I understand why this movie was chosen in the last week of our class. It is a film "documentary" that the two individuals who experienced it wrote it and were very pleased with the film.
I watched the film several times. Why? I had a very, very difficult time staying awake through this one. It is still a goal of mine to watch this film without falling asleep. I have not viewed the entire film in one setting ever. I decided to watch the film with Robert Redford commenting on the making of the film hoping that this would interest me enough to view the entire movie, but no such luck.
This film again is a part of our history in America and was portrayed in the point-of-view of both men who reported the story. Is it accurate? I honestly cannot say for certain. I didn't study much about Watergate in school and have no memory of it when I was young. When I was younger any political topic that came up with was not understood. As an adult and going back and finding the truth, you realize that there are many sides to every story or event. Very rarely is there an absolute in the perception or outcome. There are at the very least three sides or more to any one given event. It is amazing how we could all be in a room and although we experienced the same thing our perceptions would be different and some very different. I think that the childhood game of whispering a sentence and then going from one to the next is a great example. The President's Men was a factual story that the Bernstein and Woodward experienced but that was their story. I am certain that there is another version but who from that side of the story is going to talk factual about the actual breakin and how they did it or planned it. They may be a documentary but I have had not luck researching this.
The main thing about this film that was most notable was the lack of music of any kind. It was all typewriters and phones. After watching it a few times it finally came to me that there is no "noise" it was all very monotone. I don't do well with monotone, that is what I fall asleep to. After watching it with Redford's commentary, he addressed his lack of music. He said he wanted it to be the typewriter and phone creating the mood and music. I don't agree that this was a good move neither did others in the production of the movie. It was a successful movie and most consider it accurate to history that we know.
As to the question of whether a director has an obligation to film the facts or create an unbiased film, I don't think so. With any art or writing, you do what you know. The movie was not made to be a history book but this type of film is made to demonstrate a side of a topic that is somewhat unapproachable in some circles. Should the facts be accurate? What is accurate? So much that one thinks is subjective may be objective to another. In the Blind Side, Michael Orr talks very openly that there were several liberties taken because it made for a better movie draw. He was really good at football and never needed anyone telling him how to hit!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Cider House Rules
This week's movies were Cider House Rules and All the President's Men which were chosen I suspect because of the text readings and because of their subject matter.
As you probably already know, Cider House Rules is based on the novel by John Irving. The movie is two hours and eleven minutes, which as you can image is an extremely condensed version of his 1985 and 592 page novel.
This is one movie where I wish I had I read the book before watching the movie. Now I am so curious of the characters and how much more depth there is to them and to know more about them.
The text reading for the week has to deal with the influence movies have on our social and cultural issues and often times political issues.
Often times, what we imagine we create and bring to life. We watch movies and read for various reasons and that is the purpose of different generes. We are information gatherers and if we do not read it, we listen, we watch or we communicate with each other to help us with whatever it is that is concering or consuming our thoughts.
As you probably already know, Cider House Rules is based on the novel by John Irving. The movie is two hours and eleven minutes, which as you can image is an extremely condensed version of his 1985 and 592 page novel.
This is one movie where I wish I had I read the book before watching the movie. Now I am so curious of the characters and how much more depth there is to them and to know more about them.
The text reading for the week has to deal with the influence movies have on our social and cultural issues and often times political issues.
Often times, what we imagine we create and bring to life. We watch movies and read for various reasons and that is the purpose of different generes. We are information gatherers and if we do not read it, we listen, we watch or we communicate with each other to help us with whatever it is that is concering or consuming our thoughts.
The Cider House Rules was a great film demonstrating the different sides of a topic. Although it is fictional the story is real and those decisions are faced by many men and women and it helps bring the topic up for discussion. How often is there the argument that continues because neither can see each other's point of view or the real root of the problem. Films like the last two force you to listen to both sides, it may or may not change your opinon about abortion or for that matter Mrs. Robinson's lifestyle but it will allow you to develop converstation or cement your convictions. Very wise individuals have warned about judging others or situations until you have experienced them yourself or that you may think your situation is dire but honestly there is someone out there somewhere who has it much worse than you. In the films you were given a chance to think about different situations and how you might react. It can really be a learning experience, just like reading a book or attending a speaker.
The Cider House Rules is a movie that demonstrates the very controvertial topic of abortion. It gave the arguement pro and con and the very real dilemma and different circumstances that can make the black and white go completely gray. Will watching the movie change a person's stance on the topic of abortion? Maybe and maybe not. Using the stories of the orphans, the war, the incest/rape, all were displaying stories/considerations that should be considered before assuming all or no side to the argument. It was not a propaganda film or a political documentary but a way that an author brought a very controversial topic before a very large and diverse segment of society.
