...Upon a Time District 9 is a sci-fi film inspired by historical events that took place in South Africa during the apartheid era. “Once Upon A Time” is a short story that shows how apartheid brought people mistrust and a need to stereotype everyone in an effort to supposedly protect themselves. District 9 critiques the apartheid through the manipulation of sci-fi conventions and visual codes whereas “Once Upon A Time” manipulates the conventions of a narrative, fairytale and irony. Both texts critique apartheid. District 9 strongly comments on the apartheid that was occurring in Johannesburg at the time and represents this through the use of human VS alien. The apartheid in South Africa was a period of time when segregation was enforced, often resulting in evictions of thousands of coloured South Africans from their homes. In District 9, clear parallels to these events take place. The aliens in the movie are forcibly contained within an area known as District 9. In the film, the aliens are the ones who are being discriminated against by the whole human race. The aliens are called prawns. They are far from beautiful, they are bottom feeders, they are addicted to cat food, they live on rubbish dumps; they are presented as grotesque savages and scavengers. By presenting the aliens to us, not as attractive, high creatures, by making them look like half-human and half insect, the film constantly trips us up by making the racist gaze our gaze. Through...
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...Compare Marguerite Duras’ novel Moderato Cantabile, with Peter Brook’s version of the film. Which, in your view, is more successful? Why? Moderato Cantabile tells the story of a bored young wife of a wealthy industrial owner who depends on the only light in her life, her young son. Anne Desbarede the central protagonist rushes to the scene of a crime during one of her son’s piano lesson to find a young woman dead in a neighbouring cafe. This is where she encounters the other main protagonist Chauvin, an ex-worker at her husband’s factory who has also witnessed the murder. The troubled woman increasingly identifies herself with the murder victim and quickly becomes obsessed with Chauvin. The couple are apparently reconstructing the murder story, however really it is their own story, a story of a woman discovering herself and a man desiring to kill his lover. I find it difficult to answer the question of whether the film or the novel was more successful because although there are differences in the film I found the mood and general atmosphere to be almost identical. For this reason I intend to argue for both sides, as I have experienced good and bad points within the two works. When we watch a movie or read a novel we have particular expectations of format. The introduction of characters, plot development and a certain outcome are the usual conventions that permit us a superior perspective on the narrative. However from my reading and viewing of Moderato Cantabile I have...
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...1) I believe that although there is no dialogue or actors in this film, there is still a discernable narrative that guides the film. The first shots in the film are entirely of naturally occurring landscapes and phenomenon that occur on Earth. Although no dialogue is ever spoken, the music combined with the scenic nature shots create a sort of “build up” to the next element introduced to the film, humans. The narrative throughout Koyaanisqatsi, seems to be a reflection of the increasing impact that sentient life has on a planet. It is interesting, however, to observe which footage Reggio used to depict this mounting involvement of humans and technology into the plot. At first, I thought Reggio was attempting to make a statement about the harmful impact of environmental pollution caused by man. However, as the film progressed, the footage of technology and man seemed to play an indifferent role towards nature. The footage of factories and vivid time-lapse shots of city skylines at night are not portrayed in a negative light but instead in more of a chaotic one. In my interpretation, this chaos of the human impact on nature and the growing complexity of technology are depicted because that is simply how life has become for modern humans. Life is chaotic and the addition of increasingly intelligent beings trying to make order out of chaos will ultimately be futile. In other words, the very attempt at creating order out of chaos is chaotic in and of itself. The footage of nature...
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...North by Northwest, is a 1959 American archetypal thriller film directed by auteur Alfred Hitchcock. This espionage neo-noir film follows protagonist Roger O.Thornhill who is mistaken for the fabricated George Kaplan. In an effort to clear his name, and demonstrate his innocence, Thornhill is chased and framed for the murder of U.N diplomat Lester Townsend. Thornhill is then forced to acquire Kaplan's identity whilst being confronted with a mysterious femme fatale named Eve Kendall. Through Hitchcock's explicit use of mis-en-scene and complex cinematic structures such as establishing, and point of view shots, this film delivers stories and situations influenced by the 1950's era, with through the of his portrayal characters, he is able to...
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...It has been continued in time since we first imagined the life of the coming future in light of our curiosity and eagerness. A host of science fiction films depict the unborn world, which always have skyscrapers, great technology, and consist of abundant robots in the forthcoming life. Once we talk about science fiction films we can’t help mentioning Metropolis and Blade Runner. Made over 50 years apart from each other, both films address the problems that people living in the present foresaw in the future and the other of which is concerned with machines’ effect on human beings. Both films are quite visually stunning and attention grabbing and they are good examples of how science fiction movies have changed over time with the evolution of technology. Undoubtedly, these two films exhibit a gorgeous technological world and tell us a myth of future similarly and differently. In Metropolis, the workers depicted in the film have to live in poverty and work under very dangerous situations underground. The background blending of the two environments demonstrates a surrealistic environment and two contrasting atmospheres in the movies. The film Metropolis is set in the year 2026, in the extraordinary Gothic skyscrapers of a corporate city-state. In spite of it being a black and white old movie the director describes a magnificent vision of future world filled with high-rise buildings. It is a simple world, consisting of two classes--the pampered citizens of the surface and the workers...
