3/31/11
Rear Window Screening Notes
· Scenes from outside people’s apartments
o Getting ready for the day
· L.B. Jeffries – confined to his apartment by a full leg cast
o Famous photographer
o Watches his pretty neighbor dance
· Nurse Stella foreshadows trouble from watching neighbors
· Jeffries is debating whether o marry his “too-perfect” girlfriend
o Later sees a newly wed couple entering their new apartment
· As Jeffries awaits his romantic dinner, he observes a neighbor make a similar dinner for a fake date
· After Lisa leaves, Jeffries hears a crash and a woman’s scream
o Source unknown
· Detective is skeptical
o Doesn’t believe he’d kill with so many witnesses
· Neighbor’s dog continually digs up the same corner of the salesman’s flowerbed
· Begins using high-power camera to watch Ms. Lonelyheart also
o Switches to watching the salesman (Lars)
o Can’t hear Lars’ conversation on the phone due to piano man’s party
· Dog is discovered strangled
o Lars is the only one who didn’t come out
3/25/11
Atonement Screening Notes
S = sound, C = costumes
· S – Typewriter sounds as title is written out
o Transitions to real typewriter typing
o Further changes into an undertone for the music in the background
· C – Brianny – childish nightgown, long sleeved
o Knee length white dress, simple
o Simple straight hair, bobby pin, no makeup
· C – Cecelia – tightly curled hair, makeup, floral frilly prints
· S – Piano, strings, mischievous music
· C – Robbie – blue mussed shirts, pants
o Looks like a working man
· C – Leon – blue suit, striped tie, slicked hair
· C – Cecelia – bathing suit (white, one piece, headpiece)
· Cecelia dives in to the pond, Robbie pops out of the bathtub
· C – Twins – matching outfits, tightly buttoned up (very proper)
· S – Music, more sinister
o Brianny angrily writing
o Transition to Robbie typewriting
· Switch between Cecelia and Robbie:
o Robbie – white wifebeater
o Cecelia – fancy
o Female singing during Cecelia’s parts
o Male singing during Robbie’s parts
o Both reflected in mirrors
o Both smoking, Cecelia’s more refined than Robbie’s
· S – Silence during love scene in library
o Makes sounds more audible, more awkward
· S – Music more violent during arrest
o Hitting of umbrella on car transitions to sound of typewriter
· C – Robbie and friends dressed in fatigues
· C – Cecelia in hospital garb
o Simpler, less fancy than her old self
· S – Music is sorrowful during beach scene
o Eventually blends with the soldiers’ singing
· Many instances of flashbacks, rewinding
o Desire to turn back time, do things over
· S – Claire de Lune starts after scene with Brianny and soldier in the hospital
o Montage of old WWII film clips
o Turns out to be a movie playing in the hospital
· S – On the subway, lights flicker in time to typewriter noises
3/18/11
Breathless Screening
· Handheld camera
· Sequence of driving down various roads
o Cannot determine duration
· Michel addresses the audience directly
· See the gun, hear the gun shot, see cop fall
o Implies murder, don’t directly see it
· Camera follows Michel and Patricia walking
o Doesn’t cross 180 degree rule
· See and hear a car screech
o Then see man dead in street in front of car
o Michel doesn’t care, keeps walking
· Shots of Patricia in the car
o Background changes as they drive, as he talks
· As man in restaurant is telling story, camera slightly repositions after each pause
o Jerky movement
· Ambulances frequently cover what the actors are saying
· Michel steals a new car, claiming he’s picking it up from the garage
· Patricia seems unfazed by learning the truth about Michel
o Excited to steal a new car
o “It’s too late to be scared”
· Patricia calls the police
o Forces Michel to leave her
o He calls her pathetic yet again
· I found this film very confusing, as I could never tell what Michel’s motivation was. He seemed to be simply drifting through life, stealing money when he needed it, killing anyone he deemed threatening, nonchalantly moving from one girl to the next. I wish the film had gone more into Michel’s background. Was he already a criminal, or had the cop killing been his first major crime? Had he similarly berated and verbally abused his old girlfriends, or had Patricia been special in her treatment? It’s hard to know how to feel at Michel’s death when his life was such an enigma.
· I believe one key moment in the film was when Michel asked Patricia is she was scared while driving a stolen car out of the garage. She calmly replied, “It’s too late to be scared.” This seems to be a theme of the movie in general. Although Michel repeatedly does dangerous and risky things, such as killing the cop, stealing money and cars, and frequently being chased by the police, he never seems to get scared. He seems resigned to his lifestyle of crime, and commits various crimes without a second thought. To him it seems to be just a way of life. Michel repeatedly calls Patricia pathetic and seems to think she’s scared for being indecisive in her choices about life. When she finally learns the truth of Michel’s misdeeds, for a moment Patricia seems to also take hold of this new crime-filled lifestyle. She temporarily takes up his motto, saying that there’s no time to be scared when you’ve already resigned yourself to being bad. However, at the end of the film when Michel realizes Patricia gave in to the police, he calls her pathetic once more to signify she couldn’t keep up with his lifestyle and is destined to remain indecisive.
