Favourite Ideas in Film

I wrote about some ideas or techniques used in film that I've been really fascinated with. These are a few of them:

1) Fight Club:

Palahniuk introduces the scene of self-harm well into the book. The pain the narrator (Jack?) inflicts upon himself through a permanent chemical burn is essential to his hovering journey to primitive masculinity. It is beautifully written (and executed in the film) but an uncomfortable perception of this storyline may linger for several minutes. Tyler Durden more or less forces Jack (himself) into abandoning religious practices of peace and focusing on the unbearable pain. This may seem outrageous to the audience, but a more subtle interpretation can be derived from this hyperbole of acting: humanity has created means of escape to avoid facing the inevitable, negative elements of life. Tyler Durden is showing Jack that these methods are only successful in creating delay, as we are all eventually to be met with certain death. His dark satisfaction in experiencing the surrealism of physical reception is what makes the character even more intriguing. 


2) Leon The Professional













The role reversal in the two main characters is evident throughout the film through motifs and meticulous script writing. Leon drinks milk; this complements the line in which he explains the pressure he feels to grow up. Mathilda is drawn (possibly attracted) to Leon as he is the only adult in her life that is reserved and unsure about his identity. Their relationship is the epitome of the phrase 'opposites attract'. Leon treats Mathilda as an equal or even a higher authority (can be seen when she teaches his to read). This makes for a fitting match as they take turns in teaching each other what they know and eliminating the other's flaws, which makes the sorrowful ending even more poignant. Leon gives Mathilda the space she needs for expression and development of independence as she is doing all she can to appear more mature and experienced after the loss of her entire family.


3) The Graduate & Salmon Fishing in the Yemen:














The cinematography in these two films are very intellectual and manages to indicate deeper meanings to an attentive audience. They both include the same sort of scene: the protagonist moving through a large crowd which is going in the opposite direction. This represents the character's inability to move forward in life. In the case of The Graduate, Benjamin Braddock is having an existential crisis as he is stuck in the successful title of his education. For Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Alfred Jones is unable to express his views on a business contract, and so the sea of people pushing against him inexplicably reveals their reluctance to provide acquiescence. This also shows the 'salmon' motif. The Graduate also includes a shot of Braddock running towards the camera. This gives an illusion of a slower pace to raise the overall tension for the climax and give the feeling of time running out.



4) The Talented Mr. Ripley:














The final death and ending scene in the film is massively disturbing and nourishes the theme of melancholy. The fact that we do not see the actual murder (as is not the case with Dickie Greenleaf) gives a hint of empathy for the anti-hero. The death itself is described with words which plays into the psychological damage done to Tom Ripley's mind. The mise-en-scene of surrounding mirrors highlights Tom's loss of identity and the question that lingers on the audience's mind - "Who is Tom Ripley?"