Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien was a coming of age story for two friends, and a story of a woman's acceptance of her imminent death. The film is Mexican, and shot mostly with hand-held camera. (Like Children of Men also by Cuaron).
The theme of this narrative, like we discussed in class, was the juxtaposition of life and death. There are several instances throughout that Cuaron establishes this cinematically through the elements of mise-en-scene. For instance at the begginning, when Julio and Tenoch are driving in the car, talking about their girlfriends and complaining about traffic, the camera and narrator points out a man on the ground who had been hit by a bus. Also, through the course of the road trip, when Julio, Tenoch, and Luisa are traveling to the beach, the crosses at gravesites are shown constantly. I was wondering about the signifigance of this until I found at the end that Luisa had died.
The cinematography and of this piece was typical to Cuaron (from at least what I've seen) The hand-held and lack of cuts made it seem very realistic, almost like a home movie, or like the camera was another character in the story. It drifted a lot. I also found it interesting at the end when Luisa is dancing on the beach and looks directly at the camera. It was almost like an aside to the audience because it is around that point, I percieve, that she becomes (like the boys are at the begginning but abandon toward the end) completely in the moment.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Midnight Cowboy
Schlesinger's Midnight Cowboy is a story of disillusioment starring John Voight as Joe Buck and Dustin Hoffman as Ratso, his counterpart. The story was about Joe, a Texan, and his dreams of making money in the streets of New York as a male prostitute, and his trials along the way. The movie was controversial at its time, but hardly provacative by today's standards.
One thing I noticed was how gritty and dirty the New York streets were made to be in this film. The film's mood is dark and solemn, and Ratso and Joe are sort of anti-heroes in this movie. This notion was common among films of this day, and I think the sort of disillusionment is indicative of the political and social upheaval that was present during the late 60's. The urban decay of America protrayed in this movie could be construed to represent the decay in morale concerning all of the things happening in the 60's. (Later, George Lucas and other les infantes terrible (Sp?) directors would reinvigorate the hero with their use of mythic archetypes.).
Concerning Joe's experience, it sort of reminds me of Stagecoach--a John Ford film--which calls into question the reality and availability of the american dream. Though Joe literally goes east from New York to find work, the idea is the same. The fact that he does not succeed but finds Ratso, both who are marginalized by society throughout the course of the film, sort of reminds me of John Wayne's character finding Dallas in Stagecoach.
All in all I liked this movie, though it was somewhat sordid and disenchating.
One thing I noticed was how gritty and dirty the New York streets were made to be in this film. The film's mood is dark and solemn, and Ratso and Joe are sort of anti-heroes in this movie. This notion was common among films of this day, and I think the sort of disillusionment is indicative of the political and social upheaval that was present during the late 60's. The urban decay of America protrayed in this movie could be construed to represent the decay in morale concerning all of the things happening in the 60's. (Later, George Lucas and other les infantes terrible (Sp?) directors would reinvigorate the hero with their use of mythic archetypes.).
Concerning Joe's experience, it sort of reminds me of Stagecoach--a John Ford film--which calls into question the reality and availability of the american dream. Though Joe literally goes east from New York to find work, the idea is the same. The fact that he does not succeed but finds Ratso, both who are marginalized by society throughout the course of the film, sort of reminds me of John Wayne's character finding Dallas in Stagecoach.
All in all I liked this movie, though it was somewhat sordid and disenchating.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
13 Tzameti
Babluani's 13 Tzameti is a suspenseful thriller that reminds me of some of the film-noir films we've been watching in class as far a mood is concerned. The film was shot in black and white, and the mood was extremely tense, suspensful, and increasingly disturbing throughout the progression of the narrative.
The film centers around the story of Sebastien, and his inadvertant-- albeit fairly predictable--mistake of pursuing what seems to be an easy fix for money to a game of life or death. The film's narrative enigma--what exactly Sebastien is getting himself into--is built up well in the begginning and the gravity of answer to this question does not disappoint the audience.
I guess the underlying theme behind this movie is Sebastien's loss of innocence through his participation in the roullete game. The film does a good job of showing his internal conflict of Sebastien, as he is exposed to the darker nature of mankind.
I enjoyed this movie, but I wanted a hollywood ending after all of the suspense. It kind of pissed me off, actually.
The film centers around the story of Sebastien, and his inadvertant-- albeit fairly predictable--mistake of pursuing what seems to be an easy fix for money to a game of life or death. The film's narrative enigma--what exactly Sebastien is getting himself into--is built up well in the begginning and the gravity of answer to this question does not disappoint the audience.
