The Lumière Brothers

The Lumière Brothers -


1. Who were the Lumière Brothers?


Auguste and Louis Lumière; were French inventors and cinematic pioneers who manufactured important photographic and filmmaking equipment, culminating in the creation of the first film in history.


2. When and where did they live?

Auguste was born October 19th 1862 in Besançon, France and died April 10th 1954 in Lyon, France aged 91.

Louis was born October 5th 1864 in Besançon, France and died June 6th 1948 in Bandol, France aged 83.


3. Who ruled their country?


Marie François Sadi Carnot (11th August 1837 - 25th June 1894) was a French statesmen and the fourth President of the Third French Republic. He served as President of France from 1887 until his assassination in 1894.


Major events during his tenure in office include:

• Diplomacy with Russia - Franco Russian Alliance.
• The Panama Scandals - regarded as the largest monetary corruption scandal of the 19th century, damaging to France's prestige.
• Carnot's mandate was coming to an end and his popularity was waning, on the same day, on the same day he gave a speech which implied he would not seek re-election he was assassinated by an Italian anarchist.

Jean Casimir-Perier (8th November 1847 - 11th March 1907) was a French politician who served as the fifth President of the Third French Republic.


Major events during his tenure in office include:

• His presidency was one of the shortest in French history; he resigned after just six months.
• Casimir explained his action by the fact that he found himself ignored by the ministers, who did not consult him before making decisions and did not keep him informed of political events, especially in regard to foreign affairs.
• After his resignation he completely abandoned politics and devoted himself to business - especially mining.

Félix Faure (30th January 1841 - 16th February 1899) was a French politician who served as the sixth President of the Third French Republic from 1895 until 1899.


Major events during his tenure in office include:

• Pursued colonial expansion and remain allied with Russia.
• President of the Republic during the infamous Dreyfus Affair.
• Faure's death was particularly unusual and embarrassing; he died suddenly while in his office from apoplexy in the Élysée Palace, at a critical juncture while engaged in sexual activities in his office with 30 year old Marguerite Steinheil.

4. What was going on in the world around that time? (1895)



A) February 14th - Oscar Wilde's last play, the comedy The Importance of being Earnest, is first shown at St. James' Theatre in London.

B) March 30th - Rudolf Diesel patents the Diesel Engine in Germany.

C) May 25th - Oscar Wilde is convicted in London of "unlawfully committing acts of gross indecency with certain male persons." He was given a two years' sentence of hard labour, during which time he wrote De Profundis.

D) June 28th - The Union of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador begins (and ends in 1898).

E) September 18th - Booker T. Washington delivers the Atlanta Compromise speech.

F) September 18th - Tomoji Tanabe is born Miyakonojō, Miyazaki, Japan. He will become the last living man born in 1895, dying on June 19th 2009, at the age of 113.

G) October 1st - French troops capture Antananarivo in Madagascar.

H) October 22 - A train wreck occurs at Gare Montparnasse in Paris.

5) What are the films about?
   
Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory (in Lyon) also known as Employees Leaving the Lumière Factory and Exiting the Factory, is an 1895 French short black and white silent documentary film directed by the Lumière Brothers, specifically Louis is credited as the producer, director and cinematographer. 


It is often referred to as the first real motion picture ever made; although Louis Le Prince's 1888 Roundhay Garden Scene pre-dated it by seven years, it remains the oldest surviving film in existence. The Lumière's film consists of a single shot in which workers leave their place of work after a long day; three different versions of the film exist. 


After their debut they followed up with nine short films:

• The Waterer Watered also known as The Sprinkler Sprinkled, The Tables Turned on the Gardener and simply The Gardener. It has the distinction of being the earliest instance of film comedy, as well as the first use of a film to portray a fictional story. 
• The Disembarkment of the Congress of Photographers in Lyon also known as The Photographical Congress Arrives in Lyon.
• Horse Trick Riders.
• Fishing for Goldfish.
• The Blacksmiths.
• Baby's Dinner also known as Feeding the Baby, Baby's Meal and Baby's Breakfast.
• Jumping Onto the Blanket.
• Cordeliers' Square in Lyon - a street scene.
• The Sea also known as Bathing in the Sea.

6. How long are they? Why?

 


   






























 

First Assignment, talking head - video essay The Shining (1980)

Narrative Theory, film language - analysis (ending) The Shining (1980)

Narrative Theory, film language - analysis (beginning) The Shining (1980)

Vladimir Propp (born: St. Petersburg, Russian Empire 1895 - died: Leningrad, USSR 1970) was a Soviet folklorist and scholar who analysed the basic plot components of Russian folk tales to identify their simplest irreducible narrative elements. Propp determined a set of character roles that he said were always present in one way or another. He stated that these roles were clearly defined and proposed that different characters could be classified into one or more of these distinct roles. Having characters who conformed to specific roles enables them to function within the narrative and help the story progress; this theory largely still applies to this day. Specific films that follow this model precisely can be as diverse as Star Wars, Shrek and the Lord of the Rings. All of these films and many others include character who fulfil roles that Propp first defined such as: the hero, the villain and the princess. 

