Inside Llewyn Davis

I chose to do my scene analysis on the opening sequence, Llewyn singing his song in the Gaslight.

The film begins with a black screen that says "The Gaslight Cafe, 1961," with the sound of folk guitar picking in the background. The first shot is of the microphone, in the darkness being bathed with ambient light. You can hear the guitar but cannot see the player. The camera is still and steady.

Slowly, the camera pans to the right and Llewyn is revealed right before he begins to sing. The microphone is no longer in focus, but his face is and it is half illuminated by the stage lighting. This becomes a theme throughout the movie- whenever Llewyn has lights shine on him he is never all the way in the light. He is always partially in the shadow, never receiving all the glory that he deserves. The camera now is handheld, it isn't shaky but it moves and sways along with the music and with Llewyn.

Now the camera moves behind him and you can see how many people are in the room. The room is so dark that you can't clearly make out faces, but it is clear that everyone in the room is paying close attention. Again, Llewyn is in the light, but he is also covered by shadow. Only a small part of his head and arm are illuminated, the rest of him blends in with the dark background.

The camera moves back to the front of Llewyn for a few seconds, then to this shot of (presumably) Bob Dylan in the crowd. Dylan is just another audience member, but it is clear that he is enraptured by Llewyn's song. His hand holding the cigarette is right in the center of the frame, and we can see that he has been neglecting it- the ash is all built up from staying in the same position.

Moonrise Kingdom

This shot appears in the movie when Sam and Suzy are at Mile Marker 3.25 beach. The shot begins with Suzy in frame, moving the needle onto her French record, then running off screen to grab Sam and come back and dance. The camera doesn't follow Suzy, it lingers in this spot for about 10 seconds before the couple runs back in. This shot is from an outsider's point of view perspective; we get to voyeuristically watch Sam and Suzy dance like crazy on the beach. However, this beach literally is Moonrise Kingdom, and this shot puts us, the viewers, there with them. The frame is composed symmetrically, with Suzy's belongings spread across the beach. The two patches of land sit balanced in the background, the suitcase and lamp sit in the middleground where the water meets the beach, and Suzy's shoes, records, record player, and binocular (arguably her most important belongings) sit in the foreground right square in the middle. When Sam and Suzy come in, they situate themselves between the water and the belongings right in the middle, emphasizing the symmetry. The weather looks dark and dreary, but the mood is inviting. Anderson lingers on this scene in order to invite the viewer to place themselves in that setting, to vividly imagine spending a day there in Moonrise Kingdom, but then the plot continues, and we are able to watch Sam and Suzy enjoy themselves there.

O Brother Where Art Thou? Part II

Presentation Questions:
2.) In the Odyssey, Odysseus's wife Penelope has not found a replacement for Odysseus by the time he has returned home. She is being harassed by suitors who want to come and take what belongs to Odysseus, but Penelope is confident that he will return. In O Brother, Everett's wife Penny has found a suitor and is engaged to be married to him. She knew that he wasn't dead but she did it anyway, and when Everett reappears she wants nothing to do with him.
3.) In O Brother, the cyclops is represented by John Goodman, portraying a bible salesman with an eyepatch. The salesman turns out to be very mean and he beats up Everett and Delmar and takes their money. In this scene, the cinematography is set up to only shoot the cyclops from below, which makes him seem more threatening and imposing.

Video Analysis Questions:
1.) While the opening logos are still being shown, the viewer is introduced to the movie through sound. Slowly, you can hear the sounds of the bugs and a rhythmic clanging. The viewer doesn't know where the noise is coming from yet, but it is all slowly revealed.
3.) For the very first shot, the camera fades into an empty field. Slowly the camera pans to the left, and it reveals the source of the noise that the audience has been hearing. Shortly after the prisoners come into view, the camera begins to rise off of the ground and it appears at the point of view level of the man overseeing the prisoners. This puts the audience in the position of freedom, from a vantage point where they can view what is going on, one that a prisoner would never see.

O Brother Where Art Thou?

At the very beginning of the film, the scene fades into black and white, and slowly changes to sepia toned, then color. Not long after they escape, the three protagonists come across a blind, black man who tells them their fortunes. This character is a reference to the blind oracle Tiresius in the the Odyssey. The very last scene of the movie is that of this blind man, still going along his path, and the color fades to sepia, then black and white. This opposite color fading effect creates a bookend effect, effectively introducing and concluding the universe of the film. The movie only exists in the hour and a half that it is playing. The color effects serve the purpose of providing closure for the viewer, as well as invoking a feeling of nostalgia. The blind oracle reappears to remind us of the epic journey that the characters have been on, as is highlighted by the final shot of the railroad perspective disappearing into the horizon. These themes also emphasize a major part of the movie- that none of the characters really change. The blind man is still continuing on his epic adventure, just as Everett is beginning his new adventure as a free man and as a family man.

