying and his last words.
  
  
• Note Patricia's gesture as the film closes.
  
  
• Trivia: Godard famously said, "All you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun."
  
  
• More Trivia: According to Jean-Pierre Melville, Godard asked him for consultation during the post-production stage because the first edit was too long for distribution. Melville suggested Godard remove all scenes that slowed down the action (his own turn as novelist Parvulesco included). But instead of excluding entire scenes, Godard cut little bits from here and there. This led to the "jump cut" technique this movie introduced. Melville declared the result to be excellent.
  
  
• Still More Trivia: Jean-Paul Belmondo was very surprised by the warm reception the film received. Immediately after production he was convinced it was so bad that he thought the film would never be released.
  
• Trivia Question: What is the name of the Western film Michel and Patricia watch?

Trivia Answer re Bicycle Thieves

Sorry for posting this so late, but the answer for the trivia question:  

Lamberto Maggiorani's lean, hungry, dirty look reminds me of an American actor in a similar, and quite famous, role in an Oscar-winning American film. Can you name the actor and the film? 

is Henry Fonda in The Grapes of Wrath.

Comment re Tokyo Story and Things to Watch For in Seven Samurai

I just wanted to say that I'm always a bit worried when I assign Tokyo Story to my class due to its admittedly slower pace.  However, I was very pleased that as a class you were able to long beyond that and to appreciate the film for what it is.  If you enjoyed Tokyo Story, I think you would also enjoy Ikiru, which I sometimes assign in its place.  Ikiru is a Kurosawa film and it's astonishing to watch it and Seven Samurai and realize that the lead samurai and the lead character in Ikiru are the same actor.  Anyway, for those of you with extra time (yeah, like I have any of that Dr. B) check it out.

Now for some things to watch during your second viewing of Seven Samurai (Shichinin no Samurai):

• Background: This film is considered the greatest Japanese film ever made and it is Kurosawa's first samurai film and the first set during in the sixteenth century Sengoku jidai era of civil strife and feuding samurai clans.
  
• Note the shot of the horizon that opens the film and the amplified hoof beats.
  
• Note the economy of exposition at the beginning of the film when the farmer overhears the samurai.
  
• Note the motif of the circle throughout the film. Circle not only an organic symbol of unity but also embellishes the end of hierarchy and class distinction.
  
• Note how Kurosawa debunks many of the stereotypes & inflated myths associated with samurai in jidai-geki films.
  
• Note Kurosawa's wide-screen cinematography and large scale mise en scène in the action sequences said to have been influenced by American director John Ford, a hero of Kurosawa's.
  
• Kurosawa had been associated with wide-angle composition in the past, but beginning with this film he begins using a lot of telephoto shots which flatten perspective.
  
• Note also his use of deep focus where we can see characters in the foreground, middle ground, and background.
  
• Note how often he uses the composition of 3's in shots. And note how he uses wipes––both left and right––in the film.
  
• Note Kambei's shocking action when he is first introduced in the film.
  
• Note Kikuchiyo's oversized sword and overaggressive actions as he is introduced.
  
• Note how Kurosawa invents the modern action scene by intercutting slow motion with regular motion.
  
• Note Kambei's head-rubbing as his key gesture.
  
• Note that when Kambei tells Shichiroji that "perhaps we'll die this time." It's ironic as the two of them and Katsushiro, who are all three in the scene, are the only samurai who will not die.
  
• Note how Kurosawa shows us process. For example, how Kambei plans on defending the village with the maps, roads, and discussion of defense with others.
  
• Note the bond between Heihachi and Kikuchiyo, the two clowns among the samurai. Also, note how Kikuchiyo understands what is going on in the village before the other samurai and understands the farmers better than the other samurai.
  
• Note how Kikuchiyo chooses to stay in the barn with Rikichi.
  
• Note the banner and how Kikuchiyo is represented as a triangle unlike the other samurai.
  
• Note how Kurosawa gives us POV shots where we watch the watcher watch as opposed to showing us the watcher then giving us their POV. Also note that we typically get Katsushiro's POV.
  
• Note how Kurosawa deflates the typical heroic ending with a more realistic one.

Things to Watch For in Tokyo Story

The following are some things to watch for as you view Tokyo Story a second time:

• Note the left to right orientation on the first few shots of the film. Then how the train is shown moving from right to left.
  
  
• Note how Ozu uses "pillow shots" like the pillow words in Japanese poetry, separating his scenes with brief, evocative images from everyday life. He likes trains, clouds, smoke, clothes hanging on a line, empty streets, small architectural details, banners blowing in the wind (he painted most of the banners in his movies himself). These are used to reinforce Ozu's consistent theme of "dailiness."
  
