FILM REVIEW: (HUMAN RIGHTS BEHIND) OLIVER TWIST

“Please Sir, I want some more.”

Charles Dickens’ work such as Oliver Twist tells vivid story of exploitation, depravity, brutality and poverty.

Dickens’ novel on the 1838, Oliver Twist was adopted by the Director Roman Polanski together with the Screenwriter Ronald Harwood for a 2005 drama film.

The film started with an orphan, Oliver Twist who is sent to a workhouse, where the children are barely fed and mistreated. Oliver remains in the workhouse for six months, until the desperately hungry boys decided to draw lots; the loser must ask for another portion of food. The task falls to Oliver, where he made his famous request: "Please, sir, I want some more."

Because of this he was soon kicked out of the orphanage and thrown into a terrible home where he was abused mercilessly. The bad treatment Oliver receives, forces him to escape to London. Here, he is soon picked up by a member of a pick pocket gang and taken to Fagin. The gang also leads Oliver into a life of crime and peril, and he is soon in trouble. Oliver is rescued by a wealthy victim, Mr. Brownlow. But the rest of the gang is not so lucky, and Oliver sees the full force of brutality unleashed on his former criminal comrades.

The portrayal is very classically polished and directed with skill and the story seem to be somewhat inspired by the actual life of Charles Dickens himself, who was removed from school and sent to work for a year to support his family in the rat-infested factory from 8am until 8pm six days a week when he was only twelve years old. He survived on a slice of pudding a day and lived in the attic of a boarding house, and on Sundays he visited his family in prison.

This loss of childhood life left an unforgettable impression, having been introduced to a world where child labor was rampant, and adults showed little compassion for orphaned and poor children.

His love of education reflected in his dramatic novels, which often start with young people’s challenges, but finish with success over hardship, with the help of kind benefactors rescuing them.

He also has an involvement with the Ragged Schools movement in England that provided free education, as well as food, clothing and lodgings for poor children.

The film includes brutal images and suffering of a nine- year old boy, Oliver. He was beaten, starved, teased and tortured. There are also scenes that showed Oliver working despite his young age, fed with dirty leftovers, sleeping in a box and in the street, in ragged clothes with bloodied feet and dirty face, bullied by bigger boys, chased by police and arrested, and kidnapped by thieves.

We have 30 basic human rights, according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, created by the United Nations in 1948 to provide a global understanding of how to treat individuals.  And in this film, I have particularly observed the rights which are clearly violated. These includes, the right to play, a bed and some food, the right to education, the right to life, no slavery and no torture.

Charles Dickens, highlighted the difficulty of poor children in the workhouses and factories in his novels, including this film. He criticized the inadequate living conditions including lack of proper housing, sanitation, education and healthcare.

Dickens actually has contributed to raising awareness of issues regarding children’s rights. If we are to assess the content of children’s rights nowadays, according to a Canadian organization, it can be categorized into three categories which are the Provision, Protection and Participation.

The film Oliver Twist, as I’ve said earlier, featured scenes wherein he was kicked out of the Parish Workhouse just because he asks for more lumpy oatmeal. He was not sustained with enough food to eat, he sleeps in a small box and he was not given the opportunity to go to school or to play with other kids, instead he was forced to work in order to live.

According to Children’s Rights under the category of Provision, children have the right to an adequate standard of living, health care, education and services, and to play and recreation. These include a balanced diet, a warm bed to sleep in, and access to schooling.

Also, Oliver experienced a lot of physical and emotional abuse. When he was dismissed from the workhouse, Oliver is sent to Mr. Sowerberry, a coffin-maker, whose wife and senior apprentice take an instant dislike to him. After more poor treatment, Oliver snaps and attacks Noah, the older apprentice, for having insulted his mother. He was beaten and punished.

And of course, he experienced worse situations when he ended up getting in with the wrong crowd - a gang of thieves - and doing some things which he knows that he shouldn't.

On his first outing with the pickpockets, two of the boys steal a man’s handkerchief and Oliver is framed. However he is proven innocent by an eyewitness, and the owner of the handkerchief, the wealthy Mr. Brownlow takes pity on Oliver, who had collapsed from a fever in the courtroom. Brownlow informally adopts Oliver, giving him new clothes and the promise of a good education.

The leader of the gang, force Oliver to help them in robbing Brownlow’s house. They are discovered and Oliver is wounded in a brief shootout between Brownlow and Sikes. As the three escape, Bill decides to murder Oliver to ensure his silence.

These scenarios clearly showed the child’s life in danger and according to the category under Protection, that children have the right to protection from abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination. This includes the right to safe places for children to play; constructive child rearing behavior, and acknowledgment of the evolving capacities of children.

While under the category Participation, it states that children have the right to participate in communities and have programs and services for themselves. This includes children's involvement in libraries and community programs, youth voice activities, and involving children as decision-makers.

All of those weren’t made possible for Oliver to experience as a child when he was still in the hands of those criminals

Now, let us have a brief talk about the say of Children’s rights today.

The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child has the highest level of signatories of all international human rights treaties. They specifically addresses the need for the State to protect children from maltreatment and abuse (Art 19); from economic exploitation, and performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development (Art 32); recognize the rights of the child to rest and leisure and play activities (Art 31); and with periodic review of the treatment where a child is placed in the care of the State (Art 25).

