The Godfather

1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening:

In class we discussed the "anti-hero" theme of the movie which is where the audience is rooting for the bad guys even though they are criminals and murderers.  23 murders happen on screen during The Godfather.  In class, we also discussed Roger Ebert's analysis of the film in which he states: "the only officer with a significant speaking role is corrupt".  There is a lot of violence and unlawfulness in The Godfather and it is also the influence for every other gangster mob movie and television show, including The Sopranos and Goodfellas with Martin Scorsese.  We also discussed that The Godfather was one of the highest grossing films of all time.  

2) Find a related article and summarize the content:

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-godfather-1972

The article I chose was Roger Ebert's complete critical analysis of The Godfather.  Ebert stated: "That is its secret, its charm, its spell; in a way, it has shaped the public perception of the Mafia ever since."  The article explains the entire plot of the movie, gives a few trivia questions, and gives people a couple of questions to think about, such as what was the actual name of Vito's wife?  


3) Apply the article to the film screened in class:

Ebert explains that the plot of the movie is in fact ironic because it is about the son, not the father.  The entire movie is Michael knowing never to go against the family, not wanting to get into the life of the mafia, and his struggles when he is "forced" to.  Ebert gives interesting things to think about and look for if you were to watch it again.  Ebert states that: "The screenplay of “The Godfather” follows no formulas except for the classic structure in which power passes between the generations".  He also explains, which you can see clearly in the movie that the writing of The Godfather sets up for events later in the film.


4) Give a critical analysis of the film:

A critical analysis of The Godfather is going to be nothing but positive things, I mean come on, its The Godfather.  The most influential mobster movie for all other gangster/mobster movies, television shows, comedic skits, etc.  Everyone always quotes or wants to be like The Godfather.  The movie gives you an insight to the mafia that some of us may or may not know.  Teaches you the raw, unpleasantness that the mafia has in store, yet the closeness of a family that would kill for each other if need be.  The Godfather is an all around great movie that keeps you entertained and on the edge of your seats, there is never going to be anything quite like it again.  It's one-of-a-kind. :)


(x)  I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.
(x) If I reused any information from other papers I have writing for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper
(x) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.
(x) I have not padded the bibliography.  I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.
(x) I have cited in the bibliography.  I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.
(x) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way.  I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography
(x) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.
(x) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Laura Mazzola_________________________ Date: 5/12/14_________

The Graduate

1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening:

In class we talked about the more risky sexual content in The Graduate and how it differed from the movies we watched from the start of the semester.  We also discussed that the camera shots and movements in the film and how they are obvious to the viewer and also how the sound can overlap from one scene to another.  The Graduate is a movie of modern expressionist.  Dramatic changes in time, long lenses, etc., also the movie is supposed to be an artistic expression.

2) Find a related article and summarize the content:

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/03/graduate200803

This article talks about the making of the movie.  The article explains that the director, Mike Nichols, knew who his characters were going to be, or so he thought he did.  He ended up surprising himself by choosing Dustin Hoffman, who was a "little-known Jewish stage actor" and was not the person he had in mind.  It also says that The Graduate was based off of a novel written by Charles Webb.  It briefly gives a synopsis of the movie and the character's in it and focuses a lot on the actors that Mike Nichols chose.

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class:

The article explains that Mike Nichols was used to directing things for Broadway and that the book was funny, but Nichols direction in the film felt like "hand-in-glove fit to me".  The book was not as nearly of a success as the movie.  The movie's humor was subtle and was able to make you laugh, and had you intrigued the entire time.

4) Give a critical analysis of the film:

The Graduate was my favorite movie we have watched so far this semester.  The humor and innocence portrayed by Hoffman was nice to watch.  I felt this movie was more modern than the one's we have watched and was definitely more my style.  Not a normal plot like every other movie, and also a love story to keep us entertained when the affair grew out of interest.  They did a good job of not dragging out certain parts either.  Like knowing when it was a good time to cut off the affair and begin to chase her.  All in all, the movie had me entertained the entire time and I would watch it again.

(x)  I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

    (x) If I reused any information from other papers I have writing for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper

3(x) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4(x) I have not padded the bibliography.  I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5(x) I have cited in the bibliography.  I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

6(x) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way.  I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography

7(x) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

9(x) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Laura Mazzola_________________________ Date: 5/4/14_________