Research & Development: Films I Have Looked At

Below are contemporary films that have been adapted from folktales and myths across various different cultures that I have researched:

§  Pan’s Labyrinth (Spanish setting but includes European folklore and Roman mythology)

§  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Asian folklore)

§  Braveheart (Scottish tales)

These are the movies that I have been watching lately to research into different styles of filming and editing. Some are foreign films which will have different aesthetics compared to western films. I know that I want to show or express cultural elements in my films, and I am researching the ways I could fulfil this through filming and editing.

Omar directed by Hany Abu-Assad (Palestine)

Recently, I watched this movie out of pure curiosity. The story is about a young man who works as a baker, and daily climbs over the separation wall to meet with his friends and secret girlfriend. He later is involved in an investigation regarding the shooting of a officer. He has to decide which side to be faithful to, either be a freedom fighter or terrorist. His decisions are based on making sure he keeps his girlfriend safe while trying to sniff out a traitor in their group. The editing style of this film is narrative. I did not focus on the lighting in this film, definitely the narrative, though I was not looking for story ideas but how the story is conveyed to the audience.

Metro Manila

This movie is about a man who will do anything to provide for his family. He suggests that his wife and children move to the urban city of Manila, Philippines. They move to the city and are faced with many obstacles when trying to find a job. He ends up finding a job but later that brings about its own set of troubles, so he has to figure a way out.

The use of a steadycam to shoot most of the scenes I feel helped to express the fast paced life in the urban city. The close up shots allowed the audience to understand how troubled Oscar feels when he is confronted with obstacles. The film manages to show that there is a sinister side to Ong, Oscar’s mentor.

Memoirs of a Geisha

Having read the book and finally watching the movie. The story is about a young girl who wishes to be a geisha to be closer to the man she loves. When she finally becomes a geisha, her dreams are snatched away due to war and other world problems.

The shots in this film were beautiful. The scenes showing the environment really helped to tell the story. The colour palette in the movie aided in telling the story. When the war dawned on Japan, most scenes were grey and dull expressing the despair felt by most characters. When Sayuri was entertaining as a geisha, the colour tone of the film became warm and rich in colours like red, orange and yellow. The music in the film aims to express emotion, time and location. John Williams, (http://www.classicfm.com/composers/williams/guides/john-williams-discusses-memoirs-geisha/) the composer for the soundtrack wanted to create an ‘oriental atmosphere’, using Japanese instruments.