The Piano

The relationship between Baines and Ada in this film is controversial and interesting. The men in this film view Ada as nothing but an object at first. She has been sold by her father to someone she has never met, she is bought by Stewart who she will never love, and she is treated like a prostitute by Baines. Ada and Baines make an agreement where Ada can just sit and play piano while Baines "does things." These things start out small, like rubbing her arms or playing with a hole in her stockings. Ada seems uncomfortable but you never can really tell, because of her muteness. She always agrees to it though, even as Baines becomes more and more sexual, although she does increase the amount of keys she earns for the more intense stuff. It is difficult for the viewer to tell if she is doing this because of her love for the piano, her desire to get revenge on Stewart for bringing her and her daughter there, or a real sexual interest in Baines. I wouldn't call what Baines does as rape. Anna could have communicated with Stewart if she felt truly violated and surely he would have dealt with Baines. However, it is the relationship of Stewart and Ada that feels more like rape. He has basically kidnapped her and made her his slave. When he tries to be physical with her she is very insistent that he doesn't. Baines and Ada's relationship transcends the outward appearance of a man assaulting a woman, and becomes something very sensual and tender. By the end of the film, Ada is so moved that she throws her piano, her voice and the object that inspired the beginnings of their love, into the sea.

The Vanishing Pt. II

2. The most important shot in the abduction scene in both movies is the shot of the photo of Rex and his family. Before that scene we can see Rex already waiting in the car and Saskia standing outside. We know what Rex wants, and we know that Saksia, like most of the women in this film, is not super excited about getting in this strange man's car. Her fears are addressed however when she sees the photo of him and his family. A family man wouldn't, couldn't do anything too crazy, he has a wife and kids to worry about. This is a rational thought process but ultimately it backfires. Saskia is abducted and killed.
3. In both scenes where Raymond is practicing his abduction plans, the director utilizes a bird's eye view shot of Raymond walking around his car. The camera is placed high above and looks down upon the car. The viewer can see Raymond when he is fumbling all the way around the car. The sequence is unbroken by cuts so we can see the full journey of this guy from one side of the car to the other. Only when he enters the car is there a cut, and we can see Raymond as he chloroforms the imaginary woman he has been talking to.

The Vanishing Pt. I

If I watched the Hollywood remake of The Vanishing without seeing the Dutch original first, I probably would have thought it was an okay film. There was a lot of interesting imagery, concepts, and production. However, viewing it in the context which we did, I am forced to say that the original is a much more successful film. The character's are more fleshed out, they give you more reason to relate to them. In the Hollywood version, it seems that everything is just spelled out for the viewer, leaving little to the imagination. The original however is much more innovative, as often what is not said is just as important as what is.
One of the very first things one will notice about the two films is that the opening is changed. In the original, the movie opens with Rex and Saskia driving, with ominous 80's music playing in the background. It is not until Saskia has already been taken that we begin to focus on Raymond, her abductor. In the Hollywood version, it opens onto Raymond practicing his abduction scheme, and continues to show all the creepy weird stuff he does. To me, this kills the suspense. We already know that something bad is going to happen to Sandra Bullock. When I first watched the original, I only knew that the plot involved a serial killer, but based on Rex's strange behavior leaving Saskia inside the tunnel, I thought it may be him. To open onto the killer diminishes the suspense that builds from observing the actions and wondering what he will do. We already know what he plans to do.
When Kiefer Sutherland and Sandra Bullock's characters are at the gas station they have the same "never abandon me again" conversation as is in the original, but none of the playful banter and flirtation between the two characters that we see in the original. Maybe the director thought that because these are two big movie stars and not relatively unknown European actors that he could get away with not having as much exposition between the two characters, as the audience would already feel familiar with them. For me however, I feel disconnected from the characters in the American version. I never really understand Kiefer Sutherland's obsession as much as I can understand Rex's. Rex and Saskia feel like a real couple, because we are allowed to observe them as such.

Annie Hall

In the scene where Alvy meets Annie's family for the first time, Allen uses humor and anti-mimetic elements to provide the tone for the scene. Right after he compliments the ham, Alvy is transformed into a Hasidic Jewish stereotype. This reinforces Allen's idea of perception vs. reality. We know that he is not really like that, but their prejudices don't allow them to see him in any other way. Because of this anti-mimetic tone, the viewer is unsure of whether to trust what they're seeing or not. There's no real way to tell if when Alvy's jokes are met with silence if the family really didn't find him humorous or if we are seeing the version that only happened inside his head.