3/4/11
The Hurt Locker Screening Notes
· Movie shot using handheld camera
o Jerkily moves around, sometime zooms in on people jerkily too
o Viewpoint of another soldier
· Opening scene:
o Camera being shot from the bomb robot’s point of view
§ Pulls up to a covered pile
§ See that the camera shot is being viewed by a bomb squad member
§ Carefully pulls back the covering to reveal a bomb
o Thompson is suited up in heavy covering
§ Approaches the bomb
§ Other soldiers continually look up at the various onlookers on top of buildings
o A strange man approaches Sanborn, asks where he is from
§ Sanborn angrily tells him to get away
o Suited man picks up broken wagon carrying charge, carries it the rest of the way to the bomb
§ Lays charge slowly on top of bomb
o Notices man with phone in butcher shop
§ Suited man starts running away, but bomb detonates while still in range
§ See slow-speed explosion
§ Suited man’s helmet fills with blood, falls to the ground dead
· James comes in as new captain
o Seems very nonchalant about safety measures
§ Prefers to approach bomb in suit rather than let bot check it out first
· Approaching a new bomb scene:
o James launches a smoke bomb, doesn’t explain why
o A car speeds up, stops right in front of James
o James pulls out his gun, stands in a stand-off
§ Shoots out window, tells him to back-up down the street again
§ Man slowly backs-up, other soldiers pull him out
o James continues to look, discovers a half-buried bomb
§ After diffusing it, discovers a 2nd wire leading from it
· This wire leads to a secondary string structures linked to 8 new bombs
o Sanborn is angry James works so independently
· New bomb scene:
o James discovers a car trunk full of bombs
§ Takes off his bomb suit, would rather “die comfortably”
o Sanborn and Eldridge become more and more nervous, Sanborn continually tells James to get out
§ Eventually James throws off his headset, continues to work
o After diffusing the bombs, Sanborn punches him, “never take off your headset again”
· Team is out destroying bombs in the desert
o James drives down to pick up his gloves
o Sanborn talks about detonators misfiring all the time (killing him)
· Driving back in the Humvee, come across a stopped car and 4 armed men
o Discovered that they are part of the same side, have a flat tire
o Casually talking, then fire erupts
o See 2 prisoners running away
o Quick camera movements convey frantic feeling, not knowing where the shooting is coming from
· James keeps a box of bomb parts under his bed, stuff that almost killed him
o Sanborn and James take turns punching each other
o James gets into bed wearing his bomb helmet
· 16 days left
o Psychiatrist asks to come along, wants to get out from behind the desk
o Team explores a warehouse
§ Discover a young boy who’s been killed and implanted with a bomb
· James removes the explosive, carries the boy out
§ Psychiatrist gently asks natives to leave, then becomes more insistent
· See a bag left behind, as psychiatrist bumps into it, the bag explodes
· James tries to discover what happened to the boy (Beckham), goes to his house
o No one knows who he is
· While searching for the killers, James and Sanborn get separated from Eldridge
o While saving him, they accidently shoot Eldridge in the leg
· The next morning:
o Eldridge is airlifted out for surgery
§ Angrily yells at James for shooting him
§ Blames him for getting him shot just for an adrenaline rush
· 2 days left
o A suicide bomber is in the middle of a plaza
§ He pleads to have the bomb removed
o James goes in to remove it
§ Sanborn tells him it’s a suicide mission
o James discovers the bombs are bolted onto him, with a timer of 2 minutes
o James tells Sanborn to get away while he stays behind to fix it
§ James can’t get it off in time, tells the man he’s sorry and runs away
o Bomb explodes
o Sanborn: “I hate this place”
§ Laments over how easy it would be for him to die, that no one would care he was gone
§ Asks James how he does it, taking the risk
§ James: “I don’t think about it”
§ Sanborn: “Every time we go out, it’s life or death”
· See James doing mundane home tasks
o James is shopping in the grocery store with his wife and son
§ Haphazardly picks a cereal box off the enormous shelf
o Cleaning out the gutter
o Tells his son there’s only one thing he loves anymore
· See James as part of a new military group, part of Delta company for another year of service
2/18/2011
A Single Man Screening Notes
· Different camera shots of George waking up
o Camera looks at the different items he uses during his morning routine
· Whooshing noise as we see the man from the accident playing outside with his dogs
o A memory?
o George – “My heart’s been broken.”
· Present = grey tones
· Past = bright, hi saturation
· When George runs to Charlie after hearing about Jim’s accident
o Rain noise drowns out all other sounds
o Still can see the anger, outbursts
· While driving, time slows down as he passes neighbor’s house
o Hear ticking of clock (slower)
· Walks against the crowd
o As if he’s alone, outcast
· As the assistant smiles, her lips turn bright red
o The rest of her face seems saturated afterward
· As boys play tennis, they become saturated
· George speaks of a “hidden minority”
o Kenneth looked at often
o Reference to homosexuals?
