The King's Speech

Describe and interpret the Establishing Shot of the film you viewed at the Nickelodeon. How did this set the stage for your experience with the film?

The establishing shot of The King’s Speech begins with Bertie, later to be known as king George the 6th speaking at a horse race. The shot introduces the audience to Bertie, and also lets the viewer hear the kings stutter, see the kings frustration, see the audience’s reaction to his speak impediment, and also meet the kings wife Elizabeth.

Describe any interesting camera angles that were seen in the film.
The most interesting camera angle of the movie happens right after Bertie has been crowned King, and is moving into Buckingham palace. The family is packing up their home in York. The camera is situated on a balcony looking down on the children Queen Elizabeth packing. With this angle the viewer is able to see the beautiful architecture of the home, along with vibrant green walls.

Describe and interpret the story line of the film. What scenes moved you, drew you in, made you feel uncomfortable, etc? Did you view any Mise-en-Scene or staging in the film?

The movie is based on King George the sixth and his speech impediment. The story starts with him only being the Duke of York, his father is king of England, and his brother is next in line. Bertie, soon to become King George, must give a speech at a horse race, but is unable to actually speak when the microphone turns on. This is just so painful to watch because I too despise speaking in front of a crowd. His wife goes to a speech therapist to help him with his issues. During his therapy sessions the king dies, and Bertie’s brother takes the throne. He however decides to marry a divorced American and abdicates the throne, leaving Bertie as king. Bertie now must be the voice of a nation. The most moving scene is when Bertie is being coached on what to say during his initiation. Lionel is purposely pushing Bertie’s buttons in order to get Bertie to see that he can be King. Bertie ends up yelling “because I have a voice.” This is one of the underlying points of the movie, that everyone has a voice and can speak, no matter if you are the King of England or a no body. The movie ends with King George having to tell England that Germany has declared war on them.

Analyze the roles of the actors. Were they convincing in their depiction of the character they played? Why or why not?
These actors were unbelievable. All the actors are from England so there were no phony accents. Colin Firth is able to play both the part of being scared and timid with a stutter and then lashing out and speaking his mind in a fit of rage. Lionel is played by Geoffrey Rush and is great as well. Helen Bonham Carter plays a great queen and loving wife. Everyone in this movie did a great job.

How did the music or soundtrack of the film influence your interpretation and experience of the film?

While Lionel is with King George while he is addressing the nation about war with Germany, there is an orchestra playing in the background. I thought this was very interesting because while Lionel is helping King George he has him listen to music so he cannot hear his own voice. Lionel also has George sing whatever he has to say to whatever toon he likes. For the actual speech, Lionel breaks up the speech into pauses and conducts the king’s speech. I thought this was interesting because the director is clearly comparing the speech to a symphony.

Describe the genre of the film. (Refer to Chapter 10.)
The genre is historical drama. The movie is about England right before world war two when King Henry abdicates the throne and his younger brother who has difficulty speaking must take over as king. The costumes are not extravagant, but definitely represent the time


Describe, analyze and interpret the context of the film. What message or meaning did you derive from the film?
The context is historical since the movie portrays a significant event in England’s history point of the movie is to show how important communication is and that no matter who you are, you have a voice. Another underlying point is the importance of friendship, and that friendship can transcend anything including social class.

Music, Peter and the Wolf

Describe Jazz music. Where did it come from, and what makes it particularly unique to Americans?
When I think of Jazz music, I think of saxophones in the art deco era in New Orleans. Jazz was stated in the south by African Americans in the early 20th century. Common instruments incorporated into Jazz are the saxophone, clarinet, flute, vibraphone, trumpet, piano, banjo and the trombone.
In Peter and the Wolf, what instruments play Peter, the duck, the wolf, the bird, Grandfather and the Hunters?
String instruments played Peter, French Horns played the wolf, the grandfather is represented by the Bassoon, the duck by the oboe, and the hunters by the woodwind.
Discuss Classical music. Who are some of the composers that are considered classical musicians?
When I think of Classical music I think of very calm music from the 1800’s. Classical music started in the church in the 11th century and still continues today. The most famous classical music stems from the 1500’s to the 1900’s. Classical music uses typical orchestra instruments along with the piano, and organ. The most famous classical composers are Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven and Frédéric Chopin

Architecture

The South Caroliniana Library, can be found on the Horseshoe. The library was built before the Civil war and was designed by Robert Mills in 1838 after the Library of Congress. The Library was the nation's first free standing library. Like the Library of Congress, the Library has four large Greek looking columns. These columns are better known as Doric columns. There is no real decoration on the columns. Instead, they are simple and clean looking. The Library is made of bricks, which, at the time, was the most inexpensive material to build form. The Library served as USC’s main library until 1940.

Assignment #3

I pour the thick clear shampoo into my small cupped palm. The gel is cool, but I hardly notice due to the steamy heat of my shower. The fog hits the bottom of the shower and then bounces back up off the slippery aqua tile. I bend my elbow and place the goopy gel to the center my head. I begin to make tiny circles on my scalp s the gel changes into bubbly foam. As I continue to scrub my head the foam becomes larger and larger. The foam begins to slide down my forehead and into my eyes. The stinging burn I feel is quickly cooled by the water flowing from my shower head. Once the burn has ceased, I turn so the steamy water hits my back. I slowly tilt my head until the water rushes down my hair and relinquish the foam from head. The white foam is finally rinsed from my scalp, and my long shiny dark hair is clean.

2. Post your picture that you drew in class when we listened to "Nessum Dorma" and drew what Pavarotti might have been singing about. What were some of the feelings that you thought while he was singing.
I thought that there were three distinct tones of the singer. The man started off calm and collected. The music was mellow and easy going. I tried to describe this in my picture by the soft wavy lines. As the man continued singing he seemed to get a little more desperate and longing. He was getting a little angrier but had not yet reached his peak of anger/ desire. I depicted this phase of the music with medium sized peaks to display the heightened emotion. The final phase of the song is very dramatic and emotion filled. I tried to depict this phase of the song with steep peaks.

3. Describe the establishing shot in a movie. What is its purpose? What does it tell us as the viewers of a film? How important is the establishing shot in a movie?
The establishing shot in a movie sets up the context for a scene by showing things like who, what, when, where, why, and how. The shots will show prominent landmarks from where ever the setting is. The establishing shot could also just show some of the major characters from the movie. Basically, the establishing shot clues the viewer into what is happening and going on. Without an establishing shot, the viewer may not catch on to what is going on until it is too late.
The establishing shot of the little mermaid begins with birds flying in the sky, and the clouds behind them are dark, letting the viewer know a storm is brewing. The shot continues down to show the top of the ocean, and dolphins are swimming in the water, letting the viewer know that this movie takes place under the sea. The dolphins are then interrupted by a boat that is carrying Prince Eric, an important character in the movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxtL7zmBj58