Film Education Worksheet

1) Why do you think a modern director would choose to produce a film in black and white rather than colour? What effects might they be hoping to achieve?

Well there are many reasons why directors would want to produce a film in black and white, the most obvious one of course is because the film is set way back when colour tv's weren't invented so making it black and white and the effect of this sets the film back in that time. Black and white can also make the film seem more realistic as if there hasn't been special effects added.

2)Choose three films, and find out their release date, genre, directors reputation, and the critical reaction of the film.



Sin City - Released in 2005 by Frank Millar and Robert Rodriguez
Genre - Action, Crime and Thriller
Frank Millar - He was a big comic reader and writer in the 70's and 80's. He wrote and penciled the Marvel series "Daredevil" for a long time. He also wrote two spinoffs about the character Electra and did a miniseries about the "X-Men" character Wolverine. In 1980, he wrote the acclaimed "Batman" story "Wanted - Santa Claus - Dead or Alive!" for DC Comics.
Critics - The New York Times
"Hard to get pulled into the story on any level other than the visceral."




Raging Bull - Released in 1980 by Martin Scorsese
Genre - Biography/Drama
Martin Scorsese - He entered a seminary in 1956 - Martin Scorsese opted to channel his passions into film. He graduated from NYU as a film major in 1964.
Critics - The New York Times - Vincent Canby
"The entire film is played at such high pitch it may well exhaust audiences that don't come prepared. And, at the heart of the film, there is the mystery of Jake himself, but that is what separates Raging Bull from all other fight movies, in fact, from most movies about anything. Raging Bull is an achievement."



Manhattan - Released in 1979 by Woody Allen
Genre - Comedy Drama
Woody Allen - Woody Allen was born December 1, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York. He went into show business at age 15 when he started writing jokes for a local paper, receiving $200 a week and pumping out an estimated 2000 jokes a day. Woody's theoretical directorial debut was in "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" which was a Japanese spy flick that he dubbed over with his own comedic dialogue about spies searching for the secret recipe for egg salad.

3. The film is named after Somers Town, the part of London which it is set. Most of the filming also took place on location in the area.

a) What iconographic sight and sounds you might expect from the film?

Hussle and Bussle of city life (beeping horns, revving of engines e.t.c)
Kids playing in parks (football)
Dogs barking on estates
The British Museum

What are your expectations about character and narrative based on this setting?

Poor family or families
Poor Estates
Crime
Neglect
Adeventure