Modern Film Noir?

Road to Perdition is one of my favorite films and a stellar depiction of depression era gangsters, and The Godfather is the quintessential gangster film, but are they film noir?  We have already viewed two films in The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon that fit this category, and we know that there are modern films that also fit this category: the question is, does either Road to Perdition or The Godfather?  Certainly there are differences in the films and film making (our two primary examples come from the early and mid forties while Perdition comes from 2002 and The Godfather from 1972) among others.  Your task is to determine if Road to Perdition and The Godfather qualify as film noir.  


Remember that you need to use at least three hundred words in your post and that I will be grading writing conventions as well.  It may be helpful to prewrite and also to use Roger Ebert's "Guide to Film Noir" which can be found here. One final note: you will want to use specific details, as generalizations will not give much strength to your argument.

Mr. Deeds, Gary Cooper, and Adam Sandler

Certainly no one would argue that Gary Cooper and Adam Sandler play Longfellow Deeds the same; however, after viewing both Cooper's Deeds (Mr. Deeds Goes to Town - 1936) and Sandler's Deeds (Mr. Deeds - 2002), it is obvious the similarities.  Beyond the obvious differences, such as actors and the latter film being in color, there are many subtle differences.  Your task is to discuss both the similarities and differences between the films and then decide which one you thought was a better example of film and storytelling.  Keep in mind that you are not arguing for your favorite film, but rather the film that told a more cohesive story.  Another word of advice: when comparing the films it will certainly be helpful to explain which directorial choices were more effective (for instance Babe Bennett working for a print tabloid vs. Babe Bennett working for a tabloid news program).


As always I will be looking at writing conventions and the development of your post.  While you are required to write at least three hundred words, I doubt that you will be able to thoroughly compare the films without exceeding this minimum.

Classic Cinema? Does that mean it has to be black and white?

We've recently viewed Casablanca, Citizen Kane, and That Thing You Do.  And I've talked about classical cinema; there as even been a power point (you can find it here).  The question is, do each of these films fit this moniker?  Your task is to discuss the relevance of this moniker for these films.  Make sure that you include specific examples as to how each film fits into the classical cinema category and that you write at least three hundred words.  It may be helpful to include a definition of classical cinema with your response.