The movie Sicko was such an interesting movie. I have never seen a documentary before and I really enjoyed it. When I was watching the movie, I was getting so upset and I wanted to pack my bags right away and move out of the United States. But once I finished the movie and read the first article, I started thinking about what really goes on in all these countries. It really sucks that America is supposed to be this great country, yet people are suffering and dying because the hospitals won’t treat them or their insurance companies decided to turn on them and the patients become upset. I asked my dad if we have ever been denied by our insurance and it was sad to find out that my mom has over a lot of things because of her illness. I thought to myself though because not everyone is suffering. America is good in a lot of ways. In France and Canada there are many other problems also and the article “'Sicko': Heavily Doctored, By Kurt Loder,” talked about how much money it is costing them to have socialized medicine and the problems they are having because people have to wait on waiting lists to get procedures done.
When I read the article “Out of focus,” it talked about a documentary that was made about Iraq insurgency. The article talks about how film makers make it seem so bad, but they miss so many things. They don’t seem to have the real reason why people killing people over there. The documentary makes it seem like they do it because of the simple question “What would you do if someone invaded your country.” The article talks about how this isn’t the reason for a lot of people thought, because the main reason is their religion. This article doesn’t have to do with the movie Sicko, but it deals with the broader basis that documentaries leave out a lot of important information, and a narrator to explain things during the movie so you don’t get lost. In Sicko, I never got lost because Michael Moore was the narrator throughout it. He did a great job at explaining what was happening, the problem was that he didn’t explain the full truth. When you watch that movie I’m sure everyone is just ragging after it, but is that really the entire truth. Not everyone in America is suffering like those people, and Moore makes it seem like everyone is suffering.
The last article that I read was “From Ballet to Buddhism.” It was about a documentary a young boy made who is now making more and is famous. He was just eight years old when he shot his first documentary. The boy has won many prizes and has continued to keep making documentaries. Anyone can make a documentary; it’s the quality of the documentary and the truth behind it that will determine if people are going to enjoy it. Sicko was a good quality because of the narrator, but the truth behind it is sketchy. There are two types of people after watching this movie, the ones that believe it and the ones that don’t. The documentaries the little boy made made it seem like everyone was for it because his seemed simple. Sicko is a little more confusing and takes some time to think about it.
So what is the truth? The more I think about what side is right the more and more confusing it gets. So this is what I have decided. I believe the movie Sicko to some extent. I know that our insurance companies have too much power on the people. I know that there are people in the United States that are being denied healthcare, which is extremely sad. I also know that other countries have socialized medicine which seems very good in many situations. I don’t believe though that Sicko told the truth in every situation and that he found the worst people that have had problems with our healthcare so of course it looks bad. He didn’t explain the entire truth about Canada, Britain, and France either. So after watching and thinking about this documentary, I have decided that I am 50-50 on it and that is how I will remain until I know what exactly the truth is.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Matrix
The Matrix was always a movie that I heard of, but I have never watched it. I had no idea that The Matrix was about people living in dreams and are actually slaves for computer generated machines. When the movie began I didn’t know what to think about it. As I kept watching it, I became very frightened when he took the pill and woke up from a dream which he thought was his real life. Once he woke up I wanted to get up and leave because it got me thinking and it really scared me. I didn’t leave though, and as I sat and continued watching the movie I was less scared. I followed the movie closely and by the end of the movie I would have to say it was a good story outline, but it still gave me the creeps. The directors did a very good job at making the movie, because they really got me thinking so I am sure that they got other young adults to think just as I did.
When I read the article “Buddhism, Christianity, and The Matrix: The Dialectic of Myth Making in Contemporary Cinema,” it made a lot of sense. The movie really did portray lots of religions throughout the movie. I never even noticed any of it until I read the article and then it all clicked. I was so into understanding the movie that I didn’t pay attention to all the details. I would really have to watch in a couple more times to probably understand everything. The article talked about how Neo portrayed “Jesus” I thought that was really neat because he really did portray him. Neo was reborn and sent to save them from the matrix, just like Jesus was sent to save us from our sins. The article didn’t only talk about the Christianity aspects of the movie; it also talked about many other religions. I liked how the movie incorporated the religion Yogacara Buddhist, which uses your mind. When they were in the chairs connected to the wires in a different world, they were “sleeping” using their minds to control what they were doing.
The article also talks about myths. The Matrix is considered a myth according to the article. I totally think that it is a myth also and anyone else who watches the movie should also think that, but it gets me thinking into why people make up some types of myth or where they even get the idea. I believe that the directors of this movie obviously made up their myth by combining parallels of religions together. That is what the article talks about, but I just think that it is fascinating how people even come up with these ideas in the first place. The directors did a magnificent job at putting the myth together.
