Title: 8 1/2
Director: Frederico Fellini
Year:1963
Country of Production:Italy, France
Budget: unavailable
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
People Involved: Federico Fellini, (director) Angelo Rizzoli, (screenplay) Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Brunello Rondi, actors: Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimée, (music) Nina Rota, (cinematography) Gianni Di Venanzo, (editing) Leo Cattozzo.
Narrative Context: Guido is sitting with the honorable Cardinal as he sees a woman slopily trudging down a hill. This takes him back to a childhood memory when skipped school with his friends to go watch Saraghina (a whore) dance for them on the beach. This leaves a mark on him, for his mother is disappointed, and he is exposed to a provocative experience.
ORIENTATION:
Context: The film was made in 1962-1963. The film is not as much of a Commercial Success as it is a Critical Success (winning an oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Costume Design).
Genre: Frederico Fellini is known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and "baroque" images-- making "8 1/2" a typical film for Fellini. Though some of Fellini's films were apart of the Italian Neo-Realism movement--his filmmaking style changed after reading Carl Jung's book Memories, Dreams, Reflections, where Fellini showed interest in the process “which our minds live: the past, the present, and the conditional - the realm of fantasy” (Fellini to American press officer). Whereas Neo-Realism focused on realistic social issues, Fellini was attracted to the mind-- giving a fantasy-dominant reality to the screen.
Audience: The intended audience for 8 1/2 is probably toward a more mature audience.
Your choice: I have chosen this sequence because the context leading up to his flashback is so relevant to his memory. He is meeting with the cardinal as he remembers the Saraghina (the whore) on the beach-- then the religious headmasters punishing him at school. Guido is sitting with the honorable Cardinal as he sees a woman slopily trudging down a hill. This takes him back to a childhood memory when he was a schoolboy. He is taunted by his friends to skip school and leave for a remote area on the beach to see Saraghina, the shore's whore. Once they reach the shore, they give Saraghina some change to do the "rumba" dance for them. Saraghina is large, dirty (hygiene), and different-looking compared to the other delicate women portrayed in the film. Saraghina performs her number in a seductive way, the boys watch tantalized. She dances with Guido as well. The religious headmasters of Guido's school find him and take him from the beach, back to the school where his mother awaits disappointed. The other headmasters condemn him for committing sin and punish him by making him wear a dunce hat at school. This scene is crucial to the film because it shows Guido's thought process as he deals with his writer's block for his next movie, he is constantly looking for inspirational women who have impacted his life-- and Saraghina showed him a provocative outlook as a young boy.
CAMERA
Angle- Most of this scene is shot in eye-level.. The only times when the camera tilts upward or downward is when Saraghina comes out of her shack (the camera tilts downward to show her low-class) and also, when Saraghina begins to dance (the camera tilts upward) to show her dominating presence in front of the boys.
Shot- C/U when Saraghina begins to dance, Guido's mother's facial expression, and religious headmaster's expression (to show the differentiating reactions--shameless, shameful, and angry). M/S as Guido (in the present) is sitting with the Cardinal, when little Guido walks through his class with the dunce hat on (makes audience feel as though they are there). Longshot as little Guido and friends run to find Saraghina, some parts when Saraghina dances, when religious headmasters chase him on the beach, when religious headmasters bring him back to the school (shown as a memory sequence, mostly from afar except details in C/U-- Guido's memory).
Movement- This scene is pretty much following little Guido's memory, so most of it is tracking and and following (when guido and friends run to beach, when Saraghina comes out of the shack, when religious headmasters chase Guido, when religious headmaster takes guido to the room with other headmasters and his mother, Guido walking through classroom with dunce hat), there are only several parts in which the camera zooms in (Facial expressions listed above).
Framing and Comp- Guido is portrayed as this little, clean-cut boy at Catholic school. The camera follows him and frames him as this isolated character (based on clothing and interaction with friends) The camera shows him as small and non-dominant.
SOUND
Diagetic: The entire scene is diagetic since it is a realistic memory. The sound of the school bell, Guido's friends calling him, Guido's classmates laughing at him, headmasters punishing guido)
Non-Diagetic: This may be confusing for the viewer, but Saraghina's Rumba music is non-diagetic-- since the music rolls on longer than her dance-- it gives the dance a bit of character but the actual people in the scene do not hear it.
EDITING
Style- The scene has a sense of Continuity because it is Guido's memory as he remembers the sequence of events-- the shots have flow-- they're not choppy, providing a very raw memory for the audience to follow.
