Martin Scorsese And Mean Streets Film Studies Essay

Martin Scorsese And Mean Streets Film Studies Essay Authorship is important in every art form, for reason of intellectual property rights and for reasons of status and identification. The film critic Andrew Sarris became the proponent of what is now called auteur theory. Sarris claimed that film at its best constitutes the kind of inspired personal expression from a director that we expect to find in a major author, Sarris therefore said we can treat great directors who develop a signature style as auteurs. http://www.cs.grinnell.edu/~simpsone/Connections/Film/Author/index.html. The word author is a driven from the French word auteur. Sometime the word used as auteurism marks a major part played in the critical debates by French film critics, especially those associated with journal Cahiers du Cinà ©ma in the 1950s and 1960s.the directors were claimed and considered to be the author of the film. This did not however mean that every director was to be considered to be an auteur (http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Academy-Awards -Crime-Films/Auteur-Theory-and-Authorship.html).Auteur theory suggests that a director, can use the same apparatus of filmmaking in the same way that a writer uses a pen or a painter uses paint and a paintbrush. (http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/staffhome/siryan/Screen/Auteur%20Theory.html). The auteur theory became the basis of the French cinematic movement, the nouvelle vague also known as the new wave. (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/44609/auteur-theory). http://www.cs.grinnell.edu/~simpsone/Connections/Film/Author/index.html In this assignment I am going to be talking about Martin Scorsese in terms of authorship in relation to mean streets. Martin Scorsese is considered one of the most influential directors of his era. Born in 1942, Martin Scorsese grew up in the lower Manhattans Little Italy neighborhood, (which was later the setting for several of his films). Growing he was captivated by Friday night broadcasts of Italian- neo realist films, from then Scorsese was drifted toward the European cinema. He became attracted to a style of filmmaking that was different from Hollywood. After high school Scorsese entered the priesthood and spent a year at a catholic seminary before dropping out, (this had a big influence on his films). He studied at New York City University, where he was greatly influenced by the cinematic realism of French and Italian new wave. The impact of Scorsese can be shown in a number of ways including such as his directing style, the films he has made and the relationships he has made in the industry. Scorsese has a uses film as a mode of personal expression, he uses film as an emotional and artistic passage. We can see the expression of his upbringing in several of his films, e.g. in whos knocking at my door (1968), which feels a lot representative of Scorseses own up-bringing as it introduces themes of catholic guilt, (also introduced in mean streets 1973), as he had a Roman Catholic up-bringing. [Data gathered from (http://www.notablebiographies.com/Sc-St/Scorsese-Martin.html) and V.LoBruto; Martin Scorsese a biography 2008; Praeger Publishers Inc The themes and tendencies use by Scorsese have remained the same. He addresses such themes as Italian American identity, violence, Roman Catholic concepts of guilt and redemption. His authorship styles include a feel for New York Italian American street life, rapid editing, eclectic soundtracks and a troubled protagonist. Another typical Scorsese technique which stands out is his use of the voice over narration. We can see this in most of his films including Mean Streets (1973). Scorseses use of voice over allows him to add vital elements to his characters. It also allows the audience to enter the characters minds and determine what he is really thinking, this will make the audience relate more and understand the characters. I am now going to apply these in Mean Streets (1973) and also analyse the final sequence from the movie. Mean Streets is a film about a young Italian