ENG 225__Week 4 Blog__Acting and Acting Styles __Alan Cabrera

For this week’s blog, I would like to talk about the movie Pulp Fiction. I will identify 3 characters from the film and how they are each classified within it. I will also explain the reasons for classifying the characters.

 

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson’s role in this film is Amazing to say the least. His acting style in this scene would be a Wild Card in this case. To put Him into a certain category would be unfair as his realm of acting go far in between each certain style. He is able to play any character it seems and nails it without a doubt. He is known for his hardcore persona where he is not one to be messed with just as his character played in Pulp Fiction. In this clip, he plays Jules Winnfield and is a gangsterish hit man is it not to be messed with. His demeanor is loud and lets it be known not to be messed with. He then starts to preach to the young man who he is about to kill. In the beginning of the scene, he is calm cool and collective as if everything is fine. I love how he is able to switch roles and go from simple to downright nasty.

 

John Travolta

 

 

John Travolta’s role in this movie is downright gritty. He is known to play simple role and drama movies but here he is a hit man with some swag to go along with it. His style of acting as he plays the role of Vincent Vega would fall within the realism style of acting. I say this because of his coolness that he gives such as his dancing in the video clip. Throughout this movie, his conversations on ones that you would ordinarily have parse in some situations, such as asking do you know type of big mac with cheese would be called if you were in France. Keeping it simple but yet a gangster at the same time. John Travolta definitely nailed this part in the movie and was able to step outside his typical drama roles.

 

Ving Rhames

Ving Rhames character in this clip would fall into the Personality trait style of acting. Ving is known for player his hardcore, beast mode type of acting where is a straight thug who is not to be messed with. In this scene, he shoots the security guard and plans his revenge on him. Ving is able to play the same type of role in each movie. His size and color skin allow him to play the part of a boss type of character within certain films and plays is well. Some others movies where he played these type of role would be Dawn of the Dead and also Mission Impossible where. His tone of voice is so deep and is able to talk slowly letting the audience know he is not a force to be reckoned with. I love his style of acting and the way he comes across to the audience.

 

In my opinion, I would say that Samuel L Jackson would be one of my favorite actors. He is definitely a Personality actor and portrays a strong character in each of his films. He is able to step out of his usual realm such as his character Stephen in the movie Django Unchained. He is able to switch from the good guy to the bad guy which is amazing. Most actors usually stick with one side or the other and he is able to go back and forth. Such as in the movie Shaft, where he plays the role of a cop. In Pulp Fiction, he plays the role as a hit man then you have A Time to Kill, he plays the role of a father who’s daughter was raped and murdered. His plethora of acting style is second to none and tops the charts with all his hit as its shown with his 30 awards and 58 nominations.

Shaft vs. Jules

 

 

 

IMDB, Samuel L. Jackson Profile, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000168/awards?ref_=nm_ql_2

ENG 225 Intro to Film Week 3 Blog (The Shawshank Redemption)

 

 

 

Title: The Shawshank Redemption

Writer: Stephen King  (short story “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank redemption”), Frank Darabont (Screenplay)

Director: Frank Darabont

Year: 1994

Actors:

Tim Robbins	…	Andy Dufresne
Morgan Freeman	…	Ellis Boyd ‘Red’ Redding
Bob Gunton	…	Warden Norton
William Sadler	…	Heywood
Clancy Brown	…	Captain Hadley
Gil Bellows	…	Tommy
Mark Rolston	…	Bogs Diamond
James Whitmore	…	Brooks Hatlen

 

 

For this week’s blog, I would like to talk about the three basic categories of sound in the film “The Shawshank Redemption”. For this particular clip in the movie, I picked the part where Andy (Tim Robbins) plays Mozart over the intercom that goes throughout Shawshank Prison. The scene starts off with the dialogue of Andy and a guard talking about putting the records away that were sent to the Prison. This is where Andy then locks the door and puts the record on and airs if over the intercom. The music was the main part of this clip. The music that aired over the intercom stopped everyone in their tracks making it seem as if everyone was free during that time. When it came to the sound effects, there weren’t too many special sound effects as everything was in the world of film for this scene. One sound effect that stood out was when the microphone was to close to the record player and made the loud noise. You could really hear the record as its scratches here and there since this movie was set in the 1940’s.

The use of sound in this certain clip was very dramatic. The music that was being played seemed very beautiful  and was not in English. Thought it was not in English and in Italian, it didn’t seem to bother anyone since the prisoners haven’t had a chance to hear music before much less opera music. It made every person in Shawshank feel free for those few short moments. The sound was very realistic in this clip making it as if you were there in person.

