Mulholland Drive

Catherine O’Connell

Elements of the Film

December 7, 2010

  David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive is a psychological thriller that keeps viewers guessing.  However, the acting style and postmodernist strategies make the film extremely confusing to understand.  When we first meet the character Betty, we see a woman who has a longing to become an actress in Hollywood.  However, the style of acting that Lynch uses for Betty is over the top.  She seems too dramatic and unintelligent to be a likable character.  We see examples of this when she meets Rita.  She acts as if it is no big deal that this woman is living in her aunt’s home.  However, this changes when Betty becomes Diane.  The role reversal causes a change in acting as well as a change in character.  These reversals add to the confusing nature of the film.  We see Betty transition from a naïve girl to a sexually frustrated woman.

            The postmodernist strategies used in this film also make it particularly confusing.  This film is non-linear which makes it hard to follow from the beginning.  The role reversals also make the point of this film unclear.  The story seems to be ever changing in a way that doesn’t make any sense.  We see similar scenes portrayed in different ways with characters acting as someone else.  There are also confusing love affairs and relationships that continually happen throughout the movie.  There is an air of playfulness that continually comes to light in this film.  The overacting adds a sense of playfulness in itself.  There is also a scene in which Adam Kesher, a director, walks in on his girlfriend with another man.  It would seem as if this scene should be dark and upsetting.  However, there is definitely a sense of playfulness in this scene.  When Adam walks in, he sees that his wife is in bed with Billy Ray Cyrus.  This makes the film seem completely unrealistic and strange.  After Adam sees this he takes his girlfriend’s jewelry and pours paint on it.  This comedic scene takes a serious event and turns it into something funny.  Together acting style and postmodernist strategies combine to make this film an experience in which one walks away wonder what just happened.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mine

Catherine O’Connell

Elements of the Film

November 30, 2010

            Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind includes elements of romance, fantasy, and science fiction throughout.  However, the fantasy and science fiction elements in the movie add to the romance aspect.  When we think about our past memories of relationships we do not usually think in a linear fashion.  This film is not linear which makes it more realistic in an emotional sense.  In the film, Joel’s character is asleep while his memories of Clementine are being erased.  He realizes mid-way through the procedure that he does not want to erase Clementine from his memory.  Therefore, he tries to escape with Clementine in his mind to try and keep the memories of her.  Dreams often defy aspects of reality and in Joel’s mind the laws of physics are definitely challenged.  By allowing this to happen, it brings the viewer closer to Joel’s emotional state.  It makes the movie more romantic because we feel the way Joel is feeling as he tries to keep Clementine with him.  At one point Joel thinks of a memory that he and Clementine shared when they were laying on a frozen lake.  He looks over at her and she is being pulled away into the darkness.  She quickly reaches out to him and her lips move to say Joel, but no sound is heard.  This shows that his memory of Clementine is being erased, but it also makes the viewer feel what he is feeling.  He feels as if she is being pulled away from him and he cannot hold on to her.  When you see her disappearing into the darkness it feels as if you want to reach out and grab her as well.  It keeps the viewer hoping that their romance can continue, and that Joel can keep her in his mind.  The fact that this procedure can be done in the film is part of the science fiction aspect of the movie.  However, it makes you think about real life as well.  Whenever we lose someone or break up with someone, we sometimes wish we hadn’t known them at all because it hurts so much.  The pain of losing them seems to out way the joy of remembrance.  By bringing the viewer into the lawless dream world of Joel, the viewer can relate to his romance with Clementine, and think about their own experiences with love.

Do The Right Thing- Spike Lee

                Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing focuses on many social, racial, and moral issues.  Just like the movie M and The Godfather, we are introduced to a corrupt society in which everyone is out for themselves.  We see issues between the police and the people that live on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn.  We see conflict arise among people of different races on this same street.  Everyone seems to be extremely angry and hatred builds until violence erupts in one of the last scenes.  We see one act of violence lead to another and these results in the death of a character named Radio Raheem.  His death was caused by a police officer who choked him to death.  This brings back issues we have dealt with before of whether the police are really keeping the peace or only making things worse.  At the end of the movie the viewer is left thinking, “What is the right thing?”

