Seven Samurai vs. Magnificent Seven

     In the Seven Samurai and the Magnificent Seven, there are a lot of similarities, but also a lot of differences. The Magnificent Seven was made after the Seven Samurai, and was even a sort of tribute to the Seven Samurai. For the first thing, and foremost, the most extreme difference that is noticeable, is that the Seven Samurai is in black-and-white, and it is placed in a small town in Japan, where the villagers are farmers. The Magnificent Seven is based in a small town in Mexico, and a small town in Texas, right across the border from each other.


     The biggest similarity is the plot of both films. There is a town/village of farmers that keep getting raided or pushed around by bullies, who want food. After so much time, then the villagers get extremely agitated with the bandits, so they decided to ask the highest respected person in the village. In Seven Samurai, they ask “Grandfather” what they should do, and it is decided that they should go into town, the main area, to find samurai....7 of them. Then, with the Mexican village, they ask the wise old man who lives near the village what they should do. He tells them they need to fight. But, that they need cowboys. Both of the men that are the ‘advisers’ give them their own monetary to try to buy the fighters that they need to help the village.


     The costumes that the 'seven' wear in each film, resemble each other, again, as most other things. However, you can see how the 'sevens'' costumes have slightly different fabrics, or colours, so that, to an outside person, they may seem normal, but when inside their respectable villages, they stand out.


     A crucial difference in these movies is that Akira Kurosawa, the director of the Seven Samurai, likes to focus on the people. Everyone of his shots is preplanned and thought out, with the influence of the other shots and the audience in mind. With Seven Samurai being in black-and-white, the emotions and shadows, what is being depicted in the film, stands out more. It is more noticeable, as well as held to a higher degree. The shots mainly focus on what is going on and what is helping move the film along in the plot, setting, and story. The Magnificent Seven has a lot of amateur shots that don’t really focus on the emotion and action of each scene. It is a bit agitating watching the film, comparing it to Seven Samurai, shot-wise, because, even though Magnificent Seven was shot in colour, there are specific spots where you can see that the director or cameraman wasn’t being as intimate with the movie and scene as Kurosawa always was. Some shots are also unfocused or unclear.


     If you pay close enough attention to the music playing, you will hear that there is one particular section of a song that is very similar, if not the same exact selection, that is played in each of the movies. It is not played at the same time; however, you will recognize it when you hear it. It is more of a traditional sounding song, but it is used to show that something big is about to happen. That a huge scene is coming up right next. In both of the films, horses are used. Which is pretty interesting because in Magnificent Seven, it is basically a ‘cowboy’ or old western movie so they have the saddles and all of the proper equipment that is used to ride a horse, whereas in Seven Samurai, they don’t really have much material or equipment to use to ride a horse. Even though both of the villages, the Japanese and the Mexican villages, are farming villages, they do not have much to eat.


     The camera shots that are in both of the films are on the completely opposite scale. The Magnificent Seven has a bunch of out of focus shots that really has not much to do with helping to move the film along. The Seven Samurai has a bunch of intimate, intense shots to put the shots and scenes to the front of the film and make sure that you remember them. To pull you into the film so that you are a part of it, and so that you can understand and realize the significance of the film. However, it is understandable in some senses, as Magnificent Seven is an offshoot of Seven Samurai.


     So, until next time--

Final Exam

Monsters perform many functions in movies. Please write an essay on how Del Toro treats the creation of monsters in his movies "The Devil's Backbone" and "Pan's Labyrinth." Support your argument with examples of how teh cinematographer's craft was used to support this principle.

     This is the prompt for our cinematography final. And this is my essay for our cinematography final:


     Del Toro uses monsters to convey the conception of imagination and difference in hi movies. In "The Devil's Backbone", he uses the 'monster', Santi, a prior occupant of the orphanage to show how messed up the older guy, Jacinto had become, from his days at the orphanage. There is a sense of imagination because Carlos, the new-comer, at first believes he only sees something that is not real. But then, this imagination turns into a remedy. Which is exactly what Del Toro wanted. Similarly to how Akira Kurosawa places every single strand of hair into place for a close-up shot, Del Toro does this, but with the mechanics and emotions of the characters of his stories. In doing this, Del Toro is able to let his 'monsters' perform the function of telling the story themselves. Rather than the story being about how the monster affects other people, it is simply about the monster and how they became what they are.


     Del Toro simply wanted to tell a story through his 'monsters'. In order to do this, he had to make his two films, "The Devil's Backbone" and "Pan's Labyrinth", seem demonic and dark. He used different cinematographic elements in order to achieve this. Del Toro uses; dim lighting , costuming and make-up is heavily used for all of the characters, specific props to certain scenes, and the attention to the periods. The plot of both films tie into each other. Del Toro says that "Pan's Labyrinth" is a continuation of sorts to "The Devil's Backbone". The dim lighting used throughout both films plays on the plots and emotions of the characters. It helps to (conceptually) highlight the motions of the actors as you follow them through the scenes of the films, but not playing favourite to any particular portion of the frame. Whether this was originally Del Toro 's concept or perception of "El Espinazo del Diablo", is debatable, but since it ended up being the vision of "El Laberinto del Fauno", it is accepted.


     The costuming and make-up used and needed for all the creatures in "El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth)" was a great amount and no doubt most of the $19 million budget was spent on that and the elaborate sets. However, in comparison to "El Espinazo del Diablo (The Devil's Backbone)'s" $4.5 million budget, that was smaller because of the lacking need for complicated sets and costumes, both films still have sets of comparable value. Though the latter set of sets may look like they cost nothing, it is quite possible that they were what cost so much. But having made the film iin an isolated area, Del Toro was able to use long shots of the surroundings and the building(s) to show how and why the 'monster', Santi felt.


     In reference to the props, in both films, the different things sitting around, and again, props that were part of the costume were, of course again, part of the time period; along with helping set the stage for the monsters and the whole concept of imagination Del Toro wanted. Having only seen the first one and hearing about the second from others, I can not compare them as well as I should be able to, however, I am pretty sure that the introductions also help to set the stage for the monsters and get the wheels in your mind turning. The introduction for Devil's Backbone most certainly does, which also plays on the mechanics and emotions Del Toro wants his audience to feel.


     I hope this gets me an A, because I sure do need it. :-D    LOL ((and yes, I am going to keep my blog up))


     So, until next time--

Airplane

     This movie was originally made in late 1979. (released mid 1980). Obviously everyone wore the typical disco outfits of the time period; however, there were different characters who had certain costumes on because of the different scenerios that were happening. It is a comedy/romance and I highly recomend it. There are many wonderful uses of transitions throughout the film, allowing for more imagination to happen. Special effects are not needed for the most part, although are used. Most things, are not so much as "special" effects as just effects, where you can see how/where/what is being used which in some peoples minds makes it special. However, this just makes the film more enjoyable.


     It is rated PG despite some nudity, and sexual references. There is many different forms of jokes in this film, which are impossible to catch in one sitting.


     There are flash back in where the characters are outside, and the colours are neutral, and everything is bright. In comparsion to when the characters are inside the plane:
the lighting is dim, the clothing, though many different colours, is very gloomy looking and plain. This helps with the plot, so that the focus is on the dialogue, and not the surroundings or other things going on. Many of the jokes have nothing to do with the plot, and are thrown in there, deviating you from what is supposed to be going on. However, it adds to some of the elements Jim Abrahams,David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker tried to use.


     So, until next time--