It was a very, very good movie and the part that stands out to me more than any part to the entire film that touch me in ways that I cannot express was Curly and his feeling like he wasn't good enough and wondering why.
Friday, January 27, 2012
The Dark Knight
This blog will not be as lengthy as The Graduate but that doesn't mean that I didn't like this one just as much.
Great, great movie! I am a huge Batman fan and own all of them... including the DVD with all the old television ones. It does demonstrate the differences throughout the history of the comic coming to television and film and the technology and creativeness that has evolved with these characters.
Holy collection of movies, Batman!
This week's text reading was on the color, sound effect and dialogue, musical score, director's style, and acting. This was another great movie that demonstrated all of the topics discussed in our text.
One thing that made the movie for me was the sound and the sound effects. The musical score by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard is incredible. I didn't know that this won the Grammy for the Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Pictures. I understand why. Like so many other great scores like Lord of the Rings Trilogy, this score brings the film to a different level of watching. There were some comments on how the score wasn't as good as Danny Elfman's in the Tim Burton directed Batmans, but I really liked it.
Chris Nolan directed both films and I think is currently filming the third and last in this series. His style from Batman Begins carries through to The Dark Knight and I am anxiously awaiting the third. I have to become better at explaining the particular styles of directors, but I do recognize the different styles between directors and the similarities of the director's movies. When watching Tim Burton films you instantly know it is his film just like Guillermo de Toro's films. I could have told you without reading who directed Hell Boy II and Pan's Labyrinth. Toro's influence and style are unmistakable.
Side note: I am not thrilled about the Spider man remake and I am not certain I will see that in the theaters, but Holy Spock, Batman - JJ Abrams is directing the Star Trek II sequel! It isn't named yet, but I loved the first one and will be heading to the theaters to watch this one.
Back to the text reading, the colors in The Dark Knight were rich. This may be a poor adjective, but there was a definite feel and look to both Batman Begins and Dark Knight. According to our text Leitmotifs in color is used in accentuating the Joker, played by Heath Ledger and is amazing and effective. The entire film is dark.
The major flaw that I didn't care for in the film was the casting of Maggie Gyllenhaal. I didn't think that her performance measured up to that of Heath Ledger's or her other cast members. She just didn't fit the Rachael Dawes for me. I wasn't a fan of Katie Holmes either. I am not certain why the casting change, but neither added anything to the film.
The other flaw in the film that is more tolerable each time I watch it is Harvey Dent. Not that his character didn't evolve but it was a bit rushed. I didn't like his makeup or FX and liked Two-Face as Tommy Lee Jones. I think that his performance or portrayal of Two-Face was better, but that may be because we see the development of Harvey in the Dark Knight.
And I must touch on Heath Ledger. It was very sad that he passed away but Holy Bulls eye Batman what a performance! He nailed the character in such a way that you don't view it as a comic but as a real life psycho that is running loose. The lines were delivered superbly and you are mesmerized watching him. I wish there could have be a sequel with Heath as the Joker!
I have searched my cellphones for a picture of us attending the opening of The Dark Knight, but no such luck... I was the Joker. As you can about imagine, it wasn't a award-winning look but we had a blast through the credits before I fell asleep! Holy Headache Batman... (these Holy statements are actual statements from the original series except for the first one.)
Holy Coffin Nails... Holy Fourth of July... Holy Hailstorm... Holy Shamrock.... Holy Fly Paper Batman!
Great, great movie! I am a huge Batman fan and own all of them... including the DVD with all the old television ones. It does demonstrate the differences throughout the history of the comic coming to television and film and the technology and creativeness that has evolved with these characters.
Holy collection of movies, Batman!
This week's text reading was on the color, sound effect and dialogue, musical score, director's style, and acting. This was another great movie that demonstrated all of the topics discussed in our text.
One thing that made the movie for me was the sound and the sound effects. The musical score by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard is incredible. I didn't know that this won the Grammy for the Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Pictures. I understand why. Like so many other great scores like Lord of the Rings Trilogy, this score brings the film to a different level of watching. There were some comments on how the score wasn't as good as Danny Elfman's in the Tim Burton directed Batmans, but I really liked it.
Chris Nolan directed both films and I think is currently filming the third and last in this series. His style from Batman Begins carries through to The Dark Knight and I am anxiously awaiting the third. I have to become better at explaining the particular styles of directors, but I do recognize the different styles between directors and the similarities of the director's movies. When watching Tim Burton films you instantly know it is his film just like Guillermo de Toro's films. I could have told you without reading who directed Hell Boy II and Pan's Labyrinth. Toro's influence and style are unmistakable.
