11/21/12-Manhattan- Ariana Z.

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On Wednesday’s seminar class we watched our first New York film. It was Woody Allen’s Manhattan (certainly a fitting title for our class). What intrigued me about this film was how similar it was to another film I have seen, also directed by Woody Allen called Husbands and Wives. Both films starred Woody Allen and both dealt with issues of infidelity. During the film I took notes to help answer questions similar to the ones we did for homework the class before. That homework, I should note, was quite enjoyable for me. I love analyzing a film and seeing how it could mean so much more then the plot thanks to the use of a director’s cinematic devices.

1) Throughout this film I would say the camera deviated quite a bit from classical cutting. At some moments the camera would be placed off to the side rather then with one central image and many times it captured the characters in the shadows, for example, when Yale tells Isaac about his affair their discussion is cast in the shadows. And when Isaac and Mary go to the museum the entire image is distorted and brought in the shadows. The camera stays in one position in most scenes of the film, it does not move from character to character when a dialogue begins. It stays stationary instead of showing the other people/person’s reactions.

2) In many of the scenes the director does not frame the characters in dead center of the camera. Instead it could be canted to the right or left and at times only the actors dialogue can be heard over a still image such as a diner. Some shots were also wide angle and depicted the entire setting of the characters rather then just the characters themselves (like with Isaac and Tracey in the large apartment).

3) The fact that this film was in black and white in my opinion adds to the New York image. Most of what makes up NYC is in black and white in its colors and the people that inhabit the city are what bring it life. It could have also been used to have the audience focus on the storyline rather then the colors of the characters and setting. Using black and white also creates many shades of grey, and with issues like infidelity some things really are never black and white.

4) The clips seem to last for a few minutes and they then transition to another clip.

5) The dialogue in this film is sarcastic, intelligent, and at times simple-minded (and even contains some profanity). This multi-dimensional dialogue of these characters is a great representation of the great diversity in only one set of people in New York City.

6) The costumes in this film speak to the theme of black and white and all of the people involved. No one really wears anything extravagant or noteworthy in the course of the film. Again perhaps to highlight the plot, and to represent how it is about working people trying to succeed in New York.

7) The music in this film is at times exuberant and is most utilized when it drowns out the dialogue of the characters. For example when Yale takes his son out, the music gets louder and louder and becomes almost a silent film—where, through the glass of the store window, we see Isaac’s movements exaggerated to display emotion.

8)The set of the film is New York City and it is meant to show the best aspects of it, the museums the parks the streets and the apartments. Shots of the city with fireworks and the pumpkins can be inferred as use of the set to display the passing of time (from the fourth of July, perhaps, to the Fall).

Ultimately, I enjoyed the ending and the analysis of my second Woody Allen film. I can definitely say that I now get a sense of his oeuvre in his films.

 

 

November 21, 2012

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Wednesday was our first movie-screening day in seminar. The first movie we viewed was Manhattan, staring Woody Allen. The movie is a romantic comedy in which Isaac Davis, played by Woody Allen, falls in love with his best friend Yale’s mistress, Mary, while currently in a relationship with a 17 year old. I am unsure as to what I personally thought of the movie, since I spent the first half hour or so paying more attention to how the film was produced, rather than the actual story line. By the end, however, I was able to piece all of the characters together.

In terms of the film’s production, there are several pieces to be examined. First, the camera was always positioned to keep the main character, Isaac, in the shot at all times, regardless of who was speaking. For instance, if Isaac and his ex wife were having a discussion, the camera would be focused more on him, rather than her moving around the room. In my opinion, I felt that this kept reminding you to focus on his reactions and remarks, rather than those from the other actors and characters. In addition, there were many of scenes where the main characters were walking down the street having a discussion.  The camera remained tight on those people, yet allowed some scenery in, giving the ambiance of walking down a New York City street talking with friends. Also, it seemed as if the camera wasn’t always in the actor’s faces. There were many shots in which there were people or cars interrupting the frame.

The choice of the director to shoot in black and white or color is a very important one. There are certain advantages and disadvantages of each way. For this movie, I thought that shooting in black and white was a good choice. The black and white film gives the movie an old fashioned romantic feel to it, making certain scenes, such as the one looking at the Brooklyn Bridge, that much more magical. The only downside to using black and white film is that you need to be very careful and intentional with your lighting. For example, in the scene where Isaac and Mary are inside the space exhibition, you could barely make out their faces or bodies. Another great example is when Isaac shows everyone the brown water in his apartment. Everything has to be exaggerated 10 x to have it appear on camera properly. One thing that bothered me throughout the film was there were no transitions in between the scenes. The cuts were very quick and hard.

