These are a series of Playblasts I created in Maya in the "Roll Shot" scene. The first has no roll, the second rolls 180 degrees, the third rolls 360 degrees, and the fourth rolls 540 degrees.
Black Narcissus (Powell, Pressburger, 1947) is a film about a group of Nuns that travels off to a secluded area in the Himalayas to spread the word of their covenant to the locals. However, whilst they are there, some of the Nun's more animalistic and sexual desires come to light, as they learn to adapt to their vibrant yet lonely surroundings.
Something that Black Narcissus does well is provide a sense of scale and loneliness within the film. This is done very cleverly through the use of Matte Paintings on glass panels, which were positioned in front of the camera. Probably the best example of this is when one of the Nuns has to ring the bell outside the Convent. It appears to be on a very precarious and sheer cliffside, however, the drop in reality is only a few feet. Here is an example of how this was achieved using the Matte Painting technique:
Fig 2: Black Narcissus Before & After (1947)
"The mattes were by legendary British painter Walter Percy Day, another regular collaborator of Powell and Pressburger. Their work is both luxuriously detailed and extremely assertive. The most memorable use of these paintings is the famous shot of the drop down from Convent’s bell, which hangs just next to the edge."
-Walber (2016)
The films' matte paintings are some of the most impressive and recognisable mattes to come out of that era of cinema. There are many other occasions where the matte paintings are used seamlessly with the rest of the footage, such as the wide panoramic shots, giving the Convent a sense of isolation in the vast, rich landscapes.
Fig 3. Black Narcissus (1947)
One thing Black Narcissus did, that was extremely uncommon during the time period this film was released, is doubt/challenge people's belief in the Christian Faith. Throughout the film, there is an Agnostic character by the name of "Mr. Dean", who is effectively the Nun's liaison between the natives and themselves. He tries charming the women of the Convent, effectively luring them away from their faith. He is what tips Sister Ruth, the more vivacious one of the Nuns, over the edge, whether intentionally or not. She deserts the Convent, to go looking for him, to be with him. His charms almost work on Sister Clodagh, the Sister Superior, and although she has flashbacks to her former life and lover, something that obviously indicates her faith and devotion to the Convent is not as strong as it used to be, she is able to resist his temptations.
Along the course of the film, Mr. Dean begins to grow fond of Sister Clodagh, begins to care for her. He even, at one point, gives her a small nudge back in the direction of the church when she is unsure of what actions to take:
Sister Clodagh: Well I really don't know what to do. Mr. Dean: What would Christ have done?
-Kerr & Farrar (1947)
Fig 4. Black Narcissus (1947)
Something that Black Narcissus does similarly to some films (such as The Shining [Kubrick, 1980] or 2001: A Space Odyssey [Kubrick, 1968]) is the magnitude in which it portrays this sense of alienation and loneliness. The wide, expansive shots of the Convent combined with the slow descent into madness some of the Nuns experience drives home how deeply they are being affected by their surroundings. Even though they are surrounded by each other and by the people they have come to teach and convert, several of the Nuns end up in their own little world, separate from the others. Like Sister Philippa, who ends up being so enraptured by the sky and her surroundings that she replaces all the food in the garden with flowers. Small things like this show a more realistic, gradual descent into madness.
