Casablanca (1942): Film, Theme and Story Review

                In 1942 Warner Bros. released what would soon become one of the most iconic films in the history of Hollywood.  A gripping romantic drama set in the coastal city of Casablanca in Morocco the film Casablanca, Directed by Michael Curtiz, is 102 minutes of love, suspense and treachery.  With a cast including the legendary Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid along many other talented actors this film is as breathtaking as the city it is named after.  Casablanca tells the story of an embittered freedom fighter named Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) who owns a café in Casablanca called Rick’s Café Americaine.  Sticking to complete neutrality in all matters Rick’s world is turned upside down when his once lover, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), walks in the door of his club with an escaped Czech Resistance leader Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid).  The film beautifully tells the story of everything that happens to Rick from this point on in this war theme movie.  The script of Casablanca plays an important role in the success of the film along with its plot and excellent acting.  Casablanca is one of those timeless classics which everyone should see at some point in their lives and deserves a rating of 9/10 for telling one of the most intimate and suspenseful stories in film history.

                The film Casablanca takes place in the coastal city in Morocco after which it is named.  It tells the story of Rick Blain the owner of a luxurious night club names Rick’s Café Americaine, which serves as host to everyone from the most powerful to the most low life residents of Casablanca.  Rick, once a self-righteous freedom fighter, is now neutral in all aspects of life even saying his famous line “I stick my neck out for nobody.”  This all changes when his once lover and soul mate Ilsa Lund walks in the door with his Victor Lazlo an escaped Czech resistance leader who is being persecuted by the police.  Embittered towards Ilsa who left him waiting at the train station in Paris Rick has a hard time coming to terms with her reasons for abandoning him.  Ilsa and Lazlo need to escape from Nazi Europe so he can continue his work and to do so they need transit passes which Rick has acquired through a twisted turn of events.  Throughout the film Rick and Ilsa struggle with their emotions for each other until Rick decides to help Lazlo escape while Ilsa plans to stay with Rick.  Through suspense, drama and some action a plan comes together to allow Lazlo to leave Casablanca but without Ilsa, at least that was the plan ….

                Casablanca is a film that was released over 50 years ago and yet remains a classic watched in film courses throughout America every year.  This is only so because of the amazing work that was done when writing the story and theme for the film.  The story in a film is of course nothing without a script to base the production on; writers Julius and Phillip Epstein along with Howard Koch have provided such a superb script that this film could not help being one of the best of its kind. 

                The story of Casablanca covers two of the most classic themes in movie making; the triumph of love over adversity (even if the outcome is not what we would expect) and the undesirability of freedom and its importance to the human race.  These themes are repeated throughout the story of Casablanca with the centerpiece of it all being the relationship between Ilsa and Rick.  This love story which is framed in the troubles of World War II and Nazi Europe follows the classic style of raising action leading to a climax and then a resolution, but it adds a plot twist at the end that none of the viewers expect, but at the same time no one regrets.  Casablanca uses conflict and emotion to move the story forward, often in a way that we don’t see coming.  Even though the war and Lazlo’s escape is the catalyst for the action in the film, it is often Rick’s and Ilsa’s emotions that move us through the story and causes the two main characters to do what they do.  The theme of freedom and free choice also leads the actions of some of the supporting characters such as that of Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) at the end of the film. The story is so well built that it leaves the viewer in suspense most of the time, this suspense is further amplified by everything from the mis en scene to the camera angles that are outlined in the script.  The story in Casablanca has become a classic tale of romance in times of trouble in the world as a whole. 

                The script of this 1942 classic is a perfect complement to the theme and story of the film in everything from dialogue to cinematography and costume.  The genius of the script is its ability to compliment the story by helping set the mood for the scene.  The mis en scene does a great job of this by using both the atmosphere and props to help the mood.  This can be seen in scenes such as the final scene where the fog helps keep the suspense of what the future holds for the characters as well as shrouding Rick’s relationship with Renault in mystery.  The cinematography also aides in this by using different shots, many of which are borrowed from film noir.  Close up shots/ expression shots are used often to show the feelings and thoughts of a character and wide shots are used during times of greater chaos such as the singing of the Marseillaise at Rick’s club.  Costume and music also play an important role with costumes being appropriate for the time period and music, especially when Sam sings “As time goes by” becomes crucial for setting the mood of the scene and to the story itself.  All these different pieces which are outlines in the script help the story of the film move along and helps set the mood.

                There are actors who play a role well but every so often we encounter a role which was made for a specific actor and this is the case with the role of Rick and Humphrey Bogart.  Bogart’s performance during this film is completely convincing and mysterious, but the reason he is perfect for this role is his own persona.  Bogart has had a history of characters in film that closely resemble Rick in the sense that they are shrouded in mystery.  Because of this he gives the character a deeper feeling than just what is seen on the screen, because of what we associate with Bogart, Rick comes with a history.  This added history with the audience along with his spectacular performance makes Humphrey Bogart pretty much the only actor who could have played Rick Blaine in Casablanca.

