Analysis of "The Sneeze"

"The Sneeze" by Thomas Edison Company was easily one of the most amusing films I've seen all year. It gave a new definition for what is considered short and sweet. The text in the beginning was used as a build up with an elaborate explanation of what happened and how it was supposed to happen. This build-up is what tricks the viewer into thinking they're about to see a long drawn out film of a sneeze and analysisfrom any angle or aspect. The four second clip of the actual sneeze would not be as effective or humorous without the immediate appearing of the text "The End". For me this is one of the most early examples of how editing and quick cuts and completely change the overall feel towards a film. Had the ending not followed the shot right after it was over I do not think it would have been as effective at making it funny or pointing out how overly explained it was.

Connecting "Duck Soup" and "The Way Things Go"

After seeing Duck Soup and The Way Things Go I found them to have a lot of similarities. In The Way Things Go I thought there were "characters" that kept re-appearing in each seperate reaction such as the spinning garbage bag, the tire, or the little car with the candle on top of it. Not all these objects are used in every sequence kind of establishing their place in the film and what their role is. This is obviously similar to Duck Soup because not all the main characters are used in every scene. The movie is mostly a collection of several short scenes with two or three characters playing jokes and pranks on each other until the scene is over just like how the objects react with one another to make a final reaction.