TITANIC (1997)

Titanic (1997) A seventeen-year-old aristocrat, expecting to be married to a rich claimant by her mother, falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic. ( http://www.imdb.com/)




Origin

Titanic is a 1997 American epic romantic disaster film directed by the award winning James Cameron depicting a fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as members of different social classes who fall in love aboard the ship. Cameron's inspiration for the film was implied on his fascination with shipwrecks; he wanted to convey the emotional message of the tragedy and felt that a love story intergrated with the human loss would be essential to achieving this.




Purpose

The 90's was the decade of money, mega spending, and special effects. At the time, Titanic was the most expensive film ever made, with an estimated budget of $200 million (http://en.wikipedia.org/). Notable events such as the invention of DVDs in 1997, advancements in CGI technology, and the rise of independent cinema, as well as independent studios. The special effects on the film were extremely innovative. A reconstruction of the Titanic built at Playas de Rosarito in Baja California, scale models , and computer-generated imagery were used to recreate the sinking. Digital water, smoke, and extras were also used in this special effects heavy blockbuster.




Value

This film was one of the defining movies of the decade. Upon its release, the film achieved critical and commercial success. Nominated for fourteen Academy Awards, it won eleven, including the awards for Best Picture and Best Director, tying Ben Hur for most Oscars won by a single film ( http://en.wikipedia.org/). The film expresses what was mainstream during the time along the lines of genre and values. The film especially does a great job of accuratley showing how the actually disaster happened.




Limitations

Limtaions of this film are that it can't tell us about other popular themes during the decade like films with serious themes, action-thrillers, and the Disney Renaissance. This film was very noraml to come by during the time because of the rising blockbuster movie genre at it's peak. There are no voices mor perspectives left out of this item either.

E.T. THE EXTRA- TERRESTRIAL (1982)

E.T. (1982) A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape Earth and return to his home-world. (http://www.imdb.com/)


Origin

The 1980's saw the continued rise of the blockbuster, an increased amount of nudity in film and the increasing emphasis in the American industry on film franchises, especially in the science fiction, horror, and action genres. The teen comedy sub-genre saw its popularity rise during this decade. In the US, the PG-13 rating was introduced in 1984, to accommodate films that straddled the line between PG and R (http://en.wikipedia.org/). E.T. is a great representation of the blockbuster theme because it was the highest grossing film of the decade. This movie was directed by the famous Steven Spielberg who just a year earlier directed the hit movie Raiders of the Lost Ark.


Purpose

The concept for the film was based on an imaginary friend Spielberg created after his parents' divorce in 1960. In 1980, Spielberg met Melissa Mathison ( the writer of the film) and developed a new story from the stalled science fiction/horror film project Night Skies. It was shot from September to December 1981 in California on a budget of US$10.5 million. Unlike most motion pictures, it was shot in roughly chronological order, to facilitate convincing emotional performances from the young cast. This film was indicative of what was mainstream at the time because it fit into the same genre as other big blockbuster hit about the future and space.,Below is the full movie.














Value


This film is a very good expression of the decade because of it's major popularity of the time and it's relevance to what was common during the decade. It also fulfilled the popular demand of new age futuristic movies. There are a lot of other great movies that could represent the decade like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future or Alien but what makes E.T. the best expression was how well it was received by critics and the like. It shattered all records, earning 40% more than any Star-Wars film, and double or triple the revenue of 46 of the top 50 films. (http://en.wikipedia.org/)


Limitations


This film cannot tell us about other rising genres and themes of the decade like sci-fi, western, more gory horror, teen comdies, maverick police officer action, and James Bond. There were also some other voices that might have been left out that challenged the originality of the film because of obvious influences from the script of The Alien (1967). Other than that there are no other limitations that need to be brought to the table. The film was not uncommon to come upon during the decade of major blockbuster hits.

STAR WARS (1977)

Star Wars (1977) Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a wookiee and two droids to save the universe from the Empire's world-destroying battle-station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader. (http://www.imdb.com/)




Origin

Star Wars (later retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) is a 1977 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. In the film, a group of freedom fighters known as the Rebel Alliance plot to destroy the Death Star space station. This conflict disrupts the isolated life of Luke Skywalker who must save the galaxy and along the way fall in love with his sister. The film is based on the plot outline of a Japenese action movie named The Hidden Fortress, and the 1930s Flash Gordon series.




