French Impressionism and Surrealism (1918-1930)

There are different movements during the silent era in France that served as another substitute to classical Hollywood narrative form. One of the movements are Impressionism which became financially successful. The other alternative movement is called Surrealism incorporated with some artists and relied on their own and private patronage in mid 1920s.

IMPRESSIONISM

After World War I, many film studios were transposed to wartime uses. Film exports inflated and only two firms, Pathe Freres and Leon Gaumont survived in controlling other theaters. Hollywood cinema prevailed during that time while French film find it hard to recover. Until different extraordinary films arose between 1918 and 1928. Young directors introduced the alternative to the dominating American film during that time.

 

Impressionism gives narration to the pyschological depth, revealing the play of a character’s consciousnees. This kind of film does not focus on the external or physical means but on the inner action. It somehow manipulates plot time and subjectivity. Like the Hollywood cinema, there is also use of flashback in this kind of film and it enphasizes on the character’s personal emotion that reveals pyschological focus.

 

Editing in impressionism paved way to intensify the subjectivity. It used point-of-view cutting, showing a character’s shot looking at something, and the angle of the thing that the character was looking at and a full view wherein the character and the thing used was seen. If editing in Hollywood style is continuous, this one goes the other way. They used superimposition wherein they place another scenery on top of the character’s face depicting that he/she thinks of it or remembers it. It creates illusion on the side of the viewer.

 

Impressionistic film are low in quality unlike the Hollywood films, however they developed different types of camera angles, effects on how to improve films and be patronized by the masses. They focused on dramatic scenes capturing the emotion of the audience.

Filmmakers and Films (greatly abridged)

Abel Gance (La Dixième symphonie (1918), J’Accuse (1919), La Roue (1922), and above all, Napoléon (1927))
Jean Epstein (Coeur fidèle (1923), Six et demi onze (1927), La Glace a Trois Face (1928), The Fall of the House of Usher (1928))
Germaine Dulac (The Smiling Madame Beudet (1922))
Marcel L’Herbier (El Dorado (1921))
Louis Delluc – Critic/Theorist
Jean Renoir – (Nana (1926))

 

SURREALISM

This movement coincided with Impressionism. But it created its own identity. This kind of film has more touch with painting and literature. This is more than a naked eye could see, an ordinary mind could understand. I even find it hard to interpret the Surrealist films when our professor let us watch one.

Surrealism was influenced by Freudian Pyschology, it has something to do with deeper realms and meanings, superiority of belief, powerful dreams and indirect play of thought, it has the absence of causes. There is no such reason why such things occur, no definite story. It is anti-narrative and leaves the interpretation of film amongst the viewer.

Early films by Surrealists include:

• Entr’acte by René Clair (1924)
• La Coquille et le clergyman by Germaine Dulac, screenplay by Antonin Artaud (1928)
• L’Étoile de mer by Man Ray (1928)
• Un Chien Andalou by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí (1929)
• L’Âge d’Or by Buñuel and Dalí (1930)
• Le sang d’un poète by Jean Cocteau (1930)
• L’imitation du cinema by Marcel Mariën (1959)

Most movies by filmmaker David Lynch (especially Mulholland Drive , Inland Empire (film) and Eraserhead) are considered surrealists.

Many said that Surrealist movement decline during 1930. Communism is the political equivalent of Surrealism because rankings and classes are not present so with the very nature of Surrealism.

3 Idiots

3 Idiots is a 2009 Indian coming of age comedy-drama film directed by Rajkumar Hirani.

I watched this film when I was in first year college, first semester because it was a requirement at Communication subject in study of Bollywood film and we chose this one. The film is comedic, melodramatic and romantic.

They provided subtitle so that we could understand the movie because the language used is Hindi although some times they used to speak in English especially when they communicate with the other race included in the movie or if it is necessary.

The Bollywood film did flashbacks. There is this group of friends consists of three person since college. They took engineering. They parted ways until one day, Chatur “Silencer” Ramalingam (Omi Vaidya) called Farhan Qureshi (R. Madhavan) while He was on plane and told that he knows where Ranchhordas Shyamaldas Chanchad (Aamir Khan), their long lost friend can be found. Farhan got off the plane through acting that he was sick. He went all the way to Raju Rastogi’s (Sharman Joshi) house and meet Silencer at the Imperial College of engineering.  

