Screening Report 5: Citizen Kane

1. Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

Citizen Kane has clearly left its mark on American film history. The film received nine Oscar nominations, and its creator, Orson Welles, received four. Primarily inspired by the life of William Randolph Hearst, the main plot device, "Rosebud," has famously confused and intrigued audiences generations later. It is unique in many ways, from its twist, to the lighting and camera techniques used to film scenes, and of course its non-linear storyline. Orson Welles' willingness to explore his role as auteur no doubt helped establish Citizen Kane as one of the best films of all time.

2. Find a related article and summarize the content.

As noted in The Guardian's page "The Mystery of Rosebud - Explanation", the twist ending of Citizen Kane, where it is revealed that "Rosebud" was the name of Kane's childhood sled, did not seem to answer many of the questions that its existence stirred. Some have speculated as to it's deeper meaning: Does it symbolize a longing for childhood innocence? Is it a dirty joke at Hearst's expense? I made my own conclusions about Rosebud's meaning after viewing the film.

3. Apply the article to the film screened in class.

The audience is initially led to believe that the word "Rosebud," the last thing Charles Foster Kane uttered before his death, is a significant clue in unshrouding the mysterious newspaper tycoon's life. Reporter Jerry Thompson sets out to solve its meaning by interviewing key players in Kane's life. Throughout the interviews, Thompson explores facets of the protagonist's existence as explored by each narrator, but his main focus is always on one thing: Rosebud. Despite speaking to associates Bernstein and Leland, second wife Susan Alexander, and butler Raymond, the reporter cannot decipher the word's meaning or its significance to Kane. When discussing his fruitless efforts, he ponders:

"Anyway, it wouldn't have explained anything... I don't think any word can explain a man's life. No, I guess Rosebud is just a... piece in a jigsaw puzzle... a missing piece." - Jerry Thompson, Citizen Kane

Thompson was insightful enough to realize that Rosebud was not the end-all be-all that would explain the deepest corners of Kane's mind, and yet he was not self-aware enough to realize that the people he interviewed were veritable sources of insight into that very man. If he wanted to know what really made Kane tick, he didn't need Rosebud for that; he just needed to listen more closely to the information he collected from the millionaire's closest consorts.

 

The article goes as far as calling Rosebud a McGuffin, explaining:

"But, as with so much in life, perhaps the real answer to the mystery of Rosebud is the most straightforward. Alfred Hitchcock coined the term McGuffin to mean an item of immense importance to the characters, at the centre of the plot, but which "to me, the narrator, [is] of no importance whatsoever". (The Guardian)

Rosebud was essentially a distraction. It was the distraction that the world wanted, and the buzzword that Thompson needed. Rosebud, had its meaning been profound and discovered, would have been part of the perfect headline. It's ironic that Kane, who was notorious for sensationalist journalism, had people desperately trying to dig up his inner-most secrets in death.

4. Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material, and the article. 

The twist was a clever way to move the plot along. I didn't even realize until the end that the jigsaw puzzles Susan was so fond of were representative of Kane's life. What really struck me was Orson Welles' participation in most aspects of the film. He is listed as the director, producer, writer, and actor in Citizen Kane and the scope of his influence is mind-boggling. Being an auteur, while artistically fulfilling as one has control over most aspects of the film, cannot be easy to accomplish.

As the lead actor, Welles even "aged" with his character through very convincing special effects makeup. There were times while watching where I completely forgot that it was a 25-year-old in prosthetics. Even though I knew better, my mind did not see a young man portraying an old man; it saw an old man portraying Charles Foster Kane. 

 

Bibliography

• The Guardian. "The Mystery of Rosebud - Explanation".
• Welles, Orson (Director). 1 May 1941. Citizen Kane [Motion Picture]. United States: Mercury Productions

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM   1) (X) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.   2) (X) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.   3) (X) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.   4) (X) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.   5) (X) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.   6) (X) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.   7) (X) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.   8) (X) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Alison Coppola
Date: 10/22/15

Screening Report 4: Gone with the Wind

1. Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.
Gone with the Wind is one of the highest-grossing films of all time, despite being four hours long. Yet, its length did nothing to slow the action of the film; scenes were paces perfectly, the plot moved effectively, and there was never a dull moment. The Technicolor dream won more than a handful of Oscars due to its masterful storytelling, and Vivien Leigh won the Best Leading Actress nomination as the disdainful Scarlett O'Hara.

