Idealogy in Film

Idealogy is the set of values and beliefs belonging to an individual group, social class or specific culture. Idealogy can be explicitly apparent in the filmmaking medium. For many years, art has been viewed as an element with a double purpose; to express ideas and teach as well as provide pleasure. Idealogy is the teaching and expressing of ideas in films.

Ideological explicitness can be divided in three broad categories: neutral, implicit and explicit. In films reflecting neutral views of ideology, the writing is more focused on the purely entertaining values. The film is focused on action and pleasure more than teaching or persuading. Big summer blockbusters are great examples of films with neutral ideologies. The films were not produced to raise questions or expressa certain set of beliefs, but to simply entertain for a few hours. These films are more accessible to the public, as the story is smooth and simple. The implicit category is more focused on opposing sets of values. Usually, the antagonists and the protagonists represent certain value systems the conflict with one another. The ideoligical view of the filmmakers may not be entirely clear, as the characters simply represent the values rather than selling the values to the audience. In the explicit category, the films intend to teach or persuade the viewers. The film also seeks to entertain, but the values presented are at the forefront. Political, biographical and documentary films are under this category. Films with sociological issues presented also fall under this category. THX 1138 is an example of an ideological explicit film.

THX 1138 is the name of the title character, played by Robert Duvall. In the film, an underground city is home to thousands of humans. Every day, they are intructed to take certain drugs to supress their emotions. The inhabitants are forced to worship a godlike being know as "OMM". They are also not obligated to choose their own "roommate". THX 1138 decides to experience what happens without the drug, and his life is immediately changed. The film asks many questions about the control of the powers above us. How much control is too much control? When does our government impede our rights as human beings? The views expressed in this film were a great example of an explicitly ideological film.

A Kick-Ass Story

A good number of films are adapted from literary pieces. Film and literature are able to convey views and themes in different manners. Literature can create it's own reality in our heads, while films are more literal and require much less of our input. A filmmaker or screenwriter cannot simply replicate the actual content of the source, but can attempt to come as close to it as possible.

There are three types of adaptations: loose, faithful and literal. A loose adaptation is, at times, barely an adaptation. The screenwriter will take one element of the original story and develop in in their own way. Sometimes they will take a character or a situation and create their own story off of it. Faithful adaptations attempt to more closely re-create the literary source material. The screenwriter will do their best to capture the spirit of the source material. Literal adaptations are the most strict form of adapting there is. As the title of the term suggests, the screenplay would be a very literal and close adaptation of every aspect of the story presented in the literature form. Literal adaptations are usually only found in stage plays. With the way filmmaking works, it is impossible to properly utilize space and time to create a literal adaptation.

Kick-Ass is a film adapted from a 2008 graphic novel of the same name. The story is about a boy named Dave Lizewski. Dave is the typical high school loser; he isn't popular, isn't particularly good at anything and obsesses over comic book characters. In an attempt to mak his like a little more exciting, he decides to start fighting local crime under the name "Kick-Ass". After reading the source material belonging to the film Kick-Ass, I would definitely classify the film as a faithful adaptation. The film was a re-creation of the graphic novel in filmic terms. After reading the graphic novel, it could be confidently concluded that the film did a great job of capturing the spirit of the book. The screenwriters and director clearly made some changes in the small amount of time between the production of the novel and the film, but each change still carries the same weight or importance that was established by the novel. For example, the violence and gore in the novel is very over-the-top. The novel was a lot more violent in comparison to the film. While the violence was toned down compared to the novel, the film still captures the overall spirit of the violence found in it's source material. In comparison to many other films, Kick-Ass would still be considered a violent film. The introduction of light and fun music helped keep the violence from turning the tone of the film extremely dark. So, as said before, the film translated the spirit of the novel onto the screen. Kick-Ass is a great example of a faithful adaptation.

In writing a screenplay for an adaptation, the most important consideration is whether or not they are able to do justice to the source material. Some screenplays adapted from widely praised pieces of literature are usually highly scrutinized. The screenwriter must be sure that the source material can be translated well on screen. The writers of Kick-Ass went into the project knowing it would be made into a film, and that method worked. The screenwriter was able to create a film that will be entertaining to the masses without dissapointing the fans of the novel.

Drama: Pan's Labyrinth

In the art of cinema, the set design is the framework of the film. The style, views and possibly even themes of the film can be clearly presented in the design of the sets. The location, costumes, furniture, cars, colors and lighting can all be used to assist the viewer understand the film in a more complete way. The sets are not just background that sits quietly behind the action, but representations of the story and themes in the film. In class, we watched the film Pan's Labyrinth. The film was a perfect example of set designs in film.

