The Godfather

This time my group watched The Godfather. Like the other two of Coppola's films that I have seen, I tend to like it. The acting is, like we noticed in The Art of Film 1, to Coppola's perfection. The quality of the film is very good for an early 1970's film and the story is superb.

I looked at a Roger Ebert review from Rotten Tomatoes. Ebert states that the film leads you into the Corleone family and "we tend to identify with Don Corleone's family not because we dig gang wars, but because we have been with them from the beginning..." Although, like the two other Coppola movies I have seen, The Godfather tends to start slow. It seems to build up to the climax. During this rising action we grow on the Corleone family. We feel like a part of their family, without the quick attitudes and guns.

But the real story, according to Ebert is not the guns fights or money, but the way the youngest Corleone son, Michael starts in on the family business "while revising his old-fashioned ways..."

So while I was watching The Godfather, I realized that one; I should watch more Coppola films and two; what such a great impact family has had on me and the people around me...I know I didn't really talk about that in the paragraphs above, but it seemed like a good way to end...

Apocalypse Now...worth watching

My group is studying the director Francis Ford Coppola. We watched the movie Apocalypse Now. I would have to say that I liked this movie a lot despite the lengh and the ending which seemed to carry on literly for hours. But over all the movie was well done and worth the 200 plus days of shooting. But like we talked about in The Art of Film 1 last semester, I can see how it got most of it's credit and fame long after it came out.

Now I haven't seen many '70s films but according to Allen Barra this decade could have been the most exciting one in American film. Now I haven't seen any other of Coppola' films (so maybe I should just shut up) but I guess they were pretty good. According to Barra, Apocalypse Now was supposed to "put a cap on the most exciting decade in American film, that it would sum up everything that had come before and influence everything that came after." But Barra thinks otherwise. He thinks it was a disappointment.

Like I've said, I haven't seen any other of Coppola' films but I can't imagin that it is that bad to him. In The Art of Film 1 we talked about how the film didn't get much attention when it came out but in todays time, it seems pretty famous. So although "top critic" (according to rottontomatoes) thinks it is not a film worth seeing, I do...so if you haven't seen it pick 2 hours and 35 minutes out of your evening and plop down and watch it.

M

I seem to complain a lot in my posts. But I also think the majority of the movies we have watched are good or at least above decent.

However, I didn't really like the movie M. It was kind of creepy if you ask me. From the dark streets to the eyes of Hans to the overall concept of murdering innocent young girls. What kind of sicko kills innocent young girls?

Plus it was in German and I had to read the subtitles. I already complained about watching movies with subtitles in the blog for the Battle of Algiers, so I'm not going to go there. But one thing does bug me; It's when the people talk so fast in their native language that the subtitles are only shown for about 2 seconds and I can't read that fast so I sometimes Miss out on half of the movie. Anyways...

Do the Right Thing

The movie Do the Right Thing brightened my day. Maybe that was the brightness of the film. But watching this movie after The Battle of Algiers was a relief.

We talked about if Mookie did the right thing at the end of the film in class. I think he did. Sal understood Mookie and respected him. Mookie understands that Sal is not a racist, he's just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And yes, said something that he maybe shouldn't have but we all make mistakes.

But what is not a mistake is when Mookie picks up the money on the ground at the end. I think he deserves it.

Uhhh...

Okay hands down the worst movie I have ever seen! The Battle of Algiers was is black and white, they spoke french and it had subtitles. I don't want to read when I'm watching a movie, that defeats the whole purpose.

Okay, so they had some good camera angles in the tall buildings and high and low key lighting because of the shadows in the alleyways, but I didn't even think the acting was that good.

Well, maybe I'm ripping on this movie too much...but I never want to see that movie again.

I really don't have anything else to say except that the French guards are stupid for not searching the women when they go into the French quarters because that is who is blowing stuff up anyways, the women.

Test This You #&@#$! Quack

Memento might have been the coolest movie I've ever seen! However it was so, so confusing. But thanks to Mr. K I was able to understand it. I thought that the crew of Memento did a very good job editing. I really liked how the movie went backwards.

But I still don't get why the black and white scenes were in between the colored ones? That kind of confused me because it seems they could have just put those scenes towards the end before he takes the picture of Jimmy.

My favorite part was his memory goes blank after he beats and ties up Dodd. He realizes he his holding a bottle and says, "I don't feel drunk." I think that is a funny part. Well, I actually have more favorite parts of the movie that only Dan S. would know about...and because Memento is a sick movie...That's right Dan, you know what I'm talking about.

Whatever...I didn't like this movie

I thought this movie was so-so. I really liked Nick, the mechanic. He was SO big. But who would come up with a movie wear insane, ugly women are running around in just a trench coat. That's disgusting. She might have deserved the torturing for running away. However it is kind of sad. Anyways, I also liked the black car that Mike drove. I wish I had one of those. I definitely didn't like the ending. Which is weird because if you know me, you would think I would like it. But it was SO stupid! And why did they run into the ocean at the end? Whatever...I hope the next movie we watch is a little better...nothing against you Mr. K...