Uncertainty Within the Darkness.

Film: Alien

                Again, we are presented with a film that has undergone more analysis than we could ever evaluate, and yet we are set with the task of attempting to write something original about it.  There are so many aspects of this film that are worth exploring, but I will (attempt to…)  focus mainly on the lighting throughout the film and how it adds to the complexity of the shot as well as providing depth, in this case horror, to the progress of the plot.

                In this film what is seen by the viewer is very important.  For example, information given from different computer terminals ultimately yielding the knowledge of Special Order 937 and the fact that human life is expendable when compared to the value of the alien life, and the emergence of the infantile alien from the chest of Kane (time: ~56:30) to instill the first sense of terror into the audience.  However, what is unseen may actually add more to the dramatic effect of the film.  For instance, we don’t actually get our first view of the full grown rendering of the alien until approximately 12 minutes after its emergence, and even then only parts of the alien are actually shown and mostly under the cover of darkness.  Additionally, in this scene we are unaware that the alien is even a threat until we see the shadows on Brett’s face indicating that the alien is in fact coming towards him.  Later, when Dallas is killed, again we are only given a brief flash-shot of the alien (time: 75:56) and then we are to assume that Dallas is dead because there was never an actual shot of the attack.  I believe it is the uncertainty within the darkness that leads to an increased level of anxiety and fear of the alien; we don’t know what it is or what its motive is and that terrifies us. 

                Once Ripley is the sole survivor on the main vessel, fighting for escape, it is the lighting (time: 97:33-98:20) combined with a continuous shot and Ripley’s frantic breathing that creates an overwhelming effect of suspense and horror that ultimately results in a dramatic climax with a strobe-light effect that disorientates the viewer while giving another rapid glimpse of the alien.  As Ripley retreats it appears that the strobe effect followers her.  This yields the effect of the strobe light belonging to the alien, and as he briefly pursues her, “his” light consumes her.  Once the alien stops the pursuit and focuses on Jonesy, Ripley seems to be able to escape the effect. The strobe effect then returns once Ripley discovers the alien aboard the escape vessel and persists until the alien is ejected from the ship.  This further reinforces the notion that the effect is used to heighten fear when the alien is in the presence of the great protagonist Ripley...

-MTG

We are all stardust

Film: Sunshine

Sunshine is a sci-fi thriller based in a future in which the sun is dying out, and a group of astronauts is sent to deliver a stellar bomb into the heart of the sun with the hope of creating a new star within a star.  This film is a visual masterpiece that relies heavily upon suspense and multiple unexpected plot twists to keep the viewer highly engaged and emotionally manipulated throughout its entirety.  But the level of suspense, and other emotions, is GREATLY magnified by the immaculate use of editing and unique camera angles alongside a very powerful and emotional score. 

These effects can be immediately be seen just a few minutes into the film (time ~7:00 and ~11:30).  In these scenes the score brings across a sense of wonderment as viewer is presented different aspects of this highly advanced and self sustaining starship, while at the same time it yields itself to empathy by showing the vulnerabilities of the particular crew members that are struggling with the knowledge that they are entering the transmission dead-zone much earlier than expected, which results in a communication blackout with Earth.  The solemn track appeals to the viewers own sense of humanity and the sadness that would accompany the fact that crew will never be able to receive any kind of closure from their loved ones that are back on Earth in the event that their fate is similar to that of the Icarus One (I will ignore the very apparent allusion going on with the naming of the individual starships because that digression would lead to a completely different blog…).

             However, later in the film (time: ~35:30) the editing and score is much different when Capa and Kaneda are on the surface of the solar shield making repairs.  Here, rapid scene splicing coupled with a score that shifts around according to the vantage point highly increases the suspense of the scene as well as increases the overall complexity of the entire moment.  Furthermore, instead of keeping camera angles at a true axis of action, most of the scenes have shots that are slightly, or greatly, shifted from a perpendicular “foot plane.”  Then once the imminent death of Kaneda is realized (time: ~40:00) the score is then double layered with a fast tempo but again the same music that was presented earlier forcing the viewer to be both caught up in the intensity of the moment hoping that Kaneda will survive, while at the same time harkening back to the sympathy felt when a sense of hopelessness overcame the vessel.  This duality then sets the stage for further emotional manipulation later in the film when the thriller aspect enters the plot.

MTG

The Cheat

Film: Star Trek: Insurrection

           

            Eternal youth, something that humanity has been feverishly searching for since the beginning of time; it seems to be an integral part of the human condition to attempt to prolong life and ultimately try to escape death.  This film addresses this issue head on when it presents a planet that has the ability to prolong the lives of its inhabitants for seemingly an eternity, and a malevolent race that aims to displace the non-indigenous peoples from their utopian fountain of youth in an attempt to gain access to the rejuvenating force for their own benefit.

            This is a powerful notion to deliberate.  If presented with the prospect of perfect health and the possibility of immortality, how would you respond?  I think a hasty retort would immediately point to an affirmative, or “YES PLEASE!!!”  But personally I don’t think I would drink the proverbial Kool-Aid.  However, if one is presented with the option to prolong life that does not have the fortune of good health to accompany it, many would still wish to engage in whatever actions may yield these results.  But why?