                The story portrayed in the film Casablanca has made it a timeless classic to be studied for many years to come.  This story is further enhanced by a magnificent script and is driven solely by emotion and the most basic human ideals of freedom.  This along with a spectacular cast and amazing performances makes this film reach a whole new level of excellence which had not been reached in 1942 upon its release.  All this factors together lead me to give Casablanca nothing less than a 9/10 rating and mark it down as one of the most magnificent movies ever produced.  

With Honors (1994): Editing and Film Review

                On April 1994 Warner Bros. and Spring Creek Productions released a predictable movie with a simple plot that rocked many viewers into tears.  Directed by a Harvard graduate named Alek Keshishian “With Honors” is a film which manages to shine through its many flaws.  This dramatic comedy is the story of an over animated Harvard student whose life centers on his senior thesis.  Through a series of events he comes to meet an amicable bum who, you guessed it, becomes a father figure and changes his life forever.  Even through its predictable plot and a script which is good but not the best of its kind, the acting and editing in this film captivates the audience and wraps them in emotion.  Brendan Fraser and Joe Pesci who play Monty and Simon respectively deliver such a performance which will bring even the most lacking script to life.  Moira Kelly, Patrick Dempsey, Josh Hamilton and Gore Vidal play the supporting roles in this film and their performances are worth a mention.  These performances are even further enhanced by the editing work in the movie which brings it all together for a cinematic experience hard to forget.  This movie easily deserves a rating of 8.5/10 because through its many flaws it still shines like a diamond in the rough. “With Honors is 103 minutes long and was rated PG-13 by the Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA).

                “With Honors” is the story of Montgomery “Monty” Kessler (Bendan Fraser) a Harvard government student whose life revolves around graduating from the university with honors, so he can make a change in the world.  Upon his computer crashing and losing his senior thesis he is left with only a single hard copy of his work.  Through a funny set of circumstances the only copy of his thesis ends up in the hands of a bum by the name of Simon Wilder (joe Pesci) who strikes a deal with Monty who he calls Harvard.  Simon uses the pages of the thesis as a form of currency with Monty and exchanges them for different favors such as food, shelter and even a very hilarious bath.  Throughout the film Simon and Monty’s relationship starts altering how the Harvard student, along with his quirky roommates, sees the world around them.  They develop such a relationship that they drop everything to help the bum when he encounters health and family problems  We learn to not judge books by their covers and that academics and the worlds perception of one’s self is not how we should define happiness.

                This film is one that has many flaws but also many virtues that shine through.  We will start off by analyzing the defects in the film and we will then look at the redeeming qualities that make this such a great film.  Now many might say that there is no new stories and that movies can no longer be original because everything has been used up, even if this were true films can still be innovative and surprising; all of which “With Honors” is not.  Even though the plot of this film is touching and it teaches a lesson the film is in no way original and to top it off it is completely predictable.  The only way to enjoy the film is to come to terms with the fact that you will not come out of it amazed by its story telling innovation, instead you have to go in expecting one of those classic stories.  The story aside most aspects of the film are not impressive but are also not bad.  The costumes, sets and props in the film are accurate but not overly impressive due to the nature of the film.  The script of the film is also average in nature with the casual breathtaking bits such as Simon’s speech in front of Monty’s Government class. Finally the cinematography and music in the film are well done but not of much note and overall these aspects of the film are nothing more than average.

                At this point many of you are wondering “then why did you give this film an 8.5/10?” and the reason comes from two aspects of this film.  First and most importantly is the sheer brilliance that the editing of this film expresses.  Through post-production editing this film is turned from an average movie into a piece of art that expresses deeper emotions by putting all the parts together.  The music chosen for this film is your average extra diegetic mood music; however through amazing work by the editing crew there are moments when this music is in such sync with the images that they take the emotion of scene to the next level.  This is obvious in the library scene when Monty and Simon first start becoming friends; the music accompaniment is done just right to relieve the previous tension and turns the library into this familiar and almost holy place.  Even more amazing than the sound editing in the film is how the visuals are put together.  Often in this film we hear dialogue before or after the character is put on the screen, this technique is used effectively to set the tone for a scene with the presence of the character being the first thing we perceive instead of their physical look.  He visual effects are used so well that the film seems to not only express emotions but the whole scene is engulfed in them.  Fade ins and fade outs are particularly masterfully used for both video and sound in one of the final scenes where all the roommates are reading Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” to Simon.  Thanks to the editing we don’t see just reading, instead we see as all four Harvard students melt into one in a single sad emotion.  Overall the editing for this film takes on a life of its own and is the crown jewel of the production.

