Silent Spring

Chaplin is most well-known for his character The Tramp, as well as writing, directing, and starring in his own films. Just as Hollywood was moving into “talkies” or films with sound, Chaplin was still going against the grain. He remained one of the last silent film stars until the release of the political satire comedy-drama The Great Dictator in 1940. Besides his singing part in Modern Times, this was the first time audiences heard Chaplin’s true voice. The Great Dictator tells the story of a…

Shane Acker uses different aspects of sound, music, and image track to effectively deliver a well-crafted short, “9”. The opening and ending sequences both have a subtle, elegiac melody that establishes the dreary atmosphere of the film. Apart from this, there is very little music present throughout; as a result, this piece of music bookends the short. The sound in “9” is mostly practical and largely from objects, such as footsteps on the ground. The minimal use of sound in this film establishes…

Although most of the movies that came out during the 1930’s are in black in white, this era was labeled “The Golden Age of HollyWood.” This was right after that of the 1920’s silent films. The 1930s were known for their sound and color revolutions. There also became more genres of films such as; musicals, historical biopics, comedies, western films, gangster films, newspaper- reporting films, social realism films, and horror to name a few. The advancements of 1930’s special effects in movies had…

Divorce Impacting Children Students may act up in school but there are many reasons for that. Some students may be going through stuff at home. It may not seem like it is not doing anything to them but it really is affecting them. Even though parents may not realize this but divorce does impact children and has a long term effect that can affect them for life, because it has a big impact because divorce can cause stress and anxiety, cause bad relationships with parents, and it causes poor…

The power of cinema has been remarkably significant in the world because of it’s ability to take you into worlds were anything can happen. You watch a movie where reality is often pushed to the side and imagination takes over. Movies have the ability to also tell truths about real world happenings that are not so easily talked about, allowing the viewer to understand what is actually happening. But, with power comes great responsibility. Hollywood’s representation of Native Americans has been…

In the beginning, all films were short. The earliest cinema audiences may not have been particularly aware of this as they marvelled at seconds-long scenes of circus performers, exotic cities, scantily clad ladies and people going about their daily business. For them, the novelty and the thrill of witnessing man’s latest technological triumph was paramount. But as the 20th century dawned, films began to get longer. Short films often offer great creative freedom, having underlying themes and…

As the 69th Cannes Film Festival progresses, an attempt at revisiting the only Indian film to have won Grand Prix there In a year when no film from India has made it to the competition section at Cannes, it is interesting to note that the only time an Indian entry won the top honours there was a year before the country was born. Almost 70 years back, in 1946, Neecha Nagar by Chetan Anand shared the Grand Prix with 10 other films. Among the very first films to follow the approach of social…

The plot synopsis of Ram Reddy’s Thithi (2016) indicates why such a simple film has consistently found its way to film festivals both national and international and has been already numbered among the most genuine examples of feature-length ethno filmmaking in Indian Cinema. The film Thithi, is about the death of a 101-year-old patriarch called Century Gowda and how three generations of his family react to his death. The opening sequence of the film begins with death of Century Gowda and the…

Sergei Prokofief (1891 – 1953) An important factor in the film business, being that’s it such a complicated collaborative art form, is working with people that you’ve had good working relationships with on past projects. This is a norm in so many projects. We find directors working with the same actors, cinematographers, editors, produces, and composers, over and over again. A good example of directors and composers: Spielberg/Williams, Fellini/Rota, and Eisenstein/Prokofief. Sergei Prokofiev…

The Passion’s use of close-up camera angles convey the character’s emotion and helps this film translate well to modern audiences. Due to the restrictions that come with silent films, the technique is extremely important to the progression in narrative and the portrayal of the films pivotal characters. Renée Jeanne Falconetti plays the lead roll of Joan, the courageous yet deeply distressed warrior of France. Falconetti’s expressive face invokes empathy within the audience. Near the beginning of…