The Parallax View

This film builds tension with long & wide shots almost like a Hitchcock film. Much like other films we've seen in class this film had book ends with the same shot. Specifically when Warren Beatty's character Joseph, writes on a napkin a bomb is on the plane. He patiently waits for the flight attendant to find the napkin. The scene lasting all of 2 minutes going back & forth between Joseph's face watching & his view of the flight attendant as she passes out drinks.
The beginning zooms in while the end zooms out before the committee disappears.

I've noticed in a few of the films we've seen in class there is a shot of a reflection in glass windows, maybe showing a common theme in 70s film.

The Long Goodbye

The Parallax View

This shot stuck with me. You can see a view of a silhouette approaching with the floor below, the viewer isn't sure where to look, yet they know something is going to happen. The tension builds.

Trivia

• The opening sequence was designed to mirror that of Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 assassination.

Sources:
IMDB
Than More Series
Youtube

The Long Goodbye

One of the first things I noticed was the variations of the song "The Last Goodbye" played throughout the film. While the reason is up for debate, as we mentioned in class many believe it is the main character, Marlowe, saying goodbye to his friend after all the trouble he put him through.

The opening credits of a man alone with his cat contrast that of 50s detective films. Yet another genre of film began to change. Smug detectives, always working, saving the damsel in distress now had little work and cared only for his cat. Eileen turned what usually is the helpless woman into a fem fatale by fooling Marlowe.

Marlowe is very similar to Bobby of Five Easy Pieces, he sees people as all the same, takes what he needs from them, and moves on. Very early in the film Marlowe is established as a loner. His carefree attitude is shown by four words he says often "It's okay with me." In fact the only thing he cares about is finding out what happened to his friend.

Trivia

• The camera is always moving, there are no static shots in the movie.
• Elliott Gould lights a cigarette in every single scene he appears in in the movie, except the last where he visits Terry Lennox in Mexico.

Sources:
IMDB
IMP Awards