An impression that was popular from the 1919 until the 1928, The French Impressionist Cinema.
This impressionism explores psychological causes; gives narration considerable psychological depth, revealing play of the character's consciousness, concerns mental state, dreams or fantasies. In some occasion it manipulates plot time and subjectivity; showing flashbacks/memories. They use the art of cinematography and editing to depict their visuals such as:
- The uses of irises, superimposition, masks to indicate character's thoughts and feelings.
- Visual that are distorted/filtered/vertiginous cam movement to show dizzy or drunkenness.
- The use of POV editing, rhythmic editing to display character's experience of particular situation.
- Having cam movements that are smooth, brought about frame mobility; cam tied to cars,wheels, bobsleds, cables, etc.
This impressionism got triggered off in the end of 1928 due to the lack of interests by society accompanying with the rising production cost.
For this week, the movie that I'm about to break down have some relation with this impressionism. After having an understanding on this impressionism, let us continue to see which part of the movie show such evidence on the French Impressionist Cinema.
In the Mood for Love, a romance film that starts out in 1962 where a journalist Chow Mo-wan and his wife move into a Hong Kong apartment, but Chow's spouse is often away on business trip. Before long, the lonely Mr Chow makes the acquaintance of the alluring Su Li-zhen, whose own significant other also seems preoccupied with work. As the two individual realize their respective partners are cheating on them, they begin to fall for one another; however, neither wants to stoop to the level of their unfaithful spouses.
From this film, I've captured several scenes that applied the use of French Impressionist Cinema. Close up scenes are often used in this film to project different feelings or emotions of the particular individual from the story. A good example can be taken from the scene where Mr Chow and Ms Su having a deep conversation about their own relationship issues over dinner in a cafe.
The scene first played out where both of the individuals are in the cafe trying to order their meals. Ms Su asked Mr Chow to help her order her meal as she is curious what Mr Chow's wife would order. Mr Chow proceeded to ask the same question as well. Switching to the next shot, both of their ordered meals arrived and they are already digging in the food to find out what their spouses preferred eating.
As they are having their meal, Mr Chow added some dip sauce for Ms Su on her plate. Ms Su then dips her food on the sauce and taste it. Mr Chow asked her how was the taste and she replied that Mr Chow's wife likes to eat food with spicy sauces.
After few minutes, Ms Su ask Mr Chow why did he call to her office during the day. Mr Chow answered that he got bored and curiously wants to hear the sound of her voice. Ms Su chuckled and said that he and her husband have a common trait that is being a sweet talker. They both continue finishing their meals for the rest of the day.
Another scene comes in where both Mr Chow and Ms Su are taking the taxi ride back home. On the way back home, Ms Su asked why Mr Chow didn't call her at her office like last time. Mr Chow said that he was worried that if he called her everyday at her office it would slowly become a nuisance to her. Ms Su then tells him to never call her again at the office in the future. Mr Chow tries to move his hand over at Ms Su's hand but she rejected by keeping her hand back to herself.
The shot of Mr Chow places the spicy sauce on Ms Su's plate is a close up shot. It represents that Mr Chow is letting Ms Su aware that his wife likes to eat food with spicy sauces. Another close up shot can be found is when Mr Chow moves his hand over at Ms Su's hand. This shot represents that Mr Chow wanted more than just "friend" relationship and to care for Ms Su but she quickly takes her hand away to indicate that they should not stoop to their cheating partner's level even if they do have feelings for each other.
Besides, the director likes to film the shots of the actor or actress' face up close. The director wanted to create a feeling where the character in the story feels trapped or no breathing room, forcing them to suffer the loneliness within themselves quietly.
One interesting fact about this film is that the cheating partners of both Ms Su and Mr Chow never appear on screen visually for the audience to see. "Why is that so?" you all might ponder. The director played with the story that both Ms Su and Mr Chow's cheating partner are always on business trips or oversea meetings to have affair that Ms Su and Mr Chow is unaware of. In return, creating an effect for the character of Ms Su and Mr Chow, always feeling lonely with a broken heart of disappointment.
Motivated light was applied in this film too to further enhance the use of French Impressionist Cinema. A lighting style in which the light sources imitate existing sources such as windows or lamps. The warm tungsten lighting from the lamps in the film gives out an effect of the character feeling confused, uneasy or helpless in one way or another.
