SEPET (2004) - FILM REVIEW

 SEPET (2004)

Yasmin Ahmad directed the Malaysian teen romantic comedy-drama film Sepet (2004). It was released in 2005 and is set in the Malaysian city of Ipoh. Sepet, the film's title, is derived from the Malay word'sepet.' In Chinese, it means'slit eyes.' A love storey between a Chinese boy and a Malay girl is depicted in the film. Choo Seng Ng, Sharifah Amani, and Linus Chung star in this show.

MULTIRACIAL REPRESENTATION

Malaysia is a multiracial nation with Malays, Chinese, and Indians living together. A multiracial culture is one in which people of different races coexist. Since the nation is a multiracial nation, each race's culture and language are distinct. Multiracial examples can be seen in the film Sepet (2004). Furthermore, it has highlighted the issue of bigotry in a multiracial world.

Multiracial representation has been involved in the dialogue between Jason and his mother from the beginning of the film. They communicate in a variety of languages on a regular basis. Jason, for instance, has read a poem written in Mandarin to his mother. When they talk, however, Jason speaks Cantonese to his mother and his mother Malay to him. We can tell Jason comes from a multiracial family based on their interactions. They can quickly communicate with each other in their mother tongue.

On the other hand, in the film Sepet (2004), the multiracial representative was seen in the scene where Orked's mother and Kak Yam were watching Hong Kong movies in the living room. They enjoy watching Hong Kong dramas together. About the fact that they do not understand Cantonese, they love watching it.

The next multiracial representative in the film is Orked, who enjoys watching Hong Kong films. Orked is a Malay young lady. She also enjoys watching Hong Kong films directed by John Woo, thanks to her mother's influence. She has mastered some Cantonese as a result of these films.

Furthermore, we can see that there were various races in the restaurant from the scene where Jason, his pal, and Orked met at the Chinese restaurant. For example, in the restaurant, Orked is dressed as a Malay, the waiter is dressed as an Indian, and the customers are dressed as Chinese. This shows that Malaysians are respectful of one another and get along well.

Malaysia is a multicultural nation with many languages and traditions. As a result, certain racial problems were depicted in the film. For eg, we learned from Orked and Jason's friend's conversation that there are misconceptions about Malays being lazy and Chinese being cunning. These myths are false, and they can lead to bigotry.

In addition, interracial marriage was a problem in a multiracial society since it included two races. We can see that Jason's Chinese friend did not understand why Jason decided to find a girlfriend of a different ethnicity in the scene where he wanted to show his girlfriend to him. This demonstrates that interracial marriage is opposed by a select number of individuals in society.

Conclusion

As conclusion, the film Sepet (2004) depicted Malaysia's multiracial culture. The majority of Malaysians can communicate in languages other than their mother tongue. Furthermore, Malaysians are born into a diverse cultural community. As a result, diverse cultures affected their daily lives in a variety of ways, including diet, language, and entertainment. We have a duty to preserve these cultures because Malaysia is a special and beautiful nation.

Reference

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433692/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepet

Multiracial (n.d). Multiracial. multiracial. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multiracial.

IMDb.com. (2005, February 24). Chinese Eye. IMDb. Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433692/.

Sumatra's Last Tiger (2015) - Film Review

Sumatra's Last Tiger (2015)

Sumatra's Last Tiger is produced in 2015. This film is directed by Harun Rahman. It is an expository documentary film.

Plot

The plot of this film revolves around a time when the number of tigers in the world is dwindling. However, tigers are becoming more common in Sumatra, Indonesia. Serial killers are also rehabilitated and released into the wild in this state. The man behind this unique conservation project is Tomy Winata, an Indonesian tycoon. Tomy's daring task now entails releasing a captive-born tiger into the wild to see how it fared in terms of survival and reproduction.

Analysis of  The Documentary Techniques in the film

Mode of The Documentary

Observational Documentary

The voice of the speakers can be heard but not seen in this documentary film, which uses voice-of-God narration. It is focused primarily on the logic of knowledge communicated by spoken language. It organises the images and gives them meaning as a written title in order to direct the audience's attention and concentrate on the image description.

