A Simple Plan was not my favorite movie, but it was rather enjoyable. I wouldn't really think of it as film noir, but I see that the white snow represents the loneliness and isolation of the characters. The first scene of the film is a black crow, which usually symbolizes death and foreshadows trouble.
Hank was a respected member in the town and wouldn't normally get into trouble. He had everything he needed and at first, he knew to question whether they should take the money. However, when he saw how much money it really was, he was persuaded by Jacob and Lou. You would think that his wife would set him straight and make him hand in the money to the police, but she was overjoyed by the sight of all the money and was actually the mastermind behind the plans to trick this person and that person in order to keep the money.
The "simple" plan was supposed to be to hide the money and retrieve it later, but simple turned into complicated when Hank and Jacob ran into a farmer when putting back some of the money. The whole plan turns out to be futile because the money was marked and they would have been caught anyway. When everyone else is dead and Hank is burning the money, only Sarah wants to keep the money still and run away with it. She still has that greed, even at the sacrifices that have been made. Sarah surprised me the most with her greed for the money. Whhen shhe just had a child and held her for the first time in the hospital, all she could talk about was the plan with the money.
The movie poster says, "sometimes good people do evil things" and it's true. The three men were common people just going about their lives when the stumble about a stash of money. Their greed for the money (Hank didn't really need it but I guess Jacob and Lou did) made them kill others. Hank, who was the one who didn't need it and was the one who questioned it, survived the whole ordeal, only to live with the guilt for the rest of his life.
Merry Christmas everyone :)! The snow is crazzzy right now! I opened the door and got a face full of snow.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Memento
Wow. I was really just wow-ing at this movie. I don't usually like not knowing anything that's going on in movies, but I think that not knowing anything while watching this movie was pretty cool because you sort of understand what Leonard is going through. The color sequence is going backwards while the black and white is going forwards until they come together at the end of the movie (which is sort of the beginning).
Leonard was the character we felt sympathy for because of his condition and were suspicious of Natalie and Teddy for taking advantage of him and his condition, but at the end of the film, we learn that he in some ways, used himself. He knew he was going to forget everything and wrote down clues to lead himself to kill the wrong man. He doesn't have much to live for except revenge. But I wonder what he's going to do after he killed Teddy.
At one point in the film, Lenny mentions how memories are unreliable because they can change and morph into things you've changed them to. This proves true as even though he's supposed to remember everything before the accident, Sammy Jenkins and what he did like killing his wife wasn't real (according to Teddy). Even though he's supposedly just not able to make new memories, he forgot that his wife was diabetic.
Memento suggests that memories are flawed and that 'the truth' sometimes isn't even true. What Leonard perceived as 'facts' like his documents and pictures and what he tattoed were in fact only what he chose to be true. He can't trust the people around him, but he can't trust himself either.
This was a really really good movie and I enjoyed it very much. But I don't get how Leonard knows he has a condition, as he tells everyone he meets.
Leonard was the character we felt sympathy for because of his condition and were suspicious of Natalie and Teddy for taking advantage of him and his condition, but at the end of the film, we learn that he in some ways, used himself. He knew he was going to forget everything and wrote down clues to lead himself to kill the wrong man. He doesn't have much to live for except revenge. But I wonder what he's going to do after he killed Teddy.
At one point in the film, Lenny mentions how memories are unreliable because they can change and morph into things you've changed them to. This proves true as even though he's supposed to remember everything before the accident, Sammy Jenkins and what he did like killing his wife wasn't real (according to Teddy). Even though he's supposedly just not able to make new memories, he forgot that his wife was diabetic.
Memento suggests that memories are flawed and that 'the truth' sometimes isn't even true. What Leonard perceived as 'facts' like his documents and pictures and what he tattoed were in fact only what he chose to be true. He can't trust the people around him, but he can't trust himself either.
This was a really really good movie and I enjoyed it very much. But I don't get how Leonard knows he has a condition, as he tells everyone he meets.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Dark City
At the beginning of this movie, I didn't really know what was going on and was very confused trying to figure it out; that kid with the Strangers also freaked me out. Despite this, Dark City has become one of my favorite movies because I couldn't stop thinking and rambling on about it after class.
