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The Changing face of Cinematic Beauty
iView Author:
MITHUN GANGOPADHYAY
(Los Angeles, USA)
Email:
mithun.gang [at] gmail [dot] com
The Changing face of Cinematic Beauty
One of the greatest works of art to celebrate the female form in my opinion is Goya’s masterpiece “The Naked Maja”. Scores of art critics as well as art aficionados have been totally bewitched by the comely lady in the years past and with good reason for it is an absolute triumph of form and content. On closer inspection though, you will probably note an incongruous aspect to it as I did when I was studying Goya’s works. In his time the lovely lady must have been considered to possess the perfect figure but by today’s standards she does look a bit….well….plump.
All art is a reflection of it’s time and what makes it so amazing is that it inherently influences what it seeks to capture. Cinema is in my opinion is the greatest derivative art which is influenced by everything and influences everything. That is cinema’s true power and its true genius.
I have been a film buff as long as I remember and one of my earliest childhood memories is watching a VHS copy of Star Wars which someone had given to me. The opening scroll of “A long time ago in a Galaxy far far away…” paved the first step was what to be a lifelong love affair with the medium. Growing up first in Nigeria and then in Delhi I was an omnivorous viewer. I watched anything without any thought given to quality control or content. Roger Corman, Govinda, James Bond, Django, Amitabh and Manmohan Desai were all equal gods at the temple which I worshipped.
The first time I truly recognized cinematic genius and beauty for what it was when some kindly soul at the recently launched Star Movies Channel (circa mid 90’s) decided to telecast a week late night long Akira Kurosawa festival. Now I was completely unaware as to who Kurosawa was and my only reference point to Asian Cinema was the plethora of Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and Golden Harvest film me and my Dad used to gleefully ingest by the bucket. Also at the then ripe old age of 14 I had a pronounced dislike for Black and White films for the distinct lack of color in them.
So that fateful night when I switched on the TV eager to view my nightly dose of softcore porn (Yes they used to show that too. J) I wasn’t too impressed to encounter a colorless and grainy Japanese film with a complicated non-linear narrative structure. Despite my total disgust at this I couldn’t help be drawn in by this compelling film and by the time half an hour had elapsed I was pretty much gasping for breath and watching it with my mouth open. As you might have guessed by now the film in question was “Rashomon”.
I fell in love with the kabuki inspired acting, the masterful staging and most of all the absolute brilliant cinematography. Some of the techniques in my arsenal which I have shamelessly and cheerfully pilfered from the greats include the Leone CU, Scott backlighting and also the Kurosawa triangular 2 shot (my term for it). So began my quest to uncover cinematic beauty in whatever form I could. I wax nostalgic for they days when Star Movies was actually Alladin’s Cave for movie treasures. You could be watching completely awful films like “Bachelor Party” and then they would show “Black Narcissus” or “Kind Hearts and Coronets”
Over the years I have seen all sort of trends and styles in filmmaking come and go.
Movements which have happened in front of me like Dogma, Crossover, American Indie, Studio Indie, Brit Gangster, American Mumblecore, DIY, Linklater talkies, Heroic Bloodshed etc etc. They have come from all corners of the globe and have influenced fellow filmmakers and their films as they should. That is the purpose of art.
Visionaries like Michel Gondry, Julie Taymor, Mark Romanek, Davind Ficher and Satoshi Kon are the spiritual children of Stan Brakhage, Maya Deren, Chris Marker, Nageishi Oshima and FW Murnau to name a few.
However what really irritates me as a working professional in the film industry as well as film lover is the legion of armchair critics who either criticize a film or the style of filmmaking without understanding the rationale or thought behind me.
As an example my fav film of 2007 is “The Bourne Ultimatum” which narrowly beats out “Eastern Promises” and “Ratatouille”. In my book the Bourne film is an absolute triumph of form and content much like the Goya painting. I watched it in New York and the entire hall was totally entranced. I was on the edge of my seat throughout and after the film there was a standing ovation which rarely happens with American audiences. I went and raved about it to everyone whom I met and most of them agreed.
One person however dismissed the film as amateurish because of the verite influenced handheld camerawork and mixed temperature lighting. He was not alone and a lot of people including some cinematographers shared that view. While I can respect their decision they don’t understand that this style wasn’t a gimmick. Paul Greengrass shoots all his films like this be it “Bloody Sunday” or “United 93″. This film was a 130 million dollar studio film and it was shot entirely handheld. He could have shot it any way he pleased yet he chose to shoot it like this. There was an idea behind which translated to the screen.
I think it was not only very well shot but also very beautifully shot. That’s right I find handheld jittery camerawork with mixed color temperatures and out of focus shots beautiful. Art is not just about perfect balance, vivid colors and beautiful images. Art is also about disturbing images, asymmetry and imbalance. Francis Bacon is as beautiful as Goya. Bosch is as stunning as Vermeer and Mondino is as humane as Erwitt.