I have to talk about the costumes in the movie because they made me think. I really thought it was neat how the people that were not in the “dream” wore sleek black outfits, or the one girl wore all white. I believe that only that one girl wore white because she was always protecting and watching out for the group, like an angel, and even though she died she protected them while she was alive. The others that wore black were daring and sleek with their movements. Their costumes were not like the other people in the movie and that is because they were different themselves, they knew they were living in the matrix. Neo never really wore anything sleek until the end of the movie when he knew that he could save Morpheus. When his costume changed it was a big symbol that he changed and he was ready to kick some butt.
The Matrix was an unusual movie that was thrilling, creepy, and mysterious. I know that there are sequels and I would actually like to see them to see how the story ends. I have myself thinking about what Neo is going to do in the other movies and if he saves everyone.
When I read the article “Buddhism, Christianity, and The Matrix: The Dialectic of Myth Making in Contemporary Cinema,” it made a lot of sense. The movie really did portray lots of religions throughout the movie. I never even noticed any of it until I read the article and then it all clicked. I was so into understanding the movie that I didn’t pay attention to all the details. I would really have to watch in a couple more times to probably understand everything. The article talked about how Neo portrayed “Jesus” I thought that was really neat because he really did portray him. Neo was reborn and sent to save them from the matrix, just like Jesus was sent to save us from our sins. The article didn’t only talk about the Christianity aspects of the movie; it also talked about many other religions. I liked how the movie incorporated the religion Yogacara Buddhist, which uses your mind. When they were in the chairs connected to the wires in a different world, they were “sleeping” using their minds to control what they were doing.
The article also talks about myths. The Matrix is considered a myth according to the article. I totally think that it is a myth also and anyone else who watches the movie should also think that, but it gets me thinking into why people make up some types of myth or where they even get the idea. I believe that the directors of this movie obviously made up their myth by combining parallels of religions together. That is what the article talks about, but I just think that it is fascinating how people even come up with these ideas in the first place. The directors did a magnificent job at putting the myth together.
I have to talk about the costumes in the movie because they made me think. I really thought it was neat how the people that were not in the “dream” wore sleek black outfits, or the one girl wore all white. I believe that only that one girl wore white because she was always protecting and watching out for the group, like an angel, and even though she died she protected them while she was alive. The others that wore black were daring and sleek with their movements. Their costumes were not like the other people in the movie and that is because they were different themselves, they knew they were living in the matrix. Neo never really wore anything sleek until the end of the movie when he knew that he could save Morpheus. When his costume changed it was a big symbol that he changed and he was ready to kick some butt.
The Matrix was an unusual movie that was thrilling, creepy, and mysterious. I know that there are sequels and I would actually like to see them to see how the story ends. I have myself thinking about what Neo is going to do in the other movies and if he saves everyone.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Dark Knight
The move The Dark Night is a great movie. I had only seen it once before last night, and last night when I watched it again it seemed to be even better than the first time. The director picked such good actors for the roles. When I read Chapter 10 in the book it talked about acting and how actors have to become the character. In the movie, Heath Ledger really became his character in the movie. His character was so real and scary that it made him seem like a crazed person. The book talks about two techniques that characters use to become the character, they are the inside approach or the outside approach. I think that Ledger used the inside approach. This means that he started to be crazy and scary and it really got inside him and took over him. The book also talks about different types of actors, which are impersonators, interpreters and commentators, and personality actors. Heath Ledger was an impersonator because he left his own personality and became his character The Joker with a whole new personality apart from his own. In the movie you couldn’t even tell that Heath was a normal person, he just seemed like a psychopath.
I read a movie review call “The Dark Knight Movie Review-Heath Ledger, RIP.” The review said that Ledger was the best Joker that the batman movies have ever had. I would have to agree with them. I have seen other batman movies, and although they all play really freaky Jokers, no one ever played as good as a Joker as Ledger. Ledger, like I said early, really became his character and seemed to crazy and 100 percent real. Anyone who watched that movie had to be scared and crept out by him. The article also talked about how this movie really did bring batman back to life. I also would have to agree with this because even though lots of people had never watched batman movies before, it seemed like everyone had to see it just because everyone knew it was going to be such a great movie.
The other movie review that I read was “The Dark Knight.” This article again praised Ledgers performance. It talked about how crazy he was and about how his tongue would go in and out of his mouth like a viper. It also talked about how he was “magnetic” because no matter what he did people craved for more of him and people always want to know what he is going to do next. I even think that he was “magnetic” because every time he was in a scene I couldn’t stop staring at his face and the weird ticks that he made with it and his other facial expressions. Another thing that the article talked about was how the Joker was contagious. He made good people bad, like Harvey. He had a way with his words that made people want to listen to him. The article talked about how the Joker was so crazed because he wasn’t afraid of anything, not even death. A couple times in the movie he even begged to be killed and that just makes him that more crazy.
