For this blog post, you can write about The Artist or about After Life or about films you watched at the Sundance film festival. You need to write about one of them. If you post about more than one, you get extra credit.
Answer two of the following questions about whichever movie you choose:
- What is the theme of the film? Provide three examples?
- What film elements (cinematography, editing, music, acting, writing, etc.) did you notice were used in the film? How was this filmic element used to communicate meaning/theme in the movie?
- How did the film help you better understand other cultures?
- Or, for After Life, what memory would you choose? Why?
We watched The Artist.
ReplyDeleteThe theme of the film was that new (and sometimes better) things come along and the things you're used to may become obsolete. But, just because you aren't used to it and you don't want things to change, that doesn't mean to deny the new and hold onto the old. Life isn't over when things change.
I thought the acting in this movie was fantastic. The movie was black, white, and silent. The only sound was the music playing until he has a nightmare about films using sound for objects and people, then again at the very end of the movie.
The actors were able to help me understand what was happening in their lives without vocalization, which really showed me how times were before and how even with their excellent acting, sometimes the movie was hard to understand and that's just how people from that time always watched their films.
I loved the movie. I think the outfits of all the actors were glamorous and chic, the people were very classy and intelligent and they had very bright minds. They were dreamers. They thought up unbelievable amazing, and advanced things. Movies with sound? That was an unbelievable breakthrough for their time.
The people of that time were inspirational and definite role models.
You have some great points here: I agree that the film does a fantastic job of using "show, don't tell" and that it. You theme statement is very well articulated and very accurate to the film. And the actors are indeed fantastic (the film won an Oscar for best acting -- as well as best picture, best directing, and a few other awards).
DeleteWhy do you think the people of "that time were inspiration and definite role models"?
I, personally, am afraid of drastic changes in my life. It scares me because it has seemed that my whole life, whenever I got comfortable, something changed and I was right back where I started. Unhappy.
DeleteHow they adapted to the advancements of film was very difficult for some, but they still managed and that gives me hope that if/when something in my life may change again, I can get through it and work with the change to suit my lifestyle like Valentin did. The fact that he got help and accepted the help was good for me, too. I am a very independent person and I don't really like accepting help from anyone. That's why he was a role model to me personally.
Wow, Katie, this is some deep stuff. You have the start of a great personal essay here. It's so cool to read how you personally relate to what you're seeing on the screen. Thanks for sharing and thanks for responding to my question!
DeletePandora's Promise
ReplyDeleteIt was a pretty good film, If I were to say one thing about this movie, Its that it was an eye opener. My whole life I was taught that nuclear energy was the worst of all the power resources. But thoughout this film we began to learn that we have been lied to by lots of people. It really is what we should depend on. One of my favorite things about this film is how mony examples it shows. I garentee that if you see this movie no matter what your oppinion on nuclear power was before. You will agree that we should do away with all the other resources.
But my all time favorite part of this movie is the Chernobyl history. I absolutely love Russian culture and especially when it was the soviot union. I was so intrigued by Chernobyl that I came up with my own horror film Idea even before there was one on Chernobyl... Sorry to act a little hipster there haha anyways I thought that the director did a great job and you can tell that he spent a long time just gatering information on the subject. I am DEFINELTY Seeing his next film....
Blackfish
I really Liked this movie, It is a really sad documentary about the misstreatment of Killer whales in Parks such as SeaWorld. Fist I think it is important to say that I really didn't know much about the topic of Killer Whales in SeaWorld. I only remember shamu thats it... I never have gone to SeaWorld or any parks like that. So I went into this film with the I don't give a crap attitude. I really liked how they drew us in with how Killer Whales sometimes live up to their name. I think with Documentaries keeping the audiences attention is the hardest thing to do. I always either fall asleep or change the channel half way thrugh them. In this one that was not the case. I was eagar to see the whole thing and more..!!! I think my veiw has changed now because of this movie
I didn't know you love Russian history so much? Are you doing work on Russia for your homework project? I have a Russian friend you could interview if you wanted and can refer you to some amazing Russian movies.
DeleteGood job writing posts on two separate films!
I agree with you about how persuasive Pandora's Promise is. It flipped my opinion as well.
