BOY AND THE BEAST

LIFE OF PI

(2012)

Director: Ang Lee

This movie is philosophically and aesthetically beautiful. Through magnificent computer generated imagery it gives us a hiper-realistic simulacrum of the world and presents us with the incredible coexistence of faith, intellect and instinct.

"Faith is a house with many rooms. But no room for doubt? 

Oh plenty, on every floor. Doubt is useful, it keeps faith a living thing. After all, you cannot know the strength of your faith until it is tested."

Life of Pi is abundant in inspirational quotes, is somewhat upsetting, also very moving and still exquisitely witty. 

It gives the viewer a contrast as well as merging of two sides existing in any human. Two opposite sides enabling each other's existence. Our vegetarian and our carnivorous side. The one contemplating about ideas and ideals and the one fighting for survival. The one that gives strength and the one that gives faith, and the importance of one embracing the other.

"Above all: don't lose hope."

SHADES OF GRAY

CELL 211

(CELDA 211)

2009

Director: Daniel Monzón

Cell 211 is the representation of a prison riot which keeps you in suspense throughout. In this intriguing blend of events induced either by destiny or by choice, a viewer remains interested and involved.   

This is not a classical black-and-white story. One cannot root for the good guys, because there is no good guys/bad guys division. Someone could assume that the ones behind the bars must be the bad ones, they are on the other side of the law, while the ones defending the law are automatically good ones. Not here. 

On the other hand, this film does not defend prisoners and does not represent them as innocent and oppressed. 

This movie and its director do not pick sides. The movie just makes us wonder about the society and the people society creates, and reminding us that it is difficult to find white in all those shades of gray.  

EXPRESSIONISTIC EXPRESSION

M                               

1931

Director: Fritz Lang 

When hearing "expressionism" the first thing that comes to mind is Munch's The Scream, especially the black and white version. Fritz Lang's M is one restless, black&white scream.

Although key titles of German expressionism are silent movies such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Nosferatu (1922), and Metropolis (1927) M is also a movie permeated with expressionistic elements. M is Lang's first sound movie in which the theme of a serial killer and the chase is brought trough different genres. The movie starts with a documentary representation of psychosis in the city, continues as a detective movie and ends as a drama. 

The film is based on a contrast between the underground world, the world of the criminals and the world above, the police. The director gives us an interesting comparison between these two worlds and using parallel editing he connects these world in their mutual goal, catching the murderer. Each group due to its own interests. 

Director uses shadows in representing the murderer, which is one of the elements of expressionism. Besides that, it is interesting how the murderer is introduced gradually, through sound, then shadows, from the back and finally his face in the mirror. 

Since M is Lang's first sound movie it is important to emphasize the interesting use of sound. Murderer's whistling is used in off-sound and therefore it makes a significant rhetorical device. Accordingly, what we do not see, but only hear, maintains the suspense, curiosity, as well as fear.
  

The movie M, with its use of sound, shadows and contrast and with what it chooses to show and what it decides to omit, evokes the feeling of anxiety and thus becomes expressionistic.  

  

DEATH IN LIFE

WILD STRAWBERRIES

(Smultronstället)

1957

Director: Ingmar Bergman

In comparison to The Seventh Seal, this movie is more humanistic and earthly. Although the main character (Isak Borg) contemplates about the meaning of life, his thoughts are always in relation to worldly instances. 

As Isak realizes his death approaches he begins to review his personality, his behavior,  his relationships, that is, his life in general. Isak perceives his earlier existence as death in life: "...that I'm dead although I'm alive."  His embittered, cold, isolated life dis-enabled this doctor and professor to experience fullness of living. 

However, throughout the movie, the optimistic touch interweaves through the image of a young girl and her friendship with Isak.  

The movie also ends optimistically. Professor Isak suggests to his helper Agda to call him by his name. Although she wittily refuses ("I'm sorry! Are you ill?"), this suggests Isak's willingness to alter his cold demeanor and isolated subsistence. Isak decided to live.