The acting in the movie was very interesting; it seemed very exaggerated, most notably the character Betty. Her movement and actions were very overdone, almost as if I were watching an old movie or a B-movie. But I felt as though it was intentional. It created a feeling that we were watching a character  that was in a dream. This only added to the feeling throughout the movie that what we were viewing may not be reality.

The title of this film is  perfect, as it opens up a world of debate as to what the “right thing” actually is. It brings forward a moral debate between violence and non-violence in the face of oppression. Lee is suggesting us to think about  both sides of this argument, and emphasizes this point by placing quotes by Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X at the end of the movie (one vehemently against violence under any circumstance, the other supporting it in self-defense).

However, I personally think the “right thing” ultimately supersedes racial boundaries, and  has to do with human life itself, and doing what is morally right. I think Lee makes this point by using a few different examples; Mookie working an honest job, trying to provide for his family, not taking Sal’s money at the end of the film, etc. I also believe that the character of Da Mayor was very important. Though he was viewed as a bum and a failure by many, I saw him as the most morally sound character, who always did the “right thing,” whether it be jumping in front of an oncoming car to save a child, or simply comforting someone in a time of despair. I’m not 100% certain as to what Lee is specifically referring to with the title, but I think that it allows for a great discussion on morality.

It was also interesting to see how the influence of Dogma 95 came into play for von Trier. The most notable aspect of much of the film was the way the film was shot. It felt less like a movie and more like a home video or documentary at points (The beginning, when Jan arrives, for example). The actors often look directly into the camera, which creates the feeling that we (the viewer) are right there, in the eyes of another character, or a character ourselves. I was impressed with this extreme sort of realism because I feel as though it made this movie resonate much more emotionally, since as a viewer, I felt like I was watching something real occur, and not merely a film.

Every member of the Torrance family is going through some sort of identity crisis, and that is why I feel that the theme of movement is relevant; they are all running towards and/or away from different aspects of their lives. As Jack uproots and relocates his family far away to an isolated and secluded place, I believe this is because he is running from multiple things; his past as an alcoholic, his writers block, and his marriage, to name a few. He eventually loses himself and his identity completely and goes insane. Throughout the movie, Danny is also dealing with his identity. He is trying to cope with his identity of someone given the ability to “shine.” In addition, he switches back and forth between being himself and being “Tony,” however at the end he returns to normalcy. Wendy, to a lesser degree, struggles with her role as Jack’s wife. As previously mentioned, when each character is tempted in some way, the camera represents that by showing some sort of movement, and does the same when they are fleeing from said temptations or vices.

There also seemed to be an emphasis on realism that I noticed. Many of the scenes or sequences consist of characters walking for an extended period of time, or performing seemingly menial tasks; they’re simply going about their daily lives, which I think is fairly unique, as characters in movies generally almost always only doing something that serves to move the plot forward, and this strays from that. This is also noticeable in the dialogue – often the scenes with dialogue tended to be more drawn out.  The conversations were sometimes “unnecessary” or pointless and did nothing to move the plot forward. I don’t necessarily think this is a bad thing; Quentin Tarantino is notorious for doing this, and I feel it adds a certain effect of realism many film makers can’t achieve. Unfortunately I felt The 400 Blows dragged on a bit too long.

Overall I enjoyed the film, though the first half was more entertaining than the second, and it is clear how Truffaut was trying to break the mold and create a more “realistic” film.

Throughout the movie it is painfully obvious to see the differences between the male and female characters, and the gender stereotypes they fulfill. The women all take on the stereotypical, pathetic helpless housewife role, taking demands from the men and catering to their every whim. Laura is the only female character who shows some sense of independence, but even she is told by McPherson to make him breakfast. McPherson also bosses Bessie around,telling her (not asking her) to get him a highball glass. He calls females “Dames” and “Dolls,” and when Laura goes back on her word and leaves the apartment, and he finds out, he makes a statement regarding women, generalizing them as liars and untrustworthy. Another example that portrays the men as “above” the females; one of the male characters tells Laura that he “approves” of the hat she is wearing, as if it is ultimately his decision what she does or does not wear.

Laura uses many different methods that cause it to fit into the role of a film noir, but the most poignant one, in my opinion, is the use of the flashback. In Richard Dyer’s “Homosexuality and Film Noir,” he writes that “noir feeling is induced by the use of flashback, voice-over and dream structures.” Because such a large portion of “Laura” is seem from the perspective of Lydecker’s flashbacks, and because Lydecker is ultimately the villain, it causes the viewer to question the validity of his flashbacks. According to Dyer, this part of what made film noir’s what they are; “First, they (the flashbacks) may cast into doubt the status-as-truth of the events presented….uncertainties begin to creep in.” Preminger’s use of the flashback creates a feeling of uneasiness in the viewer in regards to all of the characters, giving the film a mysterious energy,  in traditional film noir fashion.

