Spike Lee vs Quentin Tarantino

Spike Lee

Who is he?

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983.

Where is he from?

He was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His mother Jacqueline Carroll was a teacher of arts and black literature and his father, William James Edward Lee III was a jazz musician and a composer. When he was a child the family moved to Brooklyn, New York. During his childhood his mother nicknamed him "Spike". 

Where did he train?

Lee enrolled in Morehouse College, a historically black college, where he made his first student film, Last Hustle in Brooklyn. He took film courses at Clark Atlanta University and graduated with a BA in Mass Communication from Morehouse. He did graduate work at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in Film & Television. Lee's thesis film, Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads, was the first student film to be showcased in Lincoln Center's New Directors New Films Festival.

In 1985, Lee began work on his first feature film, She's Gotta Have It. With a budget of $175,000, he shot the film in two weeks. When the film was released in 1986, it grossed over $7,000,000 at the U.S. box office

Spike Lee is considered an Autuer. Lee's movies have examined race relations, colorism in the black community, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and other political issues. Lee has received two Academy Award nominations and won numerous other awards, including an Emmy Award as well as the 2013 Gish Prize "for his brilliance and unwavering courage in using film to challenge conventional thinking.

Awards?

 Berlin International Film Festival 1997 - Get On The Bus - Honourable Mention

 Black Reel Awards 2001 - Love And Basketball - Best Film                      

American Black Film Festival 2004 - Time Warner Innovator Award              

Black Movie Awards 2006 - Inside Man - Best Director                                 

Black Reel Awards 2011 - If God Is Willing And Da Creek Don't Rise - Best Television  Documentary

He has won a total of 39 awards and has had a further 59 nominations. 

Controversy?

In 2012 Spike Lee spoke about his intention to never watch Django Unchained. He elaborated on his dissatisfaction on Twitter, writing, "American Slavery Was Not A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. It Was A Holocaust. My Ancestors Are Slaves. Stolen From Africa. I Will Honor Them." 

Quentin Tarantino 

                                                                            

Who is he?                                                                                                                                  
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, screenwriter, cinematographer, producer, and actor. Tarantino grew up an obsessed film fan and worked at Video Archives, a video rental store while training to act. His career began in the late 1980s, when he wrote and directed My Best Friend's Birthday, the screenplay of which formed the basis for True Romance. 

Where is he from?

Tarantino was born in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1963. He is the son of actor and amateur musician Tony Tarantino and nurse Connie McHugh. Tarantino's father, from Queens, New York, is of Italian descent, while his mother has Irish and Cherokee ancestry. When he was four years old, they moved to Torrance, California and later to the Harbor City neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Where did he train?

Tarantino did attend James Best Acting School but soon grew bored and left after two years. He then landed a job which threatened to interfere with his long-term acting ambitions. As an employee of Video Archives, a now-defunct video rental store in Manhattan Beach, he and fellow movie enthusiasts (including Roger Avary) discussed cinema and customer video recommendations at length. He paid close attention to the types of films people liked to rent and has cited that experience as inspiration for his directorial career. Tarantino has been quoted as saying: "When people ask me if I went to film school I tell them 'no, I went to films.'"

Awards?

Golden Globes 1995 – Pulp Fiction – Best Screenplay Motion Picture

Csapnivalo Awards 2000 – Jackie Brown – Best Screenplay

American Choreography Award 2004 – Kill Bill – Outstanding achievement in Choreography

Austin Film Critics Association 2009 – Inglorious Basterds – Best original screenplay             
Oscars 2013 – Django Unchained – Best writing & Original Screenplay  

Tarantino had won 122 awards and been nominated for a further 103.

Controversy? 

Spike Lee questioned Tarantino's use of racial epithets in his films, particularly the word "nigger". In a Variety interview discussing Jackie Brown, Lee said, "I'm not against the word...And some people speak that way. But Quentin is infatuated with that word. What does he want to be made–an honorary black man?" Tarantino responded on Charlie Rose by stating:

"As a writer, I demand the right to write any character in the world that I want to write. I demand the right to be them, I demand the right to think them and I demand the right to tell the truth as I see they are, all right? And to say that I can't do that because I'm white, but the Hughes brothers can do that because they're black, that is racist. That is the heart of racism, all right. And I do not accept that ... That is how a segment of the black community that lives in Compton, lives in Inglewood, where Jackie Brown takes place, that lives in Carson, that is how they talk. I'm telling the truth. It would not be questioned if I was black, and I resent the question because I'm white. I have the right to tell the truth. I do not have the right to lie."

