Snowpiercer

The Snowpiercer is a science fiction movie describing a world that when the world ends, only few people survive and live in a train which is endless traveling the entire earth. The whole film is very cool, it seems like a science fiction film but the content is very political. This is absolutely a political satire film.

There are some very interesting and good features of Snowpiercer.

The first is that such a kind of good film like Snowpiercer came out from South Korea definitely thanks to the government police published in 1997. The government police is that abolish the censorship system and establish the film classification system. Then the South Korea film industry had their spring, more and more excellent and amazing South Korea film produced and released in the local market even the global market. Ward (2014) talks that ‘it creating a philosophical fable that teases out the impacts of blind allegiance, adherence to a cause, and ascribing significance. Its contemplation is murky and multifaceted, which is emblematic of its complexity and not of its big-budget pedigree’.Such political satire film with thought-provoking ideology would not be produced by China mainland. I was thinking that if the development of South Korea basically because of the government abolished the censorship system and established the film classification system, will the Chinese film rise up to a new level if the Chinese government do the same thing as the South Korea government. But when the day come?

The second one is that the Snowpiercer is actually an international film directed by a South Korean director Bong Joon-ho, namely, this film is not a pure South Korean film. From the actors and actress groups we can see that those important actors and actress are from three countries, United Kingdom, South Korea and United States. Moreover, from Vikrant’s lecture, he mentioned that the film production team shoot in Czech, German VFX, and this film based on a French graphic novel named Le Tranperceneige.

 

Professor Vikrant put forward some questions at the end of the lecture:

Is this globalisation? Or is this giving opportunities to new studios and audiences to share their narratives?

My answer is:

Snowpiercer presents a new globalisation, at the same time, the glolisation in film area definitely gives opportunities to new studios and audiences. Brian Yecies, Ae-Gyung Shim and Ben Goldsmith (2011) discuss that ‘Since the mid-2000s, transnational flows of films, filmmakers and film work have grown, driven in part by a ‘digital wave’ – that is, the diffusion and adoption of digital production, distribution and exhibition technologies and practices. Around the world, international production has broken new ground: more and more films are pre-produced, shot and post-produced in multiple locations and in multiple countries – all on budgets more modest than the average Hollywood blockbuster.’

 

References:

Ward, S., 2014. Keep your eye on the dystopian ball: Bong Joon-ho’s’ Snowpiercer’. Metro Magazine: Media & Education Magazine, (182), p.54.

Yecies, B., Shim, A.G. and Goldsmith, B., 2011. Digital intermediary: Korean transnational cinema. Media International Australia, 141(1), pp.137-145.

 

Comments I did:

A Critical Discussion of Snowpiercer

Snowpiercer

Hana-bi from Kitano

Hana-bi is a very beautiful and romantic gangster film, I personally believe that.

From week 8 to week 10, there are three gangster films for us, Hana-bi is the most special one that I like. I can’t even believe that this is a gangster film, Hana-bi is totally different to other two gangster films, infernal affairs and Rakta Chariatra.

Image result for Hana-bi

As I said in class in last week, I personally don’t like gangster film, because I don’t like too much noisy film, I don’t like to see film full of blood and fighting, and I think most gangster film’s story is very similar, nothing for me to expect. So I don’t quite understand why gangster film is popular around the world. I like Hana-bi because it’s violent film rather than gangster. I remember that on the lecture of that week, Vikrant quoted Takeshi Kitano that ‘I intentionally shoot violence to make the audience feel real pain. I have never and will never shoot violence as if it’s some kind of video game.’

Image result for Hana-bi

The main character of this film, Nishi, a little bit crazy man mixed with gentle, romance and violence. He is violent, but we can see from this film that he treat his wife very kind, never will be violent to her. Even he betray his police identification for her wife, finally they killed themselves. The last shoot, the screen of the sea and sky, and the little girl, with the sound of two gunshots, my feeling and emotion is very complicated. I found out that I went deeply into this film already, I paid emotion into this film. ‘The less the characters react, the more scope the viewer has to read emotions and significance. ’ (2003) The less the Nishi says in the film, the more curiosity I will have on him. Complex personality of Nishi, make him very attractive and captivating, Kitano Takeshi does not provide fixed meanings but rather its pluralism results in its ability to be read in a variety of ways, both negative and positive.

