3:10 to yuma (2007) Western movie

3:10 to yuma

How does 3:10 to yuma suggest a western genre?

This movie is about a story between two men. A good small-time rancher father- Dan Evans and a captured outlaw Ben Wade who's awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma.

The hero:

Dan Evans is the hero of this movie. He is an impoverished rancher and Civil War veteran. He loves his family. Ben Wade is captured by the law in Bisbee and Evans finds himself one of the escorts who will take Wade to the 3:10 to Yuma train in Contention for the reward of $200. Evans's effort to take Wade to the station is in part an effort to save his land but also part of an inner battle to determine whether he can be more than just a naive rancher in the eyes of his impetuous and gunslinging son William Evans. He is not as the characteristic of the stereotyped cowboy. He is independent and brave, however he is not saving the society but his own family. He isn't a free cowboy, he owns a family.

The villain?

In this story, there isn't Indians villain. But it does have a man who to stop at nothing in doing evil and even escaping from the jail for many times. 

However, during the time of spending with Dan, he found out Dan it the person who know him a lot, he tried to convince Dan to give up getting him to yuma but Dan refuse, He would like to stand a role model to his son.

Dan is shot and killed by the bad guy who comes and willing to help Ben escape.

Ben is will to change and he had promised Dan to follow him to yuma, he feels angry and killed everyone who are trying to help him escape.

He is a villain? It seems like, he did many things wrong and even escape from the jail but he seems not a villain either, he tries to change and follow Dan to the jail.

This movie has a typical western movies' setting. There is a male hero helps to restore law and order-Dan Evans, and there is also bloody struggle between native American and setting for control of the land. Besides,There are lots of Mise en scene which proving this is a western movies, like the props: gun, horse, and the costume: cowboy.

The Hunger Games(2012) vs Casablanca(1942)

The Hunger Games(2012) vs Casablanca(1942)

Genre

The Hunger Games: Hollywood film, American adventure film
Casablanca:Hollywood film, American romantic film

Characters' relationship

The Hunger Games:Katniss, an expert archer, volunteers to take her place for her younger sister
Casablanca:Rick Blaine and  Ilsa Lund are the main character in the story, they love each other

Lighting 

The Hunger Games:

The Hunger Games:

Using low key, hard shadow to emphasize the image and characteristic of the character.(using exaggerated lighting effect(fire) to shape her tough and calm image)

Casablanca:

Bars of shadow across the characters and in the background variously imply imprisonment, the crucifix, the symbol of the Free French Forces and emotional turmoil. Dark film noir and expressionist lighting is used in several scenes, particularly towards the end of the picture.

Make up

The Hunger Games:

Using exaggerated eye-shadow and lip stick with sharpen color emphasizing the crazy characteristic of this woman.

Casablanca:
Using light make-up, emphasizing the natural beauty of the character.

Costume

The Hunger games:

The costume are sporty, convenience. Since they have to face different challenge, the design of the clothes should enable them to fight in difficult environment. 

Non - Diegetic Sound

The Hunger Games:

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Hunger Games"	1:10
2.	"Katniss Afoot"	1:49
3.	"Reaping Day"	1:35
4.	"The Train"	1:27
5.	"Entering the Capitol"	2:28
6.	"Preparing the Chariots"	1:05
7.	"Horn of Plenty"	1:59
8.	"Penthouse/Training"	3:36
9.	"Learning the Skills"	1:41
10.	"The Countdown"	1:58
11.	"Booby Trap"	2:37
12.	"Healing Katniss"	3:04
13.	"Rue's Farewell"	5:00
14.	"We Could Go Home"	1:15
15.	"Searching for Peeta"	1:27
16.	"The Cave"	3:13
17.	"Muttations"	4:45
18.	"Tenuous Winners/Returning Home"	3:25

Casablanca:

As time goes by

"It Had to Be You", music by Isham Jones, lyrics by Gus Kahn

"Shine", music by Ford Dabney, lyrics by Cecil Mack and Lew Brown

"Avalon", music and lyrics by Al Jolson, Buddy DeSylva and Vincent Rose

"Perfidia", by Alberto Dominguez

"The Very Thought of You", by Ray Noble, and

"Knock on Wood", music by M. K. Jerome, lyrics by Jack Scholl, the only original song.

Diegetic Sound

The Hunger Games:

Throughout the movie, mainly non-diegetic sounds are used to give dramatic effect. There were scenes where these sounds were vital. An example of this is when the names are being drawn for district three and dramatic music with a loud drum beat is played which leaves the audience in anticipation. The next example is between Katniss and her friend Rue. They have a plan of action, in which they need to separate. Their metaphor and signal for well-being and success is to sing at the mockingjays and hear them repeat the sound.

The other metaphor in the Hunger Games is the triple finger, when Katniss’s closest young friend dies, Katniss looks towards a camera and raises three fingers and the people in the districts respond with the triple finger, this represents respect and condolence within the tragic Hunger Games. They used their mouth to make a voice like a gird to signified their sadness and the felling of missing Katiniss's friend.

Casablanca:

The departure of the airplane.

Lighting

The Hunger Games:

The most important use of lighting change was between Katniss and Peeta. This was when Peeta was seriously ill and Primrose was at the end of her hope, they both hide in a dark cave. This shows the odds of the Hunger Games are against them and the lighting suggests there is no hope.