When attempting to categorize the styles of set designs in film, we first distinguish if the design is from a realistic of formalist view. Films can take from both styles, but most of them rely more on one to enhance the expressions found in the script. Realistic sets will convey more true to life visuals. Beauty, in itself, will not usually be the center of the action. The sets will be filmed outside without exploiting the beauty surrounding. Realistic sets wish to put more of the focus on the action in front of the camera. With more of a formalist view, the set designs will differ greatly from those of a realistic film. The sets will exploit any beauty found, creating a surreal experience. The sets will reveal the theme in a more blatant fashion. These sets are most commonly created in studios, rather than filmed outdoors. In a studio, the director and set designers can create whatever they need to. This gives them more freedom to seperate themselves (and the viewers) further away from time and reality.

The setting in a film needs to embody the overall message and theme of the story. Pan's Labyrinth is a great film to watch in terms of set design. Del Toro took elements of realistic and formalist filmmaking to create a beautifully haunting film. The film is about a girl named Ofelia in post-civil war Spain in 1944. Ofelia is moving to a military post with her mother to be with her new stepfather. Her stepfather is Captain Vidal, a very strict and sadistic man attempting to root out Spanish war guerillas. Ofelia, a fan of books and fairy tales, becomes wrapped up in her own fairy tale. She meets a faun that tells her that she must complete three tasks to return home and be the princess of her kingdom. This is an amazing film that combines the elements of reality with elements of a fairy tale. The set designs truly carry the story, helping the film bounce back and forth between realistic and formalist. Half of the film follows Captain Vidal and his hunt for Spanish guerillas. In these scenes, the film is shot outdoors. Colors are bland, and beauty is hidden. These scenes have such a bleak tone, helping the film stay grounded in reality for those particular scenes. The other half of the film follows Ofelia as she fulfills her tasks. Many of the scenes (such as the toad's tree and the baby eater's lair) were probably filmed in a studio. The colors are very lively with beauty being exposed in the more fairy tale oriented scenes. The constant jumps between realistic and formalist sets added so much to the storytelling. In a five minute span, you can view a gritty and realistic scene followed by a beautiful scene with strong themes drenched in fantasy.

Set designs are a characters in themselves. The director can manipulate and use the design to help enhance the story, just as they can with an actor. In Pan's Labyrinth, we were able to directly see the differences between realistic and formalist set designs. The set designs allowed us to witness the gritty and violent world of Captain Vidal while still immersing us in Ofelia's fantasy drenched story.

Sound in Film

In the art of cinema, sound is one of the most important sources of emotion and meaning. Music, sound effects and the actual dialogue of the performers are forms of art in themselves. While watching a film, we tend to forget how much effort goes into the sounds we hear. Sound allows a film to feel as close to reality as possible, while also moving out of the realm of reality with the inclusion of musical scores. After studying the history and importance of sound in cinema, we watched the film District 9. It was great to truly dissect every sound in the film, allowing ourselves to reflect on the placement and intention of each sound.

In the early years of cinema, full orchestras provided background music to the silent films. The acting was the main source of meaning in this time period. Actors had to convey the emotions of the characters by their body movements alone. The music would help aid the film in portaying emotions, but the acting was the true source. Like stage plays, actors would have to be very animated and larger than life. In the 1920's there had been many experiments in synchronous sound, none of which truly worked. All of the failed experiments were good for something, however, as they opened the door to what we have the privilege to enjoy in our cinematic experience.

In 1927, The Jazz Singer opened the world to the "talkie era". It was a musical introduced by the Warner Brothers that included the musical numbers of Al Jolson. The few lines of dialogue were performed with actors speaking the lines into a microphone. In the early years of "talkies", most of the films weren't visually exciting. For the somewhat synchronized sounds and dialogue to work, the editing had to be very restricted. Many critics felt that sound was actually holding back the artistic integrity of film. Some daring directors began placing microphones around the set, recording the sounds while filming. Some formalist directors still did not buy into the idea, as they felt editing would destroy the creativity of editing. As daring directors continued to experiment more, sound became a more respected and natural element in the filmmaking process. These early stages are what opened the door to what we have now.

