Ousted Egyptian Leader Mubarak Sentenced To Life In Prison
55 minutes ago
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Grizzly Man Critique
Werner Herzog’s documentary entitled Grizzly Man starts with a beautiful scenic view of some grizzly bears in Alaska with a calm background music, then the music stops and the focus of the camera changes as Timothy Treadwell walks in to the shot from behind the camera. “Most of the time I am a kind warrior. Occasionally I am challenged. In that case, I must become a samurai” said Timothy Treadwell, of which is a foreshadowing of this documentary about him, his struggles of which lead to his death.
The form of this documentary is made up of footage that Timothy Treadwell shot himself while in Alaska living with the bears, self narration from Timothy Treadwell as he documented all of his encounters with the bears each summer with plans to create a nature show out of his adventures. Narration from Werner Herzog the director of the film, interviews with Timothy’s family and friends; as well as interviews with bear ecologists and natives of which think timothy crossed the line with the bears.
Treadwell lived among the grizzlies for 13 summers and grew to love them. Treadwell and his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, shot nearly 100 hours of video footage during the last five of these thirteen years. They survived camping in the Alaskan tundra in the midst of heavy rain and some rather friendly red foxes, of which Treadwell kindly named, just as he did the grizzly bears.
Through out the film we learn that Treadwell was a normal East Coast, middle class kid, whom went to college on a diving scholarship, went on to acting and made his way out to Los Angeles. After a failed audition for the bartender part claimed by Woody Harrelson on the hit television series, Cheers. After this perceived failure, Treadwell began questioning his life amongst people and began living with the grizzly bears of Kodiak, Alaska. Treadwell admitted to wanting to be a bear himself and still slept with his favorite teddy bear at night while camping in the wilderness.
Treadwell formed a non-profit organization called Grizzly People and was even interviewed on the David Letterman show. Unfortunately, Treadwell’s campaign to defend the grizzlies from poachers and to challenge the lack of support from the National Park Service tragically ended when he–and his girlfriend–were attacked and killed by a grizzly.
The footage that was shot by Treadwell is extraordinarily beautiful, due to the vast wilderness setting that the Kodiak, Alaska presented him with. Though, I question the director’s, Werner Herzog’s, sense of morals in the meaning of the film. Throughout the films interviews and Werner Herzogs narration the viewer gets a sense of understanding that Treadwell did indeed cross the line with the bears; which leaves me to wonder if Werner Herzog undermining Treadwell’s wishes for use the footage that Treadwell shot, in making a film that undoubtedly makes Treadwell seem mentally unstable.
The context of this film has asks the viewer a general question: How far is too far? In the case of Werner Herzog I believe he disrespectfully used Timothy Treadwell’s footage to create a Sundance film festival winner. If Timothy Treadwell were to see this film I think that he would be disappointed, in the story told by Werner Herzog, by desecrating his memory as a crazy guy. This film would only further Treadwell’s hate for the human world.
Sherman's March and Triumph of the Will Comparison
McElwee’s Sherman’s March and Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will are very different films yet still considered art within the three pronged analysis that considers the form, content, and context.
First and foremost, Leni Riefenstahl’s film Triumph of the Will was commissioned by Hitler and the Nazi party and is considered propaganda. Propaganda is the broadcasting of information aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people. This film helped launch Hitler into power.
The form of Triumph of the will was done in black and white film in 1934. The film is 114 minutes of romanticized shots of Nazi Germany. All of the shots in the film exemplify Germanys strong Nationalism at the time due to the fact the film denoted that it was commissioned 19 months after the German “rebirth”, which obviously hints that the German public was oppressed and vulnerable to the Hitler’s idealistic promises that eventually destroyed the country.
The film opens with shots of the clouds above the city, and then moves through the clouds to float above the assembling masses below, with the intention of portraying exquisiteness and majesty of the scene. The shadow of Hitler's plane is visible as it passes over the tiny figures marching below, accompanied by music of which heightens the glory of the scene. Upon arriving at airport, Hitler emerges from his plane to thunderous applause and a cheering crowd.
There is then a montage of the attendees getting ready for the opening of the Reich Party Congress, and then footage of the top Nazi officials arriving at the arena. The film then cuts to the opening ceremony, where Rudolf Hess announces the start of the Congress. The camera then introduces much of the Nazi hierarchy and covers their opening speeches.
The film also cuts to an outdoor rally for the series of military drills by men carrying shovels. Later Hitler gives his closing speech. In it he reaffirms the primacy of the Nazi Party in Germany, declaring, "All loyal Germans will become National Socialists. Only the best National Socialists are party comrades!"
The content of the film was created in order to influence all of Germany to support the “power” of the Nazi party. The films style has proved to be very influential as it is referred to as one of the grandfathers of documentary and can be seen copied in modern cinema such as Star Wars. The meaning of the film was to only show the idealist ideas of Hitler such as when he mentions “peace loving” in one of his speeches; none of the huge down falls of Nazi Germany such as genocide and racial cleansing.
The context of this film gives its place in history and in art. This films nature in propaganda has influenced many modern films. This film also tells what the Nazis where thinking, though they cause death and destruction they honestly thought they were doing it for the good of the country. This film allows you to take a walk in someone else’s shoes, though very frighteningly real to think this actually happened.