Pace- the pacing of this scene is rather quick- the way Guido walks to Saraghina, and the way he is being walked down to the headmasters at school is very rapid (quicker than normal pace) to show the memory being a short-lived one. Saraghina's dance is at normal pace.
Narrative- The scene starts with Guido (present) thinking back on his encounter with Saraghina, the scene flies by rapidly-- with little cuts-- but in linear order.
Special Effects: none.
LIGHTING
ambient/natural lighting- Guido (present) is in normal/natural lighting. Even throughout the memory, Guido is not a dominant figure of the memory, therefore there is no central focus/lighting on him-- However, Saraghina is the dominant figure of the scene, so during her close-up shots, her face is lit so the audience can see what she looks like-- but the scene itself is in very natural lighting.
other lighting catergories do not apply since the scene is mostly natural lighting from the "sun"-- except for the school rooms, which are incidental lighting sources.
Mise-en-Scene
Guido in the present is shown as a very clean-cut man in a suit with glasses on. As a young boy, he is mostly the same-- clean school clothes, haircut etc. This shows that he has been the same for all of his life, and throughout the movie-- as he thinks of influential women, his outer appearance does not change, but his thoughts are being affected. The cardinal/ religious headmasters are all in uniform (Catholic orthodox) to show the strict environment in which Guido is a part of, Saraghina lives in a very dirty and destroyed shack and comes out in a dissheveled appearance (ripped up black dress, messed up facial makeup, knotted and wild hair) to show her contrast against Guido's lifestyle. When Guido is being forced back into the school building, he walks by a row of portraits of other headmasters-- these all look very realistic and give the impression that Guido is in trouble even before he is brought to the main headmaster. The room in which the headmaster sits in also has other head master-figures sitting in all black uniforms--looking very much alike near the headmaster- the room is quite empty except for Guido's mother, the headmaster at his desk, and the other headmaster figures-- this is to show the simplicity and intimidating environment of the authoritative figure in Guido's life-- very simple, clean, and to-the-point vibe.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
SUMMER log The Rules of the Game
Movie: The Rules of the Game
1939, B&W, 110 mins
Director: Jean Renoir
Actors: Marcel Dalio, Nora Gregor
Summary (IMDB):Aviator André Jurieux has just completed a record-setting flight, but when he is greeted by an admiring crowd, all he can say to them is how miserable he is that the woman he loves did not come to meet him. He is in love with Christine, the wife of aristocrat Robert de la Cheyniest. Robert himself is involved in an affair with Geneviève de Marras, but he is trying to break it off. Meanwhile, André seeks help from his old friend Octave, who gets André an invitation to the country home where Robert and Christine are hosting a large hunting party. As the guests arrive for the party, their cordial greetings hide their real feelings, along with their secrets - and even some of the servants are involved in tangled relationships.
Q:How is the camera movement significant in the ending scene of this film?
A:The final scene in The Rules of the Game is important in revealing several mysteries. The camera movement moves the story forward in showing the truth behind the romantic "couples" through a series of shots and tracks that follow several of the characters. The movements differentiate from one another-- reason being the difference of relationships among characters. For example at one point the camera follows a certain character and during another shot, the camera moves without following a character (moves on its own). Since the film has a general "hide-and-seek" theme throughout the romantic games, the camera parallels the film's complex relationships.
Q:How does costuming play a role in this film?
A: According to an online article, "The movie takes the superficial form of a country house farce, at which wives and husbands, lovers and adulterers, masters and servants, sneak down hallways, pop up in each other's bedrooms and pretend that they are all proper representatives of a well-ordered society." With that being said, each character's outfit does a really great job in representing the social class/ area of society they come from. It is a multifarious group of characters, and like any film, the mise-en-scene, or more specifically, the costuming plays a great role in visually describing the character. Clothing plays a key role in The Rules of the Game because of the complex plotline.
Monday, August 22, 2011
SUMMER log The 400 Blows
Movie: The 400 Blows
1959, B&W, 99 mins
Director: François Truffaut
Actors: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy
Summary (IMDB):A young Parisian boy, Antoine Doinel, neglected by his derelict parents, skips school, sneaks into movies, runs away from home, steals things, and tries (disastrously) to return them. Like most kids, he gets into more trouble for things he thinks are right than for his actual trespasses. Unlike most kids, he gets whacked with the big stick. He inhabits a Paris of dingy flats, seedy arcades, abandoned factories, and workaday streets, a city that seems big and full of possibilities only to a child's eye.
Q:Discuss the significance of the film title.
A: The French translation of this film figuratively means "to raise hell." but "the 400 blows" are an expression of specific tricks one must complete in order to call oneself free or wild. Though the English translation is a direct translation of the French phrase, the true meaning is lost. In my opinon, the viewer should research the title before watching the film (as I did) for it will give one a good idea of the meaning behind the plot and the intent of several characters.
