The Films as Illusions - Essay Example

ALL FILMS ARE ILLUSIONS Introduction (The Films as Illusions) This paper aims to discuss the ment that 'all films are illusions' by drawing on material in the course. In addressing this statement, it shall focus on special effects, narrative, mise-en-scene, and cinematography. The films that must be studied in focus for these are King Kong (1933), Forbidden Planet (1956), and Terminator 2 (1991). All films are illusions. This statement is very true of films, whichever genre it may be. This characteristic of films refers to the moving images produced in the spectator's mind. In reality, there is no real movement transpiring in films, thus calling them 'motion pictures.' It is the spectators that put movement in them through illusions created by way of persistence of vision through technical effects that enhance the visioning of the film. The premise that there is no relation between the viewer and the film, almost telling the audience directly that "it is only a movie" is "a symptom of an imagined loss of concrete, physical bond of belief between the viewer and the film";1 hence reinforcing the statement that all films are illusions. It is this connection between the film and the viewer is one that sets the illusion. Films are a wide array of pictures that move, creating motion that gives way to the creation of real movements. Since their creation, viewers have been accustomed to watch films regularly as part of entertainment. The narrative, special effects, sound, and cinematography all contribute in creating one interesting and engaging motion picture. However, technically speaking, films are just illusions. This illusion-character of films is important in a technical pursuit of using elements such as sound, cinematography, special effects, narrative, mise-en-scene, and the like in order to put across a film of good taste. Special Effects Special effects are illusions used in order to stimulate imagined series of events in films. These are used in order to make film frames or images appear photographically. Illusions in special effects are seen in the use of mechanized props, scenery, or atmospheric effects producing physical rain, snow, clouds, or fog. Mechanical facts can be used to make a car drive by itself, or a building blowing up. Mechanical effects as a form of special effects are formed in a set that suggests a certain atmosphere or sight, such as break-away doors or walls. It is apparent that films use visual magic in order to create illusions and some trick effects in order to affect the audience to startle. The persistence of vision through special effects is proved to produce smooth, flowing action when projected, just as what is mentioned earlier. In-camera effects are common features of special effects, such as making a miniature appear bigger as in the case of robots in Japanese television programs, or the use of back projection or matte paintings. Three-dimensional models are also used in order to establish in-house special effects such as in the movie King Kong and Terminator II which used three-dimensional effects. With the use of special effects, there is no need to capture a scene with the use of real-life objects and events that endanger the lives and limbs of people. Rather, through the visual illusions depicted in films through the use of technical effects, objects are made to appear larger or smaller; buildings are made to appear uprooted from the ground, and ships are made to appear sinking. However, in King Kong's production, the usage of sets was not maximized due primarily to the unfamiliarity of sets in the 1920's and 1930's. Thus, in King Kong, the camera/gun trope was used, with the cameraman takings shots of animals in the jungle of the African veldt.2 The special effects during the production process enhanced the photographed animals and sceneries. This enhancement is again, to create further illusion among the audiences. In Forbidden Planet (1956), the special effects are seen to stimulate the imagination of the audience in order for them to change the way they look at films.3 This is how illusion functions between the relationship of the viewers and the film. Illusion in Narrative Narrative in films presents contrasting stories from those of films that present information such as a documentary film. In film narrative, the imagination of the writer and the director is endless to the point that they can depict anything in the film, even things and concepts beyond imagination or that do not at all exist in the real world. The usage of narrative in films like King Kong, The Forbidden Planet, and Terminator II apparently creates an illusion to spectators with their out-of-this world depiction. King Kong is a giant primate who has a romantic connection with Fay and enters the city; a flying saucer lands on earth in The Forbidden Planet and a child becomes a woman; and an angel-robot in Terminator II with exemplary powers finds a future messiah to help save the world and fights an evil robot that intends to bar the mission. All of these are themes considered out-of-this world, which cannot happen in reality, or are far from happening. The narratives of these films are able to draw the audiences into their themes within their full length view. In its usage of special effects, King Kong is successful in depicting the travel and jungle film traditions in order to highlight ethnographic encounter. Its narrative creates illusion to viewers in its projection of romance on King Kong's relationship with Fay Wray. In reality, no such romantic development between a female and a primate could have happened, but is subtly described in King Kong through its narrative. This is how illusion is created through the usage of narrative, drawing the audiences towards the appreciation and understanding of such romance, which is only illusionary. The narrative In Terminator II points to a miraculous return of an angel-robot who arrives in present-day California to protect a future messiah John Connor. The narrative itself is an illusion in which mankind is depicted to be saved from the robots wherein the audiences are presented with melodramatic and causal narrative models.4 In reality, no such thing could ever be happening, and taking into account the setting of the film which is in 1997 (the film was shot in 1991), none of such kind happened in the same period, countering the futuristic stance of the movie. Illusion in Genre Genre is also an element that creates illusion in films. As Erb5 put it, the way in which audiences grasp a film's codes is dependent on their historical setting, and is thus, variable. It is this working of the film which emphasizes on the departure from a traditional notion of