The dark atmosphere of the entire city, as commented on by Murdoch when he notices that there's no sun, contributes to the aspects of the film noir genre. I happened to really like how the hotel looked when John was walking towards the front desk. John Murdoch, who was originally supposed to be like everyone else in the city, was somehow able to get away from the experimentation the Strangers did on humans and gained some of their telekinetic powers. He is supposedly a murderer who killed hookers, and yet he saves a fish before going out the door.
The Strangers change people's memories and fabricate new lives for the people in the city as experimentation, trying to find what it is that makes humans special. John's character shows that it isn't memories that shape our lives. His memories were filled with him being a killer, but when he tried to test himself, he wasn't able to kill the girl.
When the Detective and one of the Strangers fly off into space, you see that the "city" is actually just a spaceship in the shape of a spiral floating around. It's not even a real world; it's something that was made. Dark City leaves you questioning, What if our world was like this? That we're actually some sort of experiment and everything we know isn't real? I really enjoyed this film, but I wonder what the city will be like now that John is in control.
The dark atmosphere of the entire city, as commented on by Murdoch when he notices that there's no sun, contributes to the aspects of the film noir genre. I happened to really like how the hotel looked when John was walking towards the front desk. John Murdoch, who was originally supposed to be like everyone else in the city, was somehow able to get away from the experimentation the Strangers did on humans and gained some of their telekinetic powers. He is supposedly a murderer who killed hookers, and yet he saves a fish before going out the door.
The Strangers change people's memories and fabricate new lives for the people in the city as experimentation, trying to find what it is that makes humans special. John's character shows that it isn't memories that shape our lives. His memories were filled with him being a killer, but when he tried to test himself, he wasn't able to kill the girl.
When the Detective and one of the Strangers fly off into space, you see that the "city" is actually just a spaceship in the shape of a spiral floating around. It's not even a real world; it's something that was made. Dark City leaves you questioning, What if our world was like this? That we're actually some sort of experiment and everything we know isn't real? I really enjoyed this film, but I wonder what the city will be like now that John is in control.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Asphalt Jungle
I found out about the genre film noir when I came across it randomly on the internet. I was thinking that I should check out one of these movies because they seemed pretty cool. However, I never did, so it works out that I'm seeing The Asphalt Jungle in class. It must be a good introduction to the film noir genre.
The whole gangster feel of the film is really cool and I like the black and white. The Asphalt Jungle deals with a bunch of characters who are together in this bank heist, who all have their vices for getting involved with crime. Emmerich, someone who has a wife and lots of money, is getting himself into these crimes because he's broke and needs to get money as quickly as possible.Dix is the one with the most sympathy because he just wants to get home to his farm. Riedenshneider or "Doc" is the brilliant mind behind the whole thing and enjoys the pleasures in life, whether it be girls or money. Louis is also sympathetic because he has a family to provide for, but I'm not sure what Gus is doing this whole thing for.
The actual robbing of the bank surprisingly was not cut out because of the Hayes Code, and I'm glad it didn't. I was really hoping that they would be able to get the jewels and get out without getting caught. Even though they were the criminals, I was rooting for them, but as explained before, the Hayes Code makes sure that every criminal is punished in the end. Emmerich is able to see that criminals are just like everyone else, telling his wife that they're not so bad. I like the fact that the film shows that criminals are ordinary people and that there is no black and white in people. Everyone has some bad qualities about them, but still have good ones too.
The whole gangster feel of the film is really cool and I like the black and white. The Asphalt Jungle deals with a bunch of characters who are together in this bank heist, who all have their vices for getting involved with crime. Emmerich, someone who has a wife and lots of money, is getting himself into these crimes because he's broke and needs to get money as quickly as possible.Dix is the one with the most sympathy because he just wants to get home to his farm. Riedenshneider or "Doc" is the brilliant mind behind the whole thing and enjoys the pleasures in life, whether it be girls or money. Louis is also sympathetic because he has a family to provide for, but I'm not sure what Gus is doing this whole thing for.
The actual robbing of the bank surprisingly was not cut out because of the Hayes Code, and I'm glad it didn't. I was really hoping that they would be able to get the jewels and get out without getting caught. Even though they were the criminals, I was rooting for them, but as explained before, the Hayes Code makes sure that every criminal is punished in the end. Emmerich is able to see that criminals are just like everyone else, telling his wife that they're not so bad. I like the fact that the film shows that criminals are ordinary people and that there is no black and white in people. Everyone has some bad qualities about them, but still have good ones too.
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