It's been a long time since this blog got dedication, so it's only fair to treat you all with what materials have been at the cause of all my Filmatic traumas for the last two months. They were all fairly hard finds, as my tastes for research would alter as the research went underway-
Emphasis on the word, "UNDER".
- but I got there in the end, with what I feel is a fairly substantial document of O'Grady/Freeman bonding. Critical, bonding.
Annotated Catalogue
Films
Item 1: The Shawshank Redemption (1994 Dir. Frank Darabont)
My main focus film. It is powerful source of information for the analysis of Morgan Freeman. With a lead role, narration pieces, lovely quotes and a marvellous character, Morgan Freeman is at his best, showing audiences all the elements of his signature performance and what played such great contribution to his persona’s growth through the years. Freeman takes control of the film with his mesmerising speeches, as viewers are brought into the world of self salvation and the learning of hope in the world that is Shawshank.
Item 2: Seven (1995 Dir. David Fincher)
Not even a year after The Shawshank Redemption, Freeman is back on the cinema screens performing to the world with Seven; a dark and utterly disturbing detective film. It is another film that shows one of Freeman greatest ever performances, as we follow the aged detective take a young, hot-headed newbie under his wing, teaching him the valuable lessons that he himself has learned in his lifetime. We see the wisdom and humanity sour right out of Freeman, with scenes of intimate relations and emotional drama. A horrid portrayal of modern day life, but a beautiful view of Morgan Freeman.
Item 3: Bruce Almighty (2003 Dir. Tom Shadyac)
A much more light-hearted approach to human morals is presented in Bruce Almighty, a humorous yet emotional tale of one’s path to righteousness. Here Freeman is put in the shoes of what his star construct has defined him for so long; God. His authoritative voice and calm demeanour shines through to the audience as he educates us all with his various but fascinating quotes on life, love and freewill between himself and a forever discontented TV reporter, played by Jim Carrey.
Internet
Item 4: Morgan Freeman Auteur (http://karlwezy.blogspot.com/)
This was my first find, the beginning of my research into Morgan Freeman. This is a blog made by a fellow Freeman enthusiast, and it enabled me to get a nice introductory insight into his history, success and identification. The blogger has defined who the star is and his role in the film industry, which got me to grips with the most basic information needed for me to work from for the duration of the project.
Item 5: Morgan Freeman Biography on Rotten Tomatoes Celebrity Profile (http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/morgan_freeman/biography.php)
Similar to the likes of Karlwezy’z blog, Rotten Tomatoes supplied me with a heap of precious information about the man. His early life, career record and personal notifications are in the biography, which has paid great dividends to my aim in achieving a much broader understanding of Morgan Freeman’s life; on and off screen. All distinctive performances and memorable moments are included, with valuable quotes by the likes of fellow actors, friends, and critics also.
Item 6: Morgan Freeman Biography on IMDB
With access to the most renowned film database in the world, I was able to gather the most efficient information needed to conclude my own summary of Morgan Freeman. With IMDB’s detailed biographic information, followed by an array of catalogues on his trade mark performance signatures, a collection of lifetime trivia, and personal quotes, I gathered all the information needed to understand Freeman’s role and status in the world, which in turn allowed me to progressively delve deeper into the world of Morgan Freeman and the elements of his defined persona.
Item 7: Morgan Freeman Looks At Acting (article by Nan Robertson, 1987)
(http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE3DE113CF936A15756C0A961948260)
A detailed and factual article based on Morgan Freeman, at the time of his up rise after Driving Miss Daisy. Multi award winning, New York Times writer and journalist Nan C. Robertson presents readers with a fabulous and notable statement on the growth and development of Morgan Freeman, specifically his acting. Robertson explains the very finest details that aided Freeman’s character on stage, summarising his strengths at the beginning of his fame, the qualities that got him noticed as an actor and that were (at the time) defining his successive character. Including a few interview quotes, this article allowed me to gather and alter some my opinions and understanding, as Robertson’s focus on his acting career channelled me into a world of critical analysis and valuble resources.
Item 8: The Menacing Charm of Morgan Freeman (Articled interview, by Fiona Marrow, 2000)
(http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/the-menacing-charm-of-morgan-freeman-697356.html)
An intimate conversation between the actor and The Independent writer Fiona Marrow supplies wonderful notes on the physical attributes that Freeman possesses, which are undeniably just as powerful off screen as they are on. Although the writer has a personal opinion on Freeman, it is one that no one can say is insufficient. With well backed-up statements and a handful of justified points, Marrow’s article was a strong resource to extract the most delicate of information and store into my file of Morgan Freeman data.
