Alli's film padlet by

Sunset Boulevard

allip2 — 2025-09-08 03:34:17 UTC

"Down below they're waiting for the princess." Still living in her fantasy of making a comeback to the filming industry, Norma Desmond crafts a story line for her final descent down the staircase. Cinematographer John F. Seitz captures this scene perfectly, framing Norma from a low angle under a ghostly white spotlight out of place from the policemen in the background. In Norma's reality her years of yearning for a comeback have come true. Her eyes widen and arms outstretch towards the large crowd that has gathered. Instead of looking on in admiration, however, they are looking on in pity over her tragic downfall. She slowly begins her decent down the grand staircase, neck stretched back, hands dramatically positioned as though she is playing a part in a silent film. The movie ends with her final close up and then fades away, just like her career.

This use of mis-en-scene is extremely deliberate within this part of the film, turning Norma into a representation of the forgotten stars of Hollywood. Norma emits this theatrical performativity that is very conducive to silent era stars because they had to convey emotions through their movements and expressions instead of words. This is seen in this scene where her eyes and arm motions radiate her mental status and sanity. She has been given up on by the acting world but refuses to believe that she can't make her way back to the spotlight. The end of the film almost feeds into her delusions, casting her in the bright light of a Hollywood film surrounded by directors and adoring "fans". It makes the audience sympathize with Norma, painted throughout the movie as a controlling woman, but is just a lost star. This scene emphasizes the goal of the movie as a critique on the Hollywood system and its cruelty to actors. Norma Desmond was brutely shunned from the Hollywood world after the introduction to sound films and has mourned her lost fame and youth for years. Her famous line "I am big! It is the pictures that have gotten small" further displays her inability to accept her fallout in the acting world. Similarly, Gloria Swanson the actor who played Norma went through an almost identical experience to Norma in real life, making the story even more tragic. By making this choice Billy Wilder further reinforces this movie as a meta-film. It also contributes to the meaningful nature of the message because both the actor and the character have both been subjected to the Hollywood community's cruelty towards actors who are no longer profitable. Overall, through lighting and characterization this scene shows the mental toll of being unable to let go of the past and clinging to former glory.

400 blows

allip2 — 2025-09-30 18:43:08 UTC

The final scene of 400 blows encapsulates the stark realities of growing up and facing the real world and its consequences. After escaping the juvenile detention facility, Truffaut makes a unique artistic choice of extending the shot of Antione running away to an unusually long length. An average shot is 4-6 seconds, but the viewer is forced to watch Antione physically struggle as he runs through the countryside. We hear his feet pounding on the ground, his labored breathing, and begin to sympathize with his extraneous efforts. Throughout the movie it was hard to feel bad for Antione as he kept being a defiant child disobeying his teachers and stealing from his parents. However, this scene depicts him in a more carefree, innocent light, running freely towards the ocean. Once he has finally reached the ocean a whimsical music begins to play as a wide angle shot pans across the horizon. He had finally made it to the beach; a place he told his friend that he has always wanted to visit. As he begins running towards the shore, however, the music begins to slow down and convey a darker mood. He splashes in the water for his very first time, a childhood milestone, but this isn't a happy moment. The camera suddenly zooms in on Antione's face, one of fear and not joy as the fourth wall is broken. It is in this moment where the audience suddenly realizes that Antione is all on his own now. His support system has given up on him and he is left alone to fend for himself in this big world. It feels as though Antione is almost asking us through his facial expressions what will happen to him next. This scene fits the idea of the French New Wave cinemas characteristic of realism. It is a very untidy ending where the viewer doesn't get a resolution to the story of Antione. Is he happy with his newfound freedom or haunted by the fact that he doesn't truly have a place in this world? Truffaut uses this final scene as a creative statement that the director has full control over the outcome of their character.

"Do The Right Thing"

allip2 — 2025-10-23 05:31:17 UTC

"Yo what you want to live in a black neighborhood for anyway, man fuck gentrification." Buggin' Out yells at the white man who scuffed his shoe. This scene is full of racial tension exploring themes of power and marginalization captured perfectly by cinematographer Ernest Dickerson. We get a low angle shot of Buggin' Out, sweat dripping down his neck and a menacing look on his face. Low angle shots are normally used to create an imbalance of power; however, this is a false reality. Buggin' Out's power is only performative in nature, a façade of confidence masking his marginalized position in society. The white man is the one with hierarchy- he owns a brownstone in their neighborhood and is even advantaged by his race. In this low angle shot we also see Buggin' Out's friends on the edge of the frame, egging him on. This diegetic sound is almost suffocating as the viewer, feeling as though we are the ones being yelled at. Spike Lee deliberately crafts discomfort and claustrophobia in this scene to force the audience to confront racial injustice topics that aren't usually discussed. We get to see the silent side of racism, not just the violence, but the effects that it has on communities. The chorus of voices of Buggin' Out and his friends might come off as overbearing and obnoxious to the average person, but their reactions are a way to try and protect their home from gentrification. This use of group tension is a reoccurring pattern within the film, becoming even more amplified and violent at the end of the film. Groups are a very important aspect within this film, both creating a sense of empowerment and community while also leading to division. This scene is a great depiction of both happening simultaneously. It shows the wonderful community fostered between the African Americans in Bed-Stuy and how they are willing to stand-up for each other. However, they are also pushing themselves away from outsiders living in their community, as they feel these outsiders don't understand their culture. The white man in this scene is a representation of this idea- he is extremely dismissive of the situation and does not understand the symbolism behind the shoe. People in positions of power, even though it may not be purposeful, often minimize the experiences of minorities because they don’t understand what it is like to feel like you’re not being understood. The little black scuff is a unique metaphor for the microaggression within the film. Even though it is barely visible to the viewer, it is overemphasized in the shots, showing how even small acts of racism can be impactful to a community