                One thing that can make or break a film is the quality of the acting by the stars and supporting cast of the production.  In “With Honors” this is one of the two things that definitely make the movie; the acting by the support staff is magnificent but what shines through it all is the performances given by both Brendan Fraser and Joe Pesci.  There have been many young student and elder father figure duos throughout the history of film; however none have played such a convincing part as these two.  From the beginning of the film where they annoy each other, to the last and most emotional of scenes Monty and Simon touch our hearts in a way that cannot be written in a script, specially this script.  These two actors take average characters and turn them into a family which the audience is invited to join through the openness of their acting and their vulnerability of their emotion.  If it wasn’t for these two actors enhancing the script and putting their emotion into the story this film would not have been as good as it was.

                Even though this film is predictable in its story and standard in most of its aspects it deserves to be recognized as a great work.  This is because the post-production editing along with the amazing performances by the different actors brings the film from average to a whole new level.  Without these things working together “With Honors” would be nothing more than another movie to be ignored.  This being said the film does contain these things and so it becomes a movie that not only shows/emotion but wraps the audience in it and moves them to tears.  This film deserves nothing less than an 8.5/10 rating and a huge encouragement from this reviewer to all the readers to give this film a watch.  

The Great Dictator (1940): A Script and Film Review

In 1940 the first talkie by famous actor Charlie Chaplin was released under the title of “The Great Dictator”.  This revolutionary film tells the satirical story of Adenoid Hynkel (Charlie Chaplin), the dictator of the fictional country of Tomania.  This film from Charles Chaplin Productions  and directed by Charles Chaplin was and remains a timeless hit in the film industry for numerous reasons, but none more important than its satirical commentary on the Fascist rule of Adolf Hitler.  The film can be enjoyed by everyone; it is 125 minutes of pure comedy and political commentary during a time when Hitler had a tight grasp on free expression but the U.S. had not yet gotten into the World War II efforts.  “The Great Dictator” is a great film that uses a truly magnificent script to get its anti-fascist message across and thanks to this script it gets a 9.5/10 rating, overall this film is terrific.

                “The Great Dictator” is the first time that silent movie star Charlie Chaplin stars (and directs) in a talkie.  The film follows the story of dictator Adenoid Hynkel as he rules over the country of Tomania.  Chaplin plays two roles in this movie, that of the dictator and that of a Jewish barber who comes back from World War I with amnesia only to find that his barbershop is now in the middle of a Jewish ghetto controlled by Hynkel’s police called the storm troopers.  When the Barber and his friends are suddenly thrown into concentration camps the plot takes another twist in which the Jewish barber and Hynkel are mistaken for each other, and all of a sudden the barber becomes the dictator of all of Tomania.  Through different chain of events and the most breathtaking speech in movie history we are shown how the dictatorships should be regarded as evil and how truly heinous Hynkel’s dictatorship is under the symbol of the double cross.

                Being a film from the 1940’s “The Great Dictator” is not a blockbuster movie full of action and special effects like “Avatar” or “Harry Potter”.  In Fact the movie is in black and white and lacks much of the video and audio quality we have come to expect of modern movies.  This movie is a timeless hit however, this is not because it makes you feel like you just left an acid trip or because your hearing is all but gone when you leave the theater, it is a timeless hit because of the use of a spectacular script to make one of the most ingenious movies in history.

                During the 1940’s, when this film came out, Adolf Hitler was not the heartless monster we all know and hate today.  During the beginning of his rule of Germany Hitler was seen as an ally of the United States and most of his crimes against humanity were not as well known.  However, Charles Chaplin (director, actor, writer, producer and pretty much the sole person responsible for “The Great Dictator”) could see through the farce that was Hitler’s image and so came out with this film.  During the time however directly mocking the dictator would have been career suicide and so the film turned into a satire.  Through his ingenious writing Chaplin turned out a script for this film that would become a case study for scriptwriting for decades to come. 

               

                Chaplin’s satire uses every aspect of the script; from the use of dialogue itself to the mere fact that Hitler decided to use the same facial hair fashion as the star.  Chaplin uses the script to create a satire of Nazi Germany that is clear as day, yet uses no real names, countries or symbols.  The satire of the film is where the director’s/writer’s genius lies.  If we look at the character of Hynkel and the barber Chaplin uses his own physical similarities to Hitler as a tool in the film to connect the audience to the thought of the real dictator without directly creating a link, after all who can blame him for looking like Hitler?  The script aptly connects the real world problem in Germany with the film over and over again with no direct mentions and so the script is a masterpiece of political satire.

