HighRise by Gabrielle Russel
Gasman by Lynne Ramsey
Contraction by Christopher Hewitt
Being Bad by Laurence Coriat
Salary Man by Jake Knight
Skin Deep by Yousaf Ali Khan
Love Me Or Leave Me Alone by Duane Hopkins
The first film I am going to analyse in terms of my eight base question is Contraction (2009) by Christopher Hewitt
1. Identify the themes of the film, what is the directors primary aim?
The themes i think that are being explored in this movie include, death, friendship and rebirth. Also I think that Hewitt is trying to help us see the open-ended-ness of such a loaded question. "Where did you go?"
2. Describe what you feel is the films main focus?
I think the films main focus is those lost moments between life and death and how they can appear to the individual, in the case of the unnamed woman i would say that to her as she was reviving the man, everything went in slow motion.
3. Did you like/dislike the film and why?
This was my favourite movie of the seven we viewed as i enjoyed the simplistic notions that lead to such an effective short piece, even though it was debated that there were too many questions left unanswered and that it even felt like an intro this leads me on to the next question....
4. Was the film successful/unsuccessful in dealing with its subject matter and why?
It was highly successful in dealing with the subject of revival or rebirth, as it showed the effects of the second party as well as the first. The woman in terms of how she saw things during those lost moments and the man in terms of where he did go during his moments of death and the fact that its just so unexplainable and open to interpretation which was effectively executed by the ending of the film.
5.Was there an element in the film that stood out to you?
The use of special effects as the woman gave the man CPR, i thought that it helped highlight the theme of the movie, how you can just feel each and every detail.
6. How does the films "Form" (Structure and Style) relate to it's "Content" (Theme and Subject Matter)?
The film was short which helped relate to the death/life element, especially because to me it seemed longer, like i was holding my breath. How and age can pass in an instance.
7. Discuss two techniques used in the film which you found interesting- Why do you think this approach was used?
The use of an extreme close up right at the very start that just lets you know that something's not quite right with the situation as the character is way to immobile. It burns a death type image into your brain. The second technique i thought worked well was the use of slow motion throughout the piece, until the end when the character was revived and things went into normal speed.
8. Is the way sound is used appropriate/Successful fro the film and why?
The soft almost non-existant instrumental in the background i think was a nice offset with the piece, subtle yet effective.
Skin Deep by Yousuf Ali Khan
1. Identify the themes of the film, what is the directors primary aim?
I would say that the key theme of this movie was racism, which was evident from the first scene in the bathroom when the main character was shouting offensive names at himself.
2. Describe what you feel is the films main focus?
Though the main theme is racism i would say that the main focus is coming to terms with yourself and who you are and perhaps the long term effects of traumatic childhood occurrence
3. Did you like/dislike the film and why?
I really liked this film as it was very different from the others we had seen and i felt that it had a more empathetic effect on me, as i felt worried for this character as if he was someone i knew and cared about.
4. Was the film successful/unsuccessful in dealing with its subject matter and why?
Highly successful especially cause they showed the effects from an inward and outward point of view. Outward in the sense of seeing him make his sister walk a head of him so that he can walk past the group of guys and act like he's one of them. And of course inwardly because of the way he shouts at himself in the mirror and tries to change himself to be like the guys.
5.Was there an element in the film that stood out to you?
The way he was shouting at himself in the mirror, both the practice and (and how it was executed in real life) and the seriousness at the end.
6. How does the films "Form" (Structure and Style) relate to it's "Content" (Theme and Subject Matter)?
Everything in the area they live is bleak and grey and dirty and this i think related well with the story line, its a grubby harsh reality, not all sunshine and blue skies.
7. Discuss two techniques used in the film which you found interesting - Why do you think this approach was used?
The over the shoulder shot at the very end when the boy has finished chopping off his hair and his sister is behind him, in the mirror. I saw this as breakthrough in his issues as the reflection seemed to be amost a different part of himself that noone but himself saw or delt with, but aknowledging someone else/seeing his sister break this i think was a good sign.
Also the use of a flashback to help build up the back story of why he was the way he was.
8. Is the way sound is used appropriate/Successful fro the film and why?
I dont really think the sound was that significant, there was the use of silence/heartbeat that i thought worked really well but except for that the actual dialogue itself was appropriate in itself.
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