Abstract The paper attempts to answer the question of why this film is so popular when compared with other French classics. The writer posits that although the film does not have a distinct storyline, the film perfectly captures the mood of the 1960s. The paper gives examples from the film of techniques used by Goddard to inspire viewers and other artists alike.
From the Paper "But Goddard didn"t achieve this goal through the storyline alone but also made use of distinctive camerawork. He is known for introducing a totally different set of camera techniques including jump cut, lifted filming, out-door shooting and quick-cuts. Filmmakers have repeatedly copied jump-cut technique since A bout de souffl"'s phenomenal success. One website explain what jump cut really is: ?A jump cut occurs when two shots are mismatched in space or time. The transition between the two shots thus feels abrupt or awkward. shows the continuity of action by showing its start in one shot and its follow-through in the next shot. For example, Shot 1 A woman walks down a sidewalk toward a car. Shot 2 She stands next to the car and opens the door. The cut interrupts the flow between her walking down the street and her opening the door. In the first shot she appears in one place in the frame, and in the second frame she appears in another. We must pause a moment to figure out what happened between shots 1 and 2.""
Tags: character, expression, camerawork, direction, film
This paper discusses the many elements that made William Wyler's 1959 film "Ben-Hur" a classical example of the big budget, larger studio productions of the late fifties.
Abstract This paper explains that the conservative classical ensemble music in the film "Ben-Hur" emphasizes the emotion in the film and highlights the scale and grandiosity of both the motion picture and the Biblical story. The author points out that the movie's camerawork shows the big-budget epic tradition of pioneering new camera technology as an important facet of this movie, in this film, a process known as "MGM Camera 65", a 70mm anamorphic print at an aspect ratio of 2.76:1, considered to be one of the widest prints ever made, having a width of almost three times its height. The paper relates the skill of director Wyler to balance the many different elements of the film--the themes of religiosity, the historical accuracy right and the dramatic tension of the plot--without being over-analyzed or pompous.
Table of Contents
Music
Cinematography
Camera Work/Editing
Actors
Directors
Script
From the Paper "The advanced nature of the cinematography of Ben-Hur is another aspect of the film that shows it to be a big-budget epic film, but unlike some of the other mentioned areas of moviemaking that have changed more over time and become less strictly representative of convention since the fifties, advanced and expensive cinematography is still an area of moviemaking that is closely associated with the big-budget epic film, even in movies that are not necessarily straight action pictures. The cinematography in "Ben-Hur" is no exception to this general rule, as many other areas of movie making represented by this film are also stridently conventional. Bigger, better, and faster seems to be the
rule of thumb for this sort of film when approached from the area of cinematography, whatever the time-period. Although the cinematographers of Ben-Hur did not have the advanced effects available today through CGI and computer aided design, this in a way
makes their efforts even more impressive when seen through the perspective of hindsight."
Abstract This paper describes the plot, the camerawork, the cinematography and the performances in "The Mummy", a movie about the discovery by British archaeologists of the mummy Imhotep. The paper explains why the movie is, on the whole, a great visual experience for anyone who wants to see and learn how a director managed to successfully work with limited technology.
From the Paper ""The Mummy" (1932) marked the directorial debut of Karl Freund who was a well-known cinematographer of the silent era. He had worked on some prominent German movies including such classics as "The Last Laugh" (1924), "Metropolis" (1927), and "Variety" (1925). In the US, he worked as cinematographer for movies that include "Camille" (1936), "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1932), and Tod Browning's "Dracula" (1931). "The Mummy" was his most successful film as a director though he later went on to direct seven other films in the United States."
Tags: boris, karloff, expedition, resurrected, accidentally, incantation, dead, ardath, bey
Abstract This paper contends that Spanish filmmaker, Pedro Almodovar often presents his themes in a satiric and comic framework emphasizing certain melodramatic and exaggerated elements. The paper discusses his film "Talk to Her" and claims that it is not as darkly comedic or as exaggerated as some of his films. The paper examines how he uses the various elements of film to heighten the odd nature of his characters and to illuminate their inner states on the basis of external action, sets and camerawork. The paper explains that a primary mental state for these characters is that of audience, for life to a great degree is a spectator sport at which they are better as observers than participants.
From the Paper "The film maintains a certain theatricality throughout, beginning with the opening shot, which is revealed as a curtain is drawn back as if for a stage play. Indeed, the first thing seen in the film is a stage play, a very odd interaction at which the main character is seated in the audience. The film ends in the theater once more, and the sense of life as a theater piece infuses the film. Two men are watching the performance, Marco and Benigno. They do not know each other, but they will become friends later and will be important to each other, serving as complements to one another."
