Director Movie Reviews Samples For Students

Films have developed out of dramatic and narrative tradition in which storytelling is used as a central concern. The filmmakers have challenged the manipulative and seductive power of narratives by using playful resistance to the convention of narratives, or by exploring other forms of medium. For example, filmmakers have used the interplays of gesture and rhythm, sound and image rather than relying on character psychology and plot mechanics. However, non-narrative film has a smaller audience than narrative films. A good example is aircraft passengers watching the direction of the nearest exit pointed out by flight attendants, which reminds the Continue reading...

The Personals

The movie was shot in 1998 by Chen Kou-Fu. The next year the movie was presented at the Cannes Festival. The story described in the movie, in my opinion, is rather banal. There is a woman who is rather busy and does not have time for her personal life. However, she is at that very age when everybody around her has a family. She decided to solve the problem with a partner by simply posting an ad in a newspaper. Soon she gets more than a hundred calls. The “potential” partners are rather strange: beginning with a restaurant manager Continue reading...

I watched a clip called “Is there a Bomb?” from the film Man on a Ledge. The director is Asger Leth. The production designer is Alec Hammond. The art director is David Swayze.

Directors turn the script into the action on screen (“Film Director”). Directors are responsible for “casting, script editing, shot composition, shot selection, and editing” (“Film Director”). Directors must have creative vision regarding bringing the story to life. Casting the right actors to bring characters to life is crucial. Actors must be believable in their role. Editing the script to make the story flow better helps audiences Continue reading...

Cinematic Techniques Analysis

Generally, The Conversation (1974), directed by Francis Coppola, tells the story of Harry Caul, a surveillance expert, hired by the Director of an anonymous corporation to track a couple. His mission involves recording the couple’s conversation outdoors. He refines the technology to enhance his eavesdropping into the couple’s conversations and overhears of a possible murder. He does nothing to warn the couples and witnesses their killings. It haunts him to know that, through his work, he played a part in the murder of the couple by the corporation. In Continue reading...

Introduction

In 1998, Steven Spielberg directed a World War 2 film showing the events that happened during the Normandy invasion. The film was called “saving Private Ryan” and was based in Normandy and some parts of France. Screen play for the film was done by Rodat Robert with main actors being Tom Hanks as Captain John Miller, Tom Sizemore as Mike Hovarth, Barry Pepper as Daniel Jackson, Adam Goldberg as Stanley ‘Fish’ Mellish, Vin Diesel as Adrian Carpazo, Giovanni Ribisi as Irwin Wade, Jeremy Davis as Timothy Upham, and Matt Damon as Private James Rayan. The movie was produced to depict a very dramatic, strong, and serious theme. Indeed the result is that it was successful in proving the historical accuracy of the Normandy event despite the minor flows which are common in all movie productions. This hypothesis will be tested and proved in the following analysis and discussions.

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Analysis of Science Fiction Movie Solaris

Analysis of Science Fiction Movie Solaris
Solaris is a Russian science fiction art film adaptation of the Stanislaw Lem’s novel Solaris (1961) shot in 1972, directed and co-written by Andrei Tarkovsky. It represents a meditative drama of psychological character set mostly on a space station that is orbiting around the fictional Solaris planet. The station had a scientific mission that was stalled as the three scientists in the crew fell into the emotional crises. This paper is dedicated to the analysis of the problems brought out by the film and the way the director managed to convey the Continue reading...

Assignment: Historical Accuracy in Hollywood Movies based on true stories.

A. What reasons do your authors give to explain the historical inaccuracies in the films? Give an example from one of the articles.

The director James Cameron seemed to be working against himself in putting together the movie “The Titanic.” As the reviewer notes he carefully tried to portray the sets and rituals of Victorian society but then he used a script that showed a contemporary view of the appropriateness of . . . making love? having sex?. . . with a stranger. On top of that all the fine historical clothing was flooded so no one could ever use it again. I think Continue reading...