· Whenever Kenneth shows George kindness or understanding, George’s face becomes saturated momentarily
· Smelling the dog brings back memories, saturation
· Many close-ups of eyes
o Close-up of Psycho poster’s eyes
· George - Only moments of connecting with another human were worthwhile
o All of George’s memories of Jim throughout the movie
· Fades to B/W after death
2/9/2011
Gosford Park Screening Notes
· Opening scene:
o Mary does everything for the older woman
§ Even opening a thermos for her
o Mary must go around the back with the help
§ Upper class are allowed to enter through the front entrance
o See servants sorting through luggage downstairs, trying to get organized (chaotic)
§ Camera zooms in on bottles labeled poison
o Camera shot through iron railings of the staircase and plant leaves (hidden moment)
§ See Mr. Nesbitt (married) amorously try to persuade Isobel to do something for him
· Servant notices them, Mr. Nesbitt comments, “It’s no one” to Isobel
o Two worlds:
§ Servants live downstairs, speak freely amongst themselves
§ Upper class live upstairs, more soft spoken (less blatant gossiping)
· In the study:
o We notice a servant silently disappear through a secret door in the bookcase
o Lord McCordle seems overly concerned with his dog’s well being
§ A frivolous thing
· Mr. Novello’s vegetarianism is tacked up to his being an American
o The servants seem to think less of American’s in general
· Mr. and Mrs. Nesbitt are seen walking away down a hallway, arguing in a whisper so the audience can’t hear
· Dinner scene:
o Zoom out from the elaborate place setting to see the whole elaborate table and room
o Constance comments, “I hate shooting. Why does one need to do these things?” to Mary
§ She acts as though her lavish lifestyle is a chore while complaining to those serving her
o Lady McCordle seems disdainful of her husband’s dog (kicks him)
o Henry (as a valet from America) constantly shows up in areas where servants shouldn’t be seen (around the upper class)
o Juxtaposed with a scene of the servants eating dinner together
§ The servants sit according to the rank of their master
§ Addressed by their master’s surname
§ The table upstairs has finer dressings and more space between diners (more comfortable)
o Lord McCordle signals Elsie about something, and she leaves the room
o It is revealed a large knife is missing that Mr. Jennings was looking for
o Lady McCordle tells Henry to meet her at 1 am when she will be feeling lonely
· After dinner:
o Henry takes discarded clothing from Mr. Weissman’s room
§ Possibly romantically involved?
o Henry romantically assaults Mary
§ Elsie tells her it “comes with the territory”
o Mary reveals she can tell Henry’s Scottish accent is fake
o Mary goes to clean Constance’s shirt, camera also shows 2 mysterious people having sex
§ Later revealed the woman was Bertha, the servant
§ Once again the camera zooms in on the bottles of poison
· Next morning:
o Constance changes her mind, doesn’t want to wear the same shirt after all
§ Made Mary do all that work for no reason
o Camera zooms in on a bottle of poison being used to polish pocket watches by the servants
o Isobel couldn’t convince Lord McCordle to give Mr. Nesbitt a job (that’s what he’s been after her for)
§ She asks Elsie to talk to Lord McCordle about it instead
· Perhaps they have a history?
· Dinner that day:
o Lady McCordle starts yelling at Lord McCordle, but Elsie steps in to defend him
§ Everyone is shocked, Elsie runs out of the room
§ Lord McCordle follows her out
o Mr. Nesbitt leaves the room and begins walking up the staircase, but turns around when no one is watching
o We can see someone with striped pants walk outside, switches his shoes to something more silent
§ He puts on gloves, pulls the missing knife from its hiding place
§ He enters the study through the secret door and stabs the Lord McCordle at his desk
· Once the investigation begins:
o Revealed that he was already dead from poison
§ That’s why there was no blood
o See Mr. Parks wearing similar striped pants feeing the Lord’s dog
o Revealed that Bertha was sleeping with one of the younger guests
o Revealed that Mr. Parks stabbed the Lord, because he was his father and made his mother give him away to an orphanage
§ Mrs. Wilson is revealed to be Mr. Parks’ mother, and poisoned the Lord, knowing he would try to kill him
1/28/2011
“Memento” Screening Notes
· Opening:
o Photo of bloody murder scene (Polaroid)
§ Someone shakes the photo, it gets lighter (browner)
· Image fades
o Revealed that scene is playing in reverse
§ See man take the photo, crying, then see him shoot the person
o Hear someone say “You wake up in a hotel room.”