In order to give a clearer idea of this theory take one of the examples I have already mentioned, Shrek. Each of the main characters fit nicely into clearly defined character roles, as you can see below:

• The Hero (seeks something)
• Shrek is the hero and he seeks to rescue Princess Fiona.
• The Villain (opposes the hero)
• Lord Farquaad is the primary antagonist who competes for Fiona's hand.
• The Donor (helps the hero by providing a magic object)
• Various characters aid Shrek throughout the films, some turn out to have malign intentions such as Rumpelstiltskin but some are benevolent a prime example of this is Puss in Boots.
• The Dispatcher (sends the hero on his way)
• In the original film Lord Farquaad also acts as the dispatcher as he wants to marry Princess Fiona.
• The False Hero (falsely assuming the role of hero)
• Prince Charming was originally supposed to rescue Princess Fiona. He is cowardly, megalomaniacal, vain and spoilt.   
• The Helper (gives support to the hero)
• Donkey is Shrek's best friend and sidekick throughout the entire series.
• The Princess (the reward for the hero, but also needs protection from the villain)
• Princess Fiona is the princess of Far Far Away, the daughter of King Harold and Queen Lillian. She becomes Shrek's wife at the end of the first film.
• Her Father (parent of the damsel in distress)
• King Harold was the king of Far Far Away, husband of Queen Lillian, father of Princess Fiona and father-in-law of Shrek. 

*For reasons of simplicity and fluidity above I referred to the entire Shrek film series, not just the first film, although that is the primary source.

Sound/Music, film language - analysis: Goodfellas (1990), The Graduate (1967), Smokey and the Bandit (1977) & Toy Story 2 (1999)

Listening Task Two.

Film: Goodfellas (styled as GoodFellas)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Music: ambiguous (discussed below)
Release: 1990

Goodfellas is an American crime film and gangster epic directed by Martin Scorsese. It is an adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese. The film follows the rise and fall of Lucchese crime family associate Henry Hill and his friends over a period from 1955 to 1980. The particular clip I have chosen to analyse surrounds mobster Henry Hill and his girlfriend Karen as they arrive at the Copacabana nightclub and make their way inside for an evening of entertainment.   

Goodfellas is often considered one of the greatest films of all time, both in the crime genre and in general. Furthermore, the Copacabana steadicam shot stands out as one of the most famous, complex and memorable shots in the film. Scorsese is often praised for perfecting the long take that continuously flows through the kitchen of the Copacabana Club, without a single cut. His impressive command of multiple actors and attention to detail are often singled out for mention, but rarely spoken about is the use of music chosen to play during the shot. One song plays almost continuously through the three minute long clip; "Then He Kissed Me", written and produced by Phil Spector, the song was first released in 1963 by girl-group The Crystals.

The use of "Then He Kissed Me" as the pivotal song accompaniment to the steadicam shot is of almost unparalleled significance. The song its begin with the strumming of an acoustic guitar the moment Henry Hill hands over his keys to the valet across the street. The tempo and pitch remain similar as the character cross the street but the song itself without becoming louder or increasing in pace somehow opens itself up, steadily more instruments are introduced including an electric guitar, maraca's and percussion instrumentals specifically the tambourine. Throughout the extended walk around the kitchen the song and music remains steady, it doesn't intrude into the audible dialogue and really works to frame the shot as piece of historical significance, rather than just another throw-away piece of film. You see, in order to really understand the reasoning behind this piece of music you have to not only pay attention to the films narrative which is essentially told through the use of song at this point in the movie, but also historical context and personal decisions made by Scorsese.

Goodfellas (Soundtrack)

Director Martin Scorsese chose the song for Goodfellas only if they commented on the scene or the characters "in an oblique way". The only rule he adhered to with the soundtrack was to only use music which could have been heard at that time, I will talk about how this relates to the historical context of the film later. But firstly I want to talk about the way Scorsese's choice of music comments on the characters, their emotions and their state of mind. An overt example is the use of the song "Life Is But a Dream" by the Harptones. This is heard playing during Henry and Karen's wedding and it is indicative of her mood, for her life is a dream. She is marrying a wealthy, charismatic, well-connected man who seems like the perfect gentlemen, these are the good times in their lives. The men during the wedding scene are riding high, the proceeds from organised crime has allowed them to live a life they only could of dreamed of growing up. While Karen wears white, she is unspoiled, unadulterated and ultimately naive. She is willing to look the other way when it comes to Henry's nefarious dealings if he remains her affluent and luxurious lifestyle. She is willing to do this because she is yet to see what the reality of being a mob wife involves, she is yet to dirty herself. 

In a way the entire scene plays like a dream sequence, like something straight out of a fairy tale. The dancing and the way Karen is so overwhelmed when she is introduced to Paulie's sons and nephews. There even moments when she spins around in slow-motion which are we know alters our sense perceptions and sense of reality. She is dizzy, she is drunk, she is a princess. The way Henry's mob associates queue up to hand over money to Henry as a gift shows his connections, and the way the pair sit on thrones on the highest table at the reception elicits a response from the audience. Henry's influence and power could be described as having peaked, its not necessarily all downhill from onward but we the viewer recognise that it cannot last forever. But the fleeing moment in history that Henry describes in another scene as a "glorious time" is encouraged by the filmmakers. We are encouraged not to think about the future, we want to believe it can all last forever and this is best summed up by a line from another Scorsese movie, 1983's The King of Comedy: "Better to be king for a night, than a schmuck for a lifetime."