Side note: I am not thrilled about the Spider man remake and I am not certain I will see that in the theaters, but Holy Spock, Batman - JJ Abrams is directing the Star Trek II sequel! It isn't named yet, but I loved the first one and will be heading to the theaters to watch this one.
Back to the text reading, the colors in The Dark Knight were rich. This may be a poor adjective, but there was a definite feel and look to both Batman Begins and Dark Knight. According to our text Leitmotifs in color is used in accentuating the Joker, played by Heath Ledger and is amazing and effective. The entire film is dark.
The major flaw that I didn't care for in the film was the casting of Maggie Gyllenhaal. I didn't think that her performance measured up to that of Heath Ledger's or her other cast members. She just didn't fit the Rachael Dawes for me. I wasn't a fan of Katie Holmes either. I am not certain why the casting change, but neither added anything to the film.
The other flaw in the film that is more tolerable each time I watch it is Harvey Dent. Not that his character didn't evolve but it was a bit rushed. I didn't like his makeup or FX and liked Two-Face as Tommy Lee Jones. I think that his performance or portrayal of Two-Face was better, but that may be because we see the development of Harvey in the Dark Knight.
And I must touch on Heath Ledger. It was very sad that he passed away but Holy Bulls eye Batman what a performance! He nailed the character in such a way that you don't view it as a comic but as a real life psycho that is running loose. The lines were delivered superbly and you are mesmerized watching him. I wish there could have be a sequel with Heath as the Joker!
I have searched my cellphones for a picture of us attending the opening of The Dark Knight, but no such luck... I was the Joker. As you can about imagine, it wasn't a award-winning look but we had a blast through the credits before I fell asleep! Holy Headache Batman... (these Holy statements are actual statements from the original series except for the first one.)
Holy Coffin Nails... Holy Fourth of July... Holy Hailstorm... Holy Shamrock.... Holy Fly Paper Batman!
The Graduate... sex is just sex but what about the love?
According to many of my fellow movie-reviewing classmates, this movie is "icky," "raunchy," and "stale." I wondered if I had watched the same movie as the rest of my classmates. Not to offend any classmates, but this was a great comedy and I thought it was hilarious. It was nominated for seven Oscars. With all the "cougar" shows and references and actual relationships, this isn't an out-of-the-ordinary film for today's audiences. Also, to note, the film Casablanca is a love story between a married woman and a guy. It is left to our imaginations what they did on those long drives and picnics. The difference is one went with her husband and the other left with the guy.
There were some definite usage of angles, lighting, editing, notable shots, and sound to this film that enhanced the story of poor Benjamin Braddock. This was a modern-day film which the story and theme has been used throughout film making. I watched an old Alfred Hitchcock silent film with a very similar storyline. Alfred Hitchcock understood the human condition very well and his films depict them with the mastery that he is so well known for.
I watched The Graduate a few times, before this class and of course since enrolling in it. I wonder if Benjamin took a film class, he made a reference in the film like he had taken one. Just a random thought and observation.
The most standout technique in the film was the lighting and cinematography and how it connected the story. I am certainly not the only one to have noticed or experienced this since, of course, humans have been having sex since Adam and Eve. Benjamin is inexperienced and incredibly awkward. It is painful to watch as the experienced and skillful Mrs. Robinson seduces Ben, the track star, the graduate, the lost boy-man.
The director portrays Ben's fear of intimacy with the lighting. The hotel room is too lit for Ben and he turns off the lights, puts on the bathroom light and closes the door to add a little light to the room, closes the blinds, and waits. When Mrs. Robinson enters, she turns on the lights with Ben turning them off again. They have sex. The dark is representative and symbolic of the lack of intimacy and the fear of exposure. Later in the film, it is Ben who is now more experienced and confident in his sexuality that he wants the lights on. It is Mrs. Robinson who wants the lights out. She prefers not to engage in talk or intimacy. She is comfortable with the lack of intimacy and is there for the physical attention only. She knows the complications that come when you become intimate and attached emotionally. Ben, however, is finally seeing that there is more to sex than just the act of having sex and wants the intimacy that couples usually share in a relationship that is based on love. Sex is boring after awhile without the intimacy and creativeness that accompanies deeper feelings of love. We also see this explained very openly in Amelie... she tried sex and her feelings were depicted very differently in the beginning of the film (silently giggling) versus the ending of the film when she let her emotions merge with her physical desires. Just an awesome way of depicting this in the film. It is so accurate on how people act. If it isn't a cover of darkness, it is alcohol or some other form of "courage" to help get through the awkwardness of closeness.