Item 9: Open audience interview between Morgan Freeman and The Guardian/NFT
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2000/jul/14/guardianinterviewsatbfisouthbank2)
This interview special was a brilliant source for me to dig through. With it’s variety of strictly professional and personal talks, I could take note of the passionate opinions and facts shared between Freeman and a theatre full of fascinated followers. With honest words coming from the man himself on his status as a performer, I was guaranteed information that was concrete, precise, and justified. A precious read.
Item 10: Morgan Freeman Biography on Westlord (by Dominic Wills)
(http://www.west lord.com/Morgan freeman/biography.html)
A more than thorough assessment of Freeman’s acting since his early years. Dominic Wills’ piece helped me in forming a concrete definition of the subject - as a performer, and as a star. Wills has paid great attention to Freeman’s role offers over the years, which allowed me to learn essential information on the relationship between himself and the film industry, especially in his Hollywood years.
Item 11: Richard Dyer’s Theory of Movie Stars (Article by Barry Mauer, 2006)
(http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/20629/richard_dyer_theory_of_movie_stars.html)
This was the beginning to my deeper research into the realms of star construction and a star’s role in the film industry; on and off screen. It’s an article which hit’s the core of the movie star theory, with detailed explanations on the history of actor/actress (re)presentations in the media, with the likes of Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne as strong case studies for this fascinating, but more importantly factual article.
Item 12: Stars & Star Theory (Warwick Blogs, 2007)
(http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/michaelwalfordd/entry/stars_and_star/)
This piece of research accompanies Barry Mauer’s article. It aided my understanding of star theory, which ultimately improved my personal thoughts of Morgan Freeman’s place in the star, performance, and persona worlds; with critical detailing and justification of the importance of audiences, and what makes a performer a star and visa versa. It’s informative nature proves its bullet-pointed facts, all which contribute to the theories of star classification.
DVD Content
Item 13: Written Transcript to ‘Hope Springs Eternal: A Look Back At Shawshank Redemption’ (The Shawshank Redemption - Collector’s 3 Disk Special Edition, Disk 2)
A document wrote by me, pointing out all words from the film’s cast and director Frank Darabont, which I found to be very useful in defining Freeman’s overall strengths and capabilities as an actor. With truly mesmerizing quotes from Freeman himself and fellow workers in the film industry that were closest to him in the production of my central focus film.
Item 14: Written Transcript to a Morgan Freeman Interview (The Shawshank Redemption - Collector’s 3 Disk Special Edition, Disk 3)
This includes some of the most valuable quotations I have got of my study subject throughout the entire project. With personal input whilst explaining his own performance styles and techniques, Morgan Freeman literally teaches the viewer how to be him, how to live as Freeman in the world of The Shawshank Redemption.
Item 15: Written Transcript to Commentary of Seven (David Fincher, Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman)
The director and actors share experiences that were not only in the film’s production, but beforehand also. With references to the casting process in film, the relationship between performers and scripts, and the life of fitting to an audience’s tastes. This was a great resource, as it included the information needed to development my own idealogy of Morgan Freeman’s growth in attitude as an actor.
Books
Item 16: BFI Modern Classics: Seven (Richard Dyer. BFI Publishing 1999)
A strong source of research, this book explores all aspects of one of Morgan Freeman’s greatest acts, especially the areas of performance required for his character at the time. I was able to pinpoint Freeman’s signature traits through Dyer’s intense yet simple pages of narrative, character and performance analysis.
Primary Resource
Item 17: Focus Group
With a set of questions based around my subject of investigation, I received mixed but firm and justified opinions on the majority of qualities that make Morgan Freeman, Morgan Freeman. Exploring the performance realms of physical appearance, voicing and social relations and references, the Freeman fanatics gifted me with great responses to my supplied opinions and theories on the physical, verbal and psychological forms of Freeman.
*I would like this work to be in commemoration of the star that is Nina Moore.
-As you read, I am persuing the right to have an image of Nina placed into the world dictionary, in definition of the word "kickass"; as the support recieved from the teacher was undeniably
KICKASS.
