Faith through Film and Fiction

Joshua Debo
Rev. Salkil
24 January, 2016
Faith Through Film

                                                                       The Godfather

          The Godfather is widely regarded by many to be the greatest film of all time for its ability to capture audiences (even to this day), its impeccable acting, and its significance for the world of films. I now understand why this film is so highly regarded. Of course, the story in this film draws you in and is iconic, but besides just the plot, this movie reigns supreme in so many other categories.
          To start off, the acting in this film is some of the best I've ever witnessed. Marlon Brando captures the essence of a Mafia boss perfectly. His mannerisms and the way he delivers his lines help to create a memorable character within the first few minutes of screen time. Al Pacino and James Caan also do superb work as the sons of the Godfather. They each make sure the audience recognizes their growth and transitions throughout the film.
          Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo do a fantastic job with all of the story elements in this film. Everything in this film represents what make a film great. The story is intriguing and original. The characters in this movie are some of the best in all of cinema. Don Vito Corleone is likely the most recognizable crime bosses in all works of fiction. Clemenza, Tom, and Luca are all characters that one has a hard time disliking, no matter what they do. Kay is an interesting character to examine, as she deals with Michael and takes him back even after he has been gone for years. Michael and Sonny are both characters that need to be examined in order to truly appreciate the greatness of this film. Sonny spends much of his screen time as a somewhat unpleasant character. However, by the time his death comes, audiences will find themselves mourning his death as much as any other character, especially thanks to his defense of his sister. Michael's character development is flawlessly drawn out by Coppola. He starts as an innocent man avoiding the crime life, and somehow winds up as a ruthless, power-hungry crime lord who can lie to his wife and execute nearly a dozen murders with a straight face. This transition reminded me a bit of the transition seen in Walter White from the beginning of Breaking Bad to the end. The scene where the other families' heads are killed while Michael is at the baptism is one that must be seen to appreciate its beautiful contrast. The progression of these characters was perhaps my favorite aspect of the film.
          Among my other favorite aspects of the film was the way that the film seemed to reach its climax several times, yet this was just because every part was so good. The music and the setting of the film also improved it for me, as the mid-1900s are always a good place to set a movie in my view. Also, I liked the little things that Coppola placed in the film for fun such as the oranges being placed in or before scenes where something very bad happens. I, of course, saw this online beforehand, as only very attentive viewers could notice such intricacies.
          In all, due to the reasons above and the piece this role plays in cinematic history, this film is an absolute must-see for all people. I would rate this film 10/10. This film is the pinnacle of story-telling, character use, and many other aspects of film, and is one of my favorite movies I have ever seen.

Tootsie (AFI Top 100)
As I scanned the list of the AFI Top 100 films and my eyes glazed over Tootsie I knew I had to watch it. On top of hearing about it as a great comedy and observing that it was one of the only comedies on the list, I had just heard it mentioned on a Parks and Rec episode that I watched so I figured it had to be a pretty good movie. I was not sure what to expect from the movie other than that it was a comedy, but I was pleasantly surprised as the movie was able to hold my attention from start to finish. The storyline of the movie itself was hilarious, and Dustin Hoffmans acting as Dorothy Michaels was outstanding, I have no idea how he and everyone else in the movie managed to get through every scene without cracking up. Aside from Tootsie being hilarious, I was surprised to find that it actually did give off a message, unlike most of todays comedies. A strong female character was portrayed by Dustin Hoffman, and despite the irony of him actually being a man, he was able to teach females in the movie to stand up for themselves and stop letting men walk all over them. This movie came out in 1982, a time where many people still thought of women as weak and less important than men. Since this movie is a comedy, one might not expect it to actually have a message, but it did, and the way the it was delivered in such a funny way helped me to enjoy the movie without feeling like the message was being crammed down my throat. I really enjoyed this movie, not only for the great plot, the hilarious irony and the fantastic acting, but also because it is a comedy that showed the idea that women do not have to let themselves be treated awful by men simply because they are supposed to be quiet and 'weak'. Overall I would give this movie an 8.5 out of 10.

At first I was not really sure what movie I wanted to watch off the list. Then I saw that West Side Story was an option and was really excited because I had seen the musical two different times and it is one of my favorites. I wanted to be able to compare the film version to the musical version, and I am very glad I chose to do so. The first thing I noticed in the film was that the beginning started off with very few words, it was all mostly music and dancing. Music is what makes West Side Story a great film. Throughout the whole film it is as if the music (along with dialogue between characters) narrates what is going on. A person could not look at the screen and tell the mood of the film/what may be happening whether it is sad, scary, or happy just by hearing the music in the background. I think that the actors in this play did a great job of playing their roles very convincingly. I normally am not a fan of old movies but this one I loved and would recommend to anyone, 8/10.

Pulp Fiction:

Before I saw this movie, I had heard amazing things about it but never knew the plot line at all.  I was planning on watching Schindler's List but it was $7 on Amazon. I'm very glad I ended up watching Pulp Fiction because it was the perfect type of movie for me.

After watching the first scene of the robbers in the diner, you expect them to be the two main characters. But really, there are no "main characters" in this film.  The scenes are all over the place but work perfectly together. There were points in the movie where I was very confused and has to re watch different parts over again, but after awhile you get the feel of the movie and start to understand it better.  I was so intrigued by the interesting story telling they showed.  I enjoyed the different timelines in the movie and how they didn't show you main parts of the story untill the ending.  I love when movies have exciting & interesting endings. The intersections of the story were really cool to watch and understand.

I love this movie because the dialogue is perfect.  I felt like I could listen to Vince (John Travolta)  talk about The Royale with cheese for hours upon hours. In my opinion, the script is what makes this movie a top 100 film.  The dialogue makes it realistic and made me feel like I could relate to some of the characters.

The music in this movie went along so well with the plot line. I think this film had one of the best albums that I've ever really seen.  To me, great music is very important in a film. It creates a certain type of character and tone/mood of the film, actors, and plot.

I really thought the acting in Pulp Fiction was amazing.  In my opinion, this may have been one of Samuel L Jackson's best performances.  John Travolta had an amazing performance as well.  I am very happy that I watched this film.