Modern Movies

I have to just marvel sometimes at how far we've come in the last few weeks. Even from day to day, the movies change drastically in some regard or another. Even this modern movie that we watched today was [obviously!] so ridiculously different from the others we've watched.
Today's film almost seemed to give off a Western Chick Flick aura. Although, I loved it, it definitely had a predictable quality to it. I was glad, however, that it did not end like other films, with the guy and girl kissing and living happily ever after. The fact that the ending was left open almost gave off a comedic sense, because it's never quite clear if they will actually meet, or just go on missing eachother like always.
I couldn't help but find myself rooting for her to break up with her fiance, even when he's first introduced to us. I found him manipulative and demanding, but I guess that was the point..
I also found it a bit strange that the wedding planning seemed un-typical. There was a strange quality to not having the bride-to-be in on any aspect of the planning process. Instead, it seemed that the groom was obsessed with every detail and even his parents had more involvement than the bride. Overall, despite it's similarities to common western films, it also held many unique aspects that held it to a different standard.
I also found the shots of Petersburg absolutely stunning! I have to say that my favorite scene was the bridge that the phone inevitably falls over, but the architecture and shots are absolutely gorgeous!
I'm going to miss this class!

In the Tsar's Castle

First off, this movie struck me because of it's untraditional style and movement through Russian history. Since I'm not very familiar with the Russian history other than Tsar Nicholas II's family, I found it a little difficult to follow, but still extremely engaging.
In this regard, a few things popped out at me. First of all, the narrator's face is never shown. We are, after all seeing everything straight from his eyes and it is for this reason that our main character is never shown on camera. However, as far as the narrator is concerned, I felt that he was an understated man. He said very little and when he said something it was as if he was talking to himself. Rarely did he speak anything above a whisper.
The majority of his lines also seemed to have him repeating what a previous figure had said. He repeated key words or lines as if he was trying to process for himself what had just been said.
His companion throughout the trip, however, was energetic and always engaging with other people. He did what he pleased and often was in the way or being kicked out of somewhere, but he also always was enchanted by his surroundings.

The Return

This was the second time I have seen this film. So in that regard, it helped me to notice a lot of things that I hadn't really noticed the first time around.
For example, in the beginning Ivan refuses to jump off the tower because he is afraid of heights, so his mother comes to rescue him and he gladly lets her help him. However, at the end, as he runs from his father, he runs up the tower to escape him and then ultimately says he will jump IF his father comes up. This contrasted the beginning and end well.

While looking for similarities between this and Tarkovsky, I noticed a few. First of all, in Mirror the mother sits on the fence smoking while she awaits the fathers return home. In The Return, the mother stands smoking waiting for her boys to return home in order to tell them of their father's arrival.
Also, the boys choose to look through the art book in order to find the picture of their father.

The end mirrors the beginning in one other regard as well. In the beginning the boys find a picture of their whole family after their father has just returned home, but after his death in the end, they find a new picture that is very similar but simply has the mother and sons in it.
Another thing that struck out was the fact that the father's last act was of compassion. He is mirroring the mother's efforts in the beginning, but this time Ivan refuses to accept his help and it leads to the father's death.
The rope as it sinks in to the water along with the boat and father also mirrors the beginning when the boys are jumping into the water.

All of these mirrors show that life will attempt to go back to how it was before the father arrived, but most likely it will not succeed, simply because of this experience now.

Lastly, it also struck me that Ivan's last words to his father actually call him Dad. Instead of his strict refusals to call his father by father throughout the movie, after he is dead, he finally yells it out.

[The last scene mirrored the last scene from Tarkovsky as the camera retracted through the forest.]

What the f*** do you care?? They sing like gods!!

The pictures of the brother, as the mother speaks of him, seem to show us the past. Almost as if it is revealing his growth as a human being until it shows us the most recent picture, even though he will look differently when he is shown in the next few scenes.
Also, after Danila has killed the 2 men in the apartment in order to save the 'weakling's' life, he wipes his palm on his pants, as if he is trying to cleanse himself of their blood, both physically and mentally. He knows how to kill and he does it well, but he never harms an innocent person and only harms in order to protect the innocent. In this regard, he does not necessarily want their blood on his hands, and may be trying to rid himself of this.
The irony of something else struck me. Throughout the movie, Danila is constantly looking for the same cd by Nautilus. His cd player seems to help him think and it is the source of everything for him. He relies on music even in the apartment when they are waiting for the man to get home. This is why it is so significant that the cd player saves his life when he is shot at. The one thing that he has chosen to rely on and turn to in a sense, has been the only thing to save his life.
In the end, Danila chooses to go to Moscow, which is a tad humorous, because it was always his brother who said that the better life was in Moscow. It is at this time, that he takes his brother's advice after telling his brother what to do and who he will be instead of killing.

