The Dark Knight Review

For the first time ever, I watched The Dark Knight and reviewed its cinematography. I was not only surprised by the visual aspect of the movie, but also the movie as a whole. Believe it or not, the movie included several life lessons incorporated into the plot. In addition, the role of the characters in the movie taught me a little bit about how people communicate with each other and have relationships.

Overall, the movie was shot incredibly beautifully and I really enjoyed it. The thing I want to focus on for the purpose of this post is the special effects and makeup, especially that of the Joker and Two-Face. So far for this project I haven't ever really talked about the special effects or makeup that I have seen but this is a perfect opportunity to do so.

I was utterly fascinated by the Joker's makeup in the movie and decided to do a little bit of research on what it entails and how exactly the look is created. I couldn't find anything  directly from the set of The Dark Knight but I did find a YouTube video tutorial of how to create the same look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2K1eOa6uKc

I also found an interview with the Joker's makeup artist talking about how he thought of the look as well as the techniques used.
http://www.resource411.com/411update/issue_59/articles/dark_knight.cfm

After a quick Google search I discovered that besides the makeup that is used to create the creepy face of the Joker, Heath Ledger also wore prosthetics on his cheeks and mouth to create the scars that form the Joker's "smile." Below I created a transformation timeline of how Ledger becomes the Joker.
          

        Heath Ledger's transformation from a normal face to that of the Joker.

Another interesting transformation in The Dark Knight is that of Harvey Dent into Two-Face after being burned in a gasoline fire. I did some research on how this process occurred and discovered that his Two-Face look was created using digital imagery editing. I found a brief video of how this editing takes place and creates his ugly face that will make you cringe.

Here's the link to the video regarding Harvey Dent's face alterations:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/30/dark-knight-effects-two-face-video_n_1718650.html


     
Aaron Eckhart's transformation from Harvey Dent to Two-Face.

Sherlock Holmes 2 **SPOILER ALERT**`

In the final fight scene, Sherlock Holmes has a mind battle with Professor Moriarty. At first when Holmes makes his first "mind-move" there is no music, the audience is held in suspense for the battle to come. When The Professor counters his attack the audience watching begin to pick out quiet bits of the low mysterious music which then pics up as the fight unwinds to show a sort of sad almost despairing mood. These sad sounding notes hint at the negative outcome for Holmes in this battle. As The Professor releases Holmes' body, in slow motion, to fall into the water far far below, all we can hear is a slow music that reflects a finality, a doom, a lose off all hope. When the scene returns to reality there is a sudden drum beat signaling a return of hope but it dies quickly as the sad music continues and slowly dies away. As Sherlock Holmes starts following through with his actual plan and blows ashes into Professor Moriarty's face as a distraction so he has time to grab him in a hold, the music reflects this by quickly starting up with a fast escalating upbeat mood as it is clear that Holmes may still win. It dies quickly as Dr. Watson enters and Holmes Throws himself over the rail, still holding the Professor. As Watson watches this the slow sad piano notes start to play reflecting his sadness at the lose of his good friend. The sad music then continues as the narrator, Dr.Watson, finishes telling the story of the great Sherlock Holmes. When he is finished and notices the package that came in the mail he opens it and fins the oxygen tank that Holmes was interested in at the manor, the music then softly transforms to mysterious and then dies again as Watson walks out of the room. A Sherlock Holmes, who was hiding in the room, reviles himself to the audience the music, reflecting the ending, turns happy and sort of reminds me of what a prankster and joker  Holmes is in its slow beat and tone of the notes.

To Kill A Mockingbird Synopsis & Trailer

I'm planning on watching several movies this coming weekend and reviewing them since it's a long weekend. I'm going to post a trailer and summary for each of the movies that I am going to watch just so you can get an idea of what they're about. Enjoy!

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRCa3RCa5Pg

Synopsis: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056592/plotsummary

Based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning book of 1961. Atticus Finch is a lawyer in a racially divided Alabama town in the 1930s. He agrees to defend a young black man who is accused of raping a white woman. Many of the townspeople try to get Atticus to pull out of the trial, but he decides to go ahead. How will the trial turn out - and will it change any of the racial tension in the town ? Written by Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>

Through the eyes of "Scout," a feisty six-year-old tomboy, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD carries us on an odyssey through the fires of prejudice and injustice in 1932 Alabama. Presenting her tale first as a sweetly lulling reminiscence of events from her childhood, the narrator draws us near with stories of daring neighborhood exploits by she, her brother "Jem," and their friend "Dill." Peopled with a cast of eccentrics, Maycomb ("a tired and sleepy town") finds itself the venue of the trial of Tom Robinson, a young black man falsely accused of raping an ignorant white woman. Atticus Finch, Scout and Jem's widowed father and a deeply principled man, is appointed to defend Tom for whom a guilty verdict from an all-white jury is a foregone conclusion. Juxtaposed against the story of the trial is the children's hit and run relationship with Boo Radley, a shut-in who the children and Dill's Aunt Rachel suspect of insanity and who no one has seen in recent history. Cigar-box treasures, found in the knot hole of a tree near the ramshackle Radley house, temper the children's judgment of Boo. "You never know someone," Atticus tells Scout, "until you step inside their skin and walk around a little." But fear keeps them at a distance until one night, in streetlight and shadows, the children confront an evil born of ignorance and blind hatred and must somehow find their way home. Written byMark Fleetwood <mfleetwo@mail.coin.missouri.edu>

The place: a small town in the south of the United States. The time: the early 20th century. A black man is accused of raping a woman, and an idealistic lawyer gets to defend him. We start watching the reasons that make his defense far from easy; and that's mostly because nobody in this town seems determined to believe in the guiltlessness of an accused negro. Written by Chris Makrozahopoulos <makzax@hotmail.com>

In the rural American south during the depths of the Depression, two children watch as their principled father takes a stand against intolerance.Written by Carl Schultz

The Dark Knight Synopsis & Trailer

I'm planning on watching several movies this coming weekend and reviewing them since it's a long weekend. I'm going to post a trailer and summary for each of the movies that I am going to watch just so you can get an idea of what they're about. Enjoy!

