rave reviews.
you may comment on whichever, i would appreciate it.
BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN (Sergei Eisenstein,Russia)
Of all the sequences in Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin, the massacre in the Odessa steps is considered as the best highlight of the artistic Soviet montage. It is primarily because certain innovative techniques were used in the animalistic murder for the proliferation of emotion and to introduce new ideas as well.
One of the editing techniques which was used in the Odessa steps sequence was the increasing speed of changing frames when the baby in the carriage was about to fall. The first frames in this part showed the mother in anguish about her baby in the carriage. The technique was like alternating shots of the mother and the carriage from different angles with the time within each frame decreases. The aesthetic result of this technique was the proliferation of the viewer's emotion on being sympathetic with the people being murdered. Also, with this kind of technique, the fearful convergence of the Czarist soldiers was emotionally augmented.
Another technique to commend in this film is the use of alternation in some close-ups of people in distress. Example of this was the shot of the mother screaming in horror at the sight of her fallen child. She cradles his body in her arms, and approaches the soldiers. This was a great showcase of bravery: one woman defying an army. The brief alternation of these close-ups may be considered as another factor in adding emotional augmentation. These corresponding close-ups of faces unforgettably reflect the sheer insanity of the moment.
The part where the Czarist soldiers (murderers) are converging from atop down the stairs is also a commendable editing technique. While the soldiers are shown marching uniformly, people running away from them are very disorganized. The manner these frames were shown evoked a horror that is just as distorted and tortured as what really happened in the sequence.
LA TERRA TREMA (Luchino Visconti, Italy)
In Luchino Visconti's La Terra Trema, long takes are frequently used rather than montage. It is almost entirely composed of one-shot sequences, thus clearly showing the concern to cover the entire action in interminable deep-focus panning shots. Instead of cutting the sequence into fragments of shots by montage, Visconti made use of camera panning in shifting of focus between characters. This was exemplified in scenes of conversation and when another character enters or exits the dimensions of the shot.
The long takes used in this film also added to the extraction of emotions from the actors, realizing that almost all of the actors are neophytes (some of them are real-life Sicilian fishermen, guards, and villagers). Long takes are very helpful to actors since in montage, the acting should be filmed as many times as the technique requires. Also, parts of an actors performance are sometimes cut in order to make way to the technique which will be used. In this manner, the momentum of the performance, as well as the realism it may suggest, is being ruled out.
The primary reason for this is that the film was supposed to be Visconti's documentary on the life and industry of poor, Sicilian villagers who are usually discriminated by wealthy businessmen. And as the documentary-style is maintained, the existence of long shots will obviously come into place. No montage is needed because the objective is just to film what really takes place. Nothing more, nothing less.
AMELIE (Jean-Pierre Jeunet,France)
Of all the films we've watched in class, my favorite is the film Amelie (The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain). I first heard about this film on my freshman year in high school and I neglected it just like what I've done to European and Asian films (I was so into Hollywood before). Still, I was curious when I saw the movie poster, showing Amelie with a giggly yet mysterious smile. Often I tried to search for a copy of the film but I ended up buying poorly-written, Hollywood teenyboppers. So it was really a good experience when we got to watch this on class.
I chose Amelie mainly because its theme is unique for me. I am really fond of films with very colorful characters, those who are not usually found in every society. Amelie might be very typical externally speaking. She's just an ordinary boarder working as a waitress in a ghastly restaurant. We might have seen that kind plenty of times already. But personality-wise, Amelie is unique, being curious on everything she's unaware of and trying to deal with the people around her while being herself all the time. She's childish, she throws stones at ponds to ease with her problems, but quite inspiring. She encountered certain traumatic experiences in her childhood, but still she preserved her colorful personality.
As much as I've enjoyed the color of Amelie's personality, I was absolutely entertained with the color used in the cinematography. In the whole film, the yellowish tone of the color was maintained. It was advantageous for me since I am relaxed with this kind of tone, unlike those in films that are too dimly-lit or too bright. I don't know exactly why, but I think it psychologically relaxes my mind (and my poor vision).
In general, I liked the film because it doesn't preach, it tends not to change our perspectives in an instant. It just clearly shows us how slowly we could improve our own lives and at the same time, try to improve others in our own little ways. There are some flaws in the film's realism, especially in the animation-side, but I still enjoyed the whole of it. It was just like daydreaming, and then waking up having a dose of heartfelt optimism.
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (Zhang Yimou,China)
On the other hand, I liked the film House of Flying Daggers the least among all of the films we watched in class primarily because for me, it was just a typical Kung-Fu movie. After watching it, I appreciated the well-crafted twists in the story, involving the revelation of Mei's (Zhang Ziyi) and Leo's (Andy Lau) characters. But still, I disliked the fact that Zhang Yimou still chose to include overly-manifested and exaggerated fight scenes. With his reputation as a critically-acclaimed director, I was disappointed when I felt that most of the time, the fight scenes were more highlighted than the theme itself.
The acting was average, most of the time inconsistent especially with regards to Takeshi Kaneshiro's, His was, at times, very confusing and his facial expressions are not as emotional as Ziyi's and Lau's.
The ending was really hilarious; the guys fought for like, more than a day, they stabbed each other plenty of times on different body parts but it was still long before one was killed. Whatever happened to the idea that the audience nowadays seek for the theme beneath a film and not just its entertainment value?
Fantasy is not quite an issue for me, its just that I'm so fed up with these kind of films since I was a kid. My parents bored me to death as they watch Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee marathon flicks on a daily basis. I think its just time for Asian cinema to come up with themes that can exude their culture more than just martial arts. Besides, there are lots of stuff in Asian culture that can be considered as themes. This might give the audience a wider array of opportunities for a great movie experience.