Film Analysis 3 - 3 Idiots

Film Analysis 3 - 3 Idiots

The story starts with 3 engineering students, Farhan Qureshi, Raju Rastogi and Rancchoddas Shyamaldas Chanchad studying in Imperial College of Engineering, the best school in India. Three of them became roommate and best friends. They have different personalities, backgrounds and social status. Raju is the poorest among them that has low income and support of their family. Farhan comes from a middle income family, but his has a dream to become a wildlife photographer instead of an engineer. Rancho is the richest kid that with a mysterious and unknown background. Their collage director, Mr. Virus is an extremely strict person that will pressure the students. Rancho challenges Mr. Virus in many ways to change Mr. Virus perspective of education. However, Mr. Virus stubbornness and competitive personalities have ignores Rancho advices, He also tries to destroy Rancho, Raju and Farhan friendship by using his position to writes warning letters and send it to their family. Raju starts to ignore Rancho and Farhan because he is afraid of getting in troubles until Rancho save his father live, He regret to treat Rancho and Farhan in a harsh way. Their friendship became stronger and unites. Rancho falls in love with Mr. Virus daughter, Pia on Pia sister’s, Mona wedding dinner which build a bigger conflict with Mr. Virus. Their conflict ends on the day Rancho helps Mona to give birth and save Mr. Virus grandchildren and Mona. Mr. Virus gives Rancho the astronaut pen as a reward or a sign of surrender. Chatur always want to win Rancho and became a rival of Rancho. Chatur bet with Rancho on their rate of success in their future cheers. 

Ten years later, Farhan heard the news of Rancho going back to the college. Four of them, Farhan, Raju, Pia and Chatur begins the journey to find Rancho and discover his untold identity. Chatus lost his bet over Rancho cheer because Chatus need to pursue him to be in his company. Finally, Pia and Rancho intimate relationship start again and Farhan and Raju friendship reconnected.

When talk about Bollywood, musics have act as an important role to express the narratives. Outstanding Hindi musical with significance rhythm and sequences enrich the specialties of indian culture in the film language. The control between songs and scenes are cooperated with exaggerate transition. Hence, without missing the mob dancing and singing part of the crowds. In 3 idiots, Rancho is talking about helping Joy to develop the camera drone, the scene changes to the bathrooms and loud musics coming in and the characters start to dances and sings.

Besides, censorships in India contain a huge control of portraying the narrative of indian film, especially on showing the part of romance in the film. In Bollywood films, some physical contacts on both male and female characters are forbidden. Most of the actors and actresses will keep their face closer the each other without touching and with exaggerated body language to replaces the forbidden and became as the norm. Ranccho and Pia carry on the romances part of the film which using the musical to show the fantastic feeling of love and passion of their desire.

Match of music and choreography in Indian cinema would be the basics of creating a Bollywood film. Therefore, playback is used in Bollywood film. The characters will do lip-sync and not really singing the song. Sometimes, directors are allowed to choose the professional singers to sing the song and the actors and actresses will take parts to dance and lip-sync. Rancho and Pia participate on the musical lip-sync and dancing during they fall in love with each other’s.

Bollywood not only have the characteristic on musical and theater, but also performances and settings. Actors and Actresses exaggerated their acting and huge emotional floats to express the atmosphere of the scene. Their overstated actions bring out the colours of the characters and fulfill the narrative of the film. Raju house has become a very relevant example of the exaggerated setting to emerge Raju current financial situation. Raju house was straight out of a 50’s black and white film, a small and dingy house, a paralyzed father, a coughing mother, an unmarried sister, a 24 hours leaking roof, a sofa sprouting springs. The extreme setting of the scene shows Raju pressure on family and studies.

The way of introducing Mr. Virus character and behavior had exaggerated too. He writes with both hands, the power napping system and his tricks to save time by “hooking” his necktie instead of tying it to avoid unproductive time. Mr. Virus aggressiveness and arrogant shows in the scene with exaggerated action. 

Bollywood also present the Indian society, social status, traditional, culture and perspectives. 3 idiots have shown us the education system in India. The pressure of study but not the fun of study, cases and problems like student suicide and parents expectation on the children education, all of the social issues have portray in the film. They studies based on examinations and marks made them to lose the excitement of studies. Joy and Raju committed suicide because of problems and stress in studies. Farhan parents expected Farhan to be an engineer without following Farhan interests. Also, Farhan father narrow minded on specific jobs such as engineer earn more money and photographer cannot feed a meal has explain the stereotype on jobs of the Indian society. Furthermore, the kid, Millimeter  that works in the hostel can’t afford the study in school also states out the leak of education system in India.