Although Scorsese continues to give the audience insights into the characters thoughts and feelings overtly through his choice of music - as I demonstrated above - he also influences the audience in a covert manner. The events of June 11 1970 at the lounge-restaurant The Suite in Queens, New York is a perfect example of a subtle song choice that foreshadows what is to come. Tommy DeVito played Joe Pesci gets into a tense confrontation with Billy Batts played by Frank Vincent, a made man in the Gambino Crime Family. Later, when Pesci returns to settle the dispute with Batts the song Atlantis by Donovan is playing, this is interesting as the lyrics are significant to what happens next. Tommy and Jimmy Conway played by Robert De Niro brutally kick, beat and stomp a highly intoxicated Batts until he is unconscious, Tommy also attempts to shoot him with a pistol. The song Atlantis includes lyrics like "way down below the ocean" this is likely a subtle reference to the 1972 gangster epic The Godfather which was directed by Scorsese's friend and colleague Francis Ford Coppola and heavily influenced Scorsese's later films including this one.

In The Godfather there is a particularly famous scene where Sonny (James Caan) and Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) receive a delivery, it is a soaking wet bullet-proof vest, wrapped up inside the vest are several fish, it is explained that this is an old Sicilian message meaning, Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes. Brasi, who was Don Corleone's top enforcer, was murdered before this scene; his hand stabbed, thus pinning it to the bar and subsequently garroted to death. The assumption to be made from the nature of the message is that Brasi's corpse was thrown into a body of water, likely the Hudson River as the film takes place in New York but also because the disposable of bodies at sea is characteristic of organised crime specifically the Mafia. Interestingly, there is a physical resembalance between Lenny Montana who plays Brasi (a though mob enforcer) and Vincent who plays Batts (a vicious, obnoxious gangster and racketeer). But more importantly the two suffer a similar fate, brutally murdered and their corpses disposed of. Batts himself wasn't dumped in the river or disposed of at sea, rather he was finished off in the trunk of Henry's car - a combination of stabbing and shooting - before being buried in upstate New York. Although Batts doesn't end up sleeping with the fishes in a literal sense, he does so in a metaphorical sense. The combination of the song Atlantis (itself a fictional island surrounded by water) along with the nod to The Godfather and the similarities between the characters it seems too great and too many a coincidence to ignore. Ultimately the characters of Brasi and Batts run parallel in both films, the pair are killed unlawfully in a mob world, and the Corleone's and Gambino's respectively take revenge on the perpetrators of the murders. In the case Goodfellas it is Tommy who is murdered as "revenge for Billy Batts and a lot of other things." While in The Godfather Virgil Sollozzo is shot dead by Michael Corleone. Again the murder was revenge not just for Brasi, but a lot of other things such as orchestrating an unsuccessful hit on Michael's father Don Vito.  

Interestingly as a side note, while I theorize that Billy Batt's death was foreshadowed by the use of music that hearkens back to the murder of Luca Brasi, an event that took place in a film made some 18 year earlier. I also should mention that Brasi's death, the event that symbolises Batt's death was also foreshadowed: when Brasi enters the establishment in which his life will end, on the windows, which he passes by there are fish patterns created by stenciling on the glass, they are painted gold and are clearly there as a result of a conscious artistic decision made by director Francis Ford Coppola.

• "Rages to Riches" performed by Tony Bennett is another overt example of choosing a song to aid the narrative and elicit certain responses from the audience; in this case Henry quite literally goes from rags (son of an electrician, working-class blue-collar family) to riches ("at thirteen, I was making more money than most of the grownups in the neighborhood. I had more money than I could spend. I had it all.")
• The Rolling Stones music specifically "Gimme Shelter" is a Scorsese trademark used in many of his films. The use of "Gimme Shelter" and music by the Rolling Stones in general comes to symbolize drug use and its depredations such as paranoia, insomnia and mania. "Gimme Shelter" plays in Goodfellas when Henry is cutting cocaine at Sandy's apartment and is used to introduce Jimmy and Tommy when while waiting to check in with their parole officer talk with Henry about his Pittsburgh connection and take a look at his stash of crash which he carries with him in a bag. "Monkey Man" also by the Rolling Stones is played when Lois, Henry's babysitter and drug mule is introduced and again when Henry is mixing cocaine at Sandy's place. "Monkey Man" is also heard during Henry's last day as a wiseguy. The song can be heard during the frantic driving scenes and specifically when he and Karen hide the guns Henry had in his trunk at Karen's mother's house.
• "Memo from Turner" by Mick Jagger, the lead vocalist and founding member of the Rollings Stones is also played when Henry leaves Jimmy's house with the unwanted guns, on his way to meet with his Pittsburgh connection. This is significant as it is another example of music by or related the Rolling Stones to ground the central theme of drug use and it's consequences. The idea that music by the Rolling Stones was selected to fulfill this role is doubly significant as members of the band such as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were habitual users of a wide range of narcotics, this was publicly known and celebrated as they were seen as the archetypal rockers.  

