Monday, 25 November 2013
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Sunday, 17 November 2013
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Black Narcissus (1947) Film Review Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Black Narcissus (1947) Film Review Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Black Narcissus is a 1947 psychological drama film directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. This film was adapted from the novel written by Rumer Godden in 1939.
As soon as we enter the Himilayas in this classic film we are confronted already by incredible landscapes. We see endless views over mountain peaks and sharp cliff faces, however these were not filmed on an extravagant set location but just the amazing use of matte paintings. These paintings can create an otherworldly feel to the whole picture without even using CGI. The landscapes were created by blowing up black and white photos and then coloring them with pastel chalks. This then allowed Alfred Junge (Art Director) to conjur up all sorts of landscapes. For example, he was able to create a freezing cold scene by simply using colour in the amazing backdrops. Peter Bradshaw explains that "The studio sets and backdrops are superbly and still convincingly rendered" (Bradshaw, 2005). These backdrops where also used to create vertigo ridden camera shots to give new and original perspective views to the film, seen in Figure 2.
Links can be made from Sister Ruth's appearance to modern cinema, such as Inglorious Basterds directed by Quentin Tarantino. Towards the end of the film we see a main character (Shosanna), dressed in a red dress and lipstick (Figure 4) commit an extreme act of rebellion in which she slaughters many Nazi leaders. The colour she is wearing could have been used to represent anarchy.
Figure 1 
Black Narcissus is a 1947 psychological drama film directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. This film was adapted from the novel written by Rumer Godden in 1939.
As soon as we enter the Himilayas in this classic film we are confronted already by incredible landscapes. We see endless views over mountain peaks and sharp cliff faces, however these were not filmed on an extravagant set location but just the amazing use of matte paintings. These paintings can create an otherworldly feel to the whole picture without even using CGI. The landscapes were created by blowing up black and white photos and then coloring them with pastel chalks. This then allowed Alfred Junge (Art Director) to conjur up all sorts of landscapes. For example, he was able to create a freezing cold scene by simply using colour in the amazing backdrops. Peter Bradshaw explains that "The studio sets and backdrops are superbly and still convincingly rendered" (Bradshaw, 2005). These backdrops where also used to create vertigo ridden camera shots to give new and original perspective views to the film, seen in Figure 2.
Figure 2 
As we move the through the film you see and feel a change in mood in every scene; this could be due to the changes in lighting. When the film opens, each scene is shown in bright daylight with virtually not a grey cloud in sight, and so we consider that there is nothing peculiar about the film at all and everything is completely normal. However, as the film continues, especially towards the end, the scenes seem to be getting very dark and gloomy. There are scenes of blood red sunsets and dark black night time as we move "towards the film's almost Gothic climax." (Mirasol, 2010) The changes in lighting in this film help to create an ever changing atmosphere around the set and possibly to represent the deterioration into Sister Ruth's madness. It is common that evil can be represented by using dark and black colours.
Also, as we are finally confronted by the "sexually charged ambience that wreaks mental and metaphysical havoc on the frenzied Sister Ruth" (Uhlich, 2012), we notice a change in appearance of the nun. Sister Ruth is now wearing a dark red dress accompanied by blood red lipstick; this could have also been used to show the decendency into madness using these colours. It also could have been used as a symbol of rebellion. The film shows Sister Ruth releasing her vows and quit being a nun due to falling in love with Mr Dean; this could be considered as a rebellion against the convent. Another word that is related to rebellion is 'Anarchy', furthermore the symbol for this word is majorly seen using the colour red, much like the colour of Sister Ruth's dress and lips.
Figure 3 
Links can be made from Sister Ruth's appearance to modern cinema, such as Inglorious Basterds directed by Quentin Tarantino. Towards the end of the film we see a main character (Shosanna), dressed in a red dress and lipstick (Figure 4) commit an extreme act of rebellion in which she slaughters many Nazi leaders. The colour she is wearing could have been used to represent anarchy.
Figure 4 
Bibliography
Bradshaw, P (2005) Black Narcissus (1947) Black Narcissus Review, In: The Guardian [online], At: http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2005/aug/05/3 (Accessed on 13/11/2013)
Mirasol, M (2010) "Black Narcissus," which electrified Scorsese, http://www.rogerebert.com/far-flung-correspondents/black-narcissus-which-electrified-scorsese (Accessed on 13/11/2013)
Uhlich, K (2012) Black Narcissus Film Review, http://www.timeout.com/us/film/black-narcissus-3 (Accessed on 13/11/2013)
Illustrations
Figure 1, Black Narcissus (1947) Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger [Film Poster] UK, Archers, http://drfreex.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/blacknarcissuslobby3.jpg (Accessed on 13/11/2013)
Figure 2, Black Narcissus (1947) Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger [Film Still] UK, Archers, http://www.shadowlocked.com/images/stories/LISTS/50_best_matte_paintings/Black_Narcissus_LARGE.jpg (Accessed on 13/11/2013)
Figure 3, Black Narcissus (1947) Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger [Film Still] UK, Archers, https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5i09AIL3X5r-5o8tzGiur3323aVggeUnoJre2x2D6Zzab8xFbZyfrfXI1Oyb8VZIX09VzQfHnYDynsA2E1G__k_Cv-1I-Q8sMUxPlAPo1NvlAUegTh4PZ8YguyRi9Hs5IPbJTrrsYP7k/s400/BLACK+NARCISSUS1.jpg (Accessed on 13/11/2013)
Figure 4, Inglorious Basterds (2009) Quentin Tarantino [Film Still] USA, Universal Pictures, http://www.ouchpress.com/melanie-laurent/images/422843.html (Accessed on 13/11/2013)
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
Friday, 8 November 2013
Edward Scissorhands (1990) Review Tim Burton
Edward Scissorhands (1990) Review Tim Burton
Edward Scissorhand is a romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton in 1990, starring Johnny Depp. The scene for the film is set in an unnatural suburb with a grey mountain on which sits a Gothic mansion in which Edward lives. The suburban enclave seems completely fake due to its bright pastel coloured houses and every thing seeming to be too perfect (Fig. 2). Janet Maslin describes the suburb "where the houses huddle together like a candy-colored wagon train" (Maslin, 1990). The setting of the film feels so small and makes it seem to the audience that there is nothing outside of the suburb and that it really is a specially built set for a film. The audience is never shown anything else in the world except from the mansion and the suburban enclave, this therefore creates a strange atmosphere around the setting. This is then twinned with the people that live in this area as the majority of the residents don't seem to be completely sane, "Everyone in this film is stylized and peculiar" (Ebert, 1990).
