After viewing The Flowers of War (2011) and House of Flying Daggers (2002), both directed by Zhang Yimou, Yimou’s background in cinematography is quite evident. However, other than the stunning cinematography, these two films have little in common. They represent drastically different moods, styles and messages within the spectrum of Chinese cinema. Despite the historical … Continue reading
What are documentary films and where do they manifest themselves in popular culture today? According to Film Art (2012, David Bordwell, Kristin Thompson): “A documentary may be strongly partisan, but as a documentary, it nonetheless presents itself as providing trustworthy information about its subject.” (Bordwell/Thompson, pg 350). Bordwell/Thompson also explain that each documentary has a … Continue reading
An enchanted-looking street, cast in the warmth of a glowing sun. A streetlight and greenery line the cobblestone street upon which the camera sits, observing a miniscule fly. This is the opening scene of the film Amelie, after which we are introduced to the characters which play significant roles in the shaping of her world. … Continue reading
The film Amelie (2001) brings to life a world of whimsy, color and innocence. The trick to the construction of this beautiful diegetic world is the mise-en-scene. The mise-en-scene of a movie encompasses four aspects: setting, costuming and make-up, lighting and staging. Each element is important and carefully constructed, coming together to create a whole … Continue reading
Although there seems to be no strict equation for the presentation of the plot in Before the Rain, the director definitely structured it the way he did for a reason. Perhaps the comments from his interview provide the simple explanation and reasoning behind his method: “…the seeming ‘time paradoxes’ in his film – the moments … Continue reading
Before the circle…or during it, or after it. We know that the “circle is not round.” It’s a broken circle then, right? So does it matter? The title of the movie is “Before the Rain” (1995, Milcho Manchevski), but contrary to assumption, it gets even more confusing when you try to assume that the entire … Continue reading
Film Art 