                I think the message here is that violence does not solve anything.  People aren’t always going to accept each other, but that doesn’t mean they should try to hurt each other.  Sometimes you just have to let people live the way they want to live.  In the end, everyone is left feeling as though they have lost something.  Sal’s Famous Pizzeria is destroyed, Radio Raheem is dead, Mookie out of a job and many people are left wondering what is next?  The feeling of hopelessness at the end of the movie shows that violence is not a way to solve problems.  This feeling of hopelessness is portrayed through a number of different ways.  The sound dies out and it is silent for a short time.  When the sound comes back, it is very quiet.  We see all the wreckage and the debris of what is left of Sal’s Pizzeria after it has been destroyed.  The mise-en-scene adds to this scene of destruction.  Debris from the Pizzeria is scattered everywhere.  Radio Raheem’s stereo is broken on the ground.  Everything that once stood as a symbol of each person’s individuality has now been reduced to ruin.  If this shows us anything, it is that we are all human.  Just because we each have our own culture or system of beliefs doesn’t mean we are so radically different from each other.  In the end we are all people and our differences are nothing compared to our similarities.

The Shining

            There are many elements that come together to make The Shining unsettling.  Cinematography, sound, editing, and mise-en-scene were all used to make this film disturbing to the viewer.  The length of this film also added an uneasy feeling.  Just as we see Michael Corleone’s transformation over a long period of time in The Godfather, we also see Jack’s transformation in The Shining.

            Cinematography was used in a way that made the Overlook Hotel seem enormous.  The longs shots of Jack throwing a ball at the wall showed just how large that room was.  There are many extreme long shots in which we see Jack at the other end of the room, and he seems so small.  There are also many following shots in which characters were followed as they walked through the hotel.  There are several shots in which the camera follows closely behind Jack’s son as he rides his tricycle through the hallway.  The camera is following so closely that it adds an element of suspense.  Every time the boy turns a corner we wonder what he is going to see.  Suspense builds as he turns corner after corner through the halls in one single shot.  There are also many following or tracking shots of the mother when she is walking through the halls.  This also adds suspense because we do not know where she is going or how long it will take for her to reach her destination.

            Editing was used as a way to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat.  The shots of the individual family members walking through the halls are uncomfortably long.  These long cuts make you feel as if something is about to happen.  Kubrick also intercuts close up shots of the son’s face and the twin girls standing at the end of the hallway followed by gruesome shots of the girls after they have been murdered.  These jumps between shots are very quick and unsettling.  These shots are abrupt, gruesome, and somewhat random.  They make the viewer wonder when the next gruesome shot will appear.  These cuts function as small bursts of adrenaline that cause the viewer to feel afraid several time in quick succession.  This is different from other horror movies in which the build up leads to only one scary climax.  Here we have several jolts that cause the viewer the feel as if a lot more has just happened.

            Mise-en-scene also played a large role in keeping the viewer on edge.  At one point, Jack enters a room full of guests dressed like they are from the twenties.  They seem like ghosts and they act as if they are just having a good time at a party.  This gives an eerie feeling that brings the viewer back to a time when another man was in Jack’s position, but he was successful in killing his entire family.  It seems as if the hotel is coming to life, and the previous guests still linger within its walls.  Skeleton props were used to show that even though the guests seemed real, they were really dead.  At one point the mother runs into a man with blood on his face as he holds a wine glass up to her and smiles.  These props give the viewer a feeling of impending death.  It is as if the house is being sinister and sarcastic because it knows that it will be hard to escape.

            Sound makes this film extremely unsettling throughout.  There are jarring and abrupt noises made throughout the film.  In the open sequence with the credits, noises are being made that sound like someone laughing or taunting the car as it drives towards the hotel.  There are screeching noises and loud clashing sounds that could make any jump up from their seat.  The noise makes everything that happens in the movie more dramatic.  Even when nothing happens the music sounds sinister.  This gives the feeling that something is going to happen.  It is like something is lurking behind every corner and the music tells the viewer that it is only a matter of time before we find out what is behind that corner.

            All of these elements combine to make the viewer feel uneasy and terrified.  There really isn’t any point in which contentment can be felt in this film.  These elements continually keep the viewer alert and attentive.  We feel suspicious because elements in this film hint that we should be suspicious.  They are like small warning signs that keep us from trusting anyone or anything.

The Godfather and M

            While there are some similarities, In The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola portrays criminals in a different way from the movie M.  Coppola and Fritz Lang both show that the boundaries between police and criminals are blurry.  Their movies allow you to question whether the police are really the good guys or if they are just criminals in disguise.  Both the criminals and the police seem corrupt and the main characters seem to be caught in the middle.  It also seems as if the main “criminals” in the each of these movies try to stay out of criminal life.  However, they always end up coming back into a life of crime whether they can help it or not.  While there are similarities between the two movies, there are many differences.

