The Godfather

1. In class we discussed many elements of the classic film The Godfather. The one thing that I noticed is how great Coppola made you feel for a family of people, who in reality, were terrible people. The Corleone family hurt and killed people, yet because the film takes place through their eyes in a sense you never look at them as bad people. Every time a member of the family was killed, you felt bad for them. That is one of the many things that makes this such a great film. The way that Coppola plays with your emotions and makes you feel things that you normally wouldn’t really says wonders about the film.

2. This article talks about how Francis Ford Coppola is a genius for what he did with the screenplay of The Godfather and why it is such a great film. In the article author Paul Tatara says, “It's no exaggeration to say that Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972) has moved beyond the realm of mere cinema to become a slice of American mythology.” Coppola fought battles with both interest groups and the studio in order to get the film to come out the way that he envisioned. He had to convince Paramount to hire Al Pacino and Marlon Brando. Coppola did so much work for this film to come out the way it did.

 

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/443184/The-Godfather/articles.html#00

3. This article made me respect Coppola even more than I already did. The lengths that he went to in order to make sure that The Godfather hit the big screen as the master piece that we all know it to be. He put a lot on the line in order to ensure that his artistic vision was not compromised by the studio or anyone else who did not want him to make this film as he saw fit.

4. I have seen The Godfather many times before this class, but I did not always notice all of the little things that were in the movie that made it so good. It truly is the best film of all time and it is very hard to argue that it is not. To be able to  make a movie with such a dark and violent undertone into such a heartfelt and complete story is genius writing and directing. The Godfather is an outright classic.

The Graduate

1. In class we discussed how the filming and editing of The Graduate was very unique and innovative for its time. The way that director Mike Nichols shot this film was remarkable. Not only are the shots creative and unique but they also help tell the story. As it was mentioned in class, at the beginning of the film the shots of Ben are very tight and as the film plays out they are longer and a bit looser. This goes right along with the character of Ben, which was played wonderfully by Dustin Hoffman. When you pay attention to these details while watching the film, it goes from a fun movie about a young man entering the real world to a true piece of art. It is obvious why Mike Nichols won the Academy Award for best director.

2. In this article about The Graduate the author Lang Thompson discusses the film’s legacy in pop culture and Hollywood over the years as well as some of difficulties director Mike Nichols faced while filming the movie. Thompson says, “The Graduate is one of those films that’s been quoted and parodied and referenced so often that you might think you’ve seen it even if you haven’t.” He then talks about the role of Ben and how Robert Redford and Charles Grodin passed before Nichols wound up with Dustin Hoffman. Hoffman almost couldn’t take the role himself because he was committed to another film but was able to get out of it.

 

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/18530/The-Graduate/articles.html

3. This article solidified some thoughts that I had about the film. The first was the commentary about how you feel like you have seen it even if you haven’t. I felt as if I had seen The Graduate before almost throughout the whole film, particularly the ending scene when Ben is going to stop Elaine’s wedding. From seeing Wayne’s World I felt as if I had watched that scene a million times. They copied that shot for shot and I never knew that it was a parody. I am also glad that Dustin Hoffman ended up with the role of Ben. You hear things like this happening a lot in Hollywood but the film would not be the same without him. His acting in this film was so great and I don’t think that the film would have worked as well as it did if he did not play Ben.

4. The Graduate was a great piece of American cinema. From the acting to the directing the film was absolutely wonderful. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and only got one, which is ridiculous. Dustin Hoffman played a great role as Ben and Anne Bancroft was amazing as Mrs. Robinson. The directing that Mike Nichols did was groundbreaking for its time and all of these elements add to the greatness that is The Graduate.