Donovan Bradley Film Studies Discovering a Big, Creative, and Fully Loaded Imagination This semester in our Film Studies class we have discussed many of the elements, various skills, and the techniques that are used when creating a film. Film is the only moving art form that holds the capacity to take its audience to undisclosed locations and alternate realities where the director and actors have the chance to grab viewers by the heart strings and compose a melody that may move one’s soul. They can take on a more meaningful role that may cause one to spend time later contemplating their own life or even change one’s opinion or at least create a new viewpoint within them so that they may see a topic through a whole new light. At the very least, they can be thought provoking, comical, or entertaining. The height of a movie’s emotional range, character scope, and sprawling imaginative settings has hopefully not yet been fully reached. Movies are an ever changing art form that has done well in being able to recreate itself to fit in with the current age while some have even been able to become timeless. Within this critical analysis we should delve deeper into the inner workings of two great, yet totally different bodies of work. We will take a look at what made these two movies work and what film techniques were used well to help them become such creative mediums of storytelling and artwork. The two totally different movies that were referenced above are Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket and Tim Burton’s Big Fish. While not only different, they don’t even seem to be two sides to the same coin. Though thanks to great scripting, directing, acting, editing, camera techniques and overall quality storytelling, these two should always be memorable to movie connoisseurs. Merriam-Webster defines a connoisseur as one who understands the details, technique, or principles of an art and is competent to act as a critical judge. As being a connoisseur of many varied interests, after taking this class you should also be able to count yourself among these critical judges by semester’s end. Just as a lover of fine food and worldly wines would say, “Shall we dine?” The first film topic that we covered in class was the Principles of Photography. The two movies selected should fall nicely into one of both the categories provided. Full Metal Jacket is without a doubt a movie based on Realism. As a film that took a cold hard look and an unnerving approach to the Vietnam War, Full Metal Jacket successfully mirrors the cold, harsh realities that were all par for the course for the day-to-day soldier. Shot as if in a candid affair with these enlisted Marines, the movie approaches its story by basically having you feel as if you are an unnamed soldier just off on the sidelines viewing all the action and delicious beratement of the soldier’s from their drill sergeant (played perfectly by R. Lee Ermey). Shot in this way, the movie avoids the extremes of technical manipulation. This is a pure unfiltered view into the underworld of the U.S. Marine Corps Training Camp at Parris Island, South Carolina during the 1960s. As with most movies founded upon the basis of Realism this movie uses available lighting, hand-held cameras, long shots, and lengthy takes while frequently making use of on location shooting. As the movie continues, the viewer can clearly tell that the story Kubrick is trying to tell here perfectly captures the spontaneity of war and the daily events in a soldier’s life while stationed in a completely different and almost alien society in comparison to their own. With Burton’s modern day fairytale Big Fish, he goes the opposite way with his visionary fable by weaving a story that has strong roots in both Classicism and Formalism forms of movie photography. From the immediate beginning of the opening lines, one can begin to piece together for themselves that this is a movie that will be strong on its story, stars, and production value. The movie starts with a narrator’s voice over that provides just the right ambience to allow one’s self to imagine that they have just sat down to hear a story passed onto them from their own beloved grandpa or perhaps a cherished old friend. No matter how the story is spun throughout the movie with all of its twists and turns, cliffs and pitfalls, the audience is held in a state of wonderment that could have not been made possible without the strong focus on the central story. The film stars the charismatic duo of Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney as both the young and old Ed Bloom respectively, who is on a journey throughout time and space to capture the beat of his own yearning heart, whether it may lead him towards friends, love, success, or family. And along the way, it finally leads him to them all. Still living off the moments of his prime, Burton’s keen eye and unique directorial skills allow him to develop a movie that shows a high level of technical accomplishment. From the trick photography, the special effects, costumes and makeup, to the sets and visual embellishments, it is quickly clear that with the right inspiration and motivation Burton can craft an overall delightful, fun, and imaginative film that encompasses almost all human emotion and most importantly, captures the human heart. Burton’s Formalistic approach to the movie broadens the horizons of the film and sends it in stylistic directions that refuse to be battened down by stricter, more modern conventions. He adds a magical quality to his directing that intentionally stylizes and distorts reality. While being founded in the real world, his imaginative direction causes the film to soar to greater heights by suspending disbelieve. Imagine it if you were, as if capturing a flying majestic dragon with a common butterfly net. Two of the scenes that prominently stand out to prove this are Time Stands Still and the beginning moments of the Field of Daffodils scene. These are two of this writer’s favorite creative movie scenes that he has ever personally witnessed. They take you from a common base of reality to the mountaintops of originality and artistic design while seeming truly inspired. To the romantic at heart, these two scenes move mountains when it comes to the form of externalizing the internal. While the content of these two films are definitely like night and day, the internal development and careful crafting turn them into art forms that have become bigger than themselves. They have spurned imaginations, instilled a patriotic sensitivity, given hope where none may have been found, and if anything, inspires one to keep trekking on towards the future. They are not merely the sum of their parts. They teach optimism in the face of adversity and challenge ones soul to become fashioned by the fire and storms that may be going on around them, rather than succumb to the fiery pits or flooded roads of life that may otherwise send one figuratively to a watery grave. They open up the mind, reach in and grab your heart, and then launch it into the stars where one may float about until they have the capacity to realize just what they are capable of. They show the cruel realities of a war that no one wanted and dictate the daily events that should forever remind the people of why these wars were fought and why it should be helped at all costs to prevent taking these same actions again. The three Principles of Photography that were used by these two movies create a classic style and personality that sadly most films will never reach. It is these classics that once found, must be held dear to one’s heart and never let go. War is sometimes necessary. Creative imaginations are always pertinent. To demand that actions must be taken to bring about a necessary change within society while also having the knowledge, willpower, and creative mind to know just what to do afterwards, well whoever may be able to capture the strengths of both veins may be known as the single entity to unite the peoples from all different walks of life and to once again instill hope into the hearts and minds of the world wide populace. And isn’t that what movies were originally intended for? As an escape from the harsh realities of life and the little semblance to any good will? Well, what if for a second, we imagine a world with a director who makes the stark realities of life to be less in contrast with the semblances of hope? What if countries no longer had to carry large amounts of Full Metal Jackets? Is that too much of a tall tale to hope for? Is it too big of a fish to be caught or even too unbelievable to fathom that one could reel in such a feat? Hopefully one day in our grandchildren’s future the sparks of labor and love can provide enough electricity to power love and peace through the hearts of the entire world. Until then… I will see you at the movies.
Posted on: Sat, 31 Aug 2013 18:03:12 +0000
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