Archive for April, 2013

Blog Posting #2: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)


2013
04.25

For this Screening blog I am evaluating the movie What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) directed by Lasse Hallstorm. In this film, Hallstorm shows the conflicts and struggles Gilbert Grape must go through on a daily basis from taking care of his mentally ill brother Arnie and extremely overweight mother, to falling in love and the challenges of being the man of the house. Also, the film shows how hard Gilbert has to try in order to live a ”normal” life. Throughout this film, Hallstorm displays how hard Gilbert’s life’s struggles are by having the lighting of the film set the tone of sadness and the felling of depression.

One example of how lighting affects the tone of this film is the fact it shows Gilbert’s depression about his current situation.  For example, in the scene when Gilbert attacks Arnie after he refuses to take a bath; the lighting in the scene makes the audience feel sadness towards both Gilbert and Arnie by using very dark shadows coving the faces of both of the actors. By coving the actor’s faces during the attacks makes the audience feel Gilbert’s emotions and as a result they feel bad that Gilbert has to deal with all the problems with Arnie by himself. Also later in this scene after the attack, Gilbert steps back into the darkness of the room realizing he regrets attacking Arnie: as he steps more into the darkness not wanting to be seen by Arnie which making the audience feel sadness that Gilbert attacked his mentally ill brother. As a result of this light choice, it makes the audience feel bad for Arnie because he does not know any better.

Another example of how lighting affects the tone of film is during the burning of the Grape’s family home after Mama (Bonnie) dies. This scene takes place outside during dusk and as the seen continues it gets darker and darker outside; by filming the burning of the house at dusk the background lighting naturally gets darker as the lighting of the house gets more intense increasing the feeling of the scene. By the end of this scene, it is completely dark outside and the only light in the scene illuminating the characters as they watch the house is the light from the flames. By have the only light in this scene the flames from the fire really continues the tone of the movie in the depressing stage showing that their whole life is literately going up in flames. Also, when the audience sees the fire illuminating the characters it makes them feel the emotions that the character feel in the scene, making the tone even more depressing and somber. Therefore, in the movie What’s Eating Gilbert Grape the lighting helps express the depressing tone of the movie.

 

 

 

Screening response #1 Gish Theater


2013
04.05

On Monday March 25,2013,I attended the documentary film Orgasm inc. (2009) by Liz Canner at the Gish Theater.Orgasm inc. is an educational and funny documentary on the drug companies race to find a cure for female sexual dysfunction (FSD). Throughout this documentary the serious and humor side of the issue surrounding FSD can be seen through the line motif and use of editing through out the whole documentary.

Before i explain how line motif and editing makes orgasm inc. a funny and serious film, i want to explain what the documentary is exactly about. Liz Canner , the director of Orgasm inc., started investigating the issue surrounding Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD) when she was asked to edit  videos for the drug company Vivus. Vivus is one of the leading producers of  erection drugs for men but after Viagra came out Vivus’  sales deceased. As a result of business loss, Vivus started developing drugs to help cure FSD and needed explicit videos to help women’s sexual desire to increase during the testing of heir FSD drugs and ask Canner for help.

one of Blocks concept the can be seen in Orgasm Inc. is the the use of line motif. One example of how line motif is seen, is when Canner goes to Kim Air’s adult video store  named Grand opening in order to find explicit footage that Vivus can use in their clinical trails. In this scene,  the audience is shown the rows and rows of shelved DVDs and VHS available at the store. By showing the audience this Horizontal and vertical  line motif in the film is shows the depth of the shot in making the screen more 3D. Also,by using this line motif of both horizontal and vertical lines it brings the shot to its most simple form of up and down lines  which makes the viewer more engaged .

one cinematic element that is used in Orgasm inc. is editing . One example of how editing is used in Orgasm Inc. is during Canner’s interview with Dr.Carol Queen, founder and curator of Good Vibrations Antique Vibrator Museum.  For instance, during  the interview Queen starts talking about the different parts of the female body in with women can get an orgasm from and during this conversation Canner uses voice over editing to show of a map of a women’s sexual organs; by doing this it shows  what Queen is talking about. Also,later in the interview when Queen is talking about the history of the vibrator, Canner uses voice over editing to show actual picture of women who were treated with vibrators to cure their hysteria. This is a picture of  Carol Queen with one of the vibrators that may have been used in treatments for “hysterical” woman.

Therefore, by using line Block’s basic concept of line motif and the cinematic element of editing Liz Canner successfully made a educational yet funny documentary on the drug companies race to make FDA approved drugs to cure Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD)


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