2. Find a related article and summarize the content.
The book Bullies, Bastards, & Bitches by Jessica Page Morrell addresses how to write a rounded yet wholly unlikable character. In twelve chapters, the author approaches the different archetypes that the audience is drawn to hate, including villains, sociopaths, bad boys, bitches, demons, monsters, and bullies. Making your characters perform "bad" acts is not enough to keep an audience interested and engaged; instead, the writer or director must keep the behavior consistent to the character's motivation.

3. Apply the article to the film screened in class.

It's not often that one of the most popular award-winning films features a grating and unlikable protagonist, but Gone with the Wind pulls it off. Scarlett O'Hara may look like a lady, but she refuses to fit into her expected mold. She is headstrong, pushy, brash, selfish, and independent. Scarlett is an anti-hero in a sea of Southern gentlemen and belles (p. 361). Morrell explains what encompasses such a character:

 

Infamous O'Hara glare



"A bitch anti-hero doesn't always bother to be nice, because she'd rather be real; she is often after power, and she refuses to be a victim." (p. 337)

This one sentence sums up many facets of Scarlett's personality, both good and bad. On one hand, she can and will do what is necessary to get what she desires. On the other hand, she is willing to compromise her integrity and the feelings of whom she is close. She follows a different set of ethics and social expectations than the rest of Georgian society.
 
For example, one enduring theme is Scarlett's obsession with Ashley Wilkes, the much older heir of Twelve Oaks. From the beginning of the film until near the end, she continues to hold hope that Ashley will one day be hers. Miss O'Hara soon marries Ashley's cousin and brother-in-law, Charles Hamilton, just to be closer to Ashley. She continually throws herself at Ashley, forcing him to kiss her in emotional times and coos promises of children if he runs away with her to Mexico. She even pursued him as his wife Melanie Wilkes lay dying just meters away. Scarlett is a predator wrapped in taffeta and velvet.
 
O'Hara has no problem manipulating people for her own advantage. She marries men for what they can give her and uses prison labor to build her lumber empire. But our anti-hero's persistence fuels her survival as well. Her famous words while standing atop her ravaged home:

"I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again." - Scarlett O'Hara

And she does just that. Here, she refuses to let herself be a victim and harnesses her own power. She shows her capabilities throughout the film from delivering Melanie's baby by herself, to escaping a burning city, and finally by picking cotton in the fields with little complaint. Scarlett always had the determination and ability to do what was right and necessary, but her unwillingness to stay on the right path is what makes her so much more dislikable.
 
4. Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material, and the article.
I liked that Scarlett was an entertaining main character yet caused so much disdain. It was interesting to see her contrasted against Melanie, whose sweet and forgiving demeanor constantly reminded us of her sister-in-law's sour attitude. While it was difficult to "root" for Scarlett and the South, there were times when Scarlett and her brethren experienced hardship and death that made me pity them and hope to see them safe. The dysfunctional love story between Scarlett and various men almost seemed deserving at the end. She was destined never to find love because she'd abused the feelings of others so many times through the years.

Bibliography

• Fleming, Victor (Director). Selznick, David O. (Producer). 15 December 1939. Gone with the Wind [Motion Picture]. United States: MGM
• Morell, Jessica Page (2008). "Bullies, Bastards, & Bitches: How to Write the Bad Guys of Fiction."

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM   1) (X) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.   2) (X) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.   3) (X) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.   4) (X) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.   5) (X) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.   6) (X) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.   7) (X) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.   8) (X) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Alison Coppola
Date: 10/15/15

Screening Report 3: Stagecoach

1. Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.
When discussing Western films, it's difficult not to mention Stagecoach. The 1939 film featured John Wayne, a name that would later become synonymous with the most recognized face in Western movies; his trend of playing unwavering gunslingers continued decades after his first role. Director John Ford's formula for the successful movie included ideas influenced by his religious convictions: the traditional roles of men (dominant) and women (submissive), the struggle between good (the Americans) and evil (the Apaches, financial institutions), and redemption (Dallas leaving prostitution, the Kid getting his revenge).

