Coen Brothers Blog

Quite possibly my favorite scene in No Country For Old Men is when Anton chases Llewelyn out of the hotel he's hiding in with his silenced, pistol-grip shotgun and the fight carries out into the street. I find this scene very interesting because there is only diegetic sound throughout the unfolding action which causes a unique feeling for the viewer. The scene takes place at night, so there is almost no noise other than that made by Anton and Llewelyn and the contrast of the quietness of the small town in the dead of night to the terrifyingly quiet gunshots produces an astounding effect. In most movies, when there is a scene in which action is unfolding there is usually some combination of the sound of characters shouting, overly excessive gunfire and music however the Coen brothers chose to leave this out in order to realisticly portray the scene. This is one of the many elements that puts No Country For Old Men in my top ten favorite movies.

Altman Blog

Altman is notoriously known for his unique style of cinematography in that the cameras are constantly moving around which gives the viewers of his films the feeling of voyeurism. In The Long Goodbye, Altman displays this signature cinematic element; particularily in the scene where Phillip goes to see Eileen and discovers, to his dismay, that she has vanished and that her house is being sold. The constantly moving camera shows the change that has overcome the house and depicts the bareness of it. Not only that, but the camera doesn't follow Phillip exactly in order to show the protagonists point-of-view and gives the audience a sort of visual unrestricted narration. This is not at all similar to any of the other directors we have studied and is a significant element in Altman's films, and although Rear Window uses voyuerism to heighten suspense it is not conveyed in the same way.

I watched the movie Goodfellas for my assignment on Martin Scorsese. The film is about a young boy who begins working at a cabstand owned by the mob and eventually becomes a part of their gang. Throughout the movie, the aspects of the mafia are portrayed in a both positive and negative light. The movie stars Ray Liotta, Robert Deniro and Joe Pesci who won an Academy Award for best supporting actor in 1990. The film is praised as "the best mob movie ever" and for good reason too. Scorsese's use of violence and gore display the mob in it's true essence and have become trademarks of his films.

In the very beginning of the film, the gruesome murder of a "made-man" is previewed and forshadows the violence that ensues throughout the movie. After that scene, Liotta's character is shown in his childhood when he begins to work for the mob and the mood of the movie is happy and awesome. It isn't until later however, that the mood of the movie begins to change. After an infamous mobster is let out of jail, the scene of his murder (which appeared in the beginning of the movie) is replayed and from that point on the film begins to show the actions of the mafia as negative. After a large heist, more and more people begin to be executed by the mafia and the violence and gore of these murders portrays the horror of the mafia's crimes. Finally, the downfall of the mafia is portrayed when Liotta's character rats out the rest of his crew in order to enter the witness protection program to avoid being killed. The ending of the film leaves a very profound impact on the viewer through the seemingly normality of the ex-mobster's new life and the way in which his life of fortune and happiness has fallen apart.

After viewing this film, it is clear that violence and gore are key aspects of Scorsese's influence on movies as a director. As in Gangs of New York, Casino and the Departed; violence and gore are strong themes in Goodfellas. I personally think that this is one of the greatest movies ever made and consider it to be Scorsese's masterpiece of filmmaking. Martin Scorsese is a true "autuer" in the way that he directs his films and is definitly one of the greatest filmmakers of his time.