Still of Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Still of Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Still of Margaret Hamilton as the Witch in The Wizard of Oz (1939).
“The Wizard of Oz” entails three characters, including Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, and Margaret Hamilton. Judy plays the role of Dorothy; Ray is the scarecrow; and Margaret play the wicked witch of the east. All the actors can be characterized as “character actors” as well as “stylized acting.” Character actors are actors that are “able to fit invisibly into a wide variety of disparate characters, adapting to the needs of each script and director they work with” and stylized acting “is used when actors and directors want to call attention to the fact that the actors is, indeed, acting” (as cited in Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014, section 5.4 & 5.5). The argument is that the mentioned actor and actresses are styled actors. A movie uses styled acting when the related director wants to assert that the nature of acting follows the sets used in comic books, particularly defying what is known as reality. Styled acting is unrealistic compared to the typical audience perception of reality. In most cases, Margaret Hamilton plays similar roles in other movies, specifically casted as a witch. The consistency of the character reveals that other directors would want to build on the audience initial perception of the role played by Margaret Hamilton. This aspect would make their movies easy to understand and enjoyable to watch.
References
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Actors: Judy Garland, Terry, Ray Bolger, Frank Morgan, Jack Haley, Billie Burke,Bert Lahr, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin,Clara Blandick, The Singer Midgets,and George Noisom
In any film, sound is always categorized into three broad groups: sound effects, dialogue, and music. Sound effects are the sounds that accompany events in films, for example, the dripping of water, among others (Fahlenbrach, 2008). Dialogue, is the sound produced by talking characters. Finally, music entails the sounds of instruments and voices that accompany the activities in the films. They are majorly songs. In the film, “The Wizard of Oz,” the three major sound categories have been integrated to produce an enjoyable film.
In the film, the use of dialogue allows the audience to get the idea of the extent to which Dorothy is scared as she enters the Oz land. The dialogue between Dorothy and other characters such as the lion further portrays the various experiences that they undergo during the progress of the film (YouTube, 2015).
The use of sound effects in the film creates a contextual sensation for the audience to enjoy the events of the movie. For instance, when Dorothy and the Tin man meet, one can hear oil cans squeak, and the zipping of a zipper. At the same time, the audience, an indication that she is scared, can hear Dorothy’s heartbeat. The sound effect in such a scenario shows the feelings of the characters.
Finally, music has been incorporated in the movie to make it more enjoyable to watch. For instance, the type of music at the beginning makes the audience have the feeling that Dorothy is unwanted by most of the people around her. Moreover, most of the characters in the movie sing along with musical instruments throughout the film.
In summary, the use of sound in the film, “The wizard of Oz” has much impact on the presentation of the events in the film. If the sounds had removed, then probably, the film would not have been enjoyable to watch.
Actors: Judy Garland, Terry, Ray Bolger, Frank Morgan, Jack Haley, Billie Burke,Bert Lahr, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin,Clara Blandick, The Singer Midgets,and George Noisom
Lighting Choices:
In the Film: From Watching to Seeing, Second Edition, authors Goodykoontz & Jacobs (2011) explain the importance of lighting design and how it affects the tone and feel of a film. Furthermore, the authors describes the high-key lighting design as having “bright over everything”, whereas, low-lighting is “dark overall and often used for intense dramatic scenes” (as Cited in Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011). In The Wizard of Oz, there are a variety of lighting techniques employed all through the film.
Below is a photo clip of the use of high-key lighting that is used to stimulate the audience’s sense of excitement.
Moreover, to illustrate the use of low-key lighting can be seen when Dorothy meets the wizard for the very first time. These scenes create a scary, suspenseful feeling for the audience.
However, the most profound lighting technique used in the film is Technicolor lighting. Technicolor is “a technology that produced rich, vivid, hyper-realistic colors” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011). The lighting is a technique where a combination of lighting techniques and lighting colors are incorporated in a film in order to generate specific kind of feels. Technicolor lighting is very profound in the film and in fact the film is credited as among the pioneers of the technique. The following is a movie clip showing an example of Technicolor lighting in the film.
Benefits of this type of lighting and contribution to the theme
Technicolor lighting is profoundly used to enhance the feel in a movie. In the movie, the wizard of Oz, technicolor lighting is used on multiple occasion with the aim of creating and enhancing the feel in the fairy land. The land is filled with beautiful colors to create the illusion of a happy and beautiful world. The allusion of the contrasts between the real world and the fairy land is a central theme in the film and is critically supported by technicolor lighting which paints the real world as a dull place and the fairy land as beautiful and colorful (Malkiewicz, 2012).