Comparison between Inglorious Basterds and Miracle at St. anna

Throughout this piece I will be writing a comparison. Inglorious Basterds is the first film i will be comparing. It is a 2008 War film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino  starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Melanie Laurent, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth (Co-Director) and Diane Kruger. The film I will compare it too is Miracle at St. Anna which is a 2008 war film written and directed by Spike Lee, starring Derek Luke, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller, Michael Ealy, Valentina cervi and Pierfrancesco Favino.

The first comparison is between the genres; both films are in the war genre and both are set following the events in WWII. However Inglorious Basterds is set in France during the war and follows a group of U.S Jewish Soldiers that plan to assassinate Nazi Leaders, it also follows a Jewish Cinema owner who had a past encounter with one of the leaders and plans to also assassinate the leaders. Where as Miracle at St. Anna is set primarily in Italy during the war and follows a group of four Buffalo Soldiers of the 92nd Infantry division who seek refuge in a town and bond with some of the town locals.

Both films are set around the same time yet get across different two very different points of view, the Jewish pov and the Black soldiers pov. The films are similar in that in both films the Nazi's are the obstacles that stop them from from reaching their goals and both films relate because they show the issues either religion or race had during the war. On the other hand Inglorious Basterds showed the issues between both religion and race because the lady who owned the cinema hired a black man and he was treated with no respect by any of the Nazi's. Miracle at St. Anna also produces war in a different sense. It shows the war between the Buffalo Soldiers and the American Army Generals.

Both films feature soldiers as their protagonists and they are all shown to be close, their relationships tend to seem more familial than friendly, like they have been together a long time and although they are at war and should be trying to protect one another in both films they seem more like they are protecting family. I think this familial relationship especially stands out in Miracle at St. Anna, and is portrayed even further when they find the young boy. In Miracle at St. Anna they all seem to work together and all have a say in what they will do where as in Inglorious Basterds Lt. Aldo Raine is the leader.

Inglorious Basterds predominantly follows a linear narrative, however their is a time skip from 1941 to 1944. Miracle at St. Anna on the other hand follows a non linear narrative because it is usually set during the war which in context of the film is the past and is shown in flashbacks. Miracle at St. Anna  could follow a circular narrative because Hector Negron who is introduced to us and questioned at the beginning is also the man that is shown at the end. A particular object that is found during the start of the film is also shown to us again at the end.

I feel that in both films the characters are developed however they are developed more in Inglorious Basterds, especially Shosanna who owns the cinema. I feel she was the most developed because we learnt about her back story which as the very first sequence of the film. However for me the characters in Miracle at St. Anna were easier to connect to because their plan was not to deliberately harm anyone but because of the situation they were in they had too. Sam Train was the easiest character to connect to because Lee made his character caring and at times relate able. Both directors produced the relationships between the characters really well.

In my opinion I preferred Inglorious Basterds because the narrative was easier to follow and the film was more exciting but  narrative in Miracle at St. Anna was stronger. However I think both films successfully showed the War genre in very different ways and were able to represent war in it's true self because neither tried to make it seem calmer or not as bad than it was.

Revision Plan

Monday	British Films - Fish Tank, The Selfish Giant, My Brother The Devil
Tuesday	British Films - Short British Films e.g Soft, Wasp, Similarities and differences between films
Wednesday	American Films - Inglorious Basterds, Miracle at St. Anna
Thursday	American Films - Comparison of American Films
Friday	Producers and Social Media
Saturday	Producers and Social Media
Sunday	Past Exam paper practice

Digital Storyboard

The Grand Budapest Hotel review

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a 2014 Comedy Film directed by Wes Anderson. It stars Ralph Fiennes who plays Mr Gustav as a hotel worker who teams up with one of his employees Zero (Tony Revolori) to prove his innocence after he is framed for murder. This film shows how friendships are made and how they build. We see the film from many different points of view, from so many different characters. The film led the BAFTA nominations, with 11 nominations, more than any other film, including Best Film and Best Director for Anderson, and Best Actor for Fiennes. The film won the Golden Globe award for the Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and had three more Golden Globe Award nominations, including Best Director for Anderson. It also had nine Academy Award nominations, the joint most for the ceremony, including best Picture and best Director. It also won four Academy Awards.