I am an ardent devotee of Slawomir Idziak whose cinematography in films like “Blue”, “The Double Life of Veronique” and “Gattaca” is transcendant. His mastery over color the use of filters is second to none yet his approach is totally classical with inky blacks, dense negative, brilliant compositions and balletic camera movement. As much as I love this style my current favorite music video is shot on reversal film with milky blacks, handheld camera, uncorrected fluorescent lighting and unbelievable use of negative space.
The true lover of art seeks and recognizes beauty in what is not obviously beautiful. Otherwise there would have never been a Caravaggio.
41 Responses to “The Changing face of Cinematic Beauty”
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Completely agree Mithun.
Thanks for giving me a shit load of names i have to google/wiki/imdb and read more about
this is why i LOVE PFC,this is where my education happens ^_^
think lot of people started with star movies.me too.
eastern promises…thought its highly overrated. nothing that i havent seen before. and even the twist is so predictble. similarly atonemnt is also highly overhyped. my vote is for diving bell n the butterfly…something compltly new.
Bourne ultimatum is one hell of a gripping film .. seen it thrice already
‘mixed temperature lighting/mixed color temperatures ‘
can u tell me what this means
Haven’t seen Diving Bell yet as it hasn’t opened wide though I’m a huge Julian Schnabel fan. One of the few people who have made the transition from acclaimed artist to acclaimed filmmaker.
I think Eastern Promises is one of the most visceral films I have seen. I hope you didn’t see the chopped version which was released in India with all the best scenes truncated. If the knife fight in the bathhouse doesn’t leave you stunned they you are a very hard man to please . But apart from that I think its just plain old simple superb acting and storytelling devoid of any flashes. Then again it’s a totally subjective viewpoint of mine.
Mixed color temperatures is when you have daylight, tungsten and flourescent light sources in the same shot without correcting them. Earlier it was considered a major gaffe and bad lighting but now all the best DP’s in the world employ it. Examples of films are Fight Club, 8 Mile, Requiem for a Dream and the Bourne Ultimatum. :d:)
@Mithun…no, it wasnt chopped version. didnt c in the theatre. saw it the with all the scenes and yes they do stump u. but overall film, may be i was expecting much more. Cz read n heard so much about it.
very informative and well written…thanks.
I loved Nourne Ultimatum as well and had written about something in it myself here-
http://passionforcinema.com/pauses%e2%80%a6when-you-don%e2%80%99t-need-dialogues%e2%80%a6/
I totally respect your viewpoint but I don’t think I agree with you. Cronenberg is one the most provocative directors around and one of my favorites. EP along with A History of Violence is a knockout one-two punch for me as I love characters who battle with their sense of identity.
Just as a side note I asked a Russian friend of mine bout Viggo’s accent and he said he could swear that Viggo was Siberian.
Mithun-san
In Ikebana too,
which is about asymmetry and imbalance,
they teach you to leave the drooping flower or rotten leaf on your arrangement instead of cutting it off,
as ugliness and death are also part of nature……
Totally. Unfortunately I haven’t reached Ikebana yet as Im still stuck with other Japanese art forms like Anime, Manga and Japanese women. :-)
This does remind me of a guy I knew in film school who for his semester film shot stop motion footage of a dead cat decomposing over a week in a Brooklyn garbage dump. He is either gonna a total genius or a serial killer. He was also a big time prick who didn’t get along with anyone cause he saw himself as a cinematic martyr. Save me from these self appointed messiahs. :-)
Well said Mithun….something worth reading at PFC after a long time…. Like your discovery of Kurosawa, I remember being introduced to Ray’s films by DD when they had shown his films late at night posthumously …
Mithun
Bourne Ultimatum is definitely among the top 5 films of 2007.
Diving Bell is playing at theaters right now. Which part of LA are you at? Its playing in Santa Monica, Pasadena & Encino.
It is the best film of 2007. It is one of the best films ever. This week I watched Schnabel’s debut BASQUAIT. He is currently one of my fav directors along with Greengrass.
I saw EASTERN PROMISES in Los Feliz theater. So no chop chop version. Its a bad film. That Bathhouse scene was the only good thing about the film, apart from Vigo. Vincent Cassel’s russian accent was laughable. I am a hard man to please Mithunda.
BTW where do you go for Durga Puja in LA?
@ bicycle thief
Yeah I still don’t believe the kind of stuff they used to program back in the day. I once saw Uri Barbash’s “Beyond the Walls” at 4am. I also remember the John Woo festival they ran starting from “A Better Tomorrow” and ending at “Hard Boiled”. Fantastic.