Little Vera

This movie struck me because of it's portrayal of the un-ideal life. The characters were sometimes hard to sympathize with due to their massive and often mistakes. I found it difficult to relate to a single character, although I think that the brother was the easiest to sympathize with.
The apartment was extremely run down and the movie consisted of a lot of things most people in sociey deem unacceptable for the youth of the world to partake in. However, with the combination of everything, I felt that it this movie gave a different perspective from what we are used to, and was extremely different from the movies we have watched in the past.

Koмиссар continued..

..because I forgot about the last two pages of my notes!

Anyway, in the second half or so of the movie, after Kirill's death, the first image of her true motherhood is as she walks through the town and the workers stop to watch her. For the first time, Vavilova truly looks like a motherly figure and seems to have begun her change.
However, immediately after, she runs from the familiar soldiers. Whether to still hide her 'condition' or simply out of fear of confronting the past, she runs across the bridge as if it is the bridge and her journey from her old life to her new life. She stops at the end of the bridge to cry as if she has reached a place where the soldiers cannot reach her.

Soon after, the old woman speaks for the first time. However, it is not translated on the subtitles and therefore, I wonder if even when the movie is viewed, if the viewer is not supposed to understand this woman's words. It is the only time she speaks throughout the movie, and therefore it is questionable to the importance of the movie.

Along with the growth of the other characters, I found the husband's growth very vivd also. In the beginning he yells and throws his things everywhere screaming that he does not understand why he has to give up his bed. He hates that Vavilova is there and does nothing to help in the beginning other than be in the way during labor. However, towards the end, as the Tsarist armies approach, he is the first to say that she is welcome to stay as long as need be.

Also, the wedding party that heads through town heads directly into the fog where they seem lost in the inability to see. Taken to mean, that through these hard times, the death and pain that follows is expected. The fog represents Vavilova's inability to understand still her current situation and the despair she currently still feels.

For some reason, the trams that the husband constantly brought up reminded me of when Rudolph always mentioned television being the future in Moscow does not Believe in Tears. He felt it was the future, but inevitably came to the realization that his beliefs would not come to be.

The emphasis on the hands as they sit in the cellar was also important at the end of the movie. Vavilova is the only one who does not partake, but each of the dancing hands are shown. However, as Vavilova converts everything to her daydream, the dancing hands are changed to hands crying out in pain or sadness. As the Jews are oppressed and marked, the husband outstretches his arms to the skies as if to ask, why they are in this situation. This can easily be related back to Vavilova's current situation.

The colors in this movie were striking. Due to the fact that it leaves the black and white generality of the rest of the movie and moves into a red filter for the oppression dream.

Then comes the second appearance of the horses, as the Red's horses [without riders] run in the opposite direction of the marching White army.

And on the first through fifth day, God created the potato.

The first thing that caught my attention was the repeat of the lining up of bullets. I believe it was Chapaev [i think!!] where the bullets were taken out and lined up equally for no apparent reason.

The girl that beats up the doll made me laugh a little, because it is untypical of a little girl [or at least the typical female child] to decide to beat up the doll. Also when she calls out "you tramp!", it was later repeated by the father, and is most likely the place that she learned it.

There were a few spots in the movie where the scene changed suddenly. Or the mood had an underlying implication and then changed drastically.
As the three kids fight in the bathtub, it is all in good humor. They laugh and fight, and even the mother laughs as she tears them apart from eachother, but immediately after, the sounds of war are heard in the distance and then come rumbling down the street.
The shot of Vavilova's stomach as she crosses the room struck me, because immediately after, the two mothers/soon to be mother's contrasts are bluntly shown. The motherly figure that loves her children without fail and the mother that does not want her soon to be son are vividly colored. It is the first time that someone truly argues with Vavilova's want to have an abortion.
Along with her pregnancy, I found it strange that they never truly mention how far along she is. Even when the conversation is mentioned, the answer is whispered.

