Acting and Acting Styles

Identify three actors from your film and classify each according to the types of actors listed in your text.

 

The film I chose for this blog is The Godfather. The three actors I chose to identify are Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and James Caan. All three of the actors are stars.

Explain your reasons for classifying the actors as you do. Use specific references to the film and pay special attention to how these decisions impacted characterization. Also, consider the impact of any realistic or stylized portrayals within the film

All three actors are well known for their many films and all three of them have been in hit films. If you see any of these actors names in a film then you can almost guarantee that it is a successful film and well known. Most people know these actors and the films that they have been in. Marlon Brando had been in films for 50 years and has had an outstanding career. Everyone knows Al Pacino for such films as The Godfather, Scarface, Serpico, etc. James Caan is known for such films as The Godfather, Elf, Misery, etc. These three actors were the main actors in this film, Marlon Brando played as Vito Corleone, The Godfather (Don) in the beginning of the film later to be taken over by Al Pacino who plays as Michael Corleone and James Cann played as Sonny Corleone. Marlon Brando was the head of the Corleone family which was part of the Italian mafia in New York. People loved and feared him as a friend and family member. Michael Corleone went from being a war hero to becoming the most powerful man in the Italian mafia and head of the Corleone family. Sonny Corleone was a hot head who acted as the Don temporarily and let his anger get the best of him and was shot to death in the film.

Focus on one of the actors you’ve discussed. Based on other films the actor has been in, would this actor always be placed in the same category? If so, what does this say about the category or actor? If not, what can you infer about the flexibility of these categories? Provide evidence (references from other films, including film clips and stills) to support your argument.

Al Pacino is always a star in all of his films and he always will be. He has great stage presence, he always puts forth a great performance, and he becomes whatever role he is given. In the film Scarface he goes from a Cuban immigrant to the leader of a drug cartel. In the film Donnie Brasco he is a member of the mafia in New York and has the lead role. In the film Carlito’s Way he plays as Carlito Brigante an ex-con drug dealer who tries to keep his nose clean but is pulled back into the world of drugs and violence. He is already known as one of the best actors of all times and his reign of being a star is far from over.

References:

Carlitos way: Shoot out. (2012, January 15). Retrieved September 4, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ6iWr9TYjs

Donnie Brasco – It’s a Fugazi. (2013, September 28). Retrieved September 4, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ixd-N8_Drc

Godfather. (n.d.). Retrieved September 4, 2014, from http://hdimages.mobi/godfather/

Say Hello to My Little Friend – Scarface (8/8) Movie CLIP (1983) HD. (2011, June 16). Retrieved September 4, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_z4IuxAqpE

Functions of sound

Describe each of the three basic categories of sound (dialogue, sound effects, and music)

Dialogue is simply “Characters talking to one another in films” (Goodykoontz, 2011 Section 6.4, Para. 2).

Sound effects are sounds that are added into the film to create an effect to the viewer. These sounds are different from music and dialogue because they are later added in.

Music is sound that is played by instruments and sang by people and they add certain effects to movies.

Explain how the different categories of sound are being used in your chosen film.

Dialogue is used throughout the entire film because people are always talking.

Sound effects are used when there is gunshots in some of the scenes and also when Michael’s car explodes and kills Appolonia.

There is music playing throughout the film as well. In the beginning of the film music is played at Vito Corleoneo’s daughters wedding.

Assess the impact of sound in establishing the theme.

How does the use of sound inform the mood of the scene, or the film overall?

There is upbeat music playing at the wedding and there is sad or suspenseful music playing when people die. When Michael goes to the hospital to see his father there is suspenseful music playing and it gives you the feel like something is wrong or something bad is about to happen.

Can you identify specific sounds in your film that allow you to infer a particular genre?

I guess you could say the sound of gunshots could play a roll in determining a genre. The dialogue that is used in the film indicated that they are mafia members and they are out for blood among the families.

