“Chi-Raq” Film Analysis

            Spike Lee’s films always seem to cover a controversial topic and one of his most recent “Chi-Raq” isn’t an exception. From stopping gang violence to promoting world peace, this film covers a variety of topics. Lee’s choice of storytelling was very interesting within the film for unlike most modern films where you are thrown into a story and you watch it unravel in front of you, in “Chi-Raq” it is presented as an event that had already happened and you are being retold the story by a narrator which happens to be Samuel Jackson. When the narrator appears normally with a zoom shot or voice over, it generally signifies an ending of one act and the beginning of another similarly to a play. In addition, to the film being broken into acts the entire screenplay is in meter so almost every other line rhymes creating a unique Shakespearean atmosphere, which is no longer present in modern storytelling unless used for a remake of a Shakespeare play; but this film doesn’t tell a story of Shakespeare, but instead an ancient Greek play known as Lysistrata, and it is revamped to cover modern topics. Lee’s style of storytelling within the film is the main selling point, for its told in his own unique film universe that Lee had created while also encompassing elements from different types of film. For example, for a good majority of the film it felt like a Woman’s picture due to the gender topics that were present, while another part of the film felt like a war film due to the vast amount of voyeurism and shooting that was present due to the gang conflict that created the main plot of the film. On the other hand, the film could also be classified as apart of Transnational Cinema for its message for peace over violence had spread to multiple countries. The film as a whole was phenomenal with its use of time lapse and narration making it very fluid and clear to understand, while also adding in a meter rhyme scheme to the script in order to show that what is being depicted isn’t real, but very much could be. In the end, the film almost feels like it was college video project that was uploaded to YouTube, but this weird style is what will keep you entertained throughout the majority of the film. Thus, if you havn’t seen “Chi-Raq” it will leave you with discomfort while thinking how you can help you community and stop conflicts within the future generations. 

An Analysis of Films by Kubrick and Coppola

            From the mid-1900s onward the two most prominent film makers until the early 2000s was Stanley Kubrick and Francis Ford Coppola with their thriller array of films ranging from haunted hotels, to a story about a New York mafia family. As you look at their earlier films and compare them to their later ones it is very evident that they took influences form one another, while also improving upon techniques that they had used prior. A great example of this can be seen in Kubrick’s film “Full Metal Jacket”, for just like in his previous film “Barry Lyndon” the major battle of the film that is depicted wasn’t one that was outstanding but it was still memorable enough for the soldiers that did take part in it. In addition, Kubrick being well aware of Coppola’s previous spectacle of “Apocalypse Now” Kubrick continued the theme of showing the grunt work when depicting the Vietnam War in the second half of his film. However, he tried a different approach to Coppola’s film having it being depicted farther into the war and being held within an industrial environment while the vast majority of “Apocalypse Now” was within the dense jungle. On the other hand, if you look at Coppola’s film “Apocalypse Now” it is easy to identify elements that he had took from his previous film “The Godfather” and one of Kubrick’s earlier films “Barry Lyndon”. Within film with its many stars the main protagonist Captain Willard which is played by Martin Sheen, is given an offer that he can’t refuse from the general, similarly to how the godfather would give out offers to his clients that if they refused then they would suffer dire consequences. It is evident that the storyboard processes for this film was very thought out due to the mass amount stunts that were implored for attention such as the synchronized sound scene with the helicopters with Rise of the Valkyrie playing in the background in order to rev up the viewer for the action that would soon consume them; but lets not forget about the wonderful lighting effects that were applied when the platoon finally reached their destination and met Brando’s character and his dark temple lit only by candle light instead of three-point lighting; showing evident signs that Coppola took some techniques form Kubrick’s “Barry Lyndon”. Although, both “Apocalypse Now” and “Full Metal Jacket” where both serious war films there was some comedy that helped levied the intensity and took your mind away from the seriousness involved sutures and guns; such as Robert Duval’s character in “Apocalypse Now” who wants to turn this action film into more of a surf film as he offers his men the choice to go surf during a siege or go fight, and most of them turn around and head towards the beach front to surf. The only thing that the two war movies seemed to be missing were subtitles, to understand the Vietcong forces. Thus, if you do ever have any free time look into these two outstanding directors and the creative film styles that they have developed for it is worth the spectatorship.