Movie Review of Erin Brockovich

Introduction
“It only takes a single act of kindness to turn the world around and put yourself at the center of it.” If there is one statement that could describe the plot of the film Erin Brockovich, the beginning statement captures everything. Erin Crockovich is a true story of a woman who fought the ill practice of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Released in 2000, the film that stars Julia Robert was a biographical sketch of how a single mother has been able to overcome the challenges presented her coming from an accident and an unsuccessful lawsuit. While Continue reading...

While watching the play “Our Lady of 121st Street” , I could not stop laughing, the events in this play were staged or rather developed in a way that exemplify amusement and mirth. Though the instigating event of the missing corpses was rather a sad event, other events that unfolded subsequently were in essence funny and amusing. Apparently, the theatre space of this play was rather appropriate owing the fact that all the audience and the actors could achieve maximum contentment form the play.
Apparently, the writer of this play developed the characters of the play in such a way Continue reading...

ABSTRACT

During the last decade, Asian horror cinema has seen a surge in popularity throughout the world, especially in western countries. Traditionally, Japan has dominated the Asian horror cinema, but recently Hong Kong and South Korea have emerged as major powerhouses in the genre. Majority of these movies have enjoyed international success. Moreover, many of these movies have been adapted and remade by Hollywood. As the genre continues to grow, there is a need to understand the social conditions, cultural values, and cinematic traditions which influence the horror movies from Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore. Continue reading...

No other American film auteur in the modern era has had a greater impact on the industry than Steven Spielberg. The man who created E.T. and Jurassic Park has personalized the art of filmic storytelling to a greater extent than any other director. In fact, it could be argued that Spielberg has so popularized the auteurist tradition that directors who have been inspired by the Indiana Jones movies and Poltergeist believe putting their personal stamp on a movie represents the height of the director’s art, the norm rather than the exception. Contributions from the great European directors of Continue reading...

“What happens when wrong feels right and right feels wrong? When situations that appear to be black and white turn out to be gray?” (The Literary Analyst).The bygone philosophy of novelists writing what they desire stands firm. For me, a director holds the same status when it comes to films, in fact all artists irrespective of their desired form of art should have the liberty to think and make people do the same. This perfectly sounds true of Ben Affleck’s triumphant and remarkable debut in Gone Baby Gone (2007), which is an adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s Continue reading...

Sequence Analysis in Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Pride and Prejudice (2005) was Joe Wright's debut as a director of a feature film. It was a tough choice for the studio, because he had no real experience and didn't even read a Jane Austen's novel. But in the end it was the best candidate, because Wright managed to explore his nature talent and was later inspired to direct his other movies like Atonement or Anna Karenina. Pride and Prejudice was the first romantic film he worked on, but later he was admired for his work and the film was welcomed Continue reading...

Introduction

The film Last Vegas, directed by Jon Turteltaub, was released in 2013. It stars cinematic heavyweights like Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline. Some of these actors, like Kline and Douglas, have faded into general obscurity in recent years, but still have managed to maintain relative clout with their reputations, making this film seem like it was going to be one to remember. Unfortunately, most will probably remember it as one they wish they could forget. The storyline is boring, the jokes are stale, and the material is dull. There are a few redeeming qualities Continue reading...

Introduction

Movie is a form of art just like literature, music and paintings but movie is much beyond that. Movie is a pictorial representation of a story one reads in a book. Movie is an expression of life in motion as one sees in paintings. Movie is a medley of colors and sound which provide a gateway to its audience from all the worries of life for a short while. Movie is a means of escape from the reality of life to find solace in something more cheerful. During Great Depression when people were bogged down with the distressing economic Continue reading...

Captivating is the word I would describe the movie, Saving Private Ryan. The movie is a masterpiece that lacks adequate words to describe itself. The movie is indelible and searing leaving an imprint on every soul that get a chance to watch the movie. No one can ever forget the work of Stephen Spielberg on this movie. Spielberg leaves a memory that we cannot forgot. The first thirty minutes in the movie are one of the finest cinematic forces capturing the audience. The movie shows how soldiers encounter the deadly Normandy invasions. The beginning is brilliant in technique and Continue reading...

