Event during mock exams was happening:
"I hope your break is going well. Over the coming weeks, between your other study commitments, watching some of the following films, if you've not seen them previously, would be worthwhile:
"Sunset Boulevard" (1950)
"Cronos" (1993)
"The Devil's Backbone" (2001)
"Metropolis" (1927)
"Psycho" (1960 ...which I think almost everyone in the class has actually seen this one?)
"The Man Without a Past" (Mies vailla menneisyyttä 2002)
"Ariel" (1988)
Take Action:
For those, you do watch make some VERY BRIEF viewing notes (dot points are okay) about anything, in particular, that strikes you such as the use of film element, connection to other films you've viewed, film history/movement/theory.
Some of these are available on different services including Netflix, Apple and Amazon, so what you can watch might be determined what you can access, if you do find a decent alternate link for any, please do share."
The Movie I've Chosen To Watch: Sunset Boulevard (1950) the USA
Theme: Noir/Drama
Duration: 1h 55m
Director: Billy Wilder
Synopsis:
Norma Desmond, an ageing silent-screen actor, gets a second shot at fame when a screenwriter agrees to write a script for her.
Sunset Boulevard is considered to be the greatest film about Hollywood ever put on celluloid. Containing dark comedy/drama, which also claimed to be the darkest film-noir story about "behind the scenes". This movie is described to be the "black pearl" of film noir. Whose the movie combines melodrama and noir to give interesting satire on the movie-making industry. The tale is sad of deception, greed, and jealousy. It begins and ends with a dead man floating in the pool of a crumbling old mansion.
Lighting
- Chiaroscuro Lighting
- What it is used for and what the director is trying to say by using it
WATCH THE TRAILER FIRST
Why? Because it gives the audience an understanding of the film, as well as having what theme/genre to expect and giving a sense of direction if the audience liked it or not. Just like before going to the cinema, you would always watch the trailer.
My Analysis & Observation
- Transitions: a lot of dissolve cuts, and long duration shots, to keep as a continuous effect. And there's a lot of cut in action editing, as well as eyeliner matching, including with the shots stick to 180 degrees rule, and conversations are shot mostly separately.
- The dissolve and light matching cuts/transition create like an allusion/time passing as the character doesn't know, which makes the audience know what's happening on each character, creating the audience to pay attention more, and more likely to know what's going to happen next (predictable).
- The Narration: The narration is clear and easy to follow, however, the plot is quite exciting as well as predictable.
- Sound: The protagonist narration is always heard around the whole story to keep the audience understand what's happening in the scene, and also adding a backup explanation in the protagonists perspective to show his current emotions, issues etc. This creates an attachment of the audience closer to the character. To hence the emotions deeper.
- The Chronological Order, from the beginning of the film, there's a scene of the protagonist laying dead in the pool as that will happen eventually at the end of the scene, the repetition (maybe a motif) conveys the death to meaning to see why, what, where it happen. This doesn't really make the mysterious plot mysterious, however, the face wasn't revealed until the audience follows through with the movie.
My Opinion On The Film
I've really enjoyed the film, and it really gave my full attention, and I've actually followed through every scene for a black and white film. This is due to the plot and narration throughout every event and creating suspense through the iconic music/sound effect. However, the plot is quite predictable, which doesn't really create a sense of mystery.
Coupled with some very long duration shots we're In my opinion was unnecessary, but they were effective in creating a time passing and sense of boredom atmosphere the characters deals with. And especially mentally the audience feels the same with the character.
Furthermore, I do enjoy the narration, on how the director, directs the narrative story because it follows together smoothly with very simple, and repeated shots, for example, the car rides are very common and having lost of close shots, conveying a sense of stuckness and still moments which the character feels and knows their stuck in time.
Cinematography
Sound
Colours
- Sunset Boulevard is a classic black comedy/drama, and it's the darkest film-noir story about "behind the scene".
- Some people described it as "black pearl" of film noir, which contributes
Themes/Genre
Film History
Reference:
How to organise/provide film notes:
- https://www.ibsolved.com/all-things-ib-blog/2016/2/19/tips-for-maximising-your-ib-film-independent-study
- UKEssays. (November 2018). Movie Analysis Of Sunset Boulevard Film Studies Essay. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/film-studies/movie-analysis-of-sunset-boulevard-film-studies-essay.php?vref=1
It’s giving evil mother in law ruins relationship
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment <3 Unfortunately, that's the whole plot. I hope you enjoyed the film as I did. I guess the moral of the story is, to be careful with the "Monster in laws".
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