So many films, too little time

First things first, I love watching films.  It is a passion of mine, an art that carries over from generation to generation.

Moving on.....


My three favorite films from class

This film was one of my favorites due to the color palette.  I remember being a child when seeing a big billboard of a woman's stomach and holding a red flower.  I always thought it was one of those movies that exploit women's sexuality or something so I never thought much of it.  Plus, I was not allowed to watch "adult films."   Even when Titanic came out, I had to look away per my parent's request during the "draw me with only wearing this, only this" scene.  Once I did watch American Beatuy in Netflix about when I was 20 or so, I though to myself, "this was it?  What a "pervy" movie with so many sad people?" To me, it was very reminiscent of the Lolita novel.  After taking this class, I got a COMPLETELY NEW perspective on films overall and made me appreciate the films  and the dedication that is put into it.  So when I think back to my 20 year old self, I think that it did have an impact on me because I felt that each character was raw and not a character that had everything going for them not there was a happy ending as I was accustomed to watching.  Seeing this film allowed me to see that films are mirrors of daily interactions and most importantly that life has ups and downs and realizations.

So this is my realization, films are meant to inspire and provoke feelings that you never thought you wanted to feel.  The ability to capture emotions on screen is so powerful.  

I never capture the color red until now.  There was so many red that I missed and so many messages. It was as almost he never could escape it even after death he was covered with it.  It had a very powerful message to me.  And the entire "Mr.  Smiley."  The irony is just genius! 

Let us talk about film noir!

I am a sucker for this genre of film and this movie Double Indemnity.  I adore the entire black and white film.  The use of shadows make this film intense.  I remember a quote I heard once in which discusses the reasons that movies make you feel scared of terrified and it is not because of the action of the film but the action off camera that really makes a statement.  Examples can be found with Hitchcock where a murder takes place but there is not real action.  It think shadows are as important as the real thing.

Pulp Fiction was one I had already watched and loved for the different story lines that come together.  It was confusing to figure out the begging to end liner plot but the way it was edited made it enjoyable.  

This dance scene is awesome!

I was still trying to figure out how exactly the films sequence was because the editing was great.  I found this online a couple of weeks ago via designtaxi.com

I will print this out and watch it to see how it looks like linear, just for fun!

My Personal Favorites

One film that was not assigned but it was mentioned and described in the readings is the City of God by directors Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund.  In the book, there was a feature of the opening scene and the meaning of its representation to the main character.  I think this is  a GREAT film to watch as it shows many techniques that were discussed in class.

  The film constantly uses non traditional techniques that show the way  uneasiness of the city that they live in.

Low Angle Shot is used throughout the film to show dominance.  This shots of the kid below are interesting because he ends up growing up to be the most feared gang leader in City of God.  

One non traditional shot is featured below where the the couple is to the right of the screen and not centered. 

Let's not forget the color wheel!

Color Wheel can be use as in the case of the image below.

These cool colors tend to show up throughout the film and remain consistent.

This color wheel can also be seen for the entire movie, as shown below.  The picture below is of the entire movie City of God.  It is every shot of the movie sliced to show the different colors like a bar code.  You can see more of this beautiful imagery for more movies HERE.  

again cool colors are shown throughout the film.  

Another movie I like was directed by Dee Rees.  This one is Pariah and was released at the Sundance Festival.

 I remember seeing this film and being amazed by the colors even though it was a film that showed so much hardship.  The film uses complimentary colors: Pink/purples and Yellow.  There was always a shot that had a hint of yellow.  Before taking this class I remember being intrigued as to the reason why a film would want to make such an obvious statement with COLORS but this film is a good exampled of the color palette.  

THIS IS THE COLOR PALETTE FOR THIS FILM.  

Last but not least, the film brick by Ria Johnson.  

This film won the Special Jury prize for Originality of Vision at Sundance.  

The plot of the movie is centered around a group of high school kids who are mixed in a world of drugs.  The main character's , Brendan, girlfriend is murdered and he goes on a mission to investigate who murdered her all while hiding her body.  He deals with a a lot of thugs and drug dealers along the way and meets people who "help" him.

