Unit 4: Crime The Godfather Day 1 I can explain how various elements and techniques of film affect the mood.

Gangster Films Gangster films (also known as Mob Films) are a subgenre of crime films dealing with organized crime, often specifically with the Mafia. Deeply rooted in the concept of the American dream The nation’s expanding population of working-class American immigrants were eager to embrace this rags-to-riches mythology. Scarface’s Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant

The mafia The American Mafia or the Mob is an Italian American criminal society. It is a secret criminal society without a formal name. Members refer to it as “Cosa Nostra,” Italian for "our thing.” Where and How it started: New York City and East Coast cities (1880s-1930s) Large groups of Italians immigrated to the US, especially from Sicily. The most important unit of the American Mafia is that of a "family" as the various criminal organizations that make up the Mafia are known.

Characteristics of gangster films Violent crime is both celebrated and condemned Audiences sympathize with criminals at the start Exhilarating rags-to-riches story of empowerment evolves into a cautionary tale of the consequences of blind ambition Central characters achieve their goal only to be killed either by the law or their own equally ruthless subordinates Audiences enjoy vicarious thrills of a daring pursuit of power, then the righteous satisfaction of seeing order restored

The godfather Released in 1972 Directed by Francis Ford Coppola Based on best-selling novel by Mario Puzo 2nd to Citizen Kane on American Film Institute’s “Greatest Movies of All Time”

The godfather Nominated for seven Academy Awards Won three Best Picture Best Actor – Marlon Brando Best Adapted Screenplay

The godfather The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II are the only original and sequel to BOTH win the Oscar for Best Picture Many people claim that the sequel is better than the original!

The godfather Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone, who is the Don (the "boss") of the Corleone family. He is a native Sicilian. Vito is the father of Sonny, Fredo, Michael, and Connie. Francis Ford Coppola on Brando being cast. Video is about 6 minutes

The godfather Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, the Don's youngest son, recently returned from World War II. The only college-educated member of the family, Michael initially wants nothing to do with the "family business.”

The godfather James Caan as Santino "Sonny" Corleone, Don Corleone's hot-headed eldest son. As underboss, he is being groomed to succeed his father as head of the Corleone family.

The godfather Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen, Don Corleone's informally adopted son, he is the family lawyer and consigliere (counselor). Unlike the Corleones, he is of German-Irish descent, not Sicilian.

The godfather Diane Keaton as Kay Adams-Corleone, initially Michael's non-Italian girlfriend and then his wife.

Film Elements Mise-en-scène: Color, Lighting, Music Editing Theme Continual Action vs. Parallel Action Juxtaposition Theme Review: Shots and Zoom

Review: Mise-en-ScÈne Mise-en-scène is an expression used to describe the design aspects of film production essentially means "visual theme" or "telling a story"—both in visually artful ways through storyboarding, cinematography and stage design. Specifically in this unit we will look at how lighting, color, and music/sound help develop the mood.

Lighting The intensity, direction, and quality of lighting can influence an audience’s understanding of characters, actions, themes and mood. It can emphasize texture, shape, distance, mood, time of day or night, season, and glamour. Highlights, for example, call attention to shapes and textures. While shadows often conceal things, creating a sense of mystery or fear. How does the use of Lighting (highlights and shadows) influence our understanding of Oscar Schindler?

Color Lighting affects the way colors are rendered, both in terms of hue and depth. Color can focus attention on particular elements of the composition. Remember this: The Matrix Reality

EDITING Continuous Action vs. Parallel Action Juxtaposition: Presents events in the sequence they occur. Time lapses between scenes, but the story unfolds chronoologically (beginning, middle, and end). Parallel Action: Cuts back and forth between scenes or narratives. Sometimes this technique is used to depict events that occur simultaneously, other times to relate multiple narratives/perspectives, cutting back and forth between them. While an entire film could be filmed in a single technique, many films utilize both. Juxtaposition: When two or more ideas, places, characters and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts.

