Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, by George Roy Hill

Trailer

It might not seem completely suitable to classify Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as a pure Western film given its shades of irony and comedy and criticism of society. In fact, the genre was adapted and molded to better fit the audience of its time. It depicts the American West under an unexpected light because it translates the viewers’ realities and anxieties into the typical story of the outlaw cowboys. American’s fear to enter an unavoidable period of severe economic distress was the blueprint for the protagonists’ quest to escape from a force that seemed impossible to deceive.

Throughout the film, the protagonists question their way of life. They realize that no matter how far they run, justice and the law are chasing after them and aiming for their lives. After such an identity crisis, Butch and Sundance decide to go straight and start earning money the honorable way. The juxtaposition of opposite realms set forth by this film, especially from this moment on, are interesting to notice. While the audience comes to believe that Butch and Sundance are callous to danger because they were constantly involved in armed robberies, their actual uneasiness when having to work is a shocking reality. It is unexpected to realize that they were scared to be robbed by local bandits when coming back from the bank. As legendary outlaws, one would think they could defend themselves from an ambush. However, it is even more perplexing when Butch, faced with the Bolivian bandits, immersed in a panic attack confesses that he has never killed a person before. He tries to convince the Bolivians to leave, imploring them as his last resource to avoid killing them. However, such pleading do not have the desired effect, and they end up shooting at each other. The killing scene is shot in slow motion, showing the bandits bodies falling and contorting in an unnatural way while an excruciating scream overshadows every sound to then dissolve with the wind. This is the first time that regret crosses Butch and Sundance’s face.

Even though it is common in the western genre that the “hero stands between […] two thematic poles” (Bordwell, 338) such as good and bad, law and outlaw, civilization and savagery, this equation had a particular twist in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Butch and Sundance did not decide to join the forces of order out of remorse, but rather as a way to trick the police who was following their steps. However, the key difference between this film and the rest of its genre is revealed after Butch and Sundance killed the Bolivian bandits. Sundance breaks the deafening silence by saying “well, we’ve gone straight. What do we try now?.” This line is followed by a despair conversation in which they come to the conclusion that there is no other path of life different than robbing banks. “It seems that the drifting cowboy is condemned to live outside civilization because he cannot tame his grief and hatred” (Bordwell, 339).

This sequence is a bitter and stinging criticism to society. Citizens are forced to become killers when they abide by society’s norms, which might be the main reason why outlaws such as Butch and Sundance were liked, praised, and admired by the media and the society. They represented not only a legend and a dream, but also a promise of freedom, breaking loose, and living without absurd obligations.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is the perfect example of the western genre’s evolution across history. The general guidelines of the genre were modified in order to better fit its time and its audience’s concerns. For example, it is worth noticing that the use of costumes as building blocks for the characters’ personalities and story line is a diversion from the norm of the genre. In most western films, the costumes are generally standard, and thus, they do not take on any particular meaning. However, in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid “costume is ichnographically significant” (Bordwell, 338). In fact, George Roy Hill cleverly uses hats as objects that are the outer representations of what the person wearing them is feeling. For example, when Butch is especially happy and joking, such as during the bicycle ride with Etta, he is no longer wearing a cowboy hat but rather a bowler hat that resembles Charlie Chaplin’s style. In addition, hats take on a protagonist role by drastically changing the path of the story. After spotting a white hat from a crowd in Bolivia, which was the distinguishing mark of the person chasing Butch and Sundance in America, they decide to abandon their lives as robbers and began working to earn a living.

In addition, among the elements that can be identified as a mutation from the original western genre is the composition of the dialogues. Even during the most sober scenes, dark comedy and irony are constantly present, which was a recurring characteristic of this period’s films, no matter the genre. The elements of laughter and jokes became coping mechanisms to make situations lighter and bearable for both the protagonists and the audiences. By integrating in the film slices of its audiences’ realities, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid passes from been a simple story to escape from the routinely concerns to an encoded criticism of its time.

Pandora's Box, by G. W. Pabst

Motion pictures have the potential to generate innumerable reactions and feelings in its audience given the wide range of resources they possess to convey information. Such resources include, to mention a few, editing techniques, mise en scene, camera angles, costumes, lighting, framing, sound effects, characters dynamic, camera movement, and dialogues. Therefore, what we see on screen is not a coincidence but the result of prearranged compositions. We are usually influenced by such compositions without truly realizing it. This is why it is interesting to scrutinize single segments and shots in order to understand how the director was able to convey messages and generate feelings in our minds.

