Quentin Tarantino Blood, gore, and a lot of language; you will find this is most Quentin Tarantino movies. Although, this is what makes him such a writer and director. Quentin Tarantino is not only a fantastic screenplay writer, but he also pushes the limit of intense plots of drama, and mostly violence. As a great director, who changes the world of filmmaking, Quentin Tarantino is one of the most unique directors/writers, today. Born March 27, 1963, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Quentin Jerome Tarantino did not have a very normal childhood (Fact Monster). He was raised by a single mother, who had many struggles (Fact Monster). At age 16, after completing 9th grade, he dropped out of high school (Biography Reference Bank). He absolutely hated school (Biography Reference Bank). His first job was at an “adult movie theater”, despite his disliking of pornographic film (Biography Reference Bank). Working at a video rental store, 22-year-old Tarantino’s love for film grew stronger (Biography Reference Bank). Finally, in 1990, he took a job in Hollywood as a telephone salesman at Imperial Entertainment (Biography Reference Bank). Here, a man discovered his screenplay for Reservoir Dogs, and thought it was brilliant (Biography Reference Bank). The man showed it to the head of Imperial Entertainment, and eventually it became a feature film (Biography Reference Bank). Without these jobs, Tarantino might have never even become interested in filmmaking Tarantino’s fast success is what makes him such a unique filmmaker. As a high school dropout, and just a bad kid in general, the average person would not expect him to be a well-known writer/director. The loved, yet disturbing movie Reservoir Dogs was his first screenplay, written when he wa... ... middle of paper ... ...t after all, “Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the world” (Brainy Quote – Godard). Works Cited “Quentin Tarantino.” Fact Monster. 2006. 11 March 2010 . Web. “Tarantino, Quentin.” Biography Reference Bank. 2009. New York, NY: The H. W. Wilson Company, 2009. Print. “Quentin Tarantino.” International Movie Database. 2010. 12 March 2010 . Web. “Quentin Tarantino.” Bio. 2010. 12 March 2010 . Web. Glickman, Simon. “Tarantino, Quentin (c. 1963 - ).” Newsmakers. Ed. Louise Mooney Collins and Geri J. Speace. Detroit. Gale Research, 2008. 15 March 2010 . Web. “Quentin Tarantino Quotes.” Brainy Quote. 2010. 31 March 2010 . Web. “Jean-Luc Godard Quotes” Brainy Quote. 2010. 31 March 2010 . Web.
Lisa Cholodenko grew up in Los Angeles and she began her film careers working as an assistant editor; however, she then moved to New York and earned an MFA in screenwriting and direction at the Columbia University School of arts. At Columbia University School of Arts, Cholodenko filmed her first short movie Dinner Party. Besides being a director, Lisa Cholodenko also was a film professor at Columbia University, an advisor and is currently on the Board of Governs of Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science. It was surprising to be able to find out how active Cholodenko is in the film industry and in the university she attended. This portrays how committed Cholodenko is to creating successful movies and to be a part of others film victory.
One of the most prominent and influential directors in New Hollywood was Italian-American Martin Scorsese. His first major critical success, and what is often considered his “breakthrough” film, was 1973’s Mean Streets. This film helped to establish Scorsese’s signature style in regards to narrative and thematics as well as aesthetically. Scorsese developed a unique and distinct directorial flair to his films, with reoccurring themes, settings, cinematography, and editing techniques, among other elements. This led a number of film critics to declare Scorsese an “auteur,” similar to Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut, and other auteur directors of the French New Wave.
The director I chose to do my Analysis/Research paper on is was David Cronenberg. After screening The Dead Zone, Cronenberg’s work impressed me. Prior to this class I had never heard his name, even though I had seen previous works such as The Fly. Since I had already viewed this movie I resorted to alternate movies he had directed. I was able to locate The Brood and Videodrome. The main reason I chose Cronenberg for my director had to do with his style. His movies are not the typical horror flick one has come used to today. When I was younger these movies were low budget and have a character such Jason from Friday the 13th running around with an ax and a hockey mask. Today the industry has progressed to Ben Wilson from I Know What You did Last Summer running around with a sharp hook for a hand. Somewhere between these two genres Mr. Cronenberg’s work fits in. He is not obsessed with the body count as many other horror directors are and is also able to develop a plot rather rare in this type of a film.