In conclusion, this romance film can be said without a doubt that it is very abstract to understand. There are certain parts of the scene where they replay the same background music again and again. With the initiative to do a research on this film, one can find that the use of mise-en-scene in the movie has its own meaning to the story if pay more attention about. The love that cannot be expose to the world proudly and have to remain as a secret is the most bittersweet things in life. I believe that memories of sweet, sour or bitter holds a very important message and makes us who we are and what we will become in the future.
Reference Link:
1) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118694/synopsis
In the Mood for Love, a romance film that starts out in 1962 where a journalist Chow Mo-wan and his wife move into a Hong Kong apartment, but Chow's spouse is often away on business trip. Before long, the lonely Mr Chow makes the acquaintance of the alluring Su Li-zhen, whose own significant other also seems preoccupied with work. As the two individual realize their respective partners are cheating on them, they begin to fall for one another; however, neither wants to stoop to the level of their unfaithful spouses.
From this film, I've captured several scenes that applied the use of French Impressionist Cinema. Close up scenes are often used in this film to project different feelings or emotions of the particular individual from the story. A good example can be taken from the scene where Mr Chow and Ms Su having a deep conversation about their own relationship issues over dinner in a cafe.
The scene first played out where both of the individuals are in the cafe trying to order their meals. Ms Su asked Mr Chow to help her order her meal as she is curious what Mr Chow's wife would order. Mr Chow proceeded to ask the same question as well. Switching to the next shot, both of their ordered meals arrived and they are already digging in the food to find out what their spouses preferred eating.
As they are having their meal, Mr Chow added some dip sauce for Ms Su on her plate. Ms Su then dips her food on the sauce and taste it. Mr Chow asked her how was the taste and she replied that Mr Chow's wife likes to eat food with spicy sauces.
After few minutes, Ms Su ask Mr Chow why did he call to her office during the day. Mr Chow answered that he got bored and curiously wants to hear the sound of her voice. Ms Su chuckled and said that he and her husband have a common trait that is being a sweet talker. They both continue finishing their meals for the rest of the day.
Another scene comes in where both Mr Chow and Ms Su are taking the taxi ride back home. On the way back home, Ms Su asked why Mr Chow didn't call her at her office like last time. Mr Chow said that he was worried that if he called her everyday at her office it would slowly become a nuisance to her. Ms Su then tells him to never call her again at the office in the future. Mr Chow tries to move his hand over at Ms Su's hand but she rejected by keeping her hand back to herself.
The shot of Mr Chow places the spicy sauce on Ms Su's plate is a close up shot. It represents that Mr Chow is letting Ms Su aware that his wife likes to eat food with spicy sauces. Another close up shot can be found is when Mr Chow moves his hand over at Ms Su's hand. This shot represents that Mr Chow wanted more than just "friend" relationship and to care for Ms Su but she quickly takes her hand away to indicate that they should not stoop to their cheating partner's level even if they do have feelings for each other.
Besides, the director likes to film the shots of the actor or actress' face up close. The director wanted to create a feeling where the character in the story feels trapped or no breathing room, forcing them to suffer the loneliness within themselves quietly.
One interesting fact about this film is that the cheating partners of both Ms Su and Mr Chow never appear on screen visually for the audience to see. "Why is that so?" you all might ponder. The director played with the story that both Ms Su and Mr Chow's cheating partner are always on business trips or oversea meetings to have affair that Ms Su and Mr Chow is unaware of. In return, creating an effect for the character of Ms Su and Mr Chow, always feeling lonely with a broken heart of disappointment.
Motivated light was applied in this film too to further enhance the use of French Impressionist Cinema. A lighting style in which the light sources imitate existing sources such as windows or lamps. The warm tungsten lighting from the lamps in the film gives out an effect of the character feeling confused, uneasy or helpless in one way or another.
In conclusion, this romance film can be said without a doubt that it is very abstract to understand. There are certain parts of the scene where they replay the same background music again and again. With the initiative to do a research on this film, one can find that the use of mise-en-scene in the movie has its own meaning to the story if pay more attention about. The love that cannot be expose to the world proudly and have to remain as a secret is the most bittersweet things in life. I believe that memories of sweet, sour or bitter holds a very important message and makes us who we are and what we will become in the future.
Reference Link:
1) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118694/synopsis
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