· The man (Leonard) is given a photo of the dead man and some cash
o Dead man (now alive) comes in
o Leonard says he is handicapped
§ Uses photo to verify which car is his
§ Unaware that his window was broken
o On the photo reads; “Teddy”
§ On the back: “Don’t believe his lies, he is the one, kill him”
§ Leonard attacks Teddy and tells him to “Beg my wife’s forgiveness”
§ Teddy to Leonard: “You don’t know who you are.”
· Hotel room (Black and White)
o Leonard talking on the phone to someone: “Notes are helpful… you need a system.”
· (Color scene again):
o See Leonard writing a note on a photo
§ Leaves a hotel room, walks to lobby
o Leonard talks to the front desk man: “I have no short-term memory”… “since the injury”
§ Apparently he’s told the man all this before
§ Every time he loses his memory, “it’s like you just woke up.”
o Front desk man tells Leonard he thinks he and Teddy are friends
§ See Teddy walk in
· Hotel room (Black and White again)
o Leonard says you learn to trust your own handwriting
o “Writing on your body” = permanent note
§ Sees “Remember Sammy Jenkis” on hand
§ Top of forearm reveals “The Facts:” but the rest is still hidden
· Coming out of a bathroom in a restaurant
o Waiter gives Leonard a hotel key and envelope
§ Inside room is homemade map with polaroids
§ Inside envelope is real license for Teddy, from “Natalie”
o Leonard undresses
§ Reveals notes written on body
· “The Facts” all match Teddy’s description
· Last note written backwards across chest: “John G. raped and murdered my wife.”
· Hotel room
o “Sammy had no drive to make it work.”
§ “I have a reason.”
· Meeting Natalie in the restaurant
o She had a friend in the DMV look up the license plate #
o Natalie – “You won’t remember” the killing
§ “My wife deserves vengeance.”
o Natalie provides him a location where he can kill Teddy
o Natalie – “We are both survivors”
· Hotel room
o Leonard met Sammy through work
o Leonard watched the eyes and body language of people to figure out if they’re lying
· Leaving somewhere, Leonard runs into Teddy
o They head to the diner
§ Leonard – “Memories can be distorted”, “it’s all about facts”
§ Whoever attacked his wife “destroyed (Leonard’s) ability to live”
o Leonard goes to the Discount Inn
· Hotel room
o Sammy has no short term memory after an accident
§ Can’t make new memories
§ Could still give insulin shots to wife because he’d learned how to do it beforehand
o Leonard thought he saw recognition in Sammy’s eyes
· Wakes up in bed with Natalie
o She plans on talking to DMV friend today
o She’s helping him because he helped her apparently
o As Leonard’s leaving her house, runs into Teddy
· Hotel room
o Sammy should learn through repetition
§ Some objects were electrified (always the same ones)
§ Leonard believed he could learn to avoid them by instinct
· Leonard arrives at Natalie’s house
o He’s angry, shouts at her “Who is Dodd?” and shows her a picture
o Apparently he offered to help her after Dodd beat her up
o Natalie gets Leonard to relax, undresses and sees tattoos
§ A blank space over his heart – “for when I find him”
§ She tells him she lost someone also (her bf Jimmy)
o Leonard doesn’t know how long his wife’s been gone
§ “How can I heal if I can’t feel time?”
o Leonard writes on Natalie’s photo the note about helping him out of pity
· Hotel room
o No response to conditioning for Sammy
§ Leonard still said he believed he should be able to learn, so insurance claim was denied
§ Wife had to pay for everything
· Wakes up in strange hotel room
o Dodd is in the closet tied up
o Teddy comes to the room
§ Leonard reveals the beaten-up Dodd to him
§ Apparently Leonard beat him up
o They use Dodd’s gun to walk him out
§ The audience sees a long shot of Teddy’s license, see that it matches the one written on Leonard’s arm
o Teddy drops off Leonard at Natalie’s
· Hotel room
o Sammy’s wife crippled by the insurance company’s decision
§ Because she thought it wasn’t physical, it was mental, it just meant he was faking
§ Leonard – “I never said he was faking”
· Leonard wakes up in a bathroom
o Notices wine bottle (“I don’t feel drunk…”), takes a shower
o Someone comes in, Leonard beats him up
§ Leonard ties him (Dodd) up, finds note
· “Get rid of for Natalie, or put him onto Teddy”
o Leonard calls Teddy for help
· Hotel room
o “You can’t bully someone into remembering”
o See Leonard heating up blade and pen ink
· Leonard is chasing someone (“What am I doing?”)