I guess the underlying theme behind this movie is Sebastien's loss of innocence through his participation in the roullete game. The film does a good job of showing his internal conflict of Sebastien, as he is exposed to the darker nature of mankind.
I enjoyed this movie, but I wanted a hollywood ending after all of the suspense. It kind of pissed me off, actually.
Children of Men
Alfonso Cuaron's Children Of Men was a dystopian science fiction film that was completely engaging as a result of cinematography and plot. The plot centers around an imagined future in which women have lost their ability to bear children, and the political and social upheaval surrounding this notion.
I heard before I saw this movie that it had one of the longest sequences without a cut in recent cinema history. I was looking for this the entire time, and thought it must have been the scene where Theo and Kee were in the car going to meet with "The Fishes" with Julian Moore, when militants attack them.
I find this sort of thing very interesting, and a lot of movies are using minimal cuts nowadays, because editing in the hollywood tradition is seamless and helps the action flow. The conspicuous absence of cuts in this film make it seem more realistic, albeit somewhat unnerving in certian instances such as the car scene, which evoked a sense of almost clausterphobia for the viewer.
Another thing the film does which makes it seem more realistic is the use of the hand-held camera. Especially at the parts toward the end, when all hell is breaking loose, the hand-held camera work evokes a sense of complete chaos. In a lot of ways, the camera almost becomes another character in the film, and I think the hand-held is used to mimic the motions of a person's eyes. In this way, the audience of the film vicariously assumes a place in the stort alongside Theo.
I heard before I saw this movie that it had one of the longest sequences without a cut in recent cinema history. I was looking for this the entire time, and thought it must have been the scene where Theo and Kee were in the car going to meet with "The Fishes" with Julian Moore, when militants attack them.
I find this sort of thing very interesting, and a lot of movies are using minimal cuts nowadays, because editing in the hollywood tradition is seamless and helps the action flow. The conspicuous absence of cuts in this film make it seem more realistic, albeit somewhat unnerving in certian instances such as the car scene, which evoked a sense of almost clausterphobia for the viewer.
Another thing the film does which makes it seem more realistic is the use of the hand-held camera. Especially at the parts toward the end, when all hell is breaking loose, the hand-held camera work evokes a sense of complete chaos. In a lot of ways, the camera almost becomes another character in the film, and I think the hand-held is used to mimic the motions of a person's eyes. In this way, the audience of the film vicariously assumes a place in the stort alongside Theo.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Jesus Camp
Jesus Camp was a film documenting the stories of a few different children who attended Becky Fisher's "Kids on Fire" camp in South Dakota. The main goal of the documentary was to show the fundamentalist Christian sect in America as a prevalent and growing political entity
that has/will have the capacity to determine public policy so long as evangelist indoctrinate the youth into political spheres.
The mood of the film was prophetic. The body of the film was framed by radio broadcasts covering Bush's nomination of Judge Alito. In the begginning, George Bush announces his nomination. The end contained broadcasts of Alito's victory in the Sentate. Between these two broadcasts was the exposition of the narrative which derived the thesis of the film; that the Christian Political Sect was a political force to be reckoned with.
The main purpose of putting the two parts pertaining to Judge Alito's nomination was to suggest that Christian political influence was directly responsible for his success. This was an editing device that proved very effective in reinforcing the documentary's thesis.
One thing that the film did, through editing, was to evoke a sense of proximity of church and state. A few sequences through the film contained cross-cutting which put christian symbolism and government in juxtaposition with each other. The film did this as a way of evoking the feeling that the demarcations between church and state were dissolving. Because theres nothing better than a church state right?
that has/will have the capacity to determine public policy so long as evangelist indoctrinate the youth into political spheres.
The mood of the film was prophetic. The body of the film was framed by radio broadcasts covering Bush's nomination of Judge Alito. In the begginning, George Bush announces his nomination. The end contained broadcasts of Alito's victory in the Sentate. Between these two broadcasts was the exposition of the narrative which derived the thesis of the film; that the Christian Political Sect was a political force to be reckoned with.
The main purpose of putting the two parts pertaining to Judge Alito's nomination was to suggest that Christian political influence was directly responsible for his success. This was an editing device that proved very effective in reinforcing the documentary's thesis.
One thing that the film did, through editing, was to evoke a sense of proximity of church and state. A few sequences through the film contained cross-cutting which put christian symbolism and government in juxtaposition with each other. The film did this as a way of evoking the feeling that the demarcations between church and state were dissolving. Because theres nothing better than a church state right?
To Live
I though the the differences between Chinese and American culture would make this
film not applicable to me. But the themes of family in To Live were universal. The film
was a poignant representation of family dynamics that trancended cultural demarcations.