While watching District 9, we paid close attention to each sound and what it's purpose is. The sound in this film was incredibly rich in all areas. The film starts in a documentary-like form. With the characters looking directly into the camera, the viewer is intended to feel as though they are in the middle of the action. In terms of sound, they used many interesting tricks to help the documentary format of the film. One technique I found to be trully affective was the placement of the dialogue. If the actor was to the left of the shot, his voice only came from the left speaker. If he went to the right of the shot, his voice was on the right. This helped make the documentary style feel more authentic. As the film moves forward, it moves out of the documentary format and into a more standard style. In the second act of the film, the sounds are incredibly rich and organic. The gunshots sounded so clean and clear, not muffled and muddy. You can't help but admire all the layers of sound in one shot. You hear footsteps, gunshots and dialoque all in one shot. The soundtrack also added to much of the suspense of the film. The music worked hand in hand with the emotions of the particular scene. While watching the film, you can truly appreciate all that sound adds to a film.

After viewing films like District 9, it is hard to imagine watching films without the element of sound. In the early years, many filmmakers were reluctant to add sound to their films. Without the small advances starting in the late 1920's, sound would not be so vital in filmmaking today.

Movement: Run Lola Run

Filmmaking is movement. Movies themselves are simply pictures capturing movement. In film, the way in which movement is captured is a vary important dynamic in the flow of a film. It can allow you to feel certain emotions and capture themes, just in the way movement is captured. Movement can be very stylized and larger than life, as well as very subdued and more true to life. In class, we learned the importance of how movement is displayed for the audience.

Kinetics is the study of motion and it's causes. In film, there are both realistic and formalistic kinetics used to attach a certain style to a film. The kinetics in a film are determined by the themes of the film, vision of the director or sometimes the style of the actor. Charlie Chaplin is a great example of a formalist actor. His films were silent, so the story was carried by the movements. The way Chaplin moved was larger than life. You wouldn't see someone acting like him in public, so it's as if he is truly seperating himself from reality just in his movements. The audience accepts this as a symbolic expression of his feelings, emotions and ideas.

Some movements are lyrical. We can appreciate them for their beauty without picking up the ideas behind them. Some actions are slowed down for dramatic effect, some spead up to convey excitement or frenzy. Some shots have the character walking away from the camera, some towards it. Walking away from the camera displays distance with the audience. Walking towards the camera can give us a friendly welcoming from a hero or an invasion of space from a villain. Lateral movement can also be used to much effect. It can make the audience feel as though there is no end to the characters journey. Wide-angle lens can also be used to exaggerate distance. They can allow the shot to seem disoriented and distorted. These are many tools directors and cinematographers can use to allow their vision to come to life.

In "Run Lola Run", we watched many scenes dealing with specific movement. As the title suggests, there was a lot of running in the film. The director tweaks the images and films from certain angles to allow us to feel a certain way about the situation. For example, some shots were going left to right. These shots implied that she was in a desperate situation with no set plans made. The shots where the actress was running in front of the camera gave off a different feeling. It seems like she is more determined. She has the situation planned out and is closer to the destination. The manipulation of speed and the angle really enhanced the experience and added much emotional depth to the running scenes. The director properly utilized movement to create an exciting film.

Every shot in a film is planned a certain way to fit the mood of the film. As we learned in class, movements can be true to life or they can have more formalistic type movements. It is interesting to study a scene that has a strong focus on the movement. It raises many questions as to what the director is wanting you to feel while watching the scene. In "Run Lola Run", every single scene was shot a certain way to convey certain feelings. The movement in the film is what truly brought it to life.

Acting: Stage and Screen

Most people simply believe that acting is generally the same style no matter the medium. I doubt people recognize the tremendous differences across each medium in terms of acting. In class we discussed the differences between screen acting and stage acting. Thinking about the differences seemed to open my eyes to views I already knew, but had not thought about thoroughly. There are two seperate styles for each form of acting, and these two opposing styles cannot cross between mediums.

In stage acting, the actor has more power over the production as a whole. The entire scene is in the hands of the actor, rather than having a director being able to edit the performance. In film, the actor films short lines of dialogue that can be cut or edited out by the filmmakers. In stage acting, the actor has an empty canvas to work with. The medium doesn't go through any kind of editing process to alter the performance. Actors that start in film may have a hard time adjusting to this. They are used to doing excactly what the director wants and expecting it to be tweaked in some way. This is the most general element that differs between stage and screen acting.