            The portrayal of Beckman in M suggests that Beckman is insane and that he cannot help but to commit his horrible crimes.  However, In The Godfather, Michael Corleone clearly chooses to enter into the “family business”.  The Godfather takes the viewer through a span of many years and allows you to become closer to each of the characters.  By the end of the movie you feel as if you know each of the characters.  You feel familiar with them.  In M we do not have a good sense of who Beckman is until the end of the movie.  By that time we do not feel that we really know Beckman or that we could really understand him.  We watch Michael Corleone throughout the movie and we become familiar with his family and his personal life.  This allows us to feel somewhat sympathetic to him.  We can almost root him on as he gets revenge against others who have gone against his family.

            Michael Corleone and his family seem as if they are the least corrupt people in the movie when you see what others are doing.  The Corleone family is keeping order among society by using fear to gain power.  It seems as if society is so corrupt, the only way to handle it is to be corrupt yourself.  It is like fighting fire with fire, and the Corleone family does it well.

            While there are similarities and differences between these two films, they both criticize how society works.  There is no clear distinction between right and wrong.  It seems as if everyone is corrupt and there is no way that one person could be considered better than someone else.  These films bring to light all the problems that individuals as well as society face as far as morality goes.

Annie Hall – Woody Allen

Annie Hall tells the story of a man named Alvy and his relationships with woman throughout his life that lead up to his relationship with Annie.  This comedic film was extremely interactive.  Woody Allen was able to introduce character, and then explain how they were really feeling.  Throughout the film it feels as if we are in the movie with Alvy.  It is as if we are experiencing everything he is experiencing. 

Alvy continually talks directly to the audience which makes us feel like we are right next to him.  When he is in his childhood classroom, each student states what they are currently doing to the audience.  You get the feeling that everywhere Alvy goes, we go too.  The camera is always placed in an area where we a person could be standing.  We feel as if we are standing next to the dinner table at Annie’s home.  Alvy turns to talk to us to comment on the dinner conversation.  Then we get a glimpse of what Alvy’s family dinners are like.  At one point Annie’s family and Alvy’s family begin talking to each other.  This keeps the viewer interacted. 

You feel a connection with Alvy.  The viewer is actually a part of the movie rather than just a viewer.  Another example of this interactive experience is when Annie and Alvy are waiting in line to see a movie.  A man behind them in line is voicing his opinions about Marshall Mcluhan.  Alvy goes up to the camera and begins to explain how annoyed he is by the man behind him.  Then the man behind him comes up to the audience and tries to defend himself.  The two characters are interacting with the audience as if we are right there.  They are both trying to persuade us to their side.  At one point Marshall Mcluhan comes out and voices his opinion as well.  All of these interactions make the viewer feel as if they are experiencing exactly what Alvy is experiencing.

Hitchcock’s Psycho

Editing can be used to achieve a certain emotion from film viewers.  Hitchcock uses editing to make Psycho more suspenseful.  Throughout Psycho, there are many cuts that allow us to view a situation from different vantage points.  An example of this was when Marion Crane was being followed by a police car.  The camera continuously showed the expression on her face as she looked in the mirror, but it also showed the car as if the viewer was in the backseat looking out of the rearview windshield.  These continuous cuts allow for a buildup in suspense.  Every time we see Marion’s worried expression as she looks in the rearview mirror, we wonder if we will still see the police car following her.  Each cut brings the viewer closer to the edge of his/her seat.  We see this again during the infamous “shower scene”.  There are continuously different shots whether it is Marion’s feet with blood falling around them, or an image of a knife touching her skin, or an image of her screaming with her hand covering her face.  All of these cuts happen quickly and make the viewer wonder what image will show up next.  As each image becomes more and more graphic, suspense builds and so does curiosity as to what the next image will be.  These cuts are abrupt and sudden.  They force the viewer to notice what is happening and pay attention.  Another example of these cuts is when Norman’s stuffed birds are shown.  The camera quickly cuts from one bird to the next.  This gives an overwhelming sense of being watched or trapped.  As more and more birds are shown, it is evident that the room is full of stuffed birds.  This changes the atmosphere of the movie to that of a creepy uncomfortable feel.  All of these cuts come together to make the viewer feel uneasy throughout the movie.  Keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat allows them to pay attention and remain focused to what is going on.  It also creates a fast paced motion and sets the tone for the rest of the film.

