Walking Thin Blue Line

Title: Walking The Thin Blue Line

Name:  Heidi Lorenzen

Personal Response to Film:
The film really interested me; I have always been the one to turn the television channel to Forensic Files or any reality detective show.  As I have watched Making a Murderer, I felt that I continued to compare the two films.  Personally, it was not until the second time that I watched The Thin Blue Line that I realized how much the director of the film manipulated film techniques to convince the viewer that Randall Adams was innocent.  Comparatively, when I watched Making a Murderer, I could tell right away that the director had taken a very one-sided approach to his film.  The Thin Blue Line left me asking more questions; I am not sure if I missed some details but I wondered what happened to the vehicle that Randall Adams had been driving, was it left on the side of the road where it ran out of gas or did the two men return the vehicle to the hotel at some point?  It also interested me how some of the testimony that Adams gave changed in the film; his brother was asleep when he came home and watched the Carol Burnett show and then later, he was awake and they watched t.v. together.  After watching, I also looked up what had happened to Randall Adams and found that he had been released eventually.  David Harris also really stuck out to me; what struck me the most was how much law enforcement let him get away with.  I lost count of how many times he was in jail or committed robbery or some other crime.  It amazed me that he had not been put in prison for long term so much earlier.  Another thing that really struck me was that the officers in the film who had known Harris had committed so many crimes basically said that they never gave Harris more than a slap on the wrist because they did not want to ruin a young man's future; even though Harris was doing that on his own.

Summary of Critical Article:
In the article, Errol Morris' Construction of Innocence in "The Thin Blue Line" by Renee Curry depicts how the film's director, Errol Morris combined the rules of documentaries with the characteristics of cinematic motion picture.  Curry describes the film techniques that Morris utilized to manipulate the viewer into changing their mental image of Randall Adams as a cop killer to Randall Adams, a man who was wrongfully convicted.  Curry describes this by saying, "To construct this innocence, Morris relies on ordinary "telling" techniques such as verbal monologues and newspaper graphics. However, he also employs cinematic techniques to construct Adams' innocence" (1995, p. 154)  For example, Curry notes Morris' interesting film technique in which the interviewee seems to be speaking directly to the viewer as if we are the ones conducting the interview.  Another strategy throughout the film that Morris used to convince viewers, according to Curry, was the story-telling of the characters rather than using direct question-and-answer.  Finally, Curry points out that Morris used fantasy elements of film making, such as the police lights spinning and the flying malt.

Response to Critical Article:
Unlike the articles for the other films, this article did not clear anything up for me.  However, this article did break down the film techniques very well for me.  After reading the article, I find that I agree with Curry that Morris did utilize certain film techniques to convey the message that Adams had been wrongfully convicted.  I read the article before the second time that I viewed the film, this made the elements that Curry mentioned pop out to me.  Such has realizing how much more of monologues each character utilizes rather than answering an interviewer's questions.

Consideration of Critic’s Use of Critical frameworks/concepts:
Throughout the article, Curry utilized a Reader-Response framework.  The reader can make up their own mind on whether the story-telling elements of the film are used with the purpose of convincing the viewer to be swayed.

Film Analysis:
I chose this scene because it depicts a lot of the film techniques that the article mentioned and I pointed out above.  This clip is an example of the story-telling that occurred throughout the documentary as well as the interviewee looking right into the camera to appear to be speaking directly to the viewer.  The slow action of the depiction of what had happened when the cop was killed, is an example of the fantasy-like elements that Morris used throughout the film.
Using a voice over, the detective tells the story of how the officer was shot.  The clip starts with a close-up shot of the ground where the officer's shadow is seen approaching the car.  Throughout the clip, Morris keeps the reenactment as least biased as possible by keeping the identity of the shooter anonymous.  This helps to allow the viewer to decide who really shot the officer.  The camera then changes angles to see the ground where the officer's shoes are seen beneath the car as they approach the driver's window.  Then, the camera shows a straight-on shot of the detective who is telling the story.  While he is talking, the detective is looking directly into the camera which gives the viewer a sense that the interviewee is talking to them.  This further accentuates the reader-response framework of the film as Morris allows the viewer to decide to believe that Adams is innocent or not.  Throughout the beginning of the clip, the lighting is very dark, but still allows for the shadow of the officer to be seen.  The viewer understands that the cop has pulled the car over as the red and blue flashing lights are easily seen.  When the detective is shown, the lighting is very bright.  The camera then goes to a close up shot of the driver's side corner of the windshield so that the trunk of the officer and flashlight is seen.  The driver then raises the gun and shoots the officer.  At the end of the clip, the camera zooms into the flashlight as it falls to the ground and shatters.  