@mainak
I just moved to LA bout 20 days ago and live in Culver City as it’s close to school. So finding a Puja pandal hasn’t really come up till now. Actually I dont think I’ve attended puja ever since I moved out of Delhi. Miss the food though though its been more than a decade since Ive had a mughlai parantha.
Well I for one absolutely love EP and it’s cool if you don’t like it. I’ll prob go catch it at Santa Monica over the weekend if I can get through this hellish homework I need to deal with. Fuck I hate academia. :d
Schnabel is fab. Apart from his films his paintings and art installations are amazing too. It’s so cool to see a former bad boy making such amazing films. I just love “Before Night Falls”.
What School?
LOYALA or USC? or SMC?
What are you studying?
Lets have a chai at India Sweets & Spices sometime soon. Its in Culver City. Friday or Wednesday evening.
Before Night Falls is very good, but the English language really bothered me. Schnabel learnt his lesson.
Welcome to LA. You should volunteer at IFFLA. It will be a instant short cut to meeting cool desis of LA.
Im at UCLA studying advertising while trying to consolidate my art history and lighting skills.
Friday sounds good. The joint is a block away from where I live. I don’t think Im gonna volunteer for anything till I get a car. Had to turn down a Super 16 gig coz I can’t make call times relying on the shitty bus systems. I miss NY:((
Thanks for the invite. And EP rules !!!!
Mainak…u n durga puja…had no clue about ur bong connection.
@ Mainak…i was writing a review on eastern promises for PFC..left it midway..the movie had nothing..it was such a dissappointment..went to the movies alone ..to watch it first day..i think my expectation killed it..wasnt good…same goees with “a history of violence”..that movie was bad…anglo-russo accent was put on majorly..:(
Mithun
thx for info man .. did Saw I have the same effect ?
I haven’t seen Saw so cant say. I don’t watch horror/slasher/torture porn generally.
So I guess Im the only guy who loves EP ? Awesome!!! Love being the underdog/rebel/minority. :d
What did you guys think about “Rescue Dawn” and “The Wind that Shakes the Barley” ? I love em too.
Didnt anyone here like 300?
300 is a piece of shit. They fucked up Frank Miller’s masterpiece big time and turned it into bullshit right wing propaganda. Think “Triumph of the Will” for the new millennium.
really? I think it gave the paying public what they wanted… I doubt if there is anything more entertaining than 100% pure testosterone fuelled ass kicking and sexy ladies…
too bad you looked at the movie through a political lens…
By that standard Leni Riefenstahl is the greatest filmmaker in the history of cinema coz she gave the people exactly what they wanted.
There is a huge worldwide market for snuff films as well. Should that need also be met?
@mithun…
have u read the original frank miller comic?
none of the dialogues in the movie have been changed. none of the visuals of the comic have been changed. it is as faithful an adaptation as it could possilbly be.
although i still get what u r saying. they did modify the color palette of the movie. signifying everything/everyone good as white and everything/everyone bad as black. hence the original brown wolf became ‘as black as hell’ in the movie.
I’m not talking about liberties with dialogs or visuals. The context and subtext of the book has been totally subverted.
Firstly there is the stupid subplot of the wife and the quisling courtier is completely shitty. Then there is the fact that Xerxes is portrayed as a tranny in the film. Also nowhere in the comic does Leonidas claim that they are fighting for freedom and democracy.
The Battle of Thermoplae is a very imp historical incident but there was absolutely no reason to make it a noble white men vs evil brown men parable which is plain and simple fascism.
The virtuoso cinematography and special effects notwithstanding 300 is reckless filmmaking. In a world which is extremely polarised by the Iraq war do we really need more hate mongering and fascism?
why cant you accept a movie for what it aims to be? 300 never makes a claim that it is a historically accurate adaptation of Thermopylae… in fact the director has gone on record saying that “Dilios knows how not to spoil a good story with truth”… Why cant you enjoy the really state of art action choreography - or the wonderfully conceptualized visual style of the movie? I didnt have a problem with Lena Heady’s subplot at all… Dont let your political affiliations cloud your judgement on cinema please…
Leni Riefenstahl is an acknowledged maestro of propaganda movies… and triumph of the will is an excellent piece of movie making laying down the foundation of many modern documentaries IF you can look past your political colors and appreciate the art of movie making for what it is… The film you should be referring (if you want to make a negative comment about anything) is called the immortal jew…
And I think you must be bonkers snuff films to 300…
EDIT - And I think you must be bonkers *if you compare* snuff films to 300
Jawohl Herr Kommandant I stand corrected and bow to thy superior taste, judgement and insight on what constitues cinema . I truly am a punk to have a mind of my own and question hegemony.
It’s a shame that isn’t it that the people of Israel have banned Wagner just for the minor reason that it was the Nazi music of choice. I mean they don’t really need to take 6 million deaths that personally and can easily enjoy the majestic operas right ?