o Suddenly the guy chases him with a gun
o Leonard drives to Dodd’s hotel room and sneaks in
§ Grabs a bottle for weapon and hides in bathroom
· Hotel room
o See piece of paper: “Tattoo Fact 5: Access to drugs”
· Wakes up under overpass
o Leonard drives away
o Dodd honks, pulls him over with a gun
§ Shoots out window and starts chasing
· Hotel room
o Starts to tattoo Fact #5, then the person Leonard talked to earlier calls him back
· Leonard gets in his car at night
o Drives to overpass → starts burning his wife’s things
o Has memories of her at the same time
§ “I’ve probably done this before”, “I can’t remember to forget you”
· Hotel room
o Leonard wants to learn more on the drugs angle
· Wakes up in what is presumed to be his house (see wife’s items laying around)
o Hear door slam, Leonard tells his wife to get back in bed
o Finds strange woman doing drugs in bathroom
§ Tells her to go home, then grabs wife’s things and leaves
· Hotel room
o Revealed by man on phone that John G. was a drug dealer (new Fact #5)
· Leonard reads note to go to Discount Inn (takes pic)
o Hangs handmade map on wall of new room
o He calls over an escort
§ Tells her to go into bathroom and slam door hard enough to wake him up, and to place his wife’s things around room
o Leonard is trying to trick himself into thinking his wife is still alive
· Hotel room
o Sammy’s wife came to see Leonard
§ She’d tried many cruel tricks to trigger his memory to work again, thinking he was imagining it all
§ Wife – “If my old Sammy were truly gone, I could say goodbye”
o Leonard still insists Sammy should be able to make new memories
· Leonard gets in his car, Teddy’s in it already
o Apparently he was in Natalie’s house
§ According to Teddy, she takes drug orders for her dealer bf (Jimmy)
· She’ll need Leonard to protect her from collectors
· Tells Leonard not to trust her
o Leonard writes the note in a strange handwriting
· Teddy – “You don’t know who you’ve become”
o Suggests Discount Motel to him
o Leonard scratches out strange note
· Hotel room
o Unwraps bandages arm
§ Tattoo reads – “Never answer the phone”
§ Hurriedly hangs up
· In Natalie’s house:
o She comes home beaten up
§ Tells Leonard that Dodd beat her up
§ Apparently he told her to tell Dodd “Teddy took the money and drugs”, but Dodd didn’t believe her and beat her up
§ Leonard asks for description so he can find him
§ Dodd knows what Leonard’s car looks like, so he’ll be looking for him
· Hotel room
o Now Leonard’s not answering the phone
o Calls front desk – “I don’t want any calls.”
· Natalie’s house:
o Comes in, takes all the pens away
o Says Jimmy went to meet Teddy, never came back
§ Now Dodd is looking for the drugs
§ She tells Leonard to kill Dodd
o Natalie – “I’m gonna use you”
§ “I can say whatever I want, and we’ll still be best friends.”
§ He shoves her down, she laughs → “I’ll see you soon”
o Natalie waits in car beaten up for him to forget
· Hotel room
o Front desk man comes up, says cop is calling for him
· Natalie’s house:
o Police don’t think John G. exists
o That night:
§ Something woke him up
· Her side was cold, she’d been up for awhile
· Struggle from bathroom
o Leonard grabs gun
· Finds man raping wife in bathroom, Leonard shoots him, but someone hit him from behind
o He takes her picture → “My name is Natalie”
· Hotel room
o Phone continues to ring
o Envelope slid under door reading “Take My Call”
§ Inside is photo of Leonard
· At a bar
o Natalie gives Leonard a drink
§ An old man laughs while he drinks it
o The last thing he remembers is his wife dying
· Hotel room
o Finally answers phone
· At a bar
o Leonard walks in to meet Natalie
§ Jimmy told her about him
o Natalie, the old man, and Leonard spit in a beer
§ She later gives it to him, which he drinks
§ Proof that he has no memories
· Hotel room
o Sammy’s wife went home, told him to give her the insulin shot
§ Then she rewound her watch, told him to do it again
§ Wanted to “catch him in his bluff”
§ He continues to administer shots
· She went into a coma and died
§ Sammy doesn’t know his wife is dead
· He was only bluffing recognition to be less of a freak
· (See brief flash of Leonard sitting in the psych ward in Sammy’s place)
· In a tattoo parlor
o Leonard getting a license plate # tattooed
§ Teddy comes in- the cops are looking for Leonard
§ A bad cop who wants to learn more about Jimmy Grantz has been calling Leonard
· The cop was leaking info about a drug dealer to learn more about his own investigation for Leonard
o Leonard pulls up to Ferdy’s bar
§ Natalie approaches him “Hey Jimmy”, then realizes it’s not him
· Hotel room
o Leonard packs up everything, meets Teddy in lobby
§ Leonard greets Teddy as the cop from the phone
§ Tells Leonard to write “Teddy” on photo (he’s undercover)
o Leonard gets to an old shack
§ Guy in Porsche pulls up (Jimmy)
· Looking for Teddy
§ Leonard attacks Jimmy, tells him to strip
· Kills Jimmy, takes his picture
· As the picture develops, shot transitions from B&W to color
· Changes into Jimmy’s clothes, hears him say “Sammy” as he’s dying
§ Teddy comes in
· Tells him Jimmy killed his wife, but Leonard says it’s the wrong guy
· Teddy tells him Jimmy was bringing money for drugs
o Wanted to make money at the same time
§ Teddy tells story of what really happened:
· Leonard’s wife survived, couldn’t handle his condition
o His wife was really the diabetic (Sammy didn’t have a wife)
· Teddy was the cop assigned to his wife’s case
o They had already found and killed the right John G.