If this scene did not have the music playing, there would be no reason for the clip. The music playing over the intercom was very significant because it let Andy show everyone who he was and let others be free in their minds for short stint. The music was necessary to have in the clip in order for the story to be told.

The scene viewed had a large impact on how Andy really was and the things he did to put a smile on his face. Not only was he happy, but he let others be happy as well. Even though he was then locked in solitary confinement for his actions, he walked away knowing it was well worth it in the end.

 

Resources:

The Shawshank Remption – “Mozart” – (14 October 1994)

[Video File]Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azWVPWGUE1M

 

Frank Darabant (Director), Stephen King and Frank Darabant (Writers), (1994), The Shawshank Redemption [Motion Picture]. United States: Castle Rock Entertainment

ENG 225 Week 2 Blog — The Shawshank Redemption

 

 

 

Title: The Shawshank Redemption

Writer: Stephen King  (short story “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank redemption”), Frank Darabont (Screenplay)

Director: Frank Darabont

Year: 1994

Actors:

Tim Robbins	…	Andy Dufresne
Morgan Freeman	…	Ellis Boyd ‘Red’ Redding
Bob Gunton	…	Warden Norton
William Sadler	…	Heywood
Clancy Brown	…	Captain Hadley
Gil Bellows	…	Tommy
Mark Rolston	…	Bogs Diamond
James Whitmore	…	Brooks Hatlen

 

A. Type of lighting used in the film?

The type of lighting that was used in this film ranges from High Key and Low key lighting. When it comes to high key, you tend to think of comedies and happy scenes but for this certain movie; it is solely based in a prison. Although prison life is not happy at all, there were moments where the lighting was more bright during certain scenes when the character or character were in a happy state while being institutionalized. When it comes to low key, the use of lighting is used properly since prison life is dark and not a happy place to be. Prisoners tend to be in a state of lifelessness.

 

B. Impact of Lighting used to establish the theme.

1. What are benefits of the style of lighting used?

The benefits for the stlye’s used for this film are being able to portray the dark times while in prison. The dark shadows and lack of light in some scenes make it seem like prison is not a great place to be in and full or fear and the unknowing. Crimes are often commited in order to go to jail, and then crimes are commited while in jail so the low key lighting is spot on. When it came to High key lighting, there were moments where is seemed as the prisoners were free for a few moments and smiles on their faces. The light portrayed happiness for a change then went back to a dark cell where they soon realized they were back in a bad place all over again.

2. How did this technique contribute to the theme?

I especially liked the scene where Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) enters the prison for the first time and is standing in line. There are no lights on in the room of the prison and the only light shining was from the windows. It made it seem that there was no light at the end of the tunnel.

 

3. How was the lighting technique suited to the genre of the film?

The lighting technique was well suited for this film. This film was meant to put the characters into a dark place where low key light is perfect for. At the end of the movie, the characters were free so the use of High Key light was perfect.

 

C. Compare how the scene would play if the different choices had been made.

If High key were to be used during the entire movie, it would be more of a comedy about prison life such as the movie “Life” or “The Longest Yard”. Since “The Shawshank Redemption” was a movie about the things that happen in prison and for Andy to be accused of murder when he was innocent. It was meant to be portrayed as a man who had everything going for him, then everything turned upside down and the struggles of life in prison. Prison is definitely not a happy place to have a film that is bright and would not be suitable for this type of drama genre.

 

 

 

 

 

Resources:

The Shawshank Remption – The First Night – (14 October 1994)

[Video File]Retrieved from

 

Frank Darabant (Director), Stephen King and Frank Darabant (Writers), (1994), The Shawshank Redemption [Motion Picture]. United States: Castle Rock Entertainment

ENG 225 Intro to Film Week 1 Blog The Shawshank Redemption

 

 

Shawshank Redemption

Writer: Stephen King (short story “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”), Frank Darabont (screenplay)

Director: Frank Darabont

Year: 1994

Actors:

Tim Robbins	…	Andy Dufresne
Morgan Freeman	…	Ellis Boyd ‘Red’ Redding
Bob Gunton	…	Warden Norton
William Sadler	…	Heywood
Clancy Brown	…	Captain Hadley
Gil Bellows	…	Tommy
Mark Rolston	…	Bogs Diamond
James Whitmore	…	Brooks Hatlen

 

 

Story–

Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 film that is set in the 1940’s. It is about a young and upcoming banker whose life is turned upside down when he is convicted for murder. Andy Dufresne( Tim Robbins) was accused of killing his wife and her lover then sentenced to life in prison. During Andy’s prison sentence, he friend’s an older man named Red (Morgan Freeman) who helps him become one of Shawkshank Prison’s most unconventional prisoners.