There are a lot of wide shots throughout the film.  

The rule of thirds is shown below. 

I love this movie for the over the shoulder shots.  

Close ups of the confrontation as Brenda reveals how his girlfriend died.

Brick introduces a noir feel to the screen as well as the femme fatale Laura.  Once she is told she is the reason why Brenda's girlfriend died, she immediately tells him that the baby was his and that she did not love him and simply walks away.  This is reminiscent of the film noir.

Hope you enjoyed my movies which I think are great to be exposed to other film students.  My only regret in this class is not being able to take a longer week course so learn more!

I know I converted to a film enthusiast and I can't wait to see many more film through my passage of life!

Filmmaker Dees Rees Interviewed on The Treatment

I listened to the KCRW podcasts interview of Dee Rees that took place on May 20, 2015.  Dee Rees is a film director and a screenwriter as well.  She has won several awards for her work including the Iris Prize and the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Director.  She has also been nominated for the NAACP Image Award for  Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture.   One critically acclaimed film was Pariah which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Rees was on the show to talk about her new film based on the life of American Blues singer, Bessie Smith.  She talked about trying to understand the "Empress of the Blues," Bessie Smith and her life in order to engage in the film.  What came to a surprise for me is the dedication that she put in to try to understand her and the time she was living to bring her character to life.  So much research goes into understanding a person's actions before doing a biopic on his/her life.

During the interview, instead of speaking of the production of the film, which is titled Bessie, after the title character, Rees talks about the exceptional woman she was at that point in history as well as her contributions to American Blues.  Rees talked about the struggle that Bessie Smith went through because she was frowned upon for being black and large.  However her talent for singing is still being recognized to this day. She build a brand for herself in the music industry and created a model for others to come. Rees wanted to honor this exceptional women through the film Bessi.  Rees used the music that Bessi Smith sang and used it to compose a period in her life that can be captured on film.  

Choosing the right actress to play Bessie Smith is critical.  Queen Latifah was chosen to play the lead character.  Pictured below is Bees Rees and Queen Latifah on set.

One that stood out from the interview is that Rees wanted to focus on who Bessi was as an individual and...

"A woman who can't love or be loved, except on stage"

This quote stood out to me because it shows the direction that Rees will take in order to understand the ulterior motives of Bessi.  Without seeing the film, I can assume that Bessi, while dealing with her own inner struggles she is accepted in a stage for her singing.  Being able to put that together on screen goes to show the hardships that Bessi Smith dealt with. 

Quote #2:  Why is bessi was the way she was..[in]..a time where people did not want black female entertainers

This is another important quote because Rees is describing culture of the time and the power that Bessi had in order to be one of the top grossing performers.  So not only did she have to deal with racism and sexism in society but also the expectations to be a performer even though she did not fit this mold that society demanded.
Quote #3"

The fragments of ones mother bit by bit  fragmented memory can't quite see it and try to get back on this summer day and idealized love a happy place,,.how to try to fill things between you and a void.

Rees during this quote talks about the direction that she took this film to.  She wanted to have two complete worlds in which one is her "happy place" and she can escape all realities and the second world, her stage and actual reality. The above quote Dees Rees describes how she came to merge both worlds together.

How does Dees Rees contribute to the world?

After seeing Rees's first film I fell in love with the way the story was captured.  I think Rees is a great filmmaker because of the consideration that she puts to try to peel the onions off characters in order to reach to the core of who they are and show that to film viewers.  Finding small details in Bessi Smith changed the way I look at directing- not only are they trying to show the character on the screen to us but they want to understand who they are in and then present it to us in a way that we can empathize or even relate.  

#2 Film Noir...Goodbye baby.

[The film noir] portrayed a world I hadn't seen on film before.
                               -Martin Scorsese

This post will talk about Film Noir. Think about Film Noir as a shock value that exposes the inner motives and true identities of people.  These movies are so intense because we can relate to the choices that we sometimes have no option of doing and once we do act on a choice it is a spiral of bad juju. Sort of like the idea of Karma but once something ethically wrong or bad happens no good can fix it.  
The first time I can say I was exposed a Film Noir was the episode Revenge from Alfred Hitchcock Presents starting Vera Miles and Ralph Meeker. It really does put your life in perspective as far as having bad days go!
I really to recommend this episode for anyone to watch.