American who is trying to cope in the tough environment streets of New York. All of the above authorship styles apply to Mean Streets. Mean Streets powerfully portrayed life in Little Italy where he grew up. The film also showed off talent and started a relationship with Robert De Niro, who went on to star in eight more of Scorsese films. The scene that I am analysing is all shot in low key lighting; this is done to give the night time effect. Scorsese uses low key lighting in a few of his other films but notably in Goodfellas (1990), which contains low key lighting throughout. In the scene there is a fast paced electric rock soundtrack playing. This is also one of Scorseses signature techniques. The music is setting up the mood raising interest to the audience. The electric soundtrack plays so sudden that the audience excitement just builds up. Overall the music that Scorsese uses portrays the mood as well as the setting of the film. For example in GoodFellas (1990) and Casino (1995) 60s Italian music is played to make the scenes seem as though they were set at the time. The scene is shot in a tracking shot as the cars are being followed in the road. Scorsese is well known for showing off his tracking shot skills in all of his films. In the scene, there are a lot of mid shots, these is to show off the character and t he emotions so that the audience can sympathise and relate with or vise-versa. In the scene the action begins when the shooting begins, the blood in the scene is exaggerated but this is to raise excitement, anxiety and a dramatic effect to the audience. The shooting sequence is really fast paced, distorted and consists of a fast paced dialogue, though this is another one of scorseses signatures, it has a dramatic effect to it. Scorsese films tend to have unflinchingly graphic and realistic violence, we can see this thought the film for example during the bar fight. The electric music still playing in the background has no meaning with what is happening in the scene, however this may make the film more appealing to the audience that know the soundtrack, thus attracting more audience by the soundtrack, this requires cultural knowledge. However I can argue that the rock electric music is connotating the meaning and message of the film, thus associated with sex, drugs and bad boys. The intensity in the scene in increased more when they show the close up of the foot on the brakes, this raises tension as the audience want to know if the car is going to crash or not. It is interesting how the music suddenly stops when the car crashes, this may be to give effect of shock to the audience. And the water pipe bursts we can only here the diegetic sound of the water. This scene raises enigmas to the audience as they are curious as to did anyone die? The camera also show a mid-close up of the two guys in the car to show that they are curious as well as to did anyone die, get hurt etc. suddenly again with a signature movie slow paced music unexpectedly starts though this time it matches with the action in the scene. The character get out of the car in a kind of slow motion take, this is often used by Scorsese, this is to give dramatic effect to the scene in this case when bloody Charlie falls on to his knees, this is a dramatic shot and it builds emotions to the audience. Sc orsese has used the slow motion effect throughout the film, Mean Streets (1973) as well as in GoodFellas (1990), Taxi Driver (1976) and Raging Bull (1980). The water from the pipe was shown to have the effect as if it is raining; this is to signify that it is over. This scene is followed by several scenes from other character in different places. Then there is a long shot of New York City probably to show on more time were the action happens. Scorseses films are usually set in New York City where he grew up. The scene then fades to black which usually connotates the pass of time, then the credits are shown. In the analysis I have evaluated most of scorseses signature cinematography techniques in from one scene. Martin Scorsese has always done something different to distinguish himself from other directors.