Fig 5. Black Narcissus (1947)
Bibliography:
Kerr, D. & Farrar, D. Black Narcissus (1947) Directed by Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger [DVD] United Kingdom: The Archers, Independant Producers
Walber, D. (2016) The Furniture: Black Narcissus's Maddening Matte Paintings [online blog] At: http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2016/5/23/the-furniture-black-narcissuss-maddening-matte-paintings.html (Accessed on 08.01.2017)
Illustration List:
Figure 1: Black Narcissus (1947) [Poster] At: http://assets.flicks.co.nz/images/movies/poster/70/70afbf2259b4449d8ae1429e054df1b1_500x735.jpg (Accessed on 08.01.2017)
Figure 2: Black Narcissus (1947) [Before & After Image] At: https://i.imgur.com/z107PfS.jpg (Accessed on 08.01.2017)
Figure 3: Black Narcissus (1947) [Film Still] At: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/709071/27037579/1463947079430/black-narcissus-model.png (Accessed on 08.01.2017)
Figure 4: Black Narcissus (1947) [Film Still] At: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1d/d6/ba/1dd6baec2b90d28613a3c832c5226b8f.jpg (Accessed on 08.01.2017)
Figure 5: Black Narcissus (1947) [Film Still] At: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/709071/27037581/1463947356343/black-narcissus-philippa.png (Accessed on 08.01.2017)
Fig 1. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover Poster, 1989
In this review, I shall be looking at "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover" (Greenaway, 1989). This film is a strange and surreal drama, focusing on the restaurant "Le Hollandais", a very high-class restaurant owned by the very low-class Albert Spica (Michael Gambon). On one particular visit to the restaurant, his wife, Georgina (Helen Mirren), starts having an affair with one of the regular patrons, Michael (Alan Howard), a man the complete opposite of her husband. This affair continues within the restaurant, in the toilets and kitchen, and out of the restaurant, at Michael's bookstore. Real feelings between the two of them begin to develop, putting both their lives at risk.
Fig 2. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
"Color has been used by Greenaway [...] to also neutralize environments to create focus for the characters and also add a surreal quality to the scene"
-asmarchitecture, 2010
The cinematography of this film is created and presented masterfully. In every shot there is always one predominant, striking colour - Green in the Kitchen, Red in the Dining Area, and White in the Bathrooms/Toilets. Each of these colours play a significant role to the area they are assigned to - Red for the lust that Georgina and Michael first experience and hint at whilst sitting tables apart in the restaurant, White being used to signify what should be the purity & sanctity of the different bathrooms, and Green for the jealousy that Albert experiences when he finds out of the affair. The character's costumes change to match these colours, apart from Michael's, showing that he is the one constant Georgina has in this world of turmoil she is in.
Fig 3. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, 1989
This use of changing colour also portrays the change within the characters themselves, and what their fate will ultimately be;
"In the film, all characters that do not change die; those who adapt survive… Michael, whose habits and dress had been most regular, also dies. He had worn the same suit every evening, and this consistency distinguishes him from other characters that undergo a series of costume changes even within the same scene. In the long and complicated opening sequence, Georgina’s dress appears black to Albert although she calls it dark blue; it is green in the kitchen, red in the dining room, and white in the bathroom. Michael always wore brown. Even when he is naked, his skin has a light brown hue, in the raw and in the cooked state… Richard the cook undergoes a transformation, too, from passive observer to active participant. His black tuxedo not only marks the final scene as ceremonial but also identifies the theme of change as momentous for the entire film. This is the first time that he wears anything other than chef’s white."
- Winkler, 2001
It is obvious from this that the use of colour, and them changing, was of utmost importance when creating this film. It allows for a much deeper, more subliminal message to be portrayed on the screen, whilst still focussing the audience on the action and characters within the scene.
Fig 4. (Nyman, 1989)
The music that plays during the film adds to the brashness and vulgarity of certain scenes. The "main" song that was used is "Memorial", by Michael Nyman, originally recorded in 1984 but first commercially available on the soundtrack of this film.. The stabbing strings and high-pitched wails, accompanied by the bassier undertones really compliment what is happening on screen. "Memorial" greatly affected Greenaway, who decided to model parts of the film on the composition, and actually directed/choreographed the final sequence around the 5th movement of the piece, where the song has ramped up the harshness to the ears.
Bibliography
Winkler, M. (2001) Classical myth & culture in the cinema. Retrieved: January 4th 2017
asmarchitechture (2010) The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover – Use of Color as a metaphor for transformation [online blog] At: https://asmarchitecture.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/the-cook-the-thief-his-wife-and-her-lover-use-of-color-as-a-metaphor-for-transformation/ (Accessed on 04.01.2017)
Illustration & Music List
Figure 1. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) [Poster] At: http://cdn.miramax.com/media/assets/The-Cook-The-Thief-His-Wife-and-Her-Lover1.png (Acessed on 04.01.2017)
Figure 2. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) From: The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Allarts. Directed by: Peter Greenaway. [Film Still] Great Britain: Allarts (Accessed on 04.01.2017)
Figure 3. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) From: The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Allarts. Directed by: Peter Greenaway. [Film Still] Great Britain: Allarts (Accessed on 04.01.2017)
Figure 4. Nyman, Michael (1989) Memorial In: The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover: Soundtrack London: (Publisher Unknown)
Suspiria (Argento, 1977) is a film about an American Ballet dancer who travels to Germany to study at a prestigious dance academy. But soon, she discovers the school is really a front for a series of dark murders by a coven of evil witches.