                In the true form of a classic Chaplin film “The Great Dictator” is full of gags and slapstick comedy that is good enough to captivate any audience in its own right.  Scenes such as the awkward dance of the dictator with a balloon and the barber chair lift race between the dictators leave the viewer laughing for a big part of the film.  However like any true political satire the script is full of political undertones that are hard to miss if one pays attention to the dialogue.  By ridiculing and undermining Hynkel throughout the movie Chaplin shines a light on the evils of Nazi Germany and undermines their position as a legitimate government.  This all culminates with the 5+ minute speech delivered by the barber (who is thought to be the dictator) at the end of the film.  Instead of the script finishing the movie with good humor as is found in most comedies, it ends with a simple, prolonged, direct shot of Chaplin’s character where he uses his own voice to present his ideas and warnings about dictatorships in the form of a speech.  This scene is the culmination of one of the most valuable scripts in film where the story ends with a message that will resound throughout history. 

                Often times in reviews we praise an actor whose ability and role are of prominent importance to humanity, however Charles Chaplin is more than that.  The writer, director, star and owner of the production company of “The Great Dictator” Chaplin’s vision for this film came to life as a warning to mankind of the dangers of Dictatorships.  In a time when most of the United States and the western world saw Hitler as an ally, or just someone who wasn't their problem Chaplin put his career on the line in order to send one simple but important message “Nazi Germany and any dictatorship is dangerous.”  Through this film he did not only provide momentary laughter to millions of viewers, but he used satire to expand the minds of millions and get them to question the validity of a Dictator.

               

                “The Great Dictator” is a jewel of cinema whose script became a case study for decades to come throughout the world.  The film was one of the first true political satires during a time when the political environment was dangerous and no laughing matter.  Charles Chaplin created a true piece of art that made millions laugh, question and think about the political atmosphere of the time.  Because of this ingenious use of script and the social significance it had, I give “The Great Dictator” a rating of 9.5/10 and sincerely hope that the use of film as a medium for bold revolutionary ideas will keep on for the rest of the life of cinema. 

*Spoiler Alert: Final Speech Video Below 

Stand and Deliver: Production and Film Review

                The movie Stand and Deliver from Warner Bros. Production Company is one of the most iconic inspirational films of the 1980s.  Released in 1988 this film is a Drama about a high school calculus professor who goes the extra mile to give his inner city kids a chance to be more than criminals and maids in the future.  Director Ramón Menéndez does an excellent job of bringing this story to life and inspiring everyone with his masterpiece.  The 103 minute movie is rated PG and features such prominent actors as; Edward James Olmos, Estelle Harris and Mark Phelan.  This is a great movie for all those who enjoy a true inspirational drama with a strong message.  This movie is also a perfect example of what good production can do for a film and I give it a 9.5/10 rating and think recommend everyone watch it.

                Stand and Deliver is based on the true story of high school teacher Jaime Escalante, portrayed brilliantly by Edward James Olmos, a teacher from Garfield High School in Los Angeles, California.  The film follows Escalante as he quits his job as a computer engineer to become a computers high school professor in an east LA high school in one of the worst neighborhoods in the city.  Escalante is taken by surprise when he finds himself teaching math instead because the school has no funds to buy computers.  After much struggling with his students, department and even some parents he realizes how much he can do for the kids in the school who are heading down a path that can only find them in bad jobs, jail or even worst.  After Escalante has built a group of students he does the impossible to start a calculus course in one of the worst schools in the city to help his students believe in themselves and make something out of them.  Through many problems ranging from bad moods, to low budgets to gangs Escalante takes his students to take their AP Calculus course where it will be determined if all of his students efforts were worth it, this test will make them or break them.

                This film is a true gem of history and to this day retains its value being shown in many schools across the country to inspire students.  Many things make this movie no one things jumps out so overall the production of the film is what captivates its viewers.  The pre-production of the film is magnificent in its outcome making the story and locations come to life.  The script of the film is the result of countless revisions until it was perfect, not only is the dialogue inspiring but the use of authentic slang from the time and location are what transports the audience.  With words such as “kimo” an shortened version of “kimosabe” a Hispanic slang for a know it all and Escalante’s nickname from his students may seem made up to some, but to most people familiar with the culture it is a connection with the diegetic world of the film.  Part of this preproduction is also the search for different locations for the film, and here the Director outdid himself by filming at two locations; 1) Roosevelt high school in LA, 2) the very same Garfield high school where Escalante taught.  This combination of script and locations really exemplifies how much detail went into this movie before they even began filming.  The production of this film is even more amazing in this sense, with a low budget the director and his crew managed to turn out an amazing movie.  The cinematography uses very simple camera shots in order to augment the meaning of the film such as when Escalante is in the car with Pancho talking about choices in life, by focusing on the two passengers the camera is able to mimic how Pancho doesn’t see how the choices he makes affect his future.   The true genius of the production however is in the amount of detail given to the movement of the actors and the camera.  The amount of performer and actor blocking in this film must have been immense because every shot is a work of art with even scenes such as Angel acting like Jesus on the cross is perfectly set.  Finally the costumes and props are so well picked that they transport you to an inner city, low income school in the middle of LA’s most poor Hispanic neighborhood where the film is set.  The final step in the production of the film and what makes any movie shine is the post-production which includes editing and sound.  Post-production for Stand and Deliver was also an arduous step with lots of attention to detail.  The cutting between scenes in the film is almost flawless and achieves a fluidity that can be missed in some movies.  Apart from this the scene sequences set up a timeline that is neither too crowded nor missing parts; we can see a natural progression from the beginning of the film to the end.  The sound editing and music in the film is not a major part of what makes it such an icon but it aides in many ways, specially the sound effects we see in the more intense scenes.  These effects are not always obvious but the small things such as Angel’s grandmothers cough help set the mood.  Overal the production of Stand and Deliver is top notch and has helped this film become and stay an icon of cinema.