“The Monuments Men” Review

The Film “The Monuments Men” is a costume drama that depicts the ruthless actions that had occurred during the Second World War by the Nazi party and their endeavors to make everything their own. The film follows a group of old-timers who are all experts in different forms of art and their attempt to recover stolen artworks that were taken from various European nations by the Nazi party in their attempt to create the world’s greatest art collection. As they travel across Europe to find the stolen art they encounter the hardships any solider must face on a battlefield such as victory and since of loss created by the conflict, for not all of the monuments men were able to return home. This can also be seen in costume drama known as “Barry Lyndon” which also depicts the hardships and wounds that are created through conflict and war, such as when Barry lost a close friend when he fought in the seven year war and fought for the British. Overall “The Monuments Men” is an outstanding film with an amazing cast which includes many powerhouse actors such George Clooney and Bill Murray, while also having an incredible shooting script and score. The script itself seemed to have some flaws along with its segmentation, but it allowed for the film to be followed easily through its fluid sequences and let the viewer to become immersed within the old soldiers adventure as they are put into an almost third person omniscient feel with the films shot-Reverse shots when the soldiers are in their two man groups and the shots of movement as they travel from town to town to help liberate and locate stolen artwork. However, you also can’t overlook the sound design of this film, for almost every piece of sound is clear and heightens the senses of immersion, while on the hand the soundtrack and the catchy jingle of the main theme of the movie makes film an even more remember able. While some people may argue that film wasn’t too great such as David Denby from the New Yorker with his review stating “We may have gained something in humor by not taking the saviors in the art-rescue story very seriously, but we've lost just about all of the romantic pleasures of heroism” but if you overlook some of the flaws that are found in the script you can see a very well thought out story that is still engaging till the very end which make this film great and a huge success. If only the story didn’t take one to film to cover it all then it could’ve had a potential sequel, but then again most war stories don’t tend to have a follow up. Nonetheless, if you haven’t seen the film it is definitely worth the time if you have nothing to do on a rainy day. 

“The Shinning” Review

            This past Monday was Halloween and like most individuals instead of going out and partying or trick or treating, I watched horror films all night with a few friends and the one film that truly sent shivers down my spine was Stanley Kubrick’s film “The Shinning”. I’ve seen this film around three times now but each time I always get goosebumps from the score and the overall atmosphere of the majority of the scenes. The film “The Shinning” is based off of a Stephen King novel by the same name, and is focused around the Torrance family Jack, Wendy and their son Danny as they are tasked to watching over the Overlook Hotel all winter until the snow thaws and the staff can return to begin normal operations. At first glance to the viewer this sounded like an easy task, but the hotel actually held a dark secret where a long time ago a man who the same job many years prior had murdered his entire family before killing himself, and to the average person this just appeared to them as a severe case of cabin fever. However, the hotel itself had become an apparition and it tries to force its residents that stay there for a long time to stay forever and become a part of its ghostly collection, and the entity that was chosen to be the representation of the whole hotel was Delbert Grady, the man who killed his family many years prior to prevent them from leaving the hotel. However, it’s not just the story that made this a great horror film, it’s also all the thought that was put into the pre-production, and production phases of the film. This can easily be shown just through the complex layout of the hotel that was developed in production design, for it easily shows that the actual set wasn’t at just one location, but many different locations in order to create the perfect fictional hotel. In addition, it is known that Kubrick often takes numerous takes of the same scene before selection one that best suits the film, and one example of this is when Jack finally succumbs to the hotel and begins to chase Wendy up the central stair case as she tries to wave him off with a baseball bat, and it is said that Kubrick had made the actors due so many numerous takes that it wasn’t until the take where the actress looked extremely fatigued and was about to pass out from exhaustion was the take that he wanted for the film. For Kubrick the positioning of the camera is a necessity, for it being for product placement, or to give you a different perspective, it just gives you more physiological terror as you watch the film. As film critic for the Time Magazine Richard Schickel had stated “Kubrick has made a movie that will have to be reckoned with on the highest level” for it is truly a masterpiece to behold. If you do plan on watching it I would recommend it through a projector on a big screen, and don’t bring any children and follow the Rating System.

“Finding Nemo” Review

            The film “The Godfather” used the theme of protecting and caring for your family that it had inspired many films to do the same. One film that uses a similar theme is “Finding Nemo”, at first glance being an animated Disney film it might be something similar to an operatta like their earlier films, but it is actually a comedy drama with the plot revolving of father clown fish that traverses the ocean to try to find and rescue his son Nemo who had been abducted by humans. From the first scene of Nemo getting captured and Marlin the father getting dazed by a camera and the shot being thrown into a first person point of view shot the viewer is instantly thrown into a since of dread for you are thrown into Marlin’s point of view as you have to watch a loved one get whisked away to a mysterious unknown location. Similarly to how the Corleone family went to the far corners of the earth to protect their own Marlin did the same had started his journey across the ocean which would lead him to meet the comic relief of the film known as Dory. The performance of Ellen DeGeneres gave as Dory was a pleasure to behold and most definitely made the dark plot of the film more enjoyable to watch. From the just keep swimming jingle, to the many times her short term memory loss had the worst possible timing, Dory was a character that anyone could enjoy to watch and learn from. In addition, thanks to advancements in recording the vocals of the voice actors were crisp and clear thanks to noise reduction technology, and with the enhancements of CGI the persistence of vision was phenomenal. Overall the film just shows how far family will go for one another and how important it is to rely on one another. As film critic for the “AV Club” Keith Phipps as stated in his review, “Like Pixar's previous films, Finding Nemo mines humor from the oddities of an unknown world but stays grounded in a familiar one, finding recognizable elements of heartbreak and happiness amid the ink-jetting octopi and irritable flounders” as a result the film is a wander for an individual, and if you’re having any doubts all you have to do is look at the movie poster and you’ll know that you’re in for a tale of epic proportions. “Finding Nemo” is an animated classic and if you still haven’t seen it yet I would recommend to view it, and it’s always better when you’re watching it with close friends or family.