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GROmJWb-3wU


Synopsis: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/plotsummary

Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker. Written byPeteagassi

Set within a year after the events of Batman Begins, Batman, Lieutenant James Gordon, and new district attorney Harvey Dent successfully begin to round up the criminals that plague Gotham City until a mysterious and sadistic criminal mastermind known only as the Joker appears in Gotham, creating a new wave of chaos. Batman's struggle against the Joker becomes deeply personal, forcing him to "confront everything he believes" and improve his technology to stop him. A love triangle develops between Bruce Wayne, Dent and Rachel Dawes. Written by Leon Lombardi

The follow-up to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in his continuing war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective. But soon the three find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante. Written by Anonymous

With just one year having passed after taking out Ra's Al Ghul's plan to have Gotham eliminated and the mysterious disappearance of Dr. Jonathan Crane AKA the Scarecrow, and after the city was nearly plundered with his toxins, Bruce Wayne and his vigilante alter-ego the Batman, continue the seemingly endless effort to bring order to Gotham, with the help of Lt. James Gordon and newly appointed District Attorney Harvey Dent. But a new threat has now emerged into the streets. The Dark Knight faces a rising psychopathic criminal called The Joker, whose eerie grin, laughter, and inhuman morality makes him as dangerous than what he has yet to unleash. It becomes an agenda to Batman to stop the mysterious Joker at all costs, knowing that both of them are in an opposite line. One has no method at all and seeks to see the world plunge into the fire he has yet to light. One represents the symbol of hope and uses his own shadow to bring the peace and order he has yet to accomplish doing. Written by Anonymous

Gotham's new district attorney has been elected. His name is Harvey Dent, and he has a radical new agenda that threatens to take down Gotham's organized crime underworld once and for all with an iron fist. But the emergence of the rogue vigilante known as Batman has caused problems for Dent and his agenda. A new criminal mastermind known only as "The Joker" has arrived and aims to take Gotham out from under Harvey Dent's iron fist. The Joker stages a masterfully planned bank robbery and robs the Gotham mob blind. He uses this money to stage a series of horrific and strategic attacks against the city and its' people - each one carefully planned and aimed at Dent and Batman while causing the rest of the city to enter panic mode. Meanwhile, Batman thinks he might have found a lead to The Joker thanks to Wayne Enterprises' dealings with a shady Chinese banker, and that takes Batman and Alfred to Hong Kong. The Joker has no rules, but Batman has only one, and the Joker aims to make Batman break his only rule. But who will be the one to take him out - will it be rogue vigilante Batman or will it be elected official Harvey Dent, the new hero with a face? Written by halo1k

This Year...

In a few weeks, the school year will be coming to an end and I thought now would be a good time to reflect on our group project. Overall, I really enjoyed this project because it involved something that I really love doing, watching movies! We had a rough start with trying to figure out a group project that we all supported, but it was a good experience in trying to resolve conflict with our peers. It was painful to have to take notes during each movie because it would have been much more fun to just enjoy the movie, but I didn't mind it as much because I ended up picking really amazing movies. The movies I picked all ended up being surprisingly good, probably because I chose them based on whether or not I liked the trailer. I do wish that I had the time to watch a greater variety of movies just to get a better understanding of more of the techniques used to create stunning cinematography. However, I have been extremely busy recently with school, lacrosse playoffs, and preparing for the AP test. I have a long weekend this week and I am going to attempt to watch a few movies, including older ones to get a better grasp on the evolution of cinematography. Overall, this was a fairly enjoyable  project and it really has taught me to be more aware of the visual aspect of movies.

Fast and Furious 6 **SPOILER ALERT**

One of the climax scenes in F&F 6 is when Dom and his crew try to take down Shaw´s team in a tank car chase. I feel like the music works well with the visual part of this scene. One part that stood out to me was when the convoy crashed into the cable and the tank burst out, because as the tank was emerging in slow motion the sound played was a drum roll that picked up in volume. I felt like this was meant to show the might of the tank and sort of glorify its power. Every time the tank is shown, the music shifts to glorious and up beat, it reminds me of the music associated with an ancient roman battle with echoing low notes and a heavy drum beat. The rest of the time the music playing is fast paced matching the racing feeling as the racers try to stop the tank. I like this scene because it somehow grabs your attention and holds it until the very end.

Movie Trailer Music

Most action movie trailers are made the same way music wise. The clip starts out with slow and quiet, or no music, as the video introduces the setting and characters of the film. As the clip progresses and some action starts showing the music starts to pick up in speed and volume. As the film is introduced there are flares of music to mirror the bursts of images and information portrayed by the video.  In decisive moments before something dramatic happens the music dies down building up the suspense the silence breaks and something dramatic happens. The music keeps building up all the way to the end of the clip, and breaks as it reaches climax. Abruptly transferring back into slow, quiet, often mysterious music that leaves you hanging and wanting to watch the movie.

Here is a great example of an action movie trailer, After Earth: