In the Mood for Love - James Clarke

Set in ultra-conservative 1960's Hong Kong, Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love tells the storye of two people who land themselves in each other's company due to the absence of their spouses. The plot of the film is by no means anything original, but it is deeply accentuated by the style in which the film is shot. With unconventional camera angles, an inconsistent musical score, and deep, vivid colors, In the Mood for Love brings a seemingly real perspective to a very personal story.

The film is accentuated by unconventional, but highly innovative camera work throughout. Often times the camera remains stationary while the characters move about, and sometimes out of the frame. It's as if to remind the audience that we are looking through a peep hole rather than through a movie screen, and that there are things that we will not be able to see. Throughout various portions of the film, like the rice cooker scene, for example, you can hear the characters speaking, but you will actually have to visualize what they are doing. The position at which the camera lies throughout the movie is also noteworthy because of the strange angles it is put at, such as under a bed, over a person's shoulder, through metal grating, and in general, low to the ground.

The rich colors and costumes of the film play a very large part in how the story is told as well. In the first scene, at the appearance of Mrs. Chan and her very colorful dress, the audience is immediately drawn to her and continues to watch her throughout the rest of the film. From then on each dress, one right after the other, begins to astonish the viewer with its lush colors and interesting patterns. This immediately sets Mrs. Chan apart from any other character, especially Mr. Chow, who dresses in relatively the same attire every day, creating a very physical contrast between two characters who are emotionally similar. Not only does the costuming add emphasis to the film, but the lighting of most of the scenes adds another layer onto they already thick stylized coat of the film.

Extra Credit -- Beca G.

I really enjoy watching films and the escape that they give me for the hour or so that they run. I've never been one to be discriminatory against watching films (or reading novels for that matter). If something legitimately holds my interest, then I am willing to watch it all the way through. Entertainment value is typically what I look for in a film - whether that entertainment be a simply enjoyment of a comedy or a "feel-good" story, or the thought provoking conversation that follows a particularly intense film - all in all, I was entertained.

Yet I've found throughout my young existence, that I really prefer to watch films that follow my mood, and what I "need" at that particular time. For instance, when I am having a terrible day, I need a funny, lighthearted comedy like Music & Lyrics, to make me laugh and forget that I have been in a foul mood. If I am in a more dramatic mood, a nice round of Casablanca cure my ail. When I am willing to use my brain (i.e. when I'm not in school) I enjoy movies that mess with your head, such as Memento. So, really, I just appreciate a good movie when it comes to the right moment.

However, through this class, I have really learned to appreciate good cinematography, and the beauty that can lay in a movie. One of my favorites from this class was In the Mood for Love, just due to the sheer beauty and grace of the film and how it moved from scene to scene. Prior, I would probably not have been as interested, but once I realized just how much effort and time goes into the artistic balance that creates such a film, I was able to appreciate the artistic value and overall grace that the film had.

With all of this fabulous knowledge of films, and how to think about them in new and different ways, I look forward to continuing to watch the varied array of films that I do, and thinking about them in a completely different fashion than I used to. :)

In the Mood for Love - Jen

This was a crazy good movie. You don't see the cheating spouses, only the two who are falling in love, and they kept doing those "rehearsal" scenes, which really blew me away. I mean, who the hell rehearses asking your husband if he has a mistress? Who acts out how your husband/wife began an affair? It was such an odd element to add, and yet it seemed so realistic too.

Anyway. I can't pick just one scene that I thought was really powerful, but I can pick two scenes. The first was when they were rehearsing how the woman would ask her husband about the affair, at first I thought she was actually talking to the husband. But when I knew it was the other guy, and when I saw her start to cry, and he had to reassure her "He won't admit it that easily" - for some reason that really got me. I felt so bad for her. It was even worse when they rehearsed leaving each other and she started crying again. It's like she was so torn between her husband (duty) and her friend (love). She couldn't decide...and her nondecision led to a decision, of course. Despite how the majority of the film was presented, time does not stand still. Things do not repeat themselves. You do not get second chances. She didn't go with him. I wish she had.

Something else that stood out to me was when they were sort of trapped in his room because everyone else was in the living room and they couldn't know that she was over there. The whole "friendship" aspect of that scene felt very, very real to me. The way that she helped him write those serials, the way they conversed so easily, and even how they didn't need to talk. That whole thing was very companionable. It was something I found easy to relate to.

Extra Credit - Jen

Oohhh, this is surprisingly difficult for me to answer. I love films. I love all sorts of films, even ones that I'm really reluctant to see at first.

As a whole, I think I'm more into formalistic films than realistic. Which is weird, because sometimes I have a hard time doing the whole "suspension of belief" thing and I get kind of nitpicky about "this makes sense, this doesn't, this could never happen."