                Many of the actors in this film deserve recognition for their roles and their performance, but none as much as Edward James Olmos who plays Jaime Escalante.  Olmos, who received a nomination for best actor in the 61^st academy awards thanks to this role, leaves his heart on the screen when he plays the real life teacher.  The emotion he puts behind the role is not what you see in every film and it takes a very special actor to portray.  It is my opinion that Olmos’ Mexican decent (Born in the U.S. to a Mexican father and a Mexican/American mother) had a lot to do with his role in the film and how much passion was behind it.  Edward James Olmos should have won the Best Actor Academy Award for the role of Jaime Escalante but was bested by Dustin Hoffman for his role in Rain Man.

                This film is an absolute work of art and has the best production of its time which can hold up to any modern movie.  Everything from the script to the acting is absolutely magnificent and the plot even carries an uplifting message.  It is not a question of how good the film is or who liked it at this point, it is a question of who has and has not seen the film and when will they fall in love with everything in it.  Because of it pretty much everything in it, but still keeping my reservations about a few minor things in the film I give Stand and Deliver a 9.5/10 rating and recommend that anyone who has not had the pleasure of seeing this film get their hands on a copy.  

Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism Film Review

                The film Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism (here on referred to just as Outfoxed) by Carolina productions is a Documentary expose film on the Right winged propaganda that is Fox News.  The 2004 film directed by Robert Greenwald uses interviews, clips and narration in order to take us through Fox News past and present and to expose Rupert Murdoch’s use of the news station in order to air right winged extremist propaganda and biased news.  The unrated (UR) documentary features prominent figures such as; Douglas Cheek (Narrator), Walter Cronkite and Roger Ailes (as themselves)  the last two of which were active members of Fox News and came out to speak out against it in later years.  These individuals along with many more who were part of the Fox News history come out to air the dirty laundry of the news station and shed some light on what many can see but very few have experienced the fact that Fox News encourages a culture that is right winged extremist and eliminates any opposition to this within its walls.  This documentary has an extremely controversial subject matter and does a great job of exposing Murdoch’s control over Fox News as well as using interviews as supporting material.  However as a film Outfoxed is edited with fast cuts and so becomes hard to follow at points.  Because of this I give the film a 7.5/10 rating, it is definitely a great documentary but not easy to follow.

                Outfoxed is a documentary exposé that analysis how Fox News Channel (FNC), one of many news stations owned by Rupert Murdoch, has a Right winged slant in their reporting.  The film compares FNC’s famous trademark slogan “Fair and Balanced” with their actual reporting of the news both by looking at what reaches the air as well as their inner office politics.  Through interviews of personnel that no longer works in Fox News, such as journalist Walter Cronkite, along with office memos that they provided Outfoxed makes a strong case for the fact that FNC is not “fair and balanced” and instead pushes a right winged agenda through selective news coverage and anti-democratic views.  The film also takes a closer view at the direct and indirect influence that Rupert Murdoch imposes on FNC in order to create this right winged slant in the channel through means of executives and even direct phone calls to producers telling them what they should air.  Outfoxed also takes a crack at Bill O’Riley one of fox’s most famous talk show hosts and place his abrasive interviewing style under a magnifying glass to give a direct example of the biased in FNC. 