Many of these provisions are implemented through the Children and Young People Act 2008. Also, the Human Rights Act 2004 provides children with rights such as, every child has the right to the protection needed by the child because of being a child, without distinction or discrimination of any kind’; no-one may be imprisoned only because of the inability to carry out a contractual obligation’; states that a child who is charged with a criminal offence has the right to a procedure that takes account of the child’s age & the desirability of promoting the child’s rehabilitation; protects people from forced work or compulsory labour.

However, according to statistics, even though there are written laws concerning children’s rights, children across the world continue to be exploited.

A number of Oliver Twist still lingers along the street, he might be the one eating leftovers outside the restaurant, getting a good night sleep across the cold road, doing heavy works to earn a small amount of money or the one you gave alms before but was not satisfied saying, “Please sir, I want some more.”

COMMUNICATION THEORIES IN RUNAWAY JURY

GEIST:

To cut the story short, the plot of the film, Runaway Jury revolves around a case that involves a widow, Mrs. Woods who is filing a case against a gun manufacturer company because her husband was killed in an office massacre involving an easily-obtained weapon.

It took place mainly in the courtroom, hiring Mr. Wendell Rohr as her prosecutor and Mr. Durwood Cable as the prosecutor of the gun manufacturer company. It also followed the behind the scenes of a trial, where Mr. Rankin Fitch, the evil jury consultant, was standing in front of computer and television monitors, apparently able to see the secrets of all the prospective jurors.

But  one juror, Nicholas Easter, who gets on the panel, turned out to be involved in an arrangement with his girlfriend Marlee, to sell the decision of the jury to the highest bidder.

Application of Communication Theories:

 Runaway Jury has various communication theories applied in its script. From my observation, I was able to list down particularly the Interpersonal Deception Theory, Social Judgment Theory, Agenda- Setting Theory, Social Penetration Theory, Symbolic Interaction Theory and a little bit of Groupthink Theory.

           

Now, let me discuss the events within the film where communication theories were applied.

Social Judgment Theory

On the initial part of the story, Fitch said something like “Fat women are unsympathetic, tight- fisted”

Fitch instantly evaluated and perceived the woman’s attitude as unsympathetic and tight- fisted because of her physical attributes. Ontologically, this theory is deterministic in that an individual’s behavior can be predicted.

Rooted in judgment theory, which is concerned with the discrimination and categorization of stimuli, it attempts to explain how attitudes are expressed, judged, and modified. It defined attitudes as "the stands the individual upholds and cherishes about objects, issues, persons, groups, or institutions." The behavior can be in response to arranged or naturally occurring stimuli. And in society, specifically in America, they see “fat women” as such.

Another scene that was applied with the Social Judgment Theory is when Fitch’s assistant tried to determine the nature of the photo and letter sender wherein she said, “Syntax, handwriting, word choice- a woman did the note.”

It can also be explained as how an individual was being categorized; only the subject this time is a group or an institution of women population.

Another form of Social Judgment Theory was also present in the movie wherein  within the duration of the trial, Mr. Garland Jankle, the CEO of the Vicksburg Firearms stated that they will continue the operation as long as the Second Amendment stands and that it is not the company’s problem how their clients use their guns and it is the task of the government so they are not to blame. On the contrary, Mr. Rohr said with conviction that, the company should at least be liable for the widespread gun violence in order to avoid more senseless cause of death.

And as we all know the jury came with the verdict that favors on Mrs. Woods’ argument.

The Social Judgment theory was applied in this scenario states that you have a statement or message and you accept it or reject it based on your cognitive map.  You accept or reject a message based on one's own ego-involvement and if it falls within their latitude of acceptance.

In their case, they found the statements and reproofs of Mr. Rohr more acceptable than that of Mr. Jankle.

It was also shown that when people receive messages (verbal or nonverbal) they immediately judge where the message should be comparing the message with currently held views. And even when at that time, their law does not give gun companies liabilities on widespread gun violence, the juries were able to weigh and compare their currently held views with the prosecutors’ views.

Interpersonal Deception Theory

The film gave the audiences a lot of information regarding Interpersonal Deception Theory through the action units detected in prospective jurors and their meanings.

First, there was Mrs. Coleman. “..Shoulder shrug. She’s evaluating the person asking the question before she ever answers. I mean she’s telling Rohr exactly what he wants to hear,” Fitch’s assistant said.

The theory also states that humans are highly sensitive to body signals. Just like what Interpersonal deception theory is all about, Fitch’s assistant also attempted to explain the manner in which Mrs. Coleman’s nonverbal cues were detected.

Fitch replied that Mrs. Coleman doesn’t necessarily lying when she shrugged her shoulders.

Other scenes that tried to give explanation on human’s non verbal cues are when the assistant assessed their actions where he said, “Tone of voice, body language. She’s got an open mind. She’s going to be fair and sympathetic to Mrs. Wood.”

This assessment is also included in this theory. People were able to read others because of the concept of Leakage. In deception, it is manifested most overtly in nonverbal signals. Some studies indicate over 90% of emotional meaning is communicated non-verbally. Though in the film, the woman wasn’t trying to deceive anyone, but still her emotions were able to leak what she actually feels at that particular moment because of her body signals.