Ever since I have been in film class I look at little things in movies besides the acting and the main message. I look at colors and costumes and other weird things that the directors put in the movies. In The Dark Knight I couldn’t stop looking at the Joker’s shirt. It had hexagons with crazy weird dots and patters with a stripped vest and another shirt stitched with them. It was crazy witch totally represented his personality. The same with his hair and teeth, they were so grungy and dirty and that also represents his character. The movie was such a great one and it was put together to well. I would be able to watch it again and still find it even more fascinating than before.
Goodykoontz, Bill. “The Dark Knight.” 2009. Azcentral.com. March 19, 2009..
“The Dark Knight Movie Review-Heath Ledger, RIP.” 2008. Screenhead. March 19, 2009.
I read a movie review call “The Dark Knight Movie Review-Heath Ledger, RIP.” The review said that Ledger was the best Joker that the batman movies have ever had. I would have to agree with them. I have seen other batman movies, and although they all play really freaky Jokers, no one ever played as good as a Joker as Ledger. Ledger, like I said early, really became his character and seemed to crazy and 100 percent real. Anyone who watched that movie had to be scared and crept out by him. The article also talked about how this movie really did bring batman back to life. I also would have to agree with this because even though lots of people had never watched batman movies before, it seemed like everyone had to see it just because everyone knew it was going to be such a great movie.
The other movie review that I read was “The Dark Knight.” This article again praised Ledgers performance. It talked about how crazy he was and about how his tongue would go in and out of his mouth like a viper. It also talked about how he was “magnetic” because no matter what he did people craved for more of him and people always want to know what he is going to do next. I even think that he was “magnetic” because every time he was in a scene I couldn’t stop staring at his face and the weird ticks that he made with it and his other facial expressions. Another thing that the article talked about was how the Joker was contagious. He made good people bad, like Harvey. He had a way with his words that made people want to listen to him. The article talked about how the Joker was so crazed because he wasn’t afraid of anything, not even death. A couple times in the movie he even begged to be killed and that just makes him that more crazy.
Ever since I have been in film class I look at little things in movies besides the acting and the main message. I look at colors and costumes and other weird things that the directors put in the movies. In The Dark Knight I couldn’t stop looking at the Joker’s shirt. It had hexagons with crazy weird dots and patters with a stripped vest and another shirt stitched with them. It was crazy witch totally represented his personality. The same with his hair and teeth, they were so grungy and dirty and that also represents his character. The movie was such a great one and it was put together to well. I would be able to watch it again and still find it even more fascinating than before.
Goodykoontz, Bill. “The Dark Knight.” 2009. Azcentral.com. March 19, 2009.
“The Dark Knight Movie Review-Heath Ledger, RIP.” 2008. Screenhead. March 19, 2009.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire
I thought that Slumdog Millionaire was a great movie. The movie really made me see just how lucky I am to live in America. It also made me realize how grateful I am for the things that I had. Where the movie was shot, people were living in really bad conditions. It was sad watching the children play in large garbage piles and look so dirty. It was also sad when the people were attacked for their religion and Salim’s and Jamal’s mom was killed right in front of their eyes. They were strong boys because instead of crying they ran for their lives.
When I read the article “Coke, Benz avoid gritty ‘Slumdog’ roles,” I thought it was shocking how Coca-Cola and Mercedes Benz didn’t really want to have their products in the film. The director painted over the coke sign on the coke bottle. Mercedes didn’t care if their car was parked in a scene, they just didn’t want it to be driven in the slums. I think that they are setting bad examples and disrespecting the “slums.” If I was a company, I would be proud to have my product shown in almost any movie.
The second article that I read was “From Slumdog to Top Dog.” I found this article very interesting because it talked about how the characters were real. By this, I mean that the characters were all from India or born in India. Because of this, it really did make the movie seem a lot more real and got you feeling like you were in India yourself. Everything about the movie was so real, nothing seemed to be made up or fake. Another part of the article that I found to also be very interesting was about how the movie almost didn’t get put in theaters and it was almost just a put on the shelf DVD. I don’t think I would have ever seen the movie if it wasn’t put in theaters, and I don’t think that the movie would have had as much recognition as it got and is still getting. I am glad that it made it into theaters because that movie did deserve everything that it has gotten because it was such an amazing film.
I never picked up any color symbols in the movie, but I am sure that there were some. I did pick up some symbols in the movie though. I think that Latika stood for everything the Jamal ever wanted and his hope that he had every day that pushed him on to get through his hard times. On a broader perspective, I think that Latika stands for everything anyone has wanted so bad that they would do anything to get it.