Part 2:
2. Many of the scenes in Annie Hall could be classified as "magic realism." The film blends together reality and fantasy in a way where the two are intertwined and the same. In the movie theatre scene, Alvy remarks "Wouldn't it be great if life were really like this?" and after he finishes his first play and we see his character and Annie's working out in the end, he says to the camera something along the lines of "we all want things to work out in the end." Allen does a good job of creating a film that is a good mix of life as we know it is and life as we want it to be.
3. The subtitle/audio disconnect is meant to let viewers in on the character's inner thoughts and motivations and depict the awkwardness of getting to know someone for the first time. The actual dialogue is convoluted and pretentious and it is clear that both characters are trying to portray themselves as a potential partner and responsible, intelligent human being. The subtitles however, let the audience know what they're really feeling and where their true hearts lie.

Daisies

Daisies is an extremely visual film, and reads almost more like a series of vignettes rather than a cohesive film. There is not much of a plot, little to no character development, and the continuity shifts from shot to shot. I found myself watching the film as a series of these shots- each time the camera cut to a new angle, there was something interesting and weird going on. The story is told in these shots, almost like a precursor to tumblr gifs. Humor plays a big part in this storytelling. There are parts of the film, such as the scene where the girls are making a drunken ruckus in the 1920's theme bar, where the film feels like a silent film. It's in black and white, there's an old-timey soundtrack playing, we can see characters talking but can't hear what they're saying. This scene, and the entire movie really, rely very heavily on visual storytelling. Some of the shots in this film reminded me of some contemporary masters of visual storytelling, like Edgar Wright or Wes Anderson. Without the humor there, we would have absolutely no way to relate to these characters; the plot leaves no room for characterization. However, for this film it doesn't matter. Daisies today reads like a big middle finger to communism, to patriarchy, and to conventional storytelling.

Vertigo

Often I think that a lot of people get the terms "best of all time" and "my favorite of all time" mixed up. The two terms are not one and the same. Yet, it is difficult to surmise a "best film of all time" without a bit of subjectivity. It is like trying to come up with the "best album of all time." One could make many points in favor of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band by The Beatles, due to its songwriting, production, cover art, and musical influence, but musical taste is an extremely personal thing, but there will always be people who just can't stand the Beatles and would scoff at the idea. I know many people who would say that they agree that Sgt. Pepper's is the best Beatles album, but not their favorite one. I would say that Vertigo is probably not at the top of most people's lists of favorite movies. It is extremely hard to compare it to a film of today, the world is so different in so many ways. What is still apparent to the modern day viewer is the high level of craft in the making of this film; it has the most artfully amazing yet subtle cinematography. The film was also responsible for Hitchcock being thought of as an artist rather than an entertainer. So, to tie this back to the question, I wouldn't put this on my list of favorite films, but I wouldn't hesitate to put it on the list of best films. I can't comment on whether it is deserving of the top spot though, as I haven't seen most of the movies in this list.

Detour

In the film Detour, the main character Al could be considered both a hero and an anti-hero. From the very beginning it is obvious that he is the protagonist- he gets spotlights to the face and we can hear his internal monologue. The viewer wants him to do well in life, to be successful, to get the girl, partly just because he looks so sad all the time. But we know that none of these things will come to be. Al will get caught up with circumstances beyond his control and will be doomed to escape what people will perceive him as, although this in itself makes him a criminal. In order to be the hero, he has to play the anti-hero a little bit. Sadly for him, this alter-ego begins to consume him the deeper he gets involved in the plot and with Vera. By the end of the film when he accidentally murders Vera, the viewer begins to feel less sorry for him, as we have seen him degrade and become more and more anti-heroish. Still though, we are reminded of the life he had before and in the final scene when he is arrested, we feel sad that it had to go down this way. It couldn't have been avoided, the world was going to get him no matter what.