Michelle Williams becomes Marilyn Monroe in the film My Week With Marilyn. It is obvious that Williams spent hours studying both movie and news footage of Monroe. Williams perfectly portrays Monroe’s voice, body language, and facial expressions. This film gives viewers a glimpse into Monroe’s fragile ego. Monroe’s low self-esteem causes her to be late on the movie set and influences who she chooses to have in her inner circle.
The story is told from the perspective of the young Colin Clark. Clark was only twenty-three years old when he landed his first job in filmmaking Continue reading...

Under the Bombs a movie filmed in 2007 right at the end of the Lebanon War in 2006. It was directed by Philippe Aractingi - a Franco-Lebanese filmmaker.
In the midsummer 2006, the war broke out between Lebanon and Israel. The director of the film, Philippe Aractingi was not able to shoot everything adequately and decided to grab his camera and to shoot everything off the cuff, with no script whatsoever, creating the story in his head. After 10 days, he finished his creation – a 97 minutes movie called “Under The Bombs”, a story where only 2 actors were Continue reading...

Philosophy of “Rashomon”

“Rashomon” by Akira Kurosawa is a Japanese drama shot in 1950. Based on the two novels by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa ("Rashomon" and "In a Grove"), the film depicts several stories of the same incident. The name of the film is the name of the city gate in Kyoto. It is the point where the film begins and where the woodcutter and the priest tell their incredible story to the commoner. The release of the Japanese movie was a real breakthrough – among its awards, it won the Golden Lion and the Academy Honorary Award.
The film aims to demonstrate the Continue reading...

Orson Welles’s famous “Citizen Kane” was shot in 1941 and got the Oscar award for the Best Writing. The film is significant for its characters’ acting, editing, the story itself and the makeup which helped the actors to transform from young people to the old ones. The story is told in non-linear order with a lot of flashbacks. The movie starts with the end. As for the cinematography, the spectator pays his attention to the montage technique: a good example is the director’s depicting of Kane’s relationships with both his wives – they are shot alone either Continue reading...

“Casablanca” by Michael Curtiz is an anti-Nazi film based on the play. The romantic drama of 1942 starring Ingrid Bergman represents an outstanding example of interesting methods in cinematography. “Casablanca” is a black and white film with high-key lighting and mostly deep focus (except for the close-up scenes with the main characters where shallow focus is used). To make the eyes of the main female character sparkle, the director used softening gauze filter and catch lights. This method gave the effect of the nostalgic and sad glance. The director uses normal lens, so the perspective is normal and the Continue reading...

Death of a Salesman is a play that addresses the painful conflicts within a family, showing how Americans are tackling issues regarding their national values within real means. Miller therefore depicts America as selling false myths founded around capitalist materialism, and nurtured by the postwar competitions. During this time, most American families had centered their ways of life on material ownership, often with attempts by individuals to be equal to their materialistic neighbors (Death of a Salesman).
For mastering the structure of the play, that is, to understand and interpret the script and casts he should rehearse and work Continue reading...

In the past years, movies marked as “based on real events” appear more often. Moreover, some of the researchers, as well as ordinary viewers claim that almost every movie is based on real events. The point is that sometimes directors as well as screen play writers tend to exaggerate the importance and cruelty of some events. In the most cases, it happens in horror movies or some documentaries. The point is that the main idea of every documentary is to convince people in something. This essay is devoted to the issue of veracity of the events in three movies: Continue reading...

