Western Comparison

     When I think of a Western Film, what comes to mind is black and white, guns, saloons, whiskey, shoot outs, and those sort of things.  The film Stage Coach has all of the qualities and more.  One thing Stage Coach did was kick off John Waynes acting career.  From the time this film came out in 1939 until now many things have and haven’t changed about Westerns.

     The film Open Range staring Kevin Costner, came out in 2003 and is more of a modern Western.  Like Stage Coach it has the same type of western setting in the open country.  This film is in color, which takes away a bit from the classic Western feel.  The props, costumes, and settings all are similar.  However, the camera angles in open range are a little more modern.  There are more close ups, smoother pans, and zooms.  A crane is used for several shots and every so often there would be a pull focus between characters.  In Open Range, there is a lot more dialogue.  The language they use isn’t quite the same as in Stage Coach.  They seem to talk a little more modern and not so much with Western accents.  The music played in the background is definitely different.  For emphasis on sad parts, the music does its part.  Stage Coach and Open Range definitely have much in common.  But they are still very different.  It's obvious that movie making technology has grown over sixty-four years. 

Movie Memory Post

      My first and most memorable movie going experience was when I was eight years old.  I was with my family and we went to go see Titanic on the opening day at the Perth Amboy cinema.  As I walked through the entrance the aroma of popcorn that seemed to be everywhere immediately overwhelmed me.  After waiting on line for what seemed to be forever, we finally got the tickets and entered the theater.  The room was packed from wall to wall of people making it almost impossible to find four seats that were together.  When the lights dimmed the room was quiet and previews began.  I was amazed at how big the screen was because I’ve never viewed anything on a screen that large.  With a tub popcorn in one hand and a slushy in the other, I was in for a treat.

     After a few minutes of previews the movie started.  I remember the walls and the floor shaking every time there was a loud part in the movie.  This was my first time experiencing surround sound.  It amazed me at how with a giant screen and surround sound it could make me feel as if I was on the set. 

     When the scene was coming up where Kate Winslet (Rose) was about to take off her clothes, I remember my mother covering my eyes.  Then later in the movie when the ship was starting to sink was the first time I realized the power of the movies.  All of a sudden my heart was pounding, my pulse was racing, almost as if I was on the ship desperately trying to get off.   I found myself covering my own eyes and looking away when people were falling off the ship hitting and hitting the side railings.  I’m overly squeamish so even little things like that make me queasy.    I kept trying to tell myself, it’s not real, this didn’t really happen, but it didn’t work.  At the end of the movie when Rose let Jack fall into the sea I wanted to cry.  And when Rose almost didn’t get rescued, I was saying to myself, if only she could scream louder.  I was asking myself “why doesn’t she do this, instead of that” getting mad that she wouldn’t do certain things. 

      The movie completely took over my attention and emotions for three and a half hours I was in the theater.  It made me laugh, cry, excited, and scared.  I never knew that just watching a movie could control my emotions.  From that day forward, every single movie has had an effect on me in one way or another. Whether it was controlling my emotions or changing my views on a specific subject, the movies are always an entertaining memorable experience for me.