Mithun
Leni Riefenstahl might be a master of propaganda, but her Olympics was a masterpiece. She is the mother of Sports Filmmaking & Action FIlm. For whatever sins she has been part of you have to except that her Olympia was pioneering work.
Triumph of the Will…another story. It was hard to watch.
RESCUE DAWN was an interesting film. I saw the movie at DGA followed by an Q&A with His Highness WERNER HERZOG himself. It has to be one of the best Q&A I have ever been to. It has to be…right?
But I didn’t think much of that film. Infact I was pissed of watching a another film about a white man fighting for his freedom in Vietnam. I was very tempted to ask Herzog if people like him will not make the movie from the other side then we have no hope left. But I didn’t. I’m nobody to question Herzog’s integrity. He is fascinated by that man & he just wanted to make a personal film. Which is fine. Everyone has a right to his perspective. Even the white man :)
But I was uncomfortable during the film. It was hard to sympathise with the protoganist.
Have not seen that Irish Film yet.
Talking about Wagner… I think you might find it interesting…
http://www.salon.com/books/review/2008/01/15/wagners/
Mithun Dude,
You should have a mind of your own. That makes the PFC forums so nice. And personnally I like Wagnerian operas. I love Die Meistersinger. Maybe I can dissociate art from its political uses. You should try the same too - or else you will be missing out on some good stuff.
and btw i hate the fascists. I loved Homage to Catalonia by orwell. As stated, i dissociate political uses of Art and try to enjoy the show.
sieg heil :d/ :w;
and btw , this is the movie I was referring to..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eternal_Jew_%28film%29
racist political moviemaking at its best( = worst)… This is the type of shit i hate..
@Mainak
I know how influential Leni has been and I don’t deny her talent. Her life is fascinating and I collect her photography yet what she stood for was monstrous and will always sully her work.
I liked Rescue Dawn coz Bale was an anti-hero and I love anti-heros. The thing bout Herzog is that you either like his films or you hate them. There is no middle ground.
@Papai
You have to judge the content in context. I love Wagner as well but how can I not empathize with people who were marched off to their deaths while it was being played. Wagner is reviled in Israel yet revered in Germany. Same as Stalin, Mao, Bush etc.
Dissociation works only in theory for we are all products of our environment and experiences.
@ Mithun,…as an after thought,…and I dont know how u will react to this,…Convention in itself is a good starting point to depart from it ! Godard’s firm grip on plot & narrative was his launch pad to do away with plot lines. Similarly for cinematography. The modern “fast track to prodigy” trend, especially in our country sees a lot of people imitating technique without understanding intent. So, the changing face of cinematic aesthetics is two-pronged : evolution and imitation. I would side with the orthodox anyday over the imitators.
what you have given is a definition of abuse of art. Hitler actually took wagner out of context. He created SUCH a strong association between wagner and Nazi propaganda machine that people like you still get images of death marches when you listen to wagner. So what you are saying is that Hitler has won. He has taken over your mind in such a way that even now you cannot dissociate music from the third reich!!!!
Of course. You need to know the rules to break them.
There is a fact that any new innovation will be best used for the first few times before everyone jumps on the bandwagon and makes it passe.
To remain on the cutting edge one needs to constantly innovate and experiment. Sometimes being conventional in itself is an innovation. Take the example of Fincher who after making films Seven and Fight Club made Zodiac which disappointed at lot of his fans. But he was clear that he wanted to make a slow paced procedural about what police work really is like and that’s what he did.
In fact most of the technical whiz kids who come in from Commercials and Music Videos make their debut features with the minimum of technique and focus instead on storytelling. Take the example of Mark Romanek, Anton Corbijn and Navdeep Singh.
@ Mithun…Loved The “Fincher” example :) I am with you.
What I’m talking bout is how diff sides view the same issue differently. As a neutral observer I can afford to be non-partisan and make my judgement on the facts presented to me.
Wagner or 300 haven’t affected me personally but If say the issue had been caste based reservations in India I would have been at loggerheads with a large majority of people. Ergo my viewpoints would have probably clashed with yours coz my background will differ from yours.
@Mithun
Where is Bush revered? Texas?
I don’t know the statistics, but I have a feeling majority of Music Video & Ad Film guys end up making action films. The examples you have given might just beexceptions. Romanek & Corbjin have huge reputation. There are hordes of other music video directors who make all the action flicks.
You liked KITE RUNNER?
Go anywhere in the Bible belt and Bush is a god.
America is still segregated big time. Trust me dude Ive been in KKK country just 5 hours drive from New York. Didn’t see a single non-white face.
Most of the MV/commercials guys end up making terrible films but they weren’t the real talent to begin with. Guys like Romanek, Gondry, Corbijn are visionaries. Older examples are Ridley Scott and David Fincher. Their body of work is phenomenal.
I loved The Kite Runner.