In the documentary, the "voice of God" is used to introduce the dwindling number of tigers around the world at the beginning of the film. When Tomy Winata, the Tambling Wildlife Conservation, talks about his experience of Tambling, he uses the example of "voice of authority" commentary.

Rhetorical Form

The documentary employs rhetorical form, which is a source-based statement. To obtain accurate information, the documentary interviewed some authorities. For eg, Tomy Winata, a conservationist, Marizal, a tiger keeper, villagers, and Sukamto, a park ranger.

Conclusion

Sumatra's Last Tigers is a documentary that highlights the global issue of tiger extinction. This film depicts the conservation efforts of a team led by Tomy Winata, as well as the conservation process itself. The case for tiger extinction can be stressed and conveyed well to audiences using the techniques. This film was also made to educate people about the importance of taking steps to save and prevent the tiger population from extinction.

Reference

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3816830/plotsummary?ref_=tt_stry_pl

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/guide-to-observational-mode#what-is-observational-documentary

http://www.mediafactory.org.au/louise-wilson/tag/rhetorical-form/

Is Love Enough? - Sir (Film Review)

 Is Love Enough? - Sir (2018)

Is Love Enough? - Sir is produced on 2018. It is an Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film. Rohena Gera wrote and directed the film. Tillotama Shome plays Ratna, Vivek Gomber plays Ashwin, Geetanjali Kulkarni plays Laxmi, Rahul Vohra plays Haresh, Divya Seth plays Ashwin Mother, and Dilnaz Irani plays Nandita in this film.

Plot

This is a story about a prosperous young Indian man falls in love with his servant, a widow with the dream of becoming a fashion designer.

Analysis of Feminist Theory in Discussing the Portrayal of Women in the Film

Feminist Theory

    Feminist Film Theory is a theory that explores women's presence and roles in almost every area of their communities and environment. Women are no longer restricted to a specific area of knowledge in the modern world. The presence of women can be felt in any direction. It may be in politics, dramas, science, literature, the arts, politics, government, or even filmmaking.\

    Feminist Film Theory, in general, is concerned with theoretical film critique arising from feminist politics and ideas governed by second-wave feminism, which is rooted in sociological theories focused on how the audience scrutinises how women produce the actions, situations, and characters provided to them to depict in a specific film on television or cinema screens. Some also argue about the various differences between male and female roles in a film, which includes the public's views and critiques, all of which are essential in the production of the given concepts. This abstraction aids in furthering the study of Feminist Film Theory.

    Scholars agree that the representation of women in a film or drama is simply a result of society's view of women and their utility in the craft. Not long ago, experts in a specific branch of Feminist Film Theory elaborated their effort on their dissertation and perusal of the theory's discourses, taking into account also the realms of television and digital media, where the female workforce thrives in interlacing performance.

The plot of the film, for example, includes the power relationship and disparity between men and women, and Ratna and Ashwin have very different statuses. We can see the difference between the two when it comes to simple meals. Ashwin can sit in a comfortable chair at a large table and eat delicious food. Ratna, on the other hand, can only eat her food while sitting on the floor. Despite the fact that they both have goals that they want to fulfil, Ashwin's behaviour is conditioned by upper-class patriarchy. Ratna's dream of being a fashion designer shocked Ashwin, and Ratna questioned whether poor people have the right to dream. This helps the viewer to experience how the real world denies lower-class people their dream rights.

For another example, there is a scene to show that certain norms and customs, such as often wearing high heels and short skirts, are used by filmmakers to put women in a subordinate, passive position and to make them play the part of pornographic objects. This stereotype leads viewers to assume that women are always under the influence of men and that they should always wear high heels and short skirts for men's enjoyment.

Sir, Ashwin keeps telling Ratna that she should stay with him and not worry about what other people think. He, on the other hand, has completely disregarded Ratna's thoughts, status, and circumstance, and is only concerned with his own happiness. In addition, a woman entered Ashwin's home in one of the movie's scenes. She walked away after drinking a glass of water. In this scene, we can see how the film continues to use the stereotype of a woman wearing high heels and a short skirt.

Conclusion

Finally, the film Is Love Enough? – Sir did an excellent job of portraying women and social issues in India and around the world. Even though we are all human beings living in this world, this film represents the reality of our society, in which people are treated differently based on their social status. Some people are treated unfairly because they are poor, have a low level of education, or have a low job status. Inequality and prejudice result as a result of this in today's society. This film was well-made because it depicts the inequality and discrimination faced by Ratna. It also highlights how a woman will be treated differently in this film because she is a maid.