The darkness of the clip and the music creates an ominous feeling that is consistent with the murder-mystery aspect of this documentary.  Even the story-telling element may seem as if someone is telling the viewer a scary story, keeping them in suspense and trying to figure out the truth behind the story.

References: 

Curry, R. (1995). Errol Morris' construction of innocence in "the thin blue line". Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature, 49, 153-167.

After providing a careful analysis of the film elements in your tube-chop clip make sure to write a few sentences about the subtextual/allegorical meaning beneath the surface… 

A Close-Up View of a Long Shot

Title: A Close-Up View of a Long Shot

Name:  Heidi Lorenzen

Personal Response to Film:

Although I am a fan of westerns, after viewing Once Upon a Time in the West, I have realized that I am more of a fan of modern-day western films.  While watching this movie, I found that I was continuously comparing it to newer western films that I have seen such as Django Unchained, The Revenant and True Grit.  The newer westerns seem to have even more action than the older films of the same genre; this may be why I tend to like them more.  Also, I truly have adoration for the advances made in film making especially with special effects that create such real-seeming action.  One thing that I did really like about Once Upon a Time in the West was the quality acting; some of the older films seem to have such dramatically acting characters; this film's acting felt much more real compared to other older westerns that I have seen.

Summary of Critical Article:

Author of the article, Leone's Close-Ups John Fawell describes the director Sergio Leone's use of close-up camera shots.  Fawell argues that Leone utilized so many of these extreme close-up shots, which cut the heads of the actor so the eyebrows to slightly below the mouth are shown, as they showcase the raw emotion of the actors.  When the viewer has no choice but to be up close and personal with all of their focus on facial expression, they are more likely to notice the subtle movements and reactions of the actors.  Fawell mentions that Leone even has specific close-up shots for each actor: Cheyenne's close-ups are done by him stepping to the camera or the camera sweeping to the shot; Harmonica's are usually in a profile manner.  Fawell goes onto each detail in the meaning of every close-up shot in the movie and highlights the significance of the camera shot to that particular scene or actor/actress.

Response to Critical Article:

I feel as if John Fawell has a little too much time on his hands.  It was difficult to read the breakdown of so many different scenes utilizing the same camera shot.  His attention to detail, though, is remarkable.  He finds meaning in all of these camera shots and describes Leone's use of the shot in relation to the story line, the character, the character's meaning and purpose in the story, etc.  

Consideration of Critic’s Use of Critical frameworks/concepts:

Throughout the article, John Fawell used the formalist critical framework to analyze Leone's use of close-up camera shots.  As mentioned above, Fawell paid a lot of attention to the detail, especially in Leone's pattern of close-ups.  The author describes the patterns of the types of close-up shots used for specific characters and discusses the effects of these patterns.

Film Analysis:

In the scene of the Mcbain massacre, the most striking point is when the youngest son comes outside.  When he initially steps outside of the house, a wide-angle shot is utilized, showing the boy absorbing what has happened.  Immediately, the viewer can sense the boy's confusion.  The camera then cuts to the face of the cowboy, who has a smirk on his face; this gives the audience a sense of evil - he has no remorse.  The camera then cuts to the face of the boy which depicts complete confusion with a sense of a flat affect; the boy almost has no reaction but this confusion.  One may expect crying or horror to be present on the boy's face.  Continuing to utilize tight close-up shots, the director cuts from Frank's face to one of the other cowboy's when the silent interaction is interrupted by the cowboy's question of what Frank will do.  The slow camera movement back to Frank's face as he spits creates a heightened sense of the question, what will happen to the boy?

References (APA): 

Fawell, J. W. (2005). The art of Sergio Leone's Once upon a time in the West: A critical appreciation.

                Jefferson, NC: McFarland.