The requirements are also different between each medium. There is definitely a certain style that is required to perform on stage. The actor must be able to project their voice to be heard in front of a large crowd. Film actors do not have to worry about this. They can talk as if they are in a conversation with the other actors in the scene. In film, however, this allows the actor to have more freedom to implement more emotion in every line of dialogue.

Due to the fact that stage actors have to project their voices for a crowd, their body language has to carry a lot of the weight in the performance. Stage actors must be very animated in their movements to convey certain emotions or views belonging to the character. In film, actors must do the same but to a different degree. Since a lot of their performance comes from their line delivery, body language can be more realistic. The main difference is that stage acting is more animated, it's not very true to how people actually move and carry themselves. That is also part of the fun when it comes to stage acting. While film acting requires more realistic movements, stage acting can be more fun and experimental.

In the film "Crash", we were able to see film acting at it's finest. Each actor did a tremendous job of fulfilling stereotypes with layers. In the beginning of the film, each actor seems to portray the stereotypes that come with their race and/or social class. As the film moves forward, we come to realize that every character is three-dimensional. Without great acting, this could not have worked effectively. The acting allowed us to believe that a "bad person" can be a hero, and that a "good person" can be a villian. The realistic presentation of dialogue and body movements from the actors showed film acting at it's best.

In class we learned about the main differences between stage and screen acting. This was very interesting to me, as I possess a great interest in different acting styles. It was also great watching the film "Crash". The film was a perfect representation of the realistic nature of acting found in film.

Editing in Raging Bull

In the early twentieth century, editing was born in the form of "cutting to continuity". Instead of films being essentially one long single take, filmakers were now able to edit several shots while keeping the action continuous. Even with the introduction of editing in the filmmaking world, the medium of film still could not appropriately portray reality. The best known critic of early editing was Andre Bazin. Bazin had three main tenets that I would like to point out, as well as relate these tenets with the film "Raging Bull".

Though not a filmmaker himself, Bazin took interest in writing about film to share his views and opinions. While Bazin respected the popular form of editing in that time, he believed that editing could destroy the viewers experience. He believed that the current form of editing was not properly utilizing the medium. Bazin believed that film could display reality in a number of different ways. Bazin's ideal display of reality would be a form of editing that allows the observer to be ambiguous. The film should not feel as if the actors are displaying their performances for the camera, rather the camera should simply act as a patient observer. In "Raging Bull", the filmmakers use this style of filming and editing. The shots are long and patient, giving the film a realistic feeling.

Bazin also believed that the distortions used in formalist techniques destroy the complexities of reality. He criticized montages because it makes reality seem more simplistic. It did not reflect the complexities of reality. He believed that filmmakers of his time were being too manipulative, as if they were trying to create their own reality. Reality needs to exist within the walls of the frames, the film has to simply capture this reality. In "Raging Bull", Scorsese wanted to capture reality in Jake LaMotta's personal life. The way the film was shot grounds itself in reality, a style that Bazin would have greatly appreciated. While staying grounded in reality during most of the film, Scorses leaned more towards formalist techniques for the fight scenes. These conflicting styles is what lead to much of the film's success. A perfect example of this would be the scene in which Jake is asking Vicki about a comment she made about Janiro. In this scene, there is no music or ambient sounds. In the quiet, you can feel Jake's rage building up in his whispers to his wife. In the next scene, the film shows Jake violently beat Janiro in the ring in a formalist fashion. Bazin did believe that a certain amount of a film should be appropriately interpreted and organized by the director, Scorsese followed these guidelines firmly.

Bazin praised the use of deep-focus photography and long takes that allowed you to form your own opinion of the subject matter. He believed that the viewer is "deprived of a privilege" when a simple analysis conforms before their eyes. The introduction of deep-focus photography also brought longer shots, allowing the audience to truly study each scene and establish their own opinion. "Raging Bull" is an excellent example of these techniques. Editing was minimal in scenes that ask us to decide whether we believe Jake is a good man with issues or simply a bad man.

If Bazin was alive to see "Raging Bull", I believe that he would have praised it for many reasons. Scorsese and editor Thelma Shoonmaker placed two opposing styles in one film. For the fight scenes, the film adapted more formalist techniques. Allowing the filmmakers to conform an opinion themselves, an opinion that the film forces you to accept. However, most of the film was shot and edited with realist beliefs in mind, allowing the viewer to be an observer in this man's life. I truly believe that Bazin would have praised this film for allowing the viewer to decide whether or not Jake LaMotta truly was a raging bull.

