A Mighty Wind

A Mighty Wind is a 2003 mockumentary/musical directed by Christopher Guest that depicts several folk singer acts that are assembled to come together to form a potential tribute concert in memory of deceased folk music producer Irving Steinbloom by his surviving children. The acts, "Mitch and Mickey", "The New Main Street Singers", and "The Folksmen" are the said acts that the film follows in a fictional comedy documentary style. The film follows these various acts as they attempt to reunite and join forces once again to produce a legendary folk performance, showing their triumphs, quarrels, and general shenanigans in the process.

The film generally adheres to the basic paramounts of documentary filmmaking, involving set camera interviews, and steadicam followings of the activities of the musicians, organizers, producers who are involved fictionally. However, the main strategical and artistic methods that this film employs are the use of Christopher Guest as a director/actor, along with using his usual acting/comedy troupe of Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, etc. After working on numerous previous films in a comedy format together, it is revealed that most of these actors have a genuine musical talent. The actors actually played and recorded their own soundtrack for the movie. Thus, this displays the raw creative talent and ability to blend talent with instruments both on screen and in a recorded format. There is no form of music in the film other than what the actors recorded to be played in specific scenes. The soundtrack is equal to the film itself in almost every regard.

Christopher Guest's unique vision of blending dry comedy from previous films with his experience in Spinal Tap with a troupe of actors so willing to express their passion and craft allows for quite a for de force in artistry. The audience who is new to the methodologies of this camp may seem off put by the subtle nuances regarding periods of dry comedy, stuck camera shots and folk music in general, but cannot deny the fact that everything Christopher Guest set out to do with the people involved was accomplished. Perhaps in what was the ultimate conveying moment of the film was when the final concert came together, displaying all of the actors as folk singers actually playing the songs developed for the movie LIVE in front of an audience. The intertwining of musical mastery and comedy from people who have been recognized by Hollywood as hilarious for decades allows for a film to be shown as something more than art, but rather a work of love on the part of everyone involved. The depth of the characters from the acting troupe and the directorial vision of blending a mockumentary, a musical, and a comedy together with such concise mastery allows for a unique film that bends one film into three different genres that stand alone in their own right.

Rear Window

The film, Rear Window, by Alfred Hitchcock follows the musing plight of a photographer named Jeff (played by Jimmy Stewart), who has a broken leg, and has succumb to the immobility revolving around his newfound injury, cementing him in his apartment. He is under the care of his nurse, Stella, and love interest, Lisa. During his healing in his apartment, he becomes an avid viewer and observer of the goings on within the apartment complex he lives in via binoculars from his open balcony window. Things go from innocent observing to quite serious when he witnesses what he perceives as a murder by one of his neighbors on their female spouse. Things from here just get more tangling and suspicious as Jeff attempts to get to the bottom of this mystery.

The film uses the gaze of Jeff heavily as the camera acts as his viewing eyes around his complex through the binoculars of his apartment. The camera never once leaves his apartment, and the set gives off the setting of an enclosed, secluded area in which Jeff is forced to give the audience his view. The film's score also accompanies the suspicions of Jeff. Rear Window also heavily regulates the actual amount of different settings by keeping everything located within the apartment complex, as the camera never enters any of the other denizen's apartments (whether suspicious or not), however, heavily relying on our gaze through the eyes of the dormant Jeff observing them on his own.

The film is successful thanks to the light hearted and amusing interactions between Jeff and his friends as he attempts to solve the mysteries involving the murder, and the gaze of our main character as he aims to solve a murder-mystery within his apartment. This is accomplished thanks to our believing in him as we see his paranoias first hand. Hitchcock's use of a single setting and consistent use of Jeff's gaze being the audience's view gives off the ultimate sense of disturbing paranoia as we become invested in Jeff's concern over the potential murder along with him. Essentially, we become Jeff and become concerned for the friends he keeps. The ending isn't much of a pay off, as it is somewhat predictable. The journey alone towards the ending, however, is one that rocks our senses, as we feel like we are the ones solving the murder and witnessing the place in which Jeff lives as he sees it. It's accurate in creating any suspicions, raw paranoia, and is utterly convicted in making us invested in Jeff's experiences while being in his apartment (as we never leave it).