In the movie, there was very little music, except for the points where Isaac was with his son, or when he was with Mary. This can be analyzed from several points of view, but I feel that the director’s choice to put music only in these parts was to show the differences in Isaac’s moods. The music was present when Isaac was really happy and enjoying himself, rather than living his dreary, emotionally confused life.

Seminar Class 11/21/12

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On wednesday, we watched the movie Manhattan in class. This movie is directed by Woddy Allen is about a forty-two year old writer who is trying to live a normal life in Manhattan. However, he has much difficulty in doing this due to many barriers, such as having a relationship with a seventeen year old girl.

1. I thought the the camera functioned in the movie very differently than it would in other movies. Even though the camera did focus on the actors during different scenes, it also did something different which I found to be very interesting. The camera would capture the dialogue between the actors, however, it would not focus its attention on the actors. For example, when Issac and his seventeen year old girl friend left the diner after school, the camera captured the dialogue between the two but did not show the audience the presence of the actors.

2.The directors approach with framing scenes with people was somewhat odd. As I explained before, there were some scenes where the director captured the dialogue between the actors but did not actually show them present in the scene. Although the majority of the scenes were with the presence of actors, there were a few scenes where this did not occur.

3. Since this movie was filmed in black and white, it had a different effect than it would have had if it were filmed in color. This actually confused me because the movie was actually set in modern times. I did not know why Woody Allen decided to set the movie in black and white. However, his decision definitely made it more interesting.

4. The clips in this movie did not last for that long. I do not remember any scenes where the clips were long and the scene was filmed in the same place for a good amount of time. I thought that the camera moved frequently and the different parts in the scene were brief.

5. The dialogue between the characters represented the time period in which the movie took place. It was somewhat modern and involved contemporary language.

6. The costumes in the movie usually describe the time period it was set in. Just like the dialogue in the film, the costumes described in what year the movie was set. The clothing and the hairstyles of the characters made me believe that the film was set in the 1970s.

7. Usually, the use of music in a movie plays a huge role. However, in this movie I rarely remember any music being played at all. I am sure there was some music played in the movie, but it did not play a huge role or had an important significance in the flow of the movie.

8.The role of the setting of the movie also is very important. This movie was set exactly where the title of the film tells us: Manhattan. I believe it was a great place to set the film. Since the protagonist is a writer trying to find normalcy in his life, Manhattan was a great place for him to reside. The director tries to make the setting as real as possible.

To be honest, this movie was one of craziest movies I have ever seen in my life. There were so many insane scenes and facts about this movie that made me want to slap every actor involved. As crazy as it was, I did wind up enjoying the movie.

11/21/12 – Manhattan

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This Wednesday, we watched a Woody Allen film called “Manhattan”. I have heard of Woody Allen before but never witnessed any of his works. My first impression of the film was that it was odd but amusing. I felt like it was realistic even though it was over exaggerated and the dry sense of humor kept me on my toes. Before we watched the film, we were given a series of questions to consider after watching clips from two other films.

1. How does the camera function?The camera played a vital role in the film because of its variations. One moment the camera would follow the characters from one end of the street to the other. At other times, it would remain in one place and we would watch the characters enter the scene and then exit the scene all in one shot. But what was most interesting was that it was used in such a way that the viewers were able to capture all the dialogue which is perhaps the most important factor of the entire film because of its wittiness and relevance to the progression of the film. The camera was sometimes placed in the dark so the audience wasn’t distracted by the surroundings; in that moment all that mattered was the dialogue.

2. What is the director’s approach towards framing scenes with people? The director often made the characters the focus of the scene. For example, the one scene when Isaac, Yale, Tracy and Mary were walking out of the museum together. The director had them exactly in the center because their dynamic amongst themselves mattered to the progression of the film. At other times, the director purposefully took the characters out of focus because their dialogue mattered more. Both techniques were intertwined together in such a manner that it properly delivers the message of the movie.

3. What impact does the b&w v. color have? The use of black and white shows that regardless of the time period in which this plot took place, the relationship issues that people deal with are the same and will forever be the same. The situations dealt with are very modern but the black and white sets its timelessness and also addresses the setting. Since the movie is in the city, the use of black and white enhances the timelessness of the city life and also addresses the chaos that exists.

4. Generally, how long do the clips (edits) last? It definitely varied. At times the transition wad very quick and at times it was long; it depended on the relevance of that particular scene to the film as a whole.

5. The dialogue was fit for city folk. It felt natural and not forced and that made the plot line so much more believable. At the same time, the dialogue was full of humor.

6. What is the role of costume in each scene? The clothing was very middle class which is exactly what the characters are. So it didn’t dominate in any way or distract the audience from the significance of the dialogue. It kept it realistic and appropriate.

7. What is the role of music in each scene? The music wasn’t as important as some other factors. In fact, I hardly remember hearing any music at all. Once again, this might have been the director’s approach to figuring out what mattered and what didn’t and the music didn’t have much relevance.

