Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi (2007)

 Before watching this movie, I had no idea what I was in for. I knew nothing about what the movie was about, I just hit the play button and watched. Not being a history person and not knowing too much about what life was like in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, the film was a shock to me. 

Don't get me wrong, I loved this movie. This may go down on a list of my top 10. The way the animation makes watching such tough topics fun to watch and learn about, without feeling like a documentary is amazing. The plotline was so easy to follow. The animation style also helped with the 'numbing' of the topic.  With such a political and harsh topic, making a movie that's not as harsh can be difficult to pull off. The black and white colors and the simplistic but recognizable characters were very well done.  

The art style is almost where they can talk about anything controversial. I brought this up in class, but a little girl is sitting at the table while the adults talk about things I never heard about at her age. Death, jail, politics. All hard conversations to talk with a child sitting next to you. I'm not sure if it's a cultural difference, or for plot lines. But I didn't think about it at first, how it almost seemed normal with the help of black and white animation

Daughters of the Dust - Julie Dash (1991)

 Throughout this movie, I had many questions. I wasn't really sure what was going on through the movie. And when I thought I did, something would happen and I'd have more questions. I'm not sure if my confusion is from the fact that the plot was very slow, which in turn made it tough for me to follow. Or me just not understanding sections that relate later on. 

Although I didn't understand the plot too well, I did appreciate the cinematography. The place in which the movie was filmed was beautiful. Every shot was very clean and thought out. Where actors were positioned in the frame seemed so natural. 

This film I wouldn't go out and pick for myself. It's not the genre I enjoy watching. However, I can see how others may really love this movie. Although I didn't understand it and it wasn't outstanding for me, I can appreciate the artistry. 

Reassemblage - Trinh Minh ha (1982)

     This film was really tough for me to watch. Something about it was so unsettling to me. I'm not sure why but the way the audio was edited, leaving moments in complete silence made me uncomfortable. After I had watched this movie a few times the more I could understand the stylistic choices Trinh Minh ha made. Along with reading her article about how the camera hides so much from the viewer. The question on my mind, why? Why are we as people who watch films so accustomed to how Hollywood edits and produces films? If there are no "rules" to cinematography, why does this film seem so wrong? 

    Anyone can make films, and they can edit and manipulate the film however they like. There is no real right or wrong. Yet for some reason the first time I watched Reassemblage I couldn't make it all the way through the movie. There was nothing really wrong with it, I just didn't like it. Although I have the right to not like a movie, I wondered why. Have I just been so used to the way big Hollywood producers make movies that anything unlike what they make seems wrong? Maybe it's a good thing I was introduced to this film. 

    The point that Trinh Minh ha makes when she says that she states that what the camera doesn't show, it hides. Particularly in documentaries. I do agree with this statement, but I also don't 100% agree. It is physically impossible to capture everything in a moment. Even if it was intentional or not, you are hiding what isn't shown. But there is no way to combat that. In the art of film, you want to focus on important aspects to show the viewer. By showing that, another part is being blocked. In Reassemblage, her own film this is true. Whatever she decided to show, she blocked another part out. In photographs, paintings, songs, there is always something not being shown to the viewer and or listener. 

Psycho - Alfred Hitchcock (1960)

     This week's movie was the famous Psycho directed by Alfred Hitchcock. I am a fan of horror movies, but don't get to watch them often. I had never previously watched Psycho so was pretty excited. After having watched it, I realized it wasn't the level of scary I was expecting, but nonetheless, was still a good film to watch. 

One thing that stands out about this movie, is the fact the main character is killed halfway into the movie. This got me thinking, what if Marion isn't the main character. What if the main character was someone else. So I started going through each character on who could be the true main character. The one character who made the most sense was Norman Bates. If you think about it, he was the last character shown in the movie. If Norman didn't exist you wouldn't have a plotline, to begin with. Also, Marion wasn't special. She wasn't the only victim of Mr. Bates. There were countless others before and even one after. 

Another aspect of this movie that we talked about in class is the editing of shots. The usage of both fast-paced editing and long shots has a good balance. In the shower scene, the shots started long and as Norman came into the bathroom and killed, the shots were rapid. After, the shots got longer and longer panning out of the bathroom, showing the money, and out the window. Again this pattern happens at the very end of the movie. When the sister and boyfriend are being told what had happened and explaining Norman's condition, the shots aren't as rapid but they do change quickly. Then the final long shot leading down the hallway and panning to Norman with the voice over. 

About Me

 Hello, My Name is Gwen and I am currently taking a Film Studies course. I am a freshman in college and I'm a Geology major. Very different than film, but I am still very excited for the next few months. 

I am from Maine but am attending school in Wisconsin. It's so different here it blows my mind sometimes. 2 feet of snow in a storm is abnormal? 

Although film is not the Earth, I am still looking forward to discussing the different films I watch for this course here. I don't know a lot about film and the making of it but I hope to learn a lot. Films do fascinate me especially how they evoke emotions out I didn't know existed.