Baz Luhrman is an innovative director with a flamboyant directing style which makes it clear to the audience that he it is not about naturalism, he is creating a piece of art with which he can form a connection to the audience. In order to get this connection Luhrman has re-imagined classical stories by giving acknowledgment to origin but by using his own cinematic philosophy and post-modern filming techniques and has managed to produce the same atmosphere that the original authors intended for that day’s audience. Through analysis of “Strictly Ballroom” (1992), “Romeo and Juliet” (1996) and “The Great Gatsby” (2013 ), one can see Luhrmann’s evolution as a director.
Luhrmann makes his films his own from the start, as opening scenes of all three of these films implement post-modern techniques instantly informing the audience that they are about to enter into Luhrmann’s hyper-real, visually intoxicating world. Strictly ballroom uses a documentary type format to introduce its interpretation of the vibrant world of ballroom dancing where everything appears overdone on the surface but is actually conservative below. As with all his films, Luhrman is making commentary on the society in which the film takes place.
Drama runs rampant from the beginning, with Scotts mother Shirley wondering if she failed, as
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The reason for these obvious changes is because Luhrmann chooses to appeal to a modern day audience rather than repeat the same old setting that would have appealed to the people at the time the original forms were written. Changes in Romeo and Juliet can be seen from the modern city Verona which is packed with overwhelming sounds, bright colour, guns and cars rather than swords and horses to the costumes and makeup which show modern contrasting the dull and bland settings associated with Shakespeare’s olden day
In the documentary Mad Hot Ballroom directed by Marilyn Agrelo The instructors teach the students to be mature and stand up for themselves. The students are also learning to have confidence, and people skills. The program teaches the students about their national culture. The information was gathered by interviews with teacher, parents, and the students. Observations were also used to add information to the video article.
“Dance me Outside” by W. P. Kinsella tells the story of little Margaret Wolfchild, an eighteen year old Indigenous mother who is brutally murdered by Clarence Gaskell at the Blue Quills Dance Hall (21). The film by the same name attempts to convey a similar message, but there are key differences such as overlooking the Gaskell’s trial. The broader scope of film allows for the story to be told through multiple perspectives, aiding in rounding out the characters and providing them with a realistic dynamism. In her book “Iskwewak Kah Yaw Ni Wahkomakanak” Janice Acoose criticizes Kinsella’s portrayal of Indigenous women, particularly a character from a different story of Kinsella’s named Linda Starr (69). Acoose asserts that Kinsella “exhibits
Baz Luhrmann, Director of The Great Gatsby, demonstrates how the pursuit of an ideal may be promising, however, it can also easily lead to destruction, due to the course of action taken for achievement. This is significant since Gatsby was driven to the point of using dirty money in order to obtain wealth, which leads to Gatsby’s shaming, and ultimately, the death of others and of he himself. Luhrmann expresses emotion and awareness by using
baz luhrmann's third red curtain trilogy film the great gatsby has most inarguably reached his epical of cinematic techniques as well as a philosophy of cinema. postmodern film techniques include blurring of boundaries this is when the line between reality and fiction is blurred this is utilized in luhrmann's bold choice of presenting the fiction novel the great gatsby re-imagining in 3d. bricolage, is another technique utilised, merging elements from various sources to create something new, this is evidently seen when nick is introduced to the secret club of the wealthy and powerful where modern rap music is implemented to excite modern audiences as well as dancers equivalent to today's strippers, but still paying homage to 1980s costumes.
Mise-en-scéne is crucial to classical Hollywood as it defined an era ‘that in its primary sense and effect, shows us something; it is a means of display. ' (Martin 2014, p.XV). Billy Wilder 's Sunset Boulevard (Wilder 1950) will be analysed and explored with its techniques and styles of mise-en-scéne and how this aspect of filmmaking establishes together as a cohesive whole with the narrative themes as classical Hollywood storytelling. Features of the film 's sense of space and time, setting, motifs, characters, and character goals will be explored and how they affect the characterisation, structure, and three-act organisation.
Have you ever wondered why most American movies portray people with color or origin as terrorists, maids, or just secondary characters? Have you ever thought of why specific ethnicities and races are represented most of the time as inferiorities? The representation of race, gender, and ethnicity in the media is accompanied by a stuff stereotype, and this is leads to the negativity and discrimination in our society today. I have chosen the movie “Maid in Manhattan” since it portrays and handles the issues of race discrimination and social class inequality. I will be handling each issue separately.
