Movie Reviews

1. Bladerunner:
I chose to watch/review this movie mostly for it's cinematography & use of formal elements to create mood, but upon watching the special features, I was blown away by the influence photographic techniques had on it's creation. Essentially, Bladerunner was to movies what Jerry Uelsmann was to still photography!
Many of the shots featured parts of the scene burned out and replaced with hand-painted renderings to help create that futuristic appearance. The aerials of the city were actually two-dimensional cut-outs of building silhouettes, created through a process quite similar to old photographic processes (they etched the silhouettes onto metal, then used a chemical to dissolve any un-etched areas. Once the etching template was created, it was easy to mass reproduce the building shapes). For the actual filming, they would blow smoke between these two-dimensional cutouts to create depth (atmospheric haze: a structural element from CI class!)
Furthermore, many scenes featured multiple exposures to create a desired effect.
Although this movie isn't necessarily my favourite genre or storyline, I quite appreciated all the time and effort it would take to make this film in the pre-computer, analogue days. I was facinated by the processes the used. Finally, I also appreciated the use of lighting, back lighting, and colour/tone to create the distinct mood prevalent throughout the film.

2. City of God
I enjoyed how photography "saved the day", in a way, for the narrator/protagonist in this film - in the end, it elevents him from 'slum hood' to a succesful photographer living in the big city. Although we get a hint of the importance of photography early on in the film, it's not until the very end that we see it's impact, a fact that I think parallels the idea that a photo is only a snapshot of an instant, only a moment in time, and that there is so much more to the story than that single frame can show. I also enjoyed that many questions/issues surrounding photography are also subtly explored - copyright (when his images are taken from the developing room & printed without his knowledge); interpretation (he thinks he's 'dead' when the images are printed, but in actuallity, the subjects are happy about it); representation; photographer bias (choosing to leave out the images of the crooked cops), etc.

3. The Last Emperor
I chose this movie film because some initial research indicated that it has some of the best cinematography in modern film, which earned it the 1987 Academy Award in this category (as well as 8 other wins). This film used colour to create mood, particularly through the use of complimentary colours. Texture, pattern, line and form were also prevalent in the cinematography, mirroring these qualities, which are prevalent in the historic architecture and art of China's Forbidden City (the setting for much of the film). This film is beautiful to look at, but very long and a bit slow paced! However, with a photographic eye, I can begin to understand how much thought went into each and every shot in the film.