Guillermo Del Toro bases all the monsters from his films from monsters that he has dreamed up. Growing up he always had dreams of monsters that have influenced him as a director and a a former make-up artist. In a recent NPR radio interview DelToro explains how monsters have always been a part of him. His fascination with monsters is shown clearly by the through detail exhibited in every monster in his films.
The use of monsters in Guillermo Del Toro lets him share his ideals of monsters being things that must be studied, and dissected in film. In Del Toro's film Blade II, he brings the dissection part of he monster fascination to live on film. The film's main antagonist are a new breed of vampire that prey on other vampires instead of humans. When one the new breed of vampires is captured, the normal vampires dissect it and try to get an understanding about how this new breed works.
Del Toro also speaks of the sociology of monsters in his films which in films like The Devil's Backbone (El Espinazo del Diablo), and Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Faunto). In The Devil's Backbone, the ghost of the little boy (Santi) is first thought to be a scary character. But when the main character Carlos finally is able to speak to the ghost, the audience finds out the he is only there to warn the children about the danger to come. The same happens in Pan's Labyrinth, the audience spends most of the film wondering whether or no the girl (Ofelia) its making a good decision to listen to the faun and do as he tells her because of the mean ways he tells her to accomplish the goals he wants her to. At the end of the film when he tells her that in order to have her do all the task he had to be very strict so that she would be able to come to the underworld to become princess along with her true family.
The way monster are portrayed in many films have almost become a cliché. But directors that have a general interest of how every aspect of their films are perceived, like Guillermo Del Toro, bring general film adaptations of monsters from their own personal lives. They then recreate the movie monsters into something the lives and breaths, without needing to use extremely gory images to keep the audiences attention.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
300
300! This must be one of the best action films I have ever seen. This movie is based on a comic book which was based off of a real battle in history. That makes is so the movie doesn’t really need to be completely historically accurate because the comic already retold the story. Frank Miller, the writer of the comic for which the comic is based from is a great writer who brings together history and a comic book violence to create great stories that have amazing detail.
Zack Snyder, director (and screenplay writer) of 300, isn’t very experienced as a director with only one other feature film under his belt, but after watching 300, and his other film Dawn of The Dead (2004 remake) it is obvious that he will become a great director. A good director can take their own vision of a film and make it, but a great director must be able to make anyone vision of a film come alive on the big screen.
The lighting used in 300, showed more on black and white then color. The filters on most shots in the film give the shots a dark sephia almost black and white look. The main color that pops to the audience is the crimson red that the Spartans wear in battle to represent that they are willing to bleed to protect their home. Zack Snyder created a technique he nicknamed “the crush” which was used to “crush the black content of the image and enhance the color saturation to change the contrast ratio of the film.” This brings me to my next point, which is the drastic contrast in the film. The blacks in the film are so dark that the viewer can sort of drift off into them. The main reason all color in 300 is because of the use of a blue screen for most of the backgrounds. A blue screen used in movies works the same way as a green screen (as in covering it with C.G.I. in post-production) expect that on a blue screen colors become deeper, and darker. This is why all of the sets in 300 were C.G.I., because with the deeper tones of the blue screen the sets could have a more realistic look.
Sound in 300, really brought the movie to life. With the sounds of the battle scenes drawing the audience in and sudden breaks of silence the sound was just as if the audience was in the battle, seeing the horrors of the Battle of Thermopylae first hand. With the sounds of swords, shields, and spears clashing with each other the sounds battle just make everything more realistic. Along with the battle sounds, the music in the film also made the atmosphere of the film all the better. It brought a strong heart pounding beat to the film which was just what it needed to fill a missing void.
300 had very little as far as costumes. If you take the time to read the comic book you would see that Frank Miller drew all of the 300 Spartans naked expect for their capes, helmets, and weapons. The American public would never approve of a film that included 300 nude men in the cast so the movie had to include simple clothing that would still allow the same type of fighting seen in the comic. So the costume designer Michael Wilkinson looked for capes with a strong texture that could also be made into clothing for the actors. The fabric was also chosen for its worn look which was “a metaphor for the life starting to bleed out of the characters.” The Spartans and Persians have a huge difference in the main colors used in their costuming to represent the differences in the two cultures. The Spartans have warm earth tones, while the Persians wear greens, blues, silvers, and golds.
Another critical part of the film was the bodies of the 300 Spartans. History shows these men as the best warriors mankind has ever known so all the actor who were in the film had to be a good representation of this. The extreme training regiment used by the actors in 300 put there bodies to the limit to get the perfect physique that only a true Spartan would have. Some of the actors have described the training for 300 as close to torture, but they all eventually appreciated the results of the training.
The special effects used in this film took up most of the time that the film was in production. The actors were done in just 60 days of active production while all the other time the film was pre and post production. Stand out special effects in the film include the character of Ephialtes (the deformed Spartan solider), the Persian “Uber-Immortal”, and the scene when the arrows block out the sun. The characters were first created in clay molds then they were made live size to fit over the actors who played the parts in the film. Without special molds the character of Ephialtes wouldn’t have been able to be portrayed the way he was. The arrows blocking out the sun scene was very good because when the line “Our arrows will block out the sun!” is said the audience would never think they would see it actually happen on screen.
300 is a film that true fans of comic books would truly enjoy because many shots from the film are exact replicas of frames from the Frank Miller comic “300.” These were dubbed “Frank Frames” by director Zack Snyder because when you bring the book up to the screen many shots are exact frames from the book. This makes the movies even better for true fans of the comic.
The way the different elements of this film come together all create a great film that was judged way too harshly by film critics that just don’t understand great comic book based films. If 300 was a movie before being a comic I think most critics would have been a little less harsh of it and gave it better reviews then it has received.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
O Brother, Where Art Thou?, is based on Homer’s The Odyssey, a tale which is about the hubris of one man and his adventure to keep his pride. The film has many similarities with the book from very subtle to large aspects of the film. But the film manages to be strong in its own right, and be a great tale on its own.
Co-writers and directors the Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan) recreated Homer’s The Odyssey with a great depression twist to create an entirely new tale. Which under the direction of the Coen Brothers is able to carry it’s self even if the audience has never read The Odyssey. With all the similarities in the film (i.e. Odysseus as Everett, Big Dan Teague is the Cyclops, Pete being turned into a toad is Odysseus’s men being turned into pigs, etc.) it is rather strange that Coen brothers were talented enough to be able to recreate such a different style story.
The lighting of O Brother Where Art Thou?, is terrific with the use of warm colors like reds, yellows, oranges, and browns every scene is given a specific feel and creates a wishful feeling for the audience. They bring the viewer into the film and have them rooting for Everett, Pete, and Delmar from the very beginning of the film. An example of cool colors used in the film is during the siren scene because of the slight blue filter the audience is entranced by the sirens along with the main characters. Creating a great audience to actor relationship.
Sound is a large part of this film. Every character has a very distinct tone in their voices when they speak helping the audience to differentiate the characters without even having to see them. Repetition is another big part of the voices in O Brother Where Art Thou?. Two examples of repetition are “Were in a tight spot” said by Everett three different times in the film, and “r-u-n-n-o-f-t” which is repeated by several different characters in the film. Along with voices, the music of the film is very distinct to the time period. With all the different songs used as big parts of certain scenes this film could be mistaken as a musical to some.