Farhan and Raju thought that Rancho will show up at that place but he did not. They asked Silencer what’s the purpose of all these. Silencer reminisced everything that the three friends did while they were in college and reminded Rancho’s bet on him. They had a bet that on September 05, they will meet again and see who’s more successful. The two got angry because of Silencer’s foolish move. But they calm down when Silencer said that he knows where Rancho resides.

 

The flashback begins. Farhan does not really like to take up engineering, he wanted wildlife photography. But there’s nothing he could because that is what his parents wanted for him, their expectations are high. However, Raju has a very poor family income that the film used black and white filter to depict that they are really poor, he is the bread winner and he is so scared that he always call to different gods and offer sacrifices and prayers. While Rancho is a happy-go-lucky, sarcastic, and intelligent and… We’ll find it out at the end of the story.

 

They encountered different circumstances in their stay in college life. It’s an exclusive school. They stayed together, knew each other, bonded, studied, played, helped each other, etc. This is the story about friendship, love, family ties, reaching goals and fulfilling dreams.

 

The film has a touch of musical type. They try to express what they feel, if they’re in love or happy or bored through singing which creates another mood in the movie. It is inspiring with how we should take care and give importance to our friends, how we value our family, how we reach for our dreams on ways being true to ourselves and enjoying life. More than the camera angles, transitions, background music, artists, it’s the essence of the story that made this movie so good and uplifting for me. I even recommended this film to my relatives, church mates, friends and they feel the same. One of our favorite line is “All is well.“

 

The Passion of the Christ – Trailer

The Passion of the Christ

The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American  epic drama film. It was directed by  Mel Gibson, starring  Jim Caviezel as the main character of the film,  Jesus Christ.  I have already watched this film few years ago, most probably elementary years and sneaked important scenes on youtube and conferences with background music. And last July 31, 2013, we watched this film once again as a whole at our drama class.

Since I almost forgot the scenes, I thought that scenarios like Jesus feeding the five thousand people excluding the women and children with the use of five loaves of bread and two fishes, good Samaritan giving Jesus a drink, how Jesus get His  Twelve Apostles one by one, healing, raising dead will be shown. But  Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson focused on Christ’s suffering and crucifixion. 

Film opens as Jesus prayed and said to His Father that He is ready for what will happen at the garden of  Gethsemane. I just can’t imagine His body so weak for He did not eat for several days but the hours praying, night and day. Jesus was also devoured by satan but He was not overcome.

There is this scene where  Judas Iscariot‘s betrayal was shown. He handed Jesus to the pharisees and  Roman soldiers and He was caught in the forest with  Peter and Matthew right after Jesus’ praying and fasting for forty days. Then the Roman soldiers took Him and chained Him. He brought Him at the temple and executed by the pharisees with the crowd and said that Jesus’ teachings are wrong and He speaks blasphemous words. They disgraced Him and when the sun rise, He was brought before  Pontius Pilate and  Herod to be condemned to death. 

And the suffering of Jesus physically came. He was beaten, His blood shed on the ground while Roman soldiers enjoyed doing it. Everyone in the room cried, you can hear the sober of the student watching the film. you can hear no one talking. As if everyone stopped from their businesses and focused on the presented passion of Christ.  Mary tried to comfort her Son, so with the other disciples and the people Jesus helped but there’s nothing they could do. No one ever tried to believe after what He has done. 

I burst out crying, reminisced God’s love and how I abused and neglected it. That I am the reason behind His suffering and He did not asked for my permission instead did it because He loves me. That my previous, present and future sin is paid because of His precious blood shed on the cross of  Calvary. I feel so ashamed. I feel so small. I feel so selfish as if I only thought of my own pleasures and desires- that while I am doing that, Christ suffered to spare me and poured out His love and grace that I may come before His throne, confess and repent and eventually cleanse me from all my unrighteousness. Perfect love. 

