#film is art

[chillininthe5thdimension]

I watched Oppenheimer. I’ve not seen Barbie yet but my argument will still stand I think. It applies to both films, but I can really only use Oppenheimer as an example for the sake of this post.

I loved Oppenheimer. I have my criticisms of it, of course (I firmly believe that you can poke holes in any film and still enjoy it). I thought it was expertly crafted and intellectually stimulating and overall an incredible work.

But the main reason I enjoyed it, and another reason why people are enjoying Barbie so much as well, is because the visuals and filmmaking style is so striking.

Films being based in some kind of hyper realism is more of a modern ideal. What I mean is, Hollywood films that engage in serious topics often try to make the film look and feel as real as possible for audience immersion. The lighting is natural, the shots are in sharp focus, the colors aren’t saturated etc so that the audience will feel like it’s in the room with them. Now this works for a lot of movies, and that’s great!

But I often feel that when directors like Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan lean into the fact that film is *not* reality, when they turn it back into a spectacle and let the camera do the talking, audiences will respond to it, and respond to it very well.

My only examples from Barbie are the color pallete, which is still a good use of film language to convey character ideas and emotions. Even outside of Barbieland, the color pops. You can never miss Barbie, and that’s the point. It serves as a reminder of the world you’re engaging in as well as turning the film into something that’s visually pleasing. And I’m sure there are better examples of this in the movie, too! As again I’ve not yet seen it.

Oppenheimer utilizes abstract imagery and asynchronous editing to demonstrate how Oppenheimer sees the world. The film is in color when we’re in Oppie’s pov, and black and white when it’s more objective. The movie uses sound (and the lack of it) to its advantage. The sound, the visuals, and the effects do an excellent job at conveying mood and atmosphere. You don’t need the movie to tell you that the explosion was huge. You feel it in the sound and blinding light. It’s not a realistic looking film 100% of the time. It leans back into what camera and lighting and sound and other technical aspects of film are good at. It experiments with the image. And it totally works!

I think part of the reason “Barbenheimer” became such a huge thing is because people knew that both films would be a spectacle, and spectacles are a treat. In the early days of film, the whole draw was the fascination with the image. Even when talkies became commonplace the reason you went to the cinema was to watch and marvel at the world that was built in front of you.

I don’t really have a point to this I guess, it just makes my little filmmaker heart happy that hollywood blockbusters are beginning to lean more into the spectacle again and utilize a unique style and film language while simultaneously remaining faithful to their message and themes. These movies (Oppenheimer from my own viewing, Barbie from reviews I’ve seen) are not shallow in the way that many hollywood spectacle films usually are nowadays.

Thank you Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan for giving us a reason to go to the movies again. You smashed it out of the park.

I hope this makes sense. I’m not good at the long posts.

[jordanbolton]

To The Substitute Art Teacher - Jordan Bolton

Pre-order my new book ‘Blue Sky Through the Window of a Moving Car’ here - https://smarturl.it/BlueSky

[unluckyprime]

four trans people walk into a movie theater …

[sylvies-kablooie]

i do unironically think the best artists of our generation are posting to get 20 notes and 3 reblogs btw. that fanfic with like 45 kudos is some of the best stuff ever written. those OCs you carry around have some of the richest backstories and worldbuilding someone has ever seen. please do not think that reaching only a few people when you post means your art isn't worth celebrating.

[nuclear-smash]

I think this might be my new magnum opus

[driveintheaterofthemind]

Tintin Meets The Detectives

Art by Adam Murphy

[rainydayspecial]

[sarakipin]

Ashitaka 🦌🌳

[laetu-s]

april in northern california, 2024

[zegalba]

The Face of Another (1966) Dir. Hiroshi Teshigahara

[53v3nfrn5]

Krabat: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (1978) dir. Karel Zeman

[lastoneout]

No shade to OP as a person but believe me, this is a sign that something is DEEPLY fucking broken. Like they announced ONE new IP out of like eight films. I genuinely think within the decade they're just gonna stop making original films all together. That's what they learned from Elemental and Wish, just don't make anything new if you can help it.

Like they've unironically turned into what people pretend Dreamworks is, a sequel mill. The real downside is that Dreamworks actually knows how to make a good sequel, Disney never really figured that one out, bar a couple of outliers, and I have no faith in them pulling any of these off. Absolutely soul-crushingly pathetic. Thank god other animation studios exist.

This is the saddest shit I've ever seen, truly.

[jordanbolton]

To The Person Who Walked Past The Window - Jordan Bolton

My first book ‘Blue Sky Through the Window of a Moving Car’ is now available to pre-order! Get it here - https://smarturl.it/BlueSky

[userscully]

ZENDAYA, JOSH O'CONNOR and MIKE FAIST in CHALLENGERS (2024, dir. Luca Guadagnino)

[loren91]

I made the t-shirt design I wanted, so it's on Teepublic if anyone else wants it too or whatever

[browsethestacks]

Arthouse Muppets

Art by Bruce McCorkindale