Throughout the past two and a half weeks, we have watched a number of films through this class. (12 to be exact) Of these 12 films there are naturally going to be some that stand out as personal favorites, and others who sink to the bottom of the list. One thing worth noting however, is that all of these films have been proven to be significant or to some distinction, good, by someone or a group of people. This reinforces that the enjoyment a person gets from any particular film comes directly from the person.
With that being said, here is my take on which films I felt were best throughout these past two or so weeks. The first film that we watched that really stood out to me would have to be The Adventures of Robin Hood. I had no problems at all instantly being drawn into the plot of the film, the acting, and the emotions that were trying to be portrayed. Yes, there were moments where I was able to observe some of the unavoidable blunders created by the technology available, but it was not anywhere close to taking away from the film. Next, I found Court Jester to be particularly enjoyable due to the whimsy and complete 180 degree turn that was made from The Adventures of Robin Hood to Court Jester. I found Court Jester to be filled with humor and laughter, partially due to the content itself, and partially due to the context of just having watched the previous film.
Lastly, I will take the chance to touch on the film that I felt was the least enjoyable to this point. As mentioned, all films that we have watched have great historical and cinematic importance, but there were some films that I just did not get as much enjoyment from. One of those films was the first film that we watched, The Passion of Joan of Arc. This film was not enjoyable for a couple of different reasons, extending past the fact that it is a silent film. The limitations of the technology, that placed restrictions on the film, really placed a restriction on how much I could enjoy the film. Additionally, I felt that the exaggeration of the actors in almost every setting made me want to view it as comical despite my knowing that it was a very serious film.
I could elaborate in much greater length on the pro’s and con’s of all 12 films that we have watched through the past couple weeks, but I feel this abridged list gives a good idea of cinematic experience that we have had throughout this class.
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The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Court Jester (1955) are some of my favorites that we have watched so far too. One thing I liked about both of these films was how the bright colors helped set a fun, lighthearted mood for the films. I also liked the use of bright colors because they made me forget that the two films are as old as they are. They felt much more modern than I would have originally guessed from their release dates, and because of that they felt more like films I am used to watching. I also struggled a little with The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928). I think my difficulties getting into the film were mostly because that film was so different than the films I normally watched. However, just because the film is different doesn’t mean the film is bad.The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) has its strengths as well, but they are harder to for people to see when they aren’t used to watching that style of film.
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I agree with you that The Passion of Joan of Arc was not the greatest film. I did had historical significance, but it was very hard to follow. Like you said, the technology was really a negative. Granted it was produced about one hundred years ago, but it really slowed down the movie. It was hard to watch because the camera angles weren’t very good, and the lighting wasn’t very good. I think as we have moved forward with the films, the technology has gotten better and better.
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I also agree that some of the films were hard to view because of the technology, or the lack there of. Seeing how far the film industry has come is really impressive.
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I agree with you that The Passion of Joan of Arc is not the best movie in this class. I take so much time for me understand the story. The movie Court Jester really does have the sense of humor. I would recommend this movie for people that need suggestions about medieval movies.
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Joan of Arc was difficult for me as well. I didn’t mind the black and white, but a film with no sound already sets you up for a long movie. The narration in between films didn’t help much either. The characters were talking throughout the film and it seemed like there were so many gaps to fill to understand the actual story.
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