At the end of the movie when Salim is finally going to help his brother out, I think it is a sign that Jamal is going to have a good life now. Salim meant a lot to Jamal and now that he is agreeing with him Jamal can live a happy life. When Salim pours all the money into the tub and lays in it to wait for the guy to walk in, I think that the money stands for the fact that Salim has realized that he has done some very bad things and it willing to give his life to make them better. Salim is killed when he is lying in the money which symbolizes he has finally given up everything, including his want of money.
Slumdog Millionaire was a great movie and was directed extremely well. The movie was real and it made it a lot more interesting. This would defiantly be a movie that I would buy!
When I read the article “Coke, Benz avoid gritty ‘Slumdog’ roles,” I thought it was shocking how Coca-Cola and Mercedes Benz didn’t really want to have their products in the film. The director painted over the coke sign on the coke bottle. Mercedes didn’t care if their car was parked in a scene, they just didn’t want it to be driven in the slums. I think that they are setting bad examples and disrespecting the “slums.” If I was a company, I would be proud to have my product shown in almost any movie.
The second article that I read was “From Slumdog to Top Dog.” I found this article very interesting because it talked about how the characters were real. By this, I mean that the characters were all from India or born in India. Because of this, it really did make the movie seem a lot more real and got you feeling like you were in India yourself. Everything about the movie was so real, nothing seemed to be made up or fake. Another part of the article that I found to also be very interesting was about how the movie almost didn’t get put in theaters and it was almost just a put on the shelf DVD. I don’t think I would have ever seen the movie if it wasn’t put in theaters, and I don’t think that the movie would have had as much recognition as it got and is still getting. I am glad that it made it into theaters because that movie did deserve everything that it has gotten because it was such an amazing film.
I never picked up any color symbols in the movie, but I am sure that there were some. I did pick up some symbols in the movie though. I think that Latika stood for everything the Jamal ever wanted and his hope that he had every day that pushed him on to get through his hard times. On a broader perspective, I think that Latika stands for everything anyone has wanted so bad that they would do anything to get it.
At the end of the movie when Salim is finally going to help his brother out, I think it is a sign that Jamal is going to have a good life now. Salim meant a lot to Jamal and now that he is agreeing with him Jamal can live a happy life. When Salim pours all the money into the tub and lays in it to wait for the guy to walk in, I think that the money stands for the fact that Salim has realized that he has done some very bad things and it willing to give his life to make them better. Salim is killed when he is lying in the money which symbolizes he has finally given up everything, including his want of money.
Slumdog Millionaire was a great movie and was directed extremely well. The movie was real and it made it a lot more interesting. This would defiantly be a movie that I would buy!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Amelie
I actually really liked the movie Amelie. I thought it was funny, weird, and romantic all at the same time which made it very interesting. I never got bored watching it, because I always got the feeling that something weird was going to happen next. I think that Amelie was such a sweet girl, but just had some shyness problems she needed to work on.
The lighting in the movie was unique. There seemed to be a lot of shadow in the movie and the light was more intense and clear on the faces. When the light was on Amelie, it always seemed to get brighter. The more people she decided to help, the brighter the light got in the movie. Another thing in the movie that was interesting was the special visual effects. Chapter five talked about special effects and in the movie, they used special effects when they showed Amelie turn into liquid, her heart pounding, the key in her pocket, and Nino lighting up and bursting. I think that they used the key as a special effect because it showed the audience that Amelie was going to start making changes and helping people. It showed her heart pounding to represent her love that she had for Nino and that is also why he was lit up, to show she thought he was so bright. When Amelie turned to liquid I think it represented that she had some lonely times and was ready to almost just break down.
In chapter five, it also talked about a lot of different movie angles and different views that the director can take. Amelie had a lot of different angles and it was very unique. I feel like I need to watch again to know some of the specific angles and focuses that the director used because I was really focused on what the characters where saying sometimes. I do know that there were always a lot of close-ups on Amelie to show her facial expressions at different parts of the movie. The chapter talked about focusing attention on the most significant object and I think that is why Amelie was shown a lot with close-ups, because she was an important part of the movie.
There was a lot of red in the movie. Amelie seemed to always wear a lot of red clothing, her lipstick was red, some of the walls in her apartment were red, and other bits of red were shown in other scenes in the movie. I think that the red stood for urging to do different things and get out to be heard. She helped a lot of people become happier and she even helped herself finally by finding romance that she wanted.
