Experimental Films: Case Studies

Man with a Movie Camera

Date: January 8th, 1929
Director: Dziga Vertov
Country: Russia
This avant-garde silent film depicts what the title would suggest. One man and his movie camera show the highs and lows of Moscow in the late 20’s. The film includes camera shots which were technologically well ahead of their time. Vertov super-imposed objects and used various other modern techniques. Vertov had taken the shots with no intention of turning it into a liner narrative film so the editor had the difficult job of placing the shots together so they made sense. Vertov was one of the pioneers of documentary film so he had some good experience in the style.


Metropolis

Date: January 10th, 1927
Director: Fritz Lang
Country: Germany
‘Metropolis’ is an expressionist film displaying a dystopia of a city, set underground in which there is a clear division in class. There are the higher, presumably richer people who live above ground and the working class who worked underground in dangerous conditions. The concept of the film is very unusual but the execution was excellent for the time. The special effects used were very realistic and it is evident from the amount spend on the film, that this was an important factor about the film. Because of the dystopian nature of the film, it is important the audience can be fully drawn into the film’s portrayal of life.


Sunrise (A Song of Two Humans)

Date: September 23rd, 1927
Director: Friedrich Murnau
Country: United States (German director)
‘Sunrise’ is a silent film that displays and tackles moral messages such as adultery, murder and most of all Love. It follows two lovers, but when the male character is lustfully drawn to another woman, he becomes crazy and attempts to kill his wife. The remainder of the film shows the man desperately trying to make up for his horrible attempt. A cruel ironic twist occurs when his wife falls out of the boat and nearly drowns (his initial method to kill his wife). The film is an expressionist work and it includes expensive stylized sets that Murnau had been very insistent on creating.

Pedro Almodóvar

Almodóvar is possibly the most successful and internationally known Spanish director. His films include complex storylines, impertinent humour and popular music. Almodóvar explores themes of identity, desire and passion in his films. He is a respected Director all over the world and he is a major figure in world cinema.



Almodóvar became interested in film in the 1970’s, specifically in experimental cinema and theatre. His first full length film, ‘Folle, folle, fólleme, Tim’, was of a sexual nature and many of his early short films also took on sexual themes. When interviewed about his success he made it clear that he believes that the purpose of film, ultimately, is to entertain. He is inspired greatly by early Hollywood films in which the film revolves around a female protagonist.

Almodóvar has made 17 feature length films since 1980 and 11 short movies throughout the 1970’s. He has won an impressive 90 Awards, including an Oscar for Best Writing of an Original Screenplay. He has also been nominated for a further Oscar and 61 other awards.

The film he won his Oscar for was a film called “Hable Con Ella” (Talk to Her). The film was released in 2002 and has received over $50,000,000 since its release.

I have recently watched Almodóvar's 1997 film 'Live Flesh'. I was impressed by the way the plot was told. I found it very clever how the characters all came together at the start and it ended with the same characters, all still linked because of their initial meeting. I was almost particularly impressed with the cinematography. Some of the angles used were very unusual which made it very interesting to watch.

I plan to watch his 1999 film 'All About My Mother' next before studying in class his Oscar winning film, 'Talk To Her', made in 2002.

Sam Taylor-Wood

After viewing Sam Taylor-Wood's 2001 short "Still Life", in which a bowl of fruit decomposes in time-lapse, I was perplexed and slightly repulsed at the sequel "A Little Death" made in 2002. The film features a Rabbit decaying. I suppose everyone's vision of art is different...

(Warning: Not for those with a weak disposition)



Taylor-Wood's big break came in 1994 with her work 'Killing Time' which showed 4 people miming to some Opera. This is an example of expanded Cinema as Taylor-Wood used multiple screens.

More recently, Taylor-Wood was nominated in 2008 to direct 'Nowhere Boy'; a biopic about Beatles singer John Lennon. (Trailer Below)



Taylor-Wood is now engaged to the lead actor in 'Nowhere Boy', Aaron Johnson. An age gap of 23 years seems to be of no concern for either of them however.

A Few Questions I will be Addressing

Catalogue Inserts:

• What does an audience expect from a Science Fiction film?
• How does technology help to define the Science Fiction genre?
• Has the definition of the Science Fiction genre changed as technology as developed?
• Has the development of technology made the Science Fiction genre more appealing to a wider audience?

Annotated Catalogue Explanation

As part of my project, I will be collecting about 10 pieces of research to support and explain my proposal. I will be collecting information in various forms, ranging from just internet research, practicle film case studies to books and magazines.

I will be constantly updating my research catalogue on this blog as well as keeping a document on my computer.

Focus Films: Key Facts

i, Robot

Director: Alex Proyas
Release Date: August 6th, 2004
Genre: Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Key Actor: Will Smith

Star Wars: A New Hope

Director: George Lucas
Release Date: December 27th, 1977
Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Fantasy
Key Actors: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

Director: George Lucas
Release Date: May 19th, 2005
Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Fantasy
Key Actors: Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christiensen, Samuel L. Jackson

My Proposal

Proposal: How has film technology changed within the Sci-Fi genre and how has it affected the audience?
Focus Film: i, Robot
Other Focus Films: Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

My Interest in Film

If I were from another planet and somebody told me that I could sit down and watch a screen for a couple of hours and feel real emotion for fictitious characters, I'd have thought they were mad. But that is what Film does. It allows me to escape the real world and follow someone else's life; their problems and successes.

Within Film, I particularly enjoy the way that technology is used. I am personally interested in the "behind the scenes" of Movies and the way that it is all put together. In particular, the editorial process.

With the development of technology, films are becoming gradually more realistic; sometimes, frighteningly realistic, especially within the thriller and horror genres.

The development of CGI films is also very exciting. Again, the animation is become very, very realistic, and it can only get better.

I have created a few films with some friends in the past, and I thoroughly enjoyed editing the material into a final product. There is a certain feeling of achievement, to go from an idea on a piece of paper to a visual media that people can enjoy.