The film is so good that it carried me and put me on the people of Israel’s shoe and witness Jesus’ suffering. After watching the film, I was renewed and restored. That everything that I should do must be according to His will and for His glory. And there’s nothing could escape from God’s powerful, patient, perfect and proven love.  Jesus rises from the dead and exits the tomb gave us new hope that He will someday return. 

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor present, nor future, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  -Romans 8:38-39

CAST:

• Jim Caviezel as Jesus Christ
• Maia Morgenstern as Mary
• Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene
• Rosalinda Celentano as Satan
• Francesco DeVito as Peter
• Chokri Ben Zagden as James
• Christo Jivkov as John
• Luca Lionello as Judas Iscariot
• Hristo Shopov as Pontius Pilate
• Claudia Gerini as Claudia Procles
• Fabio Sartor as Abenader
• Luca De Dominicis as Herod Ántipas
• Mattia Sbragia as Caiaphas
• Toni Bertorelli as Annas ben Seth
• Jarreth Merz as Simon of Cyrene
• Sergio Rubini as Dismas
• Francesco Cabras as Gesmas
• Giovanni Capalbo as Cassius
• Roberto Bestazoni as Malchus
• Sabrina Impacciatore as Seraphia
• Pietro Sarubbi as Barabbas
• Matt Patresi as Janus
• Emilio De Marchi as Scornful Roman 1
• Roberto Visconti as Scornful Roman 2
• Lello Giulivo as Brutish Roman

Film Noir Example: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

German Expressionist Influence: Film Noir

Film noir in French, or “black film” is a terminology used to illustrate stylistic Hollywood crime  drama. It extended from early 1940s to the late 1950s. This movie rooted with German Expressionist cinematography.

 

Film noir has mysterious ambiance. It’s like having camera angle from top to bottom of the grayscaled wall with stairs and smoke in it. One of the examples the director gave while watching the interview about Film Noir is that there is this man who has a stable job, a stable relationship with his fanily and wife, actually has a good living. And then one night, a messenger came. The stable man had a car ride with the messenger in the middle of the dark, rainy night. That same night, the messenger died while the stable man decided to replace the messenger’s identity. This kind of character is called fall or down fall.

Since it has mysterious calling, film noirs are only black and white with the presence of shadow and light effect. Most examples given are apartment connected side by side where a woman tries to gaze at their neighbor’s window but only saw shadow of a man that increases the intensity and the curiosity of the viewer. Is it a bad man? A stalker? A killer? Whatever a viewer may think that will enhance his or her mental imagery.

In this kind of film, we will notice that women are mostly dominant in the film. Directors hire talents or actress with angelic face, pleasing to the eyes, and nice looking not knowing that they’re snakes that lures his man on the bed then gets him on trouble. These women are strong-spirited, fearless and usually smoke and sexy in appearance.

According to one of the directors interviewed, this kind of film are graded ‘B’ unlike other films that are graded ‘A’ or has high quality and high in cost. Nevertheless, though low in quality and cost, they provide good plots, choice of character, storyline, angles, etc.

The setting of this kind of film if in outdoor or exterior type is usually along the streets of a certain city, riding in a car or taking a walk by the asphalt hall. However, if interior, it is most commonly inside the room, dark room or living room.

Trainspotting – Trailer

Trainspotting: Choose Life

It is a 1966 film directed by Danny Boyle and written by John Hodge. It is about a young man deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene who tries to clean up and get out although his friends continue to influence him. This film depicted a life among a group of people struggling to survive a grim existence on heroin in late 1980s.

 They are Rent Boy, a young man with few prospects and fewer ambitions, lives in economically depressed Edinburgh. Like most of his friends, Renton is a heroin addict who loves the drug’s blissful nothingness; financing his habit also provides excitement and challenges that his life otherwise lacks. Sick Boy, a snappy dresser obsessed with James Bond. Spud, a guileless nerd who suggests Pee Wee Herman’s debauched cousin. Begbie, a borderline psychotic. He loathes junkies even though he drinks like a fish. After one too many brushes with the law, Renton kicks heroin and moves to London, where he finds a job, a flat, and something close to peace of mind and Tommy.