At one point in chapter five it talked about the handheld camera, which is where it makes the camera jerk and have uneasy movements to make the scene seem more real. This technique was used whenever Amelie or Mr. Dufayel looked through their binoculars at one another to see what they were up to. The technique really made it seem like they were looking through binoculars. Mr. Dufayel, I believe, was the other big part in the movie because he helped Amelie with her problems and she also helped him in a way. Mr. Dufayle can never figure out how to draw the girls face in the painting he has done for the last few years every year. At the end of the movie when Mr. Dufayle helps Amelie, he is able to finish his painting and I think it is because Amelie is not lost anymore herself so either is he.
I love the end of this movie because Amelie falls in love with Nino and he falls in love with her. I love romantic endings, but it just wasn’t Amelie that made the ending so good. What also made the ending so good was that everyone seemed to be happy and Amelie helped so many people so that they were happy. Mr. Dufayle also seemed satisfied and happy with life also. I think that the program objective that the director was trying to get across in the movie was that even though someone may have lived a quiet life doesn’t mean they can’t change and make differences in their lives and other peoples’ lives; it is always good to make changes sometimes and step out of your comfort zone.
The lighting in the movie was unique. There seemed to be a lot of shadow in the movie and the light was more intense and clear on the faces. When the light was on Amelie, it always seemed to get brighter. The more people she decided to help, the brighter the light got in the movie. Another thing in the movie that was interesting was the special visual effects. Chapter five talked about special effects and in the movie, they used special effects when they showed Amelie turn into liquid, her heart pounding, the key in her pocket, and Nino lighting up and bursting. I think that they used the key as a special effect because it showed the audience that Amelie was going to start making changes and helping people. It showed her heart pounding to represent her love that she had for Nino and that is also why he was lit up, to show she thought he was so bright. When Amelie turned to liquid I think it represented that she had some lonely times and was ready to almost just break down.
In chapter five, it also talked about a lot of different movie angles and different views that the director can take. Amelie had a lot of different angles and it was very unique. I feel like I need to watch again to know some of the specific angles and focuses that the director used because I was really focused on what the characters where saying sometimes. I do know that there were always a lot of close-ups on Amelie to show her facial expressions at different parts of the movie. The chapter talked about focusing attention on the most significant object and I think that is why Amelie was shown a lot with close-ups, because she was an important part of the movie.
There was a lot of red in the movie. Amelie seemed to always wear a lot of red clothing, her lipstick was red, some of the walls in her apartment were red, and other bits of red were shown in other scenes in the movie. I think that the red stood for urging to do different things and get out to be heard. She helped a lot of people become happier and she even helped herself finally by finding romance that she wanted.
At one point in chapter five it talked about the handheld camera, which is where it makes the camera jerk and have uneasy movements to make the scene seem more real. This technique was used whenever Amelie or Mr. Dufayel looked through their binoculars at one another to see what they were up to. The technique really made it seem like they were looking through binoculars. Mr. Dufayel, I believe, was the other big part in the movie because he helped Amelie with her problems and she also helped him in a way. Mr. Dufayle can never figure out how to draw the girls face in the painting he has done for the last few years every year. At the end of the movie when Mr. Dufayle helps Amelie, he is able to finish his painting and I think it is because Amelie is not lost anymore herself so either is he.
I love the end of this movie because Amelie falls in love with Nino and he falls in love with her. I love romantic endings, but it just wasn’t Amelie that made the ending so good. What also made the ending so good was that everyone seemed to be happy and Amelie helped so many people so that they were happy. Mr. Dufayle also seemed satisfied and happy with life also. I think that the program objective that the director was trying to get across in the movie was that even though someone may have lived a quiet life doesn’t mean they can’t change and make differences in their lives and other peoples’ lives; it is always good to make changes sometimes and step out of your comfort zone.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Chocolat/The Notebook
In the movie Chocolat, the set is very important to the overall effect of the film. The set is made up of neutral colors like grays, whites, blacks, and browns. I think that the director wanted the audience to get the feeling that the town was boring and didn’t do a lot of things that were out of the box. The set made you feel depressed and sad just because of the colors and how everything looked the same. When the movie first started you really got a sense that the town was strict and didn’t like change. Throughout the movie things did change because of Vianne, and the set got more colors but there still wasn’t a whole lot. From the change in the set, you did get the feeling that the town and people were changing and that was a good thing.
I think this film was shot on two major parts of the set. One was the chocolate shop and the other was the town itself. I think that is was shot in the town because it was showing how the loved tradition and didn’t want to change anything. It was also shot manly in the chocolate shop because that is where Vianne got people to let go of old traditions and try temptation and be happy with their lives. Vianne changed the town and that is why the film was shot a lot in the chocolate shop because it represented new life and happiness for the gloomy town.
