1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening. 

Citizen Kane a film a film written by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles, which starred Orson Welles as a young, middle age and old man. The film as discussed in class won 9 Oscar nominations. Citizen Kane caused a little commotion before being released. It almost were not released and when it first  got released it was a commercial failure. With the screening of the movie, it is hard to tell whether or not this film caused a controversy, but as a viewer what I couldn't understand was the importance of the movie and the reason behind why it was significant and highly rated in the movie (entertainment) industry. Knowing the background of the screening being based on the life of William Randolph Hearst helps a little in understanding the importance of the movie, meanwhile in all the accomplishments of the main character (Kane) all led to final failures. For example, the lost of all his wives, the lost of the election for governor, the unfinished home, the lost of his family, ect. 

2) Find a related article (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content. You may use the library or the internet.

The article by Tim Dirks on Filmsite.com explains the success of the movie Citizen Kane, addressing the film as probably the world's most famous and highly rated film. The article going into more detailed of the controversy surrounding the films explains,  it appeared to fictionalize and caricaturize certain events and individuals in the life of William Randolph Hearst and accused of drawing remarkable, unflattering, and uncomplimentary parallels (especially in regards to the Susan Alexander Kane character) to real-life. The confrontation with Hearst about the film being released in this article was better explain in his reasoning of why he was against the film and its first commercial failure. I learned that the gossip columnist Louella Parsons persuaded Hearst that he was being slandered by RKO and Orson Welles' film when it was first previewed, so the Hearst-owned newspapers (and other media outlets) pressured theatres to boycott the film and also threatened libel lawsuits. Hearst also ordered his publications to completely ignore the film, and not accept advertising for other RKO projects. He felt that he was being portrayed negatively in the film. Which is understandable to why he did not want it out in theatre. 


 3) Apply the article to the film screened in class. How did the article support or change the way you thought about the film, director, content, etc.? 

The article allowed me to see the struggle and hardship it took to get the film on board with the public. By putting it on t.v, releasing it twice, showing it in the time period of after world war 2 and the booing from the audience of the nominations towards the films, the confrontation with Hearst and his news paper etc. all played a major role in the progressive and positive turn around of the films success.  

 4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article.

 By viewing the film I was unable to settle with the fact that this film is consider as one of the world's greatest film. It did not project to be a great film, but just a well put together "regular" movie. Yes, the story line was meaningful, meanwhile the essence of the main character failing at the majority of the significant aspect of his life is not a meaningful story line. The main character did not possess such importance that society would need to remember, such as being a governor or president. In conclusion the movie was well put together , but not something that I would call "one of the greatest".  




http://www.filmsite.org/citi.html  (ARTICLE)

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM 1) ( ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class. 2) ( ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper. 3) ( ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text. 4) ( ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper. 5) ( ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read. 6) ( ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography. 7) ( ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality. 8) ( ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper. Name: __________Kebeh Sando____________________________ Date: ____10/20/2015______________

Gone With the Wind

http://nypost.com/2015/06/24/gone-with-the-wind-should-go-the-way-of-the-confederate-flag/    -Article used    

Gone with the wind a film that progressed in many ways at its time and is still very memorable to most film watchers. Out of the many reasons that Gone with the wind is memorable one significant inclusion of gone with the wind is using black actors and actresses whom eventually wins an Oscar 

( Hattie Mcdaniel). Before movies such as Gone with the Wind  approximately 500 "race" movies or "race" films were produced for an all-black audience with all black cast between 1915-1950, but including blacks in serious films with white both audience are able to watch and inactively enjoy the film. Gone with the wind. We see a similarity between gone with the wind and a current film who also won an Oscar "12 Years a Slave". 

A closer caparison to the themes and plots of these two films is spoken about in an article by NYpost. Both films contained slaves and blacks as workers under whites, which pin point the times of racism and the use of the "N" word. In Gone with the wind and according to the article there is no direct reference in the film to the Ku Klux Klan, but it’s still pretty clear that the unseen “political meeting’’ that Rhett and Ashley attend after the attack on Scarlet involves the activities of vigilantes in white sheets. It is also known that Gone with the wind beat The Wizard of Oz for Best Pictures. 