The narrative has a lot too it and can be quite confusing to follow at times. However overall it is a very well made sophisticated film. The film contains comedy and violence and although violence is used in some scenes it can still come across as quite comedic. For example (SPOILER) when a chase scene commences between cold blooded assassin Jopling (Willem Defoe) who is following lawyer Kovacs (Jeff Goldblum), Jopling shuts the door as Kovacs  goes to leave and the door cuts off Kovacs’ fingers on his right hand. This scene although violent was still amusing because it was all very sudden and unexpected and was the climax of the chase leaving the audience surprised. The use of comedy was very effective because not all the film used comedy but small remarks were often made from Mr Gustav which really lightened the mood in some scenes. The comedic side of it really helped to enjoy the film and kept me wanting to watch more.

The film was split up into a prologue, parts 1-5 and an epilogue. I liked how this film was split up because each part had a name and introduced the next scenes of the film and implicitly informed you of what will happen in the scene and what the scene is about.  I liked how a girl at the very start of the film is seen walking into a graveyard and the same girl is seen at the very end of the film as well.

A good range of themes were used throughout the film. Including friendship which was mainly shown with the bond of Mr Gustav and Zero, this theme was shown continuously and was the main theme.  Another theme used was success because during the film it showed how Mr Gustav was successful in running the hotel and (SPOILER) how he was successful in escaping from prison. The theme of love was also used usually when the scenes involved Zero and Agatha played by Saoirse Ronan who later becomes his fiancée.

Overall I really enjoyed the film and liked how they managed to make the comedic side fit in with the violent side of the film. I found it a really enjoyable film to watch but found that you had to watch the film very carefully in order the keep track with what is happening. I would recommend this film to others to watch. 

Sleeping With the enemy - Cinematography and Mise en scene

Scene: 1h 24m 47s – 1h 29m 0s

The film extract that I have chosen to breakdown is from the film Sleeping with the Enemy. It was directed by Joseph Ruben and written by Ronald Bass. The genre of the film is a thriller with the themes of love, determination and freedom. It is about an abused woman who attempts to escape and start a new life without her husband. The scene from this film I have chosen to analyse is when Laura Burney (Julia Roberts) thinks that her husband Martin Burney (Patrick Bergin) has found her and is somewhere in her house. Throughout the majority of the scene we are inside Laura’s house but the scene is also situated outside in one part. The scene is solely based in the late evening so it is very dark outside. This uses the genre conventions of a thriller because the dark scene creates a tenser atmosphere.

At the very start of the scene Laura Burney notices her window is open and the wind is blowing causing it to constantly hit the wall behind it. The sound of the window banging and the pan towards the window causes you to focus on the window so you are not expecting anything else. When she goes to close the window, the window creaks and a reflection of a man is seen behind her so the creak becomes high pitched music. The music is used just as the reflection appears giving it a dramatic effect, causing the audience to react; this music is effective because it is tense and unexpected. The camera shot that is used when she closes the window is a close up of her back so that when she turns around and screams you can see the emotion in her face. Although her emotions are not shown for long because the camera quickly turns to face the person in the reflection. Rather than being her husband it is Ben Woodward (Kevin Anderson). When it returns to the close up of Roberts her emotion is made obvious as the relief can be seen in her now relaxed facial expression. This scene employs the theme of freedom because her relief is shown very clearly as she realises she escaped from her husband. A jump cut is used between these two scenes, but I don’t think it gives the effect of bad editing instead I think it was used to emphasise the transition in time rather than showing everything that happened in between the two separate moments.  

The couple (Anderson and Roberts) are seen having a picnic outside the house. In this part of the scene is when the theme of love is mainly shown as the scene is very romantic and plays to the conventions of a romance rather than a thriller, for example they are having a candle lit meal. The camera is behind the bushes and is panning across. In this part of the scene the 360 degree rule is used which allows the audience to see what is happening around the couple. The camera being behind the bushes is a very effective technique because although we do not know if anyone is watching them the camera use implies that they are and it hints at where they could be by having leaves across the camera. The sound of crickets can be heard and a dog barking. Both these sounds are usual. This may be to show how normal her life is since she left her husband. When the couple kiss sudden dramatic music starts to play. The music is used to make the audience feel on edge and to change the atmosphere from the romantic atmosphere that just ended. The camera continues to pan through the bushes and follows Laura as she walks into the house signifying that it wasn't both people that were being watched and implies heavily that it is someone that is looking for her.

The same music plays when she enters her house and again the camera frame looks as if someone is watching her. The camera is down the hallway and tracks to the side as she comes further into the room almost as if it’s hiding from her. The camera returns back outside where again it is in the bushes, but this time it is looking at her through the window. It pans forward and the camera pans right to keep her in clear view as she leaves the room. This makes it seem like someone is watching her to find a way in. The camera is now placed in the living room where a close up of a tape player is shown which implies that the tape player will have something to add to the suspenseful scene. The music that plays links to one of the other characters and foreshadows a later event. After pressing play Roberts walks up the stairs and the camera is placed in front of her. The camera is placed here to highlight her surprised facial expression.