One thing I noticed about this film was how despite all the evidence, the Fugui and his wife did not blame the Communist government for their pitfalls in life. When his son, while smelting iron for during the Great Leap Forward, was killed by the District superintendent Fugui did not blame the government for the death of his son. From a capitalist perespective, it would seem that the government was directly responsible, but fugui didn't seem to hold the Communist regime responsible.
This happened again with the death of his daughter in the emergency room. Because all of the doctors were imprisoned and blamed to be "capitalists," there were no doctors on call to help save his daughter from pregnancy complications. Again, the pervasive ideology of the communist party was directly responsible for his daughters death, but he seemed to blame himself at the end rather than the government.
I think a lot of this has to do with the collectivism in Chinese culture. Though this film concentrates on one man's family, Fugui, and his interaction with the government through changing political times, the sentiment of Fugui is collectivist rather than individualistic. I think the differences between Western and Eastern philosphy is articiculated through this film.
I also though it was funny how people were being accused of being "capitalist" in China during the same time as the McCarthy era in the United States. I see that as very ironic.
film not applicable to me. But the themes of family in To Live were universal. The film
was a poignant representation of family dynamics that trancended cultural demarcations.
One thing I noticed about this film was how despite all the evidence, the Fugui and his wife did not blame the Communist government for their pitfalls in life. When his son, while smelting iron for during the Great Leap Forward, was killed by the District superintendent Fugui did not blame the government for the death of his son. From a capitalist perespective, it would seem that the government was directly responsible, but fugui didn't seem to hold the Communist regime responsible.
This happened again with the death of his daughter in the emergency room. Because all of the doctors were imprisoned and blamed to be "capitalists," there were no doctors on call to help save his daughter from pregnancy complications. Again, the pervasive ideology of the communist party was directly responsible for his daughters death, but he seemed to blame himself at the end rather than the government.
I think a lot of this has to do with the collectivism in Chinese culture. Though this film concentrates on one man's family, Fugui, and his interaction with the government through changing political times, the sentiment of Fugui is collectivist rather than individualistic. I think the differences between Western and Eastern philosphy is articiculated through this film.
I also though it was funny how people were being accused of being "capitalist" in China during the same time as the McCarthy era in the United States. I see that as very ironic.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
The Graduate
The Graduate is one of those movies that if you tell someone youv'e have never seen it, they will
undoubtedly freak out and ask what is wrong with you. I had never seen it until recently, which I actually think worked out for the best. I think I was able to get more out of it than I probably would have had I been younger. This is a serious film, although its message is undercut by situations universal to anyone who had ever been stuck between the two worlds of child and adulthood.
What makes the Graduate timeless is its applicability. Like Ben, everyone goes through a period of anomie following some big change in their life. It is during this period of normlessness that an individual must reasess themselves on an existential level. The Graduate documents this very poignantly. When asked what he is going to do after college, Ben's answer is never definititive. He has no idea what he wants, that is until the end.
It is strange how quickly he seems to fall in love with Elaine. In a matter of a few scene changes, Elaine becomes his means to an end to his existential dilemma. He becomes driven once again, perhaps driven in the way we could imagine he was in College. Elaine becomes his new goal. After he wins her in the end, there is a sense of impending anomie because of the achievement of his goal. Perhaps the narrative has come full circle, perhaps not.
This movie is actually very similar to another one of my favorites, Garden State. It, too, is a coming of age story in which the twenty-something year old protagonist is emotionally resurrected by a woman. If you liked the Graduate, I would suggest it.
undoubtedly freak out and ask what is wrong with you. I had never seen it until recently, which I actually think worked out for the best. I think I was able to get more out of it than I probably would have had I been younger. This is a serious film, although its message is undercut by situations universal to anyone who had ever been stuck between the two worlds of child and adulthood.
What makes the Graduate timeless is its applicability. Like Ben, everyone goes through a period of anomie following some big change in their life. It is during this period of normlessness that an individual must reasess themselves on an existential level. The Graduate documents this very poignantly. When asked what he is going to do after college, Ben's answer is never definititive. He has no idea what he wants, that is until the end.
It is strange how quickly he seems to fall in love with Elaine. In a matter of a few scene changes, Elaine becomes his means to an end to his existential dilemma. He becomes driven once again, perhaps driven in the way we could imagine he was in College. Elaine becomes his new goal. After he wins her in the end, there is a sense of impending anomie because of the achievement of his goal. Perhaps the narrative has come full circle, perhaps not.
This movie is actually very similar to another one of my favorites, Garden State. It, too, is a coming of age story in which the twenty-something year old protagonist is emotionally resurrected by a woman. If you liked the Graduate, I would suggest it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)