Wednesday 2 October 2013

Critical Thinking: "How do the 2 films differ in their Themes and in expressing the culture's ideas and history?

The two films bear similar themes which convey hardship, such as the theme of isolation; reinforced through the protagonists Ofelia and Amelie. The main difference that can be highlighted between the two films in relation to the ideas and history of the culture being expressed, through the use of the themes, is the realistic way in which they are presented. In Pan's Labyrinth, the Spanish Civil War was a time of death and hardship for the people, expressed through such themes as isolation and magical realism to act as an escape from the chaos around the characters. In Amelie, it can been seen to communicate themes that do not provide for a realistic portrayal of France's cultural ideas and past. They are presented in a surreal way, displaying France in a glamourised manner, with the use of themes such as youth and love.

Both films have the theme of isolation and having no childhood for the main characters but the way that these themes have been displayed is different because of the choice of the directors. In Pans Labyrinth, the director wants to express the negative aspects from the civil war and he has choose to make the film to show how the war affected his country and is trying to change the ways war and conflict is presented around children, showing the negative effects they have on children. He shows this theme through showing explosions, rain, darkness, miserable; he is showing the masculine world of war to the audience from the hard, tough times. Amelie shows these themes too but the director has chosen to show the film in a feminine world with the use of bright colours. Jeunet didn't want rain in his film and is showing a beautiful city and shows the idea of even though these horrible themes are occurring, she could fully escape from reality through dreams of love and beauty.

The themes used in the films act as vessels in communicating the culture's ideas and history, via the way in which the director has intended. With this in mind, there is also a link between the themes and the messages conveyed by the directors. These can be seen in relation to the situations both protagonists are in. Pan's Labyrinth conveys the message of hardship in war and the negative effects it has on the younger generations, that are sucked into the conflict which ensues around them; turning to the construction of a fantasy world as a means of escape in such dark times. A message is not as strongly communicated in Amelie, as the events that occur promote a construction of many different occurrences, making it unclear to the audience what should be taken away from the film, other than the enjoyable surreal style and romanticised elements. One message that can be taken from Amelie is the idea that we receive what we give, referring to how the love conveyed in the film, is all a construction by Amelie.  




Friday 7 June 2013

Sergio Leone

Genre

Sergio Leone is a well recognised italian director, known for his contribution to  the creation of Spaghetti Western films. After a trilogy of westerns he felt like a change in genre and created the film once upon a time in America, which followed the life of a gangster in Manhattan; rather than the life of cowboys and soldiers.

Style

He tends to incorporate the stereotypical aspects we would see in a western, with a substantial amount of combat such as shootouts, battlegrounds and standoffs. He was also known for capturing long periods of silence.

Themes and Messages

Leone incorporates a lot of historical background into his films, highlighting issues of conflict and society during different time periods; an example being the american civil war.  He explores themes of revenge, conflict and good vs bad. There is a focus on character and the journeys they undertake.  

Filmography

A Fistful of Dollars
For A Few Dollars More
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Once Upon A Time in America

is Leone an

Resource References

1. An interview with Sergio Leone. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zIEDBGRFUw
Youtube
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2. Internet Movie Database. - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001466/  

3. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13EUXqIwDkQ

4. Notes on 'The Auteur' Theory - http://cejsh.icm.edu.pl/cejsh/element/bwmeta1.element.52257b36-c9b8-3552-82d8-f30c0db11f62

5. The Cinema Book - http://www.medieteori.dk/medieteori/Cook.pdf 

6. A Revision of The Ideas of authorship - http://screen.oxfordjournals.org/content/14/3/75.extract
7. Clint Eastwood The Quiet American - Page 15, Sight and Sound Magazine 2008