The Black Movie Boooom

The movie boom associated with black culture was one I knew very little about. After reading through this chapter I was intrigued to learn about this influential movement.

The 70's were a time where more black actors and actresses were working in films than ever before. Films that provided a new entertainment for the black community were on the rise, ones that depicted a character that African American's could relate to. Oftentimes overly sexual and extravagant, these were characters no one had ever seen before.

Movies like Gordon Parks' Shaft were so successful that the $12 million it grossed in the U.S are what saved MGM from financial ruin. This was an age in film where an entirely unrecognized community was being voiced and entertained. An age where glamorization of the ghetto and glorifying of the pimp was being viewed by all cultures, and many couldn't get enough.

Jaaaaaws!

It had been probably 6 or 7 years since I last saw Steven Spielberg's Jaws in full. I remember seeing it as a young teen and being enthralled with the story. A film that was released in 1975 still harnessed the thrilling aspects that a kid in the 2000's could relate to.

Still over thirty years later, I, as a young adult, was totally into it. The fabricated suspense and decision in the cut to never completely see the shark until well into the story was a interesting, effective choice. Because once you do see this enormous beast of a fish a few feet below the surface you finally put in perspective what the entire town should have been afraid of.

Similar to Coppola's The Conversation, Jaws' sound design and score create terror when we should be scared, or mystery when we are unsure of what is next. Well before we physically see the shark we have associated it with John Williams' score that goes... 'bah, bum...bah, bum.'

This film is a timeless thriller. The kids of today will find it equally as thrilling as the adults who grew up on it. It will forever live amongst those considered immortal. Jaaaaaaws!

Yummy.

The Conversation

I love to see collaboration that is apparent, yet invisible. The unity of Francis Coppola's vision and Walter Murch's ear in The Conversation creates something that beautifully compliments the other.

I 'm a sucker for interesting, well done sound design in a film. In respect to the marriage of audio and visual: when a sound effect propels the story, or an instrument tells me how to feel; I think that is what movies are. A harmony of audio and visual elements. Especially in this film do sound effects, music and silence create a mood or confusion and even lead you to think one thing, when in reality its the complete opposite.

I feel like this is one of those movies that only gets better with multiple viewings. Upon first seeing The Conversation it is apparent why Coppola considers this his favorite film. He crafts a suspense that is successful by todays standards, and provides the audience with moral questions pertaining to technology, secret intelligence and ultimately asks the question, "how much do we really want to know?"

Coming Home

Hal Ashby's 1978 Coming Home starring the young Jon Voight and Jane Fonda was particularly refreshing. Refreshing in the sense that this film was entirely about the effects of the Vietnam war, and yet the audience never once saw violence or gore. I found this approach more captivating and relatable than the material we so often see is war films-violence and gore.

So often war films explore what life was like on the field of battle, and seldom do we see what life is like AFTER all the death and destruction. Jon Voight's character Luke portrays the youth of the day- the tough, athletic, well respected high school honcho. He has seen life as a soldier and is not only mentally effected when he comes home, but also physically.

It was brought to my attention the correlation between Vietnam and its role in this film, and Iraq/Afghanistan and its effect on todays younger generation. Perhaps this film could be applied to any major war and its youth, but this decades war seems all too fitting. More than ever soldiers are returning home injured from battle. I believe this film could relate to many people today on a multitude of levels.

Coming Home was one that I thoroughly enjoyed for its uniqueness, yet captivating content and its uncanny correlation to todays war.

The Long Goodbye

I really enjoyed the first 2/3 of Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye.

Elliot Gould's suave, carefree character appeared to have taken notes from Humphrey Bogart. His witty, mumbling dialogue created a realistic, humorous tone from the beginning of the film. The opening scene with Marlowe (Gould) going to great lengths to feed his cat was fantastic, it could have been a great short piece in itself. This scene setup the first 2/3 of the film, if only it stayed on this track throughout the piece.

As far as quick, witty dialogue goes, the film reminded me of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. An equally mysterious, quirky film from the beginning of the 2000's. The main characters from both films put on this facade of being worry free and nonchalant in sticky situations, when deep down they do care. They are all business. In the case of Marlowe, just when the audience feels they've figured this character out, he goes and murders the same friend he's been trying to bring justice to.

The last act seemed to detach me from the story I had first been so intrigued by. It seemed to have switched gears, a new character arose and it was one I didn't enjoy following anymore. I just wanted to see more smart talking and smooth wit to detectives, criminals and ladies that many modern day heroes are known for. Oh Elliott Gould, you are so smooth.

week 1.

The idea of blogging wasn't the most appeasing internet phenomenon to me. But, as I collected my thoughts for the first week of our 70's film class, most of the negative feelings seemed to fade away.

We began our first class with a clip of Richie Haven's emotionally charged Freedom from the Woodstock documentary. Several times I've seen this and never does it not resonate something to me. His voice, his passion, his eyes that never break open, him being lost in his music with millions of fans watching as he belts out 'freedom.'

The first film we watched was one that was released at the birth of the 70's decade. Bob Rafelson's Five Easy Pieces starring the young Jack Nicholson. It wasn't until the third act that i really began enjoying this film. After I accepted the nature and form of it did I like the ending. It followed the typical 1970's film criteria- internal struggle of main character, an anti-hero as the protagonist, less than climactic, a slice of life and an ambiguous ending. It wasn't until I let go of all notions to modern movies did i appreciate this film for what it was. I LIKE 'unhappy' endings, endings that don't wrap up the story in a nice little package where the guy gets the girl and bluebirds sing joyous tunes outside the window as the two lovers lay holding each other in perfect, eternal harmony.