Mise en scène refers to different technical elements used in making a film such as lighting and sound, both of which you have already analyzed in this course. The term also encompasses the role of actors in a film, their physical positioning and movements within the frame, as well as the different styles and types of acting.
Two of the actors in the film The Godfather (1972), that I would classify as stars would be Robert Duvall and Al Pacino. According to Goodykoontz and Jacobs (2011), “A star is a distinctive screen persona, who is well–known and popular with the movie going public. Stars are actors who are simply famous on–screen and off” (section 3.4, para 4).
However, the text classifies actors as character actors if it is difficult to classify them as one type (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011). These actors can play a wide variety of characters and are believable in these roles.
Talia Shire, is an actress in the film The Godfather (2011), I would classify her as a personality actor. Personality actors play something of themselves.
Robert Duvall has played and starred in many movies, in The Godfather (1972), he plays a Mafia’s Godfather’s adopted (somewhat) son who is the family attorney. He was very convincing as he is in my opinion of most of his roles. He has played an FBI negotiator in John Q (2002), a pompous father in Something to Talk About (1995) and a Marine Corp Officer in The Great Santini (1979). Based on these roles, Robert Duvall falls into the character actor category.
Al Pacino is wonderful as Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972). He is Robert Duvall’s bother in the film and he is the son that takes over the family business. Al Pacino played the lead in Scarface (1983), his character was a Cuban thug that rises to power in Miami. He also played a blind retired Army Colonel in Scent of a Woman (1992). He has played a CIA instructor in the movie The Recruit (2003), in every one of these movies he played a believable character.
Talia Shire has been in many movies; however, her characters in Rocky (1976), The Godfather (1972), and the Godfather II (1974) in my opinion are what define her as a personality actor. She plays an Italian wife, mother, daughter in some form in all of these movies.
Talia Shire, I think will always be seen as Michael Corleone’s baby sister (The Godfather, 1972), or as Rocky’s wife (Rocky 1976).
According to the web site http://www.imdb.com “Her two most famous characters, Connie Corleone and Adrian Balboa, changed drastically during their respective franchises (“The Godfather” and “Rocky”). In “The Godfather” saga, her character Connie went from being an innocent, dutiful wife who suffered from abuse to being a strong willed, powerful woman who took an active part in the family business and championed nephew Vincent to become Don. In the “Rocky” franchise, her character Adrian went from being a shy, timid, quiet girl to being a strong woman who often gave her husband the support and extra strength he needed to go the distance and overcome his opponents.” I think that based on the characters she has played, that she can be categorized as a personality actor.
References
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001735/bio
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-great-santini-1980
http://movies.yahoo.com/personal/al-pacino

The Godfather Week 3

 

There are many types of sound in a film. Some are diegetic (sounds that are represented as coming from within the world of the film); others are non-diegetic (sounds that come from outside the world of the film). Using specific examples from your chosen film, construct a blog post in which you:

The three basic categories of sound are dialogue, sound effects and music.  Dialogue is where characters are talking to one another in the film.  Sound effects would be “any sound in the film other than music or speech that is artificially reproduced to create an effect in a dramatic presentation”, according to dictionary.com.  Sound effects can be anything from a vehicle crash to thunder or even a slamming door.

The third category music “has been a crucial part of the movie going experience since before the advent of recorded sound in films. So important was its use that over time directors began inserting musical cues, or signals, for specific music to be played at specific times. Then, with the advent of sound, music became a basic element of constructing a movie, as essential an element as lights and cameras.” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011).  The music in a movie is the score usually for a scene.  A soundtrack of the movie is of the songs or music played in the movie that the audience can purchase.  Several songs from major movies have become hits for the artist singing and the writer of the song.

The dialogue in the Godfather (1972), was very much what you would consider for a Mafia film, the serious hoarse voice of Don Vito to the jokes between the brothers with the head slapping and the phrase “bada bing bada boom ”, (Godfather, 1972), this is the slang that most of us would think New Yorkers use.

Sound effects, like the machine gun or pistol fire and screams were used to punctuate the violence.  When Sonny was gunned down, you heard the gun fire and your were so engrossed that he was just killed, this is before as an audience you were given a scene where this was confirmed.

In the Godfather (1972), the opening music is very dramatic.  When I was younger I didn’t even want to watch the movie because this part along disturbed me.  It made me think of violence.  Once I saw the movie in my twenties, I understood that the movie is violent in parts.  To me, the music chosen was perfect for leading into the movie.

The dialogue in the Godfather (1972), is very serious.  The beginning at the wedding scene not so much but during the rest of it it is very serious.

A specific sound effect in the film The Godfather (1972) that allows you to identify it with a drama would be the opening of the film and the score; it clearly lets you feel the movie is a dramatic film.  The scenes where Don Vito is in his study and there is no music you feel the heavy weight of responsibility this man carries..

The sound in the Godfather (1972), were very realistic of the film.  When a scene was of a room that was dark and you could hear the violins, this lets you know there is drama.  If a different instrument or movie was playing it would not be so effective for the audience, it all goes together to create the scene.

 

 

Coppola, F. F. (Director). (1972). The Godfather [DVD].

