Gone with the Wind

1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening

In class I learned that Gone with the Wind is a movie based on a novel written by Margret Mitchell in 1936. The novel took her ten years to write and it was the only novel she wrote. Gone with the Wind took place during the Civil War, and southern girl, Scarlet, is in love with a married man, Ashley Wilkes, even after she gets married several times herself. Unable to get the man she desires, Ashley Wilkes, she settles down with Rhett Butler who tries to give her anything and everything she wants, but notice she's still in love with someone else. After the movie was made it won several Academy Awards such as best picture, best director, down to best supporting actress Hattie McDaniel who was the first African American to win an Oscar. The production of the movie grossed made an estimate of $3.9 million.

2) Find a related article (on the film, directed, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) You can use the library or the Internet. Cite the article or copy the URL to your journal entry. Summarize in your own words the related article but do not plagiarize any content.

I found an article on Filmsite Movie Review and it gave a background of the the movie. It explained how beloved and popular the was of all time and it was made from the best-selling novel of the Civil War and Reconstruction period in 1936. The producer David O. Selznick obtained the film rights to the novel for $50,000. Once the film was released over 1.5 million copies of the book was sold. The article also explained what the movie was about as well. The story was based on a love-hate romance story. Scarlett, the main character, struggles to find love throughout the harsh times of going through the Civil War and all of its aftermath. Well still remaining in love with a man she will never have, she marries her admirer Rhett Butler. Rhett later finds out that Scarlett will never let go of her love for another man and decides that its best to leave her.
http://www.filmsite.org/gone.html 


3) Relate the article to the screening

The article stated some of the same information the class learned from the screening. It explained how the movie was based off of a book, how much money it made in gross, the characters and the roles they played, what took place in the movie, and during what time. The screening and the article both described how successful the movie was due to how much money it made and all the awards it won for its production.

4) Write a critical analysis of the film

 

Out of all the films we had to watch Gone with the Wind was one of my favorites. Although it was quite long, I enjoyed every last bit of it. Scarlett, the main character made the movie. I felt as if I laughed and wanted to cry on certain parts of the movie, I felt so many different emotions which means the movie captivated my interest the whole way through, and whenever a movie can move the audience like that I'd consider it a great movie.

StageCoach

1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

Stagecoach is western directed by John Ford in 1939. Stagecoach was directed in one of the greatest period in American movie making along with other films such as Citizen Kane, Gone With The Wind, Wizard of Oz, Smith Goes to Washington, Wuthering Heights, and Grapes of Wrath. Westerns weren't in favor amongst most movie genres, Ford was also told that it may ruin his career; however, it became a success and critics stated, "Its success singlehandedly revitalized the moribund genre, showing that Westerns could be "intelligent, artful, great entertainment—and profitable”. Stagecoach was a film about a group of people taking a trip to Tonto to Lordsburgh. Within this long journey heading to Lordsburg the characters changed from how they were in the beginning.

2) Find a related article (on the film, directed, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) You can use the library or the Internet. Cite the article or copy the url to your journal entry. Summarize in your own words the related article but do not plagiarize any content.

The article I found online summarized each character that went on the journey to Lordsburg and the role they played in the movie. The main characters are Dallas who's known as a hooker who has been out casted out of town by the higher class of women in the town. Lucy Mallory is the wife officer waiting for her in Lordsburg. Hatfield is the gambler who has a thing for Lucy. Dr. Boone who is an alcoholic. Mr. Peacock the salesman. Gatewood is a banker who stole money from his bank and is on the run. Buck is the driver. Sheriff sits besides Buck throughout the trip, while keeping an eye on Ringo, who is an outlaw.

http://www.starpulse.com/Movies/Stagecoach/Summary/

3) Relate the article to the screening

The article I found online breaks down the role of each character. While it explains the role they played it also explains how diverse each character was throughout the journey and how they were amongst one another. It also states how this western became a template for other westerns to come. Not only was it a western but it also incorporated action, drama, and humor as well.

4) Write a critical analysis of the film

Although critics rated Stagecoach as one of the best movies of its time, I thought it was really boring and started off very slow. Maybe due to the fact that I personally don't prefer to watch westerns, but the action didn't really take place until the end. Towards the end there was a shoot out with the passengers and the Indians, and after that they made it to there destination. I wouldn't watch the movie again and nor will I recommend it.