The transitions from one romp to the next is brilliant! I know this seems as if I am not applying this week's text reading, but how can you not talk about the transitions in this movie! Just fantastic examples of transitioning - dissolve, wipe, flip frame and fade-out/in. The flow was awesome from scene to scene of their romps, the doors, on top the air mattress in the pool to on top of Mrs. Robinson. Excellent!
On to this week's text reading influence, the sound was used in this film the same way as the lighting and helped flow and connect the movie. The songs choice was a mystery to me and needed further investigation. The Scarborough Fair ballad is about two lovers asking for impossible tasks. Hmm, fitting for this film's characters and the impossibilities that were realized/overcome at the end of the film creating a very fitting song for the closing scene. The director was British and possibly was very familiar with this very old English ballad. It was only credited to Simon and Garfunkel but it was written in 1670. When Ben realizes that he may be able to marry Elaine, he starts whistling another tune - Mrs. Robinson. According to some online sources, the song was about a secret love that Paul Simon had on his friend's mother. Interesting. There were also very notable time of silence and other sounds, i.e. the breathing through his scuba suits air tank.
The actors in the film were perfectly cast. I can only say this in my opinion because I have had the chance to see this actors in other films. Dustin Hoffman is incredible and his performance of the inexperienced, lost, and confused guy was done to perfection. I had to laugh at the drive in with Elaine. Hoffman showed the difference in his demeanor when Ben was with Mrs. Robinson and being relaxed and himself with Elaine on their first date. He was so funny and was perfect in his interpretation and performance of Ben.
I haven't watched enough of Mike Nichols films to comment on his style; however, I have watched Working Girl and The Birdcage. He is credited with twenty two films and some of the films I do recognize. He definitely used a particular style throughout the film with the shots and the lighting effects throughout the film. I am going to watch some of his other ones just to see what his "style" is.
I am a true fan of the movie and the soundtrack to The Graduate. I am about out of adjectives or shall I say I need to use some new ones the next time I talk about this movie. I haven't written all that I wanted to talk about. I have trouble concentrating with the continued thought of how actors, directors, filmmakers do their jobs. I am entranced with this industry and what it takes to really know this business and the art of it.
There were some definite usage of angles, lighting, editing, notable shots, and sound to this film that enhanced the story of poor Benjamin Braddock. This was a modern-day film which the story and theme has been used throughout film making. I watched an old Alfred Hitchcock silent film with a very similar storyline. Alfred Hitchcock understood the human condition very well and his films depict them with the mastery that he is so well known for.
I watched The Graduate a few times, before this class and of course since enrolling in it. I wonder if Benjamin took a film class, he made a reference in the film like he had taken one. Just a random thought and observation.
The most standout technique in the film was the lighting and cinematography and how it connected the story. I am certainly not the only one to have noticed or experienced this since, of course, humans have been having sex since Adam and Eve. Benjamin is inexperienced and incredibly awkward. It is painful to watch as the experienced and skillful Mrs. Robinson seduces Ben, the track star, the graduate, the lost boy-man.
The director portrays Ben's fear of intimacy with the lighting. The hotel room is too lit for Ben and he turns off the lights, puts on the bathroom light and closes the door to add a little light to the room, closes the blinds, and waits. When Mrs. Robinson enters, she turns on the lights with Ben turning them off again. They have sex. The dark is representative and symbolic of the lack of intimacy and the fear of exposure. Later in the film, it is Ben who is now more experienced and confident in his sexuality that he wants the lights on. It is Mrs. Robinson who wants the lights out. She prefers not to engage in talk or intimacy. She is comfortable with the lack of intimacy and is there for the physical attention only. She knows the complications that come when you become intimate and attached emotionally. Ben, however, is finally seeing that there is more to sex than just the act of having sex and wants the intimacy that couples usually share in a relationship that is based on love. Sex is boring after awhile without the intimacy and creativeness that accompanies deeper feelings of love. We also see this explained very openly in Amelie... she tried sex and her feelings were depicted very differently in the beginning of the film (silently giggling) versus the ending of the film when she let her emotions merge with her physical desires. Just an awesome way of depicting this in the film. It is so accurate on how people act. If it isn't a cover of darkness, it is alcohol or some other form of "courage" to help get through the awkwardness of closeness.
