I examined A Savage Christmas: Hong Kong 1941, the first in a three part series called The Valour and the Horror produced by CBC and the National Film Board of Canada which become very popular due to the controversy that surrounded it. The document uses original film and dramatization to depict what happened to Canadian troops at Hong Kong in December 1941 and the years following in a Japanese prisoners of war camp. Similar to any historical source the film does have a bias towards the Canadians and is quite clear since they utilized personal narratives as the foundation of retelling the events that occurred. Although the article makes assumptions and ignores important context, the documentary is still a valid source when used with caution as it does contain factual There are a couple messages in the documentary that they are clearly trying to convince their audience of. The first is the Canadian government sent in untrained troops to fight in Hong Kong, knowing they had no chance win.
O Brother Where Art Thou? is a film that will take you on a perilous journey with Ulysses Everett McGill and his simpleminded cohorts. This film may be set amidst the early 1930’s Great Depression era, but it still has a Homer’s Odyssey feel to it. Down in the dusty and highly racial south, Everett recruits a couple of dimwitted convicts, Pete Hogwallop and Delmar O’Donnell, to help him retrieve his lost treasure and make it back home before his wife marries another suitor.
Throughout his life in making films, Tim Burton has shown his unique talent and vision. He proceeds taking advantage of the cinematic techniques; lighting, sound, and camera movements creating a certain mood/tone. These three techniques are used numerous of times for the duration of each film. Although, many various emotions are constructed, there are feelings that anyone may connect to. Tim Burton is a successful filmmaker and has inspired many with the use of his cinematic techniques.
Throughout life we are told to express our individuality and swim against the stream of the general population to put emphasis on the characteristics that make us, in short, individuals. Cherishing what makes an individual special and different is what establishes roots in creativity and self expression, however there is a forced false sense of comradery in today’s society that takes the form of involvement with the masses; peer pressure forces many people to fall into the mold of an average character. The Academy award winning film, “The Incredibles” displays the themes of expressing one’s true self and special qualities, and in contrast repression by society to fit a basic mold. These themes are elaborated on through the development of the main characters and expressed further through the supporting roles and their dialogue and endeavors.
In the movie, The Breakfast Club, five high school students spend their Saturday detention together. The popular girl Claire Standish, the athlete Andrew Clark, the nerd Brian Johnson, the outcast Allison Reynolds, and the rebellious delinquent John Bender must put aside their differences to survive their detention with their assistant principal, Mr. Vernon. While in detention, they are told to write about “who they really are” in one thousand words. Throughout the day, they reveal their struggles involving their cliques and their home lives. As the movie progresses, the audience finds out the reason each teen is in detention which brings up a discussion about who they really are.
Tim Burton’s distinct style became evident in his very first films and stayed clear in his later film, while the plot of Burton’s films vary greatly his style stays pronounced. This can be seen across his many movies from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Edward Scissorhands, “Vincent”, and “Frankenweenie”. In all of these films his distinct style is developed through the use of a strong contrast of high and low key lighting to show contrast between characters and circumstances, a recurring motif of mobs antagonizing the antagonist, and the frequent use of shot reverse shots to show the development of the relationship between the outsider and the people on the inside. With the use of a contrast between high and low-key lighting, a recurring mob motif, and the use of shot-reverse-shots Tim Burton develops his hopelessly bleak style. One of the most evident cinematic techniques that Tim Burton uses to develop his hopelessly bleak style is the use of a strong contrast of high and low-key lighting or colors.
This essay will discuss the uses, strategies and the meanings that are generated by editing in cinema. The films that this essay will be focusing on are Psycho and Singin’ in the Rain. Both of these films are very different to each other and therefore use editing in varying ways in order to give the audience a different perception of the characters as well as the setting that these characters are involved in. Psycho focuses on building suspense for the audience throughout the film using editing, camera work and sound. This essay will be primarily focusing on editing with the discussion of camerawork where relevant.
INTRODUCTION Everyone needs entertainment to take their minds away from the boring life style of everyday life. This entertainment can be in many form, for example music, movies, games and so on. However, the most common forms of entertainment that people will choose are movies. However, watching a movie could bring many effects to people like change a person’s thinking way or mind.
Over the past century, film has served as a powerful means of communication to a global audience and has become a vital part of the contemporary culture in a world that is increasingly saturated by visual content. Due to the immediacy and the all-encompassing nature of film, the process of watching a film, is widely perceived to be a passive activity by the general masses. However, quoting Smith in his article about the study of film, “nothing could be further from the truth.” The study and understanding of film as an art form enhances the way we watch and appreciate films. It requires the audience's active participation and interaction with the film in order to fully comprehend the directors' intention behind every creative decision.
The 2006 British film “The Queen” depicts events that unfolded after the death of Princess Diana in 1997. In the film, the British Royal Family did not react the way the public expected them to. Due to their lack of grief that was publicly shown towards Princess Diana’s death, it resulted in their actions being heavily criticised by British media and the public. Newly elected Prime Minister, Tony Blair, had to step in to help the Royal Family deal with their bad relations to the public, with the help of Diana’s ex-husband, Prince Charles. From the in-depth movie analysis, this essay will be able to show that the media is able to influence the people and their stance towards certain topics by applying these media theories: agenda setting through gatekeeping, dramatization, and two-step flow of communication.
One must find the influence and the aid of others to overcome challenges. The movie and book “Wonder” directed Stephen Chobosky by composed by R.J Palacio is a story about a boy named August Pullman who has a face deformity called Treacher Collins Syndrome. This causes his face to be irregular and look different compared to others. Auggie is starting his first day of school after being home school by his mother. As Auggie walked in the school, people were walking away and avoiding being near him.
This essay talks about the use of cinematography in the scene where the protagonist – Riggan Thomson enters a room and had a conversation with his daughter in the film Birdman. Birdman is set in New York City in a time where theatre shows were losing their significance in the entertainment industry. The film is about Riggan trying to salvage his career through a Broadway show while his ego portrayed as Birdman threatens to bring it all down. On top of the brilliant acting from the actors, Birdman was well known for its trademark illusion that it was filmed in a continuous, long tracking shot with no cuts. This scene begins with Riggan returning to the theatre
Shutter Island, a psychological thriller, directed by Martin Scorsese incorporates techniques throughout to reveal the truth in Shutter Island. The film, based on a missing patient investigation, turns out as a cover up psychological experiment designed to bring Edward (Teddy) Daniels back to sanity concludes to be the truth. This essay discusses that by analysing certain scenes, including the opening scene, Teddy and Chuck addresses Dr Cawley, and whislt Teddy and Chuck interview the patients. These three scenes assist to expose Shutter Island through film techniques such as camera angle and mise en scene.
Throughout the course of one’s life, there is a constant search for some form of happiness. We may not always realize we are on the quest for it, but it’s part of human nature. In “Silver Linings Playbook” we see this happen throughout with Pat and Tiffany, who are both searching for happiness. The film is relatable to us all in that many times we go looking for happiness only to come up empty-handed.
Wes Anderson is a very well-known and established director in his field. Over the years, Anderson has developed a unique style of film and a basic formula for how each film will look in the end. The film The Grand Budapest Hotel showcases a lot of Anderson quirks from the vibrant colors to the tiny miniatures that he used to show the landscape. The Grand Budapest Hotel is uniquely Wes Andersons and really showcases his style.