o Teddy took picture of Leonard when he killed the right guy
o Leonard took out the pages from the case file himself to make an unsolvable puzzle
§ Leonard writes on Teddy’s photo “Don’t believe his lies”
· Burns pictures of himself and dead Jimmy
· Writes Teddy’s license plate # as Fact #6
o Last shot: You see Leonard laying in bed with his wife with a tattoo over heart reading “I’ve done it”
1/20/2011
“Psycho”
- Made after “Production Code” ended
- “Psycho” was considered racy
- 1st slasher film
- Adapted from a novel
· Immediately start with scary, string-filled music
· Phoenix, AZ:
o Friday, December the 11th, 2:43 P.M. (all written on the screen for the audience to read)
o Zoom in on window of building
· Inside hotel room:
o Sam and Marion are together in bed, half undressed
§ They discuss having to meet in secret
§ Marion is worried about being respectable to others
· She wants to be married, but Sam thinks he doesn’t have enough money for it (too many past debts)
· Back at Marion’s work:
o See cameo of Hitchcock outside
o The boss (Mr. Lowry) and his business associate Cassidy come in laughing
§ Cassidy brags about his daughter’s wedding coming up
§ Cassidy about paying for his daughter’s extravagant wedding: buying off unhappiness, not buying happiness
§ Marion is told to deposit Cassidy’s money after work
· At Marion’s home:
o See Marion dressing
o Zoom in on money still in envelope on bed, then to opened suitcase full of clothes
o Marion seems hesitant, guiltily looks at money repeatedly
§ Point of view (shot is of the money whenever Marion looks towards it)
· Marion driving in her car:
o See Marion’s face (looking worried) while hearing Sam’s voice
§ Sam: “What are you doing here? Of course I’m glad to see you!”
o Boss sees her as he’s crossing the street, then does a double take and looks at her quizzically
§ Scary music starts again
· See Marion’s car pulled off the road, alone:
o Police car pulls up and parks
o Policeman sees Marion sleeping inside, questions her
§ Marion gives a false story
§ He repeatedly asks her if anything’s wrong
o As she drives away, music starts
§ Policeman follows her
§ Point of view (shot is of cop in rearview mirror whenever Marion looks that way)
· At a used car lot in California:
o Marion notices everyone else’s plates read CA
o Same cop pulls up, parks across street to watch her
o Marion hurriedly negotiates trading in her car for a new one
§ Agrees to pay $700 in addition; dealer looks stunned
o Marion goes to the restroom, counts out $700 from her cash hesitantly
o As Marion enters the building to finalize the deal, the cop pulls onto the lot
o Marion quickly jumps in her new car and drives away, leaving all the men staring suspiciously after her
· Driving in Marion’s car again:
o Marion imagines several conversations:
§ Dealer and cop talking about how strange her behavior was, and how she paid in cash
§ Mr. Lowry and Caroline wondering where she was Monday morning
§ Mr. Lowry talking to her sister Lila, saying how he remembered seeing her in her car that afternoon
§ Cassidy saying to Mr. Lowry that $40,000 was too much to let go, swearing to hunt her done and get the money back
o Begins raining heavily, and Marion spots a hotel
· At the Bates Motel:
o No one in front office, Marion notices light on in nearby house
§ Woman’s silhouette passes behind the curtain
o Marion honks for service and a man comes out of the house
§ Man says, “No one ever stops here” due to the highway being moved away
§ All 12 cabins are vacant
o Bellman hesitates, then hands her key #1
· In room #1:
o Norman Bates won’t say “bathroom” for some reason
o Norman asks Marion to have dinner at his house
o After he leaves, Marion looks for a hiding spot for the money
§ Hides in a rolled-up newspaper
o Hear Norman and his mother arguing from the house
§ His mother speaks cruelly, refusing to let Marion eat with them
o Norman comes back to the room
§ Says, “Mother’s not herself today”
o Norman suggests they eat in the office
§ Once they get to the office, he changes his mind and suggests they move further into the parlor
· In the parlor:
o See lots of stuffed birds on the walls
o Norman: “You eat like a bird” about Marion
§ Starts some awkward small talk
o Norman mentions his hobby is taxidermy, he made all the birds
§ Later says it’s more than a hobby, because a hobby should pass the time, not fill it up
o Marion asks if he has any friends
§ Norman: “A boy’s best friend is his mother”
o Norman also asks Marion what she’s running away from
o Continuing to philosophize, Norman says, “we’re all in our private traps”
o He wants to leave his mother, but he can’t because she’s “ill” and it wouldn’t be right to leave her
§ She had to raise Norman herself
§ After her lover died (a gruesome death apparently), his mother had nothing left
· Marion: “Except you.”