Fig 2. Suspiria (1977)
One things this film does well is convey an underlying sense of dread throughout. There is always a very strong use of the colour red in this film, from the outside of the building, to the main hallway and rooms within the building (see Fig 2). The colour Red is quite often used in cinema to depict desire, and also danger/suspense, and this film in a way depicts both of those with its striking set pieces - in the first instance, the girls have a passion to be the best dancer/performer in the school, and the underlying danger of the possibility of any one of the students being killed at any time.
We can see in Fig 3 that the main character, Suzy, is in the office of the dance academy. The red hue that has been applied to the scene helps emphasise to us that she is either currently in danger, or that she is about to be.
"And then there's Argento's masterful use of deep primary colours — the sets are bathed in garish red and green light (he acquired 1950s Technicolor stock to get the effect) giving the whole film a hallucinatory intensity."
(Smith, 2000)
This quote not only provides background information on how the hues were achieved, but reinforces the notion that the goings-on in the film are very surreal and dream-like, almost to a fault.
Fig 3. Suspiria (1977)
Something the film does differently to normal is prey on our drowsiness and dream-like states when watching the piece. It makes us more susceptible to being shocked by the goings-on in the film, but particularly with Suspiria, in that we, like Suzy, have a difficult time discerning between what is really happening and what is a figment of imagination.
"But unlike so many lazy films that simply position its characters to advance a plot no matter what, Argento is aware that we are at our most curious when we are asleep"
(Hall, 2016)
This quote is playing upon the fact that, when we are in a dream state, we do things we normally wouldn't. We'll just ignore or dismiss anything that would normally be considered strange, like choose to walk along a road barefoot rather than take a bus, or stay at a ballet school where people are disappearing and being killed left, right and centre. Argento is a master craftsman when it comes to Horror films, making sure to lure everyone into a false sense of security, and strike at the most opportune moment.
Suspiria, like many other films, uses an amazing score to complement the footage on screen. The soundtrack for Suspiria was written by the Italian band "Goblin", and creates a constant sense of unease throughout.
"In a film where character are stalked, observed, and hunted, this score is a signifier that you are not alone"
(Hall, 2016)
Every horror film's soundtrack needs to be distinguishable, contrary to the old adage of "the best soundtrack is one that isn't noticeable". It needs to be able to heighten your state of wariness, keeping you on the edge of your seat at all times. Suspiria's soundtrack does just this, with it oftentimes being quite brash and loud, but never to the point of it being comical. Every piece of music ties in well with the lighting and set design, to make you feel continually apprehensive of what will happen next.
Bibliography:
Smith, A. (2015). Suspiria. Retrieved December 20, 2016, from http://www.empireonline.com/movies/suspiria/review/
Hall, J. (2016, February). Suspiria Review: A Bad Dream Made Real. Retrieved December 21, 2016, from http://www.slashfilm.com/suspiria-review/2/
Hall, J. (2016, February). Suspiria Review: A Bad Dream Made Real. Retrieved December 21, 2016, from http://www.slashfilm.com/suspiria-review/3/
I'll start this off by saying my time management and organisation skills were not the best during this project. There were many times where I was rushing the work I was doing because I had not done it when I was meant to, or because I kept chopping and changing from one piece of work to another.
I struggled with the project towards the start. It was, in my opinion, a lot more intense than the previous one (Invisible Cities). But I feel that I improved significantly from that in this project, and that I improved over the time of the project as a whole, from the 1st OGR to Crit day. My understanding of Photoshop and Maya has grown considerably, and the feedback from the tutors and my peers was greatly valued and taken into consideration.
I appreciate all the help, feedback and advice that I received from everyone over this project, and look forward to working on the next one!