Another scene is when the assistant detected more action cues. He said, “The way he’s hunched over and his fingers are interlaced. He’s trying too hard not to be too obvious.” The guy that the assistant was referring to was trying to conceal something or deceive someone.

When the sender is trying to deceive the receiver, often, communication is ambivalent: people communicate one thing verbally and the opposite non-verbally. Leakage refers to communicative incidents in which nonverbal signals betray the true content of contradictory verbal messages. Examples of leakage in reality Facial expression are very hard to read. The use of FACS, or the Facial Action Coding System, is a much more accurate way to uncover deception. Small facial movements known as micro-expressions can be detected in this system using AU’s.

And the last scene where meanings were assigned to detected body language is when Fitch’s team is trying to figure out who is manipulating the jury. They saw signs where Fitch said, “Loreen Duke, tightens in on her left hand,” referring on Loreen, squeezing the hand of Nick by her side to comfort him which also led Fitch’s team to a conclusion that Nick has a hidden agenda.

Groupthink Theory

There was a part in the film where the jury had to elect for their head speaker when Frank, a marine veteran, volunteered for the position because nobody else tried to step up and get the position. Nick then nominated Mr. Grimes, a blind old man to be the jury’s speaker because he has knowledge on the law.

Frank tried to denounce him because the old man has a disability but Nick defended him saying that Mr. Grimes is blind as much as the law should be.

The majority of the jury finally voted for the blind man, and when Frank saw it, he half heartedly raised his hand to vote for the blind man as well.

This scenario perfectly portrays what Groupthink Theory is all about. The idea is that groupthink is a kind of thinking in which maintaining group cohesiveness and solidarity is more important than considering the facts in a realistic manner. Thus groupthink is a result of cohesiveness in groups.

Groupthink is most likely to occur when certain preconditions are met, such as when the group is highly cohesive, isolated from contrary opinions, and ruled by a directive leader who makes his or her wishes known. Just like what happened in the election, they all voted for Mr. Grimes because Nick got their sympathies.

Agenda- Setting Theory

As a member of the jury, Nick had his chance to manipulate the verdict by influencing others. If they win the case, new policy regarding gun violence will be made. And in the film, he was the one to raise the agenda on voting for Gun Manufacturer Company to be liable of growing cases of violence involving guns.

 Policymakers have been found to be more influential than the overall group of news sources because they often better understand journalists’ needs for reliable and predictable information and their definition of newsworthiness. The theory also claims that in order for an issue to attain agenda status, it must be supported by at least some of key decision makers as they act as guardians of the formal agenda. They also asserted that certain personages in the media can act as opinion leaders and bring media coverage to a particular issue.

In the film, when a new policy was made regarding gun violence issue, a lot of media people focused on the story because it is the first time that the jury supported a case like that of Mrs. Woods against a Gun Manufacturer Company, and again just like what Agenda- Setting Theory is trying to explain, the news media was able to influence the salience of topics on the public agenda on that part of the film.

Social Penetration Theory

               

There was a scene in the movie where Mille, the fat girl was crying because his husband was arrested. Nick tried to console her. She even disclosed to Nick her feelings about the possibility that her husband might be jailed for life if she will not vote in favor of the gun company.

         

It is showed in that scene that within the short period of time, the relationship between the jury developed. And in this case, Mille felt more comfortable in telling Nick her personal problem which is also highly confidential considering their situation.

It can be related to Social Penetration Theory because it is believed in this theory that this process occurs primarily throughself- disclosure and closeness develops if the participants proceed in a gradual and orderly fashion from superficial to intimate levels of exchange as a function of both immediate and forecast outcomes.

Also, that only through opening one's self to the main route to social penetration-self-disclosure-by becoming vulnerable to another person can a close relationship develop, which is what was exactly portrayed in that scene.

MOVIE REVIEW: THE FABULOUS DESTINY OF AMELIE POULAIN

Producer: Jean-Marc Deschamps & Claudie Ossard

Director: Jean- Pierre Jeunet

Writer: Guillaume Laurant

Main Cast:

Audrey Tautou…                 Amélie Poulain

Mathieu Kassovitz…            Nino Quincampoix

Serge Merlin…                     Raymond Dufayel, "The Glass Man"

Synopsis:

       It is an adventure of a thoughtful, quiet, observant girl named Amelie, who overcomes a sad childhood and grows up with an active imagination to bring cheer to her lonely life. Years after her mother died of accident, leaving her and her grieving father behind, she decided to make a life of her own and became a waitress at Cafe des 2 Moulins.

While in her apartment, Amelie was listening to the television, when suddenly she dropped a bottle cap upon hearing the fateful news on television of Princess Diana's death. When she got to her feet, she discovered a loose tile on her wall and found an old box with memorabilia inside and decided to return it to its owner. She then solemnly swore to herself that if the owner is grateful in retrieving the box, then she’ll continue to make other people’s life better by her good deeds.

The owner turned out to be very happy to see the box once again, and so Amelie was engaged with her new mission, to be a fairy godmother to everyone around her.