                As a documentary Outfoxed does a great job of exposing Fox News as biased and not “Fair and Balanced” through the use of interviews (both of expert witnesses and retired fox employees), documents and clips.  The topic is well researched and the people who appear in the film are credible sources of information either because of their educational background or because of their work experience within the Fox Network.  The claims of the individuals that are interviewed are also well supported with clips of from actual Fox broadcastings as well as internal memos which work together to form a picture of the different subjects (such as Jeremy Glick’s interview with Bill O’Riley).  The editing of the sequences that connect these interviews and clips together is somewhat fast paced at points however, which makes the film a bit hard to follow.  The film being a documentary the cinematography is not of much note with most of the shots being medium shots of the individuals being interviewed.  The only point of note with cinematography in this film is the different shots of phone or recordings when playing audio (with altered voices) of anonymous individuals.  Some may say that the use of these anonymous contributors take away from the validity of the film but I believe that it helps shine a light on the control that fox has on its staff even after they are no longer under contract.  Some of the graphics in the film are not as impressive as they could have been for a 2004 film but with a budget of only $200,000 this is not a big problem and takes very little away from the film. 

                The purpose of making this film was clearly to expose the biased reporting that is done by Fox News and to show how Rupert Murdoch uses his money and influence to control public opinion through media rather than reporting fact.  The director of Outfoxed definitely accomplishes this in great lengths by showing his audience the inner workings of the Fox Network and the right winged culture that is not only present in fox but also very actively enforced.  The filmmaker made this film during a time when the validity of Fox News was (and continues to be) questioned by a vast majority of the public.  The skewed views of fox have always been a subject of debate and public question but until this film a solid concrete case for it had never been presented.  Outfoxed is among the first pieces of media that came out with solid facts against the major news channel and allowed viewers to make a decision.  The film sets up a sort of timeline of the history and policies of FNC in order to take the viewer through a structured journey providing scenario after scenario where Fox has been guilty of intentionally providing unbalanced coverage.  This film was clearly a way to give media audiences everywhere a view on how FNC really works and allow them to make up their own minds from there whether this is a media source they really want to trust to deliver their daily news. 

                Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism is one of the last great exposé documentaries of its time.  It puts a face not only on the corruption of the media market but also on the use of Fox News Channel as a way to manipulate the masses through misinformation.  The film provides great solid facts and uses; interviews, statistics, clips and documents to drive its point.  The film is solid in its content however lacks in ways of editing and graphics which does not reduce its validity but makes it slightly less appealing to  the general public.  As an exposé documentary Outfoxed is a great success but as a film it lacks in various areas, because of this I give this film a 7.5/10 rating but highly encourage any educated person to watch it and decide for themselves whether Fox News is in fact “Fair and Balanced”.   

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… Spring: A Film, Cinematography and Sound/Music Review

     Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…Spring is one of the most unique films I have ever seen.  A 2003 South Korean drama by director Kim Ki-Duk, this film follows the seasons of the life of a Buddhist monk and his apprentice and shows how these seasons cycle.  This film was produced by the following companies and got an R rating; Korea Pictures, LJ Film, Pandora Filmproduktion, Cineclick Asia, Cinesoul, Mirae Asset Capital, Muhan Investment.  For the 103 minutes of this film there is very little dialogue but the cinematography and sound make sure the audience is enchanted for the whole duration.  This film is great for those who like a good drama and deep thought, but if your thing is action, adventure and explosions I would recommend you pass on this one.  With a cast including Oh Yeong-su, Kim Jogn-ho and the director himself Kim Ki-Duk the acting is spectacular even with its low amount of dialogue.  I give this movie a rating of 7.5/10 because even though it is a masterpiece, it is not for everybody. 

     This film follows the life of an old Buddhist monk (Oh Yeong-Su) living on a floating temple in the middle of a lake accompanied by a young boy, his apprentice.  The film uses the story of these two in order to outline the seasons of life and its cycle.  We begin with the spring of life (the beginning) where the young boy (Kim Jong-ho) is living with in the temple with his master.  The child seems full of innocence until an incident including a fish, a frog and a snake show us that here might be a deeper torment to the child than we can see.  After this incident the movie fast forward a few years into the summer of life when the boy turns into a young man (Seo Jae-Kyeong).  We see a young woman who comes to live at the temple due to sickness, she is the first human contact the young monk has had other than his master; by extension she is the first woman the young monk has ever seen.  After battling his faith and sexuality the monk finally seems to reach a decision and so love ensues.  When the girl is finally cured and has to leave the temple the young monk has a decision to make whether to leave or stay.  After his decision we move on to the fall of life where we meet the adult monk (Kim Young-min).  This stage is named appropriately since a horrible decision made by the apprentice has brought him back to the temple in a run.  He is taken in by the old master and made to repent through Buddhist teaching; however he cannot escape his punishment.  Soon two detectives (Ji Dae-Han and Choi Min) come to take him away, but not without allowing him to finish his atonement first.  Upon the end of fall we see the end of the cycle when the old master reaching the end of his life starts his own funeral rights as if it was the most natural thing in the world.  The scene is peaceful yet morbid and we are left with no human inhabitants in the temple and so winter begins.  During the winter of life we meet the old monk who (Kim Ki-Duk) who has come back to the temple after serving his time.  He now takes the place of his old master and pays his respects to him.  At the end of winter we see a horrid scene as a child is abandoned at the temple by his mother, who does not meet a happy end in the film.  This child is not left as an apprentice to the old monk and so the new spring start and the cycle of life finally start back up. 