Review: Cinematography Shots and Zoom Wide Shot - A shot that depicts an entire character or object from head to foot. Not as long as an establishing shot. Close Up Shot - A shot that keeps only the face full in the frame. Perhaps the most important building block in cinematic storytelling. Zoom – movement from a wide shot to a close up or a close up to a wide shot The use of various speeds and angles of this movement can create different results and effect the mood of a scene.

theme Definition: the main idea or underlying meaning of a work that may be stated directly or indirectly. Theme is a universal statement about life, society, or human nature. Example: Sometimes, love requires sacrifice.

theme is the idea that the author wishes to give about the subject. is a sentence about life or human nature. is BIGGER than the story. Is NOT the subject. Is NOT one word. DOES NOT mention characters. DOES NOT mention events specific to the story. Is NOT a MORAL statement (You should…). Is NOT a cliché (Don’t judge a book…). Does NOT use personal pronouns.

Practice Analyzing Film Elements As you view the scene from Miller’s Crossing, identify the elements of film. Mise-en-scene Editing Cinematography – shots and zoom Theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfZTzcDFZ98 This is a pretty violent clip. Replace if you don’t like it.

As You Watch… Consider how: the movie reinforces the notion of the American Dream the movie portrays “villainous” characters as people the audience will empathize with and support the gangsters still follow a code of ethics even though they don’t operate within the law

Day 1: Scene Analysis Khartoum [32:07] The film’s first violent act is the killing of a horse, but we never see the act itself. Most of it is a single long take that gradually reveals the grisly deed. Identify the mood of the scene. Analyze Coppola’s use of technical elements in the scene: What makes this scene so effective? Technical Element Description (How is the element used in the scene?) Effect (How does it contribute to the mood?) Mise-en-scene   Sound Editing Cinematography  

Unit 4: Crime The Godfather Day 2 I can explain how various elements and techniques of film affect the mood and develop the theme.

Factors that helped establish the gangster as a hero: Prohibition Organized Crime Bootlegging Prohibition legitimized unlawful behavior by making outlaws out of common citizens thirsty for a beer after quitting time. Common people—many of them immigrants themselves—began to identify with the bootleggers and racketeers, and to see them as active protagonists who take chances, risk the consequences, and get results—all surefire elements of successful cinema heroes. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution in 1919 banned the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcohol. This empowered organized crime, which expanded to capitalize on the newfound market for the suddenly forbidden beverages. Many of the criminal entrepreneurs who exploited this opportunity were Irish, Italian, and Jewish immigrants.

Factors that helped establish the gangster as a hero: The stock market crash in 1929 and the resulting economic depression. This further increased the public’s distrust of authority and the attraction of the gangster as a hero. As the Depression deepened, the need for vivid, distracting entertainment increased. American audiences began to question the authority of discredited institutions such as banks, government, and law enforcement, which fed their fascination with the outlaws who bucked those systems that had failed the rest of society.

Early gangster movies With early Gangster movies, the film industry adopted a code of ethics, forbidding movies from creating sympathy for people who commit “crime, wrongdoing, evil or sin.” The stories were centered around outlaw businessmen who empowered themselves, resisted the establishment, and grabbed their piece of the pie. However, by the end of the story, this theme of success would give way to a “crime does not pay” message The gangster hero is finally corrupted by his hunger for power and, thus, defeated by forces of law and order.

Continue Viewing the Film As you watch analyze pay close attention to the filmmakers use of lighting, color, editing, and camera work to develop the mood and theme of the film.

Scene Analysis Michael at the Hospital [1:01:23] “How’s the Italian food in this restaurant?” [1:21:00]

Unit 4: Crime The Godfather Day 3 I can explain how various elements and techniques of film affect the mood and develop the theme.

Continue Viewing the Film As you watch analyze pay close attention to the filmmakers use of lighting, color, editing, and camera work to develop the mood and theme of the film.

Scene Analysis Baptism and Murder [2:36:20]