Casablanca:

It is using natural lighting and also creating shading to show a mild, moderate atmosphere to show the harmony of two characters.

Pace

equilibrium->

disturb of equilibrium ->

recognition of disturb -> 

new equilibrium 

The Hunger Games and Casablanca are both follow the pace above to create climax and tension.

Stardom research project

Work in pairs

Choose a star:

Steve McQueen

Audrey Hepburn

Judy Garland

John Wayne

Elizabeth Taylor

James Dean

Marlon Brando

Cary Grant

Humphrey Bogart

Paul Newman

James Stewart

Gregory Peck

Bette Davis

Lesson 1,

Do some research about their star persona. Questions to consider:

1. What kinds of roles did they play?

American actor (The King of cool)

2. Who did they work with? Are they associated with any studio/director etc?

          

Movie: The Thomas Crown Affair

Actor: Faye Dunaway, Paul Burke, Jack Weston,  

Studio: Solar Production, simkoe

Director: Norman Jewison

3. What awards did they win?

4. What are their most memorable performances?

    The Great Escape (1963), Bullitt (1968)

5. What notable information do you know about their real lives?

He was married a actress(1973), McQueen was married three times and had two          children. On November 2, 1956, he married actress Neile Adams,[46] by whom he had a daughter, Terry Leslie (June 5, 1959 – March 19, 1998[47]), and a son, Chad (born December 28, 1960).

He died from malignant Mesotheliom

6. In what way do their roles cross over from their real lives?

             

            

7. Anything else?

8. Find some examples of clips/pictures?

Inception

Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Christopher Nolan
Produced by	Christopher Nolan Emma Thomas
Written by	Christopher Nolan
Starring	Leonardo DiCaprio Ken Watanabe Joseph Gordon-Levitt Marion Cotillard Ellen Page Tom Hardy Cillian Murphy Tom Berenger Michael Caine
Music by	Hans Zimmer[1]
Cinematography	Wally Pfister
Editing by	Lee Smith
Studio	Legendary Pictures Syncopy Films
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates	July 8, 2010(London premiere) July 16, 2010(United States)
Running time	148 minutes[2]
Country	United States United Kingdom [3]
Language	English
Budget	$160  million[4]
Box office	$825,532,764[5]

Slow motion

This shot apply slow motion to arouse the attention of the audience. Let the audience to guess will the main character awake from his dream.

This scene is also another slow motion shot in the movie. This shot is illustrating the dream of the main character.Using slow motion is to create a spectacular, stunning and exaggerated  effect.

Panning

And this is also a panning shot, it is used to show clearly what is the whole street happening and also shows the stunning effect to the audience.

This another panning shot to show the audience the view beside the main character which they are walking by, and shows how large of the world and how small are they.Besides, large angle are used, which can let the audience to see the whole view.

Birds eye shot

The birds eye shot is to show a hints to the audience that the scene has been change, and show this is another layer of the dream to avoid the misunderstanding of the audience.

Canted shot

The shot is sowing the movement of the character. It shows that the place where they stay are moving, showing the audience that this is a dream of the character and they are not yet arrive to the real world.

Selective focus & Medium close-up

This girl is important in this scene, therefore, she is focused and closed up in this scene,and the background is blurred. It is used to arouse the attention of the audience of what the girl are talking.

Tracking camera

This scene is tracking the van, since all the character are inside the car, so it is used for focus with happening with the main character in the movie.

Cinematography task－Raging Bull

Raging Bull (1980, Martin Scorsese)

Walking to the ring

• What kind of camera work is employed?

Since the shot is following the character during he was walking to ring, tracking camera is employed. The camera report down the facial expression and the action of him  Besides, due to the shot is not shaky but steady, we can know that steady camera is used.

• What kind of focus is used?

Selective focus is used. The whole shot is focus on the audience and the boxer.when the camera focus on the boxer, the audience are blur, vice versa.

• What are the effect?

 Tracking camera and selective focus are used

Entrance to the ring

• What kinds of lenses are used? Why?

Wide angle and telephoto shot are used, it shows the area of the boxer and the audience. Therefore, the atmosphere of the competition is shown.

• How is panning used?

Panning is used to show the audience, the space of the boxer and the relationship between the audience and the boxer.

• What is the effect of the close -up/medium close-up shot?

It is used to show the excitement of the woman and the relationship between her and jake.

The fight

• What kinds of camera angle and shot types are used?

Slow motion and low angle are used.

• What is the effect?

Hard shadow,low angle and close-up to the closer different body parts to show their pain and the excitement.

End of the fight

• How is a canted angle used? Why?

The canted angle is used to illustrate the pain of the loser and the feeling of glory of Jake. It shows the emotion between the two boxer.

• Where is the slow motion used? Why is it used?

It used to present the judge judging the result and make a nervous atmosphere to the audience, and set more time to let the audience to expect the result.

Celebration 

• Where is a tilt shot used? How is it used and why?

The victory time that the winner wear on his belt, the shot use for showing his power.

• What is the purpose of the extreme close-up?

It shows the happiness of the winner, and also present the feeling of glory of the winner.