Thursday, 29 December 2016
Wednesday, 28 December 2016
Tuesday, 27 December 2016
Tuesday, 20 December 2016
The Cook, The Theif, His Wife And Her Lover - Film Review
The Cook, The Theif, His Wife And Her Lover
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| Fig. 1 The Cook, The Theif, His Wife And Her Lover (film still) |
Like the film 'Black Narcissus', colour symbolism is also used frequently throughout the set design of the film, adding to the mood of a certain character. Each room within the film is set in its own colour: the kitchen being green, the restaurant is red and the bathroom is solely white. Not only that, but Georgina's costumes also change with each room she enters. Matching and blending in with her surroundings.
"Georgina’s clothes are color coded simultaneously within a single scene. The attention to detail is staggering. Even the color of her cigarettes changes when she moves from one room to the other." (The Cook, The Theif, His Wife and Her Lover, /
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| Fig 2. The Cook, The Theif, His Wife And Her Lover (film still) |
The red restaurant is where most of the outbursts of anger happen from the character Albert Spica's (Georgina's brutal husband).Red is usually asscoited with "anger, passion, rage, desire, excitement, energy, speed, strength, power, heat, love, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence." (Film Directing Tips, '12 Colors and Their Meanings' by
As well as the walls and furnishing being red they even use subtle ,red lighting across Albert's Face. Contributing to his anger and violence. However this room contrasts with the clean and white surfaces of the bathroom. Portraying a more peaceful and less stressful environment. This is one of the places where Georgina would secretly meet her new, lover Micheal. "WHITE – Yes, protection, love, reverence, purity, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, birth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical, sterile" (Film Directing Tips, '12 Colors and Their Meanings' by
The green kitchen stays busy and chaotic. It is also another place where Georgina meets Micheal in secret. The kitchen staff help Georgina hide from her husband, whilst she engages in sexual activities with Micheal. The colour green has connatations associated with "renewal" and "fertility." (Film Directing Tips, '12 Colors and Their Meanings' by
"Renewal" in terms of her finding a new and stable lover,"fertility" - Georgina engaging in sexual activities.
As well as the walls and furnishing being red they even use subtle ,red lighting across Albert's Face. Contributing to his anger and violence. However this room contrasts with the clean and white surfaces of the bathroom. Portraying a more peaceful and less stressful environment. This is one of the places where Georgina would secretly meet her new, lover Micheal. "WHITE – Yes, protection, love, reverence, purity, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, birth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical, sterile" (Film Directing Tips, '12 Colors and Their Meanings' by
The green kitchen stays busy and chaotic. It is also another place where Georgina meets Micheal in secret. The kitchen staff help Georgina hide from her husband, whilst she engages in sexual activities with Micheal. The colour green has connatations associated with "renewal" and "fertility." (Film Directing Tips, '12 Colors and Their Meanings' by
"Renewal" in terms of her finding a new and stable lover,"fertility" - Georgina engaging in sexual activities.
Interestingly the only person throughout the film whose clothes don't adjust to the environment is Georgina's lover, Micheal. Throughout the film Micheal is seen as "normal" and the "safe place" for Georgina to go to for a while."BROWN – materialistic, sensation, earth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, stability, simplicity." (
Unlike Georgina, his costume doesn't change with the environment he's in. His costume stays as an ordinary brown suite. Suggesting his lifestyle is not controlled by those around him and he's not trying to "blend in" or hide.
Unlike Georgina, his costume doesn't change with the environment he's in. His costume stays as an ordinary brown suite. Suggesting his lifestyle is not controlled by those around him and he's not trying to "blend in" or hide.
Caryn James in the "New York Times" says:
"But Mr. Greenaway turns this tale of a bullying criminal and his unfaithful wife into something profound and extremely rare: a work so intelligent and powerful that it evokes our best emotions and least civil impulses, so esthetically brilliant that it expands the boundaries of film itself." (James C, April 6, 1990)
This small attention to detail of colour thoughout the film, really get the audience to engage and "evoke the best emotion" from the film. Whats even better is that as an audience member you dont even realise the effect "colour" can have on your emotion.