The birth of the child was an interesting concept on it's own. Vavilova, as she drifts in and out of consciousness, seems to revert to what is familiar [war] in order to conquer the unfamiliar [labor and birth]. As labor starts, the shot drifts from dry cracked earth to the sand that the wagon is stuck in. This could be interpreted as Vavilova's movement from the military to her new life as a mother and the struggle that goes with it. Although it appears nicer [the sand], motherhood still bears it's difficulties and ultimately can be 'harder than war'. However, the sand is nicer to the touch, whereas the cracked earth seems tough and has spaces that are 'missing something.'
The upside down shots, similar to those in Ballad of a Soldier caught me due to the repeat.

As Vavilova attempts to push the wagon by herself, it represents the fact that she suddenly feels alone in this feat. The random steel machines in the war dreams seem to be everywhere. The men with picks [??] and the larger steel machine seem out of place on the beach, but are likely to represent her want to have an abortion and lose the child on this journey through motherhood. They may also be representative of her difficulties throughout this new experience.

As Vavilova believes she is going to die, the horses without riders are suddenly shown, emphasizing her could-be death.

Crusing for Men in Trains..cause The Light Hurts My Eyes..

Amazing line right there. If every person fell for that line, the world would be slightly more populated than it is.
But seriously, this movie, was by far my favorite that we have watched thus far.
I first found it amusing, that nearly every guy the girls invite to the house seems to be over the age of 35 when they are rather younger, yet they seem to 'end up' with the 2 youngest.
I found it a bit predictable that Gourin turns out to be a drunkard as he gets older, but I also found this tragic because he is such a likeable character in the beginning.
Concerning Goga, I thought he was a hilarious character when first introduced. He seems charming, and has no major defaults, but as time progresses and the audience gets to know him better, I felt that he had a major testosterone complex. I disliked how he treated his soon to be wife, in the sole fact that he treated her like property. I felt like just because he was lower scum, doesn't excuse the fact that he is still scum.
However, for the sake of the story and the love needed by the leading actress, he fulfilled the role, and even may have made her life a little bit happier.

Mirror.rorriM

Wow..

This movie was the strangest movie I have ever seen. I found it extremely hard to determine between which was the past and which was the present. Especially since the mother and wife was played by the same actress, I found it extremely hard to distinguish between who was who and when they were that person.
The artistic quality of this movie was absolutely phenominal!! As the mother is running to the printing press, my favorite shot of the entire film was through the railing just after she has run up the stairs.
The dreams of the past were also my favorite part as the small tub disappeared and the ceiling began to fall in. The creativity and amazing slow motion of this scene made me stop breathing.

I also found the fact that the grown man's face is never shown to be an important aspect of the film. Despite the fact that I had a hard time understanding and comprehending most of it, I felt this added to the aspect of seeing things from his perspective and seeing his thoughts and reactions to his past. It also seemed to help the audience [at least for me] to develop a relationship with this character because it was based off his feelings and reactions.

Don't Touch My Bubbles!!

This movie was sad!!! Towards the end, it had me constantly on the edge of my seat wondering if he would ever reach his mother. There were a few near misses that made me think he wouldn't and then when the bombs hit the train, I thought he would die just before reaching her.
At this scene though, I found the fake flames that were introduced in the front, to be distracting from the fire as a whole.
I also found it hard to believe that the raft was just floating there waiting for him to go across the lake.

In the beginning, when he shoots the tanks, the tanks acted less like large mechanical machines with men inside, and more like large animals. Like a giant mechanical beast. The chase scene was a tad strange, because the tanks didn't shoot at Alyosha, but instead simply chased him. This added overall to my impression of non-war machines.

Oh how Terrible.

In comparison to Eisenstein's other movie, I found that he played with the use of shadows a lot. The silhouette on the wall of Ivan's head seems to tower over everything else, reemphasizing the 'terrible.' It also makes the globe and man shadow look small in comparison. This 'terrible wizard of Oz' concept seems to show Ivan in a different light.
Alongside the shadows, is the remarkable imagery during the coronation. As the one man, claims that they must stop Ivan from reaching power, Ivan is shown with a distinct shadow of the cross directly over his neck. I took this to foresee the later conversation where Ivan claims that 'we shall cut off heads ruthlessly,' refering to those who dare disagree with him.

