In "Cinefile", a program made in 1994 for Channel 4, Quinton Tarantino profiles Robert De Niro's performances and star persona in "Meanstreets" and "The Godfather Part II". It's an important resource for anyone working on De Niro for a small scale research project.
In Part 2 Tarantino focuses on De Niro in "Taxi Driver", "The Deer Hunter" and "Raging Bull".
In Part 3 Tarantino analyses De Niro's performance in "Once Upon A Time In America" and discusses what a film co-starring De Niro and Al Pacino would be like. A year later, in 1995, they co-starred in the cop and gangster film , "Heat"
Showing posts with label FM3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FM3. Show all posts
Saturday, 25 July 2009
Friday, 3 July 2009
FM3: Harrison Ford and Wife Force 1!
FM3 Small Scale Research Project ideas
Harrison Ford
As amusing as this selection of clips may be they are still useful for examining star/performance issues on Harrison Ford - the repetition associated with his screen persona in similar film genres and and the meanings that he brings to the roles. Just as John Wayne used to furrow his forehead before expressing his anger in his films, there is also the trade-mark look of angry surprise on Harrison's face across a range of films. It is shots like these that audiences "expect" and "want" , whether they are always conscious of them or not, because they often derive pleasure from them. And, yes, Ford seems to be forever saving his wife! (Not withstanding Indiana Jones films in which he saves women who, had he married, could have been his wife).
An important aspect of Harrison Ford's persona and one worth exploring, is Ford's representation of masculinity - in this instance, the protective husband. Some modern US critics and writers bemoan younger American heroes who lack the assured masculinity that the now ageing Ford and Clint Eastwood, exude with ease.
For performance consider Harrison Ford's
Harrison Ford
As amusing as this selection of clips may be they are still useful for examining star/performance issues on Harrison Ford - the repetition associated with his screen persona in similar film genres and and the meanings that he brings to the roles. Just as John Wayne used to furrow his forehead before expressing his anger in his films, there is also the trade-mark look of angry surprise on Harrison's face across a range of films. It is shots like these that audiences "expect" and "want" , whether they are always conscious of them or not, because they often derive pleasure from them. And, yes, Ford seems to be forever saving his wife! (Not withstanding Indiana Jones films in which he saves women who, had he married, could have been his wife).
An important aspect of Harrison Ford's persona and one worth exploring, is Ford's representation of masculinity - in this instance, the protective husband. Some modern US critics and writers bemoan younger American heroes who lack the assured masculinity that the now ageing Ford and Clint Eastwood, exude with ease.
For performance consider Harrison Ford's
- Voice, intonation, accent, pitch
- Facial gestures and movement
- body movement and the idiosyncrasies he displays as a performer
- use of space and his phsyical presence and room he takes up in frames
- how all of the above represent his masculinity and the persona he projects on screen.
Any aspect of the above can create meaning from performance as they can show his character's feelings about other characters. These elements can affect how audiences react to Ford at various points in a film's narrative.
Monday, 22 June 2009
Film Research and Creative Projects - FM3
The German film director, Fritz Lang, would make a great subject for an auteur study. His film, "Metropolis" (1927), was a big- budget, futuristic movie, that was then the most expensive in Germany. With the rise of Hitler Lang fled to the USA where he used his experience and knowledge of expressionism to make several films in several genres, particularly, westerns and film noir.
"Metropolis" was reputedly Hitler's favourite film. Hitler's minister for propaganda, Joseph Geobbels thought the film encapsulated nazi ideals. Fritz Lang himself became uncomfortable with the film and disliked it possibly for the same reason, even though "Metropolis" that he made his name. His wife and co-creator of the film, Thea Gabriele von Harbou, remained in Germany as a faithful supporter of the nazi regime.
These clips are from the Giorgio Moroder version which he coloured and set to mostly synthesiser music in 1984. This version is both loved for its music and despised by some purists of the film.
The film would also make an interesting genre or gender study.
The mad scientist, C. A. Rotwang, has made a female robot for the master of Metropolis, Fredersen. But scientist has ulterior motives!
Rotwang throws a party for Fredersen and his friends to prove how human his devilishly tempting creation can be! By this time the female robot has been given the appearance of Maria.
The real Maria meet Fredersen's rich son by mistake as she goes through a door on the wrong floor. Two worlds collide in fully-blown German expressionism.
Rotwang chases after Maria so he can carry out his experiment to gain her appearance for his robot.
Rotwang's transformation of the Robot after he captures Maria.
A longer sequence from the film after which the Robot, as the false Maria, has done its worst by getting the workers to flood their factory underworld. (This clip's quality is poorer than those above. These clips are the work of Metropolis-Redux, an American who has gone to great pains to produce a DVD quality print of the film.)
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