Dark City's movie review

(Dark City, 1998)

German Expressionism is a film style that appeared in the period of 1919 to 1926, in Germany. It was influenced by the Expressionist movement in modern art in early 1900s. Most of the filmmakers brought their filmmaking practice to Hollywood, influencing horror films and film noir by migrating from Germany to USA. Some of the German Expressionists filmmakers are Fritz Lang, Robert Weine, and F.N.Murnau.

The style of German Expressionism can be conclude with the use of oblique camera angles, such as the scene that shows the protagonist's fingerprint with oblique camera angle. Other than that, distorted bodies and shapes are also the style of the German Expressionism, there are many scenes that show distorted bodies and shapes throughout the movie. For instance, when the strangers were tuning, the buildings in the scenes were twisting to change landscape. The effects during tuning and combat battle between the protagonist and the antagonist were one of the ways to present distortion. Another ways for the representation of distortion is the alien's look and movement of the antagonists. Moreover, bizarre and incongruous settings that are usually Gothic in look and framing, there is one scene that one of the family was imprinted by the strangers, the outfit and the environment of that family were changed and it is more to Gothic style. Furthermore, the style of the German Expressionism also consists of the high contrast (low-key) lighting that create dramatic shadows. For an example, the scene when the inspector went to visit his friend which is also an inspector once. The inspector was invited to the room that his friend scribbled on the wall, the room was dark and chiaroscuro lighting were shown by using only a kerosene lamp.

The German Expressionism has many kind of themes, such as revolt, self-analysis, madness and primitive, sexual savagery. The theme of revolt can clearly be seen in many scenes throughout the movie. One of the scene that the protagonist was fighting with the strangers by escaping and looking for the truth that distorted by the strangers shows the act of revolt. Another example was in the scene that the doctor was forced to imprint the memories of the antagonists into the protagonist's mind, but the act of revolt is shown with the doctor inject another syringe that contain everything that the protagonist wanted to know. Another obvious instance is when the time that the protagonist gain the power of tuning which is owned by the antagonists, the act of revolt is already begin.

Another theme of German Expressionism is the self-analysis. Throughout the whole film, we will be aware of that the protagonist is questioning himself about who he is,the one self and where they are, the environment. Another character that also keep on questioning himself was Mr Walenski, he found out that the strangers were imprinting the memories when he was still awake.

Madness is also one of the theme of German Expressionism that is applied in the film. The most representative character for this movie is Mr Walenski, a friend of the inspector. He had a room that is prohibited from his wife and he scribbled the symbol of the strangers all over the wall of that room. Finally, he killed himself by jumping into the train tracks so that he can relief from that world. Other than Mr Walenski, the protagonist is also a character that has madness in it. It can be observed with the scene the protagonist is obsessing with the Shell Beach as he asked everyone he know about how to reach to Shell Beach and at the end of the film the protagonist build up the Shell Beach. Furthermore, the protagonist killed all the strangers in the center of the system by only himself.

In this film, Surrealism is also consisted. The surreal contents that can be seen in the movie is the city is a fact of different eras on earth. As we can see in the movie, the outfits that are wore by the characters in the film is in Gothic style. Moreover, the city as a maze like it is in an experiment. For instance, the purpose of the antagonists imprint the human's memories and tune the city landscape are to learn how to be like a human as they are dying and sharing the same group of mind. Furthermore, chiaroscuro lighting that create dramatic shadows is used in some scenes. For example, when protagonist walked through the alley, toward to the Shell Beach, the shadows are dark enough to create the intense feeling. Another example for this is the scene that one of the antagonist emerges from the dark to ask protagonist when finally the protagonist controlled the city.

In a conclusion, Expressionism was displayed in literature, painting, theater and architecture of Scandinavian and German-speaking countries. It also spread into cinema in terms of narrative, set and mise-en-scene. It is very obvious to see when come into the set design and chiaroscuro lighting. German Expressionism is affected by the Expressionist movement in the modern art in early 1900s and it appeared as a film style during 1919 to 1926. An example that applied German Expressionism into the movie is named 'Dark City'.

References:

Plot Summary. (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2017, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118929/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ql_stry_2

Darsa, A. (2015, March 16). An Introduction to German Expressionist Films. Retrieved April 16, 2017, from https://news.artnet.com/market/art-house-an-introduction-to-german-expressionist-films-32845

  

In the Mood for Love's movie review

(In the Mood for Love, 2000)

Today's movie review is about the film named 'In the Mood for Love'. The film 'In the Mood for Love' has applied the theory of french impressionism cinema. French Impressionism Cinema explores psychological causes, gives narration considerable psychological depth, revealing play of the character's consciousness, concerns mental states, dreams or fantasies. It manipulates plot time and subjectivity by showing flashbacks or memories.