Her goodwill includes complicated schemes like, giving vivid picture of what is going on with their town as she walks the blind man to his destination, becoming a match- maker to her aged colleague and their regular patron at the café, plotting a bait for her father to follow his dream of touring the world with the help of her flight attendant friend, writing a love letter to a widow neighbor who believes her husband doesn’t love her anymore when he died, doing pranks to Mr. Collingon to avenge for his abusive treatment with his kind assistant, Lucien, and finally falling in love with the guy named Nino Quincampoix.

Amelie found a chance to meet him, when he dropped his photo album and she had to return it to him. But her shy nature kept her from facing him and admitting her real feelings towards him, so she had to organize a plan on how she’ll give back the album to Nino which led her to sweet ideas.

Mr. Dufayel, a painter and a friend, observed that Amelie is having trouble concerning with a boy she’s falling in love with, so he encouraged her to do the thing which will not make her regret in the end which in effect made Amelie eventually decide to follow her heart and make a new start of her life together with the man of her dreams.

Critic:

A. Narrative

Amelie is the reason why this requirement didn’t become a burden that drags me all the way down. I can’t keep myself from saying that after watching the film.

Pointing out the good points of this film, I have nothing more to say but that it is magical, the very first film to bring me to another world, which I usually only get to feel when I read, but this movie is unbelievably capable of doing so without using computer generated locations or so.

It made me feel so alive, it made me think life is beautiful and filled with thoughtful kindness and little sweet memories and it brought me back to my childhood days where I too once imagined that I was a princess of my own fairy tale.

From the very beginning of this literally narrated story up to its very last second, the film with its light hearted theme gave us a story flow, which might not be considered as the best but has a supreme charm that allures every senses of my body. It reaches out to its audience and provides a mystical bond which will definitely hook you up.

The only downside in the narration of this film is that, they’re all merely fantasy which covers reality. . There is no violence, trash, or anything really unsightly anywhere to be seen when the truth is the very location isn’t as beautiful in its normal days as compared to what is shown in the film. And there are no such people nowadays who will spare a second of their time saying thanks to others who showed goodness to them, much more will there be a person to devote her/his life into turning other people’s lives for the better without getting something in return (is there?).

But I get what the writer might want to convey, that with all these fantasies that he just imagined for the sake of this film, there must be something left for us viewers to make it somewhat real. And it is finding true meaning, love, and above all, pure happiness in a world which might not be as beautiful as how Amelie’s imagination depicted it to be, but is possible if we just got the heart to make the very first start.

B. Stylistics

An astonishing visual film, with enormous art-cinema, beautifully composed instrumental sounds and music, powerful effects, playful directing style and poof! Amelie is pure magic.

The cinematographers are clearly exploited with all these ravishing, colorful, artistic techniques used to gain such striking outcome of a film.

From the movie poster itself, the clearly defined facial expression of the main character played by French actress, Audrey, is remarkably unforgettable, as well as her performance throughout the film. Her role fits her well, her black Lulu haircut, her always innocently wide opened dark eyes, and her slowly curving lips which automatically turn into a shy smile, are the hallmarks of Amelie’s character.

The establishing scenes of the film are filled with great individual shots and ideas. There are scenes packed with bizarre colors and it begins in a fast paced manner.

The lighting used is exceptionally crafted to create an effect that the film was set in the 90’s complemented with the characters’ hair and costumes.

The camera movements are also outstanding, such as the camera panning where it creates a panoramic effect while keeping the subject within the frame and also the shots such as the deep focus shot which focused on a character being described by the narrator with the variation of long shot that keeps the character in the background, middle ground and in the foreground. Then there’s a camera angle, while Amelie is inside a train in a fast forward motion, the view was canted where the camera is tilted to one side, creating a diagonal composition that suggests impending movement.

There are also a lot of optical effects used like fade in and out, wipe, dissolve and a lot more in order to connect different shots, which made the film rather attractive and jolly in its nature. And another dominant editing style, continuity, wherein inside the frame is the backyard where the camera was focused on a bear and they had to show that years are passing by presenting events such as different seasons in a shorter amount of time than its actual duration.

While of course, a montage sequence was also present in scenes when Amelie stands high on the terrace of Montmartre and wonders how many people in Paris are having orgasms at that exact instant, and we see them, 15 in all, in quick shots.

C. Film Reel

I am giving a perfect score of one for “Amelie.”

I chose this film over “Love in the Time of Cholera,” simply because its sounds like my name (very genius I know), and the poster alone is intriguing. Though I doubted at first because the book, Love in the Time of Cholera, was involved in one my favorite movie, “Serendipity,” starring my prince, John Cusack, but eventually and as obvious as it is, I am living to feed my curiosity, so it has to be “Amelie.”

Nonetheless, I am very much satisfied with my decision, because it took all the negative vibes away after watching “Serbis.”

It is the very counterpart of Serbis, because in Amelie, everything is good to the eye, even her wild imagination of pairs having orgasm at that particular moment, because it was coupled of what I was trying to say ‘art.’

And it does not end with the excellent exhibition of cinematography, the very plot has its flow, it has a general story and most of all it is a film which entertains, enlighten, inspire and tells people that fantasies are still achievable if we look on the brighter side of each of our lives.