§ Norman: “I don’t hate her; I hate what she’s become… I hate the illness”
§ Marion suggests she be institutionalized
· Norman reacts strongly, gets angry
· Says that “people always mean well”
o Norman: “We all go a little mad sometimes”
o Marion now says she will go back to Phoenix to fix her own “private trap” she got into
§ We assume she’s planning on returning the money
o She says her last name is “Crane”, but signed in the guest book “Samuels”
· In the parlor after Marion leaves:
o Norman removes painting, reveals peephole
§ Sees Marion in bra in room
o Norman goes back to the house
· In room #1 again:
o Marion writing out balance of how much cash she has left
§ Tears it up and flushes the pieces
o Marion gets in the shower
§ See different angles of showerhead
o See someone come in through the shower curtain
§ Old woman rips back the curtain, her face hidden in shadow, Marion screams, then stranger begins stabbing Marion repeatedly
· Music starts again
· Marion falls to the floor, ripping off the shower curtain at the same time
o Zoom in on water circling drain
o Zoom out from Marion’s open eye, body on floor
o Camera pans to shot of newspaper with money, then out window to house
§ Hear Norman yelling at his mother (something about blood)
§ He runs into Marion’s room, sees her body and looks shocked
o Norman begins cleaning up the mess, removes all of Marion’s items, and wraps her body in the curtain
§ Puts everything in his trunk
§ Grabs the newspaper last and also throws in trunk
§ Dumps the car in the lake
· At Sam’s place:
o Lila approaches him, worriedly looking for Marion
o Strange man (a private investigator) is also looking for Marion for stealing the money
· See P.I. going to several hotels
o Finally gets to the Bates Hotel
§ Norman says no one has been there recently
§ P.I. compares Marion’s handwriting to guestbook
· Norman changes his story, now saying Marion was here
§ P.I. starts picking up on holes in story
§ P.I. – “Something’s not gelling”, wants to meet mother
§ Norman sends him away, smiling as he leaves
· P.I. on phone with Lila
o Says he wasn’t entirely satisfied with the meeting
o Will return to the house to talk to the mother and call her back
· P.I. goes into Bates’ house
o Goes up the stairs
o Door upstairs opens slowly
§ Music starts, see woman run out, stabs him with a knife
§ Shot of P.I.’s face as he falls down the stairs (blood streak on face)
§ Woman stabs him repeatedly at the bottom of the stairs
· Sam decides to investigate P.I.’s disappearance
o Approaches the Sheriff, has him call Norman to question him
o According to the Sheriff, Norman’s mother has been dead for 10 years
§ Poisoned herself and her lover when she found out he was already married
§ At the same time, see Norman carrying someone to the fruit cellar to hide them
· Sam and Lila go to Bates Hotel
o Plan to sign in under alias, then search the hotel
o Lila suspects Norman stole money to escape his mother
§ They go into room #1, see there’s no shower curtain, find a scrap of paper in toilet saying 40,000 (she must have been there)
o Lila goes to house to talk to mother
§ Sees indent in bed of a person
§ Mother’s room – large, ornate
§ Norman’s room – small, childish, simple
o Norman knocks out Sam when he realizes Lila has gone to the house
o Lila sees Norman running towards the house
§ Hides in the fruit cellar, sees woman from behind
§ Turns her around, sees a dead woman with no eyes
· Music starts playing again
§ Lila screams, hears someone running downstairs
o Norman runs into the cellar, dressed in a wig and dress with a knife
§ Sam stops him from killing Lila
· At the police station:
o Policeman explains what happened according to Norman’s mother:
§ Norman murdered mother and lover
· He had to erase the crime, so he stole her body and treated it to help it keep longer
· Began to think and speak for her, having conversations with her (himself)
· Sometimes he became all mother, but he was never all Norman
· Any attraction he felt towards a girl set off the jealous mother in him
o He would clean up after “she” murdered someone, convinced his mother had done it instead of him
· In Norman’s cell:
o See Norman silent in cell
o Hear Norman’s mother’s voice talking (in his head)
§ She had to tell the police it was Norman the whole time
§ They’ll see that “she wouldn’t hurt a fly”
· Creepy smile, transition scene to show car being drug up from the lake, with picture of skull overlaid on his face
· Music starts again
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1/17/11
"Full Metal Jacket"
Syuzhet:
-Military Training School:
-Everyone's heads are shaven, identity taken
-Joker told to care for Gomer -> instruction begins, Gomer's success begins slowly
-Gomer beaten on with soap by the other trainees for messing up too much
-Gomer Pile goes crazy from pressure and abuse