Costumes in this film are very subtle because of the time period (1937 a.k.a. The Great Depression) most characters dress very poorly to show that they are of a lower class. Which the several costume changes of the three characters it is fun for the audience to see how some people during this time is history had to lie to get what they wanted, of needed.
The set design of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, becomes very memorable in the audiences mind because of subtle details that catch the eye. This is especially true when the prophecies that the blind man on the train cart begin to come true and they are just shown on the screen without explaining to the viewer what they mean, which allows for the viewer to draw their own conclusions from everything that happened in the film.
Facial expressions were a huge part of many scenes but one in particular is the scene when the main characters are eating dinner at Delmar’s cousin’s home all the characters have strange looks on there faces giving the audience a laugh and creating openness in the film once again.
The main special effect I saw in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, was the great tidal wave near the end of the film. It was a very believable looking wave of water.
This film is very well done. In many ways it is a remake of The Odyssey, but it is also a story all its own. The great lighting and sound is what makes this film so recognizable and fun to watch.
Co-writers and directors the Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan) recreated Homer’s The Odyssey with a great depression twist to create an entirely new tale. Which under the direction of the Coen Brothers is able to carry it’s self even if the audience has never read The Odyssey. With all the similarities in the film (i.e. Odysseus as Everett, Big Dan Teague is the Cyclops, Pete being turned into a toad is Odysseus’s men being turned into pigs, etc.) it is rather strange that Coen brothers were talented enough to be able to recreate such a different style story.
The lighting of O Brother Where Art Thou?, is terrific with the use of warm colors like reds, yellows, oranges, and browns every scene is given a specific feel and creates a wishful feeling for the audience. They bring the viewer into the film and have them rooting for Everett, Pete, and Delmar from the very beginning of the film. An example of cool colors used in the film is during the siren scene because of the slight blue filter the audience is entranced by the sirens along with the main characters. Creating a great audience to actor relationship.
Sound is a large part of this film. Every character has a very distinct tone in their voices when they speak helping the audience to differentiate the characters without even having to see them. Repetition is another big part of the voices in O Brother Where Art Thou?. Two examples of repetition are “Were in a tight spot” said by Everett three different times in the film, and “r-u-n-n-o-f-t” which is repeated by several different characters in the film. Along with voices, the music of the film is very distinct to the time period. With all the different songs used as big parts of certain scenes this film could be mistaken as a musical to some.
Costumes in this film are very subtle because of the time period (1937 a.k.a. The Great Depression) most characters dress very poorly to show that they are of a lower class. Which the several costume changes of the three characters it is fun for the audience to see how some people during this time is history had to lie to get what they wanted, of needed.
The set design of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, becomes very memorable in the audiences mind because of subtle details that catch the eye. This is especially true when the prophecies that the blind man on the train cart begin to come true and they are just shown on the screen without explaining to the viewer what they mean, which allows for the viewer to draw their own conclusions from everything that happened in the film.
Facial expressions were a huge part of many scenes but one in particular is the scene when the main characters are eating dinner at Delmar’s cousin’s home all the characters have strange looks on there faces giving the audience a laugh and creating openness in the film once again.
The main special effect I saw in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, was the great tidal wave near the end of the film. It was a very believable looking wave of water.
This film is very well done. In many ways it is a remake of The Odyssey, but it is also a story all its own. The great lighting and sound is what makes this film so recognizable and fun to watch.
The Conversation
The Conversation is a film that one could see from many different angles which is a talent that Writer, Director, and Producer Francis Ford Coppola has within every film of his I have seen. As with The Godfather Trilogy the audience can take different parts of this film to create a different view from what is truly being shown.
Coppola’s vision for this film is exactly what the final product is, because as writer, director, and producer of The Conversation he didn’t have to discuss any aspect of the film with anyone else because and the decisions were made final through him. My favorite part about Francis Ford Coppola’s directing in this film is the camera shots. Almost every shot in the film is a wide shot letting the audience see everything around the actors on screen. Along with the wide angle lenses the other shots in the film are shot is a slight fish-eye lens bringing audience slightly closer to the actors.
The strangest (in a good way) shot in this film would be when Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) gets home from recording the man and women in the park to and walks into his apartment. The shot is very interesting because he puts something down and walks off camera. This was never done before in movies it was pretty much unheard off until Coppola did it. Harry stays off camera for quite sometime then another surprise the camera turns to him instead him walking on camera again. This type of camera work isn’t seen again until Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (20 years later).
A focal point of the lighting in this film was shadows. The long opening shot was filled with the shadows of many people who were walking around the park. Which previously knowing a little about the film made me think everyone is shrouded in mystery. Another interesting thing I saw in the film were very dark sets which because of the lighting seemed very bright. For example Harry’s warehouse is a huge empty room except for a corner of it. The entire place is dark but that little piece brightens it, making it seem accessible to the audience. Harry’s “girlfriend’s” apartment is also very dark but the same kind of light from the warehouse isn’t there. Harry seems very upset when he is there which is why I believe it is so dark there because it is a dark place for Harry to be.
The sound of “The Conversation” is amazing. With very recognizable voices, strange electronic noises, and sudden burst it is no wonder this film was nominated in 1974 for the Academy Award for Sound. The main reason the sound is such a prominent aspect of the film is because the film was made in between “The Godfather I & II” two of Coppola’s most popular films. So sound editor and designer, Walter Murch had a bigger role in the editing process and made it a larger part of the film. The music of the film also exploited the fact that Harry was a man suffering from paranoia because of the way it was distorted during stressful times for him.
The costumes in “The Conversation” are very true to the time. One of the main aspects of the costuming that is very noticeable is the raincoat that Harry wear all the time, even when it is not raining or cold outside. This coat is another sign of his paranoia which the audience can see at the strange times he wears the coat.
All of the sets in The Conversation have a very industrial feel to them. Harry's warehouse is a large empty room a represents the emptiness he feels from his job. The only set that doesn't have much of an empty feel is Harry's apartment. It is his santcury from all thing but eventually it becomes a victim of his paranoia.
Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, is a masterpiece of film. The viewer can see that Coppola cared that his vision of this film was realized and was shown to the viewer in the best way he could.
Coppola’s vision for this film is exactly what the final product is, because as writer, director, and producer of The Conversation he didn’t have to discuss any aspect of the film with anyone else because and the decisions were made final through him. My favorite part about Francis Ford Coppola’s directing in this film is the camera shots. Almost every shot in the film is a wide shot letting the audience see everything around the actors on screen. Along with the wide angle lenses the other shots in the film are shot is a slight fish-eye lens bringing audience slightly closer to the actors.
The strangest (in a good way) shot in this film would be when Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) gets home from recording the man and women in the park to and walks into his apartment. The shot is very interesting because he puts something down and walks off camera. This was never done before in movies it was pretty much unheard off until Coppola did it. Harry stays off camera for quite sometime then another surprise the camera turns to him instead him walking on camera again. This type of camera work isn’t seen again until Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (20 years later).
A focal point of the lighting in this film was shadows. The long opening shot was filled with the shadows of many people who were walking around the park. Which previously knowing a little about the film made me think everyone is shrouded in mystery. Another interesting thing I saw in the film were very dark sets which because of the lighting seemed very bright. For example Harry’s warehouse is a huge empty room except for a corner of it. The entire place is dark but that little piece brightens it, making it seem accessible to the audience. Harry’s “girlfriend’s” apartment is also very dark but the same kind of light from the warehouse isn’t there. Harry seems very upset when he is there which is why I believe it is so dark there because it is a dark place for Harry to be.
