Films You've Intently Studied (1 Viewer)

[rich_d]

Thanks for all the responses. It is quite interesting to see what films people are interested in.

The films that I've intently studied are:

Chinatown
Vertigo
L'Appartement
Mulholland Dr.

For those that enjoyed Mulholland Dr. you might be interested in perusing our MD site which has everything from film fan theories to very detailed studies of some aspect of the film.

The site is located at http://www.mulholland-drive.net/

 

[ThomasC]

Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia

 

[Seth Paxton]

I've done papers on tons of films, but perhaps the longest was for Sunrise, about 25-30 pages IIRC. I've studied all of Murnau's work basically.

I wrote several Studio Era papers of 5-10 pages, including extensive reading/research, most notably on Public Enemy and Singin' in the Rain.

I did the John Rice original Cinematography thread on Out of Sight.

I read books on all varieties of directors and films, including Vertigo, Chinatown, Pulp Fiction, Hitchcock in general, Spielberg, and so on. One of my author specific classes was for Kubrick in fact.

2001 and Citizen Kane go without saying for any film theory student.

When I think of studying, I assume it includes reading background on the people involved, analysis of the film, and so on. Some commentaries also help, usually by professional theorists only though.

 

[Jason_Els]

Goodfellas. Every time I watch it I marvel at the pacing, the cinematography, and the editing. It is so perfectly done, not a bit wasted, and wonderously shot. It is very close to perfect.

The Passion of Joan of Arc. This film reaches so many people on so many levels, the technical choices so unique, the performances so preternaturally convincing, and the effect so frightening and intimate you can't help but study it. One of the few movies I have to reach for words to adequately describe, but I've come to the conlclusion Dreyer used the camera as if it were a human eye, largely abandoning the use of setting (peripheral vision), to force viewers to look through the characters with as little veil as possible. Panchromatic film, no make-up, disorienting camera movements: all serve to directly force emotion into the viewer without forethought or apparent subjectivity. If I'm right, this is the crowning achievement of Expressionist cinema. I'm still working on it.

Seven Samurai. Comparing this with The Lord of the Rings (published the same year!) and the social need for the development of the romance epic in two simliar post-industrial civilizations following a devastating war. While each are not strictly only films, their similarities are striking. Working on this one.

Lost In Translation. Another work in progress. This film is going places. It's reputation is going to grow as time passes. Much like....

Blade Runner. Very near and dear to my heart as I saw it on opening day before it was anything and I had any preconceptions. I want to wait for the Ultimate edition then compare Scott's various concepts of the film.

 

[JediFonger]

seth, have you seen many of the other silent films in general?

if so, don't you think FW Murnau is one of absolute MASTERS of silent films? if he had lived on, i think he would have easily conquered subsequent technologies and genres. i just loved his use of lighting, i liked last laugh and faust much better than nosferatu.

 

[Seth Paxton]

Murnau is one of my favorite directors with Faust being my 2nd favorite of his. For my Sunrise paper I described his work as poetic film rather than prose film, in that he makes hard use of metaphor and symbolism to jam his films full with minimal scenes.

The devil standing over the town as a giant in Faust springs to mind, though Sunrise is soaking wet with metaphorical imagery. And when I say that I don't mean in the semantical way where a theorist does a deep read to extract the metaphors. I mean metaphors and imagery meant to tell the narrative itself that are readily accessible to first time viewers.

Most directors tell the story in a prose fashion most of the time, with occassional bold metaphorical moments (such as a montage sports training set of shots, or other representational imagery). Murnau worked in almost constant imagery in nearly all of his films.


German Expressionists are my favorite filmmakers in general, especially from the silent era. After Sunrise I'd say that Metropolis is my 2nd favorite silent era film. I also really enjoy the Soviet Montage work. Too bad both film environments were basically ruined by dictators taking power of the country.

I've gotten into it with many other HTF regulars with my less enthusiastic view of Griffith, who I find to be more based in sensationalism and schtick. His characters are way too broad and founded in stereotypical extremes, as is his plotting.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Nice to see you posting again Seth—I’ll pass on the Griffith debate, as we have discussed this before, to ask about the picture: “have you moved?” That background sure does not look like Naptown to me.

 

[JediFonger]

i agree about Griffith. i've seen all of his films released on DVD (post birth of a nation). i don't think he is as revolutionary as history claims him to be. there are many short films (even melies around or pre 1900's) employing similar techniques. the only difference is his sustained long form narrative as a first (1914). my fav. part about him is his hiring of lilian gish... heh heh heh. she's 1 hot babe.

one of my fav. parts of faust is the horsemen, if Murnau ever made Revelations, Faust gives me an idea of what it'd look like =). truly one of the masters of cinema.... but seldom few know of his existence unfortunately.

my absolute fav. has to be chaplin's the kid, that film really signifies the rise of the 1st auteur half a century before the wide use of that word to describe a director =).

 

[MattFini]

Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me

 

[David Wilkins]

"Badlands", "Straw Dogs", and "Mulholland Dr."

 

[Kirk Tsai]

Sunrise is not just great for its visual supremacy, but also for its innovative use of sound. I wrote a paper for the blending of background and foreground music in the silent era. Griffith and Chaplin were others that utilized pre-record soundtracks for silent films, but the combination of sound effects and musical score, background and foreground music in Sunrise is something that even modern films still surprise us with; just look at Blazing Saddles and its gag of the band playing in the picture. Sunrise seems to be the first of this line of films, and it is not just innovative, but tremendously moving in the picture as well.

 

[Matthew_Def]

Very interesting thread.

I certainly feel like I've studied many films myself. There hasn't been a film I've seen and liked that I haven't talked for hours and hours about it with someone else. I've written papers for many of them, some only a few pages and some well over ten pages.

I'll just mention a few of my favorites;

A.I
Before Sunrise
Before Sunset
Mulholland Dr.
Eraserhead
Blue Velvet
Wild at Heart
Lost Highway
Every Star Wars film
A Clockwork Orange
Eyes Wide Shut
The Shining
Barry Lyndon
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Bride of Frankenstein
Buffalo '66
The Rules of Attraction

I can't imagine seeing a film and exiting the theatre or shutting off the DVD player, and not talking about it for atleast the next hour and then a some more over the next few days, and then after everytime I see it again.

 

[Chris Roberts]

Shawshank Redemption
Run Lola Run
Amelie

 

[andySu]

Well my prognosis of study is sound my little beastie ears are listening, and quite often but not too often I stumble across a DVD that is just so poorly been put together it just makes me wonder. What was the cause for the sound problem and where and how did it originate?

(Armageddon) region 2 the cracking distortion thread that I started is a fine example, yet I doubt most would even hear it!

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...d.php?t=241586

 

[Jason_Els]

I'll agree with you as to the effect of Griffith on audiences now, but back then I don't think irony was held in such high regard as it is today. What was excellent was what was noble and pure and virtuous. Griffith was a populist and I truly believe he believed in agrarian values and sentiment. His were films made for those, "flyover states," when they were the vast audience.

Anyway, don't mean to hijack.

And glad to have you back Seth!

 

[JediFonger]

do ya'll think more people study older films (ie pre star wars) than modern or postmodern films (ie after sw and after matrix)?