Ross McElwee’s film is very different from Triumph of the Will that is is not a propaganda film and even though McElwee had a grant to make a documentary about Shermans March he ended up making a film about his love life. McElwee's timing with women is awful. He's a film maker-anthropologist with a rare appreciation for the eccentric details of our edgy civilization. Sherman's March which was made in 1981, is a timely memoir of the 80's. The form of McElwee’s film is taken through his perspective, as most o f the time he is behind the camera commenting conducting interviews as if it were a home movie.
McElwee puts himself in front of the camera in a project that began as one thing: a historical look at General Sherman’s Civil War march and became another; an autobiographical search for true love.
It’s important to the film to put McElwee into the content’s meaning of the film. This is a man who can be summed up by his consistent nightmares about nuclear holocaust. His initial interest in Sherman’s March is upset by an unexpected break up with his girlfriend, thus setting forth a film about his search for the perfect mate. Some are attractive and polite, while others are outspoken and strange.
During the film, Ross meets up with Charleen, a friend and former teacher of his. Charleen completely takes advantage of Ross’ quite and passive tendencies, insisting that she help him find a lady. Charlene finds Ross the “perfect woman”, a singer/songwriter named Dede. Upon their first meeting, Charleen confronts Ross about his insistent need to film everything; “This is not art! This is life!” she says.
McElwee brilliantly weaves the story of General Sherman throughout his journey, creating his own historical path of destruction. The context of this film and its place in modern art is McElwee’s epic look at relationships and love.
McElwee’s Sherman’s March and Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will are very different films yet still considered art within the three pronged analysis that considers the form, content, and context. Though this three pronged analysis just denotes the films as “art” it does not mean that the films just because they are “art” are glorious, wonderful, and beautiful; because beauty is only in the eye of the beholder.
First and foremost, Leni Riefenstahl’s film Triumph of the Will was commissioned by Hitler and the Nazi party and is considered propaganda. Propaganda is the broadcasting of information aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people. This film helped launch Hitler into power.
The form of Triumph of the will was done in black and white film in 1934. The film is 114 minutes of romanticized shots of Nazi Germany. All of the shots in the film exemplify Germanys strong Nationalism at the time due to the fact the film denoted that it was commissioned 19 months after the German “rebirth”, which obviously hints that the German public was oppressed and vulnerable to the Hitler’s idealistic promises that eventually destroyed the country.
The film opens with shots of the clouds above the city, and then moves through the clouds to float above the assembling masses below, with the intention of portraying exquisiteness and majesty of the scene. The shadow of Hitler's plane is visible as it passes over the tiny figures marching below, accompanied by music of which heightens the glory of the scene. Upon arriving at airport, Hitler emerges from his plane to thunderous applause and a cheering crowd.
There is then a montage of the attendees getting ready for the opening of the Reich Party Congress, and then footage of the top Nazi officials arriving at the arena. The film then cuts to the opening ceremony, where Rudolf Hess announces the start of the Congress. The camera then introduces much of the Nazi hierarchy and covers their opening speeches.
The film also cuts to an outdoor rally for the series of military drills by men carrying shovels. Later Hitler gives his closing speech. In it he reaffirms the primacy of the Nazi Party in Germany, declaring, "All loyal Germans will become National Socialists. Only the best National Socialists are party comrades!"
The content of the film was created in order to influence all of Germany to support the “power” of the Nazi party. The films style has proved to be very influential as it is referred to as one of the grandfathers of documentary and can be seen copied in modern cinema such as Star Wars. The meaning of the film was to only show the idealist ideas of Hitler such as when he mentions “peace loving” in one of his speeches; none of the huge down falls of Nazi Germany such as genocide and racial cleansing.
The context of this film gives its place in history and in art. This films nature in propaganda has influenced many modern films. This film also tells what the Nazis where thinking, though they cause death and destruction they honestly thought they were doing it for the good of the country. This film allows you to take a walk in someone else’s shoes, though very frighteningly real to think this actually happened.
Ross McElwee’s film is very different from Triumph of the Will that is is not a propaganda film and even though McElwee had a grant to make a documentary about Shermans March he ended up making a film about his love life. McElwee's timing with women is awful. He's a film maker-anthropologist with a rare appreciation for the eccentric details of our edgy civilization. Sherman's March which was made in 1981, is a timely memoir of the 80's. The form of McElwee’s film is taken through his perspective, as most o f the time he is behind the camera commenting conducting interviews as if it were a home movie.
McElwee puts himself in front of the camera in a project that began as one thing: a historical look at General Sherman’s Civil War march and became another; an autobiographical search for true love.
It’s important to the film to put McElwee into the content’s meaning of the film. This is a man who can be summed up by his consistent nightmares about nuclear holocaust. His initial interest in Sherman’s March is upset by an unexpected break up with his girlfriend, thus setting forth a film about his search for the perfect mate. Some are attractive and polite, while others are outspoken and strange.
During the film, Ross meets up with Charleen, a friend and former teacher of his. Charleen completely takes advantage of Ross’ quite and passive tendencies, insisting that she help him find a lady. Charlene finds Ross the “perfect woman”, a singer/songwriter named Dede. Upon their first meeting, Charleen confronts Ross about his insistent need to film everything; “This is not art! This is life!” she says.
McElwee brilliantly weaves the story of General Sherman throughout his journey, creating his own historical path of destruction. The context of this film and its place in modern art is McElwee’s epic look at relationships and love.
McElwee’s Sherman’s March and Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will are very different films yet still considered art within the three pronged analysis that considers the form, content, and context. Though this three pronged analysis just denotes the films as “art” it does not mean that the films just because they are “art” are glorious, wonderful, and beautiful; because beauty is only in the eye of the beholder.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Counter
