SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) Snow White, pursued by a jealous queen, hides with the Dwarfs; the queen feeds her a poison apple, but Prince Charming awakens her with a kiss.


Origin

The 1937 Snow White film was based on the German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. It was the first full-length cel animated feature film and the earliest in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. (http://en.wikipedia.org/) The Brothers Grimm were two German writers most writing childrens tales such as Cinderella and Hanzel and Gretel. Walt Disney got his inspiration for the film from the children's book that the Grimm brothers wrote.

Purpose

The fact that this was the first full length cel animated film which was big for film considering the time frame. Cel animation is how animation was done before computers where each frame was drawn by hand. After the release of the film animation became more and more frequent. The film is a good example of what was becoming very common in the film world during the time. The film was created with the simple purpose to entertain young children. Up to the time of the release, there were only short cartoons but Snow White like I said earlier was the first full length cartoon.

Value

This film gives valueable insight into new inovations in film. Snow White's nationwide release on February 4, 1938, earned a whopping of $8 million during its initial release and briefly assumed the record of highest grossing sound film at the time. So there is no doubt that people enjoyed watching animated films. Films like this also helped to take people's minds off of more serious problems like World War II. The film is also one of the best expresions of the time because it brings about a new aspect of film never seen before and was made by one of todays most dominate companies in the world.

Limitations

A Limitation of this film is that it can't tell us what else happened historically in film in that decade. Film critics and movie goers all praised Snow White and loved the animation, so there were no voices left out that need to be considered. This kind of film was very unusual to see but quickly became mainstream especially for Disney films.

METROPOLIS (1927)

Metropolis (1927) In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.


Origin

Metropolis was a very popular film made during the time of 1920-1940 from the director Fritx Lang, who is also famously known for film like M (1931) and Fury (1936). The film was met with a mixed response upon its initial release, with many critics praising its technical achievements and social metaphors while others derided its "simplistic and naïve" presentation. Because of its long running-time and the inclusion of footage which censors found questionable, Metropolis was cut substantially after its German premiere: large portions of the film were lost over the subsequent decades. The film is a good example of new advancements in film like elaborate special effects and set designs. Even though movies with sound were being made at the time, Metropolis was a silent film.

Purpose

In an interview, Fritz Lang reported that "the film was born from my first sight of the skyscrapers in New York in October 1924". Describing his first impressions of the city, Lang said that "the buildings seemed to be a vertical sail, scintillating and very light, a luxurious backdrop, suspended in the dark sky to dazzle, distract and hypnotize" (http://en.wikipedia.org/) Metroplis like New York with a futuristic vibe to it to symbolize how the buildings were distracting from bigger problems in the movie like people being divided by the working class and city planners.



Value

The film's set was inspired by the Art Deco movement. Art Deco is an influential art movement that first appeared in France after WW1 and bloomed internationally during the 1930's and 1940's. The style is often characterized by rich colors, bold geometric shapes, and lavish ornamentation.The film’s use of art deco architecture was highly influential, and has been reported to have contributed to the style’s subsequent popularity in Europe and America.

Limitations

A major limitation that this film has is that it is silent, so it tcan't tell us that films had sound and people spoke during the time. None the less, Metropolis was one of the most popular films of the decade and topped IMDB's list of the top 20 movies of the 1920's. This film was not unusual to see during the time. There were no other perspectives that were left out of the film either

THE PAWNSHOP (1916)

The Pawnshop (1915) Starring Charlie Chaplin

Origin
One of the many great things that came about during the late 1800's and early 1900's was the invention of film. The innovative Lumiere brothers in France, Louis and Auguste (often called "the founding fathers of modern film"), who worked in a Lyons factory that manufactured photographic equipment and supplies, were inspired by Edison's work.(http://www.filmsite.org/) They created their own combo movie camera and projector - a more portable, hand-held and lightweight device that could be cranked by hand and could project movie images to several spectators. It was called the Cinematographe and was the standard until the the 1920's when 'talkies' we invented. 

Soon the film industry began to grow and big name companies such as Warner Bros. Pictures and Universal Studios were just getting started. Motion pictures were starting to be produced and movie palaces, modern day movie theaters were being build everywhere. Many stars and directors were making names for themselves, but the first truly great film star was British vaudevillian actor Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin began working as an apprentice for a director named Sennett in 1913, playing small parts in comedy features. In 1914 he debuted his tramp character and became an instant hit.(http://www.filmsite.org/)  A few years later he left Sennett and began working for the Mutual Film Corporation making short films such as The Pawnshop.

Purpose
Charlie Chaplin brought a new, fresh, feel to film. His hilarious characters and acting drew the attention of people of all ages. One of the most special things about him was how relatable he was to middle class people because during the time only upper class people went to the movies. Chaplin has many short films, but The Pawnshop is one of his most popular works. Chaplin was definetly the most popular person of his time, bringing laughter and relief to families during World War 1, the Great Depression and Hitler. The Pawnshop was created as just another of Chaplin's short films. There was no reason for it happening or being created other than to entertain. Below is a video of The Pawnshop, enjoy :)

Value

This peice of film from Chaplin is a good expression of the time period because it is a classic work that really shows the beginning of film production. As you can see, the film, like all films of that period, was black and white. At the time, there were no color films. You may also have noticed that there is no dialogue. This is because films with speech called talkies hadn't been intruduced yet. The film is good example of the advancements of film and where it was heading during the time.

Limitations
Limitations of this film are that it doesnt show great cinematic aspects of the time that could be achieved. The film is kind of cartoonish and sketchy, while other popular films of the time, such as Birth of a Nation, better represented the directory of films. The film also can't tell use what other people were saying around this time either. This film was very usual and up the alley of Chaplin. He wrote many more short film comedies just like The Pawnshop. People were very used to, and expected things like this from Chaplin. Films like this took their minds away from bigger peoblems happening in the country. There are also no missing perspectives that the film could've missed. It was very light and funny, without intentions to make people choose sides.