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...Nicholas Vonderheyde Masculine Identity in Science Fiction Film: From Reagan to Bush From the 1970s to the early 1990s, there were many anxieties regarding shifting gender definitions and roles in American society. Ronald Reagan’s attempt to “re-masculinize” the country was during a time when communism and terrorism posed real threats to our nation. After these problems were resolved diplomatically rather than through physical action in the early 1990s, the definition and representation of masculinity began to shift. This was directly reflected in the media in “critical dystopias”, or films that envision an apocalyptic future. Essentially, these Science Fiction productions are artistic critiques of contemporary issues in society. Terminator 2 (James Cameron, 1991) and Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993) are both critical dystopias from the early 1990s that exemplify the social commentary of such films. The protagonists of both films completely redefine the white, heterosexual male super-body version of masculinity that was popular in the 1980s. By examining the narratives, the characterization, and the cinematography of each critical dystopia, one can see a clear cultural shift in the definitions of masculinity and a growing critique of contemporary masculinity within these films of the early 1990s. Following the Vietnam War, the nation experienced a period of feminization. This can best be depicted in the creation of the “New Man” in men’s magazines; the “New Man” is...
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...undead beings who suck blood out of living beings. In literature, these beings were depicted as less than human. Authors gave them an ugly face with big fang like incisors and animal type instincts. Within the last few decades however, authors have described vampires as more human. The vampire was given the body of a handsome/ beautiful human; in addition, they were given more human characteristics such as feelings, and emotions. However, the most important characteristic that has been ascribed to vampires is the ability to have relationships with people and other vampires. This characteristic has caused vampires to change from an inherently evil character into one that can make choices i.e based on emotion and not because of primal instinct. This has made vampire books and movies more appealing to the general population. One of the most successful vampire series is the Twilight series. The books and movies thrived because the story was different from other vampire stories. The series focused more on love rather than the killing of humans and other creatures. This causes readers to come up with a question like the following: Are vampires capable of loving someone like humans can? When the concept of vampires was first created, they were depicted as solitary creatures. The closest they came to having relationships was when they went to feed. They usually feed on the blood of humans of the opposite sex. Although vampires could not have sex; the overly sexualized bite...
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...Events, personalities and situations are portrayed in an inevitably ambiguous light to challenge the angle at which the responder views the text from. This allows for an increased understanding of human attitudes and behaviours as depicted in Shakespeare’s play ‘Julius Caesar’ and Phyllida Lloyd’s film ‘The Iron Lady’. The personal and public displays of one’s personality can cause the audience to develop a sense of confliction. In ‘Julius Caesar’, Caesar was portrayed as a man who was loved by the populace of Rome, but the target of jealousy of the conspirators as those who achieve greatness in society become the target of those who are incapable of emulating their achievements. The masses admiration for Caesar was the result of his successes as a politician and military general. This outlook of Caesars popularity with the common people is demonstrated in the opening scene as people made ‘holiday to see Caesar and rejoice in his triumph’ after annihilating the sons of Pompey. The audience is left to question whether or not the conspirators really did have Rome’s best interests at heart. Additionally, a Shakespearian audience would’ve known the military history behind Julius Caesar and sympathised him due to the characters of the play thinking ill of him. Therefore the conspirators had to justify their actions and decision to assassinate Caesar in order for the audience to think righteously of the conspirators. So for the first act of the play, the conspirators employ the use...
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...September 11, 1973 Patricio Guzman and thousands of others were imprisoned in Chile’s National Stadium. After gaining his freedom he moved to Europe. Patricio Guzman is a world renown filmmaker and has received several prizes for his documentaries. Nostalgia for the Light was his latest film. The main focus of Nostalgia for the Light, is the similarities between the women and the astronomers their search for answers. The connection between them is depicted throughout the film....
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...Stephen Frears, utilises the director's imagined memories of the events succeeding Diana's death to portray the Queen, and her actions, in a warmer light. A compelling and challenging view of Diana is also presented in the film, furthering Frears' purpose of convincing the audience of the difficulty of the Queen's position and hence softening the public image of her. Diana is initially presented through a montage of grainy archival footage, where Diana almost seems to be courting and teasing the media with her image. While this archival media footage adds authenticity to Frears' account, it also demonstrates how insulting this behaviour would have been to the rigid policies of the monarchy. Thus as Diana is depicted as causing trouble for the monarchy, sympathy for the Queen's position upon her death is created. This compelling portrayal of Diana, through historical footage, allows Frears to validate his personal memories and in this way the symbiotic nature of history and memory is revealed. insights into Queen Elizabeth II's emotions during the aftermath of Diana's death can be gained through observing the interplay between the collective and personal memories of the event. Frears' imagined interpretation of the Queen's vulnerability challenges the public's collective memory of Diana's death. Frears' perspective is immediately depicted in the opening intertextual quote from Shakespeare's Henry IV: "uneasy lies the head that wears a crown". Sympathy is created as Frears suggests...
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...of Alfred Hitchcock’s films. Fawell states that Hitchcock’s “works are characterized by a fascination with women, with their charm, their sophistication, their maturity, their wisdom” (277). This is especially compelling in the way that Hitchcock often treated his actresses on the sets of his films. It seems that Hitchcock is very fascinated with the feminine traits of women and women’s fashion in general. However, as it was stated in the article, Hitchcock often wanted to change his actresses’ techniques and ways in order to show a more human side to them. This fascination with women is shown in the female characters of the film such as Lisa Fremont, and Miss Torso. He often casts them as sexual objects, with Miss Torso’s outfits and dancing...
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...the creator of living things. The problem lies with the consequences of creative power and how it will affect society. Victor is traumatized by the loss of his mother and is driven by his sorrow to bring his lost loved ones to life. In the film Victor seizes the creative power of God and brings Elisabeth back from the dead, a controversial action in effort to ease his sorrow. He unleashes yet again another unpredictable creation onto society. Branagh illustrates that by having this power it changes the natural balance of nature, which can be harmful and irreversible. His belief of holding god-like power may not be in the best interest of humanity since it’s driven by Victor’s selfish desires and it neglects the effect that his creations impose on...
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...A Western film written, directed and acted by Native Americans is a hidden gem. Too often, Indians are portrayed from a white man’s point of view, which causes misinterpretations and stereotypes of Native culture. Even in movies where the white director highly respects Indians, they are bound to overlook important details or fallback on palimpsest. In Dances with Wolves (1990), a Sioux uses the butt end of a rifle to fight off the soldiers before John Dunbar tells him to shoot the gun with the other end. In reality, the Sioux tribe is known for having great warriors, some were even better with a gun than white settlers. Smoke Signals (1998), the “first feature-length movie written, directed and acted by American Indians” (James Sterngold), fully broke the cycle of producing movies that were merely a “photograph of the mirrored reflection of a painted image” (1, Kilpatrick) of Native Americans....
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...between still photography and video may be more slight, but there is still a level of knowledge on the mechanics of film and movement necessary for making this transition. However, now more than ever, the film industry is seeing a rise in the number of filmmakers with a fine arts education. Due to the exclusive nature of the Hollywood film industry, it is clear that what these artists are producing is not the typical low-budget, unrefined student film. Oftentimes, there is a very evident influence based around Andy Warhol's career path and individual works that these artists tend to follow and become successful in doing so. Andy Warhol produced radical mixed medium photography, moved on to installation motion picture art, and then feature films. Perhaps artists like Warhol have always been best at pushing the limits – they are not afraid of breaking the rules, trying something different or shocking, and taking a risk upon exhibiting the results. Linda Yablonsky in her contribution to ARTNews credits Andy Warhol as the specific artist, and reason, that has convinced current artists to make their way into film; this movement is surprising audiences with the compositions produced. Yablonsky compares and contrasts such artists' work from before and after this transition and states that generally, “their movies are extensions of their usual work, with one difference: the films are based on screenplays that have a fairly conventional narrative bent” (Yablonsky, 1). Warhol's...
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...where the Martians shaped their bodies to the humans’ deepest desires or the humans themselves created illusions to fulfill these desires. By doing so, it could be seen that the characters chose to follow their illusions instead of accepting the reality they were facing. “The choice of illusion is related to the strong emotions of love, hate and empathy.” (Taylor, 2013) In chapter six –the third expedition- is clear that the humans’ illusion is to have their beloved dead ones back. Despite the Captain’s reservations and warnings, everyone accepts the illusion of Green Bluff, Illinois in Mars, which suggests unreality given that it may not be possible to copy an identical place in a different one. However, this acceptance brings comfort to the crew who are blinded by the emotion of having their resurrected family back; these families “were given a second chance to live in a new world” which, at the same time, is unreal because there is no way to bring back a dead person. The Martians linked this illusion to the strong empathy with the crew’s emotions through telepathy in order to carry out a dreadful funeral. Earth men never suspected what was happening until the last moment when they were killed because they couldn’t resist this emotion. In another story, Spender is under the illusion that everyone will understand his concept of Martian culture and his desire of preserving it. He starts killing everybody in order to avoid humans from destroying Mars and turning it into something...
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