Mise en Scene found in Parnassus

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus was a very different movie. When it came to the actual story of the film; it barely held my interest. However, this film was an absolute feast for the eyes. After learning about Mise en Scene in class, I was able to recognize the importance and significance of every frame. The director had literally every shot intricately designed to convey a certain theme or idea. In class, we learned about the 15 points of Mise en Scene. The first point is dominant. Dominant deals with what our eyes are attracted to first and why. The first thing your eye will most likely see is the character of Valentina because she is above the other characters in the frame. The second is the lighting key. In this shot, the lighting key is low key lighting. The scene is mostly using diffused shadows with pools of light. The third is the shot and camera proxemics, in this shot it's a medium shot. Even Valentina's body is visible from the waste up. Fourth point is the angle of the camera. This shot is very interesting in the angle regard. While it is an eye-level shot; the angle still suggests a power relationship that does not normally come with this type of shot. This shot gives us the idea that Valentina has the choice to direct her attention to either of the two men in the scene. The fifth point is the color values. This point refects what information or clues are given from the lighting. The sixth point of Mise en Scene is the lens/filter/stock. I believe the lens in this shot is a wide-angle lens. Subsidiary contrasts is the seventh point. This is what the eye looks to after taking in the dominant. After looking at Valentina, the viewer is most likely going to look at Heath Ledger's character because of his white suit. The density of the shot is the eighth point of Mise en Scene. The texture is very stark. With their home as the background; there is nothing to see beyond that. This allows the viewers to keep their attention on the characters instead of the background. Ninth point is the composition. The composition in this shot is a triangle composition. The composition in this shot stresses the dynamic interaction between three characters. Form is the tenth point. This shot has a closed form, all the information needed is in the frame. The eleventh point is the framing in the shot. The framing in this shot is pretty tight. In this triangle form, none of the three characters have much room to move. This triangle relationship they share is limiting their freedom. Depth of field, the twelfth point, is a shallow depth in this shot. Character placement is the thirteenth point of Mise en Scene. This scene uses character placement to great effect. Valentina is above the two leading men. She can direct her attention to either of the two. She almost has empowerment over them in a sense. This shot is rich in terms of the character placement. Staging positions is the fourteenth point. The staging positions in this shot are very interesting. Tony and Anton represent profile positions. We see their profile rather than their whole face. However, Valentina represents a full-front staging. The staging positions suggests that we should be relating to Valentina's situation. The final point of Mise en Scene are the character proxemics. This shot represents personal distances between Anton and Tony. With Valentina in the center, she suggests more intimate distances with both of the two characters. I was able to write a whole essay about one image from The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. This should be an indication of how visually rich this film is. Every shot in the film could have an essay written about it. This film was a perfect example of Mise en Scene in film.

The Lighting of Donnie Darko

The film Donnie Darko is an excellent example of the magic of lighting in film. The light (or lack thereof), causes the viewer to have subconcious feelings creep into their cinematic experience. Cinematographer Steven P. Poster did a masterful job of utilizing the light sources to create an eery film worth remembering. Lighting was commonly used to direct attention toward a certain visual throughout the film. Lighting was also used to set a certain mood for certain scenes. As a whole, Donnie Darko is a very dark film. Even when colors are present, they are very bleak colors that do not stand out very much. This is a very good reflection of what is going on in the mind of the main protagonist. Donnie is a troubled teen that seems to be struggling through puberty. During the film, we witness the tragic fall of this character. In the timeline of the film, we witness Donnie slipping down the rabbit hole of darkness. While Donnie's life is slipping into darkness, there is still light in his life. The lighting in the film reflects that. The lighting can help the viewer seperate the hopeful from the sinister. There are elements in Donnie's life that easily reflect light, almost like a hopeful escape from the darkness. I noticed that in most scenes was at least one beam of light. It seemed to convey the fact that Donnie could embrace the light if he wanted to, as the light is always there with him. The tragic part of the character is that he decides to embrace the darkness. The main source of darkness in the film is the character Frank. In Donnie's first encounter with Frank, the scene is noticeably dark. Frank himself is engulfed in darkness. With each encounter with Frank, the shots of Donnie seem to get darker and darker. In a scene towards the end of the film, you could barely see Donnie's face as he was talking to Frank. The crew on this film did a masterful job of utilizing light to convey certain emotions or to open our eyes to elements of symbolism. Donnie Darko was a perfect film to watch while studying lighting in film.