Although the majority of the article spoke about Gone with the wind celebrating t the confederate flag and racism, when I watch the movie that thought did not come to my mind. I saw a masterpiece being presented in front of me and even though as an African woman I do not support the act of blacks as slaves or servant, I have come to an understanding that those times happened and should be behind us, so focusing on another aspect of the film "Gone with the Wind " was my concentration. I saw that Scarlett throughout the movie matured and found herself carelessly taking care of others but herself. She eventually represented a strong woman who in our present day society is very much appreciated. But back then Scarlett was looked as by her society negatively in some sense.  She did what she could to survive, although marrying men who she did not love was a bit off, meanwhile it was a technique of hers to get what she wanted and at the end she prevailed without hurting her friend Mellie. It is Ironic that her name was Scarlett and she went around as a woman wearing a Scarlett letter as other woman husbands clang to her for her beauty. 

Overall the movie was so interesting that the fact of it being over three hours long was not so bad.  

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM 1) ( ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class. 2) ( ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper. 3) ( ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text. 4) ( ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper. 5) ( ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read. 6) ( ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography. 7) ( ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality. 8) ( ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper. Name: _______Kebeh Sando_______________________________ Date: ____10/14/2015______________

StageCoach

From Discussion from the class during the time stagecoach was created was known to be the greatest period in American film making, especially the making of serious and ambitious films where more violence and gunshots were involve. Stagecoach proved to be a great example of a classic Western film. Its success revitalized the moribund genre, showing that Westerns could be intelligent , artful, great entertainment and profitable . Although John Ford was unsure about the outcome and success of Stagecoach, the film gained allot of attention. For example, it was nominated for seven Academy awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Black and white Cinematography, Best Interior Decoration, and Best Film Editing; also winning two awards for best Supporting Actor and Best Score for 17 American Folk tunes of the 1880s.

According to an article By Film site movie review:Tim Dirks, Stagecoach elevated Ford's reputation considerably. It was sought to be revolutionary influential film that elevated westerns from cheaply-made, low-grade, Saturday matinee "B" films to a serious adult genre , one with greater sophistication, richer Western archetypes and themes, in-depth and complex characterizations, and greater profitability and popularity as well. I must say I agree from watching the film there was a distinction from other previous film shown. The Women in the film dressed very extravagant. There was also class differentiation among the people and the woman name  "Dallas" was cast out as though wearing a Scarlet letter "A"  because she was a prostitute.  The article goes in complete detail of the film describing the exact happenings. I enjoyed reading this article because  if someone who has never seen the film "Stagecoach" reads this article they would have a clear visual analysis of what went on in the film.

The film as most of the previous films in this class caught me off guard. Meaning , when I hear of a western film the first thought is that it might be something boring and uninteresting, but this film kept me on my seat and alert. It was action pact and a drop of romance with Dallas the prostitute and Ringo the outlaw made it even more interesting to see if their love will prevail their circumstance. It showed the nature and nurture of people. I also enjoyed the complexity it gave during the confrontation when the native Indians attacked the Stagecoach, instead of simply shooting the horses and stopping the stagecoach there was a prolong in the battle, which made the film more intense. Overall John Ford did a great job with the film.


http://www.filmsite.org/stagec.html







 Plagiarism Statement: Attach this to the end of every journal assignment. CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM 1) ( ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class. 2) ( ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper. 3) ( ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text. 4) ( ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper. 5) ( ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read. 6) ( ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography. 7) ( ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality. 8) ( ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.








Name: ___________Kebeh Sando___________________________ Date: ______10/6/2015____________

It Happened One Night (Screening Report)

In class we discussed the uprising of sounds in field, leaving behind the silent films of Chaplin and others and entering into the era of the “Frank Capra’s” 1929 where silent field became history. At this time directors experimentation with sound booths synchronization and amplifications although expensive produce large sum of money once they got more familiarized to it. But issues arose at the beginning stages and watching the movie “ It Happened One Night” I closely noticed some sound errors. For example there was so much static, buzz noises and made the actors voices a bit squeaky. Which from information given in class I can conclude that it may have been because the sound booths was a on set person behind a glass window.