The sound of “The Conversation” is amazing. With very recognizable voices, strange electronic noises, and sudden burst it is no wonder this film was nominated in 1974 for the Academy Award for Sound. The main reason the sound is such a prominent aspect of the film is because the film was made in between “The Godfather I & II” two of Coppola’s most popular films. So sound editor and designer, Walter Murch had a bigger role in the editing process and made it a larger part of the film. The music of the film also exploited the fact that Harry was a man suffering from paranoia because of the way it was distorted during stressful times for him.
The costumes in “The Conversation” are very true to the time. One of the main aspects of the costuming that is very noticeable is the raincoat that Harry wear all the time, even when it is not raining or cold outside. This coat is another sign of his paranoia which the audience can see at the strange times he wears the coat.
All of the sets in The Conversation have a very industrial feel to them. Harry's warehouse is a large empty room a represents the emptiness he feels from his job. The only set that doesn't have much of an empty feel is Harry's apartment. It is his santcury from all thing but eventually it becomes a victim of his paranoia.
Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, is a masterpiece of film. The viewer can see that Coppola cared that his vision of this film was realized and was shown to the viewer in the best way he could.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
The Bad Sleep Well
Described by many as Akira Kurosawa’s Hamlet, Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru (a.k.a. The Bad Sleep Well) is a film about the corporate corruption of Japanese companies. Much like Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Koichi Nishi (Toshirō Mifune) tries to find out how his father died and make those responsible pay.
Kurosawa’s directing techniques as always shine and present the actors as well disciplined because in all Kurosawa films I believe it’s almost as if the audience isn’t watching a movie but viewing a documentary. It’s as if the cameras aren’t in the room and everyone is just being there normal selves. This also highlight’s Kurosawa’s great casting choices.
The lighting used in Kurosawa films usually highlights the color white. Although most of Kurosawa’s films were shot in black and white he still found ways to highlight certain aspects of shots to catch the audience’s eye. For example in the opening wedding scene the Bride’s dress is a bright almost blinding white causing the viewer to have to focus on her, which hints to her role in the story. Another good example of great lighting in this film is when Nishi, Wada, and another man are talking. Wada is presumed to be dead by everyone who knows him, and the only people who know that he is alive are Nishi and the other man. Wada is lit in such a way that his skin looks pale (almost like a ghost) symbolizing that he is thought to be dead (while still among the living).
Sound in “The Bad Sleep Well” wasn’t very prominent in voices as much as it was in dialogue between characters. In most Kurosawa films there is one characters voice that is very noticeable above all others, but that was lacking in this film. The music in “The Bad Sleep Well” matched every scene perfectly, for example whenever a plan is being discussed a happy type of music is played to offset the possibly evil plan in the audiences mind. But another sound factor that is prominent in all Kurosawa films is silence which happens when serious subjects (i.e. death, and confrontations) are happening.
Costumes in the film were not very extravagant like other Kurosawa films. The story taking place in a corporate setting leaves little room for stand out costumes. Except for Nishi who even during some high moments of stress, he still looks neat and clean when anyone else would have their jacket unbuttoned, messy hair, lowered tie, etc.
Other then the companies building, Nishi’s apartment, and the underground vault there aren’t may sets. This is very strange for Kurosawa who usually has many different sets some which are only seen for less then a minute. The few times the movie has other sets are also strange because they are such a huge change i.e. office setting to mouth of a volcano, and office setting to creepy alleyway with bright lights at the end of it.
The only special effects that I spotted in this film were when a man was ran over by a car. For the time it was made it looked great, but with today’s CGI it could have looked better (but who am I to criticize the great Akira Kurosawa:)).
I believe the “The Bad Sleep Well was a very good film. It is a film that the viewer needs to pay close attention to or they will miss a big detail that holds s the story together. All in all it is another masterpiece of film by Akira Kurosawa.
Kurosawa’s directing techniques as always shine and present the actors as well disciplined because in all Kurosawa films I believe it’s almost as if the audience isn’t watching a movie but viewing a documentary. It’s as if the cameras aren’t in the room and everyone is just being there normal selves. This also highlight’s Kurosawa’s great casting choices.
The lighting used in Kurosawa films usually highlights the color white. Although most of Kurosawa’s films were shot in black and white he still found ways to highlight certain aspects of shots to catch the audience’s eye. For example in the opening wedding scene the Bride’s dress is a bright almost blinding white causing the viewer to have to focus on her, which hints to her role in the story. Another good example of great lighting in this film is when Nishi, Wada, and another man are talking. Wada is presumed to be dead by everyone who knows him, and the only people who know that he is alive are Nishi and the other man. Wada is lit in such a way that his skin looks pale (almost like a ghost) symbolizing that he is thought to be dead (while still among the living).
Sound in “The Bad Sleep Well” wasn’t very prominent in voices as much as it was in dialogue between characters. In most Kurosawa films there is one characters voice that is very noticeable above all others, but that was lacking in this film. The music in “The Bad Sleep Well” matched every scene perfectly, for example whenever a plan is being discussed a happy type of music is played to offset the possibly evil plan in the audiences mind. But another sound factor that is prominent in all Kurosawa films is silence which happens when serious subjects (i.e. death, and confrontations) are happening.
Costumes in the film were not very extravagant like other Kurosawa films. The story taking place in a corporate setting leaves little room for stand out costumes. Except for Nishi who even during some high moments of stress, he still looks neat and clean when anyone else would have their jacket unbuttoned, messy hair, lowered tie, etc.
Other then the companies building, Nishi’s apartment, and the underground vault there aren’t may sets. This is very strange for Kurosawa who usually has many different sets some which are only seen for less then a minute. The few times the movie has other sets are also strange because they are such a huge change i.e. office setting to mouth of a volcano, and office setting to creepy alleyway with bright lights at the end of it.
The only special effects that I spotted in this film were when a man was ran over by a car. For the time it was made it looked great, but with today’s CGI it could have looked better (but who am I to criticize the great Akira Kurosawa:)).
I believe the “The Bad Sleep Well was a very good film. It is a film that the viewer needs to pay close attention to or they will miss a big detail that holds s the story together. All in all it is another masterpiece of film by Akira Kurosawa.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
American Cinema VS Chinese Cinema
American and Chinese Cinema in my opinion are some of the least comparable film making styles. The cultures of the two countries are dramatically different, mainly because of the traditions of the two countries. American Cinema has gone through four distinct periods the Silent Film era, Classic Hollywood Cinema, New Hollywood, and the Contemporary Period. There has been six distinct periods of Chinese Cinema the Beginnings (1896-1945), the Second Golden Age (late 1940s), the Communist era (1950-1960), the Cultural Revolution (1960s-1980s), the Fifth Generation (1980s-1990s), and finally the Sixth Generation (1990s-present). These periods in both types of cinema have created classics in all aspects of the film world.