Goodfellas (Historical Context)

Goodfellas is essentially a historical period film. It is set between 1955 and 1980 as the tagline suggests: "Three Decades of Life in the Mafia." - the book Wiseguy on which the film was based wasn't published until 1986 and the film itself was released four years later in 1990. The result of this mean't period sets needed to be constructed, cars from that era procured not to mention costumes, hairstyles, and period cultural references in the script. As I mentioned before Scorsese was keen to only music that the characters onscreen could of hear, so for example if a scene took place in 1973 he could use a song that was current or older. This helps ground the film, thus reinforcing the sense of time and place. A number of songs that Scorsese selected to play in Goodfellas can certainly be said to comment on the time period and provide wider historical context for the audience, a good example of this is the music by New York crooners. I have already mentioned the significance of Tony Bennett's music "Rags to Riches", other interesting musical contributions come from the likes of Bobby Darin and Jerry Vale. 

Darin and Vale were both born in the Bronx in the 1930s and grew up in New York at a time when it was dominated by the Mafia - the result of this is the inclusion of music that mobsters themselves would of heard on Mulberry Street by musicians who themselves would of associated with gangsters who lived in their neighborhoods, Frank Sinatra whose famous song "My Way" is included over the end credits (albeit covered by Sex Pistols frontman and punk legend Sid Vicious) this is notable because perhaps even more than Darin or Vale, Sinatra was intricately connected with Mafia. 

Throughout his career Sinatra was dogged by alleged personal and professional links to organised crime. Figures such as Carlo Gambino, Sam Giancana, Lucky Luciano and Joseph Fischetti were just a few of the professional criminals who garnered considerable attention when they were seeing cavorting with ol' blue eyes. In fact, it could be argued the mob helped launch Sinatra's career; Joseph's brother Charles, a notorious Chicago gangster who worked for the Capone Outfit arranged work for Sinatra. Together the two brothers ran the Fontainebleau Hotel complex in Miami, Florida and Sinatra performed there. Through Charles he was introduced to the father of modern organised crime, Lucky Luciano in Cuba. Afterward, Sinatra performed at Lucky's Christmas party and visited him after his deportation to Italy at least twice. To give you an impression of how potent the idea that Sinatra was "mobbed-up" became, when Mario Puzo came to write The Godfather he created the character Johnny Fontane, portrayed as a man whose career was aided by links to organised crime and is widely believed to be based on Sinatra. The singer was supposedly furious with Puzo for creating the character. But ultimately this is not unusual he was born in 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey shortly before the mob would go through something of a renaissance aided by prohibition. The gangs would grow larger, more powerful and become better organised eventually being run like a corporation at the same time a young Sinatra was trying to make it in the world of entertainment. Also featured on the Goodfellas soundtrack "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" which plays during the mob life montage and when Henry narrates - it is sung by Dean Martin who had links to Sinatra throughout his life. The Rat Pack was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a group of entertainers, featuring Sinatra, Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop; who appeared together on stage and in films during the 1960s. 

This sense of historical context that is given by the choice of music is quite profound, every detail has been considered and the fact Scorsese selected specific artists who were either aided by mobster or more importantly listened to and admired by mobsters aids the narrative (helping the story flow/maintain pace) and reinforces a sense of time and place, all key characteristics when it comes to a successful film production.

When it comes to examining the artists whose music was selected for use in Goodfellas it is important recognise that Scorsese didn't just choose artists because they helped ground the film in its specific era, there is of course the matter of him personally liking their music, as evidenced by his repeated use of music by the Rolling Stones. Sinatra also relates to this closely as Scorsese has a long history involving the famous singer, having tried for many decades to produce a long awaited biopic about his life and music. In addition to that star of Goodfellas Ray Liotta actually went onto play Sinatra in the 1998 HBO TV movie The Rat Pack. Moreover, a few years after Goodfellas Scorsese directed another gangster movie, Casino released in 1995. The film focuses on the mob infiltration of Las Vegas during the 1970s and 80s. Because the Rat Pack and other stars of that era had a reputation for headlining Las Vegas shows not only did Scorsese include a lot of their music but he also gave people from that era roles in the picture, either playing character or cameoing as themselves. The best example of this phenomena is Don Rickles the famous insult comic who was supported by Sinatra in his early years which enabled him to become a popular headline performer on the Vegas strip, in the film he has a prominent role playing Billy Sherbert, a casino manager. Other examples include Frankie Avalon, Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows all appearing as themselves. 

A final note on Scorsese, Goodfellas and music.

The reason I listed the composer as ambiguous is because no one person is responsible for Goodfellas unique sound, in fact nobody composed musical score from original music rather the films soundtrack was brought about through an intense and scrupulous process of selecting the right songs. According to Scorsese, a lot of non-dialogue scenes were shot to playback. For example, he had "Layla (Piano Exit)" by Derek and the Dominos playing on set while shooting the scene where the dead bodies are discovered in the car and the meat truck. Sometimes, lyrics of songs were put between lines of dialogue to comment on the action, in fact sometimes the song lyrics give nothing away but nevertheless the choice of music provides something of a window into the minds of the characters we are watching. A prime example of this is when "Sunshine of Your Love" by Cream is played during a scene where Jimmy contemplates killing Morrie and other members of his crew. Some of the songs Scorsese had written into the script, others he discovered during the editing phase and found they fitted the film perfectly, better in some cases than songs he had in mind originally.