When she walks into her bedroom handheld camera is used this may show that she is slightly scared and confused.  The sound of running water can be heard and a close up of an overflowing bath is shown to emphasise what she is walking towards and make it clearer to the audience what is happening because when it first shows the bath it is quite difficult to understand what is happening. I really like the next shot because it is used with very interesting angle. The view is from under the water in the bath and the water ripples as she pulls out the plug.    

The music hits the highest pitch when she turns round to find a door slightly open, this was used because in thrillers they usually use high music when something tense is going to happen or has just happened. However her fire alarm goes off before she is able to open the door. This is when the music stops playing. The fire alarm is used because fire alarms warn people and signify danger, but in this case the danger is not a fire it is instead her husband who is in her house. Roberts’s stops the alarm and a cracking sound is heard when she hits it with the mop. The cracking and smashing sounds may connote how her life is going to break or it may perhaps connote how she is feeling because perhaps she feels like breaking down.

                   View from under the bath water. Water ripples as she pulls the plug.

Handheld camera is again used when she runs down the stairs. When she pulls out the plug for the toaster it sparks will signifies danger. After stopping the alarm she notices all the towels lined up neatly which reminds her of her husband who had OCD. When she looks towards the towels eye-line matching is used because when she looks over the audience is first unaware as too what she’s looking at so it cuts to a shot of the towels. The camera changes perspective from looking at her facial expressions to looking and the towels and back to her. It’s effective that they used a subjective camera because it suggests the point of view from her character and they have made it obvious whose point of view it’s from by flashing back to her to inform the audience. From watching the rest of the film I can tell this is used to make the audience feel anxious because they will also be reminded of the husband.

Tense music once again starts to play creating suspense and a shadow is shown on one side of her face the Black shadow implies the way she is turning or where she is going is unsafe. A wide shot of the cupboards is shown to inform the audience about where she is looking. When the first shot of the cupboards is shown and she has not yet come into view the camera is shaking which implies she is worried as too what she might find but it continues to shake as Laura comes into view to continue the element of fear. The music hits the climax and the volume is loudest as soon as she opens the cupboards.

A Handheld camera follows her back and she slowly walks into the shadows. This gives the audience a frantic feel. The camera then follows Laura as she runs from the room towards the front door in order to escape. This shows her desperation to escape and so includes the theme of determination.  A close up of the same tape player shown earlier is in front of the front door to let the viewers know what to expect. As a close up of Laura is shown the camera moves towards the right to show an out of focus Martin Burney (Husband) walk into the room. As Martin gets closer he moves further into the dark shadows and becomes focused. The idea that Martin walks into the dark shadows suggests that he is quite threatening and dangerous.  

Short Film update development

Added:
Wide shot of 'Happy Birthday' banners, the shot pans down towards a woman sitting on the sofa, she looks up and smiles at someone.
Mid shot of another girl who walks into the room mouthing 'Happy Birthday', she is holding a bag and a card, pan across to the woman on the sofa standing up and they hug. They sit down an the card is opened.
Close up of the card shows that she is a mother.
Close up of phone will be shown, she has received a text asking when she is coming over, she replies with a time.
Wide shot of the sky and lights from houses, date and time is shown at the bottom.
When the stalker is looking through the window the girl can be seen putting on her coat and scarf in preparation to leave.
Mid shot of her walking towards the front door.
Close up of her locking the door.
Handheld camera used, facing towards the girl, the stalker can be seen coming round a corner and following behind. The camera will stop and both walk past one after the other.
On her way to visit her friend she takes a shortcut down a dark muddy path. Girl walks around the corner.
The camera will now be at the other end of the path and as the girl exits and comes into view the stalker emerges and grabs her dragging her backwards.
The stalker walks away down the road or into the darkness holding a scarf that the girl is wearing. The film title 'Shadows' will appear.

Removed:
The shot when i was panning up the stalkers back because every time i did so i could not get the camera to focus.
I removed the shot when i was inside the house and the stalker could be seen outside because the reflection in the window also showed the reflection of myself and the camera.
The setting has changed because due to the lack of light in the woods. This is why i changed the plot and instead of going jogging the girl is walking to her friends house. All the scenes set in the woods have therefore been removed.
The girl no longer puts in headphones.
A low angle shot is not used but i may re add this to show the difference in power.