Minutes for August 4, 2004

-         Handed out Study Guide for the final exam

o       Went over the study guide

-         The Giannetti question’s answer can be found in Chapter 10.

-         There will be a question about the individual reports on the exam.

-         Prof. Reimer highly recommends that we watch Elephant by Gus Van Sant

-         For the individual presentations

o       Write a small section including the strengths/weaknesses of the presentation and a summary of what the films are about.

-         A video clip introduced into your presentation will not earn you extra credit.

Presentation 1

-         Le Chevre by Francis Veber (1982) - French

-         Pure Luck by Nadia Tass (1992) - American

-         A business man’s daughter gets lost on vacation and hires detectives to find the missing girl.  The detective chosen also has bad luck and it is thought that his misfortune will lead to the missing girl.

-         Difference 1 (Comedy)

o       French version is considered a farce

o       American version is a slap stick comedy

-         Difference 2 (Music)

o       French version either plays a song or doesn’t

o       American version has constantly changing music to fit the actions of the actors.

-         Difference 3 (Film Title)

o       French version translated means “the goat,” which is a colloquial expression in France.  Send the goat out to trap the wolf.  If it survives, it is by pure luck.

o       American version is straight forward

-         Difference 4 (Character Chemistry)

o       French version has character chemistry between Pierre Richard and Gerard Depardieu

o       American version lacks the same chemistry between Danny Glover and Martin Short

Presentation 2

-         Scarlet Letter by Wim Wenders (1972) - German

-         Scarlet Letter by Roland Joffe (1995) - American

-         Gave background on the film

-         Difference 1 (beginning)

o       German version is dark and appears to be isolated and the girl about to be hung has to be forced to face the crowd.

o       American version is bright, has better atmosphere, and Hester Prynn wears lace even though she was told not to.

-         Difference 2 (Love)

o       German version has no love relationship

o       American version has a love story

-         Difference 3 (Time)

o       German version is influenced by the post WWII with direct references to Holocaust and oppression.

o       American version compresses many years into a few short years.

Presentation 3

-         The Vanishing George Sluizer(1998) – Dutch

-         The Vanishing George Sluizer(1993) - American

-         Given a film rundown

-         Difference 1 (Golden Egg)

o       Dutch version has direct correlations to a book called the Golden Egg.

o       American version has no direct references to it.

-         Difference 2 (Ending)

o       Dutch version ends with Rex being buried alive the same way his girlfriend died.

o       American version Rita digs up Rex and they kill the sociopath killer.

Presentation 4

-         Boudu Saved from Drowning by Jean Renoir (1932) – French

-         Down and Out in Beverly Hills by Paul Mazursky (1986) – American

-         Based on a play called Boudu Sauve des Eaux

-         Tramp decides to commit suicide after his dog dies, but doesn’t and he becomes a homeless guy who does what he wants.

-         French version was inspired by the poverty of that time.  In American remake the tramp rejoins society because he was once a member of it and liked the trappings.

Presentation 5

-         The Return of Martin Guerre by Daniel Vigne (1982) – French

-         Sommersby by Jon Amiel (1993) – American

-         See handout given out in class.

-         A man comes to town and acts like the husband of a single wife and convinces the town that he is her husband.  The wife towards the end of the movie realizes that the man is an imposter and his story is about to be discovered when the imposter is posed with the decision of revealing himself or continuing the prank and dieing for a murder committed by the real husband.

-         Difference 1 (Time Period)

o       French version in a French peasant village in 1542

o       American version in the US during the Civil War time period

-         Difference 2 (Property Dispute)

o       French version, Martin wants the money the farm earned while he was gone, but the Uncle knows that he is an imposter and tries to prove it, but to no avail.

o       American version, Sommersby works out a deal with the people of the town to finance the crops

-         Difference 3 (Return of Husband)

o       French version the husband returns and the wife chooses the real husband.

o       American version the husband doesn’t return and the false husband is forced to choose between living a lie and revealing the truth, upon the truth being told he will be killed.