Chick Flicks

So.....I'm a big fan...No big deal....

What is your favorite?  Please go into great detail about the sappy details of the film and how you feel about the relationships between the main couple the film is focused on.

Fathers and Sons

In the final scene of Bicycle Thieves we observed an intricate layering of point of view. Antonio looked at his son Bruno and vice versa. We saw Antonio steal a bycicle, but also we saw Bruno watching Antonio steal a bicylce. In what way is this scene about the relationship between father and son? How does that act of watching fit into this relationship? Are there other scenes that support your ideas?

Fides

When Antonio's bicycle is stolen, he loses more than a bike. The brand name of the bicycle "Fides" (Faith in Latin) suggest it has symbolic value. What is the significance of that symbol? What does Antonio lose?

Jay Gatsby vs. Charles Foster Kane

Most of us read The Great Gatsby in our junior English class. Both Gatsby and Citizen Kane, produced about twenty years apart, focus on a man who some might say is the epitome of success. What similarities and differences do you see? Are these works celebrations or critiques of these men, or somewhere in between? Or something else?

Rosebud

Rosebud is perhaps the most famous symbol in movie history. What is the significance of the name "rosebud?" What is the significance of the sled? Is it the key to understanding Kane's life or just one missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle that does not explain much at all?

Faulkner,Eliot and Joyce --- Oh My!

Citizen Kane has a distinctive narrative technique in which Welles tells Kane's story from multiple perspectives and uses flashbacks rather than a chronological order. Do you see any connection between Welles' storytelling and modernist fiction? Why do you think he tells his story using these innovative techniques rather that just a straightforward narrative?

Cooking Programs on Television

What is everyone's favorite cooking program and why? How do the different camera angles make the food appear more appetizing?

Cinematheque and Film Festival

For everyone who's interested, here are links to the websites for the Cleveland Cinematheque and the upcoming Cleveland International Film Festival.
Cinematheque Schedule
Cleveland International Film Festival

Using the sites, you can access more detailed descriptions of all of the featured films. The Festival is at Tower City Cinemas and goes from March 18 until March 28. Enjoy!