Voice-overs were used to strong effect in Goodfellas (1990), for example, and in American Hustle (2013). Voice-overs by Sarah Jessica Parker were an integral part of storytelling on the HBO series Sex and the City (1998 - 2004).
Hearing someone tell you stuff while you watch creates an intimate connection between the viewer and the story, I think. It's not used throughout a whole movie, or in every movie--it is applied sparingly.
(I kind of think Alfred Hitchcock might not have been a fan of voice-overs. He referred to movies with a lot of dialogue as "photographs of people talking." For him, the audience must see the story. His philosophy was that film is a visual medium, so actions, implications, and sudden turn-arounds must be shown.
When he started in film as a young man, over in England, he worked on silent movies.)
[Goodfellas - one of the voice-overs] --
"By the time I grew up, there was 30 billion a year in cargo moving through Idlewild Airport, and believe me we tried to steal every bit of it.
See, you gotta understand, we grew up near the airport--it belonged to Paulie, we had friends and relatives who worked all over the place, and they would tip us off about what was coming in and what was moving out.
Any of the truckers or airlines gave us any trouble, Paulie had his union people scare them with a strike, it was beautiful. It was an even bigger money-maker than numbers, and Jimmy was in charge of it all.
Whenever we needed money, we'd rob the airport. To us, it was better than Citibank."
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("The Indictment" - Continued)
COUNT 35
Concealing a Document in a Federal Investigation
(18 U.S.C. §§ 1519, 2)
86.
The General Allegations of this Indictment are re-alleged and fully incorporated here by reference.
87.
From on or about May 11, 2022, through in or around August 2022, in Palm Beach County, in the Southern District of Florida, and elsewhere, the defendants,
DONALD J. TRUMP and
WALTINE NAUTA,
did knowingly conceal, cover up, falsify, and make a false entry in any record, document, and tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation and proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of a department and agency of the United States,
and in relation to and contemplation of any such matter; that is--during a federal criminal investigation being conducted by the FBI, (1) TRUMP and NAUTA hid, concealed, and covered up from the FBI TRUMP's continued possession of documents with classification markings at The Mar-a-Lago Club;
and (2) TRUMP caused a false certification to be submitted to the FBI.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1519 and 2.
COUNT 36
Scheme to Conceal
(18 U.S.C. §§ 1001(a)(1), 2)
88.
The General Allegations of this Indictment are re-alleged and fully incorporated here by reference.
89.
From on or about May 11, 2022, through in or around August 2022, in Palm Beach County, in the Southern District of Florida, and elsewhere, the defendants,
DONALD J. TRUMP and
WALTINE NAUTA,
in a matter within the jurisdiction of the judicial branch and executive branch of the United States government, did knowingly and willfully falsify, conceal, and cover up by any trick, scheme, and device a material fact; that is--during a federal grand jury investigation and a federal criminal investigation being conducted by the FBI, TRUMP and NAUTA hid and concealed from the grand jury and the FBI TRUMP's continued possession of documents with classification markings.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1001(a)(1) and 2.
COUNT 37
False Statements and Representations
(18 U.S.C. §§ 1001(a)(2), 2)
90.
The General Allegations of this Indictment are re-alleged and fully incorporated here by reference.
91.
On or about June 3, 2002, in Palm Beach County, in the Southern District of Florida, and elsewhere, the defendant,
DONALD J. TRUMP,
in a matter within the jurisdiction of the judicial branch and executive branch of the United States government, did knowingly and willfully make and cause to be made a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation;
that is--during a federal grand jury investigation and a federal criminal investigation being conducted by the FBI, TRUMP caused the following false statements and representations to be made to the grand jury and the FBI in a sworn certification executed by Trump Attorney 3:
a. "A diligent search was conducted of the boxes that were moved from the White House to Florida";
b. "This search was conducted after receipt of the subpoena, in order to locate any and all documents that are responsive to the subpoena"; and
c. "Any and all responsive documents accompany this certification."
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("The Indictment" - to be continued)
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