Memento

allip2 — 2025-11-06 23:23:12 UTC

The twists and turns of this complex movie finally begin to unravel in the final scene of Memento. The black film of the past and colored film of the present meet as Leonard shakes the digital photo he snapped after killing Jimmy Grantz. To the viewers surprise however, this wasn't the right "John G". Teddy the police officer confronts Leonard with the truth that he had already killed the man a while ago but just doesn't remember. He even pulls out a bloodied polaroid of Leonard with a triumphant expression pointing at the exact place he was going to put the tattoo of proof right over his heart. Instead of accepting this as fact, Leonard dives deeper into this illusion, creating a puzzle that he can never solve. We get a close-up shot of him burning the pictures that he took of the past 2 John G's the flame slowly turning the pictures black. The polaroids in this film are his “mementos” believing them as the truth because photos are factual records. As much as they might preserve the still moment, he will never know the true meaning behind them. His writings on the back of the polaroid enforce this, objectively formed from an emotional reaction or manipulation. The symbolic burning of these pictures depicts his final fall into true delusion where he has given up on acceptance and decided to continue the cycle of revenge. We then get a spoken testimony from Leonard as he decides to frame Teddy as his next "John G". This exposes his inner truth- he knows that he is constructing his own version of reality but believes he is doing the right thing to give his life meaning. As he is driving away from the scene of the crime, editor Dody Dorn makes some unique cuts that help capture Leonard's state of mind during this time. There is a bunch of quick, disorienting cuts to him and his wife in bed while she tenderly touches his chest filled with tattoos. Obviously, this isn't a real memory because these tattoos were made to help him find her "killer", but it's Leonard's idealized version of reality. He is trying to comfort himself, form an affectionate memory when he was actually her killer. This shows his very complex relationship with truth and justice throughout the film. He continues to push the ideal of only believing in strict fact but is willing to twist it to make his actions morally justified. By painting her in this bright warm light showing her love for him, even the viewer begins to sympathize for Leonard and his "loss." However, by juxtaposing it with his harsh speech we get to see the truth- his vengeance has turned from honor to a dangerous lie of self-preservation. The polaroids vs tattoos in this film were dualling ways to depict the truth in this film portraying objectivity vs permanence. This final scene, however, shows both their collapse in meaning as he abandons truth all together.

Mulholland Drive

allip2 — 2025-11-13 23:30:51 UTC

After Betty's picture perfect audition where the casting directors surrounded her with praise and admiration, she gets lead to another audition for the Silvia North Story. There is a beautiful J cut as the optimistic notes of the song "Sixteen Reasons" begins to play. The song choice in this movie is extremely deliberate and this is no exception. It is an aggressively heterosexual depiction of love, painting women as simple and innocent. This is a sharp commentary on Hollywood and how it manufactures femininity. It is a male dominated field, shown throughout the movie where every conference meeting is just a bunch of men in suites picking their "perfect" woman actor. Hollywood may be a dream job for Betty/Diane, but she doesn't fit into this ideal and performative femininity. First off, she is a closeted lesbian when most roles women are placed into are supposed to portray straight women in a suggestive manner. The song is also the perfect depiction of love, while Diane's is anything but, full of jealousy, betrayal, and heartbreak. The ironic song represents the version of love Diane craved, the dreamlike simplicity her trauma tried to recreate. The movie itself, however, shows the collapse of that ideal, how Hollywood unforgivingly twists innocent affection into psychological ruin.

The shot then begins with a close up on the lead singer, immersing us into this musical performance. The characters are wearing beautifully rhinestoned costumes and singing 1960's style. Even though the audience knows that we are in a recording studio we still allow ourselves to get so caught up in it that we are shocked when the camera slowly begins to pan out to show the entire recording studio. The use of mis en scene and cinematography within this scene helps make commentary on the discussion of illusion vs reality throughout the entire film. The artificality of the fake singing, flawless dancing, and already chosen actors depicts the true Hollywood. It isn't the perfect dream fantasy that Betty portrays it to be and its flaws are shown in this scene. There is a unique juxtaposition to the no hay banda scene where the illusion is completely shattered. At least during the 16th reason scene Betty is still able to indulge in her fantasy, but at club silencio she is forced to confront her true reality. She has scripted her dreams to avoid seeing her failures, an emotional deception that has lead to her downfall. When she finally breaks down with guilt and the weight of reality we come to the conclusion that even though fantasies might be fufilling for the moment they can't shield you from the truth forever.