American Cinema because of the massive difference in the culture of the people in the country is all over the place. So many American films are seen all over the world that American Cinema touches almost all countries cinema (even Chinese). The silent era of American film was the first era which had films in which music was playing while the film was going on, and breaks that would show what the actors were saying. Classic Hollywood Cinema was when the rise of American Cinema started because of the great films, directors, and actors that were alive during the 1910s and 1920s. The New Hollywood era brought films like the Star Wars Trilogy, and Dawn of the Dead. Most films out of this time are considered classics of film. So many great films were made during this time in every genre, bring American Cinema into many other countries. In the post contemporary era of American Cinema (after 1980) is when most of the good films that were formal presented to American audience were forgot, and replaced with lots of for the lack of a better word, crap. There is the occasional great film but for the most part present day American films are just about the money involved. This is where Chinese and American cinemas are the most different.
Chinese Cinema is created to tell a story and convey it to the director’s best ability usually resulting in a great film. The best way I can describe my personal view on Chinese film is to describe the vast use of color which creates a beautiful image for the audience watching. Every time I sit down and watch a Chinese film I know that I am going to enjoy the color and the great story that is exhibited throughout the film. Chop Socky, shows how Chinese Cinema helped to inspire World Cinema by using color to tell the story. Along with chorography and inventive camera angles plenty of new ways to make movies have come from Chinese Cinema. I haven’t been exposed to many Chinese films which creates a void in this essay causing my argument to truly have only one side.
The main difference between American and Chinese Cinema's are how the stories are presented to the audience Chinese film describe all aspects of the story and bring the entire audience into the film. American films (of the post contemporary era) usually are one track telling the audience only one thing and creates a simple minded film. But like everything in the world there and plenty of exceptions to this, that make American Cinema worth what it is.
American Cinema because of the massive difference in the culture of the people in the country is all over the place. So many American films are seen all over the world that American Cinema touches almost all countries cinema (even Chinese). The silent era of American film was the first era which had films in which music was playing while the film was going on, and breaks that would show what the actors were saying. Classic Hollywood Cinema was when the rise of American Cinema started because of the great films, directors, and actors that were alive during the 1910s and 1920s. The New Hollywood era brought films like the Star Wars Trilogy, and Dawn of the Dead. Most films out of this time are considered classics of film. So many great films were made during this time in every genre, bring American Cinema into many other countries. In the post contemporary era of American Cinema (after 1980) is when most of the good films that were formal presented to American audience were forgot, and replaced with lots of for the lack of a better word, crap. There is the occasional great film but for the most part present day American films are just about the money involved. This is where Chinese and American cinemas are the most different.
Chinese Cinema is created to tell a story and convey it to the director’s best ability usually resulting in a great film. The best way I can describe my personal view on Chinese film is to describe the vast use of color which creates a beautiful image for the audience watching. Every time I sit down and watch a Chinese film I know that I am going to enjoy the color and the great story that is exhibited throughout the film. Chop Socky, shows how Chinese Cinema helped to inspire World Cinema by using color to tell the story. Along with chorography and inventive camera angles plenty of new ways to make movies have come from Chinese Cinema. I haven’t been exposed to many Chinese films which creates a void in this essay causing my argument to truly have only one side.
The main difference between American and Chinese Cinema's are how the stories are presented to the audience Chinese film describe all aspects of the story and bring the entire audience into the film. American films (of the post contemporary era) usually are one track telling the audience only one thing and creates a simple minded film. But like everything in the world there and plenty of exceptions to this, that make American Cinema worth what it is.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth, this film is an eye opener. Never before has a documentary affected me the way this has. I begun watching this film thinking that it was just going to be Al Gore talking about how he should have became President and why George Bush was going to destroy the world. Instead I was pleasantly surprised by the content of it. Beside the quick introduction of “I’m Al Gore, I used to be the next President of the United States” there was absolutely no mention Presidential politics. Instead the film was purely about informing the masses about the big problem we will be having in the near future.
The way I write my critiques, writing about a documentary is a little strange because they are not really focused on lighting, costumes, sounds, direction, special effects, or colors. An Inconvenient Truth was just Al Gore speaking to a few groups of people and showing the natural beauty of our planet. It didn’t seem like anything special was done to the film. It was as if they set up a few extra lights on the stage Al Gore was open and film his entire speech. Then took the camera to a lot beautiful examples of what global warming will destroy if will continue to let is happen.
This film opened my eyes to what needs to change in our world. I believe that if someone watching this film doesn’t decide to change at least one thing that they know is bad for the planet its message didn’t get through to them. If everyone who saw this film would just change one thing that they do it could make a big difference on our planet.
p.s. - Does anyone think the blue letters in the white words at the end of the movie spell stuff out? We should watch that part again and figure it out!!
The way I write my critiques, writing about a documentary is a little strange because they are not really focused on lighting, costumes, sounds, direction, special effects, or colors. An Inconvenient Truth was just Al Gore speaking to a few groups of people and showing the natural beauty of our planet. It didn’t seem like anything special was done to the film. It was as if they set up a few extra lights on the stage Al Gore was open and film his entire speech. Then took the camera to a lot beautiful examples of what global warming will destroy if will continue to let is happen.
This film opened my eyes to what needs to change in our world. I believe that if someone watching this film doesn’t decide to change at least one thing that they know is bad for the planet its message didn’t get through to them. If everyone who saw this film would just change one thing that they do it could make a big difference on our planet.
p.s. - Does anyone think the blue letters in the white words at the end of the movie spell stuff out? We should watch that part again and figure it out!!
Family Values
Family Values a film about a lesbian couple who decided to lift the burden of cleaning up crime scenes in people’s homes. This film was very enjoyable. The director (Eva Saks) used one of my favorite techniques in film. Instead of showing the body parts and pieces that they are picking up it show where everything was and the fluids. That may seem just as gross to some people but, I feel that the things that aren’t shown in a film are truly the worse images. The reason being that the director can let the audience form their own visions of the object. So for the people like myself who have a good imagination we can create sometime in our head that fill in the void that is left by the director.
Other then that this film was not really to appealing, the film centered solely on what their business was. Which was a good idea but it could have been put together far better then it was. It was mentioned that they were lesbian a few times in the film but that had no real reason to be in the film, most viewers don’t care what a persons sexual orientation is.
The film being shot in black and white makes it all the better because (coming back to imagination again) I can picture the colors around the room from previous experiences with other film and tell exactly how gory the crime scene really is and appreciate these people a lot more because of their work environment.
Other then that this film was not really to appealing, the film centered solely on what their business was. Which was a good idea but it could have been put together far better then it was. It was mentioned that they were lesbian a few times in the film but that had no real reason to be in the film, most viewers don’t care what a persons sexual orientation is.
The film being shot in black and white makes it all the better because (coming back to imagination again) I can picture the colors around the room from previous experiences with other film and tell exactly how gory the crime scene really is and appreciate these people a lot more because of their work environment.
Mid-Term Essay
Throne of Blood depicts two soldiers in Medieval Japan who are in the middle of a battle and get lost in a forest and stubble upon a evil spirit who that the two men (Washizu Taketori and Miki Yoshiteru) will become lord and commander. This may sound a little familiar to Shakespeare's Macbeth. These are similar in pretext but Akira Kurosawa changes many things to create his own story while still respecting Shakespeare's classic work. Throne of Blood also contains elements of Noh theatre, which Kurosawa was a fan of. He shaped Noh theatre, Macbeth, and his own visions for throne of Blood to create his masterpiece.