Raju, Farhan and Rancho have three different backgrounds which is poor, middle-income and super rich. The contrasts between poor and rich characters in the film have represents Indian social status. When Mr. Virus meet Raju and Farhan in his room and explaining their different between them and Rancho on comparing their monthly income, the surrealism of separation hierarchy and classes in the society of India have portray on the act of Mr. Virus.

Moreover, the traditions of marriage in India which is bride have to pay or give the groom cashes or properties as their sincerity toward their marriage has also shown in Raju sister tragically unmarried because of low income to hold a wedding. Gender inequality has happened in India, thus the older the woman who is unmarried, the worthless the woman will be in the society. Just like Raju sister has become a burden to the family. In addition, Pia gives up waiting Rancho for five years and marrying to another guy. However, Pia decides to turn down the wedding and goes back to the relationship with Rancho.

Bollywood have a specific and unique genre that is created to a certain plots such as an evil landlord cruelly is ruling a town or a broken up family and not reuniting until years later. These particular genres also named as lost and found genre. 3 idiots have the quality of the lost and found genre, as the story begins with Rancho friends finding after ten years pasted.

3 idiots are the typical Bollywood films which have many characteristics of the Indian culture and significance musical and sequences. The film carries out the awareness of education system in India to the audiences. Besides, the director hopes to have some changes in the current system and also wish every children in India are able to learn and be educated. Creative teaching also could change the traditional system of teaching to keep the children having the interest toward studies.

References :

https://jillbrary.wordpress.com/.../brief-history-of.../

http://theasiancinemablog.com/cine.../3-idiots-movie-review/
http://learningandcreativity.com/3-idiots-aall-izz-well/ 

Film Analysis 2 - Run Lola Run

Run Lola Run is a film with simple plot and 3 different ending which is the main character Lola is helping her boyfriend to take or earn back the money that her boyfriend lost in the train. The story begins with Lola receive a call from her boyfriend, Manni. Manni tells Lola about the incident of how he lost the 100,000 marks and how his boss trying to kill him if he cannot get back the 100,000 marks. Lola promises him and helps him to get the amount of money as soon as possible. That’s the race between Lola and time begins.

The editing of the film uses graphic relations by repeats the scenes of Lola run out the house and the camera run around her mother, later on showing the animated sequences to indicate that Lola started a new run again.

Also while Lola is running, upbeat and quick background music is used to show rhythmic relations in the scene. They use fast cuts and short shots to make the audience to feel the pressure that Lola feels in the heavy situation. Also, audiences may suspense and curious on Lola runs. Would she or wouldn’t she be success this time on completing her mission? Intensely to build such impact that the audience will experience during watching Run Lola Run.

Besides, the flashback sequence when Lola or Manni dies show their intimate relationship which also let the audiences understands them easily. Also, when the scene Manni call Lola, they put in some flashback to show Manni make a big mistake and Lola also broke her promise to Manni that she will pick him up in the taxi.

The spilt screen that uses frequently when Lola is going to reach Manni shows the distance between Manni and Lola. Also when Lola finds her father while her father going up to a car. When they meet up in the end while the screen join together and shown as they are together.

Lola trying to choose and think about the persons who can help her while the camera turns 360 degree around her with jump cuts of the scene.Lola chooses her father that work in the bank that can help her out in the end. 

There is a form cut on the transition of the phone and the bag of money drop. By combining the shots and overlay the shots of both props.

The mi-se-scene of Run Lola Run involves with pop-culture with the outstanding colors and performances.

The colors in Run Lola Run somehow exaggerate but also a slide of monotone that provide the effect of contrast in the film. The outstanding color pop out in the environment and become the focus point of the film. Such as Lola hair is red and Manni in the telebooth is yellow.

Also, the flashback scene when Lola and Manni together on a bed with the effect of red filter, symbolically representing pop-culture arts. Also the color is bringing out the meaning of caution and danger between them.

The characters have exaggerated performances in acting and action. Lola screams in high pitch can break glasses is so much exaggerated that out of reality. Also, some of the stranger that Lola pass by has intense judging her.   However, some characters are very noble to put out the contrast on it performances.

Props such as glasses represent the fragility of life. When Lola screams and the glass breaks show repeatedly in the film, highlights her panic and power to overcome them. Also, before Manni get hit by the ambulance, the ambulance hit on the huge piece of glass to show caution and danger that later will happen.

The use of animation is probably the most of pop-culture of the film because it combines reality and different dimensions.  Musics are also a part of pop-culture which is loud and fast paced to exaggerate the run.  Also, the settings in Berlin have many of building with similar structure that looks like a maze.

