Chinatown is a unique film in many ways and is considered a classic. It is generally deemed to be a film noir but i have to admit I had a little trouble seeing it. Many of the plot elements fit the film noir genre but visually it was a little harder for me to see. I enjoyed watching the film but the ending changed my opinion a bit.
First of all, the plot and dialogue was very intelligent and I really like that about it. I'm not surprised that script won an academy award; it certainly deserved it.
The casting was also very good. Nicholson and Dunaway had a unusual but strong chemistry and the supported cast helped build a believable world around them.
Again, as far as considering it a film noir, much of the film didnt feel like one. It had the fairly typical detective plot but so much of the film was shot in bright, outdoor scenes.
My major problem with the film was the ending. In a largely objective way, it was okay. I did fit certain themes of the film and brought an odd sort of closure to the plot. But personally, it was too disappointing for me. I just have trouble enjoying a story that ends too negatively.
In the end, i think Chinatown was a very intelligent movie that kept my attention but i cant say that i want to watch it many more times.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Blade Runner
Before seeing this movie i had a lot of different assumptions about it. I knew that it was somewhat of a classic now and i knew i really liked Ridley Scott so i expected to really like it. I also thought it was going to be somewhat of an epic sci-fi action film. It turned out to be a lot different than i expected. The film was on a smaller scale than i expected. The setting of the film was less important than the story unfolding in it. Admittedly i didn't like it as much as i was expecting but it was still really good. Even though the style or genre of the film was different than i was expecting i liked it for that very reason. The way i look at it there are the films that have extraordinary settings and the plot sort of shows it off. Star Wars is a good example of this. The plot involved many aspects of the setting like light speed travel and large space wars. Blade Runner on the other hand was simply a detective story that just happened to take place in the future. Most of the events in the story could very easily happen now. Again, i didnt like it as much as i thought i would but i liked it a lot, just in a different way i was expecting. I definitely want to watch this film again to see i how like it, knowing what to expect.
Double Indemnity
Double Indemnity is my first experience in traditional film noir and i quite enjoyed it. The film stood out to me in a number of ways, mostly the unique story and the look of the film. Double Indemnity's story was unique largely because the protagonist in many ways didn't seem to be a good person. It was one of those movies where its hard to completely identify with any of the characters yet it still remains interesting. I really liked the typical noir look that the movie had. I think the film is a fairly typical example of film noir and im looking forward to seeing more movies like it.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
The Elements Of A Great Film
Is there one thing that all movies must have in order to be considered great or even just good? My short answer to this question is kind of. First off, I think there must be some elements of realism and believably in the characters that inhabit the films. i say SOME elements because i think there can be a wide range of realism to characters. On the one hand are characters in traditional Hollywood films such as Casablanca and Do the right thing that exhibit normal human characteristics. Many may remind you of actually people that you may know. On the other hand you have eccentric, abnormal characters, often in unrealistic settings such as the photojournalist in Apocalypse Now and many of the characters in your typical sci-fi action film. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, every character has something about them that makes them human, even if they're not. I think the important part is that every movie should have a character that you can identify with. In fact i think thats probably the most important part of any story. I think this is the main reason why I had trouble enjoying Scorsese' Raging Bull and yet may also be why other people liked it so much. Personally, i had so much trouble identifying with any of the characters in the film while others may find certain redeeming qualities in them.
That being said, i think there are two extremely important things that can make a film great. A good film doesn't have to have both but i think it needs to have on or the other. The first one draws from what I said above in that a great film often has actors that portray their characters as realistically as possible, interacting with each other in a strong linear plot. This sort of film must have a interesting dynamic plot. Classic examples of this include The Godfather, Casablanca, Gone Baby Gone, The Departed and many others both old an new.
In an effort to not leave out many good films, a film may also achieve greatness without having an especially linear evident plot. A film like this must then rely more on the actual images shown on the screen and the way the music creates certain moods than on what the characters are trying to achieve. An extreme example of this is Daughters of the Dust. There isn't to much more to the plot of the film than simply waiting with the family until they move to the mainland. Instead, the beautiful images of the island and the men and women that live on it make it literally like a moving piece of art. I have often said that music is also more important to a film than many people realize. If done well it creates strong moods and feelings to supplement the emotions of the characters and even of the images themselves. Admittedly, I am some what partial to films that follow this "path to greatness" than the former. While movies with good plots and interesting characters are often great I'm more inclined to consider a film the best when it plays out like a complex piece of art than simply a good story. Naturally, the best sort of film will emulate both of theses characteristics.
Irregardless it is extremely important that the Characters and the actors that portray them join together in a special way. In other words, the actors must make you believe that they are their characters and that they make sense to at least a minimal extent.
I think some of the best examples of all this are There Will Be Blood and Apocalypse Now. There Will Be Blood has many great shots of the California landscape while Apocalypse now has wonderfully chilling shots of the dark of the jungle supplemented by good editing effects. In addition, the acting is very good in both films, especially Daniel Day-lewis as Daniel Plainview. These films, among many others, are what i consider to be cinema at its finest. I think my passion for movies comes from the fact that I see film as such a complete form of art, combining beautiful images, dramatic music, and intriguing story's. Any film that combines these elements eloquently and entertainingly is what I call a great film.