When we first encounter the setting of the film we immediately cast assumptions about the area. We usually consider bright, clean colours to represent good and happy, whereas dark, sharp colours usually represent evil; and this is what Burton wanted to lead us to believe. However as the film unfolds, this turns out to be quite the opposite. We find out that the darkly clothed Edward who "is denounced as a freak, a fake, a demon" (Travers, 1990) is a completely innocent character who only wants to help the community. Where in fact, the suburb community turns out to be the only evil in the area. This was possibly used a a message to the audience to not judge something by its appearance, but by its personality and story.
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/edward-scissorhands-19901214
(Accessed on 8/11/2013)
Illustrations
Figure 1
Edward Scissorhands
(1990)
Tim Burton, [Film Poster], USA, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xy4Hk-k00c8/UQwpKkYxFvI/AAAAAAAAGJo/h2RZ1uFt5Ao/s1600/1990-edward-scissorhands-poster1.jpg
(Accessed on 8/11/2013)
Figure 2
Edward Scissorhands
(1990)
Tim Burton, [Film Still], USA, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
http://www.imcdb.org/i029148.jpg
(Accessed on 8/11/2013)
Figure 3
Beetlejuice
(1988)
Tim Burton, [Film Still], USA, Geffen Company
http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/23800000/-Beetlejuice-beetlejuice-the-movie-23838745-1360-768.jpg
(Accessed on 8/11/2013)
Figure 4
Edward Scissorhands
(1990)
Tim Burton, [Film Still], USA, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
http://dispatchmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Edward-Scissorhands-the-attic-resembles-sweeney-todd.png
(Accessed on 8/11/2013)
Figure 5
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
(2007)
Tim Burton, [Film Still], USA/UK, Warner Bros.
http://www.dvdactive.com/images/reviews/screenshot/2008/4/st.jpg
(Accessed on 8/11/2013)
Figure 1 
Edward Scissorhand is a romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton in 1990, starring Johnny Depp. The scene for the film is set in an unnatural suburb with a grey mountain on which sits a Gothic mansion in which Edward lives. The suburban enclave seems completely fake due to its bright pastel coloured houses and every thing seeming to be too perfect (Fig. 2). Janet Maslin describes the suburb "where the houses huddle together like a candy-colored wagon train" (Maslin, 1990). The setting of the film feels so small and makes it seem to the audience that there is nothing outside of the suburb and that it really is a specially built set for a film. The audience is never shown anything else in the world except from the mansion and the suburban enclave, this therefore creates a strange atmosphere around the setting. This is then twinned with the people that live in this area as the majority of the residents don't seem to be completely sane, "Everyone in this film is stylized and peculiar" (Ebert, 1990).
Figure 2 
When we first encounter the setting of the film we immediately cast assumptions about the area. We usually consider bright, clean colours to represent good and happy, whereas dark, sharp colours usually represent evil; and this is what Burton wanted to lead us to believe. However as the film unfolds, this turns out to be quite the opposite. We find out that the darkly clothed Edward who "is denounced as a freak, a fake, a demon" (Travers, 1990) is a completely innocent character who only wants to help the community. Where in fact, the suburb community turns out to be the only evil in the area. This was possibly used a a message to the audience to not judge something by its appearance, but by its personality and story.
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/edward-scissorhands-19901214
(Accessed on 8/11/2013)
Illustrations
Figure 1
Edward Scissorhands
(1990)
Tim Burton, [Film Poster], USA, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xy4Hk-k00c8/UQwpKkYxFvI/AAAAAAAAGJo/h2RZ1uFt5Ao/s1600/1990-edward-scissorhands-poster1.jpg
(Accessed on 8/11/2013)
Figure 2
Edward Scissorhands
(1990)
Tim Burton, [Film Still], USA, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
http://www.imcdb.org/i029148.jpg
(Accessed on 8/11/2013)
Figure 3
Beetlejuice
(1988)
Tim Burton, [Film Still], USA, Geffen Company
http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/23800000/-Beetlejuice-beetlejuice-the-movie-23838745-1360-768.jpg
(Accessed on 8/11/2013)
Figure 4
Edward Scissorhands
(1990)
Tim Burton, [Film Still], USA, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
http://dispatchmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Edward-Scissorhands-the-attic-resembles-sweeney-todd.png
(Accessed on 8/11/2013)
Figure 5
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
(2007)
Tim Burton, [Film Still], USA/UK, Warner Bros.
http://www.dvdactive.com/images/reviews/screenshot/2008/4/st.jpg
(Accessed on 8/11/2013)
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