Reference

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7142506/plotsummary?ref_=tt_stry_pl

https://www.filmtheory.org/feminist-film-theory/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_(2018_film)

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

 

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Bicycle Thieves is an Italian neo-realistic novel drama film which directed by Vittorio De Sica. This film was produced in 1948. This film is about the life of an Italian. During the hard years of poverty in post-World-War-II Rome, Antonio, a poor working-class man of a wife and a little son, is finally offered a modest job as a bill-poster with his own bicycle; a bicycle like the one Antonio was already forced to pawn. As a result, his wife, Maria, pawns the family's bed linen to redeem their bicycle, unfortunately, however, on Antonio's first day of work, the prized possession is stolen. Desperate, the ill-fated father and his boy, Bruno, will scour Rome's bustling streets on a gloomy Sunday to find the vital bicycle, but undoubtedly, this is an impossible task. Will Antonio ever get his job back?

Italian Neorealism

 The term Neorealismo, which directly translates to “new reality” or “new realism,” sprouted in the wake of World War II in Italy. Neorealismo signified a trend in art and film that aimed to provide insight into the contemporary Italian society of the 1940’s. The films associated with Italian Neorealism are focused on showing Italy removed from Fascist influence. For example, This film is mostly concerned with the lives of working-class people. The film depicts Antonio's struggle to keep his job.

Forms and Style

The form and style of this neo-realistic film are unique. Most of the scenes in the film, for example, were shot in Florida. For instance, young people stole Antonio's bicycle, and both Vittorio Plaza market and stolen bicycles were found in Porta Portese market. The state of Italian culture in the 1940s is clearly illustrated in these portraits. Poor working standards and a heavy crime rate.

Modernism

Modernism is a style and form that distinguishes the film as a uniquely modern phenomenon and one of modernity's cornerstones (Stelmach, 2016, para. 2). Modernist filmmakers aimed to be more true to life than most classical filmmakers, according to them. They try to bring about the horrors of fascism, war, and occupation by exposing the unpleasant reality of class antagonism. The most obvious examples among Italian neorealist are street shooting and a focus on current social issues.

 Furthermore, open narratives with an unresolved central plotline are preferred in modernist films. The long take with the abnormally long shot sustained by camera movements, halting delivery, fragmentary and elliptical speeches, and refusal to meet the other characters' eye are all techniques used in the Modernist film.

 The scene in the film Bicycle Thieves where Ricci and the driver stop a man riding a bicycle in the tunnel to determine whether or not he is the bicycle thief is an example of modernism. The use of a long take in this scene exemplifies the modernist film's characteristic of shooting a real street scene in Italy.

Conclusion

From a viewer perspective, this is an interesting Italian film. The story plot of the film is good as the life of the protagonist bring many feelings to me. Overall, this movie has also used good shot and well-performances by the actors.

Reference

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-italian-neorealism-in-film/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040522/plotsummary?ref_=tt_stry_pl

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_Thieves

Citizen Dog (2004) Film Review

 Citizen Dog (2004)

Citizen dog is a Thai romance and fantasy film which is produced in 2004. This film is directed and written by Wisit Sasanatieng. The main cast of this film are Mahasamut Boonyaruk as Pod, Saengthong Gate-Uthong as Jin, Sawatwong Palakawong Na Autthaya as Yod, Chuck Stephens as Peter or Andre and Pen-Ek Ratanaruang as the Narrator.

Story Plot Summary

This is a story about the life of Pod. He goes to the city to look for work, oblivious to his grandmother's warning that if he doesn't find work soon, he'll grow a tail. He first works in a sardine cannery, where he drops a tooth, only to reclaim it. He then works as an office security guard and encounters a maid, Jin, an introverted girl who cleans obsessively and reads a cryptic white book that she doesn't understand. Jin attracts Pod, a guy with no wishes. To assist her, he switches jobs again, this time to a taxi driver. Pod, on the other hand, would have to make way for Jin's other obsessive tendencies.

