Review Of How To Read A Film By James Monaco

Throughout the essay, many references and comparisons are made to other films. Also incorporated in the essay is the use of advance terminology; Giving indication that the author is very knowledge about film. Haslem mentions in her essay “Neon Gothic: Lost in Translation”, “In many ways Coppola’s film exhibits marks of classic European art cinema. Specifically, in her interest in stillness rather than action, Coppola recreates a similar impressionistic resonance that was initially established by filmmakers like Carl Dreyer in The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) and elaborated by Michelangelo Antonioni in films like L’Eclisse (1962) and L’Avventura (1960)”

This sense of hostility springs forth from the misconstrued view of literature being the superior art form among the two, extending to the apparent artistic inferiority of cinematic adaptations, which seemingly “betrays” its source material. But the idea of cinema as a potent and dynamic art

It is clear that every film director has his or her own style; whether it be subtle motifs, or an entirely separate genre, a director’s personal style shines through. Wes Anderson, the director responsible for Moonrise Kingdom, falls into the latter of the two types of directorial style. His filmic style is unique in so many ways, and his films are typically classified as just “A Wes Anderson Film”. While this essay is not a generic criticism or analysis, Anderson’s films are famous for their “quirky and humorous” style and have consistently won and have been nominated for countless awards. His films also produce a “brand of awkward and sometimes sad comedy” that is found in each one of his films (Biography.com).

This essay will discuss how the film uses these two techniques, in reference to the film, and to what ideological and political ends are the techniques used in the films with specific references from the film to support the argument. A Man with a Movie Camera is based around one man who travels around the city to capture various moments and everyday

Images of black and white to portray an eerie atmosphere. David lynch creates perplexingly ambiguous worlds and dreamlike situations which is the basis of many if not all of his works. It is certainly evident in films such as Eraserhead and the Elephant Man that this dreary and desolate setting is taken from such eras in cinematic history as German Expressionist cinema. Even though the Elephant man and Eraserhead would be catagorised as being visually inspired by German Expressionism, they hold their differences aesthetically. The Elephant man is quite tame in a Lynchian sense seeing that it 's so straightforward in it 's story telling and Eraserhead is more obscure and cryptic.

In “Aesthetic of Astonishment” essay, Gunning argues how people first saw cinema, and how they are amazed with the moving picture for the first time, and were not only amazed by the technological aspect, but also the experience of how the introduction of movies have changed the way people perceive the reality in a completely different way. Gunning states that “The astonishment derives from a magical metamorphosis rather than a seamless reproduction of reality”(118). He uses the myth of how the sacred audience run out the theater in terror when they first saw the Lumiere Brother Arrival of the train. However, Gunning does not really care how hysterical their reaction is, even saying that he have doubts on what actually happened that day, as for him it the significance lied on the incidence--that is, the triggering of the audience’s reaction and its subsequence results, and not the actual reactions and their extent. It is this incident, due to the confusion of the audience’s cognition caused by new technology, that serves as a significant milestone in film history which triggered in the industry and the fascination with film, which to this day allows cinema to manipulate and

Rather than the unique camera movement and way of storytelling, the interior meaning of his films is intriguing. It is believed that these characteristics become his signature, which build up his reputation in the world. (1020

Film takes photography to another level. Film, or the cinema “is objectivity in time.” For the first time with film “the image of things is likewise the image of their duration, change mummified as it were”. Bazin argues "only the impassive lens, stripping its object of all those ways of seeing it, those piled- up preconceptions, that spiritual dust and grime with which my eyes have covered it, are able to present it in all its virginal purity to my attention and consequently to my love.

Realism is an approach to art in which subjects are depicted in as straightforward manner as possible. Realism is also the tendency to represent things as they really are without any alterations or modifications. Additionally, in realism there is a concern for fact or reality and a rejection of the impractical and visionary. Realism is a mid-1850s- late 19th century movement that started in France. Realism emerged in the aftermath of the Revolution of 1848 that overturned the monarchy of Louis-Philippe and realism developed during the period of the Second Empire under Napoleon III.

By neglecting emotions, the films became entirely mechanical. His unorthodox approach created another kind of medium which was plain and flat on the surface. This medium is also indifferent to the audience. It does not try to wield anyone. It does not drag the spectators out of their world but rather to confront them with reality.

Originally «Surrealism was an avant-garde art movement in Paris from 1924 to 1941, consisting of a small group of writers, artists, and filmmakers, including André Breton (1896–1966), Salvador Dali (1904–1989), and Luis Buñuel (1900–1983). The movement used shocking, irrational, or absurd imagery and Freudian dream symbolism to challenge the traditional function of art to represent reality. Related to Dada cinema, Surrealist cinema is characterized by juxtapositions, the rejection of dramatic psychology, and a frequent use of shocking imagery. »(1) In 1920s France was suffering from the Great Depression as well as many other countries.

German Expressionism has influenced thousands of films and filmmakers since the art movement began in the 1920’s. It is known for its dismissal of the standard conventions of Western filmmaking for a more off-kilter style of storytelling. Some film historians consider Metropolis (1927) to be one of the most groundbreaking German Expressionist films ever made. However, there are many instances throughout Metropolis in which it deviates from the eccentric Expressionist style. There are many obvious occurrences of expressionism during Metropolis, for example the opening machine sequence, but conventional Western techniques are also common in the film.

Baz Luhrmann is widely acknowledged for his Red Curtain Trilogy which are films aimed at heightening an artificial nature and for engaging the audience. Through an examination of the films Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby, the evolution and adaptation of his techniques become evident. Luhrmann’s belief in a ‘theatrical cinema’ can be observed to varying degrees through the three films and his choice to employ cinematic techniques such as self-reflexivity, pastiche and hyperbolic hyperbole. The cinematic technique of self-reflexivity allows a film to draw attention to itself as ‘not about naturalism’ and asks the audience to suspend their disbelief and believe in the fictional construct of the film.

Louis Giannetti’s extensive critique chapter in his book, Understanding Movies, thoroughly explains several different theories that film critics use to evaluate a film. Giannetti explains a theory as, “an intellectual grid, a set of aesthetic generalizations, not eternal verities. Some theories are more useful than others in understanding specific movies. No single theory can explain them all” (452). The chapter explores five different theories: realism, formalism, eclecticism, structuralism/semiology, and historiography.

German Expressionism was a brief, yet vital period of film-making which spanned from roughly 1905 until 1935. One could consider this a small section from the history of film, yet the impact of German Expressionism upon the creative zeitgeist is still felt today. This essay will argue that these films, specifically 1927’s Metropolis, had an incredibly deep and profound impact upon the Science Fiction genre. It will explore the elements of German Expressionism, which began with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The essay will go on to discuss the themes and concepts presented in Metropolis, concluding with the argument that the story of Metropolis can be seen everywhere within contemporary Science Fiction.