The transitions from one romp to the next is brilliant! I know this seems as if I am not applying this week's text reading, but how can you not talk about the transitions in this movie! Just fantastic examples of transitioning - dissolve, wipe, flip frame and fade-out/in. The flow was awesome from scene to scene of their romps, the doors, on top the air mattress in the pool to on top of Mrs. Robinson. Excellent!
On to this week's text reading influence, the sound was used in this film the same way as the lighting and helped flow and connect the movie. The songs choice was a mystery to me and needed further investigation. The Scarborough Fair ballad is about two lovers asking for impossible tasks. Hmm, fitting for this film's characters and the impossibilities that were realized/overcome at the end of the film creating a very fitting song for the closing scene. The director was British and possibly was very familiar with this very old English ballad. It was only credited to Simon and Garfunkel but it was written in 1670. When Ben realizes that he may be able to marry Elaine, he starts whistling another tune - Mrs. Robinson. According to some online sources, the song was about a secret love that Paul Simon had on his friend's mother. Interesting. There were also very notable time of silence and other sounds, i.e. the breathing through his scuba suits air tank.
The actors in the film were perfectly cast. I can only say this in my opinion because I have had the chance to see this actors in other films. Dustin Hoffman is incredible and his performance of the inexperienced, lost, and confused guy was done to perfection. I had to laugh at the drive in with Elaine. Hoffman showed the difference in his demeanor when Ben was with Mrs. Robinson and being relaxed and himself with Elaine on their first date. He was so funny and was perfect in his interpretation and performance of Ben.
I haven't watched enough of Mike Nichols films to comment on his style; however, I have watched Working Girl and The Birdcage. He is credited with twenty two films and some of the films I do recognize. He definitely used a particular style throughout the film with the shots and the lighting effects throughout the film. I am going to watch some of his other ones just to see what his "style" is.
I am a true fan of the movie and the soundtrack to The Graduate. I am about out of adjectives or shall I say I need to use some new ones the next time I talk about this movie. I haven't written all that I wanted to talk about. I have trouble concentrating with the continued thought of how actors, directors, filmmakers do their jobs. I am entranced with this industry and what it takes to really know this business and the art of it.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Amelie!
Out of the two films that we were to watch Amelie was much easier for my brain to follow. A well known fact about me is the inability for people to follow my thought patterns when speaking. I often get stares and then I have to go back and let them known how I got from point A to point Z. Maybe I should take notes from Leonard. I have had to testify in front of Legislation, speak in front of governors, classrooms, board meetings, and public events but not with ease mind you. It isn't the lack of confidence or that I am shy as Amelie, but my thought patterns are highly unusual and their relationships are difficult to follow. It is sometimes much easier to write especially when I am passionate about a subject because I can organize my thoughts much better and with more understanding.
The beginning of the film reminded me of a day in my mind. The playfulness of the movie is what was so charming and kept interest in the movie. There is a universal theme and story and it is the appeal that has awarded this film internationally. The characters were incredibly real and you couldn't help but feel the emotions along with them and love them.
Now pertaining to the reading in the text... the lighting, cinematography, editing, color, design, and scenery. This film was tinted. This is a technique that the director wanted to use to help bring the world of Amelie out. The colors were primary and worked well with the story. The brilliant blue that was singular in most of the shots was very notable. The blue car, blue vase were just a couple. There were the black and white television shows used throughout the film which provided a different plane. If you watch there are several different planes in scenes of the film that draw your attention.
The scenery was intentionally cleaned up by the director. The streets of Paris are not as in the movie, but watching it made me want to go online to purchase a ticket to France. He stated in an interview that he wanted to give the Paris feel. The design team that made Amelie so unique and beautiful in her dress and hair to the elements all around Amelie and the characters in every part of the film from the apartment, the market, the train station all so detailed and modern. There is a texture and feel to the film brought out by the color, scenery and design.
The cinematography incorporated animation and and other special effects. I wish I had had an art or an art history class. There is so much incorporated in this film that I am really not aware of exactly what it is other than I know that there is an influence that needs researching. The camera angles used included close-ups, wide angle, below the eye (the motorcycle ride) and there was definite arrangement of people and objects in this film.
Another element to this film that wasn't in our reading but was in both Amelie and Memento was the voice overs used by the narrator in Amelie and Leonard's inner thoughts. It enhanced the film in Amelie even though it was in French. I love foreign films and subtitles. Somehow I think I will learn the accent or learn the language, but so far I have not developed the art of dialect.
This is a movie that I watch when I want to feel good and get creative... a prankster at heart!
The beginning of the film reminded me of a day in my mind. The playfulness of the movie is what was so charming and kept interest in the movie. There is a universal theme and story and it is the appeal that has awarded this film internationally. The characters were incredibly real and you couldn't help but feel the emotions along with them and love them.