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‘This notion of ‘furious peace’ perhaps summarises the entire film as Kitano creates an exposition of sadness, violence and anger amidst an often beautiful, funny and musing on the nature of life and death,’ according to Taylor-Jones, Kate E.. Rising Sun (2013). Furious peace perhaps could be used to summarise this entire film, grief movement could be used to describe my feeling at the end. Kitano himself experienced a lot, compared to other many director, he understands more and look overs more. I think this is one of the reason of why his movies are so excellent. Romantic and violent man.

 

references:

Taylor-Jones, Kate E.. Rising Sun, Divided Land, Columbia University Press, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/rmit/detail.action?docID=2145051.

Taylor-Jones, Kate E.. The Legacy of a Violent Man: Kitano Takeshi. Rising Sun, Divided Land, Columbia University Press.

 

Comments I did:

Space and Context in Spirited Away and Hanabi

Anime Cinema – Gangster Genre

Queen and Offside

 

Queen is from India, Offside is from Iran, these two countries have some similarity. Firstly, religion plays a very important role in their culture and country. Secondly, they have long history, namely, they have very strong cultural foundation. Based on these two similarity features, we can roughly conclude a point that their culture won’t be changed and updated very easily and sharp.

Image result for queen film

Queen shows us a traditional Indian woman, how she changes herself to become a new Indian woman in her European travel. The main character she travels in many European countries such as French and Holland, meets and makes some friends who are very unusual for Rani, at the same time, her opinion and sense of worth is changing. I know that Rani, she is a very kind and gentle girl, but I personally think her personality, to some extent, is cowardly. If I see my fiancé in Holland, and say something like I come here for you so you have to come back with me. How arrogant is he! I promise I will be angry and slap him very strongly. I personally think Queen is a good and representative Bollywood cinema, but I won’t say I like this film. Compared to Offside, I like Offside more than Queen.

Before I saw this film, I know sorts of knowledge about Iran, and its culture and history. I know that the social stage of Iran female is far lower than male, there are many strict rules and unfair sense of value on women. This film shows me a real Iran society, as Panahi says this is a social film, but social films always connect to politics. As I see, don’t separate society and politics, because they are accrete. In this film, those girls they all love football but they are forbidden to entry stadium, when they are only allowed to see at home on Television, they against. I think they are very brave, they already known that if they get caught they will be took away to police station, and worse more they possible will suffer unknown punishments. Pahani transfers this information to audiences at the beginning of film. There is a screen that a girl ask the soldier why women can’t enter stadium to see football games? Soldier answers that because the stadium is full of men, and they all yell some very dirty words, Iran women can’t hear that. Then the girl ask further that why foreign women like Japanese women they can entry? The soldier answers because they aren’t Iran women. The girl reply so the reason is actually we are Iran women? And the soldier get confused by the girl. What I got from this conversation is, most common people are foolish and bemused on common cultures and opinions from given. They don’t understand but they accept, nobody jumps out to question and challenge why Iran women is forbidden to enter stadium.

Image result for Offside film

Also Pahani shows his opinion and wish on Offside, ‘I hope in ten or 20 years’ time when people watch Offside they can look at it as a documentary of a moment in Iran when we didn’t have the rights and freedoms they now enjoy. You have to be very precious to think one film can bring about social or political change, but if people question the laws, the limitations and the restrictions, then the film will have done its job.’ Then I more confirm that this is a documentary film, and in this film, Pahani didn’t put many his personal emotion and opinions. What we get from film, is what we see from it. Gender this social issue is merely a theme.

 

To sum up, I think that offside is better than Queen because Offside questions a social issue from inside, namely like the eggs hatched, while the Queen is with the help from outside.

 

References:

Jafar Panahi interviewed by Jumana Farouky, “Blowing the Whistle,” Time (21 May 2006): HYPERLINK “http://www.time.com/time/ magazine/article/0,9171,901060529-1196395,00.html” http://www. time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901060529-1196395,00.html

Panahi quoted in Ali Jaafar, “Fear of the Penalty.” Sight and Sound vol. 16, no. 5 (May 2006): 35.