Q: What is the importance of camera angle in the film?
A: The 400 Blows opens up with several "high-angle" shots to create the mood of young, and naive experience. The opening shot parallels the child in the film-- as he starts out as an innocent boy. Images of a large city with buildings and skyscrapers are shown as dominant and large-- as if a young child is viewing them. Furthermore, a "high-angle" shot is used with the teacher in the school scene. The camera zooms in at a high angle-- giving the audience an impression that this teacher has a sense of power and dominant presence. The teacher does have this personality-- a very controlling and powerful role in the rest of the film.
1959, B&W, 99 mins
Director: François Truffaut
Actors: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy
Summary (IMDB):A young Parisian boy, Antoine Doinel, neglected by his derelict parents, skips school, sneaks into movies, runs away from home, steals things, and tries (disastrously) to return them. Like most kids, he gets into more trouble for things he thinks are right than for his actual trespasses. Unlike most kids, he gets whacked with the big stick. He inhabits a Paris of dingy flats, seedy arcades, abandoned factories, and workaday streets, a city that seems big and full of possibilities only to a child's eye.
Q:Discuss the significance of the film title.
A: The French translation of this film figuratively means "to raise hell." but "the 400 blows" are an expression of specific tricks one must complete in order to call oneself free or wild. Though the English translation is a direct translation of the French phrase, the true meaning is lost. In my opinon, the viewer should research the title before watching the film (as I did) for it will give one a good idea of the meaning behind the plot and the intent of several characters.
Q: What is the importance of camera angle in the film?
A: The 400 Blows opens up with several "high-angle" shots to create the mood of young, and naive experience. The opening shot parallels the child in the film-- as he starts out as an innocent boy. Images of a large city with buildings and skyscrapers are shown as dominant and large-- as if a young child is viewing them. Furthermore, a "high-angle" shot is used with the teacher in the school scene. The camera zooms in at a high angle-- giving the audience an impression that this teacher has a sense of power and dominant presence. The teacher does have this personality-- a very controlling and powerful role in the rest of the film.
SUMMER log Cinema Paradiso
Movie: Cinema Paradiso
1988, Color, 155 mins
Director: Guiseppe Tornatore
Actors: Philippe Noiret, Enzo Cannavale
Summary (IMDB): A famous film director remembers his childhood at the Cinema Paradiso where Alfredo, the projectionist, first brought about his love of films. He returns home to his Sicilian village for the first time after almost 30 years and is reminded of his first love, Elena, who disappeared from his life before he left for Rome.
Q: How does costuming play a role in this film?
A: Surely, Cinema Paradiso is a film that shows the story of Toto growing up. As a young boy, Toto has a dissheveled look-- this shows his societal belonging, lower-middle class living with his single mother and sister-- Toto does not wear clean and crisp clothing. As he grows older, he begins to make more money, but evenso- Toto does not flaunt his money on clothing, he wears very basic clothing, coats, pants, etc. However, once Toto moves away to pursue his dreams-- he is shown in a very elegant apartment 30 years later.. His clothing, his demeanor, his hygiene are all signs of money. When he goes back to his hometown, the people are in the same state as before, poverty, uncleanliness, and simple,small homes.
Q:How does the camera movement play a role in the film?
A:Specifically, during the scenes in which Toto and Alfredo are in the projection booth above the theater, the camera movement is very continuous-- not choppy. This mood creates a sense of intimacy and bonding between the two. The camera moves behind walls, through doorways, and pans out to show the small space they work in. These scenes in the film really exaggerate the closeness the two share.
1988, Color, 155 mins
Director: Guiseppe Tornatore
Actors: Philippe Noiret, Enzo Cannavale
Summary (IMDB): A famous film director remembers his childhood at the Cinema Paradiso where Alfredo, the projectionist, first brought about his love of films. He returns home to his Sicilian village for the first time after almost 30 years and is reminded of his first love, Elena, who disappeared from his life before he left for Rome.
Q: How does costuming play a role in this film?
A: Surely, Cinema Paradiso is a film that shows the story of Toto growing up. As a young boy, Toto has a dissheveled look-- this shows his societal belonging, lower-middle class living with his single mother and sister-- Toto does not wear clean and crisp clothing. As he grows older, he begins to make more money, but evenso- Toto does not flaunt his money on clothing, he wears very basic clothing, coats, pants, etc. However, once Toto moves away to pursue his dreams-- he is shown in a very elegant apartment 30 years later.. His clothing, his demeanor, his hygiene are all signs of money. When he goes back to his hometown, the people are in the same state as before, poverty, uncleanliness, and simple,small homes.
