Understanding Movies
josh
Paper, Order, or Assignment Requirements
Question#1
Consider both the film noir “Title: They Live by the Night (1948)” and neo-noir title “Jackie Brown (1997)” you screened this week, and discuss the similarities and differences that you find in formal and other qualities of either. Specifically, how is lighting, mise-en-scene, and cinematography used expressively to enhance the story in each film? Also, address any relationship between the content that they may share, such as the use of archetypes (femme fatale, morally ambiguous protagonist, etc.), urban settings, hard-luck stories wrought with deceit, and so forth.
You may want to visit Paul Schrader’s “Notes on Film Noir”
Your initial response should be (at least) a substantive three or four paragraphs (200+ words).
Question #2
Look at films from 1940 to 1960, focus specifically on War Films and Film Noir, discuss the time period that color film came into greater use.
