This movie kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The camera movement made me feel like I was there, and I felt completely involved in the storyline and action. Everything seemed realistic, and I think that was one of the film's best qualities and what kept me interested. It seemed like if it really happened, that is how things would go. It is an original and compelling story and it's filmed and told well.
************
Hugo
-I thought Hugo's quote about the world being a machine was very interesting and might be something I could write my paper about. It seemed to be a subject that was continuously used throughout the movie, even the main message it was sending. Every character was "broken" at the beginning of the film, and by the end, they found their "purpose."
-I loved how the movie looked; everything was brilliantly done. The first few minutes of the film as Hugo walked through the clock tower was just breathtaking; I was in awe. Following Hugo around as he climbed through and slid down the slide...that scene perfectly showed what Hugo's world was like. I noticed how machinery and technology was a theme throughout the movie, which is interesting because it was made for 3D as well. I wonder what Scorsese was trying to say about that.
-I liked how it was a dark film yet had a light, optimistic message and a perfectly happy ending. It's a movie that children and adults alike can enjoy in very different ways.
-The movie reminded me of Prestige in the way that it talked about magic tricks and dreams throughout, and the movie did this at the same time. It showed several dreams Hugo was having, and most of them we didn't even realize were dreams until it showed him waking up. it was interesting how the audience didn't really question it as reality even though the scene seemed like a dream.
************
A Single Man
Not my favorite, but I enjoyed the aesthetics of this film. Everything was beautifully placed just like you said - the colors, the people, the scenery. I also liked the time period it took place in, it reminded me of Mad Men...I love the style of clothes and the colors.
I noticed a lot of interesting things in this film. The camera would zoom up on peoples' faces often and show their expressions or movements in detail - such as the girl whispering in the guy's ear or someone's eyes. I also noticed the coloring of the film would fade and then become deeply saturated in color, like when he was talking to a woman and another woman in a car with a dog. I'm sure this meant something but i'm not sure what.
I thought the scene where he pointed his finger like he was shooting the kids was interesting. It was somewhat similar to the scene where the family was shown in their yard in slow motion - they looked happy and perfect - but almost too much - it seemed fake. I wonder if that was what the director was trying to get across. He acted like he was shooting the kids because he hated the idea of the perfect heterosexual family.
************
The Prestige
I loved this movie. It was original, it had great acting, a great storyline, and a huge twist at the end. Very intense, elegantly written, and well thought-out. It kept me guessing and in suspense nearly the entire movie. It became more confusing as the movie went on, but not too much - just enough to keep my full attention. I feel like I would find more things about the movie the more I watched it. Just when I thought one man was ahead, the other beat him. I love how the movie was about magic tricks, and the whole movie tricked the audience in several ways. It used the theme of magical illusions to create illusions to the film's audience. We thought we were in on it, but we were wrong. The answers were in front of us, but we chose not to see them - just like the movie explained magic tricks. The 3 "acts" explained - the pledge, the turn and the prestige - were all parts of the movie as well. I can't think of many films that create a concept like this in a film and then use it to describe the film itself. Extremely interesting.
I thought the movie came together perfectly in the end. It was also very visually stunning. I am definitely a Nolan fan.
************
Melanchola
I thought this film was very beautiful. It was also very depressing, but it's always a good thing when a movie can make me have a strong emotion. I also thought it was thought-provoking, which is a quality I appreciate most in films. Even if you looked at the film without hidden meaning or symbolism, it's still a deep kind of storyline that I think anyone would find interesting.
-First moments of film were artistic and extremely aesthetically pleasing. Didn't go overboard at all. Really interesting shots and kept me interested in what they meant as the film progressed.
-Acting was great. The two women's performances were totally believable. Kirsten Dunst did a great job portraying someone with severe depression, it was almost chilling. And Claire's character made me feel anxious and panicky whenever she was acting that way.
-I think the movie did a good job covering certain personalities reacting to the planet colliding with earth. I liked how they chose to do Justine's idea of the magic cave in the end, because it was more true than what Claire wanted to do. It was perfect in that it made Leo feel safe. I also liked how the sisters made up in the end and mostly just accepted what was happening.
*************
The Hurt Locker
1. The sniper scene - there's no music, it's in real time..the camera moves quickly and switches direction/angles, zooms in and out quickly, follows people running, bumpy - makes it all very realistic. Even when there isn't any action, there's still no music and it's just as tense. Death is shown as quick. The scene makes you feel like you're right there, and anyone can die at any second- just like real war. The scene makes you feel always alert.
2. Explosion scene - all in real time, but actual explosion is slowed down, which creates an aesthetically pleasing effect. The movie doesn't do this much, but it does it at the right moments and isn't over exaggerated.