            I believe that humans would accept immortality because they cannot fully comprehend the idea and implications of infinity (or eternity).  Everything that we are exposed to in our incredibly short existence is finite; there are distinct beginnings and explicit ends, period.  But in our fear of our own personal end, and the looming uncertainty that comes with it, we would inevitably drink the Kool-Aid.  But what about option number 2?  There are hundreds of thousands of people that have done just this, prolong the end…  Sometimes it’s by surgical means, sometimes it’s something much simpler in nature.  We do whatever we can to extend our lives and most often than not the immediate consequences are ignored as long as we have ascertained some form of security that we are going to live longer (or even appear younger…).  I can personally relate to these endeavors because I have been cheating death ever since birth.  I was born with a congenital heart condition that if left untreated would have resulted in a total lifespan of approximately 3-5 years.  Every time I have the “opportunity” to go under the knife for another “extension” (six total at this point…) I do so with the mindset of ultimately attempting to prolong the inevitable; however, each time I forget about the grueling process of the immediate recovery that no doubt has an effect on my psyche as well as other loved ones around me.   Yet I continue, and still to this day I cannot truly state why because I know there is another op looming in the distance.        

MTG

           

1984 + 1/2, or 2013..? Fact or Fiction

Film: Brazil (1985 - Original Cut)

Uh, how many different films did I just watch, because I swear that there are at least 3 different plots simultaneously progressing in an interwoven matrix of intentionally created confusion?  Okay, now that I have regurgitated that out I can focus on the objective at hand, and that is the eerily close prediction of the future that Terry Gilliam has accomplished in this film; granted, many aspects are over-dramatized but the underlying foundation is quite accurate none the less.

In the film, there is a terrorist bombing campaign (versus the government) that has been going on for 13 years, and there doesn’t seem to be any kind of notion that it is close to resolution.  This is something that I could go on-and-on about with our present situation, with so-called terrorist organizations located all over the globe with the “intent to harm the United States.”  In this film, it is asked, “How many terrorists have you met Sam, actual terrorists? (time: 94:54)” -a notion that seems to be gaining sentiment across our nation today.  We are constantly told (by higher authorities…) to be aware (and scared) of something that the majority of the population cannot relate to.  Since terrorism is such a small faction type of resistance, how can we attribute large scale fear to it? But we do, and it has overwhelming affected our entire way of life, example:  When was the last time you went through an airport..?  This fear that is instilled into the general population, by means of governmental influence, is just a means within itself to control populations that then, in turn, are willing to consistently give up their own personal freedoms for a false sense of security in return. 

                False sense of security; this brings me to my next point.  I found it very intriguing that when a bomb exploded in the film, most of the people (that were not injured…) just go about their business like nothing ever happened (time: 22:12).  I find that many people do this today; they live with their heads in the sand, blissfully ignorant of the matters at hand.  For instance (very small scale…), when one of those Sarah McLachlan animal abuse commercials comes on, how many people actually sit through the commercial and then contribute, and how many people rush to the remote and switch the channel instantly because they don’t want to accept (acknowledge..?) the fact that this form of abuse happens regularly, and quite possibly, right next door to where you live..?  Most people change the channel; they would rather be blissfully ignorant of the facts rather than face them, again voluntarily living with their heads in the sand.

                Lastly, I would like to address the propaganda's throughout the film that encourage a “better safe than sorry” type of position.  We can see this quite regularly in our world today.  How many billboards have you seen around St. Louis advocating anonymous tip lines and to be a “Crime-stopper?”  They are everywhere in the city and county alike.  Our society is bred to believe that in order to be “good,” someone must be just, but what happens when the laws that govern are unjust..? 

MTG

Directive, NULL.

Film: Wall-E

This film has pulled me in quite a few different directions when it comes to how I want to approach my reading of it.  There are many layers of sub context that I believe lend additional insight into the film itself.  For instance, this film is based in the far future, yet much of the music throughout is considered nostalgic or classic Broadway musical in nature.  This suggests that the writers are attempting to place some sort of large significance back to the “good ‘ole days of yesteryear” for some reason.  Maybe it is to allude to the simplicity of life in those times which is a stark contrast to the future we are presented in Wall-E in which everything is anything but simplistic, other than maybe the thought processes of the remaining humans (if we can even really call them that at this point, maybe humanoid-blob is a more accurate definition…)  Or maybe it is to show that humans played a more active role in the day to day operations of things..?   

                Another aspect that I thought was quite intriguing, and this ties into the rendering of the humanoids themselves, is that the writers seem to have a very grim outlook on the future of humanity itself.  Though their eyes the world has basically been subdued by a single corporate conglomerate that advocates uber-consumerism to the point of literally not being able to dispose of the garbage that results from such large volumes of consumption.  This super-gluttony eventually leads to the total destruction of habitation on Earth.  Wowzers!  I believe this is a direct statement about American consumerism and the fact that it is encouraged to no end regardless of the consequence; even if the consumer cannot afford the items of their desires, just acquire  it on credit, (BUY NOW PAY LATER!), that’s the American way, is it not..?  And once the debt has racked up so much to the point of not being able to see an end in sight, just file bankruptcy and start over, -‘Merica!!! 