The cinematographer (Asaichi Nakai) made to film enjoyable to watch because he was able to create a similarity between every set and keep the audiences attention throughout the film. Whenever the evil spirit is on the screen i find it difficult to take my eyes off of her, because the way the cinematographer lights her lit her she screams for attention. The evil spirit could be used as an example of stylized elements because she is almost completely consumed in white creating a big mess of white which the cinematographer uses to make the viewer focus on her. The effects achieved is a trance that looking at this women creates. Realistic elements used in the film are everything from the visible detailed texture of the military personnels armor and weapons, to arrows. The realistic effects achieved is a feeling of realism that most directors and cinematographer never consider. That feeling is the touch factor whenever a viewer sees something and wonders what makes a certain texture look like it would feel very different from what they are used to.
Choreography in Throne of Blood is looks very simple but happens to be very complex. On several occasions Washizu is walking towards a large group of his military and as he walks towards them they all move to the side in sequence. This choreography seems like it would be very easy to do but having 100 people all walk backwards all at the same time could prove to be quite difficult. Then having the men all move back into the exact positions they were in before after Washizu walks by could also go wrong. But knowing Kurosawa he most likely made the extras redo those scenes over and over again until they got it done perfectly up to his standards. I would consider this example of choreography to be stylism because moving a gigantic mass of people like that creates a big movement on screen moving something so big so fast.
There are many elements of Noh Theatre that are used in this film. The shite (primary actor/protagonist) in Throne of Blood would be Washizu and his tsure (the shite's companion)would be Miki. The waki (antagonist)in Throne of Blood would be the evil spirit and her wakizure (companion of waki)could possibly be Asaji because she is always trying to make Washizu make sure the evil spirits predictions come true. Although not seen it is possible that the men singing at the beginning and end of the film are jiutai (chorus). Also like Noh theatre there are only about 4 character types in the film. The mood of Throne of Blood if you are looking at it from the Noh point of view would be Mugen Noh meaning the it deals with ghost. With all these elements of Noh Theatre it is obvious that Kurosawa enjoyed Noh very much and wanted to use it to its full ability in his films.
The Macbeth elements in Throne of Blood can be seen in the main parts of the film. The general story is Macbeth. A spirit comes and predicts that two men with gain great power and one becomes consumed by it and eventually both lose there lives because of it.
The two main influences of this film came together to create a masterpiece that remains well respected. The creation of this film in the mind of Akira Kurosawa keeps it from be place in the same boat as Macbeth and basically creates it own complete story making the viewer completely forget about Macbeth and only making Throne of Blood.
The cinematographer (Asaichi Nakai) made to film enjoyable to watch because he was able to create a similarity between every set and keep the audiences attention throughout the film. Whenever the evil spirit is on the screen i find it difficult to take my eyes off of her, because the way the cinematographer lights her lit her she screams for attention. The evil spirit could be used as an example of stylized elements because she is almost completely consumed in white creating a big mess of white which the cinematographer uses to make the viewer focus on her. The effects achieved is a trance that looking at this women creates. Realistic elements used in the film are everything from the visible detailed texture of the military personnels armor and weapons, to arrows. The realistic effects achieved is a feeling of realism that most directors and cinematographer never consider. That feeling is the touch factor whenever a viewer sees something and wonders what makes a certain texture look like it would feel very different from what they are used to.
Choreography in Throne of Blood is looks very simple but happens to be very complex. On several occasions Washizu is walking towards a large group of his military and as he walks towards them they all move to the side in sequence. This choreography seems like it would be very easy to do but having 100 people all walk backwards all at the same time could prove to be quite difficult. Then having the men all move back into the exact positions they were in before after Washizu walks by could also go wrong. But knowing Kurosawa he most likely made the extras redo those scenes over and over again until they got it done perfectly up to his standards. I would consider this example of choreography to be stylism because moving a gigantic mass of people like that creates a big movement on screen moving something so big so fast.
There are many elements of Noh Theatre that are used in this film. The shite (primary actor/protagonist) in Throne of Blood would be Washizu and his tsure (the shite's companion)would be Miki. The waki (antagonist)in Throne of Blood would be the evil spirit and her wakizure (companion of waki)could possibly be Asaji because she is always trying to make Washizu make sure the evil spirits predictions come true. Although not seen it is possible that the men singing at the beginning and end of the film are jiutai (chorus). Also like Noh theatre there are only about 4 character types in the film. The mood of Throne of Blood if you are looking at it from the Noh point of view would be Mugen Noh meaning the it deals with ghost. With all these elements of Noh Theatre it is obvious that Kurosawa enjoyed Noh very much and wanted to use it to its full ability in his films.
The Macbeth elements in Throne of Blood can be seen in the main parts of the film. The general story is Macbeth. A spirit comes and predicts that two men with gain great power and one becomes consumed by it and eventually both lose there lives because of it.
The two main influences of this film came together to create a masterpiece that remains well respected. The creation of this film in the mind of Akira Kurosawa keeps it from be place in the same boat as Macbeth and basically creates it own complete story making the viewer completely forget about Macbeth and only making Throne of Blood.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
The Sunshine Hotel
When you think of a squatters hotel or a flophouse you may think of a big filthy building with homeless people everywhere. The Sunshine Hotel takes those thoughts and throws them out the window. This flophouse in the Bowery neighborhood of New York City shows people who have fallen upon hard times but continue on living with what they have and are content with that. An example of one of the stand out people from the film is the man who takes orders from people in the hotel and gets stuff for them. He believes that working in life is the only way to go and he loves does what he does, for the simple satisfaction of having work. Another example is a transvestite who lives in the hotel he feels objectified in the hotel as the only thing close to female there. The rest of the people interviewed are just like these to men they had know where else o go so they came to The Sunshine Hotel and are now living a hard but manageable life.
The main point to the film is that all the tourist who past by this place may see it a scum filled place but if they would take the time to talk and get to know some of the people there they would learn that they are the same.
The main point to the film is that all the tourist who past by this place may see it a scum filled place but if they would take the time to talk and get to know some of the people there they would learn that they are the same.
Mojave Mirage
The Mojave Mirage is a short film about a simple phone booth that changed people’s lives. This little electronic device in the middle of nowhere created a feeling of togetherness for the viewer, because they realize that the phone is not what is important about the film. What is important about the film is what the phone does for the people who call it. It brings them together to talk about nothing for a few minutes, but they become apart of the legend of the Mojave phone booth which is what the film is truly about. Although the phone booth was removed, with this film and the memories that those who visited it have the Mojave phone booth will forever be known as a simple thing that brought so many people together to create a little piece of history.
Throne of Blood
Akira Kurosawa, what else must I say? Although this is my first journey into a Kurosawa film, I have to say it was the best film I have seen in quite sometime. Throne of Blood (a.k.a. Kumonosu jô, and Spider Web Castle) is based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, but set in medieval Japan. This film is perfect in everyway, even without color, because when color was introduced to film many filmmakers got lazy with some aspects of their movies.
Directing Throne of Blood seems like quite the task to take on, especially doing it in the style that Kurosawa directed. He would surround himself in his mind with every aspect of his current film, looking at it from every angle so that he could create the best film possibly every time. Throne of Blood being no exception. The acting in the film was very passionate especially from Toshirô Mifune (Washizu Taketori) every time he is on camera the audience can feel his passion for his craft. Another point of good direction and acting is the facial expressions exhibited by all characters in the film. Anyone who is on camera and the audience sees their face Kurosawa made sure their faces showed what they were saying.
