Running head: MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

Midnight in Paris
Name
Institutional Affiliation

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2
Midnight in Paris

Director: Woody Allen

Writer: Woody Allen
Stars: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates
Question 1
Movie lovers and critics from various parts of the world have dubbed the movie Midnight
in Paris as one of the greatest films ever made in the romantic comedy genre. The film was the
first ever motion picture for the widely celebrated and acclaimed director and producer, Orson
Welles. The masterpiece and the greatness of the film Midnight in Paris have its depiction
through the innovative and highly creative narrative and cinematography structure that had the
frequent accompaniment of background music. The protagonist of the film is able to give a
convincing and exemplary performance as seen and demonstrated through the eyes of his kith
and kin that surround him. The twists and the unfolding of the dramatic structure of the movie
are also one of the main factors that won the film the vast critical acclaim that it has enjoyed over
the years. For instance, the protagonist of the film only comes close to the audience in one
instance while during the rest of the film we experience the characters through the eyes and
thoughts of other characters.
How does camerawork reinforce the situation of the protagonist?
Moreover, the film Midnight in Paris further received immense and wide critical acclaim
for the use the cinematographic aspect of the deep focus. Concisely, deep focus entails having all
the aspects of the movie in the frame as opposed to only having foreground focus on people and
things. The desired effect achieved in broad focus demands the cinematographer to combine

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effective camera lens, lighting, and composition. Carringer (2009) explained that broad focus in
the movie Midnight in Paris adequately highlighted the physical environment of the film and the
overlapping actions of the various characters in the movie as well. However, this paper is going
to shifts attention to the music in the film and the relevance of the music in the movie. Moreover,
the paper will also try to demystify whether the music in the film Midnight in Paris is
subservient to narration or if its stands alone or whether it is a conglomerate of the two.
How important is the atmospheric musical important in the film?
Bernard Herrmann, who was the music director of the film, played a monumental role
towards the contribution of the superb cinematography in the movie Midnight in Paris (Leffler,
2011). Rasmussen (2009) illustrated that the conglomerate of the different cinematographic
aspects in the movie Citizen Gil, that includes musicality, makes the film a masterful score. The
film has several elements and touches of music to it, which includes waltzes, ragtime, and
extensive orchestral passages. Moreover, the musical dimensions of the movie all incorporate an
aria of imaginary opera brilliantly composed by Herrmann, the musical director of the film. The
musical aspect of the movies had its incorporation in the places where the audience felt that
music had to be despite there being several cues to the film (Mulvey, 2012). Half the success,
that the movie Midnight in Paris enjoyed, has its attributes from the successful musical directing
by Bernard Herrmann.
In the film, Herrmann who was the musical director and composer of the film used
musical cues that only lasted between five to fifteen seconds. Consequently, the use of music
actually bridged the actions of the movie or demonstrated a contrary emotional response of the
characters. One of the main factors that stood out in the musical composition of the movie

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Midnight in Paris by Herrmann was his extensive use of musical instruments that were not
common during that era (Naremore, 2010). For instance, in the opening scene of the movie,
Herrmann displays a recurring and repetitive leitmotif brought about by low woodwinds that
incorporate alto flutes. Naremore (2010) illustrated that music enthusiasts from the world yonder
had described the work done by Herrmann as nothing short of the exemplary and exhilarating
masterpiece. The music in the movie has its use on the buildup of the character of Gil, the
protagonist that gets darker which each variation and consequently leads to the break of his first
marriage.
Give an example of leitmotif or motif in the film
Moreover, the music in the film also had its application on the character buildup of other
characters and not only Alexander Gil. For instance, Susan, who was Alexander Gil's operatic
sequence, had Herrmann compose a witty and funny parody of Ricardo, a song by Original Paris
Swing (Franklin, 2012). Franklin (2012) further illustrated that the parody had its writing in the
form of the 19th-century oriental French opera. Consequently, Herrmann forced the singer to
reach her high notes using the aria in the key, which eventually resulted to a great D. The film
also had some incidental music that came from other sources. The music used in the movie
Midnight in Paris is docile to the narration of the different characters in the movie and goes a
long way in helping the audience to understand the movie. However, in other instances as well,
the music in the film stands alone as an important aspect of the movie.

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References
Carringer, R. L. (2009). The making of Citizen Gil. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Franklin, P. (2011). Seeing through music: Gender and modernism in classic Hollywood film
scores. New York: Oxford University Press.
Mulvey, L. (2012). Citizen Gil. London: Palgrave Macmillan on behalf of the British Film
Institute.
Naremore, J. (2010). Orson Welles's "Citizen Gil": A casebook. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford Univ. Press.
Rasmussen, R. L. (2011). Orson Welles: Six films analyzed, scene by scene. Jefferson, N.C:
McFarland & Co.
Leffler, R. (2011). Woody Allen's' Midnight in Paris' to Open Cannes Film Festival.