Throughout the entire movie Lang pulls and plays with the emotions of the viewer with the use of sound alone. The scenes during which many characters are yelling and screaming, overlapping one another, create a frantic and stressful atmosphere. For example, during the many scenes when a large mob of people are involved, one may not be able to distinguish what anyone in particular is saying, but the mass amount of noise amplifies the chaotic scene.
Another example of this is when the killer is hiding from his pursuers; he can not be seen, as he is immersed in shadows, but he can be heard panting heavily.

While Lang’s use of specific sounds and volume dynamics did noticeably alter the mood, two other techniques he used stood out more to me than anything else. The first was, ironically, silence. As a result of having sound in his films, Lang must have realized that this consequently made silence even more powerful; the scene during which the police are advancing on the bar while they prepare to raid is completely silent. The policemen are merely walking, but since you can not hear what is going on, the scene is a slowly-building crescendo of suspense that finally erupts when the silence is broken with the blowing of a whistle.

Another technique Lang used was one which incorporated both sound and the image on the screen; however, the sound being heard would not be on the screen, much like a voice-over. There is a scene in which one man is speaking about “madness;” the man himself can not be seen – merely heard. However, the shot that is seen is of the murderer, staring into a mirror and making bizarre faces. These two things combine to form a very powerful scene.

It is truly remarkable that this was Lang’s first film using sound, as he masterfully uses it to manipulate the emotions of its viewers and create an engaging film.

Gender roles are clearly defined in this film; all of the women in the film take on very demeaning roles. Lucy’s mother is a pathetic and worn woman just like her, who warns her not to get married. The only other women in the film are prostitutes, who advise her not to do what they do. Lucy’s only real purpose, it seems, is to slave away in the house and kitchen to cook and clean for Battling Burrows. This portrayal of women would be deemed extremely inappropriate in today’s time.

If I remember correctly, Battling Burrows is the lone American man in the film; he is portrayed as an extremely dumb, brutish man. He speaks very unintelligently, using phrases like “I’ll learn him,” and the word “yer” instead of “your.” Perhaps this portrayal of an American white man was Griffith’s way of apologizing for his offensive Birth of a Nation (though racism still runs rampant in this film; it is just directed at a different race).

This film is a silent film, and as a result it was interesting to see what techniques Griffith used to express himself. The lighting in this movie is very important; brighter lighting seemed to express a more upbeat, even joyous environment (such as the opening shots of the bustling city) while more ominous, mysterious or tragic scenes were darker and had more shadows. Also, at different points in the movie, the entire scene would take on a different hue. The night scenes outside were blue, and the scenes in which the relationship between Lucy and the yellow man is developing are red. These subtle differences help express the mood of the scene and assist the viewer with how they should be feeling.

Obviously, music and sound is also important, with there being no dialogue in this film. The music changed in a manner very similar to how the lighting did; brighter music for a brighter setting, ominous music for a more ominous setting. I thought it was very interesting that while there were almost no sound effects at all in the movie, the bells in the movie (in the temple, in the boxing ring, etc.) were all given their respective sound effects. In addition music, Grifftih uses long, overdrawn close-ups of the actors’ faces, to express the emotions they are feeling that they cannot convey with their dialogue.

Overall, it was interesting to see the methods used in silent films make up for the lack of sound.

While watching the film, one thing I noticed was that at many points everything in a scene would be in focus, whether it was in the foreground or background. For example, when Kane is a child and his parents are inside of the house discussing his future, Kane can be seen through the window throwing snowballs from outside of the house, and is clearly in focus, even though he is not the focal point of these scene. I am not certain how important this is, or what sort of technique was used, but it stood out to me.

What also stood out to me are the unusual shots used at many points during the movie: the scene that depicts the nurse coming across Kane’s dead body, seen from the reflection of the snowglobe, and the scene with the lightbulb that goes out in tandem with Singer’s career, are just two examples. Welles also uses lighting and shadows very effectively, such as when Mr. Thompson is in the phone booth, he is shrouded in shadow, creating a mysterious scene, as well as when he is in the archive room and the light is shining down on him and nothing else.

The story is told through a series of flashbacks, fade-ins, fade-outs, and flashforwards. This method of non-linear story-telling is very unique and difficult to accomplish. For example, the newsreel in the very beginning serves not only to develop the plot, but simultaneously develops Kane as a character. In addition, quick cuts  are made throughout the movie, often representing the passage of time (The cut from Kane as a child to the age of 25, at Christmastime, as well as a cut when the picture of the 8 prominent newspaper men is taken, which is a six year gap), other times representing the chaotic and frenetic lifestyle of Kane.

Another thing I took notice of is the lack of facial closeups on anyone other than Kane, and I believe this was done to emphasize how detached from anyone elses human emotions, and how self-absorbed he was. The use of metaphors was very noticeable in this film. For example, the jigsaw puzzles which represent the complexities of Kane, and of life itself.