"beDevil" a film of ghost stories

beDevil, directed by Tracey Moffatt in Australia, is a collection of three cultural based folk/ghost stories. Though I did not enjoy the film at all, it was a very artistic attempt at creating a cultural horror film. The stories mix together the tales Moffatt was told as a child, those from her Irish-Australian background in merger with her Aboriginal background.

The use of color is extremely important to the film. Each story has a clear focus on a thematic color and each frame is fully saturated with some vibrant colors. The first story is about a child who is, seemingly, possessed by the ghost/spirit of a deceased GI who lays at the bottom of a swamp. The main colors of this section are very earthy and brown. This symbolizes the impact of war and the bleak color left after complete destruction. This is highly contrasted with scenes of narrators living in the present who are recalling this story. They have quite lively green and blue colors, this only seems to differentiate between the world of today and the world where the story is taking place. The second story is of the weird happening of a home which is situated next to a railway, the spooky thing is that years ago a bling girl was killed on the tracks by an oncoming train. Here the colors are extremely purple, this seems to enhance their solitude, which can increase the eeriness. The vibrant purple symbolizes the darkness in which the family lives and their separation from civilization. There was also heavy usage of orange. This, to me, seemed to symbolize the hotness of their location along with the hotness of a train engine as it is in motion traveling at rapid speeds. The third story was of a couple, who had many problems, and their haunting of a tenants building. In this section, red clearly dominates the screen. This is a simple symbol for both the passion and rage the two lovers felt for each other. 

In beDevil, color is a huge symbol for either characters emotions or the circumstances of a location. This is one of the big reasons why I would consider this to be a art film. Its use of color is important and extremely prominent to the films deeper themes.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas an Adaptation

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is one of many book adaptations that has been extremely successful. The narrative plays out in a similarly confusing and psychedelic fashion, as the book was written in. Replicating the mood felt in the book is one of the most important things about adapting a book into a film, and Fear and Loathing is a, nearly, word for word duplication. The mise-en-scene is one of the most astounding aspects of the film. The costumes and locals resemble those which are read in the book perfectly. This is helpful in formulating its filmic integrity, through which the amazing story of "the American Dream", which Hunter S. Thompson is so infatuated with, can unfold correctly. The things that happen prior to the camera's are turned on, mise-en-scene, goes far deeper than just authentic costuming and sets. Johnny Depp, who portrays Thompson, was extremely good friends with the writer in real life, in fact he lived with him in his home in Kentucky for several months. It was during this time that he, in everyday life, began to dress like him, talk like him, and pick up his mannerisms. Once the camera is turned on it seems as if the exact characteristics of Hunter S. Thompson, written in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas have jumped out into the body of Johnny Depp. Many other aspects of the film work extremely well with this great portrayal in order to replicate the mood one receives from the book. Many of the camera angles and movements create a very jarring and confusing experience, much like how many have described life with Hunter S. Thompson to be like. The colors are vivid and pop out at the audience which recreate the psychedelic experience of life with Hunter S. Thompson. There is insane animation and image distortion which simulate the effects of LSD or ether, thus fully submerging the audience in the same "search for the American Dream" described so thoroughly by Thompson. Even the use of voice-over narration allows the audience to feel closely connected with the actual book.
To me the film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is one finely linked with authenticity and spectacle. The movie is just as fun as the book and equally entertaining if the viewer had no experience with the book. Authenticity and spectacle are important to focus on when filming an adaptation. It allows for all types of audience members, even the die hard novel fans, to enjoy the narrative and feel completely submerged in the plot. Needless to say this is one of my favorite movies.

Chungking Express

I always find it fun comparing foreign films to the blockbuster "hits" we have in America. Chungking Express, directed by Wong Kar-wai uses cinematic elements in a very fast paced and interesting way for the first narrative, suddenly, rapid cuts and manipulation of visual motion take become less prevalent in the second narrative. This is clearly done purposefully; each type of editing forms the moods for the specific narrative.

The first narrative involves chase scenes, gun fights, and drugs, thus the editing mirrors the intensity of the action. Rapid cuts during the chase scenes allow only brief glance at who the people are and their location. This recreates the feelings of the protagonist as he is, mentally and physically, going through the same disruption. The image is blurred and, it seems, in some hybrid state of slow motion and fast motion. This furthers confusion in the narrative and the mind of the audience. I feel this relates back to the themes of the first character Qiwu. He seems both in a state of hating his lost love and desiring nothing more than to have her back; it is reflected in the way the editing elements and cinematographic elements work in unison. Both techniques put together create a confusing sequence. Qiwu does not know what to do with himself without his lover May, and this is exaggerated by the harshness of his job. The audience easily relates to Qiwu because they see him in both difficult/challenging mental and physical states. Much of the reason for the audience's adept understanding of Qiwu comes from the visual, instead of the audio.