  
• Note Ozu's distinctive “tatami-mat” shot, in which the camera height is low and almost never moves. Some say this is approximately the view you would have if sitting on a tatami-mat, though, in fact, it is a bit lower. He actually used a raised set and a short tripod to create the effect.
  
  
• Note how Ozu allows continuity errors and uses a complete 360 degrees in filming as opposed to the typical American 180 degree rule. 
  
  
• Note how Ozu almost always uses a direct cut.  It's rare to see a dissolve, a fade, or a wipe in an Ozu film. Also note the corridor or hallway shots that are typical of an Ozu film.
  
  
• Note the two montage scenes in Tokyo Story -- one for sightseeing and one during the funeral. 
  
  
• Note how Ozu rarely moves the camera. One exception is the tracking shot of the grandparents walking after they return unexpectedly early from Atami when Shige essentially tells them they need to find somewhere else to stay for the night because she is entertaining the other beauticians.
  
  
• As Roger Ebert notes in his review of the film, " Every single shot is intended to have a perfect composition of its own, even if that means there are continuity errors. All the shots are framed in some way. In the foreground of the interior shots, perhaps tucked in a corner, is a little teapot. Ozu loves that teapot. It's like the red signature stamp of a Japanese woodblock artist; it is his maker's mark."
  
  
• Note how Ozu likes to film his characters side by side. Instead of over-the-shoulder compositions, he likes two or three characters all in a row. If this causes violations of the eyeline rules (sometimes they don't seem to be looking at one another when they speak), he doesn't care. The side by side positioning implies balance rather than confrontation.
  
  
• Note the generation gaps in the film. The grandchildren don't know the grandparents. The children have grown distant from their parents and the parents are disappointed in their children. 
  
  
• Note how Noriko is introduced into the film. Note her genuine concern for her in-laws in comparison to the Koichi, Shige, and Keizo who all say the right things but whose actions are at odds with their words. 
  
  
• Note the heartfelt gifts Noriko and Tomi give one another.
  
  
• Note Ozu's use of narrative ellipsis in the film. Many times, scenes that we might expect to be big scenes occur off screen and are elided (like . Similarly, some things are spoken about, but we never see them happen (just like in real life).
  
  
• Note the circularity of Ozu's narrative. We end back where we started the film, but with a difference (Tomi is dead). In Tokyo Story, life is circular yet change is inevitable, a reflection of the Japanese concept of mono no aware, an awareness of the impermanence of things.
  
  
• Note Ozu's philosophy of life.  As Noriko tells Kyoko at the end of the film, life is disappointing but that is inevitable. And, as we see in the scene earlier between Shukichi and Noriko, life is a mixture of joy and sorrow.
  
  
• Trivia: Tokyo Story has twice appeared in Sight and Sound magazine's polls of directors and critics as one of the top 10 films of all time (it was 3rd in 1992 and 5th in 2002). It has a rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes out of 21 critic reviews, with also the highest average critical score on the website at 9.7/10.
  
  
• More Trivia: The great actress Setsuko Hara (Noriko) is called "the Eternal Virgin" in Japan and is a symbol of the golden era of Japanese cinema of the 1950s. She suddenly quit acting in 1963 (the same year as Ozu's death), and has since led a secluded life in Kamakura, refusing all interviews and photographs (leading Japanese-cinema scholar Donald Richie to refer to her as the "Greta Garbo of Japan"). Chishu Ryu (Shukichi) appeared in no fewer than fifty-two out of fifty-four of Ozu's films.
  
  
• Still More Trivia: Ozu, known for his themes of marriage, the family, and, particularly, the theme of the relationship between generations, never married or had children. He lived with his mother until she died, just two years before his own death. Ozu was also well-known for his drinking. In fact, Ozu and his co-screenwriter Kogo Noda used to measure the progress of their scripts by how many bottles of sake they had drunk. Occasionally, visitors to his grave pay their respects by leaving cans and bottles of alcoholic drink.

The Midterm Curve

The Midterm Curve is as follows:

160 and above =  A         There were 2.  The high score was a 188.

130 to 159       =  B         There were 5.
110 to 129       =  C         There were 10.

90 to 109         =  D         There was 1.

89 and below   =  E         There were 4.

Be sure and check out your Grade-to-Date on blackboard which combines your grades for the discussions-to-date with your midterm.