It used Scottish slang and the dialogue is heavy in Scottish accent so I was not able to understand some of the words, good thing there is subtitle on the movie. The characters’ hobby is Trainspotting, which was not actually mentioned on the film.

The film has creative moments and sometimes it can be funny, but the viewer should be prepared for a downbeat experience and should expect to find himself places he would never go of his own accord. At first, I did not understand the movie, what the characters do. Until I found out that they inject such drugs which gives them pleasure more satisfying than sex. Through the usage of this kind of drug, they tend to forget all their problems whether about their love life just like what Tommy encountered when his girlfriend broke up with him because their sex video was lost and assumed that it was given to the CD Company that allows them to rent disc. Another scenario is when the baby died on their hide out, the mother asked for one hit just to soothe the emotional pain.

I understand why they do that. It somehow becomes their escape. We do things that will let us forget our problems and hardships. In our culture, we drink alcohol, smoke, go out with friends, shop for girls, and the last option is to commit suicide. In that short span, we forget what is happening but right after that pleasure we will still come back to reality. We will still face the problems so what these guys on the film do, they hit every now and then until they cannot get enough off it.

Then like Renton, there is this realization whether to choose life, have a family and children, get a job, and get a life or stay where he is. Moreover, he took the opportunity after he was rehabilitated and cured. He looked for a job where he earned enough money and came to point he overcame his weakness until his friends once again. He worked with them but when they closed the deal, he ran and just left a bundle of money for spuds, the lesser evil among his friends.

This movie does not glorify heroin. It glorifies the youth.

In terms with how film was made, on the opening billboard, it used dolly shot wherein the characters are in motion and the camera angle is before them as if as the viewer of the film, they were chasing after you. I did not recognize or knew much who the characters were in real life, probably because it was done several years ago. They are not the superstars renowned in the industry. Nevertheless, the film is very relevant especially to the youth. The influence of sex and drugs of the youth’s lives even nowadays. People who will watch the film even this modern age could relate in the film. I just cannot believe that those kind of film were presented during that year where sex and violence reigns.

Trainspotting looks hard at the alternatives to living in oblivion. They’re not as trendy as stealing and shooting up to a pulsating Brit-pop score, but the film’s flash can’t disguise the emptiness of these blasted lives. Trainspotting is 90 minutes of raw power that Boyle and a bang-on cast inject right into the vein.

CAST

• Ewan McGregor as Mark “Rent Boy” Renton
• Ewen Bremner as Daniel “Spud” Murphy
• Jonny Lee Miller as Simon “Sick Boy” Williamson
• Robert Carlyle as Francis “Franco” Begbie
• Kevin McKidd as Tommy MacKenzie
• Kelly Macdonald as Diane Coulston
• Peter Mullan as Swanney “Mother Superior”
• Eileen Nicholas as Mrs. Renton
• James Cosmo as Mr. Renton
• Susan Vidler as Allison
• Pauline Lynch as Lizzy
• Shirley Henderson as Gail
• Irvine Welsh as Mikey Forrester
• Keith Allen as The Dealer

 

The Film School Generation

There are two kinds of directors: one who considers the public and one who consider themselves.

Based on the documentary that we have watched, name the directors who consider the public and the directors who consider themselves. And explain the effects of their movies to the industry and to the art of cinema.

Directors: Francis Coppola, George Lucas, Martian Scorsese, Brian de Palma and Steven Spielberg.

FRANCIS FORD COPPOLLA

Studied film at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA Film School) where his focus in doing film is more of a personal or considering himself. His dream is to run his own studio wherein he own the lights, the cameras, the sounds, the equipments needed in order to establish or make a film and do the works like directing, editing, writing cross-country journey script as stated on the documentary. According to one of his actors he worked with, he wanted to influence people and as much as possible give them work or help them.

One of his works that had great impact on its audience and in the field of media is the “The Godfather”. The film changed Hollywood because it finally changed the way Italians were depicted on film. It made Italians seem like more fully realized people and not stereotypes. It was a film in Hollywood made by Italians about Italians. Previously, it had not been Italians making the mobster films featuring Italian gangsters.

