A story told during the Spanish Civil War with Franco and fascism controlling the nation in the 1940s. The blue tint of the film gives the story a morbid tone to represent the repression and death during Franco’s rule. The surrealism is used to show an escape from the real world to a heaven-like place under the hell of earth. It is ironic that heaven could be under hell, but the director could be relating the placement of the magical kingdom to that of a grave. The underground idea can also relate to the guerilla warfare where the underground army is fighting against the repression of fascism.
The title of the movie portrays the messenger’s struggle to help the underground army succeed, and she is also helping her family. The woman’s life is similar to Ofelia’s struggle to return to her family by undergoing tasks to prove her worthiness. Both females want to return to their home before the death and terror of fascism. To further the dreamlike scenarios in the film, a lullaby becomes a key factor in the film because it helps one fall asleep to escape the current troubles of the real world. The calming song shows how the world needs imagination and beauty to live. The blue tint of the film also represents night as the characters’ struggle through darkness actually helps them.
When it comes to Ofelia choosing between right and wrong, she uses her moral stance willing to give up a return to her peaceful happy kingdom. Ofelia represents what the Spanish people fighting underground want Spain to be, and the general represents the cold and selfish fascists running the country using pain and death. Even though Ofelia sacrificed herself, she returned to a place that is like what Spain used to be.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Factory Girl (Feb. 24th)-extra
The Autobiographical film depicts the life of one of America’s famous “it” girls who lived a life full of drugs and alcohol which lead to her death. The film uses very similar filming techniques to those used by Andy Warhol with Edie Sedgwick to combine the audience’s view of her from the media to the story of the rest of her life outside of the media’s eyes. She represents every socialite born into money but plagued by her past and desire for attention and friendship.
The film presents how the American media glorifies and praises “It” girls and then adds to their downfalls and quickly forgets them. People become like toys where the media has fun with it until it is bored and wants someone new to use. Edie is one of the first socialites whose fame was followed by a publicized fall.
The film presents how the American media glorifies and praises “It” girls and then adds to their downfalls and quickly forgets them. People become like toys where the media has fun with it until it is bored and wants someone new to use. Edie is one of the first socialites whose fame was followed by a publicized fall.
Monday, February 12, 2007
8 1/2 (Feb 12th Mon)
This surrealistic film made me quite confused from the beginning. This confusion presents the making of a movie as a hectic and stressful process. Director Fellini mixes the reality with unrealistic events to portray the extent to which the main character Guido is mentally overwhelmed. It is hard to find the exact line between the real and unreal. Nothing is as clear as black and white, yet the film itself is black and white giving the film irony.
8 1/2 is a satire about filmmaking with an ending where everybody is singing and holding hands to mock the common narrative film from Hollywood where there is usually an unrealistic ending. The happy ending comes after the climax of the movie where Guido “shoots himself” to escape the real world. The idea of one shooting himself or anyone else is a play on words because the director “shoots” a film. The actors are creating a pretend world in the movie leaving the real world while shooting, so the director decides to shoot himself to leave the real world.
Another major aspect of filmmaking this movie presents is the view of women in films. We see the use of women for sexuality in film with the fantasies of Guido the Director. It is much harder for women to continue in the movies for a long time because most directors want young and beautiful women like Claudia to play roles. The older women must “go upstairs” and leave the spotlight with another woman taking her place. After dreaming about the women, he realizes that woman have caused his downfalls and decides to leave all of the women in his life.
8 1/2 is a satire about filmmaking with an ending where everybody is singing and holding hands to mock the common narrative film from Hollywood where there is usually an unrealistic ending. The happy ending comes after the climax of the movie where Guido “shoots himself” to escape the real world. The idea of one shooting himself or anyone else is a play on words because the director “shoots” a film. The actors are creating a pretend world in the movie leaving the real world while shooting, so the director decides to shoot himself to leave the real world.
Another major aspect of filmmaking this movie presents is the view of women in films. We see the use of women for sexuality in film with the fantasies of Guido the Director. It is much harder for women to continue in the movies for a long time because most directors want young and beautiful women like Claudia to play roles. The older women must “go upstairs” and leave the spotlight with another woman taking her place. After dreaming about the women, he realizes that woman have caused his downfalls and decides to leave all of the women in his life.
Children of Heaven (Feb 8th Thurs)
I went to see this Iranian film expecting to see some extremist Muslim approach to life because of the title. I was quite surprised to see a film about childhood innocence and love in a place with little technology and many family values.
The choice of characters for the roles of the children is key to be successful in portraying true compassion and deep felt emotions in the film. I discovered that the children were not professional actors, so the star system has no use in this film. This is similar to Italian neo-realism where the plot is also very realistic to the times and culture of the country.