8. What is the role of the set in the movie? The setting took place in various areas of Manhattan and it was important in terms of the who the characters were. Their lives were as chaotic as city life and drawing attention to that, enhanced the chaos of each character’s lives.

Overall, I enjoyed watching this film because it’s a film like no other. I’m curious to see what other films Woody Allen directed and acted in because his style is very appealing. This film was also very appropriate to the class since it focused on the “Arts of New York”. I look forward to viewing other films and opening myself up to different genres and such.

Monday 11/19 Andrew

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This Monday’s class was the end of our poetry recitations. The last couple of poems that were read all stood out to me with some unique imagery. Swathi’s poem Broadway created the image of a perfect night along lovers, and showed great detail to the environment of the poem. With the lines about the woman carrying bags and a lonely man walking by, I felt like I could be walking down the same street as these people and see the couple walk by. It is strange to be transported to the setting and emotional wavelength of a poem. I think it is easier to relate to most of the poems we’ve heard in class because they have been centered on New York.

Corinna’s poem In The Village was also a good one. I really liked the authors use of imagery. He describes a mountain range that gets coated in snow outside of Milan, and speaks of a great grey river, which is most likely the Hudson. I interpreted the poem as being about an internal struggle within the author, who without a typewriter, cannot write poems. He feels his emotions bottle up and overflow, and then reaches a state of acceptance for many internal problems. The last poem performed was The New Colossus. It made for a satisfying ending to many New York themed poems. This poem captured the essence of freedom in America and portrays it as the bright horizon that it has been for many people. I thought Stephanie’s interpretation and relation to the poem was very intelligent, heartfelt, and sincere. Her story is the perfect representation of the ideals in the poem.

Final Poetry Performances

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Monday’s seminar concluded our section of poetry for seminar. At the end, I was actually sad, and I found myself wishing that there could be more. It was pretty interesting listening to my classmates talk about New York City, and how the poetry all tied in together. I was also thoroughly fascinated to learn that each poem was assigned based on our personalities. With that in mind, Dr. Kahan’s advice, and the classes feedback just became more meaningful. We all got a better understanding of not only poetry, but also our classmates.

Each poem eventually tied back to New York City, they basically all represented how poets saw New York from their own perspectives. They depicted the city as a cluster of diverse cultures that came together to form a new lifestyle.

One of my favorites was Stephanie’s performance of “The New Colossus”. Stephanie read the poem with so much emotion, and she made the message stand out just by the way that she performed. It was the perfect ending to the poetry segment of seminar. The poem represented what America meant to us all. It was a symbol of freedom and a mixture of different people from all around the world. The poem represented how America is basically made up of immigrants and how we all have a story of where we came from, and the struggles that we underwent to get here.

~Final Poetry Recitals~ 11/19/12~

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Monday in class we finished the final poetry recitals.  One of my favorite poems that I heard was Swathi’s second poem “Broadway” by Sara Teasdale. I appreciate how this poem perfectly captures the magical experience of attending a broadway show. She talks about the stars and the charms of the night, and it makes me remember all of the  broadway shows that I have gone to and the excitement that I felt.  However, the thing that strikes me most about this poem is that it doesn’t only have to be about going to a broadway show.  The idea that magic is fleeting and that you should enjoy it while you can can be applied to any number of experiences.  When Teasdale writes “We live a little ere the charm is spent” I am reminded of Robert Frost’s poem, “Nothing Gold can Stay”.  In this poem Frost talks about how fleeting life is, and how nothing lasts forever (Which reminds me of a cute saying I saw on Facebook the other day.  It said, “Lets be nothing, I hear it lasts forever.” but I digress). Live in the moment, and fully immerse yourself in the magic of life, because there is so little magic in the world.  I think it’s a good motto.  Personally I think we all care too much, and waste too much time getting upset over stupid things…myself included.  However I think that after hearing this poem I’ll try to live a little more…”ere the charm is spent”.

In addition to “Broadway”, I enjoyed Corinna’s poem, the third part of “In the Village” by Derek Walcott.  The speaker in this poem talks about this woman that he is in love with.  Without her he can’t write poetry without her and he feels as though the music of his life is just outside his window, but he can’t reach it.  I liked this poem because it reminded me of the song “Agony” from Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Into the Woods”.  In this song the princes sing about the women that elude them.  One of the lines of the song is “…Agony, Misery, Woe, Though it’s different for each, Always ten feet behind, always ten feet below, and she’s just out of reach…”

~Naomi

Final Poetry Presentations/ Intro to Movies

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In Monday’s Seminar class, we finished up our poetry presentations. The final poem, The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, was recited by Stephanie. It was an excellent end to the poetry recitations, as it ignites patriotism and pride in being an American. The poem signifies a new beginning for anyone coming to America and looking to start a free life for themselves. The poem describes the Statue of Liberty as welcoming the foreigners with open arms, unlike the conquering giant of Greek fame. She is opposed to the ancient lands and ways of thinking that are not free; rather, she says, “give me your tired, your poor.” She accepts everyone with open arms and does not try to oppress them, but helps them escape from their oppression.