That being said, i think there are two extremely important things that can make a film great. A good film doesn't have to have both but i think it needs to have on or the other. The first one draws from what I said above in that a great film often has actors that portray their characters as realistically as possible, interacting with each other in a strong linear plot. This sort of film must have a interesting dynamic plot. Classic examples of this include The Godfather, Casablanca, Gone Baby Gone, The Departed and many others both old an new.
In an effort to not leave out many good films, a film may also achieve greatness without having an especially linear evident plot. A film like this must then rely more on the actual images shown on the screen and the way the music creates certain moods than on what the characters are trying to achieve. An extreme example of this is Daughters of the Dust. There isn't to much more to the plot of the film than simply waiting with the family until they move to the mainland. Instead, the beautiful images of the island and the men and women that live on it make it literally like a moving piece of art. I have often said that music is also more important to a film than many people realize. If done well it creates strong moods and feelings to supplement the emotions of the characters and even of the images themselves. Admittedly, I am some what partial to films that follow this "path to greatness" than the former. While movies with good plots and interesting characters are often great I'm more inclined to consider a film the best when it plays out like a complex piece of art than simply a good story. Naturally, the best sort of film will emulate both of theses characteristics.
Irregardless it is extremely important that the Characters and the actors that portray them join together in a special way. In other words, the actors must make you believe that they are their characters and that they make sense to at least a minimal extent.
I think some of the best examples of all this are There Will Be Blood and Apocalypse Now. There Will Be Blood has many great shots of the California landscape while Apocalypse now has wonderfully chilling shots of the dark of the jungle supplemented by good editing effects. In addition, the acting is very good in both films, especially Daniel Day-lewis as Daniel Plainview. These films, among many others, are what i consider to be cinema at its finest. I think my passion for movies comes from the fact that I see film as such a complete form of art, combining beautiful images, dramatic music, and intriguing story's. Any film that combines these elements eloquently and entertainingly is what I call a great film.
Casablanca
Casablanca is generally considered to be on of the greatest films of all time. After watching it i can certainly some evidence for it but i'm not sure if i would necessarily hold it in that high regard.
I think a large part of my opinions of this movie come from the fact that it is an older movie and many movies have been influenced directly from it. Watching in today, much of the story, particularly the romance, seemed comical simply because i had seen it used so often. Admittedly, before i saw it i was expecting to not like it at all but luckily i did enjoy most of it. First and foremost i really appreciated the writing. The dialogue, especially between Rick and captain Renault, was both entertaining and intelligent. I found myself enjoying the political intrigue in the film much more than the romance.
I was certainly impressed with this movie. Mostly because of the writing and setting. though I wouldn't call this the greatest film ive ever seen it does deserve most of the credit it receives.
I think a large part of my opinions of this movie come from the fact that it is an older movie and many movies have been influenced directly from it. Watching in today, much of the story, particularly the romance, seemed comical simply because i had seen it used so often. Admittedly, before i saw it i was expecting to not like it at all but luckily i did enjoy most of it. First and foremost i really appreciated the writing. The dialogue, especially between Rick and captain Renault, was both entertaining and intelligent. I found myself enjoying the political intrigue in the film much more than the romance.
I was certainly impressed with this movie. Mostly because of the writing and setting. though I wouldn't call this the greatest film ive ever seen it does deserve most of the credit it receives.
Ran
i enjoyed watching ran. it was quite different than most American films in a lot of ways. it had an unique combination of humor and drama. I particularly liked the large battle scenes. i think a lot of the epic battle scenes in movies that i like now were heavily influenced by this film. this film has an interesting mix of both American and foreign film styles. The influence of Japanese Noh theater is clearly strong. While some American audiences might be put off by some aspects of the film, i still think it reaches a wide, diverse audience nonetheless.
daughters of the Dust
Calling daughters of the dust an unusual film is somewhat of an understatement. the film doesn't follow most Hollywood film conventions. That being said i think daughters of the dust is a good film, worth watching for, if nothing else, its originality. it shows the life of a family living on the Gullah islands, days before they plan on moving to mainland America.
The film is quite simple with most of the time spent showing the character's relationships and interactions with each other. The actors in the film do a great job at playing there characters honestly and realistically. Daughters of the Dust intentionally doesn't follow a strong linear plot. Julie dash wanted to create a new kind of film and she seems to have succeeded. The power of this movie is in its images, music and relationships of its character.
The film is quite simple with most of the time spent showing the character's relationships and interactions with each other. The actors in the film do a great job at playing there characters honestly and realistically. Daughters of the Dust intentionally doesn't follow a strong linear plot. Julie dash wanted to create a new kind of film and she seems to have succeeded. The power of this movie is in its images, music and relationships of its character.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)