Black and White films are one part of cinematography that I haven’t had to much experience with. I cannot judge the lighting of a black & white film very well because I do not know many of the techniques used when black & white films were common place. One thing that did stand out was the long lingering shadows that were in many shots. All the shots in the movie were covered in a light haze representing the fog that was all over the place. An example of this is when Washizu and Miki were lost in the fog the entire screen was consumed with fog. At one point I thought something was wrong with the movie because they were lost for so long. Another directing technique used by Kurosawa.
The sound in Throne of Blood was great from every footstep to every word out of someone mouth everything was easily detected by the audience. The very beginning of the film with the eye piercing music was especially pleasurable; when this music is played again later in the film it blends so well with the background music creating a well orchestrated piece of work. The man singing the same song at the beginning and end of the film link everything together and creates a feeling of completion in the viewer. The birds crying when Asaji (Washizu’s wife) and Washizu are speaking are quite haunting, and ghastly. She says that they are cries from heaven telling Washizu to kill the great lord and take his place. One of the best examples of sound in the film is the silence during the murder of the great lord scene. It is silence to create a powerful scene in with the audience sees the new great lord emerge. The sound of wind blowing is a focal of the movie, I think this was done to keep the audience focused on the screen and the only time it wasn’t blowing is when something very important was happening.
The costumes used in the film were traditional medieval Japanese military and traditional Japanese clothing. These costumes show that Kurosawa wanted everything right down to the last detail. All the costumes look as if they were taken straight from the time the movie is meant to depict.
No true special effects were used in this film the only part that may be mistaken for a special effect would be the infamous “Arrow Scene.” All the arrows used in this scene were real except the ones that hit Washizu which were bamboo fakes. They way this scene was done was professional marksmen were shooting the arrows and with his arms Washizu would tell them which way he was running. The final arrow through the neck, which kills Washizu, was actually a regular arrow that was rounded at the center so that it would fit around his neck looking as if it went through the neck.
Akira Kurosawa, a genius on all levels of filmmaking. His films inspired so many filmmakers and Throne of Blood is a film that is mentioned by some of today’s greatest directors when asked about some of the best films ever made. It is a perfect example of Kurosawa’s dedication to his craft.
Directing Throne of Blood seems like quite the task to take on, especially doing it in the style that Kurosawa directed. He would surround himself in his mind with every aspect of his current film, looking at it from every angle so that he could create the best film possibly every time. Throne of Blood being no exception. The acting in the film was very passionate especially from Toshirô Mifune (Washizu Taketori) every time he is on camera the audience can feel his passion for his craft. Another point of good direction and acting is the facial expressions exhibited by all characters in the film. Anyone who is on camera and the audience sees their face Kurosawa made sure their faces showed what they were saying.
Black and White films are one part of cinematography that I haven’t had to much experience with. I cannot judge the lighting of a black & white film very well because I do not know many of the techniques used when black & white films were common place. One thing that did stand out was the long lingering shadows that were in many shots. All the shots in the movie were covered in a light haze representing the fog that was all over the place. An example of this is when Washizu and Miki were lost in the fog the entire screen was consumed with fog. At one point I thought something was wrong with the movie because they were lost for so long. Another directing technique used by Kurosawa.
The sound in Throne of Blood was great from every footstep to every word out of someone mouth everything was easily detected by the audience. The very beginning of the film with the eye piercing music was especially pleasurable; when this music is played again later in the film it blends so well with the background music creating a well orchestrated piece of work. The man singing the same song at the beginning and end of the film link everything together and creates a feeling of completion in the viewer. The birds crying when Asaji (Washizu’s wife) and Washizu are speaking are quite haunting, and ghastly. She says that they are cries from heaven telling Washizu to kill the great lord and take his place. One of the best examples of sound in the film is the silence during the murder of the great lord scene. It is silence to create a powerful scene in with the audience sees the new great lord emerge. The sound of wind blowing is a focal of the movie, I think this was done to keep the audience focused on the screen and the only time it wasn’t blowing is when something very important was happening.
The costumes used in the film were traditional medieval Japanese military and traditional Japanese clothing. These costumes show that Kurosawa wanted everything right down to the last detail. All the costumes look as if they were taken straight from the time the movie is meant to depict.
No true special effects were used in this film the only part that may be mistaken for a special effect would be the infamous “Arrow Scene.” All the arrows used in this scene were real except the ones that hit Washizu which were bamboo fakes. They way this scene was done was professional marksmen were shooting the arrows and with his arms Washizu would tell them which way he was running. The final arrow through the neck, which kills Washizu, was actually a regular arrow that was rounded at the center so that it would fit around his neck looking as if it went through the neck.
Akira Kurosawa, a genius on all levels of filmmaking. His films inspired so many filmmakers and Throne of Blood is a film that is mentioned by some of today’s greatest directors when asked about some of the best films ever made. It is a perfect example of Kurosawa’s dedication to his craft.
Rear Window
Rear Window, another classic Hitchcock film. Based on “It had to be Murder” by Cornell Woolrich (screenplay written by John Michael Hayes), tells the story of L.B. Jefferies (Jeff). A photographer, who just recently became wheelchair bound, must stay in the confines of his home, and goes people watching on a daily basis. This seemingly harmless pastime soon leads Jeff into a big mystery that he feels he must solve.
Directing Rear Window seems like it must have been one of the easier of Hitchcock’s films to direct. Besides a few shots, the film was completely shot from the perspective of Jeff from the window. The entire film is basically 3 camera shots, because Hitchcock only lets the audience to see what he wants them to see. In order to catch everything in the film you must watch it a few times to see everything Hitchcock puts into every shot. If not you could miss some key details that help the story flow more. The main difficulties in directing this film I would imagine would only be set dimensions, and lighting.
The lighting in Rear Window is very key for the scenes that it is used in. The focal point that I saw with the lighting was that it created a lot of shadows. It was very realistic and created normal lighting effects that light directly from the sun would also make. During the day scenes Jeff’s apartment was very bright with light filling the entire room creating once again a very lifelike feel. The night scenes had the entire apartment overflowing with shadows. For example when Mr. Thorwald came to Jeff’s apartment to confront him he becomes engulfed in shadow to the point where the audience can only see his legs and lower torso creating a scary scene. Another part of that scene that becomes very creepy is when the only light is on Thorwald’s eyes creating an uncomfortable feeling in the viewers gut.
Sound in rear window was kept to mainly dialogue and music. No big flashy special effect sounds just the basics. The music was mostly lighthearted and happy, but also dramatic at times. This marks the importance and type of scene. While I was watching the film I found that the music would blend with the dialogue and almost get lost in it. Thus making the music sometimes nonexistent.
The colors used in the film where mainly cold with lots of grays, blues, and whites. At the very beginning of the movie when the blinds open and reveal the courtyard and the building on the opposite of Jeff’s building the screen is consumed by warm colors, yellows, browns, light reds, and golds. The costumes in rear window are very limited. Jeff wears his pajamas for the entire film and everyone else is either wearing suits, or dresses and in one case two other people are wearing pajamas.