I feel it helped Italianize American culture. I think it helped people see that in this depiction of Italian-Americans was a reflection of their own immigrant experience, whether they were Irish or Jews from Eastern Europe. They found that common ground.

GEORGE LUCAS

Studied film in University of Southern California (USC) and his heart in doing film have something to do with gearing people for the industry or for the public. According to the documentary, specifically from people he worked with such as the editor and producers, what he likes in doing film or movie is its non-linear stories, non-character driven scenario, futuristic, romance, escape, character development and documentary in dramatic context.

“THX 1138”, was one of his most controversial films made. While “Star Wars,” which is also a blockbuster hit clicked on the masses. Star Wars fundamentally changed the aesthetics and narratives of Hollywood movies, as well as changing the Hollywood film industry in other fundamental ways.

Star Wars started the tradition of the summer blockbuster movie in the entertainment industry, where movies open on many screens at the same time, and profitable franchises are tied in. It created the model for the major movie trilogy and showed that merchandising rights on a movie could generate more money than the movie itself did.

MARTIN SCORSESE

Studied film in New York University and it with Francis Ford Coppola, though different from schools attended, his way of managing film is in a way he could express himself, consider himself, or put himself on the situation or story. He often uses long tracking shots. Every move has choreography. Some of his films include references or allusions to Westerns. Slow motion flashbulbs and accented camera flash or shutter sounds. More recently, his films have featured corrupt authority figures, such as police officers.

He likes nostalgic pieces and does movies that would move himself like “Taxi Driver” and “New York, New York (film)”.

“Taxi Driver” is a hell, from the opening shot of a cab emerging from stygian clouds of steam to the climactic killing scene in which the camera finally looks straight down. Scorsese wanted to look away from Travis’s rejection; we almost want to look away from his life. However, he is there, all right, and he is suffering. For this reason, he designed the film’s sets and storyline to be deliberately artificial-looking. He acknowledges that it is an experiment. It did not please everyone.

BRIAN DE PALMA

He involves the audience or public in expressing things clearly in films. His films have strong scripts, characters following and learning from each other. De Palma’s films can fall into two categories, his psychological thriller. He has often produced “De Palma” films one after the other before going on to direct a different genre, but would always return to his familiar territory. Because of the subject matter and graphic violence of some of De Palma’s films, such as Dressed to Kill, Scarface, The Untouchables, Carlito’s Way, and Mission: Impossible, they are often at the center of controversy with the Motion Picture Association of America, film critics and the viewing public.

De Palma is known for quoting and referencing other director’s work throughout his career.

“The Untouchables” received positive reviews from film critics and has an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Vincent Canby, of The New York Times, gave the film a positive review, calling it “a smashing work” and saying it was “vulgar, violent, funny and sometimes breathtakingly beautiful.”

Somehow, we’re put off here by the spectacular stuff he throws up onto the screen. De Palma’s storytelling instincts have given very completely to his interest in film as a visual medium. His only real concern is his own style. De Palma does not waste a shot. The result is a densely layered work moving with confident, compulsive energy.

STEVEN SPIELBERG

Studied film in University of Southern California School of Theater, Film and Television and makes movies that would move everybody or the public will interact. He has a middle-American point of view. And for him, television is a job. He is ideal and likes intense or breathtaking movies such as “duel” and the well-known, box office record and patronized, “Jaws”.

The film “Duel” received many positive reviews and is often considered among the greatest TV movies. On Rotten Tomatoes the film currently has a “Fresh” score of 86% (2010).

According to the American Film Institute, Jaws ranks among the fifty greatest movies of all time and the second- greatest thriller ever (Behind Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho). After three decades, the film continues to intrigue, thrill and frighten viewers. It’s become an entertainment mainstay, a timeless classic in a world of fad filmmaking.

Jaws were a thoroughly groundbreaking film in every way imaginable. It had a tremendous impact on the way movies are made, marketed and merchandised and spawned a pop cultural fascination with sharks. And, perhaps most notably, the film generated a visceral fear of swimming that continues to afflict multitudes to this day.

Facing the Giants – Trailer