MOVIE REVIEW: UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

Producer: Jordan Kerner & David Nicksay

Director: Jon Avnet

Writer:

Book:  Alanna Nash

Screenplay: Joan Didion & John Gregory Dunne

Main Cast:

Robert Redford. . . .             Warren Justice

Michelle Pfeiffer. . . .            Tally Atwater

Stockard Channing. . . .     Marcia McGrath

Joe Mantegna. . . .              Bucky Terranova

Synopsis:

“Up Close and Personal” revolves around the gradual growth of an aspiring television journalist, Tally Atwater, who started at the bottom as a hilarious weather girl, to a skilled news reporter, which is all thanks to her ever present mentor, the veteran news director, Warren Justice. Warren quickly brings her along with his constant advice, practical tips and lots of lectures about covering the news, which made her capable of breaking into news reporting and rising rapidly in the business, as they become romantically involved. Convinced with her skill, she was offered a better job in Philadelphia, and there began her struggles, as the veteran reporter Marcia McGrath kept an eye on her to ensure that she will ever remain the top reporter and not the neophyte, Tally. Eventually, Warren follows her to Philadelphia and had their careers together, but within the course of their job, Tally with her cameraman, got trapped in a critical situation, wherein they were held hostage in a prison where she was assigned to cover the news story. Seeing her situation and the colossal opportunity that awaits her, Warren, from the outside, guides her in making her coverage a successful breakthrough to a national network newscaster position. From there, Tally’s career as a newscaster continues to flourish, when an unexpectedly heartbreaking event happened to the man who placed him on the pedestal and was apparently got killed while doing the task assigned to him.

Critic:

A.   Narrative

In the opening scenario of the film “Up Close & Personal,” it typically presented a character, Sally ‘Tally’ Atwater who is assigned certain traits and motivations that propel the events of the film, together with his leading man, Warren.

Personally, I had to watch the movie twice just so I could get fully involved with the film. What I’m trying to say is that, the story lacks connection with the audiences.

The main characters, Tally and Warren, did not offer a believable unison of feelings that they should have exhibit. The spark weren’t there from the day they met, and so it looks unnatural and mandatory for them to act like real lovers when they finally got to the scene where they first made love followed by the sweet little things that happened as they walk together and laugh together in the waves that they cherished together.

The acts are all sweet on the screen, but they did not establish well the growing feelings that they had for each other while the story goes. So I felt nothing when the time finally came where Tally had to go onboard and leave Warren behind even with the absolutely excellent song playing “Because You Loved Me” by my ever favorite singer Celine Dion.

This is probably because of too much suspension of these scenes, imagine this, the film had already played the first quarter of the story, yet they still haven’t showed something appealing that might make the viewers think that they are genuinely into each other. They should have fed the viewers with more effective thrilling scenes where the actors could portray that certain feeling, and make the viewers think that they actually are falling for each other, only they do not say it out loud until they finally get to express it through those love scenes that they did.

However, after doing those expressive love scenes and the thought that they finally are acting like what the real lovers do on the succeeding events on the film, they were able to deliver to audiences the impact when Warren died in an incident while doing his assignment in the network.  Honestly, I was robbed off with a tear or maybe two at that particular scene and I really feel sorry for Tally because she cannot fully celebrate her skyrocketing career due to her lover’s death.

Another thing is that the character of Tally can't seem to make a decision all by herself, without Warren's constant coaching and criticism. Even as her career blossomed and she finally became a national reporter, she can only do most of her job while being so dependent to Warren.

They could have at least made the viewers feel that Tally can be a credible journalist because she is one. They could have given her character a chance to prove to people that she is a strong- willed woman, and the credits can be partly given to her and Warren because she was trained by the veteran news director, and because she herself is driven and motivated with her ambitiousness.

On the other hand, I would like to commend the role of Marcia McGrath played by Stockard Channing who actually won Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress. Her parts on the behind- the- scenes of the newsroom, is simply effective that it irritates me how she apparently is the top egotistical reporter who is over protective of her standing in the business.

And last but not the least, I am also thankful for the helpful insights of Warren about how a journalist should act, the news-gathering techniques, the journalistic substance over style and particularly, the dos and don'ts in the field of broadcasting.

B.    Stylistics

For the overall cinematography techniques used throughout the film, from the camera’s distance from the action, camera angle and direction, camera movement, and lighting, up to the sound and editing, I must say that they were properly used in the film.

It started an Extreme Close- up Shot of Tally’s eyes while she was being interviewed in a studio and while she goes on telling them how she started in the field of broadcasting, the camera zooms out.

Her story began through her narration, and all of her struggles were told by a flashback of her memories. The story goes on without showing that it was her narrating the story and it also ended without going back to an interview session in that studio where it all started.

The story even showed scenes which are not supposed to be known by Tally because of the fact that she wasn’t even there in those particular scenes, if those truly are part of her flashbacks.

Another unusual thing that I noticed in the film is that scene when she got trapped in a prison and was having a national live report. Fernando, one of the prisoners, intervened putting his hand on the camera lens to stop her from what she’s doing, and then she started interviewing him.

The camera was focused on Tally as she asks questions to Fernando, while his hand is still placed on the camera, when suddenly, the camera was focused on him without even showing that the camera moved to his place. The editing of cut on that part didn’t go well and the principle of continuity was somehow not followed by the editors.