After the poetry recitations were over, we spent the remainder of class speaking about movies, and everything that goes into making a film. Mise-en-scene, or putting on stage, is every aspect of the film. Set design can make us believe the actors are in a specific place, even a different country. Lighting affects how we see everything on the screen. For example, in Washington Square, even though we were indoors, we were made to believe that the time of day was changing periodically. The costume design, such as in Turandot, can be very colorful and vibrant to keep your eyes on the characters the entire time. I am excited to go further into talking about movies.

Stephanie Solanki, 11/21/12

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In Wednesday’s seminar class, I watched my first Woody Allen film. I had heard of the name Woody Allen, but I never had had the opportunity of watching any of his work. I had no idea about his type of style or humor. When Dr. Kahan said that the film “Manhattan” was a Woody Allen movie, I was excited to experience a part of pop culture that was new to me. Dr. Kahan had told us to keep the questions we had answered prior to class in mind while watching the film.

1. How does the camera function? The camera has many different functions in this film. One scene in which the camera angle stood out to me is when Isaac and Mary were driving on the Brooklyn Bridge. The camera followed the car and did not show the inside of the car at all. The dialogue was heard, but the characters were unseen. Secondly, the camera zoomed in very close to the Isaac and Mary’s faces when they were in the planetarium. This shows that they were getting closer and bonding. In this film, the camera angles are used to make a point about the scene. It is not just a viewing mechanism for the audience. Its angles are specifically chosen to subtly deliver a message about the film.

2. What is the director’s approach towards framing scenes with people? The people in the scenes are very important, and are often the centerpieces of the scenes. However, the director very cleverly changes the focus by switching the camera angles and having the audience focus on the dialogue at times rather than the actors. The people are sometimes the focus, and sometimes the message in the dialogue is given more importance.

3. What impact does the b&w v. color have? The black and white adds a class and timelessness flare to the film. However, the film is very modern and deals primarily with contemporary issues. I think that the decision to use black and white was Woody Allen’s attempt to show that this was the new society in Manhattan, and this was the new normal.

4. Generally, how long do the clips (edits) last? The edits were fast; however I thought that the transitions between scenes were done very well. It was not abrupt, but it was not choppy like the edits in “All About Eve” were.

5. The dialogue in this movie was very contemporary. It was realistic. The lines did not seem scripted at all. It was natural and modern according to the time period.

6. What is the role of costume in each scene? The costumes were not a big part of this movie. I noticed that each character in this movie had a very particular way of dressing that set him or her apart from the other characters. This personal style lasted throughout the entire movie. This was to set the characters apart and show their individual personalities.

7. What is the role of music in each scene? The role of music in this movie was very minimal. I don’t remember much music in it at all. This is very ironic to me because music, I think, is a a huge part of the allure of Manhattan. I think that maybe the music would have detracted focus from the main characters or the message of the movie.

8. What is the role of the set in the movie? The sets in the movie did not look like sets at all. Everything looked like it was filmed in actual buildings or on the streets of Manhattan. This just adds to the realism of the movie and how it Manhattan not romanticized in any way. Everything is kept very real to show what Manhattan is really like.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film. The last line, which is spoken by Tracey, sums up Manhattan very nicely. “You should have faith in people.” In the big city, it is easy to become jaded and feel a sense of hopelessness. But at the end of the day, it is important to keep the faith, and have faith in people. I look forward to watching more films in this class in the future to broaden my movie horizons even further.

11/19

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On Monday evening, we finally finished the poetry presentations with Stephanie’s poem, The New Colossus.  This poem was the perfect ending to the New York poetry unit, because it represents American freedom and pride.  The statue on which this poem is inscribed is the symbol of America and its open gates.  America is a country of immigrants, and everyone has a story about why they came and how it felt to finally be free.  My grandfather was a survivor of the Holocaust and after losing his whole family in the war, he set out to America in order to start a new life.  After being on a boat for fourteen days, he finally reached New York.  In the poem, the statue is personified and tells the other countries to “give [her their] tired, [their] poor, [their] huddled masses yearning to breathe free”.  My grandfather was one of those “homeless, tempest-tost” people, and was welcomed by the statue with open arms.  As the poem suggests, all refugees are invited to America, and are welcomed sincerely by the ‘Mother of Exiles’.

While poetry reading was fun, I am excited to begin watching, and comparing, New York movies in class.  I do not watch a lot of movies at home, and so it is refreshing and interesting to be doing this in class.