Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Response to Noir 2
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
German Expressionism (Research)
The first Expressionist films, The Student of Prague directed by Stellan Rye, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) directed by Robert Wiene, The Golem(1920) directed by Paul Wegener , Destiny (1921) directed by Fritz Lang, Nosferatu(1922) directed by F.W. Murnau, Phantom (1922) directed by F.W. Murnau, Schatten (1923) directed by Arthur Robison , and The Last Laugh (1924) directed by F.W. Murnau , and were highly symbolic and stylized.
German silent cinema was arguably far ahead of cinema in Hollywood. As well as the direct influence of film makers who moved from Germany to Hollywood developments in style and technique which were developed through Expressionism in Germany impressed contemporary film makers from elsewhere and were incorporated into their work and so into the body of international cinema from the 1930s onward.
Stylistic elements taken from German Expressionism are common today in films that do not need reference to real places such as science fiction films (especially Ridley Scott's 1982 film Blade Runner and the many films influenced by it).
Ambitious adaptations of the style are depicted throughout the contemporary filmography of director Tim Burton. His 1992 film Batman Returns is often cited as a modern attempt to capture the essence of German Expressionism. The angular building designs and severe-looking city squares of Gotham City evoke the loom and menace present in Lang's Metropolis.
Brick
The director Rian Johnson conveys the noir style in a contemporary setting in a number of different ways. Firstly he would have adviced the cinematographer to put a light blue/brown grainy filter. The director has used a number of very isolating long shots as well as a number of low, close up and dutch angled shots. He uses a number of querky props such as the rubix cube to give it a alternative noir edge to it as well as setting up a number of shots such as the headmaster/lead scene and positions the audience in a way that gives it a police interview feel to it. The actual story line has a noir theme to it as the protagonist is male and acting as if hes a private detective trying to save the damsel in distress which is very similar to some of the earlier noir films of the 1950s.
Response to FIlm Noir
I took this on the Southbank. I liked the way the stairs to the right were very dark and dreary contrasting against the light coming through under the bridge. The reflection of the puddle also added a mysterious angle to the photo and the people looked like silhouettes . The serated pavement under the puddle made the reflection of the people look as if they were behind bars and gave it that noir crime type feel to it.
I took this photo on the outskirts of Brixton. I used a canted angle and decided not to use a flash to give it a dark edge to it. The feel of the photo is already very dark and dreary so a filter wasnt needed. Both of the photos havent been editted because I didn't feel it was necessary as it wouldn't have added to the noir style.
Noir film
Noir films very often feature a secretive main character who often has a job as a private detective or something in crime, they are almost always the heros and the villain is often portrayed as being an old fashioned crook that has set out to make money fast not caring about who he hurts on the way. Most noir genre films feature an attractive female character that plays a damsel in distress type role where the hero has to save her.
A lot of noir genre films are set in urban environments, and a lot of shots feature narrow alleys, small offices and city nightlife.You would expect to see iconography like a lot of Dutch angle shots, low angle shots, wide angle shots, low key lighting, manipulated images through convex glass, characters smoking, silhouetted characters and steam coming out from buildings and sewers.
I have watched a few noir style films, especially more recent ones. Noir films usally have a crime/thriller story line. I
Eden Lake features a very sunny happy opening, which engages the audience, as it knows that the happy opening is too good to be true and that something will go wrong. It features many low angle shots in the middle of the film and a good use of close-ups showing facial expressions. Eden Lake also makes good use of lighting as the main chase sequence is in a forest location meaning it is quite dark and glooming which is very noticeable in contrast with the opening where the colour is quite bright. Eden Lake uses many P.O.V shots and canted angles.
Brick also uses the same devices with close-ups emphasising important aspects of the film and a good variety of long shots and low shots. A filter is also used to dull down the colours so the film doesn’t look too glossy and Hollywood like