The Godfather Reaction

The Godfather is one of those movies everybody has to see at some point in their lifetime. It epitomizes the evolution film has taken since it's humble beginnings in the 1800's. Regardless of what walk of life you come from, The Godfather is capable of captivating any individual and that is why in my eyes it has seen such huge cultural success. Some people cite it as the best movie ever made. I tend to disagree, however I can see how it appeals to so many people. There are several relatable characters all of whom do a terrific job playing their respectable roles. The film transcends generational boundaries unlike others before it because it focuses on both the young and the old. This may not be my favorite film of all time; it's long, involved, and the subplotes feel cumbersome, but I can appreciate it for what it's done to cinema and it's affect on movie watchers around the world.

The Departed - Reaction

The Departed is one of my all-time favorite films. To me, everything about this movie is spot on. Everything from the acting to the dialogue and cinematography is perfectly executed. The emotional impact of ths movie is huge and the ending surprises anyone whose been following along since the beginning. In my opinion, Jack Nickleson steals the performance. He plays a crime lord in Boston named Jack Costello, and as the movie progresses he slowly begins to grow more senial. Other great performances are done by Leonardo Dicaprio, Matt Damon, and Mark Whalberg. The Departed is a modern gangster film that combines strong emotion with great action and a great progressive story that has one of the least traditional endings of a movie in recent memory.

Cool Hand Luke - Reaction

I really enjoyed this movie. Directed by Stuart Rosenburg and starring Paul Newman, it's one of those films that keeps you captivated from beginning to end. The acting by all the characters but most notably Paul Newman and George Kennedy was outstanding. The story was great and successfully captured every human emotion. Newman's way of creating a mood just by the look on his face is to me the essence of being a good actor. Anyone can say "Gee, I am upset". Doing the same without using words, however, is far more difficult without making it look like you're trying too hard. The symbolism used by Stuart Rosenburg blended seamlessly with the rest of the movie and it was only after I stopped to think about it did I even realize how much there was. I found the color red and sunglasses to be the best implemented symbolic references. The religious sub tone was to me a little heavy at times, but it did not take away from my enjoyment of the movie at all. I hadn't seen much of Paul Newman's acting before this, and I'm glad I've got the opportunity

Sound vs No Sound

It's clear to anyone who has seen their fair share of horror movies that sound is what creates the tension. Music creates an ambient tone that gets people ready for something exciting to happen. In this scene with no sound, it looks like a very inconspicuous girl deciding to take a shower. When the person with the knife appears, since the audience wasn't anxious in anticipation, there was almost no psychological reaction. With sound, however, the scene is far more effective. The music sets a tone for the audience to expect something to happen. When the person with the knife enters the bathroom, it's psychological effect is far more prominent. My primary point is that in a good portion of movies, music has a far greater effect than we give it credit for.