Film Review: “Fried Green Tomatoes”

Directed by John Avnet, Fried Green Tomatoes is a sensational comic video nominated for two academic video awards. The film tells a story of an era of depression in the friendship of two women, coupled with another friendship in the 1980s. The reception of the movie among the people offered the film an opportunity of attracting global intention. However, the movie attracted criticism especially from the people opposed to the idea of lesbian content in the film. This paper analyzes the film by pointing out areas that the author and director failed to bring out clearly to the viewers.
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Introduction

The new world 2005 is breath- taking; romantic- filled and creatively staged historical adventure. The film skillfully written and directed by an excellent film writer and director Terrence Malick, depict along the foundation of the Jamestown, Virginia settlement ,just around the beginning of the United State colonization at which the America was occupied and organized in native tribes. The film draws its inspiration from Captain John Smith and Pocahontas based on a classic poem.
The cast involves Wes studi, Christopher Plummer, Christian bale, august schellenberg, David thelwis and Yolick van wageningen. A highly experienced production team consisting of the Continue reading...

Introduction

Almost every year, there are thousands of individuals that decide write movie scripts actually hoping to get them produced and then also to make some serious cash flow. What people do not realize is that a lot of these scripts are never even looked at or even bought. The reason for Th is that movies are costly to make and basically only the best scripts are ever actually get produced. When they are made into movies it is important that a film analysis is done in order to see what was done correctly and what was not. Often, students Continue reading...

The main characters in this movie are Paul Walker, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser, James Remar, Tyrese and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges. It was directed by John Singleton. He acted as a link between production, technical and creative teams. He was responsible for carrying the vision for the film and seeing it through. He made most of the crucial decisions such as choosing the cast, location and crew for the film. He also directed the acting and worked closely with the editors to produce the final product. The production designer was Keith Brian Burns. He was responsible for the overall look Continue reading...

Stuart Rosenberg, the director of the film, Cool Hand Luke (1967), is one of the most noted filmmakers in the history of world cinema. Born in 1927, Rosenberg completed his graduation and started hi training as an editor on television programs. At the age of thirty, he graduated from being an editor to a director. After directing close to as many as 50 episodes, he moved to making movies. Thus, he went on to make memorable films like movies Cool Hand Luke, The Amityville Horror, Voyage of the Damned and The Pope of Greenwich Village that immortalized him as Continue reading...

Movie review

For this assignment I have watched the movie Holes. The movie composition is rather interesting. The plexus of two stories that happened with a hundred years difference allowed the director keep intrigue until the very end. When watching the movie, it is not clear what will happen next. Moreover, I should admit that the ending of the movie is very surprising. In one of the last scenes, when Zero and Stanley found the treasure, everyone awaited that it would be the Kissing Kate’s treasures. Indeed, the treasure belonged to Stanley Yelnats. Moreover, another surprising scene followed the previous Continue reading...

Film Analyzing: Step Brothers (2008)
The director of the film uses variety of methods to draw viewer’s attention on characters. It is notable, that practically in every scene with both of step brothers they appear on the screen together. Thus the director aims to show their emotions underneath their childish masks, point out how deeply interconnected they are and how alike they are.
The background music conveys an atmosphere of the film, which is not dramatic mostly and can be referred to as an “adolescent fun”. The art of sound effects contribute a lot to building general impression Continue reading...

The 1970s was a decade of the public’s disappointment with the government and its policies, domestic and foreign, social and economic. It was the time of counterculture and various movements and protests that followed the example of the civil rights movement. The most important topics for the American people were the distrust for the government after the long-lasting Vietnam War that weakened not only the United States, whose economic situation was already devastating, but other countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia and their neighbors; the Watergate scandal that made Americans doubt that the county is in fact a democratic one, Continue reading...

Secrets and Lies (1996)
This movie focuses on the life and struggle of one woman in finding truths in her life. After her adoptive mama passes away; Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), a triumphant black eye physician, searches for her birth mother. She is surprised when her investigation leads her to a plebeian white woman, Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn). Initially, Cynthia denies the claim, but she finally admits to birthing Hortense as an adolescent, and the pair begins to bond. Nevertheless, when Cynthia invites Hortense to a relative’s barbecue, Cynthia's already nervous relationship with her kin becomes even more complex. The Continue reading...

