Film responses 11 - Movie Review Example

Japanese Cinema in the 1950’s Film and Reading Response pp. 199-212 From your text, list 8 significant points made about the filmmaking (content &techniques) of Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa.1) His content sympathizes with individuals although he also values the importance of social groups to society.2) His films celebrate the equality of emotions that are the same for all individuals.3) He waits for days to get the right weather conditions for his sequences.4) He uses multiple cameras for photographing scenes.5) He has a stylized approach that uses bravura effects.6) He uses a brisk editing style that shows split-second shots of multiple perspectives.7) He uses widescreen shots.8) He uses sound to multiply the effect of the image.2. After watching the clip from the documentary on some of Kurosawa’s early work, list 5 points made about his filmmaking techniques and thematic concerns and their effects.1) Precise camera moves that have meaning (i.e. swirling moves of the samurai’s wife versus the unmoving shot of the samurai)2) Multidimensional acceptance of evil because evil is part of humanity3) Kurosawa draws the scenes and sets and wants to make sure that everything flows according to his designs.4) He scouts for the perfect location for his films.5) Nihilistic concept of humanity because they always fight.3.What film have you chosen to study for this week?Rashomon4. After reading and studying Kurosawa, describe 3 scenes in vivid detail from your chosen film that you believe best represents Kurosawa’s filmmaking mastery--addressing technical and thematic elements.

 (Use film term list for technical terms) Reference what you have learned in the the documentary clip and the assigned reading to help you explain why. Choose your scenes from the beginning, middle & end--show you have watched and studied the entire film.The first scene is when Tajômaru sees the samurai’s wife, Masako Kanazawa. He is lying lazily below a large tree. The camera tilts from the middle of the tree trunk downwards to show Tajômaru at the roots of another big tree. The long shot shows him in natural sunlight.

The camera cuts to a long shot that focuses on his body only and a small surrounding space to show part of the tree and the grass on the ground. It makes him look as wild as his surroundings. The musical background is used to amplify the menacing nature of Tajômaru. The mise-en-scene shows his tattered clothing with his sword and messy hair. He looks like a slob, which fits the personality of an uneducated bandit. The way he sleeps indicates his arrogance too. The camera dollies to the right of Tajômaru to show the road at his side.

The samurai and his wife are approaching in broad daylight. The light on the couple contrasts with the darkness on Tajômaru. The lighting signifies on the darkness and goodness of people. The scene cuts to a medium shot of the samurai but a full shot of his veiled wife. The background shows the woods, signifying their isolation. Their gentle movements, costume and hair signify their social class and breeding. The camera cuts to Tajômaru in medium shot. The dry bark of the tree is clear from behind.

Patches of sunlight are piercing through the leaves to show his face. He looks bored and uninterested with the couple. He sees the wife but her veil hides her. He lazily scratches his body. The next cut is a wide long shot that reveals a dark tree at the middle, Tajômaru at the left and the couple at the right. The samurai is shown as acting on defense with a long shot from his waist up. He gets ready if the stranger Tajômaru strikes him. It shows the samurai as a careful fellow, someone who will also protect his wife’s honor.

The men look at each other but Tajômaru’s closes his eyes lazily. The background music adds a chiming effect as the shadows of the leaves on Tajômaru’s body shows them being moved by the wind. He wakes up and opens his eyes bigger as he sees the lower legs of Masako which are white and smooth. The reaction shot of Tajômaru shows him enchanted as he sees a medium shot of Masako. The wind blows away her veil and the high angle shot shows her beauty. The point-of-view shot shows her as Tajômaru sees her, an enchantress in the woods.

Tajômaru slowly stands to follow her beauty. The shot cuts to the perspective behind him. The camera dollies away and shows the movement of the couple away from Tajômaru. He is turning his body toward them. They are well lighted while Tajômaru is in the shadows of the trees. As he lies back, he slowly reaches for his sword. He has fully changed from an uninterested to an interested and determined man.The second scene is the testimony from Masako. She says that after Tajômaru rapes her, he laughs at both of them.

She tries to run to her husband, where the shot is from behind her and Tajômaru. The long shot shows the tied-up samurai at the background. Tajômaru stops her. She weeps on the ground. The music is both thudding and sad. It reflects the heaviness of the scene. Tajômaru removes the rope around the samurai. She runs to her husband and hugs him. When she looks up to him, her face is surprised. The point-of-view is from behind the husband. It signifies someone watching them. The close-up shows her husband’s cold face.

He does not show love or pity for her, only disgust. The camera slowly pans to the right. It shows Masako surprised that her husband loathes her for being impure. She begs him to not look at her coldly and asks her to beat or kill her. The close up shows her putting her hands over her face in shame and sadness. She looks at the audience as if they were her husband, judging and loathing her. She weeps again to the ground. She takes her dagger and asks him to kill her. The reaction shot shows him still coldly looking at her.

She stands and walks away. She keeps on pleading for her husband to not look at her coldly. The camera shot swirls right and left, as if she is slightly spinning. It shows her descent to bitterness and madness. The close up continues to show the samurai’s disgusted face. Masako looks lost as she approaches her husband with the dagger on her hand facing him. She faints, and the audience can only infer that she accidently kills him. The last scene is when the woodcutter, commoner, and priest hear the crying baby.

They run to it but the commoner finds the baby first and takes away the kimono covering the baby. The long shot shows the crying baby as the commoner steals from him. The reaction shot shows the woodcutter and priest framed by broken wooden windows looking into the baby. The effect is that they are looking into the darkness of the human heart. They run to enter the house. The woodcutter pushes away the commoner who is angry at him for doing something evil to the child. The mise-en-scene shows the three of them.

The priest takes the baby. The commoner justifies his action that to be selfish is the only way to survive in this world. The commoner leaves and the woodcutter is disgusted at him. He runs after the commoner. He grabs his clothing. The rain pours on them. The commoner reveals that he knows that the woodcutter stole the dagger. He pushes the woodcutter back to the house. He does not say anything which proves that the commoner is right. The commoner slaps him and the long shot is low angle with all of them included.

The commoner leaves. The scene signifies that even the one who calls the rest liars are liars too- a situational irony and satire against humanity.