The movie “It happened one night” directed by Frank Capra was one of the earliest films with sound, about a spoiled heiress who escapes from her overbearing father and tries to reunite with her money hungry husband. On her way to New York she is helped by a man who is a reporter looking for a good story. At the end they end up falling for each other and gets married. According to an article by Alt Film Guide It Happened One Night was Frank Capra’s first stab at what most critics would label greatness. The fact that the film is a comedy is all the more striking for It Happened One Night lacks the symbolism of some of the great silent comedians, the social satire of the 1960s madcap comedies, or those of Woody Allen's intellectualized Golden Era.The film helped to lift Columbia Pictures from the bottom of the film studio and was the first film to win the Big Five Academy Awards – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress. It is ironic how even the actors in the film was not sure if this film was going to hit it big like it did.

The film was well put together, and I agree with the observation spoken in the article about the film, pointing out the frustrations the protagonists went through before inevitably ending up together. My views of the work put into the films change by reading the article. I learned that Capra had to shoot it in less than four weeks, to suit the demanding schedule of star Claudette Colbert, who was on loan from Paramount. Which meant that few sets were built, so that more than many other contemporary films, It Happened One Night was filmed in the real world, with Capra using moving cameras and crane shots.

One thing that I admired and loved about the film besides it’s comical sense was the inclusion of biblical analogies. for example, “ the wall of Jericho” being a metaphor of boundary between the two characters. This help me understand that at that era which the movie was shot there was freedom of religion on the screens that everyone watched, that God was not hidden and the bible was something that was encouraged. As a person who knows the biblical stories of Jericho and the Israelite's I understood the plot and related to it more. It was a wonderful and enjoyable film.

http://www.altfg.com/film/it-happened-one-night-frank-capra/    (Article link)

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM 1) ( ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class. 2) ( ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper. 3) ( ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text. 4) ( ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper. 5) ( ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read. 6) ( ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography. 7) ( ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality. 8) ( ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper. Name: _____Kebeh Sando _________________________________ Date: _____9/24/2015_____________

Kebeh Sando

“The Gold Rush”  Screening Report

In class we have discussed about the introduction to American films and how films have developed over the years. We have seen technical developments such as the kinetoscope, which was used to view a short film by one individual at a time through a peephole. The Kinetoscope was not a movie projector but it was the beginning to something much more, which led to films such as the Gold rush. The Gold rush is a film produced by Charles Chaplin, according to sources he was one of the greatest entertainer of his time. His silent film “The gold Rush” was at the time where film development was booming, motion pictures was more sophisticated than previous years,longer in time length, consisted of more actions and understanding of the story being watch.

According to the article from Sierra College Press, by 1924 Charles Chaplin was the highest paid actor, and the Gold Rush was something he cherished and wanted to be remembered by. Chaplin was fascinated with the story of the Donner Party and he endeavored to develop a movie that built upon the themes of enduring great hardships in pursuit of immense riches or a better life. He chose Alaska’s Yukon Gold Rush of 1898 as his setting. Unfortunately Chaplin was too expensive and no studio could afford him, so he contracted with independent film industries and profited half of their revenue with films he was in.

Going back to the development of motion pictures and the few struggles of production, it seem as though most films did not take a lot of time to make. Taking into perspective the time these films were made, probably few of the actors and actresses were local citizens and not professional. Meanwhile learning that “Gold Rush” took seventeen months to complete is an amazing growth in that time period. According to the article,  most films in those years were completed in less than 30 days. It cost $923,886,the most expensive comedy of the entire silent-film era. This article was very helpful in the way that it allowed me to see the work put into this silent film compared to others in that time period; which is one reason why even in the 21st century I enjoyed the film.

The Film was very entertaining. Especially these few funny and surprising scenes such as ,scenes of the hungry men  eating a boiled shoe, battling with a cabin that is seesawing on the edge of a cliff, and performing a remarkable dance using two forks stuck into bread rolls, and the bear chasing and following Chaplin on his journey without and realization of the danger he may have been in. I also admired the way the story was told, it being a love story in a comedic form. There was messages to each person in the audience to receive; whether it be the love story message of love is sweet and not harsh, or the comedic message do not look down on people anything can happen, the film was magnificent.