Also in that scene, they used Closed framing where they made that particular film image express the totality of reality, to keep the viewer focused on the action of the film, or to express entrapment while Tally got was inside the prison.

The most commonly type of shots used in the film are Extreme long shot, Long shot and Close- up.

Extreme long shot captures a scene in its entirety and it is used in the film when they had to establish where the scene is taking place. It is important in the film because there are parts where the main characters are apart from each other, geographically.

They used long shot to accommodate at least the entire bodies of figures. It captures movement, background, and broad gestures and expressions, just like when Tally was having her report in the Miami Beach and many other scenes in the film.

Close-up, on the other hand, includes very little if any background, concentrating on the subject. This shot is used in the film when the camera is focused on a person, currently doing his/ her report in the newsroom.

The music played in the film “Because You Loved Me,” caused the viewers to appreciate further Warren’s contribution to Tally’s soaring career. It has clear emotional effects on the viewers and is appropriately played in exact timing.

C.    Film Reel

I would generously give a score of two out of five for this film simply because the screenplay looks original, exhibiting its own twists and turns and the step by step development of narration is well executed.

Although I have criticized the chemistry of the main characters on their appearance on the first quarter of the film, I must say that eventually I got hooked with their beautiful tragic love affair, especially that part when Warren died in the middle of Tally’s booming success.

Last but not the least, Tally’s experiences within the film also inspired me as a communication student to achieve those things in as short course of time and of course to fine my own hero- like Warren in the news business. So much for my being hopeless romantic.

MOVIE REVIEW: CITIZEN KANE

Producer: Orson Welles

Director: Orson Welles

Writer: Herman J. Mankiewicz  & Orson Welles

Main cast:

Charles Foster Kane . . . . .  Orson Welles

Jedediah Leland . . . . .       Joseph Cotten

Susan Alexander . . . . .       Dorothy Comingore

Mr. Bernstein . . . . .               Everett Sloane

Walter Parks Thatcher . . . . George Coulouris

Emily Norton . . . . .               Ruth Warrick

Synopsis:

        

In 1941, the media industry set another big agenda all over the world, when Xanadu’s potent figure of the century, Charles Foster Kane, died inside his immense fortress loaded with his vast collection of treasures.

          

Unknown to the public the meaning of “Rosebud,” the final word that he managed to murmur, while the snow globe in his hand, which was owned by his second wife, Susan Alexander, slipped from his hand and broke into pieces.

          

Curious about Kane's dying word, the newsreel editor assigns Jerry Thompson, a reporter, to find out what it meant. He questions Kane's second wife, Susan, his ailing old friend, Jedediah Leland, the private diary of his boyhood guardian, Walter Parks Thatcher, his rich associate, Mr. Bernstein and his butler at Xanadu, Raymond, and Kane's story was shown by flashing back through the eyes of many witnesses.

          

Through these sources, Thompsons learned about Kane’s actual life, his plain childhood life spent in Colorado until they discovered his mother’s inherited property was the world’s third to the largest gold mine. And at the age of 25, he took control of the newspaper, ‘The New York Inquirer’ and hired all the best journalists in town.

         

  Thompsons was told of Kane’s exploitation of public opinion for the dSpanish American War using his dominating newspaper; his first wife Emily Monroe Norton, a President's  niece and his failure to his attempt of entry to the world of politics by running as governor of New York State because of his seemingly affair to a singer, Susan Alexander.

         

  Kane had his divorce with her first wife and married Susan, who eventually got bored spending her days inside the huge castle all on her own and decided to leave him.

          

Without finding out what really is the meaning of “Rosebud,” Kane’s last word, he explained what he has learned with the late man’s life, that Kane was a man who got everything he wanted, and then lost it. And that Maybe Rosebud was something he couldn't get, or something he lost.

         

  Kane’s belongings which are considered worthless were burned in a furnace including a sled, which he owned since he was a child back in Colorado, the time when he truly felt happiness in his heart and on the sled was carved its name ‘Rosebud.’ This sled explained what rosebud is, but not what rosebud means.

Critic:

A.         Narrative

This controversial film gained a mixture of appreciation and dismay from the viewers on its initial screenings.

Basing on these primary reactions, I theorized that it is related to an individual’s expectation on the film, because of the controversies that arose even before the film was released in theaters. These controversies pursued the viewers to expect highly on what they are going to see and what they will soon discover, but unfortunately, that is the blamable circumstance there is in the narration of “Citizen Kane.”

They pointed out that it fails to provide a clear picture of the character and motives behind the man, Charles Foster Kane, about whom the whole thing revolves.

In the contrary, I commend Welles style of writing the script, including the fact that the character of Kane wasn’t fully understood, it remained unknown to the viewers whether he is really a villain and what made him to be like one.

Welles didn’t overfed the viewers with abundance of imagery which other writers commonly do, and personally I really get bored with such. Though he clearly gave us an idea on who really is Kane, and how would he react on different matters. He was even described by the narrators of the film or the characters who provide us their memories to give us a view of Kane’s life. And they all implied the same trait of Kane based on their narrations. That he was once selfish, hard-headed, influential which he took for granted and a dictator, but at the same time, he craves for trust, love, happiness and a simple life that he once had back when he was a child.

