Monthly Archives: July 2017

Om Shanti Om

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I usually don’t see Indian film, even Bollywood films, but few Bollywood films I saw are very impressive in my memory. Like the film three idiots, produced in 2009, I do like this films, have seen this film for over five times. Three idiots this film is absolutely excellent otherwise I won’t spend my rare time on it. Since this film, this was my first time to get in touch with Indian Bollywood film, the Bollywood song and dance was the special thing I had never seen in other films, and it also gave me strong impression.

This is a film part of film named three idiots:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-LltgOtFSg

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-LltgOtFSg

 

And other one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ1uLVgv3Vg

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=yJ1uLVgv3Vg

 

There were two questions we discussed in class:

#1 Why Indian Bollywood films can be so popular and successful?

#2 Is Bollywood dancing and songs are worthless or worthy, to the point of view of film?

 

Somebody likes Indian films, just because of the Bollywood style dancing and songs, while these Bollywood style dancing and sons can be the reason of somebody to dislike Indian film. But here I have to say, whether we like it or dislike it, the Bollywood Dancing and songs has become one of the key reason of why Indian/Bollywood films can be so popular and successful.

 

This is one part of the film Om Shanti Om:

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=ymuNkKuToao

 

Some students they talked in class to express that the content of Om Shanti Om is just a simple love story, it wasn’t complex to be understood. If there was no Bollywood dancing and songs, the whole three hours movie will be very boring, and nobody would like to seat there to enjoy. Yeah I agree with this view, from the point of view of storyline design, it didn’t give me some surprise, maybe this is just a simple love story to eulogize love and justice, and it doesn’t need so much plots to surprise audiences.

Compared to Hollywood musicals movie, it stared more early than Bollywood film industry, and has more precious experiences than Bollywood to make musicals movie. However, what we should admit is nowadays Indian musicals film is more popular than Hollywood musicals films.

As many people know that in India, everyone loves to dance and sing, this is their national gene. In Indian film, Bollywood they improved and advanced traditional Indian dance and songs, they add more western dance and song elements, to make it more international. So actually, we can’t say Indian people they usually just dance in Bollywood style.

Just in last year, 2016, there was a very popular film came to China and made Indian film comes to Chinese audiences eyes once again. Film named Dangal, it did surprised many Chinese audiences, and rewards many praises. I will see this film later, and the actor Amamir Khan, one of main actors in this film, is one of my respective actor in the world.

Yojimbo of Kurosawa Akira

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The theme of this week, of this period is Transnational film.

Transnational film has multiple audiences from many countries, it will be admired by other countries ‘audiences. For example, a Japanese film Yojimbo directed by director Kurosawa Akira in 1960s, is a representative film of transnational film during that post-war period.

As an eastern film from Japan, Yojimbo rewards many admires from not only eastern audiences but also the western audiences, which is very difficult. Since the culture and culture value in eastern and western world are definitely different, only few films are selected to win worldwide film competitions, especially in that time the film situation is dominating by western film world.

Japanese director and screenwriter Kurosawa Akira is one of my favourite film director, he is very good at directing and producing Samurai film. I have seen other films of him, such as Seven Samurai and Rashomon, those are very excellent films. Director and screenwriter Kurosawa Akira was born in a very traditional samurai family, strict family rules and education influenced his childhood and his future film career. Also he lived in an especial period, his country Japan changed from semi feudal dynasty to industrial country, experienced the first and second worldwide wars, and a list of reformations. He experienced those things with Japan, he witnessed the change of social stage of samurai, the final curtain of samurai. To samurai, Kurosawa has his own specific views and understanding, in his samurai films, he combined Japanese elements and western elements, which is the significant key, in my opinion, to explain why Kurosawa’s samurai films were admired by worldwide audiences.

In this film Yojimbo, we can see that some western film element and style have been used fluently and perfectly by Kurosawa Akira. There are some screen of fighting very impressive to me. These screens, from the point of view of composition of picture, are splendid.

 

https://antifilmschoolsite.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/yojimbo-crop-2.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/32/120179411_0c3e08d454_o.jpg

 

https://media2.giphy.com/media/utvqWkXafxFNm/giphy-facebook_s.jpg?t=1

https://www.nerdist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Yojimbo-4.jpg

This screen, wide range view, putting the role in the middle, the environment set off the murderous look and arrogance of this role. Very similar to some typical western film screen.

http://cdn-static.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeek/files/styles/article_width/public/fistful-02.jpg?itok=8aU7JLCX

https://filmgrab.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/yojimbo21.jpg

http://www.organicmechanic.org/scratch/yoj2.jpg

This screen, the two major forces provoke and scowl on each other, while the main role just sit on high place then watching these two bosses, in very relaxing feeling. This is a very good contrast, making audiences laugh.

 

In the end, Yojimbo is a very good representative example of transnational film, this film is a conversation between Japan and western world. What I learn from films of Kurosawa Akira is that when we are going out from home country for world, don’t forget where we are from.