Synopsis:

The story begin with Su Li Zhen and Chow Mo Wen moved into the apartment. They often being alone for meals as their spouses always not at home for a long time. After some times, Su and Chow knew they were cheated by their spouses. Chow and Su cooperate to wrote the martial art serial for the paper. Su's long disappearance for the purpose of writing and was noticed by the neighbors. In order to eliminate distraction, Chow rented a hotel room to write the story. They thought that they will be degraded if they stooped to the level of their spouses. However, as times go, Su and Chow found out they have developed feelings for each other. Chow got a job offered in Singapore and he asked Su to came with him but at last Chow left by himself. Years later, Chow had returned Hong Kong to visit his landlord but discovered they had emigrate to Philippines. He asked the new owner about Su's landlady and got the answer of a woman and his son was living there now. Chow left without realizing Su is the lady living next door.

Introduction to French Impressionist Cinema:

French Impressionist Cinema is popular during 1919 to 1928. French Impressionism triggered off due to lack of interests by mass and the rising production costs. It explores the psychological causes, gives narration considerable psychological depth by revealing play of the character's conciousness, concerns mental states, dreams or fantasies. By showing flashback or memories, French Impressionist Cinema manipulates the time plot and subjectivity. It shows the visual depiction of mental states through the cinematography and editing.

Analysis:

In the term of editing, French Impressionist Cinema apply the use of irises, superimposition, masks to indicate the character's thoughts and feelings. There is one scene that shows Chow's wife was bathing and she was crying in the bathroom.

The aperture of the camera is low in that scene to show the overall feel of sadness.There is a scene that shows Chow had comforted Su to not thinking so much. After that, he also invited Su to help him in thinking about the story that he wrote. At the end, Chow thanked Su for the sesame paste that she made.

The superimposition of visual is applied in that scene in order to present the feel of guilty and shame as the sesame paste that made by Su was actually specially cooked for Chow after she heard that he wanted to have it but she lied that it was just because she have cooked the sesame paste in a big pot and there were still have some.

To show the dizziness or drunkenness, the visual are usually distorted, filtered or vertiginous camera movement is used. The character's experience of particular situation can be shown by using the point of view editing, rhythmic editing.

The camera movements of the French Impressionist Cinema is smooth and brought about by frame mobility. In order to achieve the frame mobility, the camera can be tied to cars, wheels, bobsleds, cables and more. There is a scene  that is showing Chow is walking at the lobby of the hotel. The camera is smooth when the footstep was shot. Another scene that shows a smooth camera movement is Su and Chow met at the alley that sell Wantan noodle.

The jump cut of Su in the hotel show the feeling of hesitation. The jump cuts show that she is walking up and down at the stair and wandering at the lobby outside the hotel room. This gives out the meaning of she was hesitated that is she going to meet Chow at the hotel room that he rented.

The purpose of the slow motion shot in the movie is to show the time is passing. When Su and Chow were in the hotel room writing the novel together, the shots were shot in slow motion. This give out the meaning of the time is passing slow when Su and Chow were together to write the novel.

Romance genre can be seen clearly in the movie. Romance genre often explores some themes such as love at first sight, young or older love, forbidden love or unrequited love. Although romance film does not always have a good or happy ending but still it has serves the audience an escape from their real life. In this movie, the theme that explored is the forbidden love that is immoral as Chow and Su were in love although they had their own marriage. In the end of the movie, it does not have a really happy ending for Su and Chow. Su raised up her child in the apartment they live before and Chow left the apartment after came back from Singapore to visit his own landlord without noticing that Su had moved back into the apartment.

Conclusion:

French Impressionist Cinema is once popular during the time 1919 to 1928, but later this kind of film gradually fade out as it needs lots of production costs and the audience are lack of interest toward it. French Impressionist Cinema always involve with the romance genre as the overall feeling and tempo that present by French Impressionist Cinema are slow. In the Mood for Love is a good example that can represent French Impressionist Cinema. The movie not only involves all the characteristics of the French Impressionist Cinema, it also contains the style of shooting the shot by the director. If you are careful enough, you will find out that through out the movie, the face of Su's husband and Chow's wife cannot be seen clearly, this is one of the features you can look into it.


References:

Romance Films. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2017, from http://www.filmsite.org/romancefilms.html

Plot Summary. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2017, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118694/plotsummary