Children in Horror

With the release of Orphan upon us, it seems as good a time as any to consider the role that kids have played in the horror genre. Other groups have fairly consistent, even ritualized roles in films. Men as antagonists are usually the threat of aggressive male sexuality, wielding phallic weaponry and chasing down hapless female victims. Women are either the sexualized teenaged victim, the virginal survivor, or in some classic horror, the threat of female social and sexual empowerment to male hegemony. But children in horror movies have not had such a stable role.There are, however, three major trends in the way children fit into horror plots. We’ll call them â€Å"the silent witness,† â€Å"the creepy little kid,† and â€Å"the un-victim. † The silent witness is used most commonly in ghost films like The Messengers and Mirrors. These characters often don’t speak at all (perhaps due to some earlier trauma or developmental shortfall) or they only spea k in short, cryptic messages. The driving notion behind these characters is that in their innocence they don’t know to be scared of the ghosts and ghoulies, or in other cases, they retain some knowledge of trust or secret about life that we as adults have forgotten.Either way, these characters represent an almost covetous reverence for the ideal of childhood innocence. The sound of the child’s laughter is usually central to at least one scene, reminding us again of the child’s innocence, but also implying that the child is not alone. One of the most elegant, though not central, uses of this character type is in Close Encounters of the Third Kind in the scene when the child, Barry, goes missing. Of course everyone’s favorite use of children in horror movies is the creepy little kid.This is the category that Orphan falls under and also incorporates a lot of ghost films like The Grudge and The Unborn, but it can also include demon-child movies like The Omen. The protagonists of these films are often the parents, or adopted parents, of the creepy kid in question, and these films play subliminally on oedipal anxieties. In films where the kid is a ghost, it will sometimes be â€Å"the good ghost† who is trying to warn and protect the other characters. But even if the child ghost is not benevolent, it’s still usually not the embodiment of pure rage that ghosts of adult men tend to be.Instead, the threat they pose is usually more akin to a trapped animal, and often these characters are associated with a specific animal or take on animalistic traits. Whether alive or dead though, creepy little girls have become iconic within the horror genre. With sunken eyes, perfect hair, and always the same style of going-to-church dress, the image of the creepy little girl has become standardized, but the fact that it still remains creepy while being so familiar is a testament to its ability to strike a deep psychological chord with the aud ience. In many ways the creepy little girl is the flip side of the silent witness character.Both imply that young children know more about their surroundings than they let on, but whereas the silent witness can’t communicate, the creepy little girl won’t, inevitably to nefarious ends. Where the silent witness represents the purity and innocence of childhood, the creepy little kid represents all the cruelty and selfishness that children are capable of. Finally, there is what I like to call the un-victim. These are the kids in movies who get chased by the bad guys, but everyone knows they’re going to live through the end of the film. Classic examples would be Tommy Jarvis in Friday the 13th Part IV, or Reggie in Part V.A more recent example would be the two kids in Signs. These kids are un-victims because they’re threatened through the entire movie, but never get killed off because killing a kid in a movie is going too far for most filmmakers (though appare ntly not for Lars Von Trier in Antichrist). As a result, these kids end up being a sort of safety blanket for the viewer. We know that they’re safe, and therefore we allow them to provide us some security and even the occasional moment of levity. For many horror fans though, these kids turn into an annoyance very quickly (Dakota Fanning in War of the Worlds). This is of course not at all comprehensive.Films that break these molds are often far better off for it, as just in general movies that buck or reverse trends and stereotypes are usually more creative and better made movies. Plus, this summary does not include demonic pregnancy movies like Rosemary’s Baby, or movies aimed at children like Gremlins. And then there are a few movies that merge and meld these tropes together. Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining has not only the prototypical creepy little girls, but Danny Torrance incorporates all three character tropes. He is himself a creepy little kid at times, but at other times he acts as the silent witness.But then in the third act when the emphasis of the film begins to shift towards Jack’s insanity, Danny becomes an un-victim. So this is by no means a bible of children in horror movies, but it is an interesting topic to contemplate how children factor into a genre that is specifically meant to not be seen by them. Adults have always had a very interesting and compelling relationship with notions of childhood, and it’s certainly not insignificant that children, in one role or another, find their way so consistently into the horror genre, where all the fears and anxieties of the human psyche find their voice.