Freaks

It is extremely difficult to say that Freaks  is either a defense of equality or a demonization of difference. One could make a strongly supported argument for both sides. I believe however that the film is more in favor of equality (excluding the final horror scene). Throughout the film, it is the "freaks" who are relatable and sympathetic and it is the "normal" people who are the most monstrous. While at the time, people may have viewed those with disabilities as cursed or unwanted, we now know that they do not have the option of choosing their disability and in fact many of them have very strong skills from having to adapt to a world that wasn't made for them. The evil ones in this film are those who choose to exploit the ones that don't have a chance, the ones who make fun of those who can't choose. Perhaps this also means that the American public is just as evil as the characters in the film. They were horrified at seeing these people on the screen, although the traveling freak show was still around. They had no problem seeing it in person, but seeing it on screen made people very very uncomfortable. Even viewing the "freaks" with sympathy is harmful in a way, as it perpetuates the stigma that they are less than human, that they are not as good as normal people. One thing that many people at the time did not consider is how the actual performers feel about this portrayal. Obviously they consented to it, although with some it is questionable as to whether they truly had the judgment to consent to it at all. Regardless, this movie is unique and there will never be another like it, for better or for worse.

Sherlock Jr.

When I was watching this movie, the first thing that struck me is how well it has withstood the test of time. I have seen movies from the past 15 years that have aged worse than this one. I have never really watched an entire silent film before, but I found it much more tasteful than a lot of contemporary Hollywood comedy blockbusters. Modern comedies seem sometimes like you're just watching beautiful people sit and talk to each other, there's not much action and the bulk of the laughs come from the dialogue. By contrast, this film was much more eloquent. Since they didn't have the technology to record and playback sound at this time, the actors naturally had to be much more emotionally expressive and direct with their actions, in order to convey the plot to the audience in a purely visual way. Due to this, much of the humor of Sherlock Jr. comes from sight gags. There's some very clever editing in this film, such as the scene where it looks as if Keaton is running on top of a train, the scene where he jumps straight through a vaudeville performer, and the scene where he is abandoned atop a set of handlebars. There aren't many directors these days that rely on these practical, non computer generated visual effects. Edgar Wright and Wes Anderson are two that I can think of, they both use practical effects to cultivate their aesthetic and make their shots seem more authentic. I would agree that the effect is definitely worth the extra time, money, and effort that is required to execute filmmaking in this way.

Introduction & Top 10 List

NAME: Tony Kahn

YEAR: Senior

MAJOR: Technically, none. I spent about 3 years in the architecture program in DAAP, but ultimately decided to switch my major to e-media. I am now in the process of transferring and because of that, I have no major. I am still minoring in architectural studies though; might as well get some recognition for my time spent there.

WHY I AM TAKING THIS CLASS: During my time in Architecture I had the opportunity to work for an artist in Maui for 4 months. That artist's name was Tom Sewell [tomsewell.com] and my time spent there had a lasting impact on my life. (The picture above was taken in his library, where he has a large collection of fezes) The reason this blog is called Cinematiki Cincinnati is because Tom was in charge of the Cinematiki Maui Movie Club, where we would meet with many of his artist friends in his studio every Monday night to watch strange films, eat great food, and spend time discussing what we have seen. Being involved in this community changed the way I watched and thought about films, and led to me appreciating and understanding film as an art form. To see some of the films we watched, visit cinematikimaui.com

MY TOP TEN LIST:

(this list is not necessarily ordered, it's just the first 10 great movies I think of, without repeating directors)

• The Big Lebowski: I love the look of this movie, its places and characters, the soundtrack, the actors, the script. I think this may be my favorite movie, personally. 
• Amelie: I have nothing against subtitles, I love subtitles, and therefore I love this movie. It is so French. The cinematography is excellent, the director does a fantastic job of showing, not telling. 
• Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: I knew that I would love this movie from the first time I saw a trailer for it. I love this directors form of visual storytelling; this movie feels almost like you're watching someone play a video game.
• 8 1/2: The ninth film made by Fellini, it is the semi-autobiographical story of a successful film director and the blessings and curses that go along with that. Love the cinematography and 60's vibe. (This was also Tom Sewell's favorite film)
• Princess Mononoke: My personal favorite of Miyazaki's movies. I love the look of the characters and the spirits and the use of colors, as well as the overall message of environmentalism and connectedness with the earth.
• Kill Bill: Once I learned that this film is meant to be a film inside of the ultraviolent film universe of Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, and the rest of Tarantino's movies, I was even more impressed. I really appreciate this pair of movies because it is so unique and different from anything else of the time, yet it borrows so many elements from classic westerns and martial arts movies. Also Uma Thurman is badass.
• The Lion King: This was the first movie I ever saw in the theatre, and was my favorite movie as as a wee one. It still makes me feel like a little kid.
• The Royal Tenenbaums: I really don't think I need to say much about this movie. Wes Anderson at his Wes Anderson-iest.
• American Beauty: If there were one movie that I wish I could go back and watch again for the first time, it would probably be this one. 
• Midnight in Paris: Definitely my favorite of Woody Allen's more contemporary movies. I like its theme of the unsatisfying nature of life. Also, super great casting