Response Form for Peer Group Discussion- Module 4
Meeting date: 7/6/23
Platform used: Google Meets
Group number: 5
Your name: Oliver Killman
Answer the following questions about your discussion:
1. Give a brief synopsis of the discussion:
The discussion started with everyone sharing their thoughts on both movies Vertigo and
Orfeu Negro. Some enjoyed one film more than the other, some enjoyed both, and some
did not enjoy either film. We talked about our process in watching the movie–some
jumped right in with no preconceived notions about the movie or score and some (like
myself) looked up the plot during/before watching the film. We spoke on specific aspects
on both films, like Vertigo’s use of a romantic score with classical motifs and the
instrumentation of the score in Orfeu Negro. We spoke about which film we enjoyed
most and which one used music most effectively. Finally, we spoke about different issues
with both the films and how they might have been interpreted then and how they might
be interpreted in present day.
2. What were your reactions to the material covered in this module?
I did not really enjoy watching these films initially because I’m not necessarily a
movie-watcher, and specifically I do not generally enjoy Alfred Hitchcock films. I did
have to restart the films a couple nights in a row because I fell asleep while watching
them. However, after I looked up the plot and did the readings first, I was able to keep up
with the movie more and better appreciate the scoring, which made me much more
interested in the films. For example, I really liked the way Mozart and Bach portrayed the
conventional (and possibly boring?) life of Midge in Vertigo. I liked Orfeu Negro because
I am more familiar with the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, and I thought this film was an
interesting retelling. I did find out after reading about it that the film was based on a stage
adaptation of the story of Orpheus, and the playwright denounces the film as it went
completely off story from the stage version.
3. In which of the two films did the group feel the music was most effective and why? Least
effective and why?
The majority of the group felt like Vertigo utilized music most effectively because of its
clear use of motifs throughout the movie as well as the music during pivotal action
sequences. The opening scene of Scottie hanging off the roof and the ending when he is
dragging Judy to the top of the bell tower are perfect examples of dramatic strings that
get the heart racing and make the listener almost feel nauseous. The group majorly felt
that Orfeu Negro used music least effectively. This was because of the lack of clarity in
the music, possibly because of the instrumentation. One group member complained that it
was just loud for loud’s sake, and it was hard to understand what was going on.
4. Given the age of these films, what are some of the issues that might color 2023
audiences’ response to them (racial stereotypes, treatment of women, technical aspects
related to the film itself, etc.)?
In Vertigo, there is a stereotype of weak, hysterical women who do not get a happy
ending. There also seems to be a pattern of abuse of fictional women in Hitchcock’s
films. In Orfeu Negro, negative stereotypes are reinforced such as the assumption that
poor Black citizens of Rio did nothing but sing and dance their cares away. It also
fetishizes Brazil’s culture in a harmful manner.