Illustration List:
Figure 1. The Cook, The Theif, His Wife And Her Lover (poster art)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cook,_the_Thief,_His_Wife_%26_Her_Lover (accessed on 13 December)
Bibliography:
(The Cook, The Theif, His Wife and Her Lover, https://asmarchitecture.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/the-cook-the-thief-his-wife-and-her-lover-use-of-color-as-a-metaphor-for-transformation/ (accessed on 13 December)
James C, (April 6, 1990) Article name In: New York Times [online] At: URL: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CE4DE1F3DF935A35757C0A966958260
(accessed on 13 December)
Marshall PD (no date) Film Directing Tips, '12 Colors and Their Meanings' In: Film Directing Tips [online] At: URL: http://filmdirectingtips.com/archives/157 (accessed on 13 December)
"But Mr. Greenaway turns this tale of a bullying criminal and his unfaithful wife into something profound and extremely rare: a work so intelligent and powerful that it evokes our best emotions and least civil impulses, so esthetically brilliant that it expands the boundaries of film itself." (James C, April 6, 1990)
This small attention to detail of colour thoughout the film, really get the audience to engage and "evoke the best emotion" from the film. Whats even better is that as an audience member you dont even realise the effect "colour" can have on your emotion.
Illustration List:
Figure 1. The Cook, The Theif, His Wife And Her Lover (poster art)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cook,_the_Thief,_His_Wife_%26_Her_Lover (accessed on 13 December)
Figure 2. The Cook, The Theif, His Wife And Her Lover (film still) https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=the+cook+the+thief+his+wife+and+her+lover&view=detailv2&&id=C0FF1738BD3B10A2DC01DD50A4E9283C8E636603&selectedIndex=132&ccid=lR%2bRMN2p&simid=608008512435914120&thid=OIP.M951f9130dda9c13844216884a2f79f1eo0&ajaxhist=0
(accessed on 13 December)Bibliography:
(The Cook, The Theif, His Wife and Her Lover, https://asmarchitecture.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/the-cook-the-thief-his-wife-and-her-lover-use-of-color-as-a-metaphor-for-transformation/ (accessed on 13 December)
James C, (April 6, 1990) Article name In: New York Times [online] At: URL: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CE4DE1F3DF935A35757C0A966958260
(accessed on 13 December)
Marshall PD (no date) Film Directing Tips, '12 Colors and Their Meanings' In: Film Directing Tips [online] At: URL: http://filmdirectingtips.com/archives/157 (accessed on 13 December)
Monday, 19 December 2016
The Shining - Film Review
The Shining
The American, Horror film "The Shining" was released in 1980, produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick was inspired by Stephen Kings novel called "The Shining."
Jack Torrence, his son Danny and his wife Wendy, head out on a journey to the Overlook Hotel, situated on a Mountain in complete isolation. The Hotel is closed between October and May, so the family are invited to stay at the Hotel because there is no one else there. Jack takes this opportunity of 'solitude' to write for his new job. However the family soon learn the past horror's of the Overlook Hotel, that surround and effect the people who live in it.
Through out the film Kubrick frequently uses Steadicam shots.
"Steadicam was invented by cinematographer Garrett Brown
who wanted a way for movie viewers to follow action intimately without the jerkiness of a handheld camera and without crews needed to assemble big cameras on dollies."
For example, there is one scene when Danny is speedily go-karting down one of the Hotel corridors. The viewer is placed above Danny, following from behind his every movement. Not only does this scene create an intimidating camera angle by dwarfing Danny's character, it also shows the audience the vast emptiness and space of the Hotel.
Kubrick is also well known for his use of one point perspective, he uses this technique throughout most of the film, especially within the corridors and hallway where he focuses on what is at the centre of the image. Using Danny as another example there is a scene where Danny is playing with his toys on the orange and brown patterned carpets. The camera trains the eye on the centre of the image, creating a one point perspective. (see image .....)
"Kubrick’s most famous trademark is his use of symmetry in many of the most important shots of his films. He places the camera so that there is a “horizon” that spans the middle of the screen. He uses the very center of the picture as a point of perspective, with everything else in the shot leading to that singular point."
The Hotel's interior is not a typical horror movie set. no cobwebs and no castle. Kubrick instead contrasts the theme of horror by sing clean, simple and modern architecture. Roy Walker (Set designer) gathered images of real hotel rooms from all around America. Once Kubrick chose his favourite interior's, the production team then replicated these interior designs for the movie.
“We wanted the hotel to look authentic rather than like a traditionally spooky movie hotel,” Kubrick said. “The hotel's labyrinthine layout and huge rooms, I believed, would alone provide an eerie enough atmosphere. This realistic approach was also followed in the lighting, and in every aspect of the décor it seemed to me that the perfect guide for this approach could be found in Kafka's writing style. His stories are fantastic and allegorical, but his writing is simple and straightforward, almost journalistic.”
Like my previous film review for Black Narcisuss, you could argue that there is colour symbolism in this film too. When Jack gradually becomes more angered and psychotic, Kubrick cleverly places the character within a red toilet. Red is a colour you might associate with evil or anger. A great example of how the set can sub-consciously help the audience understand a characters mood.