French Impressionism

The term "French Impressionist Cinema" refers to an avant-garde film movement in France that lasted from 1918 to 1929. It was distinguished by camera and editing techniques that enhanced the image's elegance while also evoking the characters' psychological states. Impressionist filmmakers saw cinema as an art form in and of itself, rather than just a tool for capturing plays and novels. They concluded that art does not try to simply articulate realities, but rather construct an atmosphere that evokes feelings that lead viewers to underlying realities. For example, there is a scene when Pod is standing outside of his house and looking at his parents. From here, you can see that the background and the objects shown are not reality but similar to the art and painting.

 

German Impressionism

German Expressionism is a form of art that first emerged in poetry and theatre in the year 1910. After WWI, it became famous in film ten years later. It is influenced by German Romanticism and offers a subjective perspective on life. It uses warped and nightmare imagery to depict the country's collective fear. Expressionists were unconcerned with their work's artistic appeal. Following the horrors of WWI and the imminent economic devastation that resulted, this style flourished. For example, there is a scene when the passenger of Pod is licking everything around the house. This scene had used high angle to show what is happening in the house. This high angle shot also help to increase curiosity and bring uncomfortable feeling to the audience.

 

Surrealism

Andre Breton established Surrealism in 1924, and his book The Surrealist Manifesto summarized the movement's principles. Surrealism has come to be recognized as a technique as well as an art form through the years. Surrealism is a practice that uses the juxtaposition of symbols, images, and acts to construct a world that exists outside of reality, or super-reality. For example, there is a scene when a teddy bear is talking with Pod in the taxi. The teddy bear has a major smoking problem, and even the taxi smokers boycotting the Pod can't help themselves. And, after getting dumped by the manager, he goes to the bar to drink whiskey to forget about his misery. This scene exemplifies surrealism's features. It's as gentle as a teddy bear, but it's not gentle. It will not behave normally and will express the affection between the teddy bear and its owner.

Conclusion

From a viewer perspective, this film is quite interesting. The editing and element used in this film are extraordinary and bring a lot of curiosity to me. Besides, many feelings of mine are also brought out from this film. Every character in this film is well shown with their unique characteristic. Overall, this film is good to watch.

 

Reference

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/german-expressionism-film/

https://www.rem.routledge.com/articles/french-impressionist-cinema

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0444778/

The Stranger (1946)

 The Stranger (1946)

The stranger is a 1946 American film noir. This film was directed by Orson Welles and written by Victor Trivas. This film mainly stars Edward G. Robinson as Mr. Wilson, Orson Welles as Franz Kindler and Professor Charles Rankin, and Loretta Young as Mary Longstreet.

Edward G. Robinson as Mr. Wilson

Orson Welles as Franz Kindler/ Professor Charles Rankin

Loretta Young as Mary Longstreet.

Plot Summary

Charles Rankin is a professor in a respectable Connecticut town about to marry the daughter of a U.S. Supreme Court justice. But his name is fake, and his past is filthy. An earnest convert to Christianity, who once ran a Nazi concentration camp, is capable of revealing him. So "Rankin" kills this little old man and buries his body in the forest. But he isn't safe since an investigator from the War Crimes Commission is on his tail. Rankin would need his own wife to help him elude capture. But his obsession with the nearby clock tower may prove his undoing.

Film Noir Conventions

Themes

The themes of this film are evil, love, and betrayal. The theme of love was displayed as Mary Longstreet was still madly in love with Charles Ranking and even though she found out that he murdered someone, she still stands by his side. Furthermore, the theme of evil is shown is because the main protagonist of this film is a criminal who escaped from the Nazi War. Lastly, the theme of betrayal is shown is because Mary Longstreet finally comes to a sense and betray Charles Rank, just he tried to kill her by setting a trap in a church.

Love

Evil

Betrayal

Smoking

The element of smoking is very commonly used in film, it helps to show the character’s power. For example, Mr. Wilson is a detective who always smokes cigar.

Setting

There are many settings in this film. One of the setting is when the protagonist is burying a corpse in the forest. The dark area is common in film noir. For example, in the beginning of this film, Konrad Meineke was at a photography shop in search of Rankin's new identity. The environment which they were in are dark and tight, this brings a message to the audience to tell them that the person who is he looking for is not a good guy.