I took it positively as part of the narration of the story, because it gave me the chance to participate in the film, in the sense that I have to make my own conclusion about his character which I think is really good because it creates connectivity to the audiences, the way it made me reflect whether to sympathize or not to Kane’s longing for his ‘Rosebud,’ or that little happiness that he had lost from his childhood.

Another creative storytelling technique that is used in the film is the foreshadowing. First is the snow globe, owned by Susan, which first appeared in Kane’s dying hand, it was also seen on Susan’s dressing table the night she and Kane met, then we saw it next when Susan left Kane and he destroyed her room. Kane is left only with the snow globe which foreshadowed his lonely death.

There’s also a scene in which Leland was asking Bernstein about the journalists’ loyalty to Kane because he just stole them from the rival paper by offering them more money. Leland wondered if that was enough to make them loyal to Kane. Leland’s doubts foreshadowed his departure and Susan’s, who both can’t be bought by money, from Kane's life.

Then, ‘Rosebud,’ the sled which name wasn’t shown when we first saw it  at the scene of young Kane’s abandonment by his mother, but it foreshadows the film's final scene, when we finally learn the meaning of Kane's last word, that he’s yearning for the happiness that ‘Rosebud’ brought to him as a child.

B. Stylistics

Citizen Kane, considering the technological disadvantage of their time, made its own cinematic progress. It introduced Hollywood to the creative potential of film techniques. It has also made a unique sequencing of events supported by Flashbacks where Kane’s story unfolds in overlapping segments whenever each narrator adds their memories of him.

They also used continuity editing for a more effective story- telling technique, like in a scene where Leland narrated Kane’s married life with her first wife, Emily Norton. The scenes where a montage sequence, which collapsed time while the characters changed costume and make-up between cuts so that the scene following each cut would look as if it took place in the same location, but at a time long after the previous cut.

Another continuity technique used is when Kane's guardian hands him his sled, Kane wishes him a "Merry Christmas". Suddenly the shot shifted to his guardian fifteen years later, and completed the phrase by saying: "and a Happy New Year". In this case, the continuity of the soundtrack was used. This technique is called the ‘lightning mix.’ Other audio techniques is like what I’ve observed that was very much used throughout the film, the overlapping dialogue, which was considered to be more realistic than the stage and film tradition of characters not stepping on each other's sentences.

The movie is also filled with visual effects like in its establishing scenes, the towers of Xanadu and the doorway of Susan dissolving into a front-page photo in a rival newspaper where they used fade in and out for optical effect; the many audiences of candidate Kane addressing a political rally, the many Kanes reflected through parallel mirrors and the great shot as the camera rises straight up from Susan's opera debut to the two men who are unattached with her voice are done using special effects.

For its most significant contribution to cinematography, Citizen Kane was known for its use of a technique known as deep focus. Deep focus refers to having everything in the frame, even the background, in focus at the same time, as opposed to having only the people and things in the foreground in focus.

An example of scene where they used deep focus is when Kane’s parents and Mr. Thatcher were discussing about their plans to Kane’s schooling, while he can be clearly seen outside through an open window of their house.

One of the effects used is the in- camera effect which resulted to a scene that looked like it was shot using the deep focus, when it actually wasn’t. An example is a scene where Kane breaks into Susan’s room after her suicide attempt. In the background, Kane and another man break into the room, while simultaneously the medicine bottle and a glass with a spoon in it are in close up in the foreground. The foreground was shot first, with the background dark. Another shot was taken where the background was lit, the foreground darkened, the film rewound, and the scene re-shot with the background action.

The introduction of pan-focus, the combination of pan, a camera movement where the camera rotates side-to-side and again the camera shot, deep- focus, which is when combined, the viewers are enabled to see an entire panorama at once, with everything clear in the scene.

I also noticed the blocking of Kane and Susan in a particular scene where the camera was in a high angle while Susan was on the lower level begging for Kane’s permission to let her stop from her singing career and Kane back view firmly stood as he rejects her idea. The blocking and the camera angle were effectively used to express the psychological relationships between the characters where it clearly showed who is dominating and the significant trait of Kane of being a dictator.

And last but absolutely not the least, the make- ups and prosthetics used to each character that had to look old to make the film appear rather realistic, is one of the most outstanding elements that was well- kept in the duration of the film. For example, Mr. Kane, from a very fine- looking gentleman in his early twenties, within the course of time in the film, achieved the believably looks of a middle aged guy and eventually a balding aged man.

C.         Film Reel

Given the fact that it was written and produced decades ago, and it is the first black and white film that I managed to watch up to the last bit of second not because this is a school requirement but because I was eventually into it, I am giving “Citizen Kane” the highest score of 1.

Aside from its innovative styles in the aspect of cinematography, the very story is also ambitious in trying to get a positive feedback from the viewers with its realistic approach. Basically, films especially before are meant to entertain like the short silent films of Charlie Chaplin, that sort of thing, but Welles took the risk in his debut movie which revolved on an influential man who happened to be the owner of a widely distributed broadsheet in New York.

