So, as I was sitting through a lecture
in my Film class, the topic was about “Film Loops”. What came to mind as I
watched these films with repetitive loops (of athletes and stories that dragged
on forever), was the Adult Swim Commercials on Cartoon Network. These small commercial
loops for their late night comedy shows were very crazy. Too bad I wasn’t able
to find any on the internet or You Tube.
Looping small parts of a film is
quite interesting as well as a great art form. Here are some commercial loops
that I found that emphasize the power of Looping. They are quite funny and at
the same time annoying. Check out the film loop of someone eating and a dog
taking a revers dump, classic films to add to the collection of nonsense. Enjoy!
Once
Upon a Time in the West by Sergio Leone has a lot of sound
elements, one wouldn’t notice if they hadn’t stopped to listen. There is so
much sound going on in the just the beginning of the film. It makes you wonder
how much sound one misses when standing alone. Since this is a western film, the sound as
well as the visual elements places the viewer in the atmosphere of being out in
the desolate lands of a western.
I’m not a very big fan of westerns, but after seeing
and listening to this film, I am rather intrigued to watching / listening other
ones now.Next time I go out into the desert, I am going
to have to stop and listen to the surroundings. Who knows, I might hear buzzards, tumble weeds
blowing by the wind, insects and maybe a rattle snake.
I have found my calling and the genre that I would like to pursue... It is
that of Italian "Neorealism". What is "Neorealism" you may
ask yourself. The best way I can describe it… it is true reality. Neorealism isn’t
the crap that you see in movies today with happy endings and heroes or any
other silly crap that we are fed on the big screen (or the little one in your
homes).
Neorealism in cinema began in in 1945 and lasted till about 1948 with one of
the last films in the genre showing in 1951. It was a reflection of reality
after and during the devastation of World War 2.
Ceasare Zavattini
One of the most vocal amongst screenwriters in the genre is Cesare Zavattini. He wrote the
screenplay for "Bicycle Thief" for Italian Director Vittorio de Silca.
Here is a list of some of the films that were produced during this genre:
1945 - Open City
1946 - Paisan
1946 - Shoeshine
1947 - Germany Year Zero
1948 - The Bicycle Thief
1948 - La Terra Trema
1951 - Umberto D.
When
I first seen Bicycle Thief, I immediately thought it was going to have a strong
resolution at the end of the movie. But as in life itself, sometimes there is
no resolution to the conflicts that we face. The feeling that overcame me when
watching this great film was the feeling of being ripped off by the society
that we live in and it’s many disguises of reality. I then chuckled and realized
it was a great film. Bicycle Thief had poised a reaction out of me, something
that movies usually don’t do, only people who frustrate me. I highly advise
anyone to see this film and try something different by receiving a new outlook
on life.