But I feel as though films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - one of my favorites - is the kind of film that really moves me the most. The strangely beautiful compositions in that film rendered me nostalgic and sad and happy and in love, all at the same time. I'm kind of attracted to films that are sort...whimsical. Pan's Labyrinth is another good example. That film was a great mix of realism and formalism, in my opinion. And I totally wanted to go live in that other world. Actually, both of those films make me feel like I'm living in a different world when I'm watching them, and it aches so bad when those movies are over. After watching moves like that, I just need some quiet time to reflect.

So yes, I did enjoy the movies I watched this semester - After the Wedding, The General, and 2001: A Space Odyssey were among my favorites (not that they were realistic *cough2001cough*). But they don't really "hit" me the same way as the other films I mentioned.

Also, I don't normally know much about directors. This class did kind of peak my interest, though, particularly in Kubrick. Generally if a director's name is familiar to me, then I'll see just about anything they make (like Peter Jackson). But normally I see a film either for the stars or for the plotline.

After the Wedding - Jen

Jorgen was such a complicated figure. I couldn't figure out, was he morally good or morally bad? In between, I guess...like most people. Jorgen was clearly manipulative as hell - he manipulated Jacob into showing up, then going to the wedding, then staying - but he was acting like that for noble reasons. And really, who better to look after your family than your daughter's biological father and your wife's former lover? It does kind of make sense.

But Jorgen just couldn't be wholly likable. At first I wanted to like him, because he was obviously a very charitable guy, but his lack of interest in Jacob's project set off alarm bells even before I knew what the real story was. His behavior at the restaurant was frustrating, too. It's like, "Dude, you're dying, and I'm sorry, but you can't treat people like crap just because you're not going to be around much longer." This is probably strange, but I felt that he was undermining his good works by acting like that.

Jacob, of course, was complex as well. I felt so bad for him. Continually he had to put others before himself. He didn't want to leave India and suck up to the money man. He didn't want to miss Pramod's birthday. He didn't want to stay in Denmark, not really, he wanted to go back to his home. But he did stay, not only to take care of his daughter, but also to take care of his surrogate children back in India. And while he did ask Pramod to go with him, he did not push Pramod against his will. It's hard to imagine that kind of selflessness. Not that Jacob was a saint, by the way. I found his actions frustrating as well, at first. But he was understandable. Maybe more so than Jorgen, at least in my eyes.

Extra Credit- Jeremy Brinson

After seeing all the films from this semester and having watched numerous films in my lifetime, I'd have to say that my favorite genre of film is classic. I don't really know why, maybe it's the fact that I've been raised on Disney and so the story structure of hero, adventure, low point, climax, victory, happy ending, has gotten engraved into my skull. It's the idea that someone goes through something to triumph and have a happy ending not only makes it easy to relate and the fact that it helps one cope with their own life is it. that and the fact that black and White was the first thing I saw on TV and I fell in love with it. Classic film style is a part of my childhood, you could say. To this day, My favorite film is a tie between Bill Ross's Jumbo and Kiss me Kate. The story pattern is the same, but the journey and detailing are different and stand out when put together. Though it isn't real life, its escapist qualities make it so appealing that I can't resist!

Do the Right Thing - Jen

I think that Spike Lee's character, Mookie, was the most interesting. He was sort of a mystery, because all throughout the film he's basically portrayed as a nice, regular guy. He has some prejudices, clearly, but he wasn't wholly judgmental of people from a different race: for instance, he got along fine with Pino's brother, Vito, and even seemed to rub along carefully with Sal. And while his distaste for Pino is beyond clear, it seems to stem more from how Pino treat those around him (even his own brother) than from a racial problem. This isn't to say that Mookie had no racial prejudices, as the scene where he and a variety of other characters spew racial insults demonstrate that he was somewhat racist, but overall Mookie did a good job of playing an "everyman" character.

So what blew me away was the end. As soon as he grabbed that trashcan, I knew trouble was coming, but it was still a shock when he instigated that riot. Of course he was frustrated, but rationally speaking, it wasn't Sal's fault that his friend got killed. I guess when you're feeling that trapped, you don't really consider your options.

But the next morning, he and Sal kind of work things out. It was sort of sweet. I mean, if I was Sal, no way would I have paid Mookie. But he did...he even gave him some extra money, money that Mookie tried to refuse. It was an odd way to end the film, but very thought-provoking as well. Did the riot lead to a better understanding between the men? Or just a sort of resignation?

Overall, the film passes judgment on all of the characters...but the film also promotes understanding of them. Mookie is no exception. I feel that Mookie was meant to be a generally likable character, but by no means a perfect one.