I want to talk about the quote that this post began with.  Scorcese spoke about the fascination of watching Film Noir because it was something completely different that really stood out to people.

With any Film Noir, there must be a femme fatale ....

 Phyllis Dietrichson was the femme fatale in Double Indeminity (1944). 

Femme fatale means deadly woman in French.  This character is presented as a lustful woman who captivates men and uses them for their personal, financial, etc. gain.  

 A femme fatale must be:

• smart
• seductive
• attractive
• stand out from the 'crowd'

and must have

• an agenda/goal

Phyllis captures the attention of am insurance salesman and in the process goes against his ethical and moral standards to help her kill her husband and receive money from his insurance policy.  Not only does Phyllis persuade Walter (the insurance salesman) to help her but he ends up coming up with the plan to fall from a train ensuring that the policy payout will double, thus the film title.

The use of shadows in Film Noir

the use of shadows is very important in a film noir.

• The use of shadows and lighting help create tension and restlessness.  

Scenes that takes place inside rooms, houses, trains, etc. have closed windows usually with blinds or something obscuring daylight.  

Outside scenes take place in the night.

The manipulation of light in Noir Films creates the disorientation of the narratives and feel of a film.

goodbye baby, until next post!

Week 1 : Silent Cinema - A Picture is Worth a Thousand words!

Hello,

My name is Karina and this is my blog and oh, how I LOVE SILENT movies!

In order for any movie to be compelling, they have to convey a message to the viewer.  Like any art, it can be different interpretations to people but as long as it has that effect, the art will have served its purpose. I love that movies convey emotions.
I love that this first blog will focus on silent movies, I simply adore them!
 I cannot stress that enough.  One of my favorite actors is in fact from the silent era and as you can see from my blog title it is Sir Charles Chaplin.  I love that imagination that these movies provide; they are short and messages are very easy to understand connect to.  I am deeply saddened that this week will only be dedicated to the silent era movies but I am sure that there is so much more movies to "talk" about.
What is amazing about silent movies is that it was the earliest form of movies in its rarest form.  It replaced the theater productions as entertainment for the most part and silent films were sometimes enjoyed with a small orchestra playing in the back or to accompany them.  I have a small collection of silent movies that the music was added after and I always love to compare the movies that contain the different music to discover which harmonies create a better movie going experience. What I really appreciate from silent movies is the message that the actors and production present without the use of words or voice. It is very different for a viewer to hear the words:

"I am heartbroken" 

or to see the emotions that are played out on the screen.

(Chaplin's The Kid 1921)

The movie "Le Voyage Dan La Lune" was a delight to enjoy as it explored the imaginations of merging a topic such as astronomy and the unknown.  

I adored this film as it allowed to me to let go of my problems and have a laugh.  I love the set and the idea that people can go to the moon.  

Imagining myself in that era this would have been a delight to see as it opened the possibilities of space travel.  As this movie came out in 1902, space missions were not possible until decades after.  Its amazing how the minds of individuals are creating possibilities before they occur.

Is funny that when we travel to the unknown we always find the tribes and wilderness?  Possibly to enhance the idea of the unexplored just like in colonial times?

On a bad note, in the version that was presented, I did not like a man was narrating it takes away from the film.  It disrupted from the story line.  

The Great Train Robbery from 1903 was so creative!  A very traditional train robbery that shows a robbers actions from start to finish.  One technique that stood out that I learned about in class was the cross cutting technique.

What simply put the cherry on top for me had to be the ending.

The main bandit appears on camera, looking straight in to the audience.  Seconds before he takes out his pistol, his menacing stare creates a frightened emotion for me. After that, a multitude of gun shots are fired.  It is this emotion that made this film a really good western movie. 

Must Watch Silent Movies:

It

The Kid

City Lights

Until next post!