This movie gets more and more interesting.
First of all, i find the filming techniques very fresh and different for an old black and white film. A few things i especially enjoy as aspects of this film:
1. how they step over each other's lines. They're so pro at it, its amazing. but they do it so frequently int he film that i think they over do it sometimes. Seriously, if there's ever a line-stepping competition between 'All Quiet on the Western Front" and "Citizen Kane", Citizen Kane would definately win by a milestone.
2. The accompanyment of epic music that really sets the mood of gloom and sinister-ness in this movie.
3. The usage of lighting to really pinpoint one object, for example, when an inquirer went to investigate the meaning of "rosebud", he goes into a museum where the lady hands him a thick book. This book, however, was put directly in the center of bright light shining through the window. The lighting makes the book seem holy, as if portrayed as the holy bible. Then we know for sure that this book or diary is extremely important.
4. How many transitions are made through a picture taken for a newspaper for example.
One example of this would be when the camera lingers on the hosue number of Susan Alexandra's house, but then the house itself becomes a picture on the front page of a newspaper.
A few questions that came to me while watching this film:
1. How does the director make Kane and others look fatter and older?
2. They smoke so much in this movie...does anyone them actually die from lung cancer or anything later on?
3. What is the meaning of monkeys in this film?
Monday, October 25, 2010
There is no meaning to life
We finished watching All Quiet on the Western Front on Friday.
Though i knew already that Paul was going to die by the end of hte movie, through different foreshadowings earlier on--i am still shocked that the director would let paul die so easily. For Paul, Kat was the only one worth living for. And when Kat simply died, it seemed as if Paul also thoguht that there was nothing left in life. The next seen showsPaul sitting there quietly, looking lifeless. It was as if he was thinking "what am i doing here? Theres nothing left for me now." By that point, Paul had seen all his friends die off one after another. The thought occured to me that he probably no longer cared whether he lived or died.
There were other parts of the movie that involves this theme of how there is no meaning to life, especially when the soldiers easily died off one by one. The other soldiers referred to the dead ones as, "It" and "only a corpse", as if humans are things that live and die, and once they die, thats it. When paul was simply shot after reaching out to the butterfly (something small yet beautiful that is left in Paul's world), my first reaction was, "what? thats IT?" the movie makes death seem like soemthing unavoidable, like soemthing that is is very ordinary.
I find it hard to wrap my mind around this viewpoint, and i do wonder if there is anyone who actually believes that there is no meaning to life. For me, i can think of a thousand reasons for living.
But all in all, i'm glad that i've watched this movie which has introduced me to different viewpoints on life as well as many interesting aspects of film.
Though i knew already that Paul was going to die by the end of hte movie, through different foreshadowings earlier on--i am still shocked that the director would let paul die so easily. For Paul, Kat was the only one worth living for. And when Kat simply died, it seemed as if Paul also thoguht that there was nothing left in life. The next seen showsPaul sitting there quietly, looking lifeless. It was as if he was thinking "what am i doing here? Theres nothing left for me now." By that point, Paul had seen all his friends die off one after another. The thought occured to me that he probably no longer cared whether he lived or died.
There were other parts of the movie that involves this theme of how there is no meaning to life, especially when the soldiers easily died off one by one. The other soldiers referred to the dead ones as, "It" and "only a corpse", as if humans are things that live and die, and once they die, thats it. When paul was simply shot after reaching out to the butterfly (something small yet beautiful that is left in Paul's world), my first reaction was, "what? thats IT?" the movie makes death seem like soemthing unavoidable, like soemthing that is is very ordinary.
I find it hard to wrap my mind around this viewpoint, and i do wonder if there is anyone who actually believes that there is no meaning to life. For me, i can think of a thousand reasons for living.
But all in all, i'm glad that i've watched this movie which has introduced me to different viewpoints on life as well as many interesting aspects of film.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
All Quiet on the Western Front (Day 3)
Today, we watched more of the movie.
I think I am mostly amazed at how the director managed to capture the battle scenes.
I thoguht to myself, "wooooww", especially after Mr. Bennett told everyone that the bombs that they used were real. Then i started to think, well, how did any of them manage not to get killed during the filming process? And theres so many of them running around everywere (they reminded me of ants dispersing after a rock has been lifted). It must have been extremely hectic and chaotic to plan out something like this.