 

Lighting

There is also low-key lighting used in this film. It helps to create  clear shadows, clear textures, and sharp edges. For example, there is a scene when Mary Longstreet is having a nightmare while Mr Kindler is coming back from the forest. We can see a shadow is clearly shown on the wall and the use of the shadow is to  create a mysterious atmosphere for the audience.

Editing

The editing also used in the film noir. There is several editing are used in this film. Some of the scene has used fade to black and fade in & fade out. Some of the scenes have used black and white filters throughout the movie. Besides, some of the scenes used jump cut and some of the scenes have used quick cut.

 

Conclusion

From a viewer perspective, this film is good, and the story plot is nice. The elements and editing use in this film are also perfect. However, I still don’t like this film as this film is not the type which I like to watch, but I still learn several things from this film as it is a good experience for me.

Reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stranger_(1946_film)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038991/

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015) - Film Review

 

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015)

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is a 2015 American action film. This film was written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. This film mainly stars Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn, Jeremy Renner as William Brandt, Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust, Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell, and Sean Harris as Solomon Lane.

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt

Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn

 

Jeremy Renner as William Brandt

 

Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust

 

Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell

 

Sean Harris as Solomon Lane

 

Plot Summary

After the IMF is disavowed by the CIA, Ethan is marked as a rogue agent. The CIA assumes the Syndicate is a figment of the imagination of Ethan, so they are desperately trying to take him in. The Syndicate, meanwhile, is getting stronger and an undercover British Secret agent, as a member of the Syndicate, joins Ethan and his team to eventually take down the Syndicate.

 

Analysis of Editing and Sound

Editing

1. 180- degree rule

180-degree rule is a cinematography principle that establishes spatial relationships between on-screen characters. The 180 rule sets an imaginary axis, or eye line, between two characters or between a character and an object. By keeping the camera on one side of this imaginary axis, the characters maintain the same left/right relationship to each other, keeping the space of the scene orderly and easy to follow. For example, a 180-degreee rule is applied in a scene when Ilsa Faust suddenly meet Ethan Hunt in an airport. The camera shows the eye contact between both, although they are standing from a distance away.

 

 

2. Eye-line Match

Eyeline match is a technique in film editing to show what a character is seeing to the audience. The Eyeline match encourages the audience to assume that through the character's eyes they are looking at something. For example, there is a scene when Benji Dunn is playing video game during his working time. In this scene, the eye-line match is used. First, the camera shows Benji staring at the computers from a medium to a close-up shot. Then the camera goes to the video game display on the computers. This shows that Benji is playing and looking at the video games on the computers.

 

3. Shot-reverse shot

Reverse shot refers to when a filmmaker places a camera configuration on a subject, and then uses a subsequent configuration to display a reverse view of the previous configuration. For dialog scenes, shot reverse shot is most widely used and will also use over-the-shoulder shots or matching single shots for the interaction. For example, there is a scene when Ethan Hunt is talking to Ilsa Faust in the airport after they meet each other. The shot-reverse shot is used in this scene to show the conversation between Ethan Hunt and Ilsa Faust.

 

Sound

1. Diegetic Sound

Diegetic sound is any sound that occurs from the film's story setting. The term comes from the word mise-en-scene, which means narration or narrative, which is the evolution of a Greek term. If the viewer knows that it comes from something within the film, the source of diegetic sound doesn't need to be seen on screen. For example, there is a scene of the opera call Turandot is going on.

 

 2. Non-diegetic

Any sound that does not come from inside the world of the film is non-diegetic sound, often called commentary or nonliteral sound. The characters in the film are unable to hear non-diegetic sounds. In post-production, all non-diegetic sound is added by sound editors. For example, in the beginning of the film, the theme song is being used. It is used to bring up the tension and emotion of the audience towards the scenes of the film as well as increasing their expectations towards the story of the film.

 

Conclusion

From a viewer perspective, I feel that this film is so amazing and hot to watch. The story plot of this film is well written, and the editing of this film is also excellent. Every shot in this film is perfect and I cannot quantify by words. Besides, the theme song of this film is also nice as it makes me feel like I am in this film. Overall, I like this film very much and will share it to others.

Reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission:_Impossible_–_Rogue_Nation

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2381249/

https://www.masterclass.com