1917 and Children Of Men

     The films I'd like to talk about this week are "1917" and  "Children of Men". Both of these films were profound and at times deeply unsettling. They are each, respectively, a journey through time. Let's get into what makes these films so unique. 

    First, World War One like we haven't seen it before with the film "1917". The plot is intense as we travel along with two British soldiers on the Western Front who have been given a seemingly impossible task. They are racing against time to stop 1,600 men from walking into a deadly trap. They have to go through enemy territory and cannot waste a moment even though the road is filled with danger. 

    Second, the futuristic "Children of Men", set in 2027. Infertility has threatened mankind with extinction and the film opens with the last child born on earth violently killed. Our protagonist, a former activist, agrees to help bring a pregnant woman to safety. Their journey to escape the chaos is packed with treachery and peril. 

    Camera movements in both these films were a huge drive of their success. In 1917 the movie opened up with the main characters in a peaceful meadow taking a nap. The camera pulls back to reveal a trench, thus signaling the characters transition from peace to militant urgency. In "Children of Men" there is a car chase scene where the camera follows each person in the vehicle and their reaction to getting attacked. The camera's movements seem natural as if you are fleeing with them as well.

    I really enjoyed both of these movies and am questioning how they accomplished some of the incredible scenes. There were a ton of long shots in both that required precision and epic synergy with the cast. Even though one is set in the past and one is set in the future, both movies are an example of a present day modern masterpiece. If you haven't seen these films, you should soon. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Whiplash

      The movie Whiplash is a great but emotional one. Andrew Neiman is a very ambitious jazz drummer studying at a school for the arts. Terrence Fletcher is a genius instructor that takes Andrew under his wing. What ensues is a shocking and emotional relationship between the two that on both ends demands perfection. Let's look closer at some of the scenes to get a good grasp on the film...     The lighting is what struck me most. Most of the time both Andrew and Terrence are in a light orange type of light that intensifies when Andrew is playing and Terrence is screaming at him. It's as if in some of the scenes the light turns brighter and makes you feel the heat. I imagine this is a subtle nod to the hell Andrew is in. Or it could represent warm and fuzzy feelings because that is what Andrew loves, to play. In other situations surrounding his life, the lighting is darker, more blue and grayish. Possibly to show that Andrew doesn't have the same interest in eve...
Read more

Life of Pi

     This week our discussion centers around the beautiful movie, "Life of Pi". Based off the novel, "Life of Pi" tells the story of a young boy who survives a ship wreck and is stranded at sea for a very long time with a Bengal tiger, Richard Parker. This film is well known for its gorgeous visuals and stunning effects. Let's take a deeper look into how they brought this treasure to life.     Most of this movie takes place on the ocean. To replicate this, they utilized a massive, self-generating wave tank, the largest of its kind! They even made sure to film at sunset everyday and built a door allowing this to happen. The team also built two steel lifeboats with a 1940's design and five fiberglass versions to use as backup.      A visually astounding piece of production is the "Piscene Molitor". This was the hotel swimming pool that the main character was named for. A replica of the swimming pool was built, including dressing rooms and decks. The...
Read more