Life is spontaneously like a video game in Run Lola Run. We are able to have chances to win and to choose until it would be happy ending. The different of timing, circumstances and decisions change the ending of your destiny.  Life is unpredictable which can have many possibilities of changes, treats, opportunity and ourselves might affected by others as also the others by our own. 



Reference:

https://www.ghc.edu/faculty/llerych/Film_125_Textbook_Chapter_4.pdf

https://fromscreentowords.wordpress.com/2013/02/24/narrative-and-editing-with-run-lola-run/

http://infolab.stanford.edu/~prasanna/dmc/chance.html

Gladiator

Film Analysis 1- Gladiator

Synopsis

Crowe, R. (2000). Gladiator's poster. Retrieved June 27, 2015 from http://www.flicks.co.nz/movie/gladiator/poster/

The story begins with a complex of relationship, social status and power in the Ancient Rome. Marcus Aurelius, the old king who love Maximus as a son. He plans to pass his position to Maximus instead of his identical son, Commodus. Commodus feels mad and depress, therefore he kill his father and claim the position by himself. He also kills Maximus and his family because of his jealousy. However, Maximus escape and run back home to see his family. Unfortunately, his family dies and he had given up surviving. When his is giving up his life, someone took him away as a slave and sell it to a gladiator trainer. He became a gladiator that fights for victory and he win the crowd. After he became famous, he has been transfer to The Colosseum with his fellows. His team needs to fight with other candidates. As usual, he wins the battle and the new king, Commodus would like to grant him for the great battle. Commodus finds out that this incredible gladiator is Maximus. He tries to kill him immediately but the crowd protects him and supports him to be alive. Therefore, Commodus didn’t get a chance to kill him. Commodus set an unfair battle with Maximus to kill him with pride. Maximus defend him and kill him for his revenge and also for the people of Rome. Maximus dies with honour and proof that people is the power of Rome.

Analysis

Props

The mi-se-scene of the film show us the era of Roman period. By using the props to stress up the setting of the film, the narrative used many weapons to show the cruel and bloody moments when the war, fight or battle begins.

They also use animals to show the audience of the hierarchy of nature. To let the audience to feel the pressure of this gladiators. The gladiators need to fight for their life or else they end up become foods for this animals.

Props as Metaphor

By using props as metaphor, these dolls are not only dolls but also represent Maximus family that lives far away for him.

Costumes and make ups

The changes of Maximus dressing

Maximus start from a general to a slave and until the end a gladiator. His costume had pretty much change to show his status in different hierarchy.

The different status shown in costumes

The characters wear differently to classify their social status as upper or lower class in the society.

Settings 

The Colosseum

The Colosseum is where their battle started. This location is the main join of the relationship between Maximus and Commodus. Without The Colosseum, they won’t meet up and the narrative is unable to complete.

The Heaven

In the part of the film, Maximus meet his wife and son on heaven after he dies on the battleground. They use mostly white and blue to present peaceful of heaven.

Performance

The violence action

In war, battleground and fights, cruel and bloody action shows the merciless world.

The relationship of Lucilla and Maximus

The actor’s performance has success to show the narrative of Lucilla and Maximus relationship. Maximus save her and her son by killing Commodus. When they talk on the scene, the distant between Lucilla and Maximus was close together that show the bond between them.

The relationships between Maximus, Commodus and Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius show more love to Maximus by giving Rome to Maximus. Also, he trusted Maximus would be a better emperor to dominate Rome. Commodus turns love to hatred and kill his father. As his father love Maximus and the country more than him. The relationships are shown clearly to the audience with their performance. Their facial expression is well perform to let us feel their feeling toward each other’s.

Lighting

Low-key and high contrast

Majority of the film are used high contrast lighting to show the darkness and struggle of them. Especially Maximus and Commodus, both of their shots have more shadows than lights. 

Different lighting on Maximus journey to his home

When Maximus escape and going back to his family, the dim lighting to show that he is weak and hopeless at the beginning. Afterthat, the shots jump and show the army coming to the village to kill Maximus family. That moment, they use high key lighting and blue sky to show they are happy and thought that Maximus is back. On the other hand, Maximus start to awake and hurry up to go back to his family. The lighting on him starting to be bright until he reach the village and found his family death body the lighting on Maximus get back to dim.  This high and low key lighting shows his emotion changes and the mood of the scene.

Conclusion

A slave can win a king with the support of people.  The destiny of Maximus have shown us power of the people are able to win the power of rights and status. Strength and contributions will be persuasive to the people; Maximus has the power to pursue the people on believing him as the hero. However, Commodus’s obsessed to power until he lost his humanity and destroys himself.