The voiceover narrative of Lester (played by Kevin Spacey, who won best actor in a leading role), sets the plot and the story of the 5 time Academy Award winning film, American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes. Consequently, the narrative voiceover in the final scenes expresses Lester’s death state; with a consolation to viewers that he is happy in his spiritual state more than he was in his physical state, and he replays old memories and happy scenes of his life and he includes a final statement to the viewers. The use of camera techniques in American Beauty begins with the opening scene of Jane’s video recording, and subsequently repeats again later in the film. For example, the video scene where Jane Burnham (played by Thora Birch) says
she hates her father to Ricky (played by Wes Bentley) on the camcorder recording and that she wants him dead. There are aerial views of the neighborhood are repeated in the later repeated in the film along with the plastic bag scene. To give the viewers a more dramatic viewpoint, some scenes are shot using a hand-held camera. Such an example is the scene where Col. Fitts abusively strikes his son, Ricky. The hand-held camera technique used in the film American Beauty is highly popular in the horror genre as well. Additionally, there is computer generated imagery of rose petals in Lester’s fantasies that are edited into the film. Additionally, the inclusion of diegetic music associates the music/story connection to the viewers throughout the film.
Spike Lee does many fascinating things from a directorial standpoint, which makes his film (dare I say, joint), Do the Right Thing so interesting to watch. Writer, director Lee makes much use of the high and low angle shots. He does this to draw clear contrasts between the two elders of the block, Da Mayor and Mother Sister and to make conflict more apparent.
"Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" Laura Mulvey asserts the fact that in mainstream films, women are simultaneously looked at and displayed. That is to say, the woman is both an object of desire and a spectacle for the male voyeuristic gaze. The male's function is active; he advances the story and controls the gaze onto the women. Interestingly, the spectator identifies with the male through camera technique and style. In an effort to reproduce the so-called natural conditions of human perception, male point-of-view shots are often used along with deep focus. In addition, camera movements are usually determined by the actions of the male protagonist. Consequently, the gaze is dominated by the active male while the passive female exists to support desire within the film. In an attempt to change this structure, Mulvey stresses the importance of challenging the "look." One way this is accomplished, is in the film Reassemblage, where the look of the camera is free from male perspective and dominated more by passionate detachment. In doing this, the filmmaker, Trinh Minh-Ha attempts to destroy the satisfaction and pleasure derived from images of women in film, by highlighting the ways Hollywood depends on voyeuristic and fetishi...
The Tell Tale Heart, written by Edgar Allan Poe, and Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock were both formidable, revolutionary and horrifying creations to the audience’s of their times and to some extent, still are today. Hitchcock drew audiences in into his work by utilizing certain camera angles, mise-en-scene and diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. However, Edgar Allan Poe used a variety of literary techniques such as varying sentence structure, imagery and irony to draw his readers in. While these two masterpieces are unique in terms of content, both of them explore a prominent theme, fear.
On the other hand, there is Sam Mendes’ American Beauty. This story approaches the idea of happiness in a different way; it presents an entire family and their pursuit of sweet bliss. The quests of Carolyn, Jane, and Lester Burnham, as well as their next-door neighbor, Frank Fits, are on display. Paul Arthur describes American Beauty as "An authentic Life Lesson, a spiritual world view grounded in the discovery of beauty." In both M. Butterfly and American Beauty, the characters are presented as unhappy and searching for happiness. Of the characters, however, only Jane Burnham, Frank Fitts, and Lester Burnham find their new happiness.
In the final scene from Thelma and Louise the cinematographic effects are astounding. Panning, reaction shot, and dissolve are all used in the last section of the movie clip extensively. These three cinematographic terms are perfect for this clip because of the intensity they add to the scene. Through the use of panning, reaction shot, and dissolve the actresses portray two extreme emotions of desperation and the tranquility of freedom.
Citizen Kane is a drama. The film is made to keep you searching for the meaning of the last words spoken by the world’s richest and most influential man. Everyone wants to know the meaning behind the simple word “rosebud”. What is the significance of such a simplistic word? Why did that word mean so much to the man that it was his dying word? During the investigation of the words meaning, the film goes through many flashbacks of Kane’s life from different people’s point of view (H2G2). This was an innovation to the making of a film. Before Citizen Kane, it was not normal to have the point of views of multiple different people. This use of multiple narrations is now widely used, and is seen in many well-known movies such as Goodfellas, Casino, and The Thin Red Line. The techniques Orson Welles used when writing this film completely changed the idea of what a drama movie could be. He also introduced the idea of showing the end of the story in the beginn...