Q:How does the camera movement play a role in the film?
A:Specifically, during the scenes in which Toto and Alfredo are in the projection booth above the theater, the camera movement is very continuous-- not choppy. This mood creates a sense of intimacy and bonding between the two. The camera moves behind walls, through doorways, and pans out to show the small space they work in. These scenes in the film really exaggerate the closeness the two share.
SUMMER Film Log- 8 1/2
Movie: 8 1/2
1963, b&w, 138 mins
Director: Frederico Fellini
Actors: Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimée
Summary (IMDB): Guido is a film director, trying to relax after his last big hit. He can't get a moments peace, however, with the people who have worked with him in the past constantly looking for more work. He wrestles with his conscience, but is unable to come up with a new idea. While thinking, he starts to recall major happenings in his life, and all the women he has loved and left. An autobiographical film of Fellini, about the trials and tribulations of film making.
Q: Explain the importance of Mise-en-Scene in the film.
A: Specifically referring to a scene with Saraghina (the whore of the slums)--Guido in the present is shown as a very clean-cut man in a suit with glasses on. As a young boy, he is mostly the same-- clean school clothes, haircut etc. This shows that he has been the same for all of his life, and throughout the movie-- as he thinks of influential women, his outer appearance does not change, but his thoughts are being affected. The cardinal/ religious headmasters are all in uniform (Catholic orthodox) to show the strict environment in which Guido is a part of, Saraghina lives in a very dirty and destroyed shack and comes out in a dissheveled appearance (ripped up black dress, messed up facial makeup, knotted and wild hair) to show her contrast against Guido's lifestyle. When Guido is being forced back into the school building, he walks by a row of portraits of other headmasters-- these all look very realistic and give the impression that Guido is in trouble even before he is brought to the main headmaster. The room in which the headmaster sits in also has other head master-figures sitting in all black uniforms--looking very much alike near the headmaster- the room is quite empty except for Guido's mother, the headmaster at his desk, and the other headmaster figures-- this is to show the simplicity and intimidating environment of the authoritative figure in Guido's life-- very simple, clean, and to-the-point vibe.
Q:How do shots and angles play a role in the film?
A: referring to same scene as above;; C/U when Saraghina begins to dance, Guido's mother's facial expression, and religious headmaster's expression (to show the differentiating reactions--shameless, shameful, and angry). M/S as Guido (in the present) is sitting with the Cardinal, when little Guido walks through his class with the dunce hat on (makes audience feel as though they are there). Longshot as little Guido and friends run to find Saraghina, some parts when Saraghina dances, when religious headmasters chase him on the beach, when religious headmasters bring him back to the school (shown as a memory sequence, mostly from afar except details in C/U-- Guido's memory).
Movement- This scene is pretty much following little Guido's memory, so most of it is tracking and and following (when guido and friends run to beach, when Saraghina comes out of the shack, when religious headmasters chase Guido, when religious headmaster takes guido to the room with other headmasters and his mother, Guido walking through classroom with dunce hat), there are only several parts in which the camera zooms in (Facial expressions listed above).
1963, b&w, 138 mins
Director: Frederico Fellini
Actors: Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimée
Summary (IMDB): Guido is a film director, trying to relax after his last big hit. He can't get a moments peace, however, with the people who have worked with him in the past constantly looking for more work. He wrestles with his conscience, but is unable to come up with a new idea. While thinking, he starts to recall major happenings in his life, and all the women he has loved and left. An autobiographical film of Fellini, about the trials and tribulations of film making.
Q: Explain the importance of Mise-en-Scene in the film.
A: Specifically referring to a scene with Saraghina (the whore of the slums)--Guido in the present is shown as a very clean-cut man in a suit with glasses on. As a young boy, he is mostly the same-- clean school clothes, haircut etc. This shows that he has been the same for all of his life, and throughout the movie-- as he thinks of influential women, his outer appearance does not change, but his thoughts are being affected. The cardinal/ religious headmasters are all in uniform (Catholic orthodox) to show the strict environment in which Guido is a part of, Saraghina lives in a very dirty and destroyed shack and comes out in a dissheveled appearance (ripped up black dress, messed up facial makeup, knotted and wild hair) to show her contrast against Guido's lifestyle. When Guido is being forced back into the school building, he walks by a row of portraits of other headmasters-- these all look very realistic and give the impression that Guido is in trouble even before he is brought to the main headmaster. The room in which the headmaster sits in also has other head master-figures sitting in all black uniforms--looking very much alike near the headmaster- the room is quite empty except for Guido's mother, the headmaster at his desk, and the other headmaster figures-- this is to show the simplicity and intimidating environment of the authoritative figure in Guido's life-- very simple, clean, and to-the-point vibe.