Jaws

Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun...

That sound of fear and ever lurking danger has been immortalized thanks to the big nasty shark from the film known as Jaws. The 1975 film, directed by Steven Spielberg, is the tale of a beach terrorized by a menacing shark with an affinity for human flesh. A newcomer named Chief Brody comes to Amity Island only to start a summer season of beach frolicking islanders being picked off by shark attacks. Chief Brody along with a shark expert named Hooper ask to join a fisherman named Quint in the hunt to find the killer shark after being unable to pinpoint the culprit fish. The men go on their hunt to find the shark. However, the shark finds them.

The film is extremely reliant on camera work. The use of the camera being the gaze of the shark was partly due to the mechanical shark not operating properly. Spielberg uses the camera to essentially "become" the shark as we travel in the gaze of the shark towards victims from underneath them. Also, when victims sweep under the water line without the bottom half of them, or the shark being seen also implies the sudden realization that the shark is there and in action. The score by John Williams creating the "dun dun dun" is essentially the other main accompaniment to the improvisational camerawork from Spielberg.

While the film can be showcased as Hollywood's true first blockbuster, it can be said that it is also a modern masterpiece in regard to the sheer terror that permeates throughout it's scenes. The audience becomes extremely invested in the hunt for the shark, as we want the terror to end, because, well... the way the score and camerawork convey the shark's actions is extremely terrifying. The characters are cool and we root for them as they hunt the shark. Also, inevitably the audience can't wait to actually SEE the shark. The buildup to the battle between our heroes and the shark allows for great pacing and suspense. It's a suspense that is conveyed to creatively that we almost have to sift past our terror and insecurities while watching it to make it to the end.

I also can't help but feel as though every singe film after it has learned a thing or two. Might I say "Tremors"?

The Wrestler

The Wrestler is a 2008 film directed by Darren Aronofsky. The film follows the life events of former famous professional wrestler, Randy "The Ram" Robinson (played by Mickey Rourke), who has fallen on hard times. As the film follows his life, we see the conflicts involving his interactions with current and former relationships regarding his lesbian daughter, a stripper, his current employment at a grocery store in the packing department, and his yearning to rectify his shortcomings in such endeavors, while aiming to not be an afterthought in the indie circuit of wrestling as a has-been.

The film is through and through a fictional character study which employs the use of minimal soundtrack and heavy moments of gritty silence when following Randy. The camera is usually on Randy, as he is in nearly every scene in the film. Often, the camera will use minimal cutting to follow him in long shots that literally show his every move in certain situations. Jump cuts are, however, used to get the viewer from setting to setting. When the score is employed, it is for purely when we are put in the gaze of Randy.

I believe that every aspect that was attempted to be attained in this film was achieved. Aronofsky has, in a sense, truly made one of the most authentic films in cinema history. I lend this heavily to masterful camera cuts, charming dialogue, and points of view that often center around Randy. The color tone of the film is gritty and real. The cinematography in this film is wondrous due to it's use of such real and bleak visuals that arouse the true disposition of Randy and his emotions at said instances. In terms of the sport of professional wrestling, the use of terminology and general depiction of the indie circuit is ultimately one of the most authentic ever displayed. As a character study, the film truly conveys every emotion he feels. We, the audience feel it as he feels it. Rarely can one character be so developed and investing as Randy "The Ram" Robinson. In terms of Aronofsky conveying such emotion and realness, credit can be given to more than one person, as the script is phenomenal, the camera work is astounding, and Mickey Rourke truly shines in his portrayal of a conflicted man with valid and worthy emotional representation. Everything "fits". The effort and passion is visible here. The Wrestler is a film that does everything it sets out to do artistically.

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