"The room is utterly unlike any other in the hotel – it’s as though it’s a direct projection of Jack’s violent mind, which it almost certainly is. It’s but one example of how Kubrick uses colour and design to reflect the mood of his characters."The music itself plays a vital part in creating the horror and thrill for the film. The use of non-diegectic sound is very random and disturbing. Sometimes the film would simply flash a week day on the screen. The eerie music beforehand causes the viewer to anticipate something sinister. Yet the viewer is relieved to discover that its just Tuesday.
Illustration List:
Figure 1. The Shining (poster art) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(film) (Accessed on 30 November 2016)
Figure 2 The Shining (film still) http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/18283/iconic-set-design-the-shinings-overlook-hotel (Accessed on 30 November 2016)
Bibliography:
Gothamist, Film Society Of Lincoln Center To Celebrate Groundbreaking Steadicamcam Movies, Including 'The Shining' and 'Boogie Nights' http://gothamist.com/2016/11/28/steadicam_lincoln_center.php (Accessed on 30 November 2016)
Den of Geek, Iconic set design: The Shining's Overlook, In: Den of Geek At: URL: http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/18283/iconic-set-design-the-shinings-overlook-hotel (Accessed on 30 November 2016)
The American, Horror film "The Shining" was released in 1980, produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick was inspired by Stephen Kings novel called "The Shining."
 |
| Fig 1. The Shining, (poster art) |
Through out the film Kubrick frequently uses Steadicam shots.
"Steadicam was invented by cinematographer Garrett Brown
who wanted a way for movie viewers to follow action intimately without the jerkiness of a handheld camera and without crews needed to assemble big cameras on dollies."
For example, there is one scene when Danny is speedily go-karting down one of the Hotel corridors. The viewer is placed above Danny, following from behind his every movement. Not only does this scene create an intimidating camera angle by dwarfing Danny's character, it also shows the audience the vast emptiness and space of the Hotel.
 |
| Fig. 2 The Shining (film still) |
Kubrick is also well known for his use of one point perspective, he uses this technique throughout most of the film, especially within the corridors and hallway where he focuses on what is at the centre of the image. Using Danny as another example there is a scene where Danny is playing with his toys on the orange and brown patterned carpets. The camera trains the eye on the centre of the image, creating a one point perspective. (see image .....)
"Kubrick’s most famous trademark is his use of symmetry in many of the most important shots of his films. He places the camera so that there is a “horizon” that spans the middle of the screen. He uses the very center of the picture as a point of perspective, with everything else in the shot leading to that singular point."
The Hotel's interior is not a typical horror movie set. no cobwebs and no castle. Kubrick instead contrasts the theme of horror by sing clean, simple and modern architecture. Roy Walker (Set designer) gathered images of real hotel rooms from all around America. Once Kubrick chose his favourite interior's, the production team then replicated these interior designs for the movie.
“We wanted the hotel to look authentic rather than like a traditionally spooky movie hotel,” Kubrick said. “The hotel's labyrinthine layout and huge rooms, I believed, would alone provide an eerie enough atmosphere. This realistic approach was also followed in the lighting, and in every aspect of the décor it seemed to me that the perfect guide for this approach could be found in Kafka's writing style. His stories are fantastic and allegorical, but his writing is simple and straightforward, almost journalistic.”
Like my previous film review for Black Narcisuss, you could argue that there is colour symbolism in this film too. When Jack gradually becomes more angered and psychotic, Kubrick cleverly places the character within a red toilet. Red is a colour you might associate with evil or anger. A great example of how the set can sub-consciously help the audience understand a characters mood.
"The room is utterly unlike any other in the hotel – it’s as though it’s a direct projection of Jack’s violent mind, which it almost certainly is. It’s but one example of how Kubrick uses colour and design to reflect the mood of his characters."The music itself plays a vital part in creating the horror and thrill for the film. The use of non-diegectic sound is very random and disturbing. Sometimes the film would simply flash a week day on the screen. The eerie music beforehand causes the viewer to anticipate something sinister. Yet the viewer is relieved to discover that its just Tuesday.
Illustration List:
Figure 1. The Shining (poster art) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(film) (Accessed on 30 November 2016)
Figure 2 The Shining (film still) http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/18283/iconic-set-design-the-shinings-overlook-hotel (Accessed on 30 November 2016)
Bibliography:
Gothamist, Film Society Of Lincoln Center To Celebrate Groundbreaking Steadicamcam Movies, Including 'The Shining' and 'Boogie Nights' http://gothamist.com/2016/11/28/steadicam_lincoln_center.php (Accessed on 30 November 2016)
Den of Geek, Iconic set design: The Shining's Overlook, In: Den of Geek At: URL: http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/18283/iconic-set-design-the-shinings-overlook-hotel (Accessed on 30 November 2016)
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