Ravenous (1999)

The film Ravenous (1999) directed by Antonia Bird starts with a Nietzsche's quote that says: “He that fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster” and then appears an anonymous quote that says: “Eat me” shown it with a howling sound. Both texts explains a Little bit to the audience about the film’s themes. The first image that appears in the film is a close up of the United States’s flag accompanied with national music, this gives immediately the idea that this film has heroic and nationalism themes. The second image that appears is a tiny United States’ flag above a long table with men dressing like military from 1840’s are looking to the front to a big flag and to the Colonel in charge. During the fourth shot we can distinguish the protagonist named Captain John Boyd that is receiving a military honor for successfully infiltrating the enemy’s Rankand. After this, a long shot flashback of the Captain in the battlefield appears, he looks disoriented and he lays in the ground to give the idea that he is a dead man. Then, on a long shot we watch on a long table to all the military men starting to eat big portions of meat. At the same time a close up with the face of the protagonist barely breathing is shown with bewilderment. To confirm and give the idea that he doesn't feel comfortable with the situation, the next shot is a extreme close up to his dish with a big and bloody portion of meat. The heroic military music continues in this sequence and we also can hear how everybody chews the meat. The Colonel during a medium close up looks at the protagonist and then he continues watching everybody eating. A extreme close up of his dish with meat while he tries to cut it with heavy breathing and a close up with zoom to his face mixed with the sound of his heavy breathing emphasize the problem. Finally, a extreme close up flashback of two hurt men covered with blood are shown and suddenly the protagonist leaves the table and he goes to vomit. In conclusion, I believe that this sequence was very well thought due that introduces efficiently into the cannibalism theme of the film. The costumes, music, sound, acting, camera and the vision of the filmmakers played a crucial role to achieve this masterpiece.

This film portraits the theme of the Cannibalism in the most crude way. The motif music is just amazing. Starring Guy Pearce and Robert Carlyle. Don't forget to watch it! :)

I read on a book about "American Revolution", that some american soldiers, in order to survive from the starving period ate indian corpses to survive.

Película traducida al español como "Voraz", trata el tema del canibalismo en la época de conquista en America, California. Leí un libro acerca de la "Revolución Americana", que cuenta cómo algunos soldados debido al hambre y al frio, comieron cadáveres indios para sobrevivir. "Ravenous", película que vale la pena adquirir! 

Atonement

I had to watch this film for the class The language of Filmmaking. I must admit that is a fantastic movie. Everything is well done in this feature film directed by Joe Wright. Furthermore there is an astonish long take that worth watch it again and again (last picture). All the elements of mise-en-scene (art, actor movements and positions, costumes, scenography, camera), decoupage (editing decisions) and sound are well thought out. It is formidable how a film can be so well made!

Shooting, sound and editing techniques affects the film's narrative and help shape the film's themes ad motifs.

If you wish to learn more about filmmaking from the point of view of Editing, you should watch "Atonement" because this movie was completely thought from the point of the editing. It's only editing!

Motifs: A recurring subject, theme, idea, etc especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work

In "Atonement" the motifs are the typewriting machine sound that conveys the point of view of the main character "Briony". And also the water is used as a motif, we can watch water through the whole film, which it is connected with death. It's interesting how the director used in some scenes non-diegetic sound but later connects it with characters or chorus and transform it into a diegetic sound (as in fabulous example of the long take in Dunkirk beach).

Si deseas aprender más de filmmaking deberías ver esta película, pues está maestralmente diseñada desde el punto de vista de la edición, que es como toda película debe ser pensada. Una obra artística que vale la pena observar! :)