In addition to making final comments on Carpenter this week, I'd like you to make some final comments on the course. What have you learned about film and the way(s) it intersects w/ literature? What are you still interested in learning about film? Now that you've taken the class, which films and/or books should I use again and which should I never use again (and why)? What films and/or books do you wish I had included this semester that I didn't? What final connections can you make between Classic Hollywood, Noir, and the Hollywood Renaissance or, put another way, how does the history of Hollywood reflect the history of America?
It's been a true pleasure this term. Thank you for your participation.
The history of Hollywood reflects history in a peculiar way. It's weird and difficult to put life's events in a compacted form for another to view and understand a basic story. Besides the point that entertainment is the main point a story has to be told and every story needs a point or something pulled out of it or from it. In a metaphysical way while focusing on one point we can see that we can get meaning out of a couple of scenes if not a scene. This allows for the view to dig deep and quells room for thesis talk. This is in some way the history of America. So much happens, so much is popularized and so much is forgotten. Sometimes it must happen and it will happen. 9-11 is something that can become of a movies thesis preferably over one's cousin dying. Only movies tend to look at all matters of history if you will. The history of Hollywood tells a story the best way something so minute can. From what I've witnessed the history of America isn't as prolifically ambiguous as it seems.
ReplyDeleteThis writing intensive class was very interesting. There was a lot that went on this semester with all the different films we analyzed as well as the essays we had to keep track of that adapted to what we were learning and got our minds to open up to learn more about the subject at hand with all the research we had to do. This class taught me so much in a way that now when I read novels I can easily connect them to films and explore how diverse the universe of film is. This course has helped me analyze even the littlest things in film that you could easily miss to adapt them in a separate way. I have learned how it is behind the scenes as well as how different the books can be from the films they turn into. I was able to see how directors felt about Hollywood at that time periods, as well as how much effort goes into making these films rather than taking each scene from a novel word from word.. I do have to admit that keeping up with the blog was very hard every week because remembering to do it was a pain. It would always slip my mind and when I would remember, I'd either be at work then forget later or it was too late. Overall the class was great and very informative.
ReplyDeleteTo be quite honest coming into this course, I had no prior knowledge on film and theater. Compared to everyone else in they class where I fell, I am the only one who doesn't know an actor or director by there name. I've learned that film making is a art of its own, simply watching today's modern movies I had no clue the time and effort it takes to create such master peaces. The correlation between the films and books are interesting. I would say reading the book is like a dream, when watching the film its like that dream became reality. Although sometimes the film director makes his or her owns changes, they each have there own intentions of doing so. I for one would have never thought to sit down and watch Hollywood classics and film niors, but after doing so Im pleased I did. I would say the Howard Hawks films are come that I would incorporate in future classes, being that his use of camera placement and sound is amazing. I've learned that his use of the eye level camera placement displays change in emotion within the audiences eyes. Dialogue is another aspect that he used to its full potential
ReplyDeleteThis class has broaden my perspective on the realm of cinematic history. I really enjoyed this course and I am happy that I decided to take it. I also enjoyed writing the papers that we did (yes, actually) I am happy that our papers were so thoughtfully critiqued and that we even had a second chance at bettering our grade if we weren't satisfied with the first one. I learned that film interconnects with literature because they are both founded from art and the idea of being creative. Even with an adaptation, the director still has a chance of using his own creativity and adding his own twist to someone else's work. I also learned about different shots and angles that a director can use, and how it is all done for a sole purpose. I very much enjoyed the films that we watched this semester, If I may suggest maybe adding some foreign films? The history of Hollywood reflects America in the way our pop culture or social structures have progressed.
ReplyDeleteWhat have you learned about film and the way(s) it intersects w/ literature?
ReplyDeleteI've always compartmentalized film into the characteritics that make it feel "alive". I examine things like Mise-en-scene, lighting, music, etc. But i've never examined my imagination in the same fashion. That's what this course has done for me. While reading stories like "And Then There Were None" I spent time playing the scenes out in my head, having the victims thoughts rest on their faces as all their voice overs echoed over one another, disorienting them and in the same basket, disorienting myself. Creating a realm of mystery in my mind. However seeing how the film portrayed the same scenes left me a bit disappointed but even more intrigued as I wanted to know why the director decided to shoot a scene like this and not like how I had it in my head. I wondered if it was a budget constraint or they just didn't decide to do it that way because it seemed silly to them. It's certainly something i'm gonna be doing to Adaptations from now on.
What are you still interested in learning about film?
I'm always interested in learning about film, though i'm never actively digging for what to learn next. Letting the information come to me via things like class or articles I come upon randomly on a day off. If there was anything I could examine more it would probably be symbolism. Either that or a more in-depth exploration as to why directors pick certain angle.
(Add more once I get home)
My love for movies has always been part of my life. This course has expanded my knowledge plus appreciate the history, technique and art of movies. This course has allowed me to express my opinions and discuss in great length with my other classmates. On a personal note i have become friends with a few of my classmates which I'm glad. Some movies that we watched i loved such as stagecoach, taxi driver and the big sleep have open my eyes to new possibilities of different genres of movies. while others movies i didn't understand and still scratching my head such as ganja and hess. My only wish was that we didn't get to watch foreign movies i would have love to have watched Seven Samurai by Kurosawa or Wings of desire by wenders. But i really am glad i took this course and have learned from a great teacher.
ReplyDeleteI have to say thus far this has been my favorite course.. It really opened my eyes and allowed to view and understand films better. I found myself dissecting films trying to determine the reasons the director made the decisions that they did. It was like playing detective in a very enjoyable way. I was never really a movie-watcher, in fact many films that students would mention in the class left me completely lost but this class left me not only wanting to watch films but really understand them.. I went to a few movies in theatres this semester and found myself having a discussion in my head the way we do in class about misc-en-scene, cinematography, lighting, etc. I think it really is fascniating how films throughout history have reflected that specific period of time, the way it looked historically, the moral of the people, the struggles, the joy everything. There really wasn't a single movie that I would say to take out from the course as much as some films I didn't care for, I got something out of each one .
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