There should be no question how much this film impacted society and will continue as the Watergate scandal and President Nixon resigning is a significant part of our American history. It will continue to be taught to our children in the history classes for many years to come. The impact to me was watching the reporters uncover the story piece by piece and seeing how their minds worked and how everyone involved wanted to talk but couldn't. It's no wonder why politicians still have to prove they are not corrupt as they still have that reputation and there are still quite a few of them that are. It's not just the politicians though. It's more of money can buy anything and people who have the power control things, but even thoiugh files were destroyed and there was little evidence in writing, justice again prevailed and I see the theme as everyone eventually gets caught when you do something illegal. As in Chapter 15 when the film ratings came into play, and the film On the Waterfront had to change its ending because film can't have evil win in the end.
I would agree the director's obligation in a documentary is to stick to the truth as much as possible and only add "flavor" to the film to keep the audience enticed and engaged throughout the film. Documentaries can be rather boring. For instance, if this film was told with just Bernstein and Woodward just sitting in a chair telling the story, it would not have been nearly as interesting. The director added the additional pieces like with all the department heads talking about what stories they were going to lead with, that helped keep the timing of the film in tact. Additionally, the setting played a key role in this film as the Washington Post was a big part of the film and the typewriter was used throughout to make the point how significant it was to put this story to the public. The costumes were also impactful in feeling the timing of the film.
The cinemetography was done well. The different camera angles used, especially when the cars would pull out of the Washington Post and the arial views were used, providing another view for the audience to feel like they were there with them. Color was again relatively muted througout, except for the red flag but was appropriate to the film. The lighting was essential in this film like with the garage scenes with deep throat. The most significant sound to me in the movie was the typewriter, especially at the end when it typed out the names and what the crimes were for the main people involved.
For me, I typically enjoy the suspense movies and romantic comedies, I would typically stay away from documentaries. I did however, enjoy watching this film due to the assumed historial facts to it. The characters did a good job throughout. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman are both powerful actors but they worked well together and it was realistic that they could have been journalists.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Cidar House Rules
I am still working through my thoughts on the effects this film had on me and on society. The film challenged one very ethical topic being abortion. Is it right or wrong? Homer states in the movie that he won't judge the Dr. for doing an abortion, but he won't do one. At least, not until he is presented with a different sceanio in which he offers it, but he makes it the woman's choice. I think that is the strongest theme of this movie, not only the choice of abortion, but the choice in life all together. Every person that came to the orphanage looking for a child to adopt, abort, or give up had a choice to make. When Homer left the orphanage, it was his choice, just like it was his choice to return. When he got involved with the girl, he knew it was wrong, but he made the choice to go along with it. That was an interesting way of responding to Homer's earlier comment in the movie when he said that he didn't understand why people weren't more responsible in making their choices and being more careful. Once he was introduced to life outside the orphanage, it opened up a whole lot of life choices, even which apple to pick or which lobster was ready.
The actual rules written on the wall are still a bit of a mystery. Sure, everyone can choose to live by the stated rules but Homer attempted to read the rules a couple times before he actually read all the way through them and then were finally burned in the stove with the impression that people can't make rules for others when they don't know what they are dealing with. The same applies with the situation of Rose and Mr. Rose. That scenario would impact anyone watching the film and was definitely a moment in the film when you gasp. For fragile Homer, who is not supposed to get worked up to blatently address Mr. Rose and outright ask if he was sleeping with his daughter was a bold move and brought more substance to Homer's character as well as to Mr. Rose as he said don't talk to what you don't know anything about. What would the world be like if people stayed out of other people's business that didn't pertain to them? Sometimes good, but sometimes bad.
The film as a whole encompassed all the pieces from the setting, characters, plot, images, cinematic techniques, sound, etc. The setting was quite appropriate in each different setting. The apple farm with the Cidar House put the viewer there, right down to the details of the boards on the floor. The lobster farm setting on the ocean and the scenes where the discussions were often about doing nothing and wait and see. I felt there was irony there as the ocean often does nothing or wait and see as something will inevitably change. Of course, the setting of the orphanage was one of solitude and pain, but at the same time there was happiness. They were all part of a family, maybe not a traditional one, but they were loved just the same.
The characters were all played very well. They didn't overlap or overpower one another. Each story line was credible and acted well. The lighting was appropriate throughout, always dimmer at the orphanage and the hallways that were always clear each time a patient was rolled down one. The sound didn't play a huge role in this film for me, it seemed more subtle throughout which seemed appropriate because there weren't any quick changes to prepare for. The one sound that stood out was when the King Kong film would always stop at the same time and how the last time it stopped, so did the boy's breathing, which was also a significant sound throughout.
The cinematography was good and the makeup and costumes were fitting for each character. It helped identify each one accordingly by the clothes. The color was not excessively bold throughout but there were splashes throughout. The blood from the Dr.'s hand when he broke the glass as he passed away. The red and green apples. The orphanage had color too, but most were all muted colors adding to the effects of the orphanage.
I think the director did a good job with this movie. I felt the style was grave, serious, tragic, and heavy. I think the theme was well thought out and it will have a universal affect on film and society.
The actual rules written on the wall are still a bit of a mystery. Sure, everyone can choose to live by the stated rules but Homer attempted to read the rules a couple times before he actually read all the way through them and then were finally burned in the stove with the impression that people can't make rules for others when they don't know what they are dealing with. The same applies with the situation of Rose and Mr. Rose. That scenario would impact anyone watching the film and was definitely a moment in the film when you gasp. For fragile Homer, who is not supposed to get worked up to blatently address Mr. Rose and outright ask if he was sleeping with his daughter was a bold move and brought more substance to Homer's character as well as to Mr. Rose as he said don't talk to what you don't know anything about. What would the world be like if people stayed out of other people's business that didn't pertain to them? Sometimes good, but sometimes bad.
The film as a whole encompassed all the pieces from the setting, characters, plot, images, cinematic techniques, sound, etc. The setting was quite appropriate in each different setting. The apple farm with the Cidar House put the viewer there, right down to the details of the boards on the floor. The lobster farm setting on the ocean and the scenes where the discussions were often about doing nothing and wait and see. I felt there was irony there as the ocean often does nothing or wait and see as something will inevitably change. Of course, the setting of the orphanage was one of solitude and pain, but at the same time there was happiness. They were all part of a family, maybe not a traditional one, but they were loved just the same.
The characters were all played very well. They didn't overlap or overpower one another. Each story line was credible and acted well. The lighting was appropriate throughout, always dimmer at the orphanage and the hallways that were always clear each time a patient was rolled down one. The sound didn't play a huge role in this film for me, it seemed more subtle throughout which seemed appropriate because there weren't any quick changes to prepare for. The one sound that stood out was when the King Kong film would always stop at the same time and how the last time it stopped, so did the boy's breathing, which was also a significant sound throughout.
The cinematography was good and the makeup and costumes were fitting for each character. It helped identify each one accordingly by the clothes. The color was not excessively bold throughout but there were splashes throughout. The blood from the Dr.'s hand when he broke the glass as he passed away. The red and green apples. The orphanage had color too, but most were all muted colors adding to the effects of the orphanage.
I think the director did a good job with this movie. I felt the style was grave, serious, tragic, and heavy. I think the theme was well thought out and it will have a universal affect on film and society.
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