Tayia Groesbeck-
ReplyDeleteThe theme of Blackfish was just basically showing us if you keep whales captive it can drive them crazy. I really understood this movie a lot and really liked it. They were trying to show us what Sea World was really like and how they treat animals and that keeping whales captive can make whales crazy and turn on the trainers or anyone for that matter. The first reason is dawn got killed probably because she ran out of food to feed the whale and he was just sick of being stuck in a small space. The second reason is when they took the baby whale from its mom she whined and stood in a corner of the pool for hours and the workers had said they had never heard that from any whale. The third reason is they are use to swimming in a huge ocean and its really not normal to them to have to swim in a small tank.
They really didn't edit anything in Blackfish because it was a documentary but i guess the water is blue and that to me is a color that means sad and lonesome.
I'm interested to know if they did intentionally feature lots of blue in the film or if that is just natural since it's a documentary about sea life. Did it seem like they altered the footage at all to make it look more blue than the natural world is? I know that some documentarians do try to control the color in their films but others do not.
DeleteTommy Kiter-
ReplyDeleteThe Movie i watched at the film festival was blackfish. The theme of the movie to me was one big whole community trying to set whales that were held captive set free, and to live back in their natural envirment It says whales live a lot longer in the wild then they do in captivity. At first i really didn't know what they were trying to get at, But it came to me that they were trying to set these wonderful animals free.
In the film the color was a lot of blue, meaning like sad and i noticed they used a lot of scenes using of peoples deaths from whales first coming ass accidents. My theme of this movie had a lot of meaning to the film. It was showing how hurt these poor animals were, how they had to work for their food. And should've been given automatically. It said in one part of the whales brain has feeling which us humans do not have, showing if you took a baby from their mother you would cry which happens to whales.
This film to me was very interesting, It helped me respect more about our wild life and espically these killer whales i had no idea how they felt or knew anything about them to me this movie really touched me. At moments there were the most saddest parts it was heartbreaking. I understood the point of view the director was trying to make. we were meant to live our lives so does any other animal in the world does too. understanding other culture i wasn't very familiar what it meant because whales don't really have a culture they are just wonderful animals that deserve to be untouched by us humans. So i don't really get what it means by i can better understand other cultures.
That's cool that you connected so much with the movie. And I love what you have to say about the use of color. Good job noticing color in a film! May you continue to do so every time you watch a movie for the rest of your life :)
DeleteBlack Fish, the last Sundance film we watch, was my absolute favorite. I really believe that the theme for this film was that we are abusing poor animals without even taking a second glance. Zoo's, Aquariums, Sea World.. we really are just using these creatures for our entertainment. Were tearing them out of their habitat and families just so we can have a laugh.. THATS TORE UP! This film really was an eye opener for me, im not even sure i will be able to go to the zoo with my family and be comfortable any more.
ReplyDeleteThis film was so emotional for me. I felt so sorry for the whales and for the trainers that got hurt and died. I was tearing up for more than half of this film. I really liked how much the trainers were interviewed and how much insight they brought. But i especially liked talking to them after, Q and A's are just amazing. But there was one thing about the film that bothered me, i know they did it on purpose, maybe for dramatic effect or whatever, i dont care, i didnt like it. They would bring up the death in 2010 and then go back and fourth and back and fourth.. you get it. It was slightly annoying. But other than that i really liked this film, i would watch it again if it were on Netflix or something. :) Id make my mom watch it too, but from how much i was talking about it at home on Friday, i think she has a pretty good outline already. Haha.
I'm so glad you had such a good time.
DeleteYour theme statement got me thinking about how it would be cool to make a movie where some other sort of creatures are using people as entertainment to turn this around and help us think about what we're doing.
C.J. Barrett:
ReplyDeleteAfter Life was slightly awkward to watch for me, they went with a documentary-like style to film the whole thing, giving it an element of realism for such an odd premise. They chose to show a lot of the scenery surrounding the building(s) where they conducted the interviews and such, and its Winter. But later; one of the interviewers went location scouting with a camera, and goes to a bamboo grove where it looks more like Spring, or Summer. The camera moved very little in this film as well, adding another layer of the realistic-documentary style to the film.
The memory I would choose? I think the first time I ate bacon. I'm a vegetarian, and have been for 3 years, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. So; if I die, I want to remember the happiness and joy that comes from ingesting greasy bacon-ey goodness that Fried Tofu and soy sauce simply can't compare to.
It is interesting how the visual style contrasts the fantastical premise but at the same time matches the quiet tone.
DeleteI appreciate your honesty about how the style made you feel.
DeleteGood work writing about two different movies! Extra credit for you.