Fritz Lang’s “M”

            Fritz Lang’s M tells the story of a town that is terrorized by the murders of several children that live there.  Once people start to realize that the killer lives among them, they begin to accuse everyone.  Throughout this chaotic time, we only see the killer once.  We never become familiar with the killer, and he seems more like a mystery figure that hides in the shadows.  However, we do become familiar with a mother whose child was one of the victims.  This allows there to be a sense a pity for the mother and a want for revenge against the killer.  Even during this chaotic time, the town comes together to catch the murderer.  Beggars look for the killer in order to get a reward.  Police officers try to bring this string of murders to a halt in order to protect the families that live amongst them.  Criminals look for the killer to put an end to the unannounced searches that have been going on in the district in which they live.  Everyone has a reason to catch the murderer.  In the end we see the killer describing why he kills to the criminals who have captured him.  He is clearly a sick man with mental health problems.   This leaves the viewer in a state of confusion.  Do we defend the man who cannot help himself when he kills because he has some kind of disorder?  Or do we take the side of the mothers, shown completely dressed in black and in tears, who have lost their children?

            There are several external struggles that can be seen throughout this film.  Families struggle to keep their children safe.  Police struggle to find a killer.  Criminals struggle to keep a low profile while a murderer is on the loose.  However, there are a few internal struggles that can be seen as well.  In the beginning of M, we see a victim’s mother looking down a long winding staircase.  This staircase is shown several times.  It is empty and silent.  This could represent the mother’s internal struggle she faces because her daughter still has not come home.  She worries as time goes by, but the staircase remains empty, and her daughter Elsie never comes home.

            Towards the end of the movie we see that the killer has also been suffering with an internal struggle.  He feels that he has to kill children.  It is as if he is possessed by some kind of demon that causes him to kill.  He is obviously suffering a great deal.  The staircase can also be applied to his mind.  His mind is a long winding staircase that goes on forever like a trap.  He has nowhere to go and he is completely alone.  The mother and the murderer both suffer immensely.  The killer’s escape from his suffering directly affects the mother.  In turn, the mother affects the killer because she can speak in court and cause the jury’s opinion to sway in her favor.  These internal and external conflicts affects everyone who lives in that area.

Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times- A Silver Lining

Charlie Chaplin displays a humorous view of the difficult times going on during the Great Depression in his film Modern Times.  The movie adds some optimism to the difficulties families faced during those times.  There are some upsetting images shown throughout the film, such as the shooting of the young girl’s father.  However, after the girl meets Charlie Chaplin’s character they run away together and they help each other get through the hard times they have both faced.

            The film opens with an air of chaos.  The first shot is that of sheep being herded.  The sheep run in different directions and bump into each other as men attempt to move them all in one direction.  The next scene is that of factory workers running to work.  Just as each sheep is eager to get to a final destination, so are the men.  These two shots describe how chaotic life was during the Great Depression.  Men could be compared to animals running in a frenzy just trying to survive.  While this opening scene sets a hectic tone for the film, Charlie Chaplin’s character continuously adds humor to scenes in which one would normally find tragedy.  This is a movie that could have been used to raise the spirits of people living during this time period.

            The final scene in Modern Times shows Charlie Chaplin telling the girl he met that everything will be okay and that they will make it through the rough times ahead.  They hold hands together and walk off into the sunset.  This final scene is very different from the first few shots shown in the opening of the film.  The leaves the viewer with a hopeful message that even when times seem completely chaotic there is always hope that everything will work out and, better times are to come.

Citizen Kane-A Final Look At a King’s Lost Childhood

                Throughout Citizen Kane, we become familiar with a man who seems larger than life.  Before we even get a good glimpse at Charles Foster Kane, we see the enormous mansion that he lived in.  The mansion is set on a large man-made hill and contains an endless amount of statues and artwork.  The narrator tells us about how powerful Kane is.  He lives like a king among mere mortals.  This makes it hard for the viewer to feel sympathetic towards Kane.  However, as the movie goes on the viewer becomes exposed to more personal details in Kane’s life.  This allows one to see how Kane was robbed of his childhood.  Therefore the intimidating persona that Kane puts on does not seem as threatening anymore.  Kane acts like a child at times, and proof of this is shown in one of the final scenes of the film.  The camera pans out towards the ceiling of Kane’s large mansion.  There are a group of people looking through Kane’s multitude of possessions.  As the camera pulls back farther, the viewer is able to see just how many statues and pieces of furniture fill the estate.  All of these objects seem like a waste when you think about the fact that Kane has died.  When a child talks about how they would live if they were “grown up”, it usually consists of a large mansion filled with everything they could ever want.  This scene makes it seem as if Kane was trying to live out his childhood through his adult life.  This becomes more evident in the final scene when Kane’s sled is shown being thrown into a fire pit.  He still keeps memories from his childhood.  The word “Rosebud” is engraved on the sled, and Kane repeatedly says that word throughout the film.  This shows that he has been holding on to his childhood his entire life.  In a way, each material thing Kane has purchased can be considered his way of trying to relive his younger years, and we can see how many times he did this when the camera pans out.