"Music and film are almost one and the same. There's the rhythm, the pace of music - and the equivalent of that in film is the camera movement, how long you hold a shot on screen before you cut, if you don't cut, the look on a person's face. For me, actually, the editing process is really like creating a musical piece. Even if there is no music in the film - I think the shots themselves have a rhythm and pace. Most of the shots I design and most of the way I approach any scene comes from music. I usually put myself in a room or a couple of rooms for about eight or nine days with music and design a picture on the page. That changes, of course, when you get to location to a certain extent. But basically the philosophy of the shots comes from listening to music - all kinds of music. In [the] Aviator, it certainly was jazz music and swing music of the Twenties, Thirties and Forties, but also Bach and Beethoven. Actually, originally we wanted to use the second movement of Beethoven's Seventh, but it's been used so much. But it had the right feeling."  - Martin Scorsese.   

An Afterword on the song "Then He Kissed Me" by the Crystals. 

When it comes to the narrative of the song itself I have mentioned very little. The story line of the song if you will follows a young woman's encounter, romance, and eventual marriage with a fellow youth. This is interesting because I have commented extensively on this piece regarding Henry and Karen's marriage and the song "Life is But a Dream" that is played during their fairytale wedding. The up beat tone that is found in "Then He Kissed Me" is appropriate seeing as Henry and Karen have just embarked on their whirlwind romance, she is in awe of Henry and in the prime of her life. Karen is clearly impressed by Henry's lifestyle, the way he drives his car right up to the front of the club, how he bypasses the long queue, and secured a prime, front-row table that is hastily erected seemingly out of nowhere especially for their evening, despite the fact many others having been waiting patiently for some time. Karen like during the wedding scene is naive, wide-eyed and overwhelmed especially by Henry's endless cash flow as he greases many a palm on their way into the club. His familiarity with everyone, his innumerable friends (one group sends over champagne) is similar to when Paulie introduces her to all of his relatives. Eventually she asks him with a air of suspicion "what do you do?" in a slick swaggering style he replies "I'm in construction." 

The way this scene unfolds is almost identical to the narrative of the song "Then He Kissed Me" and this is what I was talking about at the beginning when I said dialogue has been suspended and the song is essentially telling the story at this point, almost single-handedly fueling the narrative. Without this particular song the pair are simply walking through a kitchen aimlessly, the song in and of itself successfully frames an entire three minute sequence. It should be noted just how remarkable this is. 

Interestingly, at this point in the film when Karen is barely Henry's girlfriend you can tell how eager he is to impress her, he pulls out all the stops and after their disastrous first date (and subsequently standing her up) he is determined to make a good impression, she if only for a brief fleeting second has his undivided attention. Later Henry begins a long-term affair, his mistress is named Janice and the nature of their relationship as well as Henry's general behavior at the time appears as something of a banality. During the narration Henry describes how he juggles multiple women; "Saturday night was for wives, but Friday night at the Copa was always for the girlfriends," it's almost as if there is a mutual understanding between him and Karen, at least for the time being, Henry is able to hide in plain sight. The nature of his relationship with women is explored through song in this scene particularly. "Pretend You Don't See Her" by Jerry Vale is performed on stage for Henry, Tommy and their mistresses the song lyrics are very telling: "pretend you don't love her" is something Henry has to do, it seems his relationship with Janice is somewhat tolerable for Karen as long as it remains physical and he in fact truly loves her, and the idea of pretending not to see her as the title and lyrics suggest applies to Karen, she is aware of what her husband is doing, she knows what kind of man she married and even if she doesn't know specifics she knows how the other mobsters treat their wives and why should Henry be any different? Therefore Karen must carry on as if Janice doesn't exist, she can never talk about it and it must never be brought up despite it being something of an open secret. Henry's narration once again provides clarity; "I set Janice in an apartment around the corner from The Suite. That way I was able to stay over a couple of nights a week. Karen was home with the kids and she never asked questions anyway."

Another song that contrasts sharply with "Then He Kissed Me" is "Wives and Lovers" by Jack Jones. This song is played later in the film after Henry has been released from prison and broken off his relationship with Janice (although he soon takes up with a new mistress, Janice's friend Sandy). The song plays specifically when Karen is showing of their new house and furniture to Morrie's wife Belle. The song continues playing when Morrie quietly pitches the Lufthansa Heist to Henry when they are alone. It is fair to be suspicion of such a song when you carefully take note of the lyrics; afterall given how fragile Henry and Karen's relationship is it would be unusual if this song wasn't selected for how it neatly comments on the characters romantic status. The song itself acts as a piece of advice for married women. Encouraging them to stay attractive and attentive to their husbands, ("wives should always be lovers too") to avoid their husbands straying with "girls at the office"

"Day after day there are girls at the office

And men will always be men

Don't send him off with your hair still in curlers

You may not see him again"
  

The songs theme of martial infidelity is not only applicable to Henry and Karen but seems to directly relate the misogynistic mob world in which Karen inhabits. In fact, the song becomes something of an apologist for unfaithful men, it clearly promotes the idea that a wife must stay attractive and entertain her man or he is bound to lose interest, in which case him sleeping around is not only understandable but ultimately justified, at least according to the song. The situation that the song depicts accurately reflects Karen's life, she is trapped in a world where it is acceptable for men to have affairs and keep mistresses and she is being judged by society as being responsible for this. What really to be appreciated at this point is the contrast between the two Karens. The wide-eyed naive Karen who was bowled over by Henry and his bravado at the beginning of the film to the women she has become now, deeply cynical, mistrusting and ultimately resigned. 

