The western as a genre was dead until 1989 but was revived by, of all things, a made for TV mini series directed by an Englishman. That series was Lonesome Dove, a four part drama, that rekindled an American love for the western. It was made for the small screen but it had epic ambitions [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Film Criticism and Analysis'
Westerns – Part 5 – Rebirth
February 3rd, 2010 · No Comments · Cinematography, Film Criticism and Analysis, Film Directing, Film History, Film Narrative, Genre
Tags: clint eastwood·dances with wolves·gettysburg·glory·gods and generals·into the west·kevin costner·lonesome dove·open range·robert duvall·tommy lee jones·unforgiven·westerns
Westerns – Part 3 – Easterns
February 3rd, 2010 · No Comments · Cinematography, Film Authorship, Film Criticism and Analysis, Film Directing, Film History, Film Narrative, Film Sound, Genre
John Ford’s westerns have influenced so many directors throughout the world so it was not so much of a surprise when “westerns” started being made outside the Hollywood system.
The most famous mutation of the traditional western was the spaghetti western. These were films made largely in Europe (Spain being the most believable location to double [...]
Tags: fistful of dollars·kurosawa·once upon a time in the west·segio leone·sergio corbucci·spaghetti westerns·the great silence·the magnificent seven·westerns
Westerns – Part 2 – John Ford
February 2nd, 2010 · No Comments · Cinematography, Film Authorship, Film Criticism and Analysis, Film Directing, Film History, Genre
Westerns have been around since the era of silent film. They have been the staple of early cinema and early TV. I can remember watching many western series on the box during the sixties such as Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, Rawhide and many more.
But the western started to become more of an art form in cinema [...]
Tags: cheyenne autumn·fort apache·John Ford·my darling clementine·she wore a yellow ribbon·the man who shot liberty valance·the searchers·westerns
Westerns – Part 1
February 1st, 2010 · No Comments · Film Criticism and Analysis, Film Narrative, Genre, Screenwriting
I haven’t really posted anything about genres so far so I thought I would start with one of my favourite genres – the western. Genres are a way of categorizing films that have a loose set of similar characteristics. They are inevitably vague with flexible boundaries but include sets of conventions that recur in many [...]
Tags: american dream·cowboys·Genre·Hollywood·John Ford·westerns
Old Boy – Asian Extremism
July 25th, 2009 · No Comments · Film Authorship, Film Criticism and Analysis, Film Directing, Film Narrative, Genre
To pigeonhole it, I suppose you might call it a revenge thriller. You have to admire its bravado and confidence in the cinematography and acting.
Dave’s Movie Analysis Framework – Introduction
July 5th, 2009 · No Comments · Film Criticism and Analysis
I’ve always loved watching movies. Good ones. Bad ones. And those in between. I also like to work out why I liked them or hated them or was indifferent to them.
I do like to analyse films and find out why they work or don’t work for me. I enjoy them in the moment , watching [...]
Starship Troopers
July 4th, 2009 · No Comments · Cinematography, Film Criticism and Analysis, Film Special Effects, Genre
This film has always intrigued me. I am drawn to it like a moth to a flame. It is quite intoxicating in a very strange way.
Its origins are from a book by the acclaimed science fiction author, Robert Heinlein, but, after seeing the film, you might think it came from a comic book or graphic [...]
Tags: bugs·cross genre·paul verhoeven·robert heinlein·starship troopers·teen movie·totalitarianism
Southern Comfort
January 7th, 2009 · No Comments · Cinematography, Film Criticism and Analysis, Film Directing, Film Sound
Every so often I see a film on TV that I remember from long ago that surprises me. Southern Comfort is one such film that I feel is a hidden gem. Not only has it got much to offer cinematically speaking but it has balls and attitude.
Southern Comfort is a film that follows the (ultimately [...]
Tags: cajuns·keith carradine·louisianna·national guard·Powers Boothe·Southern Comfort·swamps·Walter Hill
More thoughts about Montage.
December 13th, 2008 · No Comments · Cinematography, Film Criticism and Analysis, Film Editing, Film Narrative
I know I’ve already done a post about Continuity and Montage editing some time ago but I’ve had some more thoughts recently that help explain and develop the idea of Montage. As you will know from my previous post, the idea of montage is to put seemingly unrelated pictures or scenes together that leaves the [...]
Tags: adverts·commericals·continuity·editing·film trailers·montage
Malick’s New World
September 29th, 2008 · No Comments · Cinematography, Film Authorship, Film Criticism and Analysis, Film Directing, Film Editing
It is always interesting to watch the films of a director who marches to the beat of a different drum. Terrence Malick is one of those directors whose films captivate and sometimes infuriate the film critics. His latest film – The New World – seems to have divided critics and been less than enthusiastically received [...]
Tags: beauty·Colin Farrell·natural world·pilgrim fathers·Terrence Malick·The New World