Assignment
The 1987 film The Princess Bride has become part of the public consciousness, and has what can be considered a cult following. While on the surface it seems like a frivolous romantic film, what makes The Princess Bride enduring is that it manages to be satirical without being cynical. The quirky dialogue of the film has given the popular culture catchphrases like As you wish, inconceivable, and Mandy Patankins line My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. I believe The Princess Bride is popular for many reasons, including the fact that it satirizes fairy tale romance while still uplifting the audience and helping the audience to believe that the concept of true love is still alive.
Likewise, on a personal level, this film affects me every time I watch it. It is a fun film to watch, because it is lighthearted and humorous. The films tone is what sets it apart from other movies. Because it is satirical, it never seems like a syrupy romantic comedy. The frame narrative is also what sets apart The Princess Bride. Because the entire story is actually the content of a book that a grandfather is reading to his grandson, who is too young to be interested in romantic love and thinks kissing is gross, it adds an extra dimension of fantasy to the entire film.
The cast of characters is also diverse and enjoyable, with figures like Andre the Giant. Also, The Princess Bride is truly for all ages. It is a whimsical childrens story but geared for adults, helping all audience members enjoy feeling the innocence of childhood again. While the Princess Bride does not touch upon deeper social or political issues, it does ask the audience to question beliefs about chivalric, romantic love. Essentially, The Princess Bride is a postmodern fairy tale, one that is self-conscious about what fairy tales are and how they should be appreciated but taken lightly.
References
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.) [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/
Reiner, R. (Director). (1987). The Princess Bride. [Feature Film]. Act III Communications.
Assignment 2
Editing
One of the best examples of film editing in the history of cinema is the Baptism/murder scene in The Godfather. In this scene, Coppola juxtaposes heaven and hell, good and evil, right and...
…shifts between the real world of Kansas and the dream state. Doing this shows that the dream state is actually where individuals like Dorothy work out their problems psychologically. Therefore, the plot is mainly about Dorothy and her friends seeking the Wizard in order that she may return to Kansas, but the story is about much grander themes related to issues like identity, coming of age, and conflict resolution.The plot of The Wizard of Oz is compelling, replete with conflict and generally following the three act structure. Yet story is tantamount to plot. Filmmakers favor story over plot because it is story that conveys the enduring themes and morals (Morrow, 2014). With The Wizard of Oz, the story of Dorothy resolving her problems with the mean old lady in Kansas would have been far less effective if she had not entered the alternative reality. As Payne (2009) points out, the story describes psychological problems and offers prescriptive remedies that viewers may adopt, (p. 25). Ultimately, Dorothy needs to cultivate the maturity to confront her real-world enemies and only through her journey to the Emerald City can she learn to leverage her social ties and…
References
Morrow, J. (2014). Martin Scorsese Breaks Down the Difference Between Story & Plot. No Film School. https://nofilmschool.com/2014/07/martin-scorsese-difference-between-story-plot
Payne, D. (2009). The Wizard of Oz Therapeutic rhetoric in a contemporary media ritual. Quarterly Journal of Speech 75(1): 25-39.
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