“The Producers” (1967) Review

            Many films use music to create the mood for a scene but not many use music to further deepen a story and entice the audience like a musical does. One film that does this well is the 1967 Mel Brooks film “The Producers”. This film focus on theatrical producer Max Bialystock and a timid accountant known as Leo Bloom, and their endeavor to make a large sum after they realize that if Max was to produce a play that flopped then they would be able to keep all the money that was raised but wasn’t used. While you are entertained by their endeavor it will make you feel like you’re watching a short comical nickelodeon that you just want to keep watching over and over again; ranging from the musical numbers such as Springtime for Hitler, to the montage used to acquire the money to produce the production. This is one masquerade that Mel Brooks produced that will be put into Media Studies and Film due to its use of music, melodrama acting of Gene Wilder, and it’s mise-en-scene. Comparably, this film relies on image very similarly to Hitchcock’s film “North by Northwest” in which the background is just as important as the foreground within the major scenes, and how the camera angle can change the perspective of an image. For example, in “North by Northwest” in the scene in the cafeteria at mount Rushmore the actual action of the scene was occurring the corner while it provided a greater shot to also in capitate the presidential faces that are engraved into the mountain. While in “The Producers Mel Brooks uses the camera to give the movie viewer a different look to what the in movie audience is seeing such as during Springtime for Hitler when all the Nazi actors have locked arms and appear to be moving in a circle they are actually forming a shape of a swastika in order to provide a comical effect due to the actual production was supposed to be purposeful flop. However, through the master shot of the film we learn that the play was actually a big success, and it was in part to the stupidity of the performer that was given the role as Hitler and his song “Hail Me” which turned the serious Nazi propaganda production into whimsical comedy. As “Time Magazine” once wrote about the film “The Producers has many things going for it -- notably a wild, ad-lib energy that explodes in a series of sight gags and punch lines.” and this couldn’t be any truer. The only thing I wonder is if they put a microphone on all the actors that were used in each musical production or if they were prerecorded and then edited in. If you haven’t witnessed this outstanding Mel Brooks film you definitely should for it outshines the remake and you’ll have a nonstop burst of laughs.

“Avatar” Film Review

            Most fantasy films appear to follow similar plots in which the main protagonist who is usually an unexpected hero goes on an adventure of epic proportions in order to stop an evil force and save the world from plunging into darkness or learn a life changing lesson, however the overall story of these films tend to vary from film to film. For example, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, the legendary film that takes you on an adventure across Middle Earth can easily be compared to the film Avatar, a film of just as much epic proportions but instead takes you to the planet Pandora that is home to the tall and majestic race known as the Na’Vi. Similarly to the first Lord of the Rings film Avatar is a story that is filled with intertextuality and is centered around individuals that at first is viewed to be oddball due to their stature; but after gaining the trust of the people that would soon to become their allies they are able to overcome many large obstacles. The film Avatar is an interlaced/progressive film for the vast majority of the film was created using CGI so that the actors likeness can be transferred to their Na’Vi counterparts; thus the majority of the film was recorded in a studio unlike its counter parts in the Lord of the Rings trilogy which had multiple filming locations in the majestic outdoors. Although, even if the lens isn’t focused on real life action role-players with lots of makeup in breathtaking mountain scenery, the film has its own magical touch to it for through the use of CGI you are transported to another world where you begin to sympathize and feel for its native inhabitants while they have fend off the human invaders that wish to destroy their world so that they can make a profit on their own. The Na’Vi which are beautifully created like the Hobits appear to show more femininity at first glance due to their tall and skinny stature, but the blue race is filled with masculinity for the majority of the tribes are known as warriors and are extremely territorial towards the human invaders and their machines. The director James Cameron has definitely created a visual masterpiece as his space odyssey involving James Sully is told using almost lifelike CGI lighting and engaging long takes that just put you on an emotional roller coaster. As David Edelstein a film critic for the New York Magazine/Vulture had described it in his review “The narrative would be ho-hum without the spectacle. But what spectacle! Avatar is dizzying, enveloping, vertiginous ... I ran out of adjectives an hour into its 161 minutes” and this is only because it seems like the film can keep going on eternity due to its long run time and the amount of effort put into the production to not only entertain but also make you believe that you too are a part of the epic. If you haven’t seen this film already and have nothing to do I recommend it.