3. Beginning scene - Similar to the other scenes as the camera is hand held and bumpy, almost amateur giving the movie a documentary-feel. The violence is happening all around you, but the movie still isn't too graphic.
************
Viaggio in Italia
Denotation: I chose the scene where the couple are sitting down and eating with a group of people in Naples. The camera shows Alex talking to another woman, and his wife, Katherine, sitting there looking jealous and anxious.
Connotation: Because the camera shows Katherine's uncomfortable face and Alex's flirting, we can easily assume they don't have the best relationship/marriage at the point in time. We see this in the rest of the film as well. The scene's purpose is to show the tension in their relationship, which I think it does well.
Myth: This scene can bring up the argument of whether or not flirting is acceptable in relationships; whether Alex is wrong or not. It can also bring up issues of the film displaying this - do movies portray infidelity too often from men? Is it biased? Stereotypical?
************
Psycho 2/13/12
-I have never seen this movie but always wanted to. I noticed so many things in it that are in pop culture today (the music, the way it's filmed, etc)
-Extremely suspenseful music throughout the film, almost the whole movie keeps the audience in suspense. Music goes along with the scenes and the audiences emotions
-The way it is filmed is like the character is always being watched from a distance - made me feel paranoid
-It really surprised me how the first half hour of the film was all about Marion but she died so soon. I've never seen a movie do that before. Interesting technique, didn't see it coming at all.
-A lot of focus on the characters facial reactions (Marion driving- keeps on her for a few minutes)
-I liked how the camera was angled in the scene where Bates and Marion talk in the hotel - the camera faces up when focusing on Bates, showing the stuffed birds in the background, very eerie.
************
Grapes of Wrath - 1/6/12
-Dark b&w, and low contrast
-A lot of framed car shots like we discussed in class
-The scene with the faded tractors moving in the background of the main shot was interesting
-The film does a great job with the scenery - it shows landscapes and how everything looks dry and desolate. Really sets the tone for the movie and makes the audience feel more of how the characters feel being there.
-Paintings could show the scenery and books can describe it as well as how the characters look, how they act and how they say things, but film gives us exactly what we're supposed to see. Only film can show us transitions and lighting and active movements, conversations and emotions.
-This movie still resonates today as the economic crisis has caused so much unemployment.
**********
Midnight in Paris - 1/30/12
-I really loved this movie. I've wanted to see it for a while and was not disappointed. I love the 20's, France and writing, but the movie overall had great visuals and music, good acting, an interesting plot and moving quotes as well.
-Reminded me a lot of Manhattan, especially in the beginning when Gil talked about how much he loved the city. The focus on relationship dynamics was similar as well.
-A lot of beautiful scenic shots in the beginning - landmarks in Paris
-Gil's "preaching": love of Paris, nostalgia, writers and art in the 20's; hate against republicans, etc.
-Hemingway's quote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cMOWzZflgE hit me; I absolutely loved it.
-As much as I hated Paul (I cringed when he talked) I liked his quote, “Nostalgia is denial — denial of the painful present." This went well with one meaning of the movie concerning nostalgia because Adriana wanted to go to an earlier age that she thought was golden even though she was in Gil's golden age. Even those in a great time period won't be fully happy with it and wish for something they think is better.
-I tried to think about what the real meaning of the movie was and I think it's about love. Gil was in love with the city and idealized it along with an earlier time, but I think this was because he hadn't found the right woman yet. He wanted to live in a fantasy world because he wasn't happy with the world he was living in now. When he ran into the woman at the end, he seemed to accept that he couldn't live in the 20's and seemed to be content about it now that he could possibly be with someone he really loved. He let go of Adriana because she chose a time period over love with him, and he realized he couldn't live in the past with her in any time but the present.
*********
Masculin Feminin - 1/23/12
- The thing that stuck out most for me in this film was the total lack of the shot/reverse/shot rule. In every conversation scene, the characters talked back and forth but the camera focused on one character for a long period of time and then switched, rather than back and forth quickly like you see in most Hollywood films. (bathroom scene (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jETlH5B0lb8) and beginning restaurant scene) With this technique you were able to see more of the character's emotions, what they did and exactly how they reacted. Some scenes even had a interview-type feel, just focusing on one person while the other asked questions. Even in one scene, a random stranger on the bus was a focus while another group talked in the background.
-Long conversations, dialogue is dominant in film.
-I noticed a lot of quiet moments followed by loud sounds.
-Lack of intensity, reaction or emotion in violent scenes - quickly switches scenes. Violent scenes (gun shots, knifing and burning) were stunts rather than attractions
-There were a lot of very long shots besides the conversation scenes - protagonist walked through restaurant and the camera followed him, not cutting away once
*********