Marijuana For Better or For Worse - 1740 Words

Marijuana is a harmful drug and should not be legalized. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug used in the United States. It is a plant that grows from the ground however, it contains many harmful toxins. There are many pros and cons for the legalization of marijuana although there are more cons than there are pros; one being that children are the ones who abuse marijuana the most. Surprisingly, against other beliefs, marijuana smoking actually does impair the user’s ability to drive a lot like the effects of alcohol and it is more addictive than alcohol. Based on this information, many have concluded that marijuana should not be legalized for recreational use. Marijuana is an herb that grows from God’s greatest creation:†¦show more content†¦Not to mention, legalizing marijuana will also take away money used for stopping illegal transportation and distribution of marijuana therefore that money and manpower saved could be used for the termination of other more important crimes. Taking it off the streets for illegal sell also helps the consumer because distributers will have guidelines given by the FDA as to what can be cut into the drug. Street marijuana is hard to decipher what other dangerous substances may have been cut into the drug. Those who argue legalization should be done say that limiting the use of marijuana is cutting into their personal freedom given by our forefathers. They also state that smoking marijuana is not as harmful as alcohol or tobacco. If the law to legalize marijuana was passed, the government would allow anyone over twenty one to possess, share or transport up to one ounce of marijuana. They can however possess an unlimited amount of living or harvested plants so long as they were no more than twenty five feet squared per parcel. A last argument that supporters have is that there is already THC based drugs that have been approved by the FDA to help people, why not marijuana that contains less THC tha n those drugs. Although there are plenty of pros to legalizing marijuana, there are more distinct cons that far outweigh the pros. Going against those that are for the legalization of recreational marijuana are thoseShow MoreRelatedShould Marijuana Be Legal?1453 Words   |  6 PagesMarijuana is arguably the most controversial drug in history. In general, when someone hears the word â€Å"drugs† they think of a terrible substance that will destroy the human body. However bringing up marijuana, many people think of different things. 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Although these claims holds some truth, marijuana is still a dangerous drug and adding one more problematic drug into the mix will not improve America’s health and safety issues. Although marijuana has its medical benefits, using it for recreational purposes is dangerous for both us and our society. There are countless debates whether marijuana shouldRead MoreThe United State War On Drugs1005 Words   |  5 PagesPresident Richard Nixon, and it was one of the worst decisions he ever made. It has been nothing but a waste of government funding, time, and manpower that can only be described as a dismal failure and should be repealed or at the very least medical marijuana should be made legal. The essay â€Å"Let’s Be Blunt† was written to show the flaws and failure of the war on drugs. I nits intro the essay takes a very pro drug legalization stance Caden states†Ã¢â‚¬ . Early on the author compares the current drug war

Pros Cons of Television - 734 Words

PROS CONS OF TELIVISION Nowadays television plays an important role in everyone’s life. By being the source of information, it provides an endless entertainment for the whole family units. As a result, every family now owns a television and television is now becoming a very useful device for every family. So, in this situation we should say that there many advantages and disadvantages in watching television. And this is the time to discuss the advantages first. Firstly, the television brings us news from all over the world through local T.V channels and satellites T.V channels about political happenings, social events, festivals, sports news and weather forecasting. There are also many programs showing the beauties and sceneries in the†¦show more content†¦For the present we have considered the advantages of the television. Now let’s discuss about the disadvantages of television. Because of the television, social problems such as educational and health regarding to teenagers, are becoming worse. These were exposed by a research done lately that teenagers in most of countries are addicted to television programs. As a result of this addiction that teenagers are used to forget their studies and neglect homeworks. As instance, this kind of issues were recorded specially so during Sirasa Super Star reality television program which have been telecasted on Saturdays and Sundays. Students wasted a lot of time by concentrating on tha t T.V show instead of studying. As side effect of this, in 2005 O/L and A/L results have been reduced. Similarly that they are dillying-dallying in front of the television teenagers are come up with health issues like adipose and defects of vision. These kinds of social problems would become worse issues in future. Another bad issue of watching television is that some of the programs which are carrying bad scenes are not being filtered. Therefore this can be affected to the growing age of the teenagers as their minds are not really matured. Withal, most of the teenagers love to experience new adventure things and to imitate super heroes like superman, spider man and etc†¦. Therefore, sometimes, many of the teenagers come up with fateful disasters. As instances, in by-gone times, few deadsShow MoreRelatedThe Pros And Cons Of Educational Television1171 Words   |  5 Pagescategory of television encompasses a vast array of categories and topics, but holds a hidden gem that is â€Å"Educational Television† that benefits its viewers rather than harm, as critics often argue that TV does. Educational television comes in many forms that educate children. This comes in the form of shows such as, Sesame Street, Between the Lions, and much more. 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