ReplyDeleteI like the theme you picked for The Artist. I agree with that theme. Just FYI: the points you used to back up your theme read a bit too much like plot summary. You might articulate them in a way that makes it totally clear that everything you are writing backs up the theme and is not intended to merely summarize the plot. Does that make sense?
I watched not one, not two, but THREE Sundance documentaries! I'll be writing about "Blackfish".
ReplyDeleteThe thematic elements that stood out to me were the editing and the cinematography. This film was artistically crafted in the editing. It was strewn together with such precision and forethought. It evoked the right emotions at the right times. It moved you to different worlds and emphasized certain thematic elements in the interviews.
I understand the culture of SeaWorld now, much better. Especially after having one-on-one conversations in the flesh with two former SeaWorld trainers. I learned a lot about what it is to be a trainer, and the many risks they have to take everyday, and how SeaWorld doesn't do as much as it should...
Be careful about referring to editing or cinematography as "thematic elements". They are definitely elements of filmmaking but they aren't necessarily elements of theme unless you talk about them as ways a particular movie emphasizes them. But even in that case, you probably wouldn't call them "thematic elements" but would rather write something like, "Filmic elements like editing and cinematography are used in this movie to emphasize the theme."
DeleteI just went to Sundance for "Blackfish" and it changed my opinion on so many things.
ReplyDelete"Blackfish was about truth. It showed the truth about treatment to animals used for entertainment. It focused on killer whales in Sea World. So the theme is truth. I don't want to give too much away because I really want to encourage people to go see this. I don't want to put my opinion on people and have that be their opinion on this documentary. That's how much I love this documentary.
This film helped me understand life A LOT better. I respect life so much more.
I need to see Blackfish!!!! It sounds so good. Respecting life is awesome!
Deletewell to start off i cannot stop thinking about the sundance film "Blackfish". this movie really opened my eyes to what really happens behind something that doesnt look at all like what it really is. honestly, it crushed my heart. i hate knowing that a place i thought was a childs dream come true was actually a whales worst nightmare. i cried through the hole movie, and it inspired me to find out how i can help situations like this.
ReplyDeleteif i were to choose a memory i could keep even after i die it would be the love my two dogs gave me and how good of animals they are and always will be. even though one of them died a couple years ago i never want to forget about him. he grew up with me and was my best friend for the longest time and i hope heaven is treating him well because i know he deserves it.
That's cool that the film inspired you to help! What are you doing to help?
DeleteI watched the movie "Blackfish", I I thought it was so wonderful.. Well.. Not what they were doing to the animals and how they treated them, but the fact that the director felt the need to get the word out about what they're doing to these animals is amazing, because someone needs to bring a stop to it. I can't believe us humans are shallow enough to torture animals for our entertainment, and not even give a *beep* about how the animals feel, or what they're going through, and that's terrible. You never see on the news about how poorly treated the whales are being treated at Sea World, but you always see something on the news about how the whales did something wrong, and they often wonder why? How ridiculous. -.-
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked the movie and not the treatment of the animals in the movie ;)
DeleteAlan Carrasco
ReplyDeleteI watched The Artist i can't really come up with three example's for this movie but one of the them is dealing with the change the protagonist has difficulty with the film industry's transition from silent movies to talkies and his career suffers. The lead female's career on the other hand is on the rise but she comes to know. How the main character helped to get her where she is, and she keeps trying help him.
I think the music that was in this movie was good because it went with the theme that was change as the move went the msic changed. The music went will with every scene and it got the point across.
VERY FINE WORK, MY FRIEND!
Delete-Randi Michelle :)
ReplyDeleteI watched After Life. I think the theme to this movie is to appreciate life while you're living, because like the people in this movie, you never know when or how you're going to die. It's kind of a surprise, like you never know when it's going to hit you. The people in the is movie seemed upset that they couldn't live they're lives better and become a greater person in society. It made me feel like I should be grateful for every little thing that I have in my life. It's just...super crazy.
A memory that I'd choose....I think it'd have to be when either of my little sisters were born, and how happy I was to be a big sister. Those are pretty much the only memories I have that actually changed my life and are the most important things in this entire universe to me. Yes, I love the memories of meeting and being with my friends, but I feel like the one's with my sisters make me feel better and are more important to me. I don't no why, but no offense to any of my friends or anything. D:
I think it is natural to love your friends but value family more. Family is family and that's all there is to it.
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