This is a clear example of Scorsese using different songs and types of music to chart not only a characters life in terms of time pasted but also there emotional and mental progression or perhaps regression. Scorsese has created a soundtrack that is able to comment on all of these things because of his astute taste in music. Only a profoundly important filmmaker could bring the audience to ask such deep and meaningful questions simply because of a song. Such as, did she bring it upon herself? Didn't she know who she was marrying? What does the future hold? Was she happen then, is she happen now? Was she simply blind-sighted in the beginning? All of these questions are valid and are the product of song choice.   

Film: The Graduate

Director: Mike Nichols

Music: Dave Grusin

Release: 1967 

Editing, film language - analysis Hot Fuzz (2007)

Cinematography, film language - analysis The Shining (1980)

Sound/Music, film language - analysis Touching the Void (2003)

Music analysis of Touching the Void.

With his leg broken, climber Joe Simpson is trapped in a deep crevasse. To survive he must escape! The first image that we see is of Joe struggling to escape from the crevasse at the start of his climb. As he slowly makes his way up the slope to the surface there is a deep orchestral sound, the non-diegetic music that plays during the climb symbolises Joe's struggle as he ascends out of the abyss. There is no dialogue at this point in the film and this clip also lacks any ambient sounds, this symbolises how totally alone Joe is. He is trapped on a mountain, not only is there nobody for him to talk to eliminating the need for dialogue but the ambient sounds lack because there is no animals, no traffic or any of the familiar background sounds we the audience are used to, the mountain in which Joe resides and needs to escape is totally baron and uninhabitable. The only Diegetic sounds in the clip apart from the sound of the ice cracking and shifting under his weight is the sounds he verbalises such as heavy breathing, grunting and moaning.

There is a sudden cut from Joe's climbing to the mountainous landscape. The music has built up into a crescendo, it has peaked and when he breaks through the soft layer of snow and emerges onto the mountain top the sound changes sharply, it becomes louder and launches into a full orchestral sound which mirrors the grandeur of the scenery which surrounds Joe as he struggles to free himself from the crevasse. The intended effect of this is to be uplifting and almost mesmerises the audience, the music is accompanied by a series of profound and moving establishing shots showing how insignificant Joe is in comparison to the vast, untouched mountain. 

The sound bridge that is employed to help the transition from underground to above ground passes by sharply and the change is stark, there is a deep sense of accomplishment and relief, Joe has made it to the surface successfully. 

As Joe lies on the snow, having escaped from the crevasse, the music changes again and with this change in the musical score the mood also adjusts, the music becomes deeper it almost sounds like a prolonged echoing sound, with this comes a deep sense of foreboding and realisation. Joe realises that his climb out of the crevasse was a mere walk in the park when compared to what lies ahead - his real climb hasn't even begun, when he realises how far he has gone already and how exhausted he is. The stark realisation of how far he has got left to go with little provisions and a badly broken leg is enough to fill the audience with dread.

Sound/Music, film language - analysis E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) & 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Listening Task One.

Film: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Director: Steven Spielberg

Music: John Williams

Release: 1982

E.T. is a an American science-fiction/fantasy film, it tells the story of Elliott, a lonely boy who befriends an extra-terrestrial, dubbed "E.T.", who is stranded on earth. Elliott and his siblings keep E.T. hidden from their mother and the government before helping him return to his home planet. The music was composed and conducted by longtime-Spielberg collaborator John Williams. The clip in question takes place toward the end of the film and shows Elliott, his brother and their friends being chased by the government as they escape with E.T. on their bikes, planning to take him to his spaceship so he can rejoin his own species. 

The music is deep and orchestral - the opening of the clip is loud and instinctive, with percussion instruments possibly sleigh bells or a similar instrument being played repeatedly to give the sharp "E" sound you here in the first few seconds of the clip. The opening of the clip contains a high-pitched instrumental sound that raises the tension substantially, the boys are on the run from the federal government hence the need to alert the audience to the reality of the situation.    

After the first few seconds the sound of the percussion instruments drops of significantly and string instruments accompanied by well-time drum beats and a consistent use of brass instruments most likely a trumpet. At this point Diegetic sound interrupts the soundtrack, with the sound of tyres screeching on the tarmac and the noise of the bikes bumping around on an uneven dirt-track road. At this point about 20-30 seconds into the clip the pitch has dropped off slightly to make it more comfortable for the audience to listen and watch, while much of the music is now dominated by string instruments probably a combination of violins and cellos. Despite a change in pitch the tempo itself remains the same, it is frantic and intense, a car chase is taking place on screen naturally the composer John Williams wanted to heighten this tension as much as possible, creating the best possible experience for the viewer. In certain instances the use of the string instruments peak and a cymbal is used creating a clashing tone that serves to break up the music. 

Around 48 seconds the music tapers off, employing a sound bridge to help the sound transition between sequences with more fluidity, the music now symbolises a sense of relief, they have not triumphed quite yet but they are on the home-stretch, they have outran the police and other government forces and can now slow down ensuring E.T. is transported safely to his spaceship. The tempo and pitch decline significantly and ambient sounds like birds tweeting can be heard over the music in the background.  