Plot–

The film starts off in 1947 where Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) who is a banker becomes convicted for murdering his wife and her lover. The judge sentences him two life terms and sent to the gruesome Shawshank Prison. As soon as Andy gets to Shawshank, he is introduced to the horrible prison life that will one day consume him. A month goes by before Andy talks or approaches anyone in the courtyard. He walks up to Red (Morgan Freeman) who is the hustler of the prison and asks him for a rock hammer. Andy states that is it a hobby of his and that it will be used for rock collecting and sculpting. This started the bond and friendship between the 2 men.

During Andy’s time at Shawshank, he is put into many situations where is life is on the line. He is beaten and raped numerous times by a group of men called The Sisters. He fights them off each time until he is broken down and cannot fight anymore.

Red is the man to know around Shawshank and is able to get him and a few others on a detail to tar the roof of a building within the prison. There, Andy confronts on of the guards complaining about paying taxes. Since Andy was a hotshot banker in his previous life before prison, he knew the ins and outs of the accounting world could have the guard’s money hidden from the IRS by giving his wife a one-time gift in certain amount. It resulted in the few inmates including Red and Andy having a few beers on a rooftop on a hot sunny day as if they were free men for a brief moment.

From there, Andy becomes the go to person at Shawshank for accounting purposes and doing all the taxes of the guards at Shawshank and other local prisons as well. Andy soon started doing the Wardens taxes and being his right hand man when it came to money situations. The warden came up with a scheme to where he would have prisoners work the local public projects for cheap labor.

In 1965, a new inmate named Tommy comes to Shawshank and tells a story that could clear Andy’s name. He mentioned that he was in another jail and his cellmate talks of how he murdered a hotshot banker’s wife and lover who was then sent to prison for 2 life sentences for crime he never committed. Andy confronts the Warden of this new found information and so the warden must take action. Instead of doing what is right, he sets up a meeting with Tommy and then has him killed by one of the guards.

While sitting in the courtyard, Andy tells Red a story of how they engaged to his wife and how it happened. He mentioned that the couple had gone to a farm in Buxton, Maine and made love under a large oat tree at the end of a stone wall. It was at that moment that Andy proposed to her. Andy told red of this story and that if should ever leave Shawshank that he should go to the place that he told him about and look for a black volcanic rock that would like to be out of place and to find it.

On a dark and stormy night, Andy put a package into the wardens safe and walks back to his cell. Only to have the Warden’s shiny shoes on without anyone noticing. He slips through a hole that he spends years tunneling out and climbed his way down to the sewer system. There he crawls through 5 footballs field worth of raw sewage and comes out into a small pond. That morning, Andy goes to the bank and empties the entire account that he has the Warden’s laundered money in. He takes out $370,000 after visiting a few banks and has a package which contained the Wardens account books delivered to the Portland Daily Bugle newspaper. The Police catch wind of and head to the prison, Warden Norton soon realized what is going on and then commits suicide by shooting himself in the head.

After everything has calmed down, Red receives a postcard in the mail from Texas with nothing witten down. He knows that is a sign from where Andy has crossed the border into Mexico. During his next parole hearing, he is granted freedom and leaves Shawshank. Red realizes that being free was not all cracked up like it was meant to be as an old man who was institutionalized most of his entire life. Red decides that he will follow Andy’s story that he once told him. He heads off to the farm and follows the stone wall where he finds the volcanic rock. Under the rock was a small box which had a wad of cash and instruction on how and where to find him. The story ends with Red heading to Mexico where he finds Andy at the beach working on a Boat that looks like he intends to one day sail on.

 

Chronology–

This Film was told in Chronological order. It really helped make the ending of this dramatic film that much more entertaining and amazing. Throughout this film, you really learn to love Andy for who he is and all he endured while being innocent for a crime he never committed. During the last scene where he was in Mexico and on the beach, that right there made everything come into play and how he was finally happy.

The Chronological story telling helped develop Andy’s character from the beginning where he was in court being sentenced for murder for a crime he did not commit. Then went from his being in Prison and all the things he went through to survive then to finally escaping prison and all the horrors to being free in the end.

If this film was told in a non-linearly style, it would have been a completely different movie. Andy’s character would be different and you might not have had a chance to really love Andy for all the he had to go through. It would have been an amazing story none the less but being in chronological order was best for this film.

 

Resources–

The Shawshank Remption – Trailer – (14 October 1994)

[Video File]Retrieved from

 

Frank Darabant (Director), Stephen King and Frank Darabant (Writers), (1994), The Shawshank Redemption [Motion Picture]. United States: Castle Rock Entertainment