And today, we were told to take notice of examples of dehumanization as well as the motifs of this film. One of the motifs is the camera view looking out onto a scene through doors or windows. I think the director did this so that viewers of the film can better take in the full view, vastbess, or hectic-ness of a situation. For example, in the beginning of the film when the streets had hundreds of people cheering and soldiers parading around, it is seen as an event worth celebrating. Through a big shop window, and a classroom window, we can see the hundreds of people crowding outside, and we can really sense the festivities going on outside those windows.
I think I am mostly amazed at how the director managed to capture the battle scenes.
I thoguht to myself, "wooooww", especially after Mr. Bennett told everyone that the bombs that they used were real. Then i started to think, well, how did any of them manage not to get killed during the filming process? And theres so many of them running around everywere (they reminded me of ants dispersing after a rock has been lifted). It must have been extremely hectic and chaotic to plan out something like this.
And today, we were told to take notice of examples of dehumanization as well as the motifs of this film. One of the motifs is the camera view looking out onto a scene through doors or windows. I think the director did this so that viewers of the film can better take in the full view, vastbess, or hectic-ness of a situation. For example, in the beginning of the film when the streets had hundreds of people cheering and soldiers parading around, it is seen as an event worth celebrating. Through a big shop window, and a classroom window, we can see the hundreds of people crowding outside, and we can really sense the festivities going on outside those windows.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
All Quiet On the Western Front (Day 2)
I've viewed this movie before during my AP world history class last year. However, back then, i simply thought this movie was out-dated, boring, and archaic. I found nothing about the film especially interesting or special. But now that this class has re-introduced the movie to me, I am amazed to see how much fun i am having watching an old film like this one.
The thing is, i've always been interested in, how should i put it? Behind-the-scene aspects of the film. i like noticing the different camera angles and the different special effects put into a certain scene, or noticing how the music in a movie is used. I also like thinking, "well, what was the director even THINKING or envisioning when he created this scene?" For example, i can be watching a really epic movie with epic music in the background, then suddenly come to the realization that without the music, the movie would simply be l-a-m-e with corny lines that people generally do not use in real life.
Yesterday, Mr. Bennett explained to the class about some elements of film. And as i continue watching, i begin to notice these elements that are portrayed very simply in this movie.
And as i analyze this film, my mindset begins to take in and notice things, such has how one thing can really reperesent or foreshadow another event. For example, when the men were in the classroom happily thinking that becoming soldiers would be a victorious and enriching experience, they marched out of the room and threw their papers everywhere. The papers h/e, fluttered about in the air and landed in a disarray all along the floor, giving the room a messy appearance. In the ending scene, when the camera kind of hovered on the papers in the room, it came to me that the papers were actually an irony and a foreshadowing about the war. The war that they are about to fight in is not exciting and happy and victorious. it is definately nothing to celebrate about. It is a disasterous mess that will include realities of life, including destruction, death, and deepening sorrow.
The thing is, i've always been interested in, how should i put it? Behind-the-scene aspects of the film. i like noticing the different camera angles and the different special effects put into a certain scene, or noticing how the music in a movie is used. I also like thinking, "well, what was the director even THINKING or envisioning when he created this scene?" For example, i can be watching a really epic movie with epic music in the background, then suddenly come to the realization that without the music, the movie would simply be l-a-m-e with corny lines that people generally do not use in real life.
Yesterday, Mr. Bennett explained to the class about some elements of film. And as i continue watching, i begin to notice these elements that are portrayed very simply in this movie.
And as i analyze this film, my mindset begins to take in and notice things, such has how one thing can really reperesent or foreshadow another event. For example, when the men were in the classroom happily thinking that becoming soldiers would be a victorious and enriching experience, they marched out of the room and threw their papers everywhere. The papers h/e, fluttered about in the air and landed in a disarray all along the floor, giving the room a messy appearance. In the ending scene, when the camera kind of hovered on the papers in the room, it came to me that the papers were actually an irony and a foreshadowing about the war. The war that they are about to fight in is not exciting and happy and victorious. it is definately nothing to celebrate about. It is a disasterous mess that will include realities of life, including destruction, death, and deepening sorrow.
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