Since each category of sound may produce a range of effects, how might you characterize the effects in your film? For example, realistic and expected sound effects may have a different effect on a viewer than exaggerated or unexpected ones.

I believe that sound produced in this film are realistic and expected. The dialogue is realistic and there is even Italian spoken during the film especially when Michael is in Italy which would be expected. The gunshots are realistic, the screeching of car tires and the cries from the characters.

 Assess how the scene or sequence would play differently if you changed or removed a key category of sound.

If you removed the dialogue you would have no idea what is going on in the movie. If you removed the sound effects then it would take credibility away from the scenes. For example, when Michael kills Solonzo and the crooked cop, the train was making a loud noise and you could see Michael zone out and he stopped hearing Solonzo talking. He then shoots the two men when the train is the loudest and walks away. If there were no music for the wedding you would wonder what people are dancing to at the wedding and you would not get that suspenseful build up in scenes where the music matters the most.

References:

Dakshata Sahni, Author at Economy Decoded. (2014, August 6). Retrieved August 28, 2014, from http://economydecoded.com/author/dakshata-sahni/

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

 

The Godfather Trailer (HD). (2011, September 18). Retrieved August 28, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY1S34973zA

 

Narrative/Storytelling

 

[1. Select a full-length film and identify the title, writer, director, major actors and the year it was released.]

Title: 300

Writer: Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, Michael Gordon, Frank Miller, and Lynn Varley

Director: Zack Snyder

Year: 2006

Actors: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, and David Wenham

[2. Summarize the story and plot of your chosen movie.]

Story: 300 is a 2006 film about the battle of Thermopylae in the year 480 BC. King Leonidas and the brave 300 face an army of Persians who follow the tyrant King Xerxes. The film takes place in ancient Greece where the Spartans are outnumbered tremendously and fight till the last man.

Plot: The film starts off showing the history of the Spartans and the way they are raised and trained. The story of how Leonidas becomes king is told and then the Persians send a messenger to ask the Spartans to surrender to King Xerxes. King Leonidas responds in one of the most epic scenes of any movie by kicking the messenger into a pit screaming “This is Sparta”. King Leonidas then asks the oracles permission to attack the Persians and is denied. He then assembles 300 men to march towards the hot gates and defend Sparta. Once there they battle for three days only to be betrayed by Ephialtes and defeated by the Persians. King Leonidas and all of his men were slaughtered. The movie ends with an army of Spartans charging the Persians.

[3. Discuss whether your film is presented chronologically or non-linearly.  In your discussion, address the following:

a. Was the film presented chronologically or non-linearly? How did this aesthetic choice contribute to the general effect on the audience?]  

Chronology:  The film was told in chronological order.  It began with the history of Sparta and the order of events were one after another. Going in this order built suspense to the final battle and made it an epic feat. The movie played out flawlessly because at the end it showed the Spartans charging the Persians and there was a sense of hope that they would avenge King Leonidas and the brave 300.

[ b. How are elements like character development or foreshadowing impacted by the choice of storytelling methods?]

Giving the history of how Leonidas came to be king made his character so intriguing and fascinating. You love and fear his character because you know his past and you see how the movie plays out and how fearless he was.

[4. If the film had followed a different presentation style, how would the general effect on the audience have been different?]

If the film had followed a different presentation such as in a non-linear form then the effect would have possibly different. For me I love these kind of films so I would have been a fan either way. But if the story was told out of order I do not believe it would have had the same effect for the simple fact that the events needed to be told in order to make for such an epic ending.

Resources:

300. (2007, March 9). Retrieved August 14, 2014, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416449/

300 – Official Trailer [HD]. (2012, February 10). Retrieved August 14, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrIbxk7idYA

Forrest Folen – Just another WordPress site. (2014, March 6). Retrieved August 14, 2014, from http://wayoflifebootcamp.com/way-of-life-300-challenge-this-is-sparta/