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

http://www.dictionary.com

Week 2 Blog

 

A low-key lighting design looks dark and is marked by deep shadows, with very high contrast between the brightest parts of the scene and the darkest parts, which are obscured in shadows. Often there may be a single source of light, coming from the back or the side of the main characters (Goodykoontz & Jacob 2011). This is the  type of lighting used in the first scene of the Godfather.  This scene shows the attorney Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) whispering into Don Vito Corleone’s (Marlon Brando), the Godfathers, ear. The is in shadows with a lamp turned on and the blinds behind the desk turned just enough to see that it is daylight outside. 

The impact of using low-key lighting makes the scene more dramatic and dark.  It isn’t a comfortable dark it is more of an ominous, as in what is to come darkness.

The benefits of using low-key lighting is for the audience to  take the scene serious, this is a Godfather, holding court and granting favors. 

The technique of using low-key lighting in the scene with the Godfather taking request on his daughters wedding day which is actually a very sunny day and supposed to be a happy occasion, shows the seriousness of the business the family is.

Using the technique of low-key lighting in the study where the Godfather is conducting his business in the shadows is very suited to a gangster film.  I think this sets the tone for the movie where a Mafia family would do most of their work (which is criminal) in the shadows or in the dark. 

I think that if the blinds had been open and people were standing around with drinks and smiles, that is appropriate with a wedding, then the audience wouldn’t be able to relate to the secretive and dangerous nature of what is taking place in this room while a wedding reception is in full swing just outside the doors.  This is a very serious setting, the people asking for a favor are nervous, hopeful and trying to appear humble all at the same time being afraid of what and when the Godfather will ask in return for granting their favor.

References:

Goodykoontz, B & Jacob, C.P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing.San Diego, CA: Bridgeport Education, Inc.

Movieclips. (5/2013). The Godfather-Godfather Favor (1972) [videofile] Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v

The Godfather (1972) Retrieved from http://moeatthemovies.com/thegodfather

 

 

 

The Godfather

The Godfather
Written by : Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola
Directed by : Francis Ford Coppola
Major Actors: Marlo Brando (Don Vito Corleone), Al Pacino (Michael Corleone), James Caan (Santino (Sonny) Corleone), Richard Castello (Clemenza) and Robert Duvall (Tom Hagen).
Released: 1972
The story of the Godfather is about a mafia family, the Corleone in New York during the 1940’s. The head of the family is Don Vito Corleone. He has four sons and a daughter. Don Corleone is the Godfather. He is asked to grant protection for drugs by another mafia member names Sollozzo. He refuses on moral grounds. Later he is shot five times right before Christmas. He son Sonny retaliates against the other crime family. Michael comes home to see his father and is attacked. A meeting is set up between Sollozzo and the police chief that attacked Michael and Michael. Michael kills Sollozzo and the police chief, this starts a war between the Five Families in New York. Michael is exiled to Sicily. Sonny is killed and Michael comes home to take over as head of the family.
The plot of the Godfather shows the wedding of Connie Corleone and her father, Don Vito Corleone is granting favors as tradition states. The tradition is that a Godfather cannot refuse a request on the day of his daughter’s wedding.
All the family is there and Michael shows up in uniform with a date that is not Italian. He explains his family’s business to her and tells her he is not in that business. He is a war hero. He served in the Marine Corp and was a Captain.
Later, after the wedding the Godfather is asked by a man named Sollozzo to offer protection and to engage in the sale of drugs. Don Corleone refuses. During Christmas he is shot five times outside his office by Sollozzo men.
Michael comes home to check on his father. While he is at the hospital he sees that his father is in danger and ruins a plot to kill his father by Sollozzo. Meanwhile, Sonny retaliates against the family Sollozzo is working for. Michael calls the police to go to the hospital and protect his father. When the police arrive, the police chief attacks Michael and breaks his jaw.
Sollozzo wants a meeting with Michael to discuss a truce; he feels Michael is the best person to talk to in the Corleone family. The meeting is scheduled with Sollozzo and the corrupt police chief and Michael. The Corleone family discovers the meeting place before the meeting and plant a gun in the men’s room for Michael so he can murder Sollozzo and the corrupt police chief. Once Michael kills the police chief and Sollozzo he is sent to Sicily to hide. The killing of a police chief is frowned upon by the families. A war between the Five Families of New York breaks out.
While Michael is in Sicily he falls in love and marries. The enemies of the Corleone family find Michael and kill his new wife. In America, Sonny is shot down in an ambush when he goes to his sister’s house to beat up his brother in law for hitting his sister. Don Corleone calls a meeting and agrees to the mob being involved in drugs in order to make peace and stop the fighting.
Michael comes back to the states and marries the non-Italian date he had taken to Connie’s wedding. He takes over as the Godfather and gets revenge on the men that hurt his family. He moves the family to Las Vegas. At the end of the movie, his sister Connie confronts him and accuses him of killing her husband. Michael’s wife over hears this and ask Michael, he denies having his brother in law killed and tells her not to ask about family business. He has become the Godfather.
This film was presented chronologically. The audience could see the rise of Michael Corleone as the Godfather.
The way the story is told lets you see all the characters and the way their flaws and loyalty unfolds. You can see that even though it is a crime family, there are morals and boundaries that are not crossed without consequences.
If the film had followed a different presentation style, how would the general effect on the audience have been different? I feel that if the story was presented differently or in a different order the audience would not get to see the way the family is at the top and then is almost completely wiped away only to rise again.

Coppola, Francis Ford and Puzo, Mario (Writer), & Coppola, Francis Ford (Director). (2004). The Godfather. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com.

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Photobucket.com/images/godfather