     This film is definitely simplistic in terms of aesthetics and production; however it is very deep when it comes to meaning and philosophy.  Even though most of the movie is masterfully made what most stands out to help its deep meaning are the use of sound and cinematography.  The cinematography of this film, Headed by Baek Dong-Hyeon, was expertly used to not only show the comparison between humans and nature but also to show us the inner workings of the minds of the characters with very little dialogue.  Different shots such as long shots, aerial shots and scenic shots are used to show us the location of the film which seems like a dreamland detached from the horrors of modern society.  These shots, when they include people, make the vastness of nature engulf the characters which highlights their small role in the greater scheme of nature.  Cinematography is also used to supplement the low amount of dialogue in the film by helping emphasize the inner thoughts of the characters.  Often close ups, reaction shots and Point of View (POV) shots are used to emphasize surprise, horror and even sorrow.  These moments, such as the use of a POV shot when the mother is abandoning the baby, transports the viewer into that moment of sadness and horror by immersing us into the film.  In a similar fashion sound in the film (along with what little music there is) is used in order to emphasize feeling and help set the mood for the different scenes.  Even though the film has little dialogue there is never an awkward silence due to the expertly mixed ambient sounds; these are exceptional in realism with attention to detail where the wind is louder on top of a hill than it is in the forest.  These sounds along with a few chosen music scores remind us of the location of the scene and also set a mood with a silent winter becoming very ominous or a loud river adding to the excitement of young love.  The sound production headed by Konken Stephen and Ku Bon-Seung was spectacular and help made the movie such a hit.  These things made the film but other aspects surely helped.  The lack of dialogue present in Kim Ki-Duk’s film would normally hurt most pieces; however it is used here in order to enhance the more insightful aspects of the film.  The costumes in the film are also brilliantly simple and reflect the state of the characters.  The costume for the monks and those in the temple are simple and show the peace and simplicity of life, however for those touched by the outside world the clothes are more complex.  Finally the props used in the film when there are any help situate the viewer and tell the story.  Props like the stone on the child help visualize the weight on the heart because of what he did to the animals while other props such as the different pets serve more practical purposes such as visualizing the passage of time by the changing of animals.  These different aspects help make the film a hit even though its plot and nature make it specific to certain audiences.

     The actors in this work do a great job of expressing the film as well as providing fluidity.  Even though the apprentice monk is played by four different actors in different stages of life, they do an amazing job of providing a fluid character that changes with the years but remains easily identified.  On the other side Oh Yeong-Su who plays the old master plays the old archetype of the wise mentor to the T.  His acting provides a constant throughout the changing times and his demeanor is unfazed at every change in situation.  The acting in this film is superb and touches upon the deepest feelings in human nature.

     Overall this film is excellent in quality and composition; it exhibits what is expected of a top rank film in both sound and cinematography.  However due to the nature of both the film and the plot it is not a film that will be appreciated by everyone.  It possesses a very limited audience which is dwindling in our current age where people look for more entertainment than substance in film.  Because of this I have to give Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… Spring a rating of 7.5/10.  

Some Like It Hot (1959): A Film and Music/Sound Review

              Some Like It Hot might be an appropriate title for this 1959 comedy from Ashton Productions and The Mirisch Corporation.  With the heated chases, steamy romances and hot comedy director Billy Wilder does an excellent job of keeping his audience laughing it up throughout the 120 minutes of the movie.  The film features some big name actors such as Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as the main characters.  The film does wonders in the area of narrative and music making it an amusing piece for the whole family to watch.  It contains cheap laughs and exquisite puns for all ages; however it also contains deep sociopolitical undertones which were especially progressive for the time period.  The film does lack in the acting of some of the secondary characters but this does little to dampen the quality of the film.  This film deserves a high rating for its music/sound and its narrative/dialogue however its lack of any impressing cinematography in combination with the unimpressive acting by some of the secondary characters leads me to give the film a rating of 8/10.  This film was not rated and can be watched in both its original black and white version or in a more modern colorized version.

              

               In Some like it hot a couple of musicians who are down on their luck during the tough times of the prohibition become hunted by the local mafia when they bear witness to a crime.  In need to get away from the city but also completely broke, the duo decides to dress up as ladies and join an all women band in route to Miami, FL.  In their long journey the two will learn that it is not easy being a woman in a man’s world.  When their trip gets more and more complicated the two friends are placed in countless situations where comedy is not lacking, and neither are the wondering hands.  Will they finally escape the mob? Will they be able to return to being men? And most importantly, how do they walk on those heels? To answer those questions you will have to watch this film which is all about the laughs, the awkward moments and the excitement.