The tempo and pitch rise again quickly at about 53 seconds as the police, reporters and other individuals sudden spring out from behind the boys on their bikes, the use of string instruments goes into overdrive at this point and the violin is used to increase the pace while the tension onscreen rises. The orchestra strike the violin violently and with greater ferocity this mirrors the strenuous physical exertion that is required in order for the boys to out-peddle those frantically pursuing them on foot. From one minute onwards there is once again a prolonged build up as the boys realise their path is blocked, Elliott closes his eyes and you can see him concentrating very hard, visibly straining in fact trying to find the strength - E.T. then uses his abilities to raise the bikes up into the air right just before they would of been blocked in by the authorities. The violins and other string instruments change in tone, as this is a triumphant moment for the boys - although the pitch remains high to display the magnitude of the situation. The tension on the ground had reached a climax and it looked as if the chase was over and then just at the last minute the action is taken to new heights - literally! 

The pitch, tempo and similar sound is then maintained throughout the flight and continues once the boys touch back down on the ground where the clip ends. 

Film: Star Wars

Director: George Lucas

Music: John Williams

Release: 1977

Star Wars, later retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is an American epic space opera/sci-fi film. In the story, a group of freedom fighters known as the Rebel Alliance and led by Princess Leia plots to destroy the Death Star space station, which carries a planet-destorying capability created by the Galactic Empire. The conflict disrupts the isolated life of farmboy Luke Skywalker when he inadvertently acquires the droids containing the stolen plans for the Death Star. After the Empire begins a destructive search for the missing droids, Skywalker agrees to accompany Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi on a mission to return the Death Star plans to the Rebel Alliance and save the galaxy from the tyranny of the Galactic Empire. The Music for the film was composed by John Williams and the clip I will be analysing above takes place at the beginning of the film where the starship belonging to Princess Leia is intercepted in the course of a secret mission by a massive Imperial Star Destroyer. An imperial boarding party blasts its way onto the captured vessel, and after a fierce firefight the crew of Leia's ship is subdued. The dark, forbidding figure of Darth Vader then appears on board.  

Seeing as both the music to E.T. and Star Wars were composed by John Williams just five years apart it is important to recognise the similarities between the music in these very different films. Williams as well as being a composer is a conductor and pianist meaning orchestral music once again plays a pivotal role in the films soundtrack, despite both films being in the sci-fi genre. 

The clip opens with a deep orchestral sound, a violin is the most likely instrument being used although its possible other string instruments such as a cello are also being used. The tempo of the music is fast and creates a sense of urgency onscreen - the violin plays as the camera tilts down showing an incredibly detailed wide shot of space, complete with stars and planets. The need for a grand opening with orchestral music is understandable given this shot is setting the scene and the vast expanse of space is awe-inspiring therefore the tempo, pitch and instruments used is justified. 

Immediately after the camera is done tilting Princess Leia's spaceship appears onscreen being attacked by the Star Destroyer, Diegetic sound effects begin mirroring the visuals, lasers are shown being fired from the Star Destroyer at Leia's ship, because of the loud special effects and the Dogfight taking place onscreen the films score is actually undermined - the non-Diegetic sound begins competing with the Diegetic sound and the orchestral music goes into overdrive, the pitch rises sharply but despite the tension onscreen the tempo remains pretty steady. A similar orchestral tone is maintained for the first 30 seconds or so until the shot switches to an interior shot, showing the events transpiring inside Leia's ship, at this point the orchestral sound continues but the pitch has dropped off substantially as the events onscreen become more chaotic, there is dialogue, the sound of men moving around and the noise made by the craft shaking.

The orchestral music continues to rise and fall but at this point it is has taken a back seat so to speak, Leia's forces have been scrambled to repel an invasion of the craft, at this point there is a sense of impending doom but also excitement among the viewers as they prepare to bear witness to a epic shootout. The sound levels at this point in the clip are appropriate; there is audible dialogue therefore the music cannot drown that out but the consistency adds to the tension as those on board are faced with a decision: run and hide or stay and fight.

The orchestral sound we have become accustomed continues as the ship's crew prepare to be boarded, then just one minute mark the sound changes distinctly. The sound of what appear to be trumpets takes over and produces the majority of the sound; the music is tense and sinister - it clearly symbolises the presence of evil. In fact, the music is similar to the Imperial March, another piece of Star Wars music that was composed by John Williams, although it doesn't appear until the second film The Empire Strikes Back (later released as Star Wars episode V: The Empire Strikes Back) released in 1980. The Imperial March is better known by it's unofficial title: Darth Vader's theme, hence why it sounds menacing. It's likely that Williams was inspired by this short piece of music in the clip above when it came time to compose a lengthier piece of music to accompany Vader's presence, although not as grand or epic as Imperial March the music in the clip above nonetheless does the Sith Lord justice. 

Among the trumpets and possible trombones there is the occasional interruption of a drum sound, along with the characteristic string instruments that continue throughout, to one degree or another. At around one minute and sixteen seconds the music changes again, the sense of foreboding that necessitated the change in music around the one minute mark ends. We no longer suppose or assume Darth Vader and his Imperial Stormtroopers are coming, we now know their arrival is imminent. Vader and his Imperial boarding party at this point have moved into a small boarding craft that is rising up from beneath the rebel ship. Once the action cuts to the events transpiring outside the musics pitch rises considerably as those inside prepare to be boarded. The action cuts back inside once more before the raid begins, once again the sound levels have returned to the level they were at around the one minute mark, the main sound we can here is Diegetic, a siren dominates what can be heard and is presumably a warning signal for Leia's forces to scramble into positions before the assault begins.  