Welles used those facts to establish a conflict on how Kane, whose only intention at first is to be trusted and be loved by the people, became selfish and gave bias information to manipulate the mindset of the people through his orchestrated news articles.

Within the duration of this engaging film, I grow different feelings for the villain and at the same time the hero of the story, Mr. Kane. Every character did very well in their penetrating performances and of, course, the unique approach of the sequencing of events and the story flow coupled with its noteworthy advancement on cinematography are all more than just classic.

MOVIE REVIEW: SERBIS

Producer: Ferdie Lapuz

Director: Brillante "Dante" Mendoza

Writer: Armando Lao

Main Cast:

Gina Pareño. . . . Nanay Flor

Coco Martin. . . . Alan

Jaclyn Jose. . . . Nayda

Synopsis:

Following the travails of a struggling family headed by a dowager, Nanay Flor, from the province of Angeles, Pampanga, the story was established with the bizarre conditions of each member of the Pineda family. In order to make a living, the family operates a decrepit movie house, which features soft pornographic films. They are also running a small canteen within the theatre which also served as their home.

Nanay Flor’s family Nayda, her daughther, Lando, Nayda’s husband and Jewel, her adopted daughter, work simultaneously for the ticket booth and in managing the canteen. Her nephews also had their share of labors in their business, Ronald as the projectionist and Alan as the billboard painter.

Bigamy case against Nanay Flor’s husband, unwanted pregnancy of Alan’s girlfriend and possible incest between Nayda and her cousin, Ronald, are the challenges that they had to face every day. But the real crisis that the film had featured is the very building block of the family, the movie house, which turned out to be a sex lair for ‘serbis’ boys who make a living inside the theatre by fulfilling the gay patron’s sexual needs.

Critic:

A.Narrative

Focusing solely on how the story was narrated in the film, there is one thing that I have with me to say, “Reality ate the art in this film.”

Why did I say that? Well, because of the fact that the story has told the public what actually happens to cinema houses that plays pornographic movies, maybe those in Ermita, or even the theatre of Isetann in Recto. That there are people who build their own business inside, exercising sexual acts to fully satisfy their hormonal hunger, which is true to that matter and is a good eye opener, though I myself, am already aware of that.

But going back to the story, it didn’t offer anything pleasant to the eye nor did it connect with the emotions of the viewers. What it did is to just arouse the viewers, let them experience what those gay patrons felt while inside the Pineda’s old movie house. And all of the sexual acts and even the story of each character, the bigamy case, the possible incest, the unwanted pregnancy, shown in this film do not vary at all, because they all are roots of poverty and evil deeds.

When art is supposed to be a variation of emotions, and feed the viewers with awe, sadness, sympathy and joy within the duration of the film, it has nothing more to offer but disgrace to Filipino people.

These are all my initial reaction after watching the movie. I was negatively overwhelmed by the narration or the story itself. I almost gag while watching it basically because it showed elements that are considered nasty, dirty and immoral based on social norms and my personal standards.

In my opinion, the film could have gotten better, and the veteran film critics present on the Cannes Film Festival would probably have a second thought on walking out while the film is playing, if they put more heart to it than just merely showing the rotten conditions of Filipino people. Because even though we truly are facing economic, social and political upheavals, each of us never forget to bring our own little silver linings in life especially when we are with our family.

B.Stylistics

From the beginning of the film up to its last remaining seconds, I was disturbed by the frantic movement of the camera as well as the constant noise of the traffic that overpowers the characters dialogue at times.

These camera movements and the unwanted noise are elements which are all part of the stylistic forms used in the duration of the film.

The shaking effect which is due to the movement of a handheld camera used in shooting the scenes generates a documentary-like shots and was effectively used in scenes that tracked the entire cinema house whenever a character goes from one part of the establishment to another. It gave the audiences a detailed picture of the decrepit place which explicitly imposes the idea that it is the center of the film’s plot and that within its interior geography, will the story revolve.

As for the noise that practically drowned the several dialogues from different scenarios, they could have make used of sound editors to gradually reduce the volume of noise in a way that the character’s speeches are not fully overpowered by the physical noise made by the community outside the cinema house.

Natural lighting was also used throughout the movie, letting the scenes be seen by the viewers the way the camera did without any help from the artificial lighting which made it appear more realistic, and is what basically is the goal of the film. This lighting technique is commonly used by realist directors who rely on natural light which closely approximates reality.

The last thing that I’ve observed with the technicalities used in the film, is that it contains few cuts and absolutely long takes which resulted in a more provocative shots.

C.Film Reel

I’ll blatantly rate this movie with the score of three. The score is based from how I agreed with the issue that the film raised within the screenplay, for its realistic approach to people. The matters which centered on how Filipinos react on facing their ill- stricken lives, the poverty, immorality and personal predicaments that they face daily in life.

The primary reason why I did not fully appreciate the film is because, I have this connotation about movies that they are all produced to entertain, educate, enlighten and for some like this film, to show us the truth. But the whole screenplay lacks the story flow which is basically the most essential part of a film.

Other than that, it is in its way successful because it was able to show explicit and provocative scenes which are meant to inform the viewer on how theatre houses and pornographic films work and affect its patrons, it also effectively let its viewers experience and know for themselves the reason why those gay patrons got involved with such acts of purchasing “serbis.”