The Midterm Exam

The Mechanics of the Exam:

• The Midterm Exam consists of 72 questions worth 200 points (plus two extra credit questions worth 4 points).  You take the exam on blackboard by clicking on the Assignments link, then clicking on  Midterm 2011.
  
• The Midterm is consists of True/False, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer, Fill-in-the-blank(s), and Matching questions.
  
• You will have one hour to take the exam.  You should set your own timer, so that you do not exceed the time limit.  You will lose one point for each minute you go over the one hour limit.
  
• You will receive the questions one at a time.  Once you pass a question by, there is no going back to it.
  
• The Midterm is open book/open notes but given the time constraints you won't have much time to go searching for answers.  Thus, it's better to have your study notes to go through than searching through the text.
  
• You must close all other windows and browsers before and during the exam, as multiple windows or browsers will cause the exam to crash.
  
• If you have technological problems for reasons other than multiple windows or browsers when taking the exam, email me ASAP.

Tips for Studying:

• Review the reading assignments in the textbook and take notes for each chapter.  You should know the various film movements, their characteristics, and the influences upon the movement.
  
• You should know the major directors and the major films from each of the film movements we have studied to date and what those directors and films were known for, particularly those that were given a great of attention in the text.  And yes, the exam will cover some directors and films that we did not watch.
  
• Know the films we did watch, including the directors, the cinematic techniques, the key scenes, key dialogue, and what happens during the film.  Some questions merely test whether or not you really watched the films closely.
  
• Know the important firsts of film history.
  
• Know your early film history.  Review my posts on the subject.
  
• All of my posts and the assigned readings from the Syllabus are fair game for the exam.
  
• And finally, do study.  Those students who simply wing it, generally do poorly on the exam.

Good Luck!

Things to Watch For in Ladri di biciclette

• Note DeSica followed neorealistic principles in the film. One of these principles was to use nonprofessional actors. Lamberto Maggiorani (Antonio) was a metal worker. Interestingly, DeSica claimed that an American producer offered him millions to make the film with Cary Grant as the lead, while keeping to Neorealist principles otherwise. Can you name, at least, three other neorealist principles adhered to in the film?
  
• Note how Antonio is portrayed as an Everyman throughout the film. How does DeSica accomplish this visually? For one example, look at the conclusion of the film.
  
• Note the low angle shot of the wall of linens in the pawn shop and the tiny window Antonio and his wife are framed in.  What does this signify?
  
• Note the name of Antonio's bicycle is Fides, which means faith or reliance.
  
• Note that although Bruno is only 8 he has a full-time job. What does he do?
  
• What, specifically, does Antonio's job entail? How is this ironic?
  
• Note how the government, the trade union, the police, and the church are portrayed.
  
• Who can Antonio depend upon?
  
• Note the contrast between Antonio and Bruno vs. the rich in the pizzeria scene. How does DeSica illustrate this visually and what comment does Antonio make to reinforce the contrast?
  
• Note when Antonio strikes Bruno.
  
• Where does Antonio tell Bruno to wait for him and what happens when Antonio returns there?  What scene with Bruno sets up this scene?
  
• Note how DeSica uses physical distance between Antonio and Bruno to illustrate psychological distance.
  
• Note the famous gesture at the end of the film. What do you make of it?
  
• Why is the proper title for the film Bicycle Thieves and not Bicycle Thief as it was originally titled in English?
  
• You could argue that the film is about what Antonio loses and fails to recover and what he loses and succeeds in regaining. Identify each.
  
• Trivia Question: Lamberto Maggiorani's lean, hungry, dirty look reminds me of an American actor in a similar, and quite famous, role in an Oscar-winning American film. Can you name the actor and the film?

Things to Watch For in A Matter of Life and Death

Things to Watch For in your second viewing:

• Note the similarity/differences between June's control center and Peter's cockpit.
  
  
• What do we learn about Peter from his opening dialogue with June? What does he ask her?
  
  
• How is the "grim reaper" portrayed in this film?
  
  
• Note the scope the doctor uses to survey the town and it's similarities to the holes in the clouds that the angels look through to observe earth. Also note the doctor's use of a camera obscura.
  
  
• Why do you think the afterlife is shown in black and white while life on earth is shown in color?
  
  
• Note how the rose in the Conductor's jacket the effect June's tears have on it.
  
  
• What is the significance of the chess book?
  
  
• Note how the film is set up so that Peter's recovery from surgery is tied to the jury's decision? And that we never know whether the whole afterlife storyline is just a hallucination.
  