With the costumes that the art director chose, I think that he was trying to show us that change was going to happen. There were the towns’ people that wore neutral colors and nothing vibrant. When Vianne came into town, her daughter and her were wearing bright red cloaks. This was a symbol that change was coming into the town. Vianne always wore bright colors even though the towns’ people didn’t. When Vianne changed someone, they started to also wear red and other bright colors. You always knew when someone changed because of the clothes that they wore.
I think that the lighting for the film was very appropriate because it wasn’t too harsh. The lighting was somewhere in the middle of harsh and soft. It really fit the film because it didn’t put too much emphasis on any one character. When Vianne was in the scene the light did seem to be softer and brighter than if the mayor or another towns man was in the scene. The lighting never had big shadows or was extremely bright; I think that is was very calm throughout the movie.
I think that the director was trying to tell us that the town needed change by the style of lighting that they chose. When Vianne came into the set he was telling us that the town needed her change for the people. The director wanted to show us that change was good by making Vianne seem brighter.
In the article “Why ‘American Beauty’ Works: Focus on the Use of Symbols,” it talked about how in the movie America Beauty the color red symbolized a lot of things for different characters. In the Chocolat, the color red also symbolized a lot of different things. It symbolized change coming into the town when Vianne came wearing a red cloak. When Vianne hands out chocolate, she usually ties a red around the bag. When the customer takes it home something changes in their life that makes them happy. The color red mainly symbolizes the good change in the town that is making people happy. The message that is being sent is that change is a good thing sometimes and it can really make people happy about their lives.
In the movie The Notebook, I believe that the set is important for the overall effect of the film but not as important as the set for the film Chocolat. The set is important to show that there is flashbacks to when Noah and Allie were younger because things need to look like they were from when they teenagers.
I think that there were two main sets in The Notebook. I think that the first one was the nursing home and the second one was the town that Allie went to in the summer. I think that the film was shot at the nursing home to show that Allie was sick and ready to die. I think that the film was also shot at Allie’s summer town to show Allie and Noah’s relationship of how they met and fell in love.
I think that the art director was trying to tell the audience that there is still hope and love after you think you have lost someone you love with the costumes that they chose. The costumes are very bright with colors and Allie is always looking free and careless with everything she wears. Noah and Allie both portray love with the colors they wear such as white, baby blue, purple, and green. I love the scene when Allie comes back to see Noah and the house he built her and she is wearing a baby blue outfit. I think the director is symbolizing that Allie belonged to Noah all along and that she is open for the love again. The costumes that Noah and Allie wear at the nursing home are more dark and neutral showing that they still have love but things have changed.
I believe that the lighting for the film was appropriate because it was always really bright and soft when Noah and Allie were together falling in love, yet it was also harsh when things were going bad and Noah and Allie were fighting and in the nursing home when Allie didn’t remember things. I believe that the lighting is therefore harsh yet soft.
I think that the director is trying to tell his audience that even when there are hard times in your love life, you can always get through them and your relationship can grow and become even brighter than before by the style of lighting that he is using. He is showing that things can get dark and gloomy but there is always the bright things to look forward to in love.
I think that the colors that are prominent are red and blue. Allie always seems to be wearing red lipstick and I think that symbolizes Allie’s love for Noah. There is also the bright red sunset at the beginning of the movie that maybe symbols that their love is coming to an end. I think that blue is another prominent color because Allie always seems to be wearing blue, the house shutters were blue, and the sky was blue when they went in the boat. I think that the blue shows love as I talked about before and that there was always a part of Allie with Noah even when she wasn’t actually with him. I think that the message that was being sent was Allie and Noah were right for each all along, they just didn’t know it.
I think this film was shot on two major parts of the set. One was the chocolate shop and the other was the town itself. I think that is was shot in the town because it was showing how the loved tradition and didn’t want to change anything. It was also shot manly in the chocolate shop because that is where Vianne got people to let go of old traditions and try temptation and be happy with their lives. Vianne changed the town and that is why the film was shot a lot in the chocolate shop because it represented new life and happiness for the gloomy town.
With the costumes that the art director chose, I think that he was trying to show us that change was going to happen. There were the towns’ people that wore neutral colors and nothing vibrant. When Vianne came into town, her daughter and her were wearing bright red cloaks. This was a symbol that change was coming into the town. Vianne always wore bright colors even though the towns’ people didn’t. When Vianne changed someone, they started to also wear red and other bright colors. You always knew when someone changed because of the clothes that they wore.
I think that the lighting for the film was very appropriate because it wasn’t too harsh. The lighting was somewhere in the middle of harsh and soft. It really fit the film because it didn’t put too much emphasis on any one character. When Vianne was in the scene the light did seem to be softer and brighter than if the mayor or another towns man was in the scene. The lighting never had big shadows or was extremely bright; I think that is was very calm throughout the movie.