 

Comments I did:

https://brittanyliblog.wordpress.com/

https://azizhussaini.wordpress.com/

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

This is the first Chinese film that we saw during this semester, directed by Ang Lee, a very famous ‘Chinese’ director. Regarding this Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (in Chinese, ‘卧虎藏龙’), although I have heard about for quite a long time, I didn’t go to see this on my own. Martial arts film isn’t my favourite dish, only some of that I prefer such as Ip Man. Even Ang Lee, I only know that he is a Chinese, and famous director rewarded The Oscar. This Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is the first film, directed by Ang Lee, which I saw.

Overall, when I sited out this film, I don’t know the feeling that I got from this film. I don’t feel surprised and amazing, or cheering for the rewarded film. Confused, jumbled for me to understand that why this film can be rewarded by the Academy Award? I don’t understand the tittle Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon means what? Simply speaking, this story is about an adolescent rebellious girl, who was born in a traditional and wealthy family, studied Kungfu since she was a child. She is very looking forward to escape from her traditional family, having a free life. But for the free life that she expects, she lost many things.

Saying something that I did enjoy and prefer, the screen of the fighting in bamboo grove is very excellent, plus the music of this film. These two are fame follows merit. For others, like the storyline or the deeper emotion/ideology, the only reason that I can figure out for the question I asked before that why this film can be rewarded by The Oscar, is this film is totally western film audiences’ dish. A western soul covered by Chinese shuck, a little bit like Ang Lee.

 

reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXIJv1NoXmo

We know that Ang Lee was born in Taiwan, but he lived overseas, in U.S., for quite a long time. In other words, he is been already influenced by western culture, or educated in western ways. Ang Lee himself is a product of globalization, he is very transnational and international. Whereas the director is very transnational and international, it’s no doubt that the film is very international and transnational. Moreover, it’s no doubt that I can’t completely and totally understand the theme and content that Ang Lee added in the film.

For example, in lecture and class, we talked about that this film is about two pairs of lovers, and these two pairs of lovers are totally different. One more important content, feminist, which I really didn’t get from this film by myself until we talked it in lecture. Oh there is one content that I miss, the teacher – student relationship. Firstly, regrading to lovers this content, just my personal comment, Ang Lee puts too much time to describe Jen Yu (玉娇龙) and Lo “Dark Cloud” (罗小虎), especially the period that they were in the deserts. I think Ang Lee probably wants to describe their romantic and unusual love story, but what’s about the other pair of lover, Li Mu Bai (李慕白) and Yu Shu Lien (俞秀莲). The way that Ang Lee used to express love, as a Chinese, personally think that it’s not the general and common in mainly Chinese group.

All in All, I can’t totally understand and analyse the deeper theme that comes out in this film, forgive me.

In week five, we saw the film ‘Hero’, directed by Zhang Yimou, a story about a swordsman assassinate the king of Qin Empire. This story, and the theme that director Zhang yimou puts in the film, are very clear to be understood by me. Also I have to say, I like ‘Hero’ more than ‘Couching Tiger Hidden Dragon’.

Some common and general theme in ‘Hero’, I don’t want to talk anymore. There are two aspects I’d like to say, one is the feminist theme, the other one is colour. To be honest, I actually didn’t notice the feminist theme, just like the moment I saw the ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’. I don’t think this is a very clear theme, at least I can’t see.

On the other hand, how to use colour in this film, to affect atmosphere and express meanings, is a very worthy and interesting aspects. Black, white, red, green, and kohlrabi. For example, the army of King Empire attack the Zhao Kingdom by millions and millions arrows, those people of Zhao Kingdom, the room, are all in red. Here, red means not only the deadly blood, also the unyielding soul.

Colour is a global languages, almost all the audiences can understand it. Although there are possible existing more uncommon understanding of colour.

Simply speaking, personally believe that the ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’ is more transnational on the theme and intension, while the ‘Hero’ is more transnational on expression of film.

Om Shanti Om

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

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.