Every film produced is not possible without
creativity and vision. It is the goal of the producers and directors to make a
quality movie in hopes of winning an Academy Award. In my opinion, what makes a
movie compelling is the directing, the story, the acting, and sometimes the
music score of the movie. The director has a vision of how scenes and visual
effects appear in their imagination, and put it on the movie screen. Without
the story, the movie would not have a purpose which makes the movie extremely
difficult to comprehend. Having a story where the audience can relate to or get
“lost” in is a great movie. Actors and actresses are an integral part of any
film, but great actors or actresses can make a film marvelous by bringing out
the emotions of the characters, and into the audience. One appeal music
composition has in making a movie deserving of an award is the emotions that
are portrayed by specific tunes and melodies. These qualities are integral in any
academy award winning movie.
Some of these qualities are shown in
Edwin S. Porter’s film, “The Great Train Robbery” (1903). Since it is a silent
film, music will not play into the criteria since films now compared to the
past had less technology to work with. Nonetheless, Porter did an excellent job
in directing his film. “The Great Train Robbery” is noted for being the first
western and credited for introducing different cinematic techniques such as
action cuts. Due to Porter’s directing, one could experience an action cut in
the film. In the film, when one of the train robbers was taking over the train,
he got into a fight. The film made a small cut and the person the robber was
attacking was now a dummy. Directors have a huge impact on the success of a
movie because of their unique cinematic techniques. The plot and acting of “The
Great Train Robbery” was great for being a 1900s film. The plot was similar to
any western seen today, about a train being robbed by robbers and the local
town police trying to stop them. The acting was decent for being such an old
film. Since there are so many great actors in the twenty-first century, it is
difficult to judge the acting in the past. However, movies in the past had a
lot of rapid movement, and “The Great Train Robbery” is a prime example. It was
almost if every actor was told to be moving in every scene. Overall, “The Great
Train Robbery” faired with my criteria of what a movie deserving of an award is
like in this century even though produced in the 1900s.
George Melies’ 1902 film, “A Trip to
the Moon” also portrays some of the qualities in which I believe are necessary
in a noteworthy movie. For instance, the film looked seamless with its
transitions despite the camera not moving. For example, during the beginning
scene where the scientists are waiting for the President to make an
announcement, they are holding what seems to be a telescope. Then, an action
cut happens and they are suddenly holding a chair, which they eventually sit
on. Another example includes every time one of the moon’s creatures dies. An
action cut appears and the creature is gone, and all the actors appear to be in
the same position before the killing of the creature. Director Melies has done
an extraordinary job at action cuts being it was produced about 100 years ago.
Another visual effect Melies, incorporates is fade-in/fade-out. Melies uses the
technique perfectly to signal a change in the scene or location. The plot was
about a group of scientists going to the moon only to find themselves in for a
crazy adventure. The plot was very enjoyable and had a science fiction aspect
which allows viewers to fully immerse themselves into the fantasy world of “A
Trip to the Moon.” Like the film “The Great Train Robbery,” the acting was
normal for a film produced in the 1900s, where there was rapid movement from all
the actors. Besides the camera not moving, “A Trip to the Moon” contains almost
all of my criteria for what a movie deserving of an award should be in the
twenty-first century.
One of my favorite films in which I
believe meet all of my criteria for being a movie deserving of an award is
Christopher Nolan’s 2010 film, “Inception.” Nolan has done extraordinary work
with the camera angles of scenes and the visual effects of the movie. The innovative
angles give the film a more mysterious aura, which is the film’s intention. The
visual effects are beautifully incorporated and make scenes appear more
realistic. Nolan’s use of slow motion enhances the film’s perception of whether
a scene is a reality or an illusion. The plot is exactly what constitutes as a
great plot in which individuals can relate to and follow along. The plot is about
a group of individuals trained in the art of using a person’s subconscious as a
way of obtaining sensitive information. The film’s motif is whether reality is
just a dream, or if one’s entire life is just a dream. The plot connects well
with individuals because dreams and sleeping are topics most individuals do not
understand and do not plan on understanding. “Inception” gives viewers their
own choice in what to believe in. The music composition for this film is
outstanding. Since the film is slightly dark, the music score for the film had
a lot of bass which offers the audience a sense of mystery and excitement. Hans
Zimmer is responsible for the exciting music scores in “Inception.” The film
has a great cast including: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen
Page, Ken Watanabe, and many more. DiCaprio’s and Levitt’s facial expression of
seriousness makes the film more dangerous and mysterious. “Inception” makes
individual experience the mystery and wonder of the film because of the
seriousness portrayed by the cast. For example, there is a scene in the movie
where Dom (DiCaprio) screams powerfully after seeing his wife commit suicide.
The emotion out of the Dom portrayed by DiCaprio is strong enough to be felt by
the audience.
Another of my favorite movies that
meets all my criteria for being a movie deserving of an award is Pierre
Coffin’s and Chris Renaud’s 2010 animated film, “Despicable Me.” Coffin’s and
Renaud’s directing style was mainly commanding the emotion in the voices of
actors and deciding the angles and structure of the animation. For instance, in
the scene where Gru (Steve Carell) uses CookieBots to steal a shrink ray from
Vector, (Jason Segel) the camera angle switches to the point of view from the
CookieBot. The use of the different perspectives gives a unique point of view
for the audience to enjoy. The plot of “Despicable Me” is about a villain who
tries to be the best villain by hatching an elaborate plan to steal the moon.
However, along the way he discovers the meaning of love from his adopted girls,
Margo, Edith, and Agnes. The plot hits the heart of the audience because Gru,
the protagonist, finds everything but destruction unbearable, but along the way
finds love towards his girls. It is relatable to the audience because it plays
on the parent-child emotion which mostly everybody experiences. The music composition
is noteworthy because it plays on the emotions of the characters at a given
time. During the movie, when Gru needs to rescue his girls, dramatic and action
music starts playing. When Gru and the girls are going to the amusement park, a
cheerful and happy melody starts playing. When the girls get taken away from
Gru, a melancholy tune starts playing. The music score of “Despicable Me” shows
the emotion of scenes through its musical composition. The cast act
phenomenally in the film by portraying the emotions of the character simply by
changing the tone in their voice. Voice acting is not the most difficult
acting, but learning how to express emotion just by reading the script is. In
conclusion, “Despicable Me” has a visionary director, relatable story, and a
great cast who can portray the emotions of characters.