Spirited Away, titled Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi in Japan, follows a young girl named Chihiro on an adventurous, yet threatening journey into a magical realm after her parents are turned into pigs. She forms relationships with people that will help her find her way back home such as Haku, Zeniba, and Mr. Kamaji. She also encounters those like Yubaba who try to make her time in the realm of spirits difficult. Spirited Away quickly became Japan’s highest grossing film of all time. It received many great reviews in every aspect of filmmaking. It won several awards, including A Golden Bear in 2002 at the Berlin International Film Festival, and an Academy Award in 2003 for Best Animated Film. Hayao Miyazaki, the film’s writer and director, strongly encourages Japanese culture and its survival. He believes that “surrounded by high technology and its flimsy devices, children are more and more losing their roots”(Reider). Hayao Miyazaki’s aim is to present not only an animated motion picture, but a work of art. He does so by using certain animation and film techniques, applying Japanese culture, and creating in depth characters, all of which highlight key symbols in the film.
In the film ‘Into the Wild’ directed by Sean Penn, there are some scenes in the movie and enable us to understand how it was developed. I found one important scene in the movie, this is the scene in which Chris’ feels that his journey was almost end, the director uses some camera shots, dialogues and some soundtracks for us to see and understand the scene in this movie.
The film I chose to view for the extra credit opportunity in corrections class was American History X. This film follows two brothers, older brother Derek and younger brother Danny. In this coming of age film older brother and former Neo-Nazi Derek has just returned from serving three years in prison for killing two African American thugs who attempted to steal his truck. Through flashbacks to Derek’s skinhead days we learn from younger brother Danny about his journey and what led Danny to attempt to live the same lifestyle. Derek is attempting to change his brothers thinking keep him from making the same mistakes that he did and going down the wrong path.
What do you think about when watching a film? Do you focus on the characters' good looks or the dialogue? Or do you go behind the scenes and think about what made the film? Maybe, it's even a combination of all three. No matter what comes to mind first, an important part of any good movie will be what you see. A camera and good director or cinematographer is needed to make that possible. Different directors and cinematographers will use different camera techniques to make you focus on what you see. Camera techniques show emphasis in films, because they make you focus more on situations and people. They are especially important in Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream.
“Remember those posters that said, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”? Well, that’s true of everyday but one – the day you die.” – Lester Burnham
A director is successful when they take the audience away from comfort and security. In the film American Beauty, director Sam Mendes effectively achieves this. Creating a sense of discomfort and insecurity throughout the film allows the viewer to have a more in depth knowledge of the underlying themes within the film. Mendes strips viewers away from a sense of comfort and security through the portrayal of a dysfunctional family and the use of aggressive verbal slurs.
In the film The Help, directed by Tate Taylor, an important scene is the scene when Eugenia whose nickname is Skeeter confronts Charlotte her mother about Constantine their old loyal, loving maid. Skeeter wishes to know the truth about how Constantine left their family. The main purpose of this scene is to show the difference of coloured and whites in the 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi. Also love between Skeeter and Constantine in particular when Skeeter finds out that her mother fired Constantine, only to die before telling her the truth. Four significant aspects the director used in this scene are cinematography, music, characterisation and dialogue.
The analysis of the visual style is to first consider in the composition of the movie. Some directors pay attention to formal and dramatic composition, the others emphasize on non-formal compositions and exposure or highlighting effects. Furthermore, other directors use camera movements to describe and demonstrate the theme and the film itself more efficiently to the audiences. That is, many cinematic compositions have each intention to be used in the film by directors’ purpose. American Beauty (199) by Sam Mendes is a verisimilar movie story line with realism sense. The film is a story about aspects of contemporary American society, delivering typical American culture to the audience, such as individualism, distinct relationship
Edwin S. Porter contributed the following editing styles and techniques to film. He used a dissolve between every shot just and he frequently had the same action repeated across the dissolves. According to Filmrefrence.com “Edison Company’s new Vitascope projector in Indiana and California, and Porter worked with them as a projectionist in Los Angeles and Indianapolis. Later that year he went to work for Raff & Gammon in New York but left after the Edison Company broke with Raff & Gammon. He then toured with entertainers through the Caribbean as an exhibitor of motion pictures, and in early 1897 he helped build the projector at the Eden Musée”(Filmrefrence.com.2014).