Scarface

Scarface   
Genre Crime Drama
December 9, 1983

Director: Brian De Palma

Writers: Oliver Stone

Main Cast: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer

 Runtime: 170 mins

Summary

Tony Montana (Al Pacino) a migrant from Cuba is sent to a jail for illegal migrants (Freedom Town), but after assassinating a Cuban government official for a Miami drug lord he is given a green card. He soon takes claim on the drug trade working his way up and taking out anyone in his way to the top. Tony Montana becomes the most powerful and feared drug lord in the state of Florida. The American Dream. In time the police, his cocaine fuelled paranoia and his Columbian Enemies leads to his downfall.

Genre
Crime Fiction, Drama

Codes and Conventions
Scarface is the most iconic of all gangster films in my opinion, next to the godfather.
The codes and conventions of this film is true to the crime drama genre, with a flip on good vs evil. This film has the audience routing for the drug fuelled cocaine dealer the character Tony Montana is somehow relatable and a lot of the target audience fantasise of being rich and powerful beyond measure. Violence is a key element to gangster crime films, this film features one of the most iconic scenes in cinema. When Tonys mansion is being stormed by rivals he makes his final stand wielding an automatic assault rifle he engages in a large scale gunfight in his mansion. Violence is used here to show how ruthless Tony is and the film makes it clear he won't come quietly. Another convention is the gang, although this film focuses on Tony Montana and his partner Manolo the film makes you aware he has soldiers that do his bidding and close friends who you see in the film rise to the top with him. The film even includes a montage showing passing of time as tony starts making more money, opening businesses, making more deals with his connect (cocaine manufacturer), getting married and eventually buying his mansion equipped with an exotic animal.

Montage Scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHoGH7_co0A

Final scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_z4IuxAqpE

Iconography
The gangsters dress code is crucial to a gangster film, gangsters are always well dressed and groomed, suave and slick. Tony is not only your typical gangster by the way he dresses he is arrogant and boasts about his wealth, his wife is perceived as an object and as he rises in power he looses respect for his friends. Gangster films often include a main office where business is carried out by the Boss, whether it be plotting murders, discussing money laundering commission rates or cocaine deals. Flash cars are a popular icon in this genre, Tony begins in a beat up car does his first drug deal, as he rises in the ranks he buys a cadilac that quoted by Poppy the films love interest "It looks like somebody's nightmare." he then goes on to buy a Porsche and a Rolls Royce. The Rolls Royce is an iconic theme in gangster themed features, it is featured in American Gangster (Denzel Washington) as well as countless Gangster Rap music videos.

Audience Expectations
Audience expectations often come from the trailer. The Scarface trailer full of violence and riddled with gunfire it prepares the audience for a one in a million story of money, power, women and drugs the recipe for chaos.   

Scarface Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pQQHnqBa2E

Critical Analysis of A Bronx Tale 1993

A Bronx Tale (1993)     Genre: Crime Drama

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106489/?ref_=ttqt_qt_tt

Director: Robert De Niro

Writers: Chazz Palminteri

Main Cast: Robert De Niro, 

Chazz Palminteri,

 Lillo Brancato

 Runtime:121 minutes












SUMMARY:
This drama filled tale is about Calogero Anello (nicknamed C) as a 9 year old living in the Bronx which is full of crime, gangsters and racially motivated segregation. Cologero is fixated on the local italian gangsters. After witnessing a murder committed by the leader of the local mob Sonny, Calogero is questioned by police and asked to point out who is responsible. In the bronx a 'Rat' is the lowest of the low and 9 year old Calogero knows this and denies any of the men in the line up are responsible and from that day Calogero's life changes forever and he was given the nickname C by Sonny himself. To much of C father ( distaste Sonny gives him a job at the bar serving drink. Fast Forward to C's teenage YearsC falls in love with a black girl which is a no-go in the italian section of the bronx and this and a combination of his own crew lands him in a lot of trouble in his teenage years.

Genre 
Drama, crime.

Codes and conventions- The style of this film is true to the italian crime drama genre, the soundtrack is taken from the 1970's, doo-wop and italian rock'n'roll playing in many of the scenes. This film is focuses on emotion being a drama it is key the facial expressions of the characters are eligible, utilising close up shots.

Iconography- Each member of Sonny's crew is given a nickname which is key in italian mob themed films. The music is heavy on saxaphone giving it a classy feel. The italians are seen as sophisticated and smartly dressed in films such as the Godfather and Goodfella's the smart suits are a recurring icon. 

Audience Expections
From the trailer the audience is expecting a story with romance, murder, revenge and conflict.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGx6N-JGj1U


This film contains everything that you would look for in a italian crime drama:
Murder
Violence
Love Interests

Some racial sterotypes and themes.
Jazz Music
Gambling







Narrative

CHARACTERS: 

The Characters in this film are well developed the members of the mafia have nicknames to match their physical appearance and personalities, its rare the the bit players are  introduced into the story and given in depth introductions there are alot of them examples of these are:
'Jimmy Whispers' - nicknamed this because everything he says is a secret to him.
'Bobby Bars' - he has spent alot of time in jail
Danny K.O. - He is knocks people out
'Tony Toupee' - He has a bad hairpiece because he is balding
'Coffee Cake' - His face is bumpy like a coffee cake
'Eddie Mush' - Everything he touches turns to mush, he has bad luck
'JoJo The Whale' - He is very heavy set "Some say poeple have died in his shadow"

There are multiple scenes in the film that shine light on these characters for example 
See clips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQpFbfaILzY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ulWjFfLsL0

This is helps the audience feel more immersed in the film as if they are personally a witness to the events that take place, and know the characters involved, the characters physical features and personalities is a big part of making the viewer feel a part of the gang.


NarrativeStructure The narrative structure is non-linear and is told in a retrospective form, the story skips forward in time and utilises flashbacks. The narrrative begins in 1960 using the protagonist as the narrator to tell the story. Refer to Summary.

Techniques
The narrative technique used is time manipulation. The plot is set in a retrospective form which engages the audience. 

The Orphanage Film Review (2006)

Director: Juan Antonio Bayona

Production Company: Telecino cinema & Warner Bros Espana

The Orphanage is a great change from the films i usually watch and it is true to the horror genre. With its eery atmosphere and a soundtrack that induces goosebumps and sends shivers down your spine. The characters are well matched, the script is well written, the dramatic pauses are well placed which leave the audience anticipating what's going to happen next in an unsettling silence and from the establishing shot at the start of the film you know you are in for a real horror show.

This film contained a vast range of themes found in the horror genre. Creepy children that make yoiu aware of their presence when you hear them giggle, supernatural occurrences figues vansishing, death, abandoned buildings with a gloomy background story, blood, jump scares at times where you least expect it.

Narrative.

Director Profile- Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese-

Who is Martin Scorsese.

Martin Scorsese is a very important figure in Hollywood, he is a Executive Producer.

He was raised in Little Italy in the 1940's-1950's era. His influences come from his childhood in an italian american neighbourhood, this shows in his Gangster films such as Goodfellas and The Departed which follows a man of irish decent. I found this interesting because they was always a rivalry between the italian mafia (guineys) and the irish mafia (micks). He obtained a degree in film communications in 1964 and an M.A. at New Yorks University of Film in 1966.

Known Films:
The Wolf of Wall Street
Shutter Island
Goodfellas
The Departed

The themes shown in these movies are all cohesive, 3 films are starring Leonardo DiCaprio who in my opinion is one of the greatest and most influential actors alive today. Three of these films involve crime and violence.