India:

Water (2005)

Taking place in the holy city of Valanasi in 1938, young Chuyia has just become a widow at 8 years old and is forced to live in an ashram with the other widows. 

This film focuses on the conditions that widows go through in India. Even with laws in place allowing widows to re-marry, there are still 33 million widows suffering form this ancient practice. The Hindu religion believes that once your husband dies, half of the wife dies with him. Therefor she is given 3 choices. Die with her husband, marry his brother, or live the rest of her life in seclusion in an ashram. 

Chuyia gets her head shaved, and dressed in white, she gets torn from her parents and forced to live in impoverished conditions. Begging on the streets for money just so they can survive. In the community, they are seen as outcasts and toxic. Some Hindu's even believe if they bump into them they are polluted and need to be purified. 

I view Chuyia as representing the independence India is going through. In the ashram her rebellious spirit inspires the other widows to view life differently. I feel her innocence allows her to question the faith openly. This sparks the events that unfold throughout the story. Showing the consequences and triumphs women are going through in India today. Although things have changed, they still have a long way to go in altering their culture. 

Sound

Interesting Use of Music:

Hail, Caesar!

I am a huge fan of the Coen Brother's films, specifically because of their epic soundtracks. Hail, Caesar! is composed by Carter Burwell who worked on Fargo, True Grit, Twilight, No Country for Old Men and many other's. The reason I loved this film is because of the musical numbers performed by the amazingly talented cast. I though this was great because of the time it was set in, 1950's Hollywood. Seeing that we just watched a Bollywood film, I felt this movie would be appropriate to connect with. I highly recommend going to see this film, it's a great comedy.

Now I will leave you with the musical number the gorgeous Channing Tatum performed for your viewing pleasure. :) 

Special Effects

Special Effects:

The Jungle Book (2016)

I recently saw The Jungle Book and was absolutely amazed by how real the animals appeared in the movie. I researched and found that the entire movie was shot on a sound stage in Los Angeles. There was only one human performer, the rest was CGI animated animals. 

“We motion captured Neel, and we had humans kind of mimicking the animals he talked to so we could see a live digital composite of Neel with the dialogue with the bear or other animals, so we created eyelines for him to look at,” Legato explained. “That was essentially the shot, and then we took that apart on a blueprint basis and replicated it on stage, because we liked that shot, liked the composition.” 

https://www.inverse.com/article/14351-how-the-jungle-book-made-its-animals-look-so-real-with-groundbreaking-vfx

I couldn't believe how realistic these animals looked throughout the film. I was also blown away by how talented the young actor was. Acting without any actual animal had to be incredibly challenging. I have seen this in other films, such as avatar. Rob Legato worked on visual effects for both of these films, and I can definitely see the similarities. 

New Zealand

Whale Rider:

Historical Framework Response

An important aspect of the Historical Framework concentrates on gender roles within a culture. In Whale Rider, it explores the unique Maori culture going through a difficult time. Specifically the loss of traditional practices within the new generation of children.

The main character Paikea, is supposed to be born with her twin brother, however he sadly passes away along with her mother during childbrith. Her grandfather, Koro, becomes deeply concerned for his people after knowing they do not have a male to become their new chief. He even feels resentment towards his granddaughter because of this. Although they grow to be very close throughout the story.

Thousands of years of tradition are against Pai, but she is determined to fill her destiny as the new chief. Woman haven never been considered for chiefs, they have a more submissive role in this culture. Right away, you realize Pai goes against the typical gender roles. She is very assertive, intelligent, passionate, and self-spoken. Pai loves her culture and feels her destiny to become the next tribe leader.

Pai will change history for this tribe, and once she fulfilled her destiny, it opened up endless opportunities for the women.

Tsotsi

Taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa, specifically with a couple from the downtown area.










 As well as a slum in Alexander, where Tsotsi lives.

Sound and Music 

Tsotsi takes us through an emotional journey of a troubled youth in South Africa. One of the most important elements of this movie is it's unusual, but effective music choices. Comparing it to some of the other music we have heard in the other films we've watched, it was very upbeat and loud. During some of the most significant parts in the movie, I became very confused by their music choices. A lot of the time, the music seems out of place. Although, I don't know what they are saying because of the language barrier, so maybe it would make more sense if I could understand the words. 

I also noticed how the music is always very loud, as well as the other sounds. This seems to be a cultural norm based off the film. I thought the music brought very dramatic features to the story. Especially at the end of the film, I felt the music was essential in setting the tone for the emotional moment when Tsotsi finds redemption. 

Transitions

The Butterfly Effect

This movie is the definition of transitions! Throughout the film, you are continuously transported through memories as well into new story lines by cross cutting. The same tragic event happens in both stories, but they are cross cut with the new events that change his course of action. You also experience a ton of flashbacks. 

Camera Movement in Birdman

Camera Movement:

Birdman 

This clip shows how the director used a lot of handheld camera movement. You can see this how it moves back and forth between Emma Stone and Michael Keaton. This entire movie has amazing camera movement, most admired for it's long shots that make it seem like it was filmed all in one take. 

The Road Home & Symbolism

The Road Home

The symbolism in The Road Home was very dynamic throughout the film. One of the symbols I payed most attention to was the color red. The scarf, pin, and coat were all important objects that made appearances consistently throughout the film. I felt this symbolized the love and connection between Di and the teacher. Di also uses the red yarn to loom the sign for the school. It is one of the first connections between Di and the teacher, as well as representing the schools new beginning. 

I enjoyed watching the beautiful love story unfold in The Road Home. If you're looking for a tear-jerker, this is the perfect film! 

Camera Shots and Angles

I absolutely LOVE this close up shot in The Fault in Our Stars. 

It shows just how emotional and important this moment is for these characters. Throughout this whole movie, the director uses very interesting camera angles and shots. Before this class, I never really paid attention to the visual styles, but now its one of the main aspects I pay attention to. 

French New Wave

Our first stop around the world will be France! 

To represent the French New Wave, we watched a film directed by Francois Truffaut, The 400 Blows. The film was shot with impressive young actors, a cheap budget, in beautiful real locations. The film was simple yet visually dynamic, which contributed to the depth of the story. What I particularly loved about the film was that the visual styles helped me understand the characters in a different way. Antoine didn't particularly have a ton of dialogue, even though he was the main character. Instead, a lot was told by him through his expressions, movements, and his reactions to the situations around him. 

Truffaut did this through various close ups of Antoine. This helped show his expressions and reactions in a more dramatic way. I also appreciated the high angles that were used when his teacher or parents were talking to him. This makes him look more youthful and vulnerable in these situations. The panning in the beginning of the film was very beautiful as well.  

Hi Everyone!

My name is Brianne Deja, and I am currently a senior graduating in May 2017. I major in English with supports in elective studies and creative writing. I look forward to broadening my knowledge in film studies and I'm happy to take all of you along with me in my journey!