The second narrative slows down quite a bit, this could be because it is now a story about a man who falls into love instead of out of it. There is not really any mixed fast and slow motion, and there are no cuts that are extremely rapid. The story has become much more relaxed because of this change in techniques. This eases the audience's minds and cools down the rapid pace of information. I feel this allows the audience to analyze the emotions and subtle looks that characters give.

This style of separating sections of the story by clearly different cinematic techniques is very effective and helps the audience understand that there are now two different narratives working together in the same single film.

Alfred Hitchcock, Grand Auteur

Alfred Hitchcok is one of my favorite directors. He had an amazing eye for cinema. One thing that I find consistent with his films is the emphasis on fantastic cinematography. Hitchcock always seems to use cinematography in a specific technique, one which unfolds the narrative with suspense and intrigue. He is able to implement various camera placements, camera angles, camera focal lengths, and tracking shots with artful grace. The reason he puts such a large amount of importance on the camera is because he understands that it is the tool through which the plot unfolds. In so many of his films suspense plays a big role in setting the mood, yet that is often created in silence or soft music. Hitchcock enjoys using the camera to show different angles on a scene, symbolic props, character reactions, and character blocking. These techniques allow him to unfold important plot movements and actions with nonverbal representation. This is how Hitchcock is able to suck in an audience's attention; he can focus our minds on image and its symbolic representation, without simply describing danger or threat with words.
In the film Rear Window, the male protagonist is stuck inside his home directly across from all the action. There is only dialogue while L.B. Jeffries is with his girlfriend or physical therapist, much of the spying he does is alone. While alone there is very little dialogue, this is what builds up suspense, threat, and danger.
Psycho is another film that utilizes cinematography to reveal danger and the possibility of murder. This is why, as a director, Alfred Hitchcock is a brilliant director and his movies all have a similar feeling. One can tell when they are watching a Hitchcock film by the mood, the use of camera, and the cameos. That is a true auteur.

Stranger Than Fiction

Stranger than Fiction is a film that utilizes very interesting techniques in order to tell its narrative. The narrative is told with a narrator, who also happens to be a character in the film. This creates a very unique irony to the action that unfolds. 

More importantly there is a lot of depth in mise-en-scene and the way the sequences are shot. Most of the film is shot on location in Chicago. This really helps to make a fiction narrative seem very realistic, the modern quality of the setting allows the audience to believe the unbelievable is happening in our real world.  There are many unique shots of single characters and their realizations. Harold Crick, the main character, throughout the film shifts his attitudes about life, and this is evident through the camera shots. At the beginning Harold is always perfectly in frame and in very straightforward shots. As the film progresses and he is deeply affected by love the shots become more intimate, there are many close-ups focusing on Harold's true emotions. Another main character, Karen Eiffel, fills the frame frequently with close-ups of her realizations and emotions. I feel this is a very conscious and deliberate choice. Harold Crick becomes more real as the story unfolds and this is evident through his change in costume. Towards the end he begins to wear sweaters, not ties, and begins to love music, not numbers. Karen Eiffel also has a character shift noted by her change in appearance and costume. In one of the last scenes of the film when she decides to allow her character life, instead of tragic death, she is seen wearing full color for the first time and her face looks less androgynous and more feminine. 

Many of the subtle shifts in the mise-en-scene link closely to character shifts. This tool is apparent in many films, yet I feel Stranger than Fiction uses the tool in a very appealing fashion. 

His Girl Friday

In the Howard Hawks film His Girl Friday great techniques for framing the shot in a way that a large group of people can talk is very evident. Hawks is able to allow the camera to keep up with the fast pace of the dialogue and action. I would, however, like to discuss the themes presented in the film. Hawks is known for his subjection of women and that is a strong force in this film. The main character, Hildy, is always being pushed by the men of the film. Her decisions are made to seem like her own, but in reality Walter is always going behind her back, staying one step ahead and planning where she will go next. Though she is an empowered woman she seems to not be able to live without the men in her life. Why does Hawks need to downgrade the power of women?

Do the Right Thing!

The one thing I would have liked to discuss about Do The Right Thing is the link the characters "The Mayor" and "Buggin' Out" have to both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. It is clear that the Mayor continually advocates for the peaceful process to end confrontations. In opposition, Buggin' Out continues to promote the violent destruction of love for Sal's pizzeria. This is where Spike Lee's genius is most evident. His ability to show the two different views of these prominent figures in history through the comical confrontation amongst Sal and the bed sty dwellers is an interesting way to promote the two sides of the same coin.