Cinematography is critical to the success of any movie. Cinematography uses composition, lighting, depth of field, and camera angles to determine what the audience sees. Casablanca’s cinematography directs the audience’s attention, shapes the audiences feelings, and reveals the theme of the movie. Cinematography directs the audience’s attention and acts as the viewer’s eyes. The cinematography highlights Casablanca as a dangerous place filled with deception.
The animated tale Gnomeo & Juliet is a children oriented movie which adapted from William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy work, Romeo & Juliet. The story is introduced to the audience by a little gnome reading a prologue on a stage with a lighting focuses on him, saying "The story you are about to see has been told before. A lot. And now we are going to tell it again. But different.
Depictions of Extravagance The “Roaring Twenties” was a time of great prosperity in America. F. Scott Fitzgerald captures the booming spirit of America in his book The Great Gatsby through his grandiose description of Gatsby’s parties. Baz Luhrmann draws from both The Great Gatsby and Hieronymus Busch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights” to portray his own cinematic interpretation of this time period. Philippa Hawker analyzes Baz Luhrmann’s Gatsby parties and depicts their lavishness in her article “The subtle art of staging Gatsby's lavish parties.”
Baz Luhrmann is widely acknowledged for his Red Curtain Trilogy which are films aimed at heightening an artificial nature and for engaging the audience. Through an examination of the films Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby, the evolution and adaptation of his techniques become evident. Luhrmann’s belief in a ‘theatrical cinema’ can be observed to varying degrees through the three films and his choice to employ cinematic techniques such as self-reflexivity, pastiche and hyperbolic hyperbole. The cinematic technique of self-reflexivity allows a film to draw attention to itself as ‘not about naturalism’ and asks the audience to suspend their disbelief and believe in the fictional construct of the film.
Baz Luhrmann is known world wide for his eccentric and flamboyant film-making style. Luhrmann’s signature bright colours, fast-paced camera-cuts and zooms, and bold costumes are all key characteristics of his films and assist Luhrmann in putting forward the themes and motifs he regards as essential in each of his works. However, Luhrmann still receives much criticism for not staying true to the original source material of the stories he introduces to the big screen. One fails to realize the fact that, “Luhrmann’s films are not so much adaptations as re-imaginings” (Vogue Magazine) and through analysis of his various techniques, as well as his overall cinematic language in his films, “Strictly Ballroom” (1992), “Romeo + Juliet” (1996) and “The Great Gatsby”, one can see this clearly, through Luhrmann’s evolution as a director. Luhrmann makes his films his own from the start, the opening scenes of all three of these films implement post-modern techniques which instantly informs the audience that they are entering into Luhrmann’s
(Fig. 5) The still above (Fig.5) from Alex’s audition scene, is a still of one of the most memorable sequences throughout the film, the editing used is almost perfectly synched to the music. While the use of dance and movement that Alex portrays is sensual and very intimate but equally expresses her joy and passion for dance, it could therefore be argued that the use of editing, light, costume etc. are what advances the romantic plot forward in the narrative and that the dance sequences are merely a device used to fill space within the
Baz Luhrmann’s films are known their ability to make a watcher feel as if they are part of the show. Between his use of camera angles, shots and the use of a narrator, it’s no wonder he is able to keep viewers on the edge of their seat. But how does Baz Luhrmann pull off this spectacular feat of his? This is probably explained best by referring to Baz Luhrmann’s films and how he himself has evolved as a director.
For example Romeo and Juliet starts with a news flash on a television screen describing city brawls that have taken place and later in the film there are more fights that occurs. Strictly ballroom starts off with Scott dancing his own steps which is the result of the story and The Great Gatsby starts off with youngish narrator, apprentice bond trader Nick Carraway, in rehab, brought about by the story Luhrmann illustrates throughout the film. All of Baz Luhrmanns films are set in the closed, confined, isolated little worlds. Strictly ballroom is set in the isolated, specialized world of ballroom dancing, and nearly the entire film is shot in either the ballroom or the dance studio. The only time it goes off this is to visit Frans house where the shot is totally devoid of colour.
Ryan Bassil (2013) has argued that director Baz Luhrmann has completely missed the depiction of how F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote his novel, The Great Gatsby. As the era enjoyed social vitality, artistic and cultural dynamism, it gave rise to the name “The Roaring ‘20’s in America (IIE,2016:19), which was a time of wealth, and seemingly endless possibilities. This essay will therefore repudiate why Bassil’s statement is flawed and why Luhrmann’s personal style or aesthetic, his materials and the diegesis enhances the fortunes of the characters and intrigues his viewers and therefore augments the film entirely.