While Price does make a persuasive argument I cannot agree with the theme of his commentary. I have been a fervent viewer of television and films for years on end. Admittedly, much of what I watch on television qualifies as escapism or mere entertainment. I do not have a high degree of respect for the medium; however my love and admiration of film is intense. One could easily dismiss movies as superficial, unnecessarily violent spectacles, although such a viewpoint is distressingly pessimistic and myopic. In a given year, several films are released which have long-lasting effects on large numbers of individuals. These pictures speak to us as people and convey messages that are timely and timeless. Words are powerful, but visual images are overwhelming.
Spike Lee is a filmmaker who has generated numerous controversial films that unapologetically bring delicate social issuest o the media forefront. He honestly portrays life's societal obstacles. He challenges the public to cogitate on the world's glitches and disunion. Spike Lee created a name for himself with films such as Do the Right Thing (1989) and Malcolm X (1992), and with documentaries such as 4 Little Girls (1997) and When the Levees Broke (2006). Lee’s goal was to portray African Americans in a more accurate light. Even today Lee still produces films that directly address modern society's most significant historical movements and episodes. His productions analyze themes of race and discrimination. His work can be analyzed in academic studies such as Philosophy, African Studies, and literary concepts. I am interested in Spike Lee because his craft and career choice is somewhat similar to my future career endeavors. He not only exalted his skills to produce films but he broke barriers of stereotypical Hollywood movies. His works address issues in society such as political, racial, and environmental influences on African American culture. Given that society has evolved into a technology dependent culture; using this talent to visibly shed light to these concerns is an ability I hope to obtain one day.
Shelton Jackson Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia March 20, 1957. Born to teacher Jacqueline Carroll and jazz musician William James Edward Lee, Shelton grew up in Brooklyn, New York where he was provided with a rich cultural upbringing that included plays, movies, and music (Gale 1). At a young age, Lee was nicknamed “Spike” by his mother who noticed his rough nature and the nickname stuck well into his adult life. He attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia where he gained an interest in film and then graduated with a Bachelors degree in Mass Communication. Lee went on to attend New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where he created his first student film and graduated in 1982 with a Master of Fine Arts in Film and Television. Being one of the few black students to attend Tisch School of the Arts, the aspiring filmmaker’s first year at New York University was a particularly difficult one. Lee’s experiences, race, and upbringing have all led him to create controversial films to provide audiences with an insight into racial issues.
The only real way to truly understand a story is to understand all aspects of a story and their meanings. The same goes for movies, as they are all just stories being acted out. In Thomas Foster's book, “How to Read Literature Like a Professor”, Foster explains in detail the numerous ingredients of a story. He discusses almost everything that can be found in any given piece of literature. The devices discussed in Foster's book can be found in most movies as well, including in Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic, “Pulp Fiction”. This movie is a complicated tale that follows numerous characters involved in intertwining stories. Tarantino utilizes many devices to make “Pulp Fiction” into an excellent film. In this essay, I will demonstrate how several literary devices described in Foster's book are put to use in Tarantino’s film, “Pulp Fiction”, including quests, archetypes, food, and violence.
Spike Lee is considered to be one of the underrated directors of our time. He was born on March 20, 1957 in Atlanta. He grew up with a supportive family. He started making amateur films at the age of 20.After graduating NYU film school he was ready for the world. He already overcame the fact that African-American filmmakers were narrow. His big break started when he earned seven million in box office for a movie which priced at $175,000 to make. Also, the film was only shot in two weeks. This was only the beginning to a bright future. His vision shows no favoritism and spares no races. His use of interviews and social commentary gives different cultures an opportunity to look honestly into the hearts, minds, and conscience of their people. He also exposes hypocrisy and lies when he demonstrates the different stereotypes that remain in today’s society .Spike Lee creates amazing movies about provocative topics no else wanted to discuss. Who would know that small kid from Atlanta, Georgia could be considered an auteur? Shelton Jackson Lee is considered an auteur to extent by addressing provocative subjects, playing an acting role, unique traits, and being consistent.
