Jaws

The classic film, Jaws, is one of the most notorious films of all time. The story begins in a peaceful, yet excited town on Amity Island. The town’s main source of income is tourism to the beach in the summer, especially around July 4^th. Suddenly days before a large amount of tourist arrive there is a vicious shark attack to a local girl. The Sheriff, Brody, tries to contain the attacks to a minimal number, but with the tourist crazed Mayor deters his attempts. There is again another attack, and the Sheriff is now forced to call in Hooper, an expert from Oceanographic Institute, and Quint, a local fisherman, to help find and kill the Great White shark that has terrorized the town.

With some people filming just comes naturally and they can hone in on their skills with experience. Steven Spielberg is definitely one of those directors. Even though he was an amateur at the time of this film, he created one of the most well-known movies of all time. Many people know that the mechanical shark failed miserably through most of the movie. I believe that it sank to the bottom of the Hudson four times. This single incident alone, of not seeing the shark until almost the very end of the movie, is an element that continues to make this movie so great. You are kept in the dark by just how big the shark is and the mystery of that concept is frightening. In concept of the shark attacking, we are given quicker and short cuts, which hypes up the suspense of “Where is it?? Is it here or over there?” and makes the film more jumpy as if the camera itself is terrified. This is an element that really works with this film.

Another element that everyone knows all too well is “da...na…da…na”. The theme to the shark attacks. Why would this single score be so popular, because the score works for the purpose it was mean for. The low keys being played make you shiver and you know that the inevitable is about to happen. While the rest of the score is not so well known, the most important part of the score is remembered and for good reason. The entire film is really made from the shark attacks. Those few suspenseful moments have you bundled in fear and anticipation.

500 Days of Summer

Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn’t. When Tom meets Summer, he knows instantly that there is something special about her. He goes after her wanting to be more, while Summer just wants to keep things casual. He is blindsided when she dumps him. He shifts back in forth through different periods of their 500 days together trying to find out where everything went wrong. He reflects on the good and the bad times to which ultimately restores his faith in love and helps him rediscover his true passion in life, architecture. Summer has moved on finding true love that she once never believed in, while Tom truly lets go of Summer by meeting a girl named Autumn at an interview.

I loved this film. The thing that I think gave this film a lot of character was the music that was played and how they used it. Two scenes that I loved the most were when he describes different physical traits about her, one good and the other bad. The first scene, he talks to the camera breaking the fourth wall. After he describes the traits that he loves about her, he references a song that starts playing, but the song in non-diegetic. The second, he again breaks the fourth wall and describes the same physical traits, but in an insulting manner. At the end the same song plays, but it cuts to a shot of him standing on a bus and the music become diegetic as it is now playing through his headphones. The only thing that I thought that the film could have done without would be the scenes where Paul, Vance, and McKenzie are being interviewed about their opinions on love. I’m not sure if I see the point or reason behind those scenes, but I sure that the director wanted them there for some reason or purpose.

Black Christmas (1974)

Black Christmas begins with a party inside a sorority house right before Christmas break. A demented man climbs up into the attic from outside. The girls receive a call from someone breathing heavily, moaning, yelling, and casting his voice as a woman and child. The girls become frightened. One girl, Clare, goes to her room and is attacked and killed by the man. Meanwhile, Jess meets her boyfriend, Peter, to tell him that she is pregnant and wants an abortion. Peter becomes very distraught. Jess continues to receive phone calls from the “the moaner”. The police track the calls and they are coming from inside the house. Jess goes upstairs to find two of her friends slaughtered. The killer attacks and chases Jess to the basement. Peter then shows up outside the basement. He breaks in and approaches Jess. She thinks that he is the killer and kills him. The police find Jess in shock and sedate her in her room. They assume the killer was Peter and never investigate the attic where the real killer hides.

One thing that I really like about this film is the killers POV. You never see the killer except for his eye when he is hiding behind the door in Barb’s room. The camera was mounted on one of the cameramen as he climbed into the attic and when he stabbed Barb to death. When we see the killer’s POV, we can hear his breathing and his whispering under his breath. It really added to his creepiness and made him even more demented. Also, the score used in the film was very effective in adding to the suspense. I have read that the composer “created the film's mysterious music by tying forks, combs and knives onto the strings of the piano in order to warp the sound of the keys.” This was a very creative and effective method. I also liked the way the camera seemed to be looking down on the girls when they were by the phone and the stairs. It made the sorority girls seem small and scared. Since the killer was mostly upstairs you always had the feeling that you were watching the girls in a devious manner. 

Princess Bride

Princess Bride starts out with a farm boy named Wesley, who worked on Buttercup’s family farm. They began to fall deeply in love with each other. Wesley sets out to make money so that he can afford to marry Buttercup. Word comes back that Wesley has been killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts. Five years later, Buttercup is set to marry Prince Humperdinck. Humperdinck hires a trio of outlaws to kidnap Buttercup and kill her. Wesley, as the Dread Pirate Roberts, comes back to rescue her. When Buttercup realizes that Wesley is the one saving her, she wants to escape from Humperdinck. He soon catches up and promises Buttercup that Wesley can live. Humperdinck tortures and kills Wesley in order to marry Buttercup. Two of the outlaws, Inigo and Fezzik, join ranks with Wesley to save him and Buttercup from Humperdinck. And they live happily ever after.

Something that I felt that was done really well was the non-diegetic sound. The score added to the comedy of the movie. The music followed the atmosphere of the film and kept good tempo with it. I think that the score was performed very well for the type of film that it is. People so often remember the dramatic score like Jaws or the scores from popular movies like Harry Potter (an amazing score all around). I think that without the score as it is in the Princess Bride, the film would just not be the same. It gives the movie life.

I also like the use of the camera angles. There are close ups of Wesley’s eyes. It makes him seem more mysterious in his mask, as well as more intense when he faces Humperdinck. I found the film quite enjoyable. I liked how the story jumped cut from the story to reality in the grandson’s room.  I found it comical, but it did kind of take me out of the story. That would be my only critique to this film, but I can see why the director did this.