The opening sequence of Spaghetti Western film, Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone, 1968), showcases how director, Sergio Leone, utilises the formal properties of the medium of cinema to produce meaning for the audience and foreshadow later events and themes which arise throughout the development of the plot. The film opens with a single scene of a mysterious, harmonica-playing gunman (Charles Bronson), embroiled in a showdown with three men that have been drafted to kill him (Jack Elam, Woody Strode, Al Mulock). The sequence culminates with the gunman binding up his wounded arm and collecting his belongings, abandoning the other three men dead by a railway line. This essay will endeavour to explore how each creative and technical element of the production creates a sense of ambiguity and tension to the scene, grasping the audience’s engagement with the film. To do this, the mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, sound and performance of the text will each be subject to detailed analysis.
Without a doubt, the most effective and compelling element of the opening scene is
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The length of each shot is long, moments of subtle action drawn out into longer cuts to heighten the sense of dread. For example, in the moments of the aftermath of the shooting, the character of the Harmonica is shown to bandage up his arm and put his hat on. Instead of adopting a range of angles and cuts to portray this sequence, Leone favours a single mid-shot that lasts twenty-seven seconds. This protracted sequence builds the sense of enigma surrounding the Harmonica – who is this man and what will he do next? The length of the shot also hints at the characterisation of the gunman to the audience; the leisurely pace at which he performs his duties depicting him as someone who is not afraid of danger or violence, traits which are seen again and again throughout the progression of the
Francis Ford Coppola directed the gangster crime drama film, The Godfather (1972), inspired by the novel of the same name, written by Author Mario Puzo. The film plays out in the beginning how Don Corleone declined to join the narcotics business with notorious drug lord Sollozzo. With this in mind, one of the greatest gangster films created by a man who decided to lead, and not follows. Moreover, explaining the formalist approach for this film which covers an array of elements that include plot structure, camera techniques, editing, mise en scene, and sound. The following film critique will analyze “The Godfather,” beginning by utilizing the formalist approach theory, camera technique and sound gradually introducing additional theories
The American West is one of the most famous and important part of the American history. The American West or another name the American Frontier started off in the late-1700 and ended in mid-1940. Although that part of history ended, but the influence and the old west culture is still around today. So let get into the history of the American West, of what made the West what it is and how all the forces molded the West.
The elements of cinematography in the film include a low angle shot looking up at the farmer as he chops wood at the beginning of the scene. The shot is preceded by the infamous extreme long shot of the military convoy. The director uses close ups to capture emotions throughout the entire opening scene. Fear in the faces of the farmer’s daughters as they come face to face with the Jew Hunter. Fear in the face of the farmer when he prepares himself as the military convoy approaches. Close ups are used at the table when the confrontation looms; the camera zooms in when the farmer begins to crack under the
What happens in the opening scene is very relevant and foreshadows the atmosphere of the whole
The NL West is a riveting division which produced two playoffs teams last year; although four can be considered to have a shot this season, at least one of those four will disappoint. The Dodgers have won the division each of the last four years and will likely win it again this season. They have both a dynamite lineup and a light ‘em up rotation, but were plagued by injuries last season and have numerous players who are injury risks this year. Their ace is Clayton Kershaw, who has been an all-star for six consecutive seasons and the NL Cy Young winner thrice; in one of those years he won the NL MVP as well. Rich Hill pitched superbly last season when he was on the mound, but he gets injured way too often. Kenta Maeda pitched well
I will be talking about the era of the American West in the middle and late 1800s and the differences and similarities of primary sources and the textbook HIST4. Chief Red Cloud’s Speech, the Sandy Creek Massacre from the Rocky Mountain News Editorial and Helen Hunt Jackson’s Account of Sandy Creek, Nannie Alderson, from the book called A Bride Goes West, Epitaph on a Tombstone, and Bill of sale for a Chinese Prostitute. For anyone wanting to know and read more about the American West you could attain more comprehension read a book about HIST4 or any other books by Kevin M. Shultz or by reading primary sources dating by the time.