Now pertaining to the reading in the text... the lighting, cinematography, editing, color, design, and scenery. This film was tinted. This is a technique that the director wanted to use to help bring the world of Amelie out. The colors were primary and worked well with the story. The brilliant blue that was singular in most of the shots was very notable. The blue car, blue vase were just a couple. There were the black and white television shows used throughout the film which provided a different plane. If you watch there are several different planes in scenes of the film that draw your attention.
The scenery was intentionally cleaned up by the director. The streets of Paris are not as in the movie, but watching it made me want to go online to purchase a ticket to France. He stated in an interview that he wanted to give the Paris feel. The design team that made Amelie so unique and beautiful in her dress and hair to the elements all around Amelie and the characters in every part of the film from the apartment, the market, the train station all so detailed and modern. There is a texture and feel to the film brought out by the color, scenery and design.
The cinematography incorporated animation and and other special effects. I wish I had had an art or an art history class. There is so much incorporated in this film that I am really not aware of exactly what it is other than I know that there is an influence that needs researching. The camera angles used included close-ups, wide angle, below the eye (the motorcycle ride) and there was definite arrangement of people and objects in this film.
Another element to this film that wasn't in our reading but was in both Amelie and Memento was the voice overs used by the narrator in Amelie and Leonard's inner thoughts. It enhanced the film in Amelie even though it was in French. I love foreign films and subtitles. Somehow I think I will learn the accent or learn the language, but so far I have not developed the art of dialect.
This is a movie that I watch when I want to feel good and get creative... a prankster at heart!
Memento - otnemeM
Have you ever thought that a movie was too complex or too smart for you? Inception was one movie that many viewers were confused by and the calls into radio talk shows expressed the confusion and complexity of the dream within a dream within a dream concept for the film. The visual nature of Inception amazed viewers but overwhelmed their minds. I wonder if they had ever watched Memento?
The movie Inception is a favorite and very understandable to this girl's brain, and Memento is a film that reminds me of the complex nature of the plot and the method of storytelling. However, Memento was a challenge and I unfortunately was only able to watch the movie three times. That may sound like enough viewings but the first was just to watch and it was confusing. The unfolding of the movie in reverse with parts that were forward telling. The second viewing was to understand the story but more importantly begin to identify the purpose of watching this movie in relationship to the text. The third was only to realize that I needed to watch this a few more times to really understand it.
Memento has the story within a story like Inception but is presented in a way that mimics the injury of the main character Leonard. There are moments you feel like you have been hit in the head because you are as clueless as the main character appears to be. While trying to process the presentation of the film which is now not only requiring my right side of my brain, it is demanding left brain usage as well, but with all this thinking going on the Excedrin bottle is calling. Lighting, scenery, color, design, and cinematography are elements that need identifying in the movie. All of these elements and the complex nature of the film require multiple viewings of the dominantly right-brained individual such as myself.
Color is not a part of this week's text reading but I did read further into the text to get some insight to the usage of color or the monochromatic theme throughout the film. Let's talk about that first. The film has distinctive usage of color. The black and white sequences are the part of the movie that is forward and separate from the colored sequences which are unfolding the movie in reverse. The colored sequences have some parts subdued or haze to them. The color palate is monochromatic in blue hues and I think is intentional by the director to give the feel of sameness. Is this Leonard's mind? It is difficult to remember the scenes moments before because they are the same in texture and feel. It is the same over and over, bland and isn't as distinguishable. I am not sure that last statement even makes sense. Let's try again. The director films a sequence in the blue monochromatic scheme, breaks away to black and white, goes back to monochromatic scheme with a splash of color which houses a new "clue" as to what happened before, back to black and white and this continues throughout the film. You are trying to make out yours and Leonard's memories like Leonard is trying to make them out following the clues he has left and the moments that happened before that you are seeing after. I should include a flowchart.
There is a lot of information in this movie in regards to the techniques used, and I am not certain if I will be able to touch on all of them. The lighting in the black and white sequences are notable. The black and white scenes have depth but represent his memories that he can recall.
The camera angles used are notable. You see Leonard's point of view seeing Teddy through the windshield of the car. Viewing his victims, Jimmy and Teddy. The close ups of his tattoos, the photos. The flashback's of his wife suffering which are in color are also extreme close ups. The memories of his wife are in color which are different from his Sammy recollections.
One thing to mention is the voice over in the film. You are watching Leonard but he is not talking to the camera, we are allowed into Leonard's thoughts and listen to Guy Pierce guide us through the film.