Purpose

Lucas founded Industrial Light & Magic specifically to create the groundbreaking visual effects needed for the film. Most of the visual effects used motion control photography, which creates the illusion of size by employing small models and slowly moving cameras. (http://en.wikipedia.org/) Which was very new and innovative of the time. The movie was made because of Lucas' long time idea of a space fantasy film. The franchise went on to grow bigger and bigger, producing multiple sequels and prequels and still has a gigantic fanbase. The trailer for the movie is below.






Value

This film is a great example of movies furing the 70's. Films during this decade are very much like movies now in terms of cinematic aspects and technology. Lots of special effects were used in the making of this movie. This movie is the best expression of the time period because of it's relevance in today's society. It's the most iconic film of the decade. The film was the highest grossing of all time until E.T. in 1983.




Limitations

There is nothing that this movie can't tell us about the time period. While most people praised Star Wars, some critics have blamed Star Wars, as well as Jaws, for ruining Hollywood by shifting its focus from "sophisticated" films such as The Godfather, Taxi Driver, and Annie Hall to films about spectacle and juvenile fantasy. These voices are not illustrated by the movie. This movie was unusual to come upon during the time because it introduced a new era of fast paced, sci fi, blockbuster hits.

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Humanity finds a mysterious, obviously artificial, object buried beneath the Lunar surface and, with the intelligent computer H.A.L. 9000, sets off on a quest. (http://www.imdb.com/)


Origin

The decade is known for being prominent in historical drama, psychological horror, romance and comedy, as well as the sub-genres of spy film, sword and sandal, and spaghetti westerns, all peaking during this decade. 2001: A space odyssey is a 1968 American-British science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It falls into the sci-fi genre which became prominent during the 50's. This film is the most famous of the decade.


Purpose

During the time, more and more people were getting drawn into the sci-fi genre. This film was one of the first that was very realistic. It's particularly famous for its detailed sets resembling alien habitats and space stations. Lots of special effects were used, some that were way ahead of the time too. For example, computer displays show color and graphics, far in advance of computers in the 1960s when the film was made. (http://en.wikipedia.org/) The film was made to pioneer special effects, and ambiguous imagery and to deal with elements of human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and extraterrestrial life. Below the is trailer for the movie.






Value

This film gives valuable insight into the evolution of film making. We're starting to see for realistic films being made that will eventually shape the film industry today. Upon release, the fiklm recieved tons of positive reactions from critics and movie goers. The films success truly established the "sci-fi blockbuster" as a Hollywood staple. The film had influences on film, media, technologuy, and even law.


Limitations

There's nothing that this film can't tell us about this time period becasue it was basically the face of the decade. Of there were some critics that didn't like the film, but majority of people praised it and it remains in the top 25 movies of all time still today. This film wasn't strange to see, it was considered to be pretty mainstream in comparison to other movies. There wern't any perspective left out of the item.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) An alien lands and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets.


Origin

Films of the 1950s were of a wide variety. As a result of television, the studios and companies sought to put audiences back in theaters. They used more techniques in presenting their films through widescreen and big-approach methods, such as Cinemascope, VistaVision, and Cinerama as well as gimmicks like 3-D film. This spectacle approach, coupled with Cold War paranoia, a renewed interest in science from the atomic bomb, as well as increased interest in the mysteries of outer space and other forteana, lent itself well to what this film decade is best known for, science fiction. The science fiction genre began its golden age during this decade with such notable films as The Day the Earth Stood Still.


Purpose

This film was just like any other you would see during the time. The 50s is really when the science fiction genre made its way into the mainstream. Films about doomsday and other unwordly topics became super popular. The purpose was solely to give movie goers an entertaining movie that would help to take their minds away from potential WW3 paranoia.


Value

This film gives us valuable insight into cinematography styles and innocations during the decade. Photographic elements of the shot, framing and shot duration all are key categoories when sooting a good film. The Day the Eart Stood Still does a good job of making the film unique using those elements. A great deal of sound effects are used in the film too.


Limitations

I don't see any limitations with this film, it's a great example of how film was made and how far it had come. As for voices left out of this item, there really arent any except for critics who might disagree with me and want to tear this movie apart. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary or strange to mention either