Suitability
Technicolor lighting is the most suitable kind of lighting for fantasy films. This technique has profoundly been used in fantasy films such as the wizard of Oz where the use of a combination of lighting techniques and color lighting helps to enhance the feel especially within the mystical places and events and to enhance the use of magic. If Technicolor was not used as profoundly in the wizard of Oz, multiple aspects that supports the theme of the film would have been lost. For instance, it would have been impossible to create the allusions of the mysteries of the Land of Oz in contrast to the real world.
References
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. This text is a Constellation™ course digital materials (CDM) title.
Malkiewicz, K. (2012). Film lighting: talks with Hollywood’s cinematographers and gaffers. Simon and Schuster.
“Me, I want what’s coming to me.” “What’s coming to you?” “The world, Chico, and everything in it.” – Tony Montana in “Scarface”
Brian De Palma’s 1983 film “Scarface” chronicles the journey of a Cuban refugee-turned-criminal to the top echelon of the drug trade. Tony Montana, the film’s hero, rises from petty crimes and small jobs to the top of an international drug trading circuit. This is a strictly linear film, with a traditional presentation style. The film features an iconic performance by Al Pacino and is considered a standard of American gangster films. Pacino’s performance in Scarface, roughly a decade after a blockbuster role in “The Godfather” series, showed both his range as an actor and the potential for crime dramas and action films to tell a variety of stories in an aesthetically striking manner. De Palma’s decision to cast Pacino as his hero has a huge impact on the film’s overall effect because the actor has delivered a number of iconic performances in this genre. If De Palma were to have cast an unknown, the film may not have made the iconic impact it did on the gangster movie genre.
The film features a highly stylized appearance throughout. Cars, sets and costumes are impactful because they are modeled after specific idiosyncratic Miami 1980’s fashions. Examples of this are colorful floral shirts and suits, flashy fluorescent dance clubs, gold jewelry, and luxury cars, particularly convertibles with stylized interiors (a convertible with leopard print upholstery makes an appearance) (Robin S, 2011). The film’s original audience certainly would have connected with this element of the film as the 1980’s culture of Miami was relevant on a national scale during this era (Beverly and Houston, 1996).
The film begins with Montana’s arrival in America, in a camp for refugees in Miami, Florida. Montana is paid to murder a dissident Cuban intellectual. However, Montana holds no grudge against this man for his politics. He simply commits the crime in order to further himself. Montana and his friend Manny then leave the camp and begin working as line cooks. The work is unsatisfactory for Montana who has a strong drive to succeed. Montana and Manny become involved with a drug cartel and begin doing small jobs for Frankie Lopez.
While working for Lopez, a drug deal goes bad leading to a violent confrontation that Montana miraculously survives. This scene in particular demonstrates an important aspect of the film: violence. Montana is held at gun point as his associate is brutally dismembered with a chainsaw in front of him. This choice in plot and presentation speaks to the film’s commitment to realism. “Scarface” is a period piece and De Palma misses nothing in his candid depiction of Miami’s Cuban crime wave. The costume and setting, the style of car in the scene, and the situation that unfolds are all referencing a real era of history in Miami (Beverly and Houston, 1996). De Palma is dramatically and faithfully documenting a period in Miami’s history where the drug trade was thriving (Movieclips, 2011).
Montana and Manny continue to rise through the criminal ranks until Montana usurps Lopez and takes control of the cartel. Montana connects with other international drug traders but ultimately falls because of his recklessness and greed. The story takes the form of a criminal parable in its second half as it details Montana’s downfall. Montana is unable to maintain his position at the top of the drug trade partly because of his lack of hesitation to commit extreme acts of violence. This aspect of the film is faithful to its genre. Many crime films feature a “fall from the top” conclusion coupled with a “rags to riches” exposition. Throughout the film the story is told in a forthright and candid manner, focusing on realism and character rather than unique or innovative presentation of events. The movie is conventional in its plot, but excels in the conventions it adopts. It has a striking and unique aesthetic in addition to an intense performance by the lead actor rather than a unique or innovative mode of storytelling.
References
Beverly, J., & Houston, D. (1996). Notes on Miami. Boundary,23(2), 19-46.
Still of Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Still of Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (1939)
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