I am hoping that with more viewing that I can pick up even more notable filming techniques. There is a lot of information and I haven't even touched on the editing. The transitions are abrupt and when you hear Leonard speaking you know that you are about to be confused and will have to sequence the events you just watched in order to make sense of what is happening next that was in the Leonard's past moments which could have been anytime from the time he last dozed off or unfocused.
It was a good movie, but I want to be able to study the film more and look for all of the filming techniques in our text. There is so much information that I am afraid that my short term memory may be failing as Leonard's but I am thankful that it ignorance can be taught, poor Leonard is stuck having to purchase a digital camera.
The movie Inception is a favorite and very understandable to this girl's brain, and Memento is a film that reminds me of the complex nature of the plot and the method of storytelling. However, Memento was a challenge and I unfortunately was only able to watch the movie three times. That may sound like enough viewings but the first was just to watch and it was confusing. The unfolding of the movie in reverse with parts that were forward telling. The second viewing was to understand the story but more importantly begin to identify the purpose of watching this movie in relationship to the text. The third was only to realize that I needed to watch this a few more times to really understand it.
Memento has the story within a story like Inception but is presented in a way that mimics the injury of the main character Leonard. There are moments you feel like you have been hit in the head because you are as clueless as the main character appears to be. While trying to process the presentation of the film which is now not only requiring my right side of my brain, it is demanding left brain usage as well, but with all this thinking going on the Excedrin bottle is calling. Lighting, scenery, color, design, and cinematography are elements that need identifying in the movie. All of these elements and the complex nature of the film require multiple viewings of the dominantly right-brained individual such as myself.
Color is not a part of this week's text reading but I did read further into the text to get some insight to the usage of color or the monochromatic theme throughout the film. Let's talk about that first. The film has distinctive usage of color. The black and white sequences are the part of the movie that is forward and separate from the colored sequences which are unfolding the movie in reverse. The colored sequences have some parts subdued or haze to them. The color palate is monochromatic in blue hues and I think is intentional by the director to give the feel of sameness. Is this Leonard's mind? It is difficult to remember the scenes moments before because they are the same in texture and feel. It is the same over and over, bland and isn't as distinguishable. I am not sure that last statement even makes sense. Let's try again. The director films a sequence in the blue monochromatic scheme, breaks away to black and white, goes back to monochromatic scheme with a splash of color which houses a new "clue" as to what happened before, back to black and white and this continues throughout the film. You are trying to make out yours and Leonard's memories like Leonard is trying to make them out following the clues he has left and the moments that happened before that you are seeing after. I should include a flowchart.
There is a lot of information in this movie in regards to the techniques used, and I am not certain if I will be able to touch on all of them. The lighting in the black and white sequences are notable. The black and white scenes have depth but represent his memories that he can recall.
The camera angles used are notable. You see Leonard's point of view seeing Teddy through the windshield of the car. Viewing his victims, Jimmy and Teddy. The close ups of his tattoos, the photos. The flashback's of his wife suffering which are in color are also extreme close ups. The memories of his wife are in color which are different from his Sammy recollections.
One thing to mention is the voice over in the film. You are watching Leonard but he is not talking to the camera, we are allowed into Leonard's thoughts and listen to Guy Pierce guide us through the film.
I am hoping that with more viewing that I can pick up even more notable filming techniques. There is a lot of information and I haven't even touched on the editing. The transitions are abrupt and when you hear Leonard speaking you know that you are about to be confused and will have to sequence the events you just watched in order to make sense of what is happening next that was in the Leonard's past moments which could have been anytime from the time he last dozed off or unfocused.
It was a good movie, but I want to be able to study the film more and look for all of the filming techniques in our text. There is so much information that I am afraid that my short term memory may be failing as Leonard's but I am thankful that it ignorance can be taught, poor Leonard is stuck having to purchase a digital camera.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The King's Speech
The King's Speech is a favorite with my family. My sister gave this movie earlier this year. I didn't think that I really wanted to watch the movie, but I was in the mood for watching something different and thought why not and was very pleased with the decision.
This week's blogs were more difficult because we had to find the symbolism in the movies but more so in this film the characterization stands out to me. You cannot help but love the characters in this film. This is apparently the story of the real life characters which made it all the more appealing and you grow to feel for Albert and his speech impediment. It is a movie that you root for the underdog to come out on top. You feel the audience in the film with each speech hoping this will be the speech that he will make it through without stuttering. You see the audience including yourself silently pushing out the words as if this will help him get his words out. Very engaging and so, so charming and warm.