-Joker wants to be Journalist in War
-Last night, Joker on night guard -> Gomer shoots the Drill Sergeant and himself
-Vietnam:
-Open on Vietnamese prostitute haggling with two American soldiers ("These Boots Were Made For Walking" playing)
-Joker and Raptorman sent to report on the war
-Arrive at mass grave of Vietnamese
-Joker reunites with Cowboy
-Joker, Cowboy and other invade a destroyed enemy city (fires, rubble); soldiers conquer
-Joker and Raptorman interview several different soldiers
-Vietnamese soldier and prostitute approach the soldiers to haggle
-Squad leader dies from booby trap
-Cowboy becomes new squad leader
-8 Ball runs out 1st, is shot by sniper
-Other solider follow, Cowboy is shot and killed
-Joker freezes up when confronted by sniper, Raptorman guns her down
-As girl repeats "Shoot me", Joker shoots her
Presentation of Fictional Film World:
-Throughout military school:
-Humerous inserts (military chants, Gomer's goofs, insults from Sarge)
-Marching soldiers always present in background
-Soldiers are micromanaged (nail inspection), group punishment for Gomer's mess-ups
-Seem them working out at first, camera pans to see Gomer in trouble in the same shot
-Gomer crying off screen from soap beating, see Joker cover ears to block out crying
-Marines are "God-like" according to Sarge
-Hear Gomer yelling in bathroom, see other trainees waking up, and Sarge run into bathroom
-Sarge finally speaks softly to Gomer, but yells when Gomer doesn't obey him
-Sarge is shot, then Gomer shoots himself
-In Vietnam:
-News director says they need to report the news to appeal to the U.S.
-Joker against it
-To Joker: "How's it going to look if you get killed wearing a peace sign?"
-Gunfire on airplane audible in background, only see Raptorman and Joker looking squeamish
-"Get some! Get some!" - shooting innocents, women and children
-Joker now seen w/ "Born to Kill" on helmet
-Peace sign + "Born to Kill" = Duality of man
-Verbal battle between Joker and Animal Mother
-Throwing insults back and forth
-Soldiers with Cowboy are having a party for the dead Gook
-"We'll miss not having anyone to shoot"
-Invasion of the Vietnamese enemy city in rubbles -> "Bird is the Word" starts playing
-Joker and Raptorman interview soldiers
-Never hear questions posed, only answers from soldiers
-Vietnamese prostitute handled roughly by soldiers, like property
-Haggled for, pimped out
-Silent views of damaged city while on patrol
-See sniper's viewpoint, slow motion of shooting leg, then arm, then foot, then chest
-U.S. soldiers fire overzealously back
-Slowly hear rising chant of "Mickey Mouse Club" as soldiers march in the night, fires burning in background
Structure (frame):
-Movie told in two parts
-Part 1:
-Military training for Vietnam war
-Mostly silent, very structured, obedience and conformity are stressed
-No individualism
-Ends with the death of Gomer Pyle
-Part 2:
-Vietnam War
-Very chaotic, music or gunfire usually present, people constantly breaking orders
-Every soldier has personalized helmets
-Ends with the death of the young girl rebel
Visual and Auditory Effects:
-Mass chanting about rifle portrays hive mindset in military
-Drill sergeant always yelling (harsh environment)
-No music initially, then drum rolls during drills
-Pyle must be carried by other soldiers (i.e. Joker)
-Zoom in on Gomer's blank face when he's taking in the rants
-Gomer talking to rifle, Joker slowly looks at him worriedly
-Tells Cowboy, doesn't really care
-Meanwhile, Gomer becomes the perfect soldier (nonfeeling, robotic)
-Repetition - "The Marine Corp wants..."
-Slow motion shooting of Sarge (after he starts yelling again)
-Joker talks softly, Gomer kills himself (very graphic)
-See haggling for sex, dirty streets, theft and ninja moves (comical)
-In meeting room, sign reads "First to Go, Last to Know"
-"Sweep and Clear" is preferred, not "Search and Destroy"
-Bored soldiers smack-talking, use nicknames
-"Going to the Chapel" plays inside, as soldiers reminisce, calm, carefree attitude (dream/fantasy world)
-Alarms, gunfire, explosions and fire outside (in the real world)
-Soldier and trucks one way, Vietnamese opposite side of river, opposite direction (don't notice each other)
-Zoom out on Joker's face, saddened by mass grave
-Reported for "political reeducation"
-Invasion of city
-Camera zooms in, jumping between safe spots, viewpoint of soldier
-Enemy fires, Americans retaliate, pause
-Lots of American, upbeat songs play during battle scenes in Vietnam (juxtaposed)
-Interviews
-Boom stick and camera visible in some shots
-"I guess they'd rather be alive than free"
-Soldiers don't feel appreciated
-During final invasion:
-Shooting of 8 Ball always in slow-mo, shows he's anguish while screaming
-Creepy music starts after entering building, builds to crescendo during girl's repeats of "Shoot me" until she is finally killed by Joker
