Movie Scene Review - Essay Example

number: Movie Scene Review Sabotage Movie reviews are the assessment of social, cultural and aesthetic merits of a film. They also depict the significance of the film according to its time period. Most of the movies are reviewed as a whole and a synopsis of the entire movie is included in the review but at times certain selective parts or scenes of a movie can be judged as well and a review can be written about them. Film, art and drama students are mostly required to produce such reviews. There are many world renowned publications in this regard as the art of reviewing movies and films is nearly as old as the history of movies themselves. Film-related journals, publications related to art, theater, history, literature and ethnic studies are all included in this context. Alfred Hitchcock is known throughout the world for his riveting plots and thrilling action movies. The British film director and producer earned so much fame in the action and suspense genre that even after several decades have passed since his death, his name is still alive. He has been called as the most influential film maker of all time. He had a distinctive and detectable directorial style which was prominent in all his directorial works. His character depiction, innovative film editing, and mind boggling mysteries are some of the qualities which set him apart from other directors of his time. He earned the name ‘Master of Macabre’ because of his psychological thrillers and themes depicting violence, murder and crime.   The film “Sabotage” directed by Alfred Hitchcock was released in 1936. It is based on the book "The Secret Agent" by Joseph Conrad. It is counted as one of Hitchcock's major films of the 1930s. It follows his signature style throughout the movie. The film is categorized in the action and suspense genre. It is a black and white film with 76 minutes of running time. The production studio of the film was Gaumont British Picture Cooperation Limited. Sabotage was released under other alternative titles as well. They are: The Hidden Power I Married a Murderer A woman alone Agent Secret List of cast and characters: Starring: Sylvia Sydney - Mrs Verloc Oskar Homolka - Karl Anton Verloc, Owner of Bijou Cinema John Loder - Detective Sergeant Ted Spencer, Scotland Yard Desmond Tester - Steve Verloc, Mrs Verloc's brother The scene which is being reviewed in this paper begins at 01:02 minutes. When the scene begins Steve, the teenage brother of the main character, Mrs. Verloc, is waiting to cross the road. He has been given a package by Mr. Verloc which he has to take to a certain place before 1:30. But it seems like however hard he may try to get to his destination on time, he keep getting hindered somehow. The Queen's congregation is passing and so the soldiers have blocked the road. He tries to cross it by making a run for it but it is of no use. With nothing left to do and the clock needles moving away from 1 o’ clock, Steve, stands there waiting for the congregation to pass. The road is crowded with people who are excited by the presence of all the carriages and the horses. The horsemen and their horses are receiving tremendous attention by the simple local people, for whom this is a form of entertainment. Every eye is upon them and the crowd is watching every move with wonder and delight. But it is the look on Steve's face and his expressions of sheer delight are what that grab the most attention. One moment he is worried that he has to get the parcel to the given place on time and the other second he becomes so captivated by the activities around him. The horses and their carriages march forward and Steve is looking at them with awestruck eyes. He looks so young and innocent at that moment and his face is aglow with pure happiness. This shows that even in times of great terror and difficulties, happiness still survives only if we let it in. Hope never abandons us unless we let it go. The look on Steve's face is that of pure joy and contentment, he is amazed by the horses, the horsemen and the clip clop of their hooves. This is how children are, they live in the moment and they do not worry about the problems that might come tomorrow or in the future. Steve had no idea that his life will be taken in a few moments, that he won't live to tell the tale of the horses and the horsemen, but the audience gets the feeling that something is about to happen. The happiness and contentment looks too good to be true in such a mysterious part of the movie. The paces of their hearts are heightened and they are holding their breath and praying that nothing would go wrong with this young innocent boy. This part of the movie reflects the theme of nearly all movies directed by Alfred Hitchcock – The unending suspense, the bone chilling mystery and the sudden unexpected death of the innocent. It relates with the whole movie “Sabotage” in such a way that the innocent are always the first victims. They get used by other people for their own motives and ultimately they are the first ones to get killed or to come to a bitter end. Yet the fact that Steve was among happy people before his death, people who were enjoying their lives by finding the simple pleasures, show that there is hope in this world. This depicts that even though Steve died an untimely and unfair death, he was happy. Something many great men could not achieve in their long life times and yet a simple, childish boy found beauty in little things and appreciated it. The scene shows that all is not lost. The dramatic tones, the camera angles, the brightly lit background all show that it is a clear, happy scene but this is Hitchcock's style of showing subtly that something more ominous is lurking behind these shadows of happiness and joy. The laughter, the amazement has a more sinister meaning hidden behind them and this catches the attention of the audience, while they are hoping against it as they sympathize greatly with the boy and his sister and do not want them to be in harm's way. Even though there are no words spoken, the silence is delivering its message. The clock is tolling and there is a sense of foreboding about the way the things are moving. Even though the audience is not really sure of what's inside the parcel, they know that nothing good can be expected of Mr. Verloc. The tension is building from the moment the boy left his house with the parcel in his hands. Another thing which is keeping the audience troubled is the time, the parcel was supposed to reach the destined place at no later than one thirty, yet the boy keeps on getting distracted by everything he is passing by. First, he tries to hurry but then he gets distracted and greatly intrigued by his surroundings. Steve takes in everything and is mesmerized by the excitement of the crowd and the stampeding of the horses. As he watches the horses parading, his young candid mind forgets all about the package and the passing time. Steve might have forgotten about the ticking clock but the audience is holding their breath and their pulses are racing as the clock moves towards the given time. All they want is the young boy to get back home safely without being harmed by Mr. Verloc's menacing plan. Not a single word is uttered but the plot has thickened and the vibes of fore coming danger can be felt. This is one of the most important traits of an excellent director that he can communicate with the audience without the words, just by paying attention to the background details. The filming, the pace, and the plot everything is moving towards something which doesn't need words to express. The scene also tells us about the psyche and thinking of the director. Hitchcock is believed to be a cynic and this is being depicted clearly in the scene as it shows a false sense of calm and then suddenly the reality is unleashed. Yet, it would be unfair to say that he was a pessimist only and believed that the innocent will always suffer because he created a beautiful yet simple world right before the tragedy happened. This shows that he still had some hope left inside of him, he had hopes for better days and he believed that the innocent will not always remain the victims. Most certainly will a day come when they will find peace and happiness in this world. Works Cited Duncan, P, and First. Alfred Hitchcock: Architect of Anxiety. Taschen, 2003. 12-17. McGilligan, P. Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light. 1. Harper, 2003. 467-500. Print. Wood, Jennifer (6 July 2002). "The 25 Most Infleuntential Directors Of All Time". Moviemaker.com. Read More

 

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