2. Find a related articles and summarize the content.
A short essay entitled "The Promotion of Masculinity in Western Films" by John Timko briefly examines how masculinity is represented in the Western film genre. Not only does he surmise that masculinity is celebrated, but he explains that the ultra-masculine representations of cowboys also works to undermine the role of women as passive characters who need saving. Timko goes on to say that:

"Westerns have been expressly created to encourage men to hold on to their masculinity when it is threatened by modern society." (p. 3)

He argues that the often heroic frontiersmen possess skills to handle the Wild West allow them be dominant in their settings. They rarely speak in comparison to the other characters; the absence of dialogue gives their actions much more meaning (p. 4). Their lifestyle contrasts that of men who lead white-collar lives like bankers and businessmen, who are not usually portrayed on screen in a positive light. Thus masculinity is represented by a narrow definition: an outdoorsy man who lives dangerously, shoots guns like a pro, and rarely shows emotion.

3. Apply the article to the film screened in class.

Pictured: Harlot with a shrieking voice.

Pictured: Doting wife and insufferable character.

Stagecoach prominently displays an extreme difference in gender roles and expectations. For example, there are only two developed characters in the film who are women, and their representations greatly differ. Dallas, who follows the "hooker with a heart of gold" archetype, has been cast out of town for being just that: a prostitute. Her entire story revolves around her seedy past and her attempts to hide that part of her life from the hero of the story. We then have Mrs. Mallory, the woman who has traveled countless days and thousands of miles to see her husband who is serving out West in a battle against the Apaches. She is presumed to be pregnant for the entirety of the daunting journey, a journey that would be tiring for the average person, but would be especially stressful for a woman in that condition. Thus, there are only two worthwhile female characters with no middle ground; the doting, loyal wife and the woman scorned by society (who is eventually saved from her ways by the hero).

We then meet the star of the movie, the Ringo Kid. He is out for vengeance, determined to get it, and most certainly will with his gun prowess. He is the ultimate man, stoic even in the most stressful of times. Whether he is under attack or under arrest, his emotions never bubble past the surface, as this would compromise his rough, masculine exterior. Despite his tough personality, he falls in love with prostitute Dallas and asks for her hand in marriage. He is the fairy tale White Knight of American folklore, arriving on horseback, risking his own life to save others, and acquiring a damsel in distress along the way. Don't forget, he never breaks a sweat and does this while handcuffed half the movie. The Kid is an example of male perfection: intimidating, courageous, attractive, and emotionally distant.

4. Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material, and the article.
I had difficulty suspending my disbelief and immerse myself for many parts of the movie. It seemed implausible to me that a woman so far along in her pregnancy would be tempted to ride across the country in a stagecoach, even if it was to see her husband. Dallas also came off as overdramatic in times of emotion, possibly to contrast the Ringo Kid's completely emotionless personality. Alas, the acting at times struck me as either cold or over the top (quite like the representations of the characters themselves). I overall found the characters inhuman, like robots programmed to act like real people but ultimately unable to completely trick the viewer.

Through a modern lens, it's also difficult to ignore the stereotypes of Native Americans that are seen in this film and other Westerns. The racism is obvious, perhaps to reflect the feelings of the time of the film's settings, but when Native Americans are consistently portrayed as the villains of American history to be extinguished, it starts to feel less like "historical accuracy."

Bibliography

• Ford, John (Director). 15 February 1939. Stagecoach [Motion Picture]. United States: United Artists.
• Timko, John. "The Promotion of Masculinity in Western Films".

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM   1) (X) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.   2) (X) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.   3) (X) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.   4) (X) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.   5) (X) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.   6) (X) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.   7) (X) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.   8) (X) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Alison Coppola
Date: 10/1/15