This kind of analysis is mostly revealing when we study directors that were masters in influencing their audiences with an apparently imperceptible touch such as G. W. Pabst. In Pandora’s Box, he was particularly agile in creating such effects. For instance, in the sequence of Mr. Schon’s death, we enter in Mr. Schon’s psyche and see most of the scene from his point of view. More specifically, in shot “h” we are presented with a medium two shot in which Lulu and Mr. Schon are shot from the waist up. This shot is also an over the shoulder shot, which focuses on the reflection of Lulu and Mr. Schon in the mirror of their wedding room, discreetly giving the impression that three persons are in the scene. Pabst is therefore playing with the idea of trilogy and love triangle. Moreover, by showing the back and the front of Lulu, it is suggesting that she is a two-face woman, divided between two men.

The arrangement of the costumes in this shot also correlate to the fact that the scene is a point of view shot from Mr. Schon’s mind. The fact that he had just found Lulu in a compromising situation with her old patron and his son Alwa makes him think about Lulu as a deceiving and impure woman. Her dress is consequently exposing her shoulder, as if she was trying to manipulate Mr. Schon with her repeatedly used sexuality. In addition, there is a strategic use of chiaroscuro in their costumes to convey contradictory ideas of good and bad, pure and impure. For instant, while Lulu’s dress is white and shimmer, her chest is darkened by shadows. On the other hand, Mr. Schon’s suit confines him in a dim and dark case, however, his chest is glowing with a radiant white vest. The color codes in this shot create the analogy that Lulu’s heart and soul are dark, dishonest, and full of secrets, and thus, her radiant exterior is no more than a deceiving cover. Along the same lines, Mr. Schon may appear as a controlling and gloomy men who, in reality, is good in the inside.

Another aspect of the composition of this shot is its closed frame. The two characters seem entrapped by the edges of the mirror, provoking a claustrophobic sensation. Mr. Schon appears to be pushing and entrapping Lulu inside the mirror. This shot is recorded with a shallow focus in which only the reflections in the mirror are detailed and focused. The shallow focus choice makes the point of view shot more effective because it emphasizes Mr. Schon’s anger, which is so intense that it becomes blinding. He is not able to see at Lulu directly in the eyes, he needs another medium to do so, the mirror.

The Limey, by Steven Soderbergh

Steven Soderbergh uses sound effects and editing techniques in an extremely unconventional matter in The Limey to break temporal and spatial conventions. They represent the cement of the bridges that enable crossing from the present to the past and future, through flashbacks and flash-forwards. In addition, these techniques allow Soderbergh to reveal or blur elements of the story line and traits of the characters as he sees more pertinent. For example, throughout the first meeting between Wilson and Elaine, the scene is interrupted by pieces of fantasy and inner thoughts, transforming an initially formal and cold encounter into a much more intimate and personal interaction. Thus, by synchronizing the editing with the alternative use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound, Soderbergh is able to build successful temporal and special bridges.

Even though the film is unquestionably interesting in terms of experimentation, it has significant flaws. The exaggerated acting style of Terence Stamp occasionally distracts and draws the audience out of the story. For instance, when Wilson is talking with the head DEA agent, his over the top acting style mixed with the strong English accent and the jumpy and disorienting editing, leave the viewer as puzzled as the DEA agent, who’s only words are to sympathize with the audience: “the thing I do not understand is every mother fucker word you’re saying.”

In order to avoid this kind of flaws while experimenting at the highest with sound editing, it was necessary to create a plot that, even if somewhat thrilling, is simplistic and dry. It is not an especially mind-stimulating story in which the audience becomes active in trying to solve the mysteries posed throughout the film. However, if Soderbergh had sought that, The Limey would have turned out to be a complete fiasco. The viewers’ minds are sufficiently tangled and occupied at trying to solve another kind of mystery: making some sense out of the editing and sound techniques.