There is some Diegetic sound at this point, mainly mechanical noises that take place off screen, but nevertheless can be heard by the characters in the clip, these mechanical sounds imply that Vader has finally landed successfully after a prolonged arrival that raised the tension to a level that can barely be comprehended. At one minute and thirty-five seconds the Stormtroopers begin to break down the door, sparks fly and the music changes once again; it speeds up drastically, there's a change in tone and the string instruments dominate the soundtrack - this is remained for the duration of the time spend breaking through the door, then the music peaks as the door explodes, the music then tapers off as much of the audiences attention is now occupied with the exciting visuals. Sound effects are used to mimic the noises of the blaster weapons as by this point in the clip (1 minute 46 seconds) the whole arena has erupted into a firefight. Much of the screen-time is now dominated by the exchange of fire between the Stormtroopers and the Rebels, the colourful lasers that appear when the blaster weapons are fired light up the screen and naturally artificial sound effects accompany each shot.  

By this point the music has become much more sporadic, it only stands into interrupt the bursts of particle beam energy fired from the blaster rifles and the screams of dying men. The orchestral music continues as is right up until two minutes twenty-three seconds but has as I said, it has taken something of a backseat to the mesmerizing visuals, high-octane explosions, rampant destruction and mass casualties that appear throughout the duration of the clip. All this changes very quickly however when Vader first appears, there is a slight build up to his entrance, again reminiscent of the Imperial March heard in later films. Soon afterwards we hear characteristic sound of Darth Vader breathing. There is no music while he inspects the dead this symbolises a level of authority and respect, in the same way people tip their caps to Tommy Shelby in the Peaky Blinders, people stand aside and fall silent in the presence of Darth Vader. Subtle background noises can be heard, it appears to be the exchange of gunfire, we are left to presume Vader's Stormtroopers are crushing what little resistance is left on board the ship. The fact we don't get to see this firefight despite it being the visual focal point before Vader arrived says a lot about how significant the character is, we would rather watch Vader inspect the dead in silence than watch his henchmen murdering the opposition. Once Vader proceeds away, eagerly followed by the Stormtroopers the music starts up once again, this signals two things. Firstly, given his enormous power its almost as if he's personally allowed the music to begin once again and secondly, the fact the orchestral music begins again is appropriate as we once again feel the sense of doom that is characteristic upon the arrival of Vader. If you have watched the film you will know the sense of dread felt is justified as Darth Vader soon begins brutally interrogating the crew and ordering his Stormtroopers to search the ship for secret documents he believes are on board. However, that section of the film is not included in the clip above nor is it part of my detailed analysis, in the end the clip finishes will Darth Vader making his way deeper into the storm accompanied by his Stormtroopers, we await to see what happens next with a sense of trepidation and apprehension.

Film: 2001: A Space Odyssey

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Music: ambiguous (discussed below)

Release: 1968

Comment on Plot:

The film consists of four main sections, all of which, except the second are introduced by superimposed titles. My clip takes place during the first section of the film, entitled The Dawn of Man. Therefore I will only discuss the plotting of the first chapter in order to keep my analysis concise. The story begins with a tribe of herbivorous early hominids foraging for food on the plains of Africa, living in the desert alongside them are a pack of tapir's; a large herbivorous mammal, similar in shape to a pig. 

The lives these man-apes lead were arduous; perpetually starving, the victims of drought and lack of food. Constantly competing and striving to stay alive, one day a leopard kills a member of the tribe and another group of man-apes drives them from their watering hole. Defeated, they sleep overnight in a small exposed rock crater, they awake to find a black monolith has appeared in front of them. They approach it shrieking and jumping, eventually touching it cautiously. Soon after, one of the man-apes, referred to as "Moon-Watcher" in Arthur C. Clarke's novel but left unnamed in the film, realizes how to use a bone as both a tool and a weapon. They start using the newly invented weaponry to kill prey for food. Growing increasingly capable and assertive, they reclaim control of the watering hole from the other tribe by killing its leader. Triumphant, the leader of the victorious tribe throws his weapon-tool into the air as the scene shifts via match cut. The subsequent match cut spanning between three or four million years has been described as the most ambitious in film history.   

Comment on Music:

The previous two films I discussed were clearly and definitively composed by John Williams, the same cannot be said however for 2001: A Space Odyssey, the question are to who composed the score we listen to on screen as the film plays is somewhat ambiguous, but nevertheless I will attempt to answer the question sufficiently. In terms of the music we hear, 2001 is best remembered for making use of two classical pieces. The former, Johann Strauss II's best-known waltz, The Blue Danube, is employed extensively during the space-station docking and Lunar landing sequences. The latter, Richard Strauss' tone poem Also sprach Zarathustra is utilized extensively in the early portion of the film. Interestingly, the initial fanfare - entitled "Sunrise" in the composer's program notes - became particularly well-known after its use in the film, by this point however it was already 72 years old and originally inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical novel of the same name, this is significant because the film itself has been seen by many people not just as a literal story about science, evolution and space adventures, but as an allegorical representation of philosophical, religious or literary concepts. Some have interpreted that the film in its entirety acts as a allegory for Nietzsche's works and ideas. 

Music plays a crucial part in 2001, 

  

spark notes
we are start dust the bone is us and the bone is the spaceship