The Seventh Seal - Black and White, Subtitles and Confusing

Title: The Seventh Seal - Black and White, Subtitles and Confusing

Name:  Heidi Lorenzen

Personal Response to Film:

The Seventh Seal by Ingmar Bergman was very interesting to me.  My first reaction is that it was difficult to follow as it was in another language so subtitles had to be read to understand what the actors were saying.  This made it difficult to watch the movie and truly watch how the actors were reacting and what they were doing.  Being difficult to understand, I definitely had to watch it for a second time in order to get a full grasp on the movie.  I really enjoyed the story of the movie, especially the chess game between Death and the Knight.  I'm not sure why I found this so intriguing but I think it is because it was simply a different idea to distract death for a man to fulfill one "last good act" for another before his time comes.  Getting more used to the black and white film genre, I found that I liked Bergman's use of film techniques that were accentuated with the use of black and white.  The juxtaposition between Death and characters such as Jof and Mia was made clear with Bergman's use of light and dark.  The details of Bergman's choices in film techniques add to the reasons that I enjoyed the film.

Summary of Critical Article:

In John C. Stubbs' article, The Seventh Seal, described Ingmar Bergman's ability to use visual components in his film that make his films very strong.  Stubbs gives background on Bergman such as he grew up near Stockholm and was raised in a strongly paternal family and his father was a minister.  Given his religious upbringing, Stubbs makes the connection that the film The Seventh Seal had much to do with Bergman's own struggle with his belief in God when he was a young adult; seeking proof that God does exist.  In this article the author breaks down the film, describing that the idea for the script was based on The Book of Revelations in which God's book of secrets is held closed with seven seals and the seventh is broken which occurs on Judgement Day.  Stubbs describes that the Knight is searching for proof that God does exist as he delays Death by playing him in a game of chess so that he can perform one meaningful deed for another person.  Stubbs compares Jof and Mia's family to the Holy family because of the film techniques Bergman uses with them.  The author states that, although the Knight does not find God,  he has found an "earthly equivalent" in Jof and Mia's ability to be kind and love. 

Response to Critical Article:

Stubbs' article was actually very helpful in understanding the film overall.  The way that the author described the movie and pointed out important themes such as Jof and Mia's family being like the Holy family and the connection between The Book of Revelation to the movie's script was aided in my understanding.  As I read this article after the first time I viewed the movie and before the second time, I was able to notice some of the important film techniques that Stubbs mentioned his article.  Most significantly, how Bergman used extremely bright light the scenes with Jof and Mia creating almost a "heavenly" or angelic feel to those characters.  

Consideration of Critic’s Use of Critical frameworks/concepts:
Throughout the article The Seventh Seal by John C. Stubbs, the author utilizes the historical framework to analyze the film by Ingman Bergman.  Stubbs describes some of Bergman's background, including information regarding Bergman growing up in a religious family with his father being a minister.  Stubbs also mentions a time in Bergman's adulthood in which he made a choice to "go against the church."  These facts analyzed by Stubbs are ones that he argues affected Bergman's choice to write this story and film it the way that he did.  Stubbs argued that he believes that Bermgan's upbringing influenced his writing and filmng of this story.

Film Analysis:
In the opening scene of the film, we are presented with the Knight and when Death appears to him.  At first, the director used long shots to view both characters.  The shots of these two characters are drastically different.  Death is standing, dressed in a whole body black cloak; the lighting is darker as he stands on some dark rocks with a very dark and cloudy sky in the background.  Also behind him is a large, very dark stone cliff which adds to the omnious feel of Death's presence.  The other long shots of the Knight, the lighting is much brighter and the stones that he is kneeling on seem to be much lighter in color because of the lighting.  The fact that the Knight is kneeling, gives the feel that Death has more power than he does and almost makes the Knight seem to be somewhat fearful of Death, especially as he attempts to evade him with the game of chess.  When the Knight stands up, Death then swings out his arm (and keeps it in this position), creating an even larger presence as his cloak extends out in the wind; as the Knight's presence got larger, Death's got larger as well to maintain his power.  Then, Death approaches the Knight and there is a tight, close-up shot of Death. During their conversation, the actor speaking is shown in an over-the-shoulder shot of the one listening, to give the viewer the sense of seeing what each actor is seeing in this situation.

References (APA): 
Stubbs, J. C. (1975). The Seventh Seal. The Journal of Aesthetic Education, 9(2), 62-76.