In the opening scene, we see a pair of hands fixing a small pair of a girl's shoes. The director immediately emphasizes the props to the audience. The shoes are the key motivation for both characters throughout the movie teaching responsibility and loyalty.
In the American society, kids are worried about getting the right video game or Barbie doll and want better toys than their friends. This film represents an unselflessness and love of children in poorer societies who see beauty in the smallest gift such as a pen. Even the boy in the wealthy part of the town, where Ali and his father do garden work, enjoys the company of Ali. Ali and his father are shut out by the upper class until a young boy has his grandfather invite them in. The adults of high society live in a bubble where the lower class is locked out from any help. The children break the barrier between the two and remind us how to help others remembering that we are all human beings.
Another instance of innoence is when the sibling are playing with the bubbles by the water outside of their home. They do not care about responsibilities or how harsh their lives are because they are enjoying that moment. The director is trying to tell audience to live in the moment because life can end anytime, represented by the mother's illness. Also, Alli uses his tears to persuade people to understand his side of the story and escape punishment.
One of the sound techniques I noticed was the emphasis sounds and echoes made by the children such as running on teh street or the writing of a pen. In reality, those noises are not as loud as they were made in the film, but they added to the props' importance.
The choice of characters for the roles of the children is key to be successful in portraying true compassion and deep felt emotions in the film. I discovered that the children were not professional actors, so the star system has no use in this film. This is similar to Italian neo-realism where the plot is also very realistic to the times and culture of the country.
In the opening scene, we see a pair of hands fixing a small pair of a girl's shoes. The director immediately emphasizes the props to the audience. The shoes are the key motivation for both characters throughout the movie teaching responsibility and loyalty.
In the American society, kids are worried about getting the right video game or Barbie doll and want better toys than their friends. This film represents an unselflessness and love of children in poorer societies who see beauty in the smallest gift such as a pen. Even the boy in the wealthy part of the town, where Ali and his father do garden work, enjoys the company of Ali. Ali and his father are shut out by the upper class until a young boy has his grandfather invite them in. The adults of high society live in a bubble where the lower class is locked out from any help. The children break the barrier between the two and remind us how to help others remembering that we are all human beings.
Another instance of innoence is when the sibling are playing with the bubbles by the water outside of their home. They do not care about responsibilities or how harsh their lives are because they are enjoying that moment. The director is trying to tell audience to live in the moment because life can end anytime, represented by the mother's illness. Also, Alli uses his tears to persuade people to understand his side of the story and escape punishment.
One of the sound techniques I noticed was the emphasis sounds and echoes made by the children such as running on teh street or the writing of a pen. In reality, those noises are not as loud as they were made in the film, but they added to the props' importance.
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Some Like It Hot (Fri Feb 2)
I went to see Some Like It Hot directed by Billy Wilder. One of the main parts of the film that stick out to me is the costuming. Marilyn Monroe’s dresses are quite revealing for 1959, but it shows how Hollywood uses sex to sell the movie. Marilyn Monroe sets a new standard for women in Hollywood by making curves popular in the movies and the United States. The film shows the change in the movie industry to more sexual content. We see more kissing than in previous movies like the scene between Joe and Sugar on the yacht.
It also makes fun of the female standard by using the joke of two straight men dressing up as women as an escape. Women are represented as pretty items to accompany men. Even the all-girls band the main characters join is average and not up to par with an all-male band. Sugar points this out when she is talking to Jerry and Joe on the train.
The comedy of the film is what made it successful. The movie is filled with one-liners from beginning to end including the final line “Nobody’s perfect” from Osgood which pokes fun at man’s imperfections. Jerry tried so hard to keep up with his feminine character until he decides to give up, and he discovers he made things harder on himself than needed. Also, the audience is built up to believe that Jerry will lose Osgood when he confesses he is a man, so the unusual response surprises the viewers and makes it funny.
It also makes fun of the female standard by using the joke of two straight men dressing up as women as an escape. Women are represented as pretty items to accompany men. Even the all-girls band the main characters join is average and not up to par with an all-male band. Sugar points this out when she is talking to Jerry and Joe on the train.
The comedy of the film is what made it successful. The movie is filled with one-liners from beginning to end including the final line “Nobody’s perfect” from Osgood which pokes fun at man’s imperfections. Jerry tried so hard to keep up with his feminine character until he decides to give up, and he discovers he made things harder on himself than needed. Also, the audience is built up to believe that Jerry will lose Osgood when he confesses he is a man, so the unusual response surprises the viewers and makes it funny.
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