Film Comparison: Cinemtography, Sound, and Acting

Out of all the movies we watched, I feel that Modern Times had the best use of sound. Since there was more actions taking place than dialogue, sound was very important and used prominently. The music and sound effects helped to add humor to scenes. The sound and music did not stick out either, blending in very well with what was going on on screen. My second choice would probably be Seven Samurai. They used native music towards the beginning which was pleasant and built up anticipation at the same time.
For the best cinematography, I voted for Shadow of a Doubt. There was a wide variety of shots, from close-ups to far-off shots. Hitchcock also incorporated the use of thirds in his frames. The shots seem carefully planned and keep the audience alive. I also think that Joan of Arc had very good cinematography. At the time technology was still very simple, but even so the shots were carefully crafted and were mostly close-ups. It helped to add a kind of psychological terror to the audience since it entered the actor's/actress's personal space.
I chose My Life as a Dog as the movie with the best acting. For me, the actors in this movie were able to gain my attention and empathy the most easily. It may also be because the plot line was the one that most appealed to me. However, I feel that the actors did a good job of reacting with each other. I also enjoyed the acting in Modern Times just because all of the actors were effortlessly funny; none of their acting felt forced.