This paper will discuss various elements of mise-en-scene, specifically; character development, lighting, performance, costume, makeup in the film "Casablanca".(Michael Curtiz,1942) The setting of the story sets the tone for the entire film. Shots of tanks and planes show the violence of war that coincides with the cutthroat city that is Casablanca. From there, those sentiments are reinforced when a man is shot in the street while another man pick pockets someone whom is distracted. The mood of the movie stays on the dark side of things when we enter Rick's Café, where we meet our protagonist played by Humphrey Bogart. In this scene we are treated to the jaded portrayal of night club owner. We see his utter disregard for a French woman
Being one of the world’s most popular art forms, it was inevitable that these archetypes would find their way into film as well. In this essay I will argue that the
Over the years, the idea of the western frontier of American history has been unjustly and falsely romanticized by the movie, novel, and television industries. People now believe the west to have been populated by gun-slinging cowboys wearing ten gallon hats who rode off on capricious, idealistic adventures. Not only is this perception of the west far from the truth, but no mention of the atrocities of Indian massacre, avarice, and ill-advised, often deceptive, government programs is even present in the average citizen’s understanding of the frontier. This misunderstanding of the west is epitomized by the statement, “Frederick Jackson Turner’s frontier thesis was as real as the myth of the west. The development of the west was, in
During the course I realized how large of a role art plays in helping create cultures and developing and preserving the history of civilizations. I find it interesting that when there’s no written history or any historical buildings, cultures will always make their own ancient past grander than what it really is. The Israelites, the Greeks and Romans all tell stories of their history that has no written proof. It seems that we as people want to have a connection to our roots and to understand where we come from. This is why I believe that most people want to believe in a higher power.
The Navajo Indians emulated the pueblo. The shed their animal skin clothing for cotton and learned quickly how to farm. These people settled in between the Rio Grande and the Grand Canyon. They herded sheep and grew corn in the valleys. They were a peaceful group of people, and were one with their surroundings.
From the opening sequence one can establish that Casablanca obeys the elementary principles used in the Classical Hollywood narrative structure. In the initial minutes of the film the audience is introduced via a voice over of the various political happenings prior to the films start such as Hitler’s occupation of Europe and the surge of refugees who fled the Nazi’s to Casablanca. The use of narration presents the audience with a simple introduction which the rest of
Understanding movies comes from describing and analyzing the cinematic, theatrical, and literary elements that combine to create meaning. These steps create a basic understanding of the artistic and technical elements found in moviemaking. In addition, the major characteristics of different film genres and classic movies will be analyzed. The purpose of this paper is analyzing the Academy Award winning film Chicago. This paper will describe the six steps that a person should think about when watching a movie. These steps include, (1) analysis of the narrative: story, plot and meaning; (2) theatrical elements, (3) cinematography, (4) editing, (5) sound and the (6) complete package.
The scene that I have chosen to analyse is from the movie, Once Upon A Time in the West by Sergio Leone. Once Upon A Time in the West is a Spaghetti Western film released in 1968 starring Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson. Accredited as a true masterpiece and one of the greatest films of all time, Once Upon A Time in the West was chosen by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film registry for being “culturally, historically and aesthetically significant”. The scene that I have picked to deconstruct is the opening scene itself where three hired executioners are introduced followed by the ingenious entry of the protagonist, Harmonica played by Charles Bronson. This scene is truly a moment of genuine impact as
A. J. Polyzoides, an honorary senior lecturer at Birmingham University, states: “The western world has adopted and developed their discoveries throughout the centuries.” (Polyzoides 1). As the Hellenistic society shifted away from the Classical ideals of perfectionism and idolization of the elites and gods in sculpture, artists began to be fixated on illustrating imperfection of a variety of individuals faced with the ruthless authenticity of their emotional struggles. Whereas, Classical architecture focused on dedicating massive structures to the gods to emphasize their divinity, but Hellenistic architecture used advanced technology to exemplify Alexander the Great’s magnificence. Thus, differences in the architecture can be seen in the sophisticated town of Alexandria with structures such as the lighthouse that show how Alexander the Great influenced town planning that was centralized on the creation of a superior city, likewise, The Altar at Pergamon expresses the loss of focus on the divine through unique sculptural techniques. Change can also be seen in the sculptures of The Boxer and The Old Market Woman as they are depicted to be imperfectly individualistic and in emotional distress.