Post by klep on Mar 6, 2017 7:35:16 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 3/6: Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
BEST PICTURE WEEK!
At the first Academy Awards in 1929, there wasn't a single "Best Picture" category. Instead, that category was divided in two: Outstanding Picture for and Unique & Artistic Picture. While the former category was won by Wings (and would later retroactively be deemed the first "Best Picture" winner), it was Sunrise that won the latter.
And a worthy winner it was, for not only is Sunrise a powerful film, it also brilliantly shows off what could be accomplished in the craft even with the limited tools they had to work with. There are so many things we take for granted in film these days - particularly since CGI has matured as an effects technology - that it's hard for us to appreciate things that were special or new back towards the dawn of cinema.
Which is to say, in Sunrise, the camera moves.
It's such a small thing, the ability to follow a character with a shot, but it's the difference between watching a character and being there with them. And while Sunrise was not the first film to use this technique, it was also not the only trick in the film's bag of tricks.
Because while you may not notice the camera movement, you'll almost certainly notice the other effects work. Sunrise is full of composited shots. Ghostly images haunt the characters, busy city squares are created in multiple layers, and most dazzlingly a shot is created of two characters walking across a busy street. The optical printer did not yet exist, so these shots had to be put together by hand, frame by frame. The beauty of this film is a testament not only to the creativity, but also the hard work and dedication of every person involved.
Of course the effects work is not the only reason to appreciate Sunrise. Typical of silent film, it operates more on a level of emotion than on dialog. Intertitles are rare, and we're carried through the film by the music and the strength of the acting. The film tells a simple story of a man (George O'Brien) tempted by another woman (Margaret Livingston), but who then remembers the love he has for his wife (Janet Gaynor). But it's told with such grace and power that it's hard not to get swept up in it anyway. While only Gaynor was nominated for an Oscar herself, both she and O'Brien deliver indelible performances as they go through a traumatic emotional rollercoaster. All the effects can truly do is help to illuminate the power of their experience.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 3/17: A Separation
MIDDLE-EASTERN FILM WEEK
Our next Movie of the Week is the first Oscar-winning effort from Asghar Farhadi, who was initially not going to be allowed into the country for the ceremony thanks to Donald Trump's Muslim ban before the ban was stayed, at which point Farhadi chose to refrain from coming out of protest. A Separation details the difficult process of divorce for an Iranian couple and shows that human struggles are universal, no matter your creed or country of origin. It is available on Filmstruck or for rent from Amazon Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 3/7: The People Under The Stairs
This week's podcast pairs Jordan Peele's directorial debut Get Out with this similar horror film about a young black kid who discovers a horrible secret during a burglary gone wrong. Join us next Wednesday as we discuss this film from Wes Craven. It is available for rent from Amazon Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
BEST PICTURE WEEK!
At the first Academy Awards in 1929, there wasn't a single "Best Picture" category. Instead, that category was divided in two: Outstanding Picture for and Unique & Artistic Picture. While the former category was won by Wings (and would later retroactively be deemed the first "Best Picture" winner), it was Sunrise that won the latter.
And a worthy winner it was, for not only is Sunrise a powerful film, it also brilliantly shows off what could be accomplished in the craft even with the limited tools they had to work with. There are so many things we take for granted in film these days - particularly since CGI has matured as an effects technology - that it's hard for us to appreciate things that were special or new back towards the dawn of cinema.
Which is to say, in Sunrise, the camera moves.
It's such a small thing, the ability to follow a character with a shot, but it's the difference between watching a character and being there with them. And while Sunrise was not the first film to use this technique, it was also not the only trick in the film's bag of tricks.
Because while you may not notice the camera movement, you'll almost certainly notice the other effects work. Sunrise is full of composited shots. Ghostly images haunt the characters, busy city squares are created in multiple layers, and most dazzlingly a shot is created of two characters walking across a busy street. The optical printer did not yet exist, so these shots had to be put together by hand, frame by frame. The beauty of this film is a testament not only to the creativity, but also the hard work and dedication of every person involved.
Of course the effects work is not the only reason to appreciate Sunrise. Typical of silent film, it operates more on a level of emotion than on dialog. Intertitles are rare, and we're carried through the film by the music and the strength of the acting. The film tells a simple story of a man (George O'Brien) tempted by another woman (Margaret Livingston), but who then remembers the love he has for his wife (Janet Gaynor). But it's told with such grace and power that it's hard not to get swept up in it anyway. While only Gaynor was nominated for an Oscar herself, both she and O'Brien deliver indelible performances as they go through a traumatic emotional rollercoaster. All the effects can truly do is help to illuminate the power of their experience.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 3/17: A Separation
MIDDLE-EASTERN FILM WEEK
Our next Movie of the Week is the first Oscar-winning effort from Asghar Farhadi, who was initially not going to be allowed into the country for the ceremony thanks to Donald Trump's Muslim ban before the ban was stayed, at which point Farhadi chose to refrain from coming out of protest. A Separation details the difficult process of divorce for an Iranian couple and shows that human struggles are universal, no matter your creed or country of origin. It is available on Filmstruck or for rent from Amazon Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 3/7: The People Under The Stairs
This week's podcast pairs Jordan Peele's directorial debut Get Out with this similar horror film about a young black kid who discovers a horrible secret during a burglary gone wrong. Join us next Wednesday as we discuss this film from Wes Craven. It is available for rent from Amazon Video, though it is not free for Prime members.