Hello! We have returned once again to further our efforts in comparing short films to those that are fully developed into lengthy features. To do so, we have chosen two more pieces to compare, “La Jetée” and “12 Monkeys”.
“La Jetée” was originally a collection of black and white still photos; however, it was eventually adapted into a major motion picture under the direction of Terry Gilliam. Instead of keeping it in the likeness of flipbooks, the 1962 featurette, or photo-roman as its director Chris Marker refers to it, was completely readapted to fit the modern interests of Gilliam’s modernized audience in 1995. This meant that it underwent a complete makeover in terms of its visual aesthetics, although it did remain mostly true to the basic concepts of the film.
In the aforementioned featurette, Parisian society has crumbled under the devastation of World War III, leaving survivors to flee underground for safety. Throughout the short, only the singular voice of one male is heard as he voices over each shot, thoroughly explaining the thoughts and feelings of all the film’s subjects. My group and I found this to be an interesting approach given that the purpose of the film was for one individual to evaluate their life and death whilst recounting their past memories, the very reason it was often referred to as being experimental. There was also a limited assortment of ambient sounds such as the sound of a clock chiming, the sound of footsteps, the sound of a thumping heart, and even the sound of birds chirping to simulate what one might normally expect when watching a motion picture. When it came to bringing the images to life in the form of a film, we found that Marker’s decision to use short, quick cuts between stills where the time difference was not as great, compared to fade-ins and -outs, as well as dissolves, when attempting to insinuate a longer period of time had elapsed was a crucial part of making his message on the fragility of life and the inevitability of death all the more impactful. In addition, Marker also used shot-reverse-shots in order to create a resemblance to that of a conversation occurring in real-time when portraying interactions between multiple subjects, without, of course, the actual inclusion of dialogue. Marker’s film appears to be more of a social commentary than anything else. While he does piece all of the stills together into a logical sequence, there truly seems to be no intentional plot, just the sole objective of conveying a singular message.
From this particular short film, my teammates and I were able to grasp the importance of carefully selecting only relevant shots to further the plot of our film. Moreover, we determined that even simplistic shots can be used to convey a deeper message and meaning, so long as the symbolism is clear and the message is not improperly construed.
Upon examining the “12 Monkeys” full-length film, there is definitely a notable influence that Gilliam drew from Marker. One example being the decision to place the film in a post-apocalyptic society, with the only difference lying in how the world came to be such a desolate place. In this specific movie, it was due to a lethal, contagious virus. With technological advancements that had transpired between the creation of the first film and the one currently being discussed, there were obviously some changes made to the direction taken by the film. This was evidenced in the more lively action incorporated into the film. When used in conjunction with Gilliam’s decision to distort particular shots with the help of close-ups, zoom-outs, long shots, tracking shots, and contrasting colors the film was truly brought to life.
That is not to say that the lengthier film did not serve its purpose in paying homage to its inspiration, given that it still drives the message, that connection can be ripped away in the blink of an eye, home, elucidating the importance of cherishing every moment as it is lived and every memory as it is remembered. With that being said, however, Gilliam’s film does make an effort to create a plot around which said message can be expressed and more thoroughly grasped by the audience. While it was the simplicity and directness of Marker’s film that made its meaning more impactful, it is the carefully crafted mystery, suspense, and plot twists of Gilliam’s movie that make the film out to be as successful as it was.
From the full-length feature, my team and I determined that subverting the viewer’s expectations and playing more into the extremes of the film, where we test the limits of the screen, is a great means of communicating the meaning of our short.
All in all, we have discovered that any good film is able to create a balance between simplicity and more complex ideas, and that a team of well-prepared cinematographers can bring that concept to life. As such, we hope to be able to have both ideas “meet in the middle” (Diamond Rio 1991).
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