English 381 Portfolio

Rob Walden

My experience with Cinema Lit class this semester has been a unique one; it has been a learning experience that will certainly prove to be instrumental in my growth as an analyst, critic, and observer of all forms of media. Before taking this class I never looked at the intricate details of stories, be they presented in books or in movies, as closely as I do now. I learned to recognize and understand why authors and directors make the stylistic choices that they do, such as Cormac McCarthy’s usage of particularly matter-of-fact discourse in his novels to convey messages of universal truth without sugar coating. I learned to be mindful of simple things such as color or camera angles in movies; often little, seemingly inconsequential facets of film such as these can be just as important to the overall mood and message of a work as the words the characters are saying and the actions they are performing.

Reflections

Introduction

In reflection I wish that I had examined the soundtrack for the contemporary Miami Vice film.  It is one of my favorites and has very little dialogue.  The music plays such a substantial role in the development of the characters that it would be very interesting to imagine different songs being played.  Of course, the 80s flair and fashion would have to be preserved.

I thought it was very interesting reading through and examining multiple graphic novels this semester. I think that the amount of detail and the nuances in Watchmen made it very difficult to adapt the novel successfully into a movie. On the other hand, I think that Frank Miller's style was abstract enough and that he broke down his story enough that it was able to spin into an interesting and successful film.