The Opening Sequence of the Coen Brothers' Movie O brother Where art Thou? 'O brother where art thou?' has a unique storyline based on Homer's classic tale of 'The Odyssey', which is one story made up of short 'chapters', each relating a different adventure. In this story Ulysses, (who Everett McGill is based on) and his companions (who are the two men, Delmar and Pete, chained to Everett) are trying to get back home, however they anger the Gods and their journey is lengthened. They get lured by the Sirens, captured by a Cyclops and have lots of near death experiences. The film is set in the 1930's, in the southern states of America during the Depression. It is clear for the audience to see from the very start of the film when the time period is, because the first shot is of the chain gang. These were very common in the 1930's especially in the Southern states of America. The 1930's is a great period to set this film in because it was a time of social upheaval, deprivation, lawlessness and the rebirth of the Klu Klux Klan who had most of their power in the southern states. This was a time of suffering and hardship. At the start of the film the audience can see some image effects used: Kodak have coloured every outdoor shot in the film yellow. This is very effective because it makes the land look very dry and dusty. As this is during the depression it can also make it look like there is nothing much alive, almost like a desert. The film starts in black and white and then the colour 'bleeds' in about ten seconds later. This is a very effective way of starting the film because of the time period the film is set in. In the 1930'... ... middle of paper ... ...it is hard to focus on the key theme of the film which is Everett's quest to get back to his wife. This echoes Ulysses' adventures as he tries to get back home to his wife. Using a range of shots can create more depth in the film and increase the dramatic effects; for instance the extreme long shots show what a vast deserted, barren wasteland it is, and the close ups of the characters' faces make us share the emotions they are experiencing. The Foley track enhances the sound to make it more realistic, for example the train whistle creates a sense of urgency as the prisoners are running to try and get on board. The colour change at the very start of the film from black and white to yellow tones conveys a dry, dusty landscape. It also has the effect of bleaching the land, giving an impression of a very hot climate.
I am going to be analyzing about the first ten minutes of the film to
Identify two themes of the movie and link them to particular parts of the movie
...im discovers that he agrees with Israel. John is a person who lives his life and has no regrets about his decisions. Jim discovers that John Silver is a mysterious and complicated role model. The most important lessons he learns from John is courage and how important it is to make decisions for himself.
Jerry and Gaear being persecuted for their crimes shows the Coen brothers traditional view of morality. The Coen brothers believe in the good, this is why they created Marge as a character. Understanding the philosophy that is behind each of the character’s actions clarifies the need for each of their roles. In order to understand the purpose of morality to the Coen brothers, one must break down the thought process that goes into each of the characters. The Coen brothers are quite diverse in their filmmaking, basing all of their scripts on film noir and screwball comedy. Therefore, they allow themselves to explore multiple genres and test the limits of standard filmmaking. For example, in their 1996 film Fargo, the Coen brothers push the boundaries
Each of the above quotes can be used to illustrate an important idea in the film. Write a paragraph using one or more of them, or quotes or scenes you recall from elsewhere in the film, to illustrate what you consider to be one of the important ideas in the movie. Think of the following topics:
Even though it’s repeating the same structure which could conceivably have worked just as well in a shorter format, the film impresses to the degree that it sustains such a seemingly narrow topic of inquiry over the course of its 90-minute running time. For a movie not entirely set within the waking people of the world, it’s never somnambulant.
Although there were many social psychology topics illustrated in the film, some of them stood out more to me. There was a lot of prejudice situations in this movie, such as when they first came home
There are many more examples throughout this movie that can be connected or assessed to the many different concepts that was learned. There are many real-life events and these concepts are important because they allow people to see how different types of people and families deal with stress and problems and it is important not to judge or jump to conclusions and maybe take a step back and take time to consider what others may be going
Band of Brothers is a ten part, eleven hour mini series directed by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. The series aired on HBO in 2001 and is based on the book by Stephen Ambrose by the same title.
... love and happiness of one’s family. Walter changes from being self-centered to self-less. He gives up his dream of having a liquor store when Willy Harris runs away with the money. Walter does that so the Younger family can fill their lives with joy and do not have to struggle anymore. This is the biggest sacrifice that Walter makes for the family. This theme also applies to everyday life. Many people sacrifice their wishes and dreams that they have, so they could help their family through tough times and always keep a smile on their faces. Love, sacrifice, and happiness is a part of everyday life.
...the predominant theme of disorientation and lack of understanding throughout the film. The audience is never clear of if the scene happening is authentic or if there is a false reality.
... is the brutality of hate and racism. The emotions running high in the movie makes it powerful and moving and the death of Derek’s younger brother Danny Vinyard is shocking enough to bring tears to many viewers’ eyes. The movie ends with Danny’s voice reading his paper out loud and he ends his paper with a very important quote by Abraham Lincoln. This quote shows how Danny’s, as well as Derek’s, mindset changed from the beginning of the movie to the end. When hearing this quote it leaves the viewers in awe that Danny finally started to look past his hateful ideologies but ends up dead because of the lifestyle him and his brother decided to lead. “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained we must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be by the better angels of our nature”.
Although there were many concepts that were present within the movie, I choose to focus on two that I thought to be most important. The first is the realistic conflict theory. Our textbook defines this as, “the view that prejudice...
1980. Warner Bros. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Music by Wendy Carlos and Rcachel Elkind. Cinematography by John Alcott. Editing by Ray Lovejoy. With Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd.
...y to become its core substance, and the hurdles he overcomes. I think the movie achieved that goal.