The Analysis of Quentin Tarantino as a Director The director I have chosen to look at is Quentin Tarantino. His films have achieved a cult ang global status and I dont think anyone is going to argue that he is not an auteur. I am more interested in examining his style and seeing how this makes him an auteur and if it has changed when he was receiving a higher budget. Tarantino was born in Noxville Tennessee on 27th march 1963. Tony
Think about your favorite movie. When watching that movie, was there anything about the style of the movie that makes it your favorite? Have you ever thought about why that movie is just so darn good? The answer is because of the the Auteur. An Auteur is the artists behind the movie. They have and individual style and control over all elements of production, which make their movies exclusively unique. If you could put a finger on who the director of a movie is without even seeing the whole film, then the person that made the movie is most likely an auteur director. They have a unique stamp on each of their movies. This essay will be covering Martin Scorsese, you will soon find out that he is one of the best auteur directors in the film industry. This paper will include, but is not limited to two of his movies, Good Fellas, and The Wolf of Wall Street. We will also cover the details on what makes Martin Scorsese's movies unique, such as the common themes, recurring motifs, and filming practices found in their work. Then on
Stanley, Robert H. The Movie Idiom: Film as a Popular Art Form. Illinois: Waveland Press, Inc. 2011. Print
In recent times, such stereotyped categorizations of films are becoming inapplicable. ‘Blockbusters’ with celebrity-studded casts may have plots in which characters explore the depths of the human psyche, or avant-garde film techniques. Titles like ‘American Beauty’ (1999), ‘Fight Club’ (1999) and ‘Kill Bill 2’ (2004) come readily into mind. Hollywood perhaps could be gradually losing its stigma as a money-hungry machine churning out predictable, unintelligent flicks for mass consumption. While whether this image of Hollywood is justified remains open to debate, earlier films in the 60’s and 70’s like ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ (1967) and ‘Taxi Driver’ (1976) already revealed signs of depth and avant-garde film techniques. These films were successful as not only did they appeal to the mass audience, but they managed to communicate alternate messages to select groups who understood subtleties within them.
The reclusive film director Terrence Malick has to date, only directed a small number of films. His twenty year hiatus between directing Days of Heaven (1978) and The Thin Red Line (1998), may provide the explanation for such a sparse back catalogue. Malick’s refusal to talk with the media, has led to hearsay, as to how he occupied his time during the hiatus. Malick’s directing debut Badlands (1973) is a collection of concepts, all carefully moulded together to create one iconic piece of film. This process draws in and also alienates the audience. Malick’s style is positively noted by critics to be influenced by European philosophy. This is clearly due to Malick’s study of philosophy at Harvard and Magdalen College Oxford. There is no given explanation to the mindless violence featured within the film, mainly due to the films resistance to the straight forward approach. The familiar and the unknown are carefully merged together. The only way of gaining an understanding into the hidden meanings within Badlands is by breaking down the film, by looking at the characters, the use of sound, the visual setting and the films genre. The illusionary effect of Malick’s style means that all is not as it seems.
In conclusion it is clear that Tarantino’s film is postmodern, and Jameson’s insightful essay stands in relation to Pulp Fiction much in the same way as a prophecy stands in relation to its fulfilment. The postmodernist Tarantino expresses in a full and technicolour form what Jameson the modernist had only partially understood in the more static arts of painting and architecture.
“Entertainment has to come hand in hand with a little bit of medicine, some people go to the movies to be reminded that everything’s okay. I don’t make those kinds of movies. That, to me, is a lie. Everything’s not okay.” - David Fincher. David Fincher is the director that I am choosing to homage for a number of reasons. I personally find his movies to be some of the deepest, most well made, and beautiful films in recent memory. However it is Fincher’s take on story telling and filmmaking in general that causes me to admire his films so much. This quote exemplifies that, and is something that I whole-heartedly agree with. I am and have always been extremely opinionated and open about my views on the world and I believe that artists have a responsibility to do what they can with their art to help improve the culture that they are helping to create. In this paper I will try to outline exactly how Fincher creates the masterpieces that he does and what I can take from that and apply to my films.