Another strange connection that I made was the coins. During his coronation, the coins are poured over him while the chant 'long life' is continuously repeated. Later however, Ivan uses coins in order to mark how many soldiers they lose in the battle. The contrast of life with the same object is remarkable on Eisenstein's part.

I found the death of the soldier's comical also. [Although I probably shouldn't have] Realizing that they lacked the same special effects present today, I still found it funny as the soldiers lay dead on the fence with arrows only right next to their arms, or necks. This lack of gore/realistic death meant it lacked the tragedy that today's movies seem to produce.

Another aspect of the movie that struck me as strange was the very Wuthering Height's-esque approach to Ivan's heir. The child just seems to appear, without a mention or notice before or during the pregnancy. Not until, this heir has a part to play as Ivan 'dies' is he mentioned.

As for the Tsarina, the first time she truly makes a speech of substance, is after she believes that the Tsar has died. She may feel that she must now fill the role or at least live up to it, and work towards his goal while he was STILL living.

The other concept of his death that struck me was after he dies. He commends his friend for still being faithful at this time when no one else is. He says "I shall raise you higher still" but as he says these words, he pushes his friends to his knees. Which overall seems to contradict what he says and perhaps shows that he mistakes his friends motives [which he later comes to the correct conclusion that he coveted the throne.]

Lastly, I found it comical that Ivan claims the holy sacrament cured him, yet he was able to jump and run around minutes before he died. I found it hard to believe that he was 'near death' and that therefore the holy sacraments were the reason he was still living.

Daddy's Little Girl

Apart from Battleship Potemkin [which I wasn't a particular fan of], I have enjoyed every movie thus far.
Burnt by the Sun struck me, because I found it extremely blunt that nothing is placed in the movie randomly, as has been said consistently in class.
The movie was humourous but still had an intended meaning to it.
Perhaps it was the old woman beating the soldier that made the movie for me. Because after all, this truly did support the claim that 10 men=5 oxen=1 Russian woman.
The first theme that was yet again presented in this movie [along with every other movie!] is the cleansing. The movie started with cleansing, as the old man is hosing down the stairwell and railings. Later on in the movie, the characters also spend their time bathing when they are first shown to us.
But apart from that, the most contemplative aspect of the movie was the sunlike orb that appears in the houses. The first time, it seems to 'foreshadow' what is to come. That this family will be 'burnt by the sun of the revolution.' It goes unnoticed, representing that the family does not currently see how they will be affected. But after it leaves, it bursts into flames upon the tree. I took the tree as a representation of their household, and the fact that things will change drastically [the orb shifts position abruptly] and then move into all chaos [the death and arrest of the family=the flames on the tree].
I personally was very fond of Kotov's character. However, this may be possible to find him 'likeable' due to the fact that the movie was made in 1994. And so, the film did not show the communist party in a necessarily favorable light. He was kind towards his daughter, and although they had a strange relationship, it truly showed ‘daddy’s little girl.’

The Circus possesses some strange characters.

If there is one movie in the world that can succeed at persuading the audience to support Soviet communism..this movie was it.
I absolutely loved this movie. I enjoyed the dialogue, and the humor.
But above all, my favorite part is when the mother is told that Russia "loves all children. No matter if they are white black or red."
The message of acceptance and 'equality' was strongly conveyed. And well presented at the end, as the man runs around with the child screaming that the child's mother is a harlot. It mixed humor with substantial meaning and themes in a wonderful way and I enjoyed it immensely.

Although, I promise..I have not become a communist quite yet.

Just kill them off already..

First thing that surprised me about this movie was that I had an easier time understanding and putting pieces together in the silent movies we've watched. I had a difficult time understanding the fights, motive, reason, and conclusion.
First of all, Chapaev probably appealed to the masses due to its portrayal of ideal Soviet life. It gave people a hope that that's what life was leading up to, no matter what the circumstances were presently.
A main similarity that I noticed between Chapaev and Battleship Potemkin is the portrayal of the pro-tsarist soldiers. In both movies, these soldiers are rigid, upright, and seemingly unwavering [except during retreat].
Simultaneously, the communist soldiers were portrayed as more natural, with more movement and 'fluidity'. They are easier to relate to as human beings.
Given all of the complex dialogue, arguments, and battle plans, without sound the movie would be hard to follow. I found it slightly depressing that Petka, my opinion of the main hero, died in the end. He was hero because of his courage to save his love, but risk losing her and his life for Ivanovich's life. Although I realize that not all movies have to have a "happily ever after," I still felt as if his death at the bitter end was unnecessary.