There is an early scene that, even if quite subtle, stands out from the whole as foreseen the role of this film in the industry. The scene begins with a close up of the emblematic picture of Ché Guevara, the hero of multiple Latin American’s revolutions, with his chin held high, looking over the horizon into a different future. The camera pans up from Ché’s picture, which is printed on Eduardo’s shirt, as he agrees with Wilson to kill Valentine. The reference to Ché is important to notice because, as a man whose image screams ‘revolución,’ in this context it embodies the role taken by The Limey in the film industry. This film is an experimental and revolutionary work that tends to irritate and disorient viewers by breaking the cinematographic conventions that allow viewers to process and understand films in a comfortable and easy way. Soderbergh unveils the viewer’s eyes by revealing the medium that is behind the production. The audience cannot sit thought this film without thinking about the editing and sound techniques employed.

Rebel Without a Cause, by Nicholas Ray

Motion pictures have the potential to generate innumerable reactions and feelings in their audiences given the wide range of resources they possess to convey information. When such resources are used successfully, films can take on an almost hypnotic quality. In fact, it is not a coincidence that cinema has been widely used as propaganda by governments such as the Soviet Union and the Nazis. This is because films are able to transmit ideas and irrational feelings through subtle means that speak directly to the subconscious of their audiences. It is as if the images achieved through the mise en scène whispered to the audience a secret that cannot be spelled out. The audience might feel threaten and scared by a character without knowing that such feelings are in direct correlation with the specific camera angle, framing, and light used in the scene. This is why it is intriguing to scrutinize single segments and shots in order to understand how a director was able to convey messages and generate specific feelings in their audience’s minds.

This kind of analysis is mostly revealing when we study directors that were masters at influencing their audiences such as Nicholas Ray. In Rebel Without a Cause, he was particularly agile in creating such effects through the evocative use of color. Thus, objects abandon their mundane role as props and take on meanings through their association with either the color red or blue.

For example, the role of Jim’s jacket changes and evolves through the film, as does its color. In the opening scene, his jacket is black and somber, suggesting the inner feelings of Jim. He was enraged at his family and new city. In fact, the jacket is a symbol of such life and social status, which direct contact to his skin seems to burn him. He is constantly talking it off and throwing it away, but then putting it back on because he cannot be stripped of his identity for too long. In addition, when his family appears at the police station to pick him up, he cannot stop playing with his father’s jacket, mocking his high status and suggesting that it is no more than a costume.

However, when Jim goes to meet the group of classmates that had challenged him to prove his honor, he changes his clothes and puts on a red jacket. By wearing this jacket, Jim is always visible, standing out from the crowd. The combination of his blue jeans, white shirt, and red jacket resemble Superman’s costume. In fact, from this moment on, he takes on the role of a hero. However, as in the Russian montage, the meaning emanated by the red jacket changes according to the editing, composition of the frame, and the proximity of Jim to specific objects. For example, when he is looking down the hill with Buzz, the combination of the extreme high angle and deep focus relate Jim’s jacket to blood, thus foreseeing what will happen in that hill. However, when Jim and Judy are in the same frame, Judy’s red lips stand out by its closeness to Jim’s jacket. In these scenes, the color red of the jacket and the lips symbolize the love, passion, and sexual tension that are building up between them.

On the other hand, the jacket takes on a much different meaning when it is worn by Plato. After the policeman shot him and he is lying on the floor, there is a low angle shot from the point of view of Plato’s inert body. From this angle, the tight framing shows part of Plato’s chest covered by the jacket and a close up of Jim crying. Jim bends towards his friend and zips the jacket, which is now soaked in blood, saying that “he is always cold.” In this closing scene, the jacket becomes a morgue bag that safeguards Plato’s ice-cold body. When Jim turns towards his father crying, the only thing he manages to do to nourish his son is putting his own jacket over his shoulders. Here, this brown jacket represents a neutral comforting and reaffirming element.

Another occasion in which the contrasting use of red and blue in the mise en scène is evident is when Plato, Jim, and Judy run away to an abandoned house. After joking and playing, Plato falls asleep and Judy and Jim notice that he is wearing an un-matching pair of socks. There is a close up of his feet to show that he is wearing a blue sock on his right foot and a red one on his left foot. There are a number of meanings that can be extracted from this composition. On the one hand, they are symbols of masculinity and femininity. It might represent the lack of parents and the desire to have such figures in his life. On the other hand, it is an outer representation of his conflicts with sexuality. Throughout the film, it is obvious that Plato is attracted to Jim for reasons other than a friendship. In fact, in more than one occasion he bends towards him as if trying to kiss him. Thus, the combination of red and blue externalize his inner confusion between masculinity and femininity. It is as if he had one foot standing here and the other there, he is turned apart between his instincts and his role in society. Moreover, the fact that the red sock is on his left foot and the blue one is on his right one, are a direct reference to goodness and badness. This shows that Plato is a kid that might still have a chance to correct himself even if he has a tendency to cross to the bad side.

