Prof. Myrna Monllor JiménezEnglish 124

Brian De Palma• Carrie• Blow Out• Dressed to Kill• Scarface• The Untouchables• Carlito’s Way• Mission: Impossible

Psychological thrillers

Uses dynamic, meaningful imageryUses unusual camera angles and compositions

Often uses a canted angle shot and split screen techniques

Constructs scenes thinking about the

viewer.

Likes to use slow motion to build

suspense

Examples

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToZQVsJcZDk

Puerto Rican/Hispanic Actors in the Film

The Setting: New York 1975

The street is watching. She is watching all the time.

Definition of Greek Tragedy

In Greek tragedy, acharacter makes fatalmistake/s that lead to hisdownfall, which producessuffering and arouses pityfrom the audience

What is Carlito’s sin?

Is it hubris?

What decisions will he regret?

How will he atone for his sins?

The Tragic Mistakes

Conventions of Greek Tragedy

• Begins with a prologue in which the problem is introduced• Follows the Greek belief that everything happens for a reason

and that there is no way to escape your destiny• At the end of the story, the character will experience a catharsis

A Modern Day Greek Tragedy: A Character Seeking Redemption

• Carlito’s dream is to get out and escape

• Love, loss, pride, abuse of power are the main themes

• Carlito’s makes mistakes for which he will pay

• When Carlito realizes his errors, his world crumbles around him

The Prologue

How is this scene shot? What calls your attention? What is Carlito saying?

Carlito’s Voice Over• Recorded to provide a sensation of intimacy• Voice overs are usually by a voice in the future

reminiscing about the past. In Carlito’s voice over, we are in the present, listening to Carlito as he is dying and reflecting upon his life.

• “Carlito speaks, describing and setting-up dramatic events, as if he does not know what is about to happen – and that very particular (and strange, unreal, but cinematically and narratively very useful) effect is created by having him say everything in the present tense.”

The Beginning

What opinion do you have of Carlito as the story begins? How does his attitude relate to the sin of hubris?

Searching for ParadiseWhat obstacles impede his entrance to paradise?

De Palma’s Use of Mirrors

Reflections in mirrors indicate that Carlito is nolonger part of the dangerous world he inhabits.

Mirrors

Mirrors

Mirrors

A Stand Up Guy

For how long does Carlito believe that Kleinfeld is a stand up guy? Why doesCarlito refuse the D.A’s offer?

Lalín

How can you f….the only people who ever cared for you.

Pachanga

The doppelganger: Benny Blanco

The Con Man: Kleinfeld

The Love Story: Gail“No room in this city for big hearts like hers…Sorry baby, I tried the best I could, honest…Can’t come with me on this trip.”

Doomed Love:Reflections

Redemption

De Palma’s Visual Style

De Palma’s Visual Style

De Palma’s Visual Style

“Sorry boys, all the stitches in the world can’t sew me together again. Lay down…lay down.”

De Palma’s Use of Space

In many shots, he divides the space into tworoughly equal zones

The Novel

Carlito’s Way: Rise to Power

• New York State Supreme Court Judge

• Criminal defense attorney• Films adapted from his work– Q & A– After Hours (Carlito’s Way)– Carlito’s Way: Rise to Power– presence of racism and prejudice

in the criminal justice system

"A society that loses its sense of outrage," he has said, "is doomed to extinction."

"the darkest and seamiest sides of law."

The Palladium Ballroom 1948-1966

The Beginning

Sooner or later, a thug will tell his tale. We all want to go on record. So let’s hear it for all the hoods. The Jews out of Brownsville. The blacks on Lennox Street. The Italians from Mulberry Street. Like that. Meanwhile, the Puerto Ricans been getting’ jammed since the forties and ain’t nobody said nothin’. We been laid, relayed, and waylaid and nobody wants to hear to hear about it. Well, I’m gonna lay it on you one time, for the record.

Carlito is going to tell his story as a way of showing

what happened to the dreams of PR immigrants.

Carlito’s Childhood

• New York Gangs in the late 1940’s– Each group had its territory– Membership was based on race

• Establishes a friendship with Rocco Fabrizi and Earl Bassey• Thinks of himself as a stand up guy• Tries to become a boxer What do we learn about his

childhood? the reasons he joined the gangs? Did he try to live another life? What impeded his following another

life?

Carlito’s Choice

“Age fourteen, I saw that. I said, uh-uh. Them’sthe humped-I’m going with the humpers.”

“How’d exist in the streets? Sometimes legitBut mostly hustlin’, thievin’, break and entryshootin’ pool was my main stick.”

Carlito and Women

• India• Honey• Leticia (Tuta)• Gail

How does Carlito view his relationship with women?

Issues of Race

You and my brother Earl are two of a kind-social parasites with no awareness of the Revolutionary changes taking place around you. (Reggie)

What problems does Reggie cause?

Carlito and CubaWho was Nacho Reyes?

What is Carlito’s view of the law?

Bibliography

• John Kenneth Muir’s Reflections on Cult Movies and Classic TV http://reflectionsonfilmandtelevision.blogspot.com/2009/08/cult-movie-review-carlitos-way-1993.html

• Senses of Cinema, A Revelation:Carlito’s Way http://sensesofcinema.com/2000/6/carlito/

Bibliography

• THE RESPONSIVE EYE OF DEPALMA PT. 3: Carlito’s Way

• http://www.furiouscinema.com/2010/12/the-responsive-eye-of-depalma-pt-3-carlitos-way/

• Unsung Gems: Carlito’s Way http://www.soundonsight.org/unsung-gems-carlitos-way/

Bibliography

• A Walk Through Carlito’s Way Adrian Martin http://www.lolajournal.com/4/carlito.html