Jiro Dreams Of Sushi Film Analysis

Two of the most popular and critically acclaimed documentaries of our time are “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” directed by David Gelb and “The Gleaners and I” directed by Agnes Varda. Both of these films focus around what we love the most: food. From sushi in “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” to potatoes, cabbages and grapes in “The Gleaners and I” there are delicious foods invading the screens that fill the appetite of the audience, and fills their knowledge with a different perspective on food. But each director has their own style of projecting to the audience their ideas either through scenes of a master sushi chef at work, or in the case of Agnes Varda by expressing her peculiar personality to show that she is part of the gleaning community that finds beauty

Varda brings out her childish personality when she is in the car and is fascinated with the trucks passing by that she pretends to catch the trucks with her hand. She also submerges herself in the act of gleaning like when she gleaned heart potatoes to demonstrate how amazed she is with the beauty that others have rejected. However, the scene with the “dance of the camera lens” was unexpected and out of the subject and should be left out of the film because it served no purpose. It was just confusing and distracting from the subject of gleaning. But this scene as well as the scene of the clock with no hands and the leaking in the ceiling is her style of gleaning which can be described as cinematic gleaning. This act consists of capturing images on film that are unappealing and peculiar, and transforming them into beautiful artwork and giving them the spotlight. Despite the fact that the background music was supposed to flow with the scenes and capture the audience into the film, it did the opposite and distracted the audience. Also, the music was not coordinated with the film because at one point the background music, especially the violin playing got weird in a scene that had nothing to do with that feeling, which detracted from the scene in the film. It was also creating this tension where there is none and building confusion upon the