I think that the director was trying to tell us that the town needed change by the style of lighting that they chose. When Vianne came into the set he was telling us that the town needed her change for the people. The director wanted to show us that change was good by making Vianne seem brighter.
In the article “Why ‘American Beauty’ Works: Focus on the Use of Symbols,” it talked about how in the movie America Beauty the color red symbolized a lot of things for different characters. In the Chocolat, the color red also symbolized a lot of different things. It symbolized change coming into the town when Vianne came wearing a red cloak. When Vianne hands out chocolate, she usually ties a red around the bag. When the customer takes it home something changes in their life that makes them happy. The color red mainly symbolizes the good change in the town that is making people happy. The message that is being sent is that change is a good thing sometimes and it can really make people happy about their lives.
In the movie The Notebook, I believe that the set is important for the overall effect of the film but not as important as the set for the film Chocolat. The set is important to show that there is flashbacks to when Noah and Allie were younger because things need to look like they were from when they teenagers.
I think that there were two main sets in The Notebook. I think that the first one was the nursing home and the second one was the town that Allie went to in the summer. I think that the film was shot at the nursing home to show that Allie was sick and ready to die. I think that the film was also shot at Allie’s summer town to show Allie and Noah’s relationship of how they met and fell in love.
I think that the art director was trying to tell the audience that there is still hope and love after you think you have lost someone you love with the costumes that they chose. The costumes are very bright with colors and Allie is always looking free and careless with everything she wears. Noah and Allie both portray love with the colors they wear such as white, baby blue, purple, and green. I love the scene when Allie comes back to see Noah and the house he built her and she is wearing a baby blue outfit. I think the director is symbolizing that Allie belonged to Noah all along and that she is open for the love again. The costumes that Noah and Allie wear at the nursing home are more dark and neutral showing that they still have love but things have changed.
I believe that the lighting for the film was appropriate because it was always really bright and soft when Noah and Allie were together falling in love, yet it was also harsh when things were going bad and Noah and Allie were fighting and in the nursing home when Allie didn’t remember things. I believe that the lighting is therefore harsh yet soft.
I think that the director is trying to tell his audience that even when there are hard times in your love life, you can always get through them and your relationship can grow and become even brighter than before by the style of lighting that he is using. He is showing that things can get dark and gloomy but there is always the bright things to look forward to in love.
I think that the colors that are prominent are red and blue. Allie always seems to be wearing red lipstick and I think that symbolizes Allie’s love for Noah. There is also the bright red sunset at the beginning of the movie that maybe symbols that their love is coming to an end. I think that blue is another prominent color because Allie always seems to be wearing blue, the house shutters were blue, and the sky was blue when they went in the boat. I think that the blue shows love as I talked about before and that there was always a part of Allie with Noah even when she wasn’t actually with him. I think that the message that was being sent was Allie and Noah were right for each all along, they just didn’t know it.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Good Will Hunting
The chapters that we had to read this week were very long but it had lots of information on camera techniques, lighting, filming, and the script itself. There is no way that I could relate all of this information to Good Will Hunting, but I will relate some of the things to the movie. One thing the book talks about is living spaces and offices and how they are set up to portray the movie in certain ways. In Good Will Hunting, the offices that Will meets the psychologists in are always filled with books and messy, and this does resemble the movie because Will is very lost in life right away and doesn’t really know what he is doing. It even shows that Will has mental issues and is a mess throughout most of the movie. The book also talks about lighting and different ways to use lights to show effects in the movie. One of the scenes that really stuck out to me with lighting was the scene when Will was in bed with Skylar and the lighting technique that was used was low-key lighting. This is where most of the set is in shadow and just a few things are highlighted. Will and Skylar are mostly in shadow but you can see parts of their faces and body at times. It really made the scene seem more intimate and romantic. Another scene that I really thought was neat was when Will was in a session with Sean and the camera was going back and forth behind their heads of whoever was talking. The camera was doing close-up shots and it really made the scene more interesting.
When I read the article “Too smart for their own good,” it never had really occurred to me that a lot of Hollywood movies or just TV shows show a lot of geniuses with a lot of emotional and mental problems, until I read it in the article. It seems like the genius hero can never just be a genius, they have to have other problems on the side; then again maybe it wouldn’t be a good movie unless they had these problems. I know that Good Will Hunting wouldn’t have been great without Will’s mental problems because that was a main part of the story.
The next article I read was “Two Thumbs Up, Five Stars, and an Oscar?,” which was interesting because it talked about gifted children in other cultures and asked the question of what do we classify as gifted. It also talked about some of the main messages throughout the movie. The main messages the article talks about are that children often go unrecognized and are misunderstood, gifted people can deal with social and emotional issues, and that there are many people that play important roles in the lives of gifted children. All three of these main messages are really touching to me because it is really true and it makes me think about a lot of things in life.