The only example of special effects that I saw in this film was when Jeff was hanging out of the window. This for its time was a good effect and very believable. But now it just looks cheesy.
Once again Hitchcock delivers another masterpiece of film. Rear Window although it is shot in a very confined area the audience gets consumed in a big story and it feels like you want to help solve the mystery and that is exactly what Hitchcock wanted.
Directing Rear Window seems like it must have been one of the easier of Hitchcock’s films to direct. Besides a few shots, the film was completely shot from the perspective of Jeff from the window. The entire film is basically 3 camera shots, because Hitchcock only lets the audience to see what he wants them to see. In order to catch everything in the film you must watch it a few times to see everything Hitchcock puts into every shot. If not you could miss some key details that help the story flow more. The main difficulties in directing this film I would imagine would only be set dimensions, and lighting.
The lighting in Rear Window is very key for the scenes that it is used in. The focal point that I saw with the lighting was that it created a lot of shadows. It was very realistic and created normal lighting effects that light directly from the sun would also make. During the day scenes Jeff’s apartment was very bright with light filling the entire room creating once again a very lifelike feel. The night scenes had the entire apartment overflowing with shadows. For example when Mr. Thorwald came to Jeff’s apartment to confront him he becomes engulfed in shadow to the point where the audience can only see his legs and lower torso creating a scary scene. Another part of that scene that becomes very creepy is when the only light is on Thorwald’s eyes creating an uncomfortable feeling in the viewers gut.
Sound in rear window was kept to mainly dialogue and music. No big flashy special effect sounds just the basics. The music was mostly lighthearted and happy, but also dramatic at times. This marks the importance and type of scene. While I was watching the film I found that the music would blend with the dialogue and almost get lost in it. Thus making the music sometimes nonexistent.
The colors used in the film where mainly cold with lots of grays, blues, and whites. At the very beginning of the movie when the blinds open and reveal the courtyard and the building on the opposite of Jeff’s building the screen is consumed by warm colors, yellows, browns, light reds, and golds. The costumes in rear window are very limited. Jeff wears his pajamas for the entire film and everyone else is either wearing suits, or dresses and in one case two other people are wearing pajamas.
The only example of special effects that I saw in this film was when Jeff was hanging out of the window. This for its time was a good effect and very believable. But now it just looks cheesy.
Once again Hitchcock delivers another masterpiece of film. Rear Window although it is shot in a very confined area the audience gets consumed in a big story and it feels like you want to help solve the mystery and that is exactly what Hitchcock wanted.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Vertigo
Vertigo, a story about a man with a crippling fear of heights, and love for a woman he cannot have. A very strange film in my opinion. Alfred Hitchcock brings the audience into Detective John Ferguson’s (James Stewart’s) world of paranoia. This creates a chilling, almost too realistic film.
From watching Vertigo I feel that Hitchcock’s directing technique is very simple. Bring everything to the center of the screen. I could probably count on one hand how many times a person who was talking was outside of the center of the screen. This forces the audience to focus on only what Hitchcock allows them to see. Hitchcock also doesn’t have many of his actors look directly into the camera. I can only remember once in this entire film in which this happens. They were always looking to the right or left of the camera. This helps the audience focus on dialogue and what Hitchcock is trying to convey in the shot.
Lighting in Vertigo was quite strange. Many of the outdoor scenes were lit as if they were indoor scenes. Creating a parallel between the actors and the background. The background looked like a picture while the actors looked normal. Causing me to zone out during some scenes from lack of clarity. A neon green type of light was used for many of the scenes at end of the movie. In Judy Barton’s (Kim Novak’s) apartment the use of this light is most apparent, because of the strange effects the light has on some shots. The two worse uses of the green lights were when Judy walks out of the bathroom, and from John’s point of view she seems to be a very blurry green mess. The second strange use of the green light was a split second when Judy gets something off the bed and her entire face becomes engulfed in green light. Hitchcock also used shadows to make some scenes become more intense with darkness surrounding the characters. For example the scene right before Judy commits suicide; they are so surrounded by darkness that she mistakes the nuns shadow for the ghost of the shipbuilder’s wife, Madeleine Elster.
The sounds used in the film become eerily familiar to a point were in the audiences mind the films main eerie/haunting score plays in their heads. The verbal usage of sound also becomes very familiar because of the limited number of characters, the audience can figure out exactly who is talking simply by the sound of their voice. This is mainly because all the main actors in the film have very distinct voices.
The costumes in Vertigo all seem to relate. They relate because of the similarity in color. The two main colors that come to mind when thinking about Vertigo are red and green. There was at least a little bit of red or green in every shot. Red can represent either bewilderment or mystery. This is because of the many times when John sees things in red. A few good examples of this fact are when John is following “Madeleine” and he is wearing a dark red suit and she is driving a green car. Another example is when John finally meets “Madeleine” and she is wearing a red robe, while he is wearing a green sweater. The color red usually represents someone who is confused about something, while green usually represents the object or person that is mysterious. Most of John’s costumes were dark colors like dark blue, red, and green suits. A color that is rarely seen but plays a significant role is blue. It represents impairment or a lack of control for ones fate. This is best represented when John is on trial for not trying to stop “Madeleine” from committing “suicide.” He is sitting quietly in his dark blue suit awaiting the decision not able to influence the jury any further.
Alfred Hitchcock didn’t become one of the best directors of all time by making bad films. All of his films have good aspects, along with bad aspects but being the genius he was the good would always overshadow the bad. Although it may not be my favorite Hitchcock film, Vertigo is still another masterpiece of cinema.
From watching Vertigo I feel that Hitchcock’s directing technique is very simple. Bring everything to the center of the screen. I could probably count on one hand how many times a person who was talking was outside of the center of the screen. This forces the audience to focus on only what Hitchcock allows them to see. Hitchcock also doesn’t have many of his actors look directly into the camera. I can only remember once in this entire film in which this happens. They were always looking to the right or left of the camera. This helps the audience focus on dialogue and what Hitchcock is trying to convey in the shot.
Lighting in Vertigo was quite strange. Many of the outdoor scenes were lit as if they were indoor scenes. Creating a parallel between the actors and the background. The background looked like a picture while the actors looked normal. Causing me to zone out during some scenes from lack of clarity. A neon green type of light was used for many of the scenes at end of the movie. In Judy Barton’s (Kim Novak’s) apartment the use of this light is most apparent, because of the strange effects the light has on some shots. The two worse uses of the green lights were when Judy walks out of the bathroom, and from John’s point of view she seems to be a very blurry green mess. The second strange use of the green light was a split second when Judy gets something off the bed and her entire face becomes engulfed in green light. Hitchcock also used shadows to make some scenes become more intense with darkness surrounding the characters. For example the scene right before Judy commits suicide; they are so surrounded by darkness that she mistakes the nuns shadow for the ghost of the shipbuilder’s wife, Madeleine Elster.
The sounds used in the film become eerily familiar to a point were in the audiences mind the films main eerie/haunting score plays in their heads. The verbal usage of sound also becomes very familiar because of the limited number of characters, the audience can figure out exactly who is talking simply by the sound of their voice. This is mainly because all the main actors in the film have very distinct voices.