  
• What is the Shakespearean play that the soldiers are rehearsing for and what is its significance?
  
  
• Note the special effects in the film. What do you think of them, given the time period in which the film was made?
  
  
• Why do you think Peter chooses the doctor to be his advocate at the trial?
  
  
• Note how science and religion are portrayed in the film?
  
  
• Note the turn towards the political in the trial. What do you think that was?
  
  
• The film's original title is Stairway to Heaven and we actually see the stairway in the film. What do you think it signifies?
  
  
• Trivia: It was during a visit to Hollywood in 1945 that director Michael Powell decided to cast the then-unknown Kim Hunter as June, the American servicewoman, largely upon the recommendation of Alfred Hitchcock, who had done a series of screen tests of actors and actresses auditioning for parts in his upcoming production, Notorious. The trouble was that in these tests, Hunter was not seen but, rather, heard off-camera, feeding lines and cues to the actors Hitchcock was actually testing. But Hitchcock assured Powell that he would arrange a "face-to-face" with Hunter and her agent, so that he could see for himself whether she fit the requirements of the "all-American" girl Powell had envisioned opposite David Niven. And upon first encountering Hunter, Powell agreed with Hitchcock that she indeed was a perfect choice for the role.
  
  
• More Trivia: The first scene shot was David Niven washing up on the beach. Originally planned to fade in from black, Michael Powell decided on the spot that the effect would be too cheesy. When Jack Cardiff told him to look through the camera, Cardiff then deliberately breathed right onto the lens, which fogged the glass for a few seconds until it evaporated. Powell loved the idea and had him use it for the shot.
  
  
• Still More Trivia: The huge escalator linking this World with the Other, called "Operation Ethel" by the firm of engineers who constructed her under the aegis of the London Passenger Transport Board, took three months to make and cost 3,000 pounds (in 1946). "Ethel" had 106 steps each 20 feet wide and was driven by a 12 h.p. engine. The full shot was completed by hanging miniatures.

Poll Question

I was pleased that so many of you were impressed by The Passion of Joan of Arc.  So I thought I'd add a poll question as to which film has impressed you the most in class so far?  Please respond by midnight Sunday.

Things to Watch For in La règle du jeu

The following are some things to watch for during your second viewing:

Note Robert's antique mechanized toys. What thematic purpose do they serve?

Note the Buddha's in the background in the first scene where we see Robert and his mistress together?

Note how the love pairs and triangles between the masters is replicated at the level of the servants. 

Note Renoir's technique of deep focus so that the action and characters are in focus on all three levels: foreground, middle ground and background. For example, in the scene near the end of the film when Octave comes in to the house to retrieve his coat and Christine's, we see Robert in the foreground. But the real action occurs in the middle ground where we see Lisette and the background where we see Octave enter and call to her.

Note how the length of takes (the time a single shot lasts) during the famous hunting scene varies during the build-up to the hunt, the hunt itself, and the aftermath.

Note the themes of poaching and hunting.

Renoir has said that the film does not have a central character, rather it is about an entire social class––the French bourgeoisie.  Note how the interlopers––Octave and Marceau who belong neither to the class of the masters or servants––must leave before the film can conclude. What does this signify?

What is the symbolism of the hunt and La Fête de La Colinière? 

Note how Marceau is Robert's alter ego and Lisette is Christine's. 

Marceau is a representation of Pan––the nature god. Who or what does Schumacher represent?

Note how the dance of death that occurs on stage during La Fête de La Colinière actually takes place off stage as well as the lovers fight and, eventually, Andre is killed.

How long has everyone known about Robert's infidelity?

Note the mistaken identity theme, generally associated with of comedies.

Note how Renoir uses a moving camera with his long takes that allows him to change perspective. For example, in the scene where Andre arrives at the party, the camera starts on Christine, then it pulls back and we see Andre enter and Christine frozen (should she go to her reputed lover?). Then in the background, Octave appears and passes Andre by. His arrival frees Christine and she now moves toward Octave and, eventually, Andre. But it is the moving camera and long take that allow us to see this develop.

Question: In La règle du jeu, Renoir combines elements of Alfred de Musset's Les Caprices de Marianne, a popular 19th-century comedy of manners with Beaumarchais' Le Mariage de Figaro, a stage comedy satirizing the aristocracy. Given Renoir's obvious allegory to what was going on in Europe at the time (the film was made in the period immediately following The Munich Agreement of 1938 signed by Adolf Hitler, Neville Chamberlain, Benito Mussolini and the French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier), why do you thing he used comedies rather than tragedies?