Film analysis of "Alain Resnais - Night and Fog (1956)" and "Jean Luc Godard - Breathless (1959)"
Each movie is a small story. Each movie carries its own information. Each movie opens the whole world to the viewer, no matter if it is full-length film or a short film or even a documentary. Still, it gives a chance to make own decisions about some particular moments. Another question is how ideal the information was given – did the director in his or her picture manage to cover all the needed aspects. It is not only related to the script. A Continue reading...

Goya's Ghosts (2006)
Goya's Ghosts (2006)
The film, Goya’s Ghosts (2006), is a seminal work in the history of cinema. The director, Miloš Forman, creates an ever-lasting impression on the minds of the audience with his quintessential depiction of the life and works of the eminent artist. The central thrust of the film is the issue of state-sponsored usage of torture that was prevalent in Spain in 1792.
Forman and Jean-Claude Carrière, the co-writer of the film, have depicted the character of the protagonist as an inspired artist who endeavors to balance between earning his bread and Continue reading...

The history of American Latino films in the United States is generally considered to begin with Luis Valdez 1981’s Zoot Suit. Since that time, a large number of dedicated screenwriters and directors have embarked on the production of such films, some through Hollywood and others through independent routes.
One distinct characteristic that has been conspicuous in most of the American films has been the use of stereotypes and comedy to explore the culture of different Latino groups and also deal with the issue of immigration from Central and South American nations into the United States (Barrera 45). Most Continue reading...

Business

Organizational Structure
For the CEO position, I choose “Gordon Gekko” from the movie “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”.             This is because Gekko possesses the qualities of an organizational leader who can make everyone in the organization move with with just a snap of the finger. In the movie, Gordon was able to get the attention of the people after imprisonment by writing a book. Even though Winnie did not accept Gekko, Gordon never stops to please Winnie with the help of Jacob. However, there is an instance where Gecko needs to cheat Jacob because Gordon wanted get the money Continue reading...

Introduction:

Film noir can be seen from several aspects principally a portrayal of a certain aspect as well as a creation of a particular atmosphere. The Dark Night is perhaps no more film noire than other more descriptive films but it certainly has elements which are typical film noire. The argument that a woman has to be present to make a film noire has already been argued extensively before especially in the appraisal of ‘The Maltese Falcon’ which has been described as being a precursor of the genre but not the actual genre. The Dark Night contains several aspects which Continue reading...

Technological Analysis of King Kong (1993)

Eighty years have passed since Merian C. Cooper’s original, black and white version of King Kong was released in cinema. Many new technologies were presented in King Kong that made it possible to tell the chest-thumping story of a gigantic gorilla that goes on a rampage through New York City after being brought there from an island inhabited by dinosaurs. As a visionary, Merian C. Cooper, the director of the original King Kong dared to face a series of technological challenges to create a film way ahead of its time. King Kong Continue reading...

Japanese horror films through the years had made astounding contribution to the movie industry and to the horror genre in particular. One of the notable directors of great Japanese horror flicks is Kurosawa Kiyoshi who is often compared to Andrei Tarkovsky and Stanley Kubrick in terms of directing style and influence. Most of his films are focused on ho a general society affects an individual and how the society also reacts to adverse irrational and disintegrated social mechanisms. Japanese horror movies are not typical to the usual western made fright movies. As observed from many western horrors movies, they Continue reading...

This report is focused on a clip from the film “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” (CTHD). This film released in 2000 is a creation of a prominent producer Ang Lee, known to broad public for the filmography including “Life of Pi” and “Brokeback Mountain”. The film’s overall plot centers on the student-teacher relationship between a criminal martial artist, Jade Fox, and her student Jen who was the daughter of a government official. Li Mu-Bai, a Wudang sword master, and Shu-Lien, owner of a large estate in the area, play the two leading roles. The journey of these heroes cross Continue reading...