Q:How do shots and angles play a role in the film?
A: referring to same scene as above;; C/U when Saraghina begins to dance, Guido's mother's facial expression, and religious headmaster's expression (to show the differentiating reactions--shameless, shameful, and angry). M/S as Guido (in the present) is sitting with the Cardinal, when little Guido walks through his class with the dunce hat on (makes audience feel as though they are there). Longshot as little Guido and friends run to find Saraghina, some parts when Saraghina dances, when religious headmasters chase him on the beach, when religious headmasters bring him back to the school (shown as a memory sequence, mostly from afar except details in C/U-- Guido's memory).
Movement- This scene is pretty much following little Guido's memory, so most of it is tracking and and following (when guido and friends run to beach, when Saraghina comes out of the shack, when religious headmasters chase Guido, when religious headmaster takes guido to the room with other headmasters and his mother, Guido walking through classroom with dunce hat), there are only several parts in which the camera zooms in (Facial expressions listed above).
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Film Log- 2nd Semester-Forest Gump
Movie: Forrest Gump
1994, Color, 142 mins
Director:Robert Zemekis
Actors: Tom Hanks, Sally Field,
Summary (IMDB): Forrest Gump is a simple man with little brain activity but good intentions. He struggles through childhood with his best and only friend Jenny. His 'mama' teaches him the ways of life and leaves him to choose his destiny. Forrest joins the army for service in Vietnam, finding new friends called Dan and Bubba, he wins medals, starts a ping-pong craze, creates a famous shrimp fishing fleet, inspires people to jog, create the smiley, write bumper stickers and songs, donating to people and meeting the president several times. However this is all irrelevant to Forrest who can only think of his childhood sweetheart Jenny. Who has messed up her life. Although in the end all he wants to prove is that anyone can love anyone
Q: How does costuming/makeup play a role in the film?
A: Forest Gump is film that follows a boy throughout his life-- in order to emphasize the time era of when the movie is taking place in, costuming is crucial. During Forest's childhood, preppy and crisp clothing was used to show the era of the 50s and also the social status of his mother (upper middle class). Forrest remained quite the same throughout the course of the movie while his surroundings were changing. Every decade was defined by the clothing-- mostly shown through Jenny (hippie phase, 60s, druggie phase 70s), as well as through supporting actors coming in and out of Forrest's life. Costuming was crucial in portraying Forrest as a consistent person-- never changed person while the whole world was changing.
Q:How does the soundtrack play a role in Forrest Gump?
A: Much similar to the concept of the costuming in the film, the musical soundtrack to Forrest Gump is extremely crucial in portraying the time period in which Forrest is living in. The music is used as a tool to show his surroundings-- not so much his perspective on what is going on. The Beatles, The Who,& Jimi Hendrix are just a few of the well-known artists that made it to the soundtrack. Each track is filled with depth and relevance to what Forrest is doing next (war, ping-pong, sorrow). The use of music makes a strong statement as to what the movie makes of its' main character.
Friday, June 3, 2011
FIlm Log- 2nd Semester- North by Northwest
Movie: North by Northwest
1965, Color, 131 minutes
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Actors: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint
Summary: Middle-aged Madison Avenue advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill is mistaken for a government agent by a gang of spies. He gets involved in a series of misadventures and is pursued across the States by both the spies and the government whilst being helped by a beautiful blonde.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053125/
Q:How does the camera movement play a role in the film?
A: The way Hitchcock maneuvers the camera embraces the intentions of every character-- showing that each one of them has their own agenda. Coming from a "formalistic" film making history, Hitchcock relies more on the editing of a film, rather than the actors to enhance the emotions off-screen. Hitchcock shows the importance of camera angle and focus in order to move the story forward. Hitchcock's films "usualy seemed as if it had been considered an after though, often mirroring the audience's sense of fear and anticipation only to confirm what their feelings really were."
Q:How does costuming/makeup play a role in this film?
A: One of the most memorable aspects of this film is the beautiful Eva Marie Saint. Her sense of elegance and irresistibility comes from her outer appearance. Her perfectly styled blonde hair, clean and fashionable clothing, and poise are factors that give the viewer the ability to determine her character. Cary Grant's character is another example of a "put-together" and sharp man-- mostly due to his outer appearance. His character was mostly seen in a clean suit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)