Life, Death, and Rebirth

The music in the movie The Man with the Camera basically told the story. Although there wasn't a true storyplot, the music effectively described the everyday life or events in the movie. The music, especially in the beginning struck me as truly untraditional, at least compared to the other silent movies that we have watched.
Also, the beginning struck me because of the way the way that each section of the film was shot and the way the camera was used. When the videos that show everyday life are shown, the camera does not move. Only the subject or object that it is filming does not move. This gives off a 'peaceful' sense in the fact that the movie seems to be a series of 'still videos'. However, once chaos and trouble strike with the train, the camera rocks back and forth in order to show the turmoil and suspense involved. It leaves a sense of disarray and disorganization.
Along with the music aspect, the wedding march struck me most. While the wedding registration is being signed, a traditional wedding march plays. But during the divorce registration, the same song is played. Only, this time, it seems distorted. It is playing at a slower tempo and with slightly different notes. It almost strikes the listener as offtune, but this is only due to the variation of notes slightly throughout. As death is being shown, the song changes to a slow sad, and slightly monotonous march. It displays a respect for the dead as well as portraying the despair that comes with losing a loved one. When the child is born, the music slowly rises to show the joy of birth [although I won't deny that the fact that they showed the birth freaked me out a little :] ].
Overall, I really loved this movie due to its unique artistic quality. It had a lot of creative shots that I enjoyed due to my photography.
The movie had a lot of strong imiplications relating to the cycle of life and the hidden aspects in everyday life. Seeing the uniqueness and beauty of the things you see everyday.

Battleship

The first line that caught my attention was about the Jews. It didn't really seem to fit in with the context of what was being said, and I had a hard time even understanding why it was being said. The other thing that struck me about this movie was the fact that more of the dialogue was shared with the audience. Especially in the beginning, less was left up for interpretation compared to the three silent movies watched yesterday.
Towards the end, less seemed to be shared, but less interpretation was required of this film. The scenery seemed more 'simple' meaning, it was not as over the top as before. It helped to have the audience focus solely on what was going on, but at times even this was difficult. Especially during the battleship fight and the massacre on the stairs, it was hard to understand where to look and what was significant to watch.

Silent Films/Dying Swan

The first thing that struck me when watching the silent films, is that they allow for creativity. It allows the audience to draw their own conclusions and therefore allows them to come up with their own dialogue. Specifically in these first 3 films, a lot of the dialogue was not explained, and even though the important lines were written, it still allows the audience to 'fill in the blanks'.
Another thing about black and white films in general is that the producers tend to play with shadows more in order to make things look normal. When there is color, it is less of a concern to make the shade look exactly accurate, because it can still be understood what the audience is looking at. With black and white, it is harder to distinguish between things, so shadows, lighting, and angles are more artistic.

Concerning plot line, I had a hard time understanding why Giselle was so eager to take back Viktor when he had broken her heart. It was hard for me to accept that she would forgive him so easily.
I also failed to understand why her father did not take more control when he did not trust the artist.

The Irony of Fate..

Irony of Fate was definitely an interesting way to begin this class. It held a lot of common aspects with American films, but still managed to stay culturally independent in a lot of regards.
The first thing that caught my attention was the evergreen tree in the living room. Considering the fact that we had just learned that they do not celebrate Christmas, I found it interesting that they had Christmas trees in their houses. Calling them New Year's trees was definitely an adjustment for me, but was a significant point as to the complexitites [and ways around it] of the 'communistic ways.'
Common to American 'love stories'/comedies, I found aspects of the story predictable. The fact that Nadya and Zhenya end up together in the end, was very typical and common to a lot of American romance films. It rarely seems that the beginning couples stay together when they have met someone else.
I also would find it hard to believe that this storyline would work in other countries other than Russia during communism. Although America has a lot of streets that are used over and over, the fact that the buildings are the same, and the keys work, would be hard to believe in an American setting. Maybe it is even a far stretch during communism in Russia, but the uniformity makes it more believable.