The last article that I read was “Holden Caulfield, Alex Portnoy, and Good Will Hunting; Coming of Age in American Films and Novels,” and I liked this article the most. I loved how the author talked about the movie. I liked how the article talks about Sean and Will’s relationship because they did really help each other out. I also like how it talks about Will and his best friend Chuckie because to me he really was the one to put things into perspective for Will. Sometimes it takes your best friend to really show you what you can do and have in life and that is what Chuckie did. The quote from the article, “Young Will Hunting is very, very bright; a genius actually. But he’s also bursting with confusion and rage, triggered by an abusive childhood and an adolescence of low expectations. Will can reason like mad, but he’s usually too mad to reason,” really makes a lot of sense because Will is so smart and can do mathematic problems easy because he is able to reason these types of things. When it comes to his and doing the right things, Will can’t because he gets upset way to easy so therefore he can’t reason with his life.
Good Will Hunting was such a great movie to watch. I loved how it had drama and romance yet it was still funny. One of my favorite parts of the movie was when Will went up to the window and asked the guy if he liked apples, then said he got a phone number and added “how do you like those apples.” This showed more of the funny side of the movie. My other favorite part of the movie was when Chuckie was talking to Will about how the happiest day of his life will be when he comes to pick him up and he won’t be there. This part of movie shows how dramatic it can be because it brought tears to my eyes. It had to be hard for Chuckie to tell his best friend to leave him because he can do so much better in life then where he is now. I think that the hero of the movie is Will because he really finds himself in the end of the movie and overcomes a lot in his life. He has lots of conflict but with the help of others he is able to see what he really wants in life. The only part of the movie that I didn’t like fully was the ending because I wish it would have shown Will reuniting with Skylar. It was a good ending I am just a sucker for the full fairly tall ending. I would watch Good Will Hunting again soon because I liked it so much.
When I read the article “Too smart for their own good,” it never had really occurred to me that a lot of Hollywood movies or just TV shows show a lot of geniuses with a lot of emotional and mental problems, until I read it in the article. It seems like the genius hero can never just be a genius, they have to have other problems on the side; then again maybe it wouldn’t be a good movie unless they had these problems. I know that Good Will Hunting wouldn’t have been great without Will’s mental problems because that was a main part of the story.
The next article I read was “Two Thumbs Up, Five Stars, and an Oscar?,” which was interesting because it talked about gifted children in other cultures and asked the question of what do we classify as gifted. It also talked about some of the main messages throughout the movie. The main messages the article talks about are that children often go unrecognized and are misunderstood, gifted people can deal with social and emotional issues, and that there are many people that play important roles in the lives of gifted children. All three of these main messages are really touching to me because it is really true and it makes me think about a lot of things in life.
The last article that I read was “Holden Caulfield, Alex Portnoy, and Good Will Hunting; Coming of Age in American Films and Novels,” and I liked this article the most. I loved how the author talked about the movie. I liked how the article talks about Sean and Will’s relationship because they did really help each other out. I also like how it talks about Will and his best friend Chuckie because to me he really was the one to put things into perspective for Will. Sometimes it takes your best friend to really show you what you can do and have in life and that is what Chuckie did. The quote from the article, “Young Will Hunting is very, very bright; a genius actually. But he’s also bursting with confusion and rage, triggered by an abusive childhood and an adolescence of low expectations. Will can reason like mad, but he’s usually too mad to reason,” really makes a lot of sense because Will is so smart and can do mathematic problems easy because he is able to reason these types of things. When it comes to his and doing the right things, Will can’t because he gets upset way to easy so therefore he can’t reason with his life.
Good Will Hunting was such a great movie to watch. I loved how it had drama and romance yet it was still funny. One of my favorite parts of the movie was when Will went up to the window and asked the guy if he liked apples, then said he got a phone number and added “how do you like those apples.” This showed more of the funny side of the movie. My other favorite part of the movie was when Chuckie was talking to Will about how the happiest day of his life will be when he comes to pick him up and he won’t be there. This part of movie shows how dramatic it can be because it brought tears to my eyes. It had to be hard for Chuckie to tell his best friend to leave him because he can do so much better in life then where he is now. I think that the hero of the movie is Will because he really finds himself in the end of the movie and overcomes a lot in his life. He has lots of conflict but with the help of others he is able to see what he really wants in life. The only part of the movie that I didn’t like fully was the ending because I wish it would have shown Will reuniting with Skylar. It was a good ending I am just a sucker for the full fairly tall ending. I would watch Good Will Hunting again soon because I liked it so much.
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