ArtH Film Response

(Grand Illusion)

1) I didn't write a note for one specific dialougue that represented the film best but I did write a note about a sound effect that I really thought represented the film. The scene where the solidiers look out the window and watch other marching and talk about the sound. The sound of the marching swells and becomes a huge sound as they mention how much the sound bothers them and the sound continues even as the characters move back in and begin to talk. We had the advantage of subtitles but if we were only listening to the audio we might have had trouble hearing the dialougue. I thought this was meaningful because almost everything that happened in the movie seemd intentional.

2) The movie uses a lot of camera moves within a scene and usually uses a cut to jump locations or scenes. Any scene could be used but I'll just mention the scene with where they are putting on a play. When the one guy storms out and makes the announcement the camera moves around to show everyone in the room. It moves to show the side of the solidiers, the stage, and then back to a front shot of the solidiers all in one shot. A moment that I felt really showed the narrative of the film in a very symbolic manner was the clipping of the flower head.

3)I thought the movie felt very well planned out and did a good job using the Z-axis. I think the use of the Z-axis helped to make the density of solidiers more then there really was.

4) Although the movie seemed very well planned out there were a couple of hiccups. The hiccups seemed to stand out more because of the fact that everything around it was done so smoothly. The scene where the solidier and the wife that is helping them are about to kiss was cut very abrubtly. Also one of the gun scenes compared to another one didn't seem as real because the gun sound was strange and there was a lack of the muzzle flash.

5) What happened in the scene where the solidier and the wife are about to kiss? Was it because the film was damaged or was it really edited like that?