genre as a stable classification system into one subject to historical change which creates illusion among the audience. The movie Terminator II, for example, which is filled with adventure and violence, may be classified into this genre, whose making can be critiqued as contributing to social violence which has been attacked by critics as a 'new brutality film.6 In King Kong, two salient recurring tropes appeared in its genre, such as the camera/gun trope and the drama of the touch.7 King Kong itself refused to respect traditional boundaries that separate fictional from non-fictional forms in its genre as well as documentaries from feature. The King Kong genre is able to create illusion in its attempt to depict the widespread popularity of travel and jungle adventure films during the 20's and 30's, encapsulated in the fascination with non-Western cultures in the Modernist period.8 The audiences are drawn towards this fascination, in which they digest an illusion of this travel-jungle phenomenon that usually flooded Western films in this period. They are informed of this 'trend' through the film, and are led to the illusion that it is indeed the fad. Meanwhile, the film Terminator II is able to draw illusion in its genre of robotification in which a military man is incorporated in the film aiming to protect Connor. This sci-fi genre aims to draw an illusion that makes spectators hover in its theme. This is how illusion is created through genre. Illusion in Mise-en-scene Mise-en-scene is a term used in the theatre domain which aims to describe the aspect of production design. It pertains to things that appear before the camera as well as their arrangement, such as sets, lights, lighting, and actors. Blocking is also part of the concept of mise-en-scene, which pertains to the positioning of actors in the set. The emotional tone of a film is also part of mise-en-scene.9 In Terminator II, the illusion created by mise-en-scene is motivated by high arousal, labeled fear, and grief. It is clear that Terminator II induces the viewer's distraction, centered on the visual images which are violent in content. There is a successful attempt to move the content-based violence into the realm of the spectacular,10 in which the angel-robot is justified by the viewers themselves in its violent actions against its evil counterpart. This justification through the technique of mise-en-scene is a likewise usage of illusion. In King Kong, the mise-en-scene is unified in which the dramatic energy peaks when King Kong storms into the village and is shot.11 The drama of assault, resistance and synthesis, are present in this mise-en-scene in which emotions from the atmosphere of the scene invite the audience to sympathize. It is this emotional invitation through mise-en-scene which creates illusion among the audience. Illusion in Cinematography Cinematography refers to the incorporation of lighting and camera choices in the recording of photographic images in the film. Forbidden Planet used a cinematography that allowed its special effects to be nominated in Oscar Awards, alongside employing groundbreaking use of an all-electronic music score. The saucer landing sequence in the film required little amount of lighting besides the California sun12 in order to capture a cinematographic landing in the camera. It follows the concept that one must consider where to arrange the set in order to make the best use of sunlight, in a pursuit of making the most of a studio back lot.13 Special effects in King Kong are employed for shots wherein actors needed to appear alongside or behind animated figures, in which the usage of a variation of the rear screen projection concepts called miniature projection was employed.14 It projects an illusion of all the figures of either large or small to exist and interact in the same space.15 In reality, we are informed that this is not indeed the case, but is made possible by the illusion incorporated by the use of cinematography. It enables separate entities to be unified into one whole element. Cinematography in Terminator II is clearly employed by metallic effects, blasting, and high-caliber machine guns. Chase cars and robots are prevalent feature of the movie, along with the suspenseful moment of events. These are all made possible by the incorporation of the 3D effects, which is said to bring the milestone of 3D CGI effects.16 In King Kong, the director made sure that light patterns, camera angles, and connections between actors and objects are matched with those in the background in order for them to appear that they were shot in the same place at the same time. If these are not ensured, the final work would certainly be disjointed and the illusion would likewise be spoiled.17 Clearly enough, cinematography in films are essential in depicting and sustaining illusions, which in turn create continuity and unity in the entire process of the film. The events which the film wants to convey vis--vis the physical positioning of the characters rely highly on cinematography. The director and the crew need not bring the entire production in the jungle, just so they would be able to realistically film and capture the exact setting of King Kong. Rather, the cameraman can just take shots of some cinematic jungle scenes and incorporate them to the characters in the set. As the actual positioning of the characters in the jungle is missing, it is hence clear that through the usage of cinematography, an illusion is created in the entire process of the film. WORKS CITED Erb, Cynthia. Tracking King Kong: A Hollywood Icon in World Culture. Wayne State University Press, 1998. Gibbs, John. Mise-en-scene: Film Style and Interpretation. Wallflower Press, 2002. Grodal, Torben. Moving Pictures: A New Theory of Film Genres, Feelings, and Cognition. Oxford University Press, 1997 Gromley, Paul. The New Brutality Film: Race and Affect in Contemporary Hollywood Cinema. Intellect Books, 2005. Johnson, Charlie. The Categorization and Use of 3 Dimensional Computers Generated Special Effects in Film. University of North Texas, 2000. Retrieved on October 3, 2008 from http://64.233.179.104/scholarhl=tl&lr=&q=cache:4l15etqUyioJ:www.library.unt.edu/theses/open/20001/johnson_charlie/problieu.pdf+cinematography+in+terminator+II Johnson, John. Cheap Tricks and Class Acts: Special Effects, Make-up and Stunts from the Films of the Fantastic Fifties. McFarland and Company, Inc., 1996. Kawin, Bruce F. How Movies Work. University of California Press, 1992. Morton, Ray. King Kong: the history of the Movie Icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson. Hal-Leonard Corporation, 2005. Pierson, Michelle. Special Effects: Still in Search of Wonder. Columbia University Press, 2002. Read More