                Like every film this one is a mixture of various things from cinematography to acting; however what comes through the most out of this film is its music and sound effects, but let’s leave those for last.  There are a few things that are part of this film but are either not of note or sincerely just not very good.  The most prominent disappointment of the film is the lack of acting ability in part of a handful of the secondary actors.  The most blatant example of this is the scene where toothpick Charlie is “rubbed out”, in this reviewers opinion his death is less than believable and a little over dramatic.  On the other hand the acting from the main characters is spectacular, they make you laugh until you drop and at points you even forget Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are actually men.  The cinematography on this film is average, which is to be expected since it is not the main focus.  There are a few above average uses of the camera such as the use of a low angle right before the two broke musicians go betting being switched to a high angle when they lose everything; apart for a few of those however the cinematography is nothing of note.  Along with this most of the lighting in the film is natural light (usually from the sun) so again there is nothing to note there.  Where the film really starts to get interesting is when we start to look into the costumes and props.  You have to admit that making two full grown men into convincing women is a feat to be admired even with today’s amazing makeup, so imagine doing it in 1959.  With just the use of dresses, wigs, hats, jewelry and what I’m guessing was a truckload of waxing wax, the wardrobe department for the movie (headed by Bert Henrikson) manages two turn these two actors into very convincing women.  Costumes however are not the only thing that make the movie; let’s shift our focus into the true component that makes this such a good movie, the music and sound.

                The sound department headed by Fred Lau and the music by Adolph Deutsch are what truly place this film in its above average rating.  Most of the sound effects in this film are synchronous with the action in the frame and have a top quality mixing.  These sounds are often ambient noises that are part of the scene but are obviously added post production.  However, these ambient noises do serve a purpose other than to fill in silence; this film is very adept at using the ambient noise to remind us where we are.  There are various scenes in the film where we are in modes of transportation that resemble regular rooms very closely, such as the train and the yacht, and if it weren’t for the adept use of ambient noises such as the wheels of the train or the waves hitting the yacht we might forget exactly where he scene takes place.  Sound also have other more obvious uses in this film that add to its cinematography and to the comedy.  Often noises are used as sound bridges between scenes, now this is very normal of films but in Some Like It Hot the scenes are more so connected through the use of noise mimicking such as when Jerry repeats “I’m a girl, I’m a girl….” This slowly fades into the rhythm of the train and then Segway us into the next scene.  Sound is also used to very adeptly enhance the comedic effect of some scenes.  The best example of this is when Jerry says to Joe “I think I’m going to be sick…” and right at this point he goes out of shot and we hear what sound like someone throwing up, but when the camera pans out we see it is actually the gasoline tank overflowing.  Moments like this show a true mastery of the use of sound in the part of the sound department and a collaboration with the cinematography department.  The music in this film is also of top quality which is shown through many factors.  Firstly the music is very appropriate for the era, something that is sometimes lost when a film has a diegetic score written specifically for the movie.  The use of the music is also expertly done when the score is non-diegetic, the music helps us get a better image of the situation when there is no dialogue (such as the fast, hectic music when Joe changes from a women to a man) but it fades out and does not overpower the dialogue when this one begins.  The best use of music in the film however happens when the score is diegetic and the main characters are the source.  Whether it contains lyrics or not the music is a medium for the feeling of the character to be projected onto the audience.  The best example of this happens toward the end of the film when we see Sugar singing “I’m Thorough with Love” after she has had her heartbroken, and we can truly feel her sorrow from the melody.  This great use of music as a medium for emotions is what puts Some Like It Hot into a special place in film history.

                The three main actors in this film all truly deserve a special mention in this review.  Marilyn Monroe, a well-known star, who plays Sugar Kane does an amazing job of bringing her character to life.  Everything from her dialogue to her mannerisms convince us that Sugar is no more than this naïve and innocent girl who is just trying to keep her head above water in such a crazy world.  Monroe in my opinion plays the perfect innocent blonde girl and for that she is to be applauded.  Tony Curtis (Joe) and Jack Lemmon (jerry) on the other hand are the perfect comedic duo.  Curtis plays a perfect devious and strong cheapskate while Lemmon is perfect at playing the wacky and spineless sidekick.  Between their witty banter that carries this natural chemistry and their amazingly hilarious facial expressions these two can make a church mouse die of laughter in the middle of a service. 

                Because of its amazing use of sound and music along with it’s incredible acting by the main characters I give Some Like It Hot  an 8/10 rating.  This movie will make you cry from laughter or from the pain we feel coming from Sugar singing about her broken heart.  The amazing work with the costumes for such an early movie just puts this one over the top giving it that realism that we seek in all films.  Overall I highly recommend watching this film with the family so everyone can enjoy its comedy.