I would also like to address the irony that is placed on the word “directive.”  All the robots in the movie have a directive, or purpose for their existence.  Wall-E compacts trash, Eva searches for life and so on, they “live” their lives with a specific purpose, something that is usually attributed to humans – i.e. “I’m a doctor, I’m a firefighter etc…”  But the humans in this film seem to have NO specific purpose other than to consume.  Maybe the Captain could be considered to have a specific function, but even the AXIOM is on auto-pilot, so his only real objective for each day is the morning announcements, something that is easily replaceable…

                So, overall I believe these individual aspects can be combined to make a single statement about the dependence of humans on their machines.  The more we let automation take the reins and “do” things for us, the less relevant our existence actually becomes.  In America, humans were once the backbone of every factory from coast to coast, now pretty much every factory is completely automated with only a handful of humans to ensure smooth operation.  But are those that remain just living blindly to their “directive?”  Couldn't an argument be made that many of them are easily replaceable by a machine as well, thus rendering their existence (at least from a directive standpoint) pointless…

MTG

SCORE!!!

Film: Metropolis ,1927 Restored

            Well, if I were to stick with the same approach in reading this film as I have in my previous blogs, I would have to say that Metropolis just served up an easy hit and run with regards to “good and evil” and analyzing through a religious point of view with an attempt to make some far-fetched connection, or in this case a very easy connection; but instead I would like to focus on something that I believe is much more important to the advancement of the film’s plot as well as providing more depth to individualizing the characters- the films score.

            Since there is absolutely no dialogue in this film, the development of character and plot relies heavily on the music that accompanies each and every shot.  The main characters of the film each have a style of composition that is fairly unique, and this aspect is interwoven into the overall score as the story progresses.  For instance, when we are first introduced to Maria (score-time: 10:04 exactly) the melody is very light and almost angelic; it flows with ease and has at the forefront a single flute that complements her soft and innocent entry into the room.  This arrangement gives the viewer a calming sense of trust in her as she is able to simultaneously attract the undivided attention of the city’s most eligible bachelor instantly.   Conversely, when we are first introduced to The Master of Metropolis, Joh Fredersen (score-time: 19:07 exactly), the music is very ominous and full, dominated by an aggressive attack of the bass and tenors of the brass and string orchestral sections.  This yields the effect of power, dominance and maybe even a little fear.  The viewer is supposed to know that he is an authoritative figure that probably shouldn’t be effed with.  Both of these musical styles that have initially been associated with these two characters are then utilized and interconnected throughout the remainder of the films score to compliment the associated action respectively.   

            The score aids the viewer in the reading of plot as well.  When the workers destroy the Heart Machine (score-time: ~113:00), as the resultant chaos ensues the tempo of the music increases and takes on a more frantic, chaotic, approach with the forefront of the arrangement being absolutely dominated by partial-step time signatures that produce the effect of anxiety to the viewer; you are supposed to feel the excitement and thrill of the workers through the influence of the score.  Then as the elevators begin to collapse (score-time: ~115:33) each crash is complimented with an abrupt blast from the tuba achieving the effect of grandiose exhilaration. 

Without the synchronized stimuli of audio and video in this film, it would not impart half the impact that it currently does.  The score lends depth to characters and understanding to plot that without would make for a very difficult film to view.

MTG

Matthew, Mark, Luke & Sam?

Film: Moon

I am going to attempt to build upon on a specific aspect of the movie that I thought was quite intriguing, the naming of the He₃ Harvesters after the Synoptic Gospels found in the Biblical New Testament.  While all four gospels are eventually referenced in the film (John was mentioned much later), direct attention was made to Matthew, Mark, and Luke (time: ~16:00), which are the three books of the Bible (gospels) that comprise the “synoptic problem.” The synoptic problem basically states that the three separate texts are so similar in content that they must have shared an initial source material that all three “borrowed” accounts from.  This is very intriguing because even though it is the harvesters that are directly named, this could be viewed as a parallel to Sam Bell.  With this assumption, we can place the original Sam Bell as the source material {(un?)knowing genetic donor} for the later three clones (Matthew, Mark, & Luke) that all shared a similar fate, incineration…  Finally, the fourth Sam Bell Clone (the one we meet and ultimately dies as the scapegoat) would be assigned as the book of John (not a synoptic gospel, but considered the 4^th gospel); the book that is widely accepted to be much more complex and loving than the three gospels that preceded him in period scribed as well as textual order.  This notion can be strengthened by the fact that the 4^th Sam Bell seems to have overcome whatever issues the real Sam suffered from and is a much more complex character than the others.  Gerty also confirms this achievement and complexity (time: ~50:25).

            An additional view from a synoptic gospel standpoint is through the scope of the word itself.  Synoptic comes from the Greek syn, meaning "together", and optic, meaning "seen," which is quite interesting because we actually see two Sam Bells together…

MTG