Not Your Mother's Wizard of Oz

Title:  Not Your Mother's Wizard of Oz

Name:  Heidi Lorenzen

Personal Response to Film:

The Wizard of Oz was a staple of my childhood, it was a film that I watched frequently.  Growing up, I was the kind of person who needed a television on in order to fall asleep; the movie that I would watch at night would be the same movie every night for probably a week.  The Wizard of Oz was my choice often because I loved the story of it.  I always imagined myself as Dorothy, have the opportunity to travel "over the rainbow" and meet the Great and Powerful Oz.  The extremely bright colors and lovable characters are two of the aspects of film that made me love the movie.  Dorothy seemed to me to be "the girl next door" as if I could actually be her.  This idea drew me in and fascinated me; it's probably one of the reasons I watched it so often.

Summary of Critical Article:

Henry Littlefield, author of The Wizard of Oz:  Parable on Populism truly disrupts any thoughts of the Wizard of Oz movie that you watched as a child.   Littlefield draws a parallel between Lyman Frank Baum's original book of the story to the current events in America at the time.  Some of the most important parallels Littlefield draws are between the main characters of the story book.  "Led by naive innocence and protected by good will, the farmer, the laborer and the politician approach the mystic older of national power to ask for personal fulfillment" (Littlefield, 1964, p. 57).  According to Littlefield, the general American population can relate to Dorothy; "Dorothy is Baum's Miss Everyman. She is one of us, levelheaded and human, and she has a real problem" (1964, p. 52).  The Scarecrow is the farmer from the above quote; disputing thoughts of Midwestern farmers as ignorant and irrational, Baum designs the character to emerge "...as innately a very shrewd and very capable individual" (Littlefield, 1964, p.53).  Secondly, the Tin Man parallels the laborer.  Henry Littlefield argues that the original Tin Man, who had been a human that was turned into tin by "Eastern influences on honest labor," which "...dehumanized a simple laborer so that the faster and better he worked the more quickly he became a kind of machine" (1964, p. 52).  Finally, the politician (according to Littlefield) is represented by the Cowardly Lion.  According to research done by the article's author, Henry Littlefield, Baum was a supporter of a politician named William Jennings Bryan; Littlefield argues that Baum's Cowardly Lion represents Bryan.  As the Wizard represents America's leaders (presidents who are elected persons rather than having to been born in a royal family), he can help to fulfill the wishes of the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion by helping them view themselves more objectively and solving their own problems.  When it comes to Dorothy though, he is unable to grant her wish of going home because Littlefield finds that "...Baum poses a central thought; the American desire for symbols of fulfillment is illusory. Real needs lie elsewhere" (1964, p. 57).  The Wizard of Oz Littlefield addresses is a very different one than I watched as a child, though it is intriguing to examine his parallels.

Response to Critical Article:

As stated above, The Wizard of Oz that Henry Littlefield brings to light is a very different story than the movie that I watched growing up.  Littlefield brought up details down to the water that melted the witch being a "precious commodity which the drought-ridden farmers on the great pails needed so badly, and which if correctly used could create an agricultural paradise..."  (Littlefield, 1964, p. 56).  Henry Littlefield, simply put, had a different view of the story than I did as a child.  I find it fascinating, but truthfully, I also find it to be "head-spinning."  While I was reading the article written by Littlefield, I could not help to think "why was this guy reading this far into the story?!"  A quote by Baum in Littlefield's article states "The story of 'the Wonderful Wizard of Oz' was written solely to pleasure children of today" (Littlefield, 1964, p. 58) and after all of the connections Littlefield makes, I'd like to just agree with Baum.

Consideration of Critic’s Use of Critical frameworks/concepts:

Littlefield utilized a historical framework to find deeper meaning and connections to historical events, characteristics and groups of people.  Using the historical framework, Littlefield assumed that Baum's choices of theme, characters and story line was influenced by the world around him.

Film Analysis:

The pivotal scene of the film that contains many film techniques is the scene in which Dorothy's house lands in Munchkin land.  At the start of the scene, we see Dorothy's back with a wide angle camera shot to see her open the door to the colorful Munchkin land.  When walking through the door, the camera is straight-on with Dorothy as the focus.  The music is a light orchestra sound, with birds chirping.  As she looks around, the camera is in a close-up shot of Dorothy; it then changes to a long-shot to sort of show Dorothy's view of the foreign land she finds herself in.  The lighting in the scene is very bright, as well as the colors used which is a drastic change from the sepia color of the beginning of the film.  Dorothy entering Technicolor

References:
Littlefield, H.  (1964).  The Wizard of Oz:  Parable on Populism.  American Quarterly, 16 (1), 47-58.