The costumes in Vertigo all seem to relate. They relate because of the similarity in color. The two main colors that come to mind when thinking about Vertigo are red and green. There was at least a little bit of red or green in every shot. Red can represent either bewilderment or mystery. This is because of the many times when John sees things in red. A few good examples of this fact are when John is following “Madeleine” and he is wearing a dark red suit and she is driving a green car. Another example is when John finally meets “Madeleine” and she is wearing a red robe, while he is wearing a green sweater. The color red usually represents someone who is confused about something, while green usually represents the object or person that is mysterious. Most of John’s costumes were dark colors like dark blue, red, and green suits. A color that is rarely seen but plays a significant role is blue. It represents impairment or a lack of control for ones fate. This is best represented when John is on trial for not trying to stop “Madeleine” from committing “suicide.” He is sitting quietly in his dark blue suit awaiting the decision not able to influence the jury any further.
Alfred Hitchcock didn’t become one of the best directors of all time by making bad films. All of his films have good aspects, along with bad aspects but being the genius he was the good would always overshadow the bad. Although it may not be my favorite Hitchcock film, Vertigo is still another masterpiece of cinema.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Pan's Labyrinth
Pan’s Labyrinth is an excellent view into the rarely seen “R-rated” fairy tale genre. Writer, Director, and Co-Producer, Guillermo Del Toro, delivers a picture in which those who view it must be smart enough to relate it to their own human nature. To be able to understand this film viewers need to draw from previous experience, and leave all previous ideas about the film behind.
Guillermo Del Toro was able to take his vision of Pan’s Labyrinth as far as he wanted it to go because as writer and director, he didn’t need to stay to someone else’s vision he was able to change anything about any aspect of the film at any point.
The lighting used in Pan’s Labyrinth separates the two worlds that Ofelia (main character) travels between. Her real world is filled with cold colors, blues, and greens. The harsh reality of the living with Vidal (her new stepfather, and the Captain of the military regiment) along with his troops make the viewer relate to Ofelia obvious depression while in it. The fantasy world is overflowing with crimsons, golds, browns, and yellows. Creating a “womblike” feel says Del Toro. An example of creative lighting is in the scene in which the rebels attack the mill held by the Spanish Military. During shooting Spain had a record dry spell so there was no fire allowed. They needed to create big explosion so they used “dirt and cork and a festival of lights on dimmers” says Guillermo Navarro, the Director of Photography.
Sounds used in Pan’s Labyrinth were focused more on verbal appeal than musical. Being a Spanish film the language is gentle to the ear. Much of the music is played very low in the background to break the silence. But mainly the dialogue between the characters is good enough to keep the viewer interested without needing music to keep their focus.
The costume design in Pan’s Labyrinth is accurate in displaying the time period in which the story takes place. In Ofelia’s real world the costume design is mainly military garb and. The Spanish military wears their standard uniform. While the rebels wear their battle weary uniform, which have basically become rags after so much fighting. This displays the struggle that they are being forced to deal with. Ofelia and the other non-military characters wear traditional civilian clothing. During a dinner that Captain Vidal host many Aristocratic people come that seem to be wearing very elaborate and expensive clothing.
In Ofelia’s fantasy world the costumes are very extravagant. The two most memorable costumes are the Faun and the Pale Man. Pan’s (the Faun’s) costume is very detailed. The first time the viewer sees Pan he could be mistaken for a tree because of some of the plants that seem to be growing on him. The actor in the suit had his legs edited out via green-screen to make it seem that Pan’s knee bend in the opposite direction (backward). The Pale man’s costume was very eerie. The concept is very strange for this costume. Having eyes in his hands creates a very menacing looking character. When a regular person puts their hands on their faces in that matter most viewers think of playing with children thus the fairy tale aspect is the story, but this character takes that idea and tosses it out of the window. The final costume designs of the fantasy world are when she finally meets her real father. They are stunning crimson and gold robes, that blend nicely with the golden background creating an expansive look to them. Ofelia’s, costumes are mainly her real world clothing thus creating a contrast between her and her imaginary world.
There were not many special effects used in Pan’s Labyrinth. The only stand out special effect was a giant frog in which Ofelia encounters under the big tree. This was one of the few parts of the movie that I didn’t enjoy because the frog looked way to fake. It looked like it was just copied and pasted into the film, without any type of blend done to make it look more realistic.
I believe that Pan’s Labyrinth is a very well made film. Almost every aspect of this film makes a competent viewer think and view it as apart of there own lives. I highly recommend this film for anyone who truly appreciates good film.
Guillermo Del Toro was able to take his vision of Pan’s Labyrinth as far as he wanted it to go because as writer and director, he didn’t need to stay to someone else’s vision he was able to change anything about any aspect of the film at any point.
The lighting used in Pan’s Labyrinth separates the two worlds that Ofelia (main character) travels between. Her real world is filled with cold colors, blues, and greens. The harsh reality of the living with Vidal (her new stepfather, and the Captain of the military regiment) along with his troops make the viewer relate to Ofelia obvious depression while in it. The fantasy world is overflowing with crimsons, golds, browns, and yellows. Creating a “womblike” feel says Del Toro. An example of creative lighting is in the scene in which the rebels attack the mill held by the Spanish Military. During shooting Spain had a record dry spell so there was no fire allowed. They needed to create big explosion so they used “dirt and cork and a festival of lights on dimmers” says Guillermo Navarro, the Director of Photography.
Sounds used in Pan’s Labyrinth were focused more on verbal appeal than musical. Being a Spanish film the language is gentle to the ear. Much of the music is played very low in the background to break the silence. But mainly the dialogue between the characters is good enough to keep the viewer interested without needing music to keep their focus.
The costume design in Pan’s Labyrinth is accurate in displaying the time period in which the story takes place. In Ofelia’s real world the costume design is mainly military garb and. The Spanish military wears their standard uniform. While the rebels wear their battle weary uniform, which have basically become rags after so much fighting. This displays the struggle that they are being forced to deal with. Ofelia and the other non-military characters wear traditional civilian clothing. During a dinner that Captain Vidal host many Aristocratic people come that seem to be wearing very elaborate and expensive clothing.
In Ofelia’s fantasy world the costumes are very extravagant. The two most memorable costumes are the Faun and the Pale Man. Pan’s (the Faun’s) costume is very detailed. The first time the viewer sees Pan he could be mistaken for a tree because of some of the plants that seem to be growing on him. The actor in the suit had his legs edited out via green-screen to make it seem that Pan’s knee bend in the opposite direction (backward). The Pale man’s costume was very eerie. The concept is very strange for this costume. Having eyes in his hands creates a very menacing looking character. When a regular person puts their hands on their faces in that matter most viewers think of playing with children thus the fairy tale aspect is the story, but this character takes that idea and tosses it out of the window. The final costume designs of the fantasy world are when she finally meets her real father. They are stunning crimson and gold robes, that blend nicely with the golden background creating an expansive look to them. Ofelia’s, costumes are mainly her real world clothing thus creating a contrast between her and her imaginary world.
There were not many special effects used in Pan’s Labyrinth. The only stand out special effect was a giant frog in which Ofelia encounters under the big tree. This was one of the few parts of the movie that I didn’t enjoy because the frog looked way to fake. It looked like it was just copied and pasted into the film, without any type of blend done to make it look more realistic.
I believe that Pan’s Labyrinth is a very well made film. Almost every aspect of this film makes a competent viewer think and view it as apart of there own lives. I highly recommend this film for anyone who truly appreciates good film.
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