Directors use the mise en scène not only to evoke and furnish their films with deeper meanings, but also as reference or quotation of famous paintings and films. In the case of Rebel Without a Cause, it can be said that the scene in which the police kills Plato is a direct quotation of Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin. There is no shot showing the face of the man who detonated the gun, dehumanizing the police force and showing the state as a killing machine like Eisenstein did. Moreover, as Plato falls down the stairs of the planetarium, the camera focuses on the reaction of Jim. The horror in his face resembles the multiple reaction shots used by Eisenstein when the baby’s carriage falls down the stairs, thus creating a more meaningful reaction in the audiences. Both Eisenstein and ray used the off-camera space to leave it to the audience to imagine the dead bodies.

When used thoughtfully, the mise en scène is an effective vehicle to bring to the surface themes, meanings, ideas, and feelings that would loose their momentous if they were simply spelled out through the dialogues. Therefore, the use of a specific framing, color scheme, costumes, lighting, and camera angles can be much more suggestive and ultimately effective to deeply connect with the audience.

Manhunter, Michael Mann

Trailer

Michael Mann meticulously uses form and stylistic elements in Manhunter to generate certain reactions in the audience. A recurrent motive is the use of color white, which is combined with glimpses of green neon light in the police department. Such glimpses of green light are tied to the meticulous placement of cactuses in the staging of the police department. These plants, which spur from unfertile and dry soils, embody the core characteristics of the department; they are rough and do not need to be taken care of. This could also translate to the way policeman treat their inmates; even though the jails are white, transparent, and sterile, there is a complete lack of nourishing and everyone has to take care of themselves in order to survive their own arid reality.

The use of color white is linked to the moon, a key element in the whole film. Mann introduces this theme with the opening scene, providing a premonitory cue for the audience. Will Graham is constructing a fence with his son to protect turtle eggs, which will be guided by the moonlight to find the sea once they are born. The moon represents a compass for the newborn turtles which, if followed correctly, will lead them into life. However, such positive approach towards the moon rapidly shifts since it becomes an ally of the killer by illuminating his path towards his victims. As the film progresses, we are introduced to the obsession that the killer has with the moon. He owns a large poster of the moon in his living room and the texture of the walls of his house resembles the craters of the moon. The Tooth Fairy killer resembles a nocturnal animal, who knows his way around the darkness of the night, yet is trying to reach out for the warmth of the sun. In fact, after he had sex with the blind woman, he finds her in the deck and tells her to say there because she “look[s] so good in the sun.”

Such need to connect with somebody in an emotional level is also represented by the body language of the killer. The movement of his hands is similar to Frankenstain’s. He is trying to reach out to the world in search for love and social acceptance. This is mostly evident during the scene in the deck, where the killer is talking with the blind woman under the twilight. Hands and touch represent a significant theme throughout the film. For instance, the police are able to find a fingerprint of the killer because he had the need to touch the victim’s eyes after having killed her. Such key correlation between touch and eyes leads to the killer falling in love with a blind woman, who counts on the touch of her hands to grasp an understanding of her surroundings. The fact that each thematic of the film leads to another and, at the same time, are in some level linked to one another, made the film successfully unified.

A little Treat... Sour Death Balls, by Jessica Yu

Video

Here is a little candy treat for you. I loved every second of this shot film. Watching it, you realize how important facial expressions are to convey messages, no matter if it is a silent or sound film. Enjoy!

(PS, I'm sorry you have to go to youtube to watch the video, I haven't figure out a way to upload videos and make them work yet... I'll keep working on it!)

Back on Track!

I'm back! I’m sorry for such a long absence; school is keeping me quite busy lately. But I’ve decided to take the time for something I really enjoy: watching, thinking about, and commenting on films. I’ll be writing about the films I’ve been watching for the past months. You should be aware that they are mostly related to the classes I’m taking. Thus, I’ll touch upon fewer new releases than the past summer. Sadly, the golden times of the Sydney Film Festival are over, and I am now back at trying to get the most out of historically influential works. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!