To find the symbolism in this movie, I chose not to host a "Help Me movie watching party" but rather enjoyed it over and over. The movie itself is about a symbol... the King of England, the symbolic leader who has certain duties concerning the country. Albert does not want to be King because he believes he is not qualified to be the country's symbolic leader.
He has a great fear and how the filmmaker gets this point out is not in words spoken necessarily by Albert but the repeated film shots of the microphone and the fear it causes Albert. It could have just as well been a blood-thirsty werewolf or the devil himself but I don't think that Albert would have considered them as frightening as that long walk to the microphone. You feel the dread and the gut wrenching nerves as the shot of that unattended microphone is viewed then a shot to Albert's face leaves no room for guessing - you can relate in some way to the fear that is presented to you in the film. The silence in the movie with the sound of a horse whinnying and a dog barking symbolizes the long paused silences that one expects when Albert is speaking. The shots of the radio audiences and the looks passed around symbolizes the question of will Albert make it through. During the final speech you want to stand up and cheer with the audience in the movie. This is what gives this film the universal appeal and universal symbols used in the film are what all audiences can relate to.
I am not sure if this is stretching a bit with the next thought of symbolism, but the toy planes that Lionel's boys make show the desire that Albert craved as a child to be allowed to explore his interests and not those of the ones others deemed Albert should have instead. You feel for Albert in the pressures that the Royals felt and the very young age that he knew that someday there was a chance he would be a asked to lead.
Lionel's office was a focus. I may be stretching a bit here as well, but the director has so many wide shots of the enormous office that was very simple and contained only a minimal amount of furnishings. Albert was still just a man and not a Royal in this office. There was safety within the office that as the movie progressed it was intimate.
The film was great and is a movie that invites the audience to be apart of the success of Albert and him overcoming his biggest fear so that he might become the man that he was supposed to be. Lionel's character is just as lovable and you see how he genuinely wants to help. I will admit I sing my thoughts as Lionel taught Albert to do to help with flow. I do it to help with thoughts but more importantly for the pleasure of annoying anyone else around me who disagrees that I should have been the next American Idol winner!
This week's blogs were more difficult because we had to find the symbolism in the movies but more so in this film the characterization stands out to me. You cannot help but love the characters in this film. This is apparently the story of the real life characters which made it all the more appealing and you grow to feel for Albert and his speech impediment. It is a movie that you root for the underdog to come out on top. You feel the audience in the film with each speech hoping this will be the speech that he will make it through without stuttering. You see the audience including yourself silently pushing out the words as if this will help him get his words out. Very engaging and so, so charming and warm.
To find the symbolism in this movie, I chose not to host a "Help Me movie watching party" but rather enjoyed it over and over. The movie itself is about a symbol... the King of England, the symbolic leader who has certain duties concerning the country. Albert does not want to be King because he believes he is not qualified to be the country's symbolic leader.
He has a great fear and how the filmmaker gets this point out is not in words spoken necessarily by Albert but the repeated film shots of the microphone and the fear it causes Albert. It could have just as well been a blood-thirsty werewolf or the devil himself but I don't think that Albert would have considered them as frightening as that long walk to the microphone. You feel the dread and the gut wrenching nerves as the shot of that unattended microphone is viewed then a shot to Albert's face leaves no room for guessing - you can relate in some way to the fear that is presented to you in the film. The silence in the movie with the sound of a horse whinnying and a dog barking symbolizes the long paused silences that one expects when Albert is speaking. The shots of the radio audiences and the looks passed around symbolizes the question of will Albert make it through. During the final speech you want to stand up and cheer with the audience in the movie. This is what gives this film the universal appeal and universal symbols used in the film are what all audiences can relate to.
I am not sure if this is stretching a bit with the next thought of symbolism, but the toy planes that Lionel's boys make show the desire that Albert craved as a child to be allowed to explore his interests and not those of the ones others deemed Albert should have instead. You feel for Albert in the pressures that the Royals felt and the very young age that he knew that someday there was a chance he would be a asked to lead.
Lionel's office was a focus. I may be stretching a bit here as well, but the director has so many wide shots of the enormous office that was very simple and contained only a minimal amount of furnishings. Albert was still just a man and not a Royal in this office. There was safety within the office that as the movie progressed it was intimate.
The film was great and is a movie that invites the audience to be apart of the success of Albert and him overcoming his biggest fear so that he might become the man that he was supposed to be. Lionel's character is just as lovable and you see how he genuinely wants to help. I will admit I sing my thoughts as Lionel taught Albert to do to help with flow. I do it to help with thoughts but more importantly for the pleasure of annoying anyone else around me who disagrees that I should have been the next American Idol winner!
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