Drive 2011

Lots of good compositions in this one! Just watch the movie and pay attention to the relationship between Ryan Gosling, the girl, and her son. Fabulous cinematography.

The Sniper Comps

Favorite shots from the film.

The Sniper (1952)

The story of a killer who has issues with women, and can't seem to control himself.  He realizes he has a problem and tries reaching out multiple times so he can be stopped.

The Big Combo (1955)

One of the most iconic shots in Film Noir history! It is also an excellent use of light and shadow. The fog/smokey feel defines Noir, giving it that mysterious feel. Overall the composition its fantastic, we get a sense of depth.  Characters don't seem forced into the frame, there is enough breathing room, and it's tangent free! Sometimes tangents exist in old films due to the change in aspect ratio, but today's films don't have an excuse.

The Third Man Comps

                                                   

   

The Third Man (1949)

A movie filled with stellar composition, and lighting, here are just a few!

A Patch of Blue (1965)

America has come a long way in regards to racism. Sidney Poitier and Elizabeth Hartman had an on screen kiss in A Patch of Blue (1966). Today you don't think twice about a black male kissing a white female, well any race or gender really. But, in the year 1965 racism was more than prevalent, and the civil rights movement was actively going. The kiss scene between the two of them were cut out of the movie when played in southern states. If this was currently happening today this would be just pathetic to hear that there is still so much ignorance in the world. The kiss took on history as it was the first on screen kiss between a black man and a white woman. Selina (Elizabeth Hartman) is a blind teenager who falls in love with a black man named Gordon (Sidney Poitier). This is a timeless movie, and definitely Hollywood stylized movie. I'm not saying it in a bad way, I absolutely loved the film and could watch it over and over again. The film is about racism rather than about a romance, but the racism is so subtle. Considering I'm not old enough to have lived through that time period I can only go off what I've seen through TV, and learned from school/family. Now knowing that, being black in that time period was very challenging, therefore I feel when the two of them are out together they should go through some type of challenge. I know there are some people out there who don't agree with the two of them being together. No one expressed their feelings towards them other than Selina's family. At the same time this film was filled with so much symbolism , deeper meanings, making this film so powerful.   Rather than spoiling I insist it must be watched.
One thing I took away from this film is being blind is both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes we are quick to judge people without even knowing them. I don't just mean black or white, this goes for being disabled, and even gay. A lot of times people judge because they simply don't understand. Sometimes we need to live with our eyes closed.  Imagine the true beauty you can find in someone if you didn't base your judgments on outer appearance, but on the heart and soul of a human being.  Imagine how special the world could be if we did that; Selina said towards the end of the film she knew who Gordon really was.  She began to list the things she loved about him, and Gordon says " Beautiful? Most people would say the opposite". She then replies with "That's because they don't know you". I say we all could be a little more like Selina, she had it right.

Double Indemnity Composition/Lighting

Some of my favorite compositions from this movie along with the lighting.

Persona (1966)

Persona (1966), one of those few movies in which I'm not sure I understood the full complexity of the film. The other movie is Mulholland Drive (2001). At the same time maybe I understood it fully, this is one of those timeless bodies of work that I may have to watch ten years from now just to be sure. Movies like Persona consist of dream sequences which make it hard to detect if we are still in dream state or not. It all starts when Elisabeth Vogler (Liv Ullmann) has a breakdown on the set of her film, she then stays at her doctor's home by the sea. Anna (Bibi Andersson) is the nurse who looks after her. When people say "they just don't make movies like that anymore." In regards to this movie that actually may be true. The vision in which Ingmar Bergman had for this film is really different than what most people are used to seeing. The movie starts with how we used to watch film, the light starting, and then the reel rolling. The movie ends the same way but the light is going out, and midway through the screen seemingly splits in half.  In which the movie is shaking things up. Who is really studying who here? Is Anna really in control, or is it Elisabeth? Or are the two of them actually one person, as the film begins to imply. Anna and Elisabeth, look strikingly similar which I would assume was done purposely for that reason.  Despite the identity crisis there are really some beautiful shots and scenes. My favorite scene by far is when Anna begins to retell a moment in her life in which she fornicated with a young boy and her friend. What made the scene so breath taking was the camera work and the detail in which it was told. The moment felt very intimate, like she was sharing something with us that was so personal. The detail in which the story was told allowed us to visualize everything, making us feel as if we were there. If a flashback was used I promise you the scene would not have been as good. Sometimes an audience using their imagination is better.  The two characters are so dynamic,  they dominate the screen and you barley notice it.  When two characters have that many layers the dissection between these two women is all we need to stay interested along with a little suspense.  Lastly the movie cover basically symbolizes the whole film. We have two complex puzzle pieces, and as time goes on the two separate pieces become one.