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(2007, 1500 words)
The paper analyses Michelangelo Antonioni's film L'Avventura examining his use of focus to render the emotional tensions of the characters and their internal drama. Antonioni's metaphorical use of images communicating meanings beyond the plot is discussed.
(2007, 1000 words)
The paper analyses François Truffaut's film "The 400 Blows" focusing on the reflection of his childhood experiences and discussing the attitude of a child towards adults, the frustrations of childhood, the loss of innocence, etc.
(2007, 1200 words)
This discussion is based on the editing techniques used for Hitchcock's 'Psycho' which is one of the most successful horror movies in history. The film especially stands out for its cinematography, editing styles, close up shots, unique sequences and characterizations. The plot of the movie although terrifying for most, has led to one of the most successful thrillers through Hitchcock's novel methods of visual representation. The film has received critical acclaim and worldwide recognition for some of its iconic scenes shot in a unique manner.
(2007, 2300 words)
According to Hutcheon the relationship between an 'original' and a remake can be summarized as 'repetition with difference'. Explore these notions of repetition and difference using as a case study a European film its Hollywood remake. The films that are chosen here for comparison are "Abre los ojos" - open your eyes -Spanish film and "Vanilla Sky" which is a Hollywood remake. This discussion deals with the adaptation of the Spanish movie Abre los Ojos or Vanilla Sky that is marked by science fiction and a merger of reality and fantasy. The storyline is discussed and brings out the philosophical questions of life, death, love and desire. Both the original and the Hollywood remake deal with the same story of a young man who faces a car crash caused by his jealous lover. The movie shifts between dreams, fantasy and reality and even brings out moral and ethical questions portrayed through conflicts, struggles and neuroticism. Apart from the psychological dimensions, the movie is largely a cross between a suspense thriller and a science fiction and here the focus is on whether the remake Vanilla Sky has done any justice to its original Spanish version. The criticisms of adaptations and remakes as 'repetition with a difference' and secondary or derivative' have also been considered in this context.
(2007, 2000 words)
This is a narrative enquiry that compares and contrasts the theories of Barthes and Todorov with special reference to the narrative style in Hitchcock's 'Spellbound'. The plot of the story reveals a deep psychoanalytic pattern of events that unfolds to show what could be called as a 'state of disruption or disequilibrium' in Todorov's terms and this would finally give way to a state of new equilibrium so Todorov's theory of narrative would fit in comfortably in the analysis to highlight the mystery and strange twists in the tale. Barthes' narrative theory highlights the role of language, meanings, symbols, signifiers, as also the structure of the narrative with its actions and functions suggesting the importance of the components and what the viewers perceive, so in this case, a 'subjective objective' distinction is important. A structural analysis of the plot of the film from Barthes' viewpoint and a functional analysis with Todorov's theory are both considered in this analysis.
(2007, 1500 words)
The paper examines the relationship between cinematic representations of reality and the real world discussing the nature of films in capitalist society, and outlining film techniques used to capture the features of cities. Examples of films about city life are analysed including Antonioni's 'Red Desert', etc.
(2007, 1500 words)
The paper looks at the screen version of the play 'Shadowlands' made by Richard Attenborough examining cinematic techniques of the play's adaptation, i.e. the development of the characters, the representations of time and space, music, etc.
(2007, 1500 words)
The paper reviews Polanski's film 'The Pianist' based on the memoirs of the Polish musician Szpilman analyzing the actors, the setting, the footage of the historical events described in the memoirs, the experiences of the Holocaust by both, the author and the film director, etc.
(2007, 3700 words)
The study focuses on the nature and characteristics of war time musicals that seem to have a conspicuously dramatic content and exaggerated show of emotions. Some of the common features of all war time musicals are highlighted although special focus here is on Vincente Minnelli's Meet Me in St. Louis which is marked by its use of colour and luxurious settings. The central theme of the movie is a sense of nostalgia with overt sentimentality that seems to be revealed through the visuals and the music and several songs that are theme based contextual and express colourful and sometimes joyous emotions. The analysis here is however on the central concept and them of the movie which is based on relocation or change when the family shown here decides to leave St. Louis for New York. The deep disappointment at having to move to a different place and the possibility of breaking relationships and friendships pervade through the movie and are seen in all characters suggesting the deep psychological needs for a stable home life. Other psychological dimensions of the human mind such as childhood repression and hidden wishes are also used successfully in the movie. Although the story of the movie could have been more inspiring, the handling of the themes reveals Minnelli's expertise in visual presentation of musicals.
(2006, 2500 words)
The paper analyses the film 'The English Patient' looking at the features of the postmodern genre, defining the concept of 'metanarrative', discussing the role of references to Herodotus' 'Histories' and comparing the film with other films of the same genre.
(2006, 2000 words)
The paper examines the film adaptation of the novel Trainspotting by Irvin Welsh and its influence on the British film making industry. The story of the film production is related; its reflections of cultural and political life in Britain are discussed.
(2006, 3000 words)
The paper examines a commercial-promotional strategy used in modern American cinema known as auteurism and reflecting a personal style of a film director. The auteur theory is reviewed; the films of the 'New Hollywood' generation are analysed focusing on Tarantino's films.
(2006, 8000 words)
The paper analyses the impact of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho on world cinema describing the film's history, reviewing the script, commenting on the casting, analysing the techniques of building suspense, etc. The factors behind the film's success are discussed.
(2006, 2500 words)
The paper examines the development of cinema after the rise of commercial television focusing on Hollywood films and discussing the emergence of New Hollywood and independent filmmakers, the concept of 'blockbuster', etc. The example of 'Titanic' (1999) and other films of the post-classical cinema are looked at.
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