Assignment Instructions:

Review the films in the U. S. Library of Congress archive and select 3  short historic films to critique. For each filme, perform a formal analysis of a scene or film’s composition based on the 4 questions below:

Trance and Dance in Bali

1. What is the film about? Provide a brief summary of the film.

The silent film is narrated by Margaret Mead, as she tells the stories based on the chronological clips of a staged play of the Kris dance - a conflict between the witch and the dragon in the village of Pagotan. The witch is angered that the king won’t marry her daughter and throws a plague onto that village as a first curse. The second, is that she begins to “trance” every villager into her rule causing anarchy at her will. This is countered by the “dragon” (king’s emissary), who although, is conquered in the beginning, he is prevalent to save the entire town.

2. Discuss characters and characterization in the film. Discuss the principal characters, the characters’ actions, the events affecting the characters depicted in the film. What action takes place to help you understand the character’s role in the film?

The film begins with a witch beside her daughter, in front of an army-like band of followers learning a magical dance. This dance is told to form a plague to spread onto all who aren’t them as an act of vengeance and utilization of power. Then, the band of witches steal and kill a just-born infant from a mother that underwent labor. Initially, they trick the mother and the rest of the villagers by pretend mourning the child and having no connection to the murder. Yet, with time, we see the witches descend on a plague-ravished village in full transformation as dragons. At this point, the witches begin to characterize themselves not just as a witty, rebel group - but, a strong, malevolent force. As our leader witch confidently dances in front of the king’s emissary flaunting her leverage, we truly begin to see her powers in full fledged manner. As she turns the emissary into a dragon, we see the villagers try to annihilate the witch. But in turn, they fall into a trance and twitch only to be revived as her followers by the new dragon. However, with time, we see the dragon (emissary) start to learn how to get his people out of the spell as he helps set up ceremonies infused with holy waters, incesces, and sacrifices to cleanse the trance. He comes out as an inspirational hero despite also being a victim.

Although the story is told in third person, it puts the witch as the main character and directs the story from her course of actions primarily. This evokes emotions that carry us through her story of rising up and frames her as an anti-hero (making the audience susceptible to respecting or even sympathizing with her). Only towards the end, the gaze switches to that of the dragon rather than the witch; directing the crowd to end the story with a focus on his actions instead.

3. What is the setting? Where does the main action occur, what is the time period, and what emotions the setting invokes?

The setting is the Pagotan village in Bali which takes place in the 1930s. It is clearly, in a third world setting with culture and plots surrounded by mythical elements. Our main character, the witch, operates her mischief on the outskirts of the town, as we see her and her band infiltrating deeper and deeper into the center of the village and king’s fortress. The setting of an ancient Bali village creates an interesting blend of emotions for viewers, unease and curiosity, as most viewers come from first-world environments.

4. How do Cinematography and artistic design help tell the story? What is the “look” of the film? How is lighting used? What kind of film shots are used and why?

The film itself cuts to different angles of the same scene almost in the style of a reality TV show or live streaming concert footage editing. With stoic shots, the camera is centered. However, with action/movement shots, the camera follows the characters as a human eye would (sometimes, centered and sometimes, not). This cinematography style almost seems like you are experiencing the story as an in-person bystander. This technique could be widely used today for successful storytelling in VR settings (perhaps, one day for films too rather than only video games).

The premise of dance being utilized as a superpower, also gives a lot of artistic edge to the production. All of the characters “tranced” or inducing “trance” move in a two-step bouncy motion whether they are intentionally dancing, walking, or running. For a performing arts production, this element is crucial in keeping a live story engaging. For films, I realize the same technique is used for musicals as well for song breakouts accompanied with fitting choreography. In this story, you see women whipping their hair back and force, as men are moving to samboatic beat. This is probably the clearest indicator to the presence of Bali culture in this particular story, as it is directly representing their cultural choreography styles.

The lighting of the film is consistent, as all of the scenes take place outdoors under a sun-lit sky. We see a lot of contrast of shadows and light creating a vibrant viewing experience despite the film being black and white.

Dead Birds

1. What is the film about?

As a Dugum Dani legend of the early history of demise that points to the movie, the film's storyline is the meeting, all the individuals have with murder. The film uses a nonbinary story structure that marks three persons through three deaths and one close to an end, related to the exhibition monologue describing action sequences and the opinions of the movie's main characters. Thus, the film tells three people. The movie was shot initially, a very massive margin of tilts and panels across the canyon of Baliem from the left side, going to follow the town bird's plane, its cultivated land, and the warfare.

2. Discuss characters and characterization in the film.

          The movie DEAD BIRDS is all about Dani, an inhabitant of the great Baliem hill country high in the West Irian Himalayas. The Dani had almost a legendary Neolithic cultural heritage when it was filmed in 1961. The manner they focused their vitality and founded their principles on an extensive network of intertribal armed conflict and vengeance was outstanding. Next, bands of Dani clans are actively involved in often legal battles, divided by undeveloped strips of no human land. The victory was commemorated, and the sufferers were sorry even when a soldier was murdered or died from a laceration. Even a female or a kid sacrificed their lives in a raid by the opponent. DEAD BIRDS has instant as well as symbolic significance. In Dani, the word refers to war-recovered firearms and decorations. The Dani presumption that, because individuals are like birds, they must perish gives their other more artistic significance. DEAD BIRDS is a movie that has never been made. It was to see individuals from within and doubt whether they could not communicate only of the Dani but also of ourselves when the chosen pieces of that daily existence were manufactured. There is no way to please the fantasies without a battle. Battles were also the best way to maintain a dreadful unity in a challenging and tedious life without the struggles it created.

3. What is the setting?

          Dead Birds is a 1963 American movie by Robert Gardner concerning the Dugum Dani ceremonial warfare phase that lives in Baliem Valley, in the current Province of Irian Jaya recognized in the archipelago's west New Guinea and now a portion of the Indonesian region. Dead Bird is an American movie about the war process. It shows the events from the funeral of a young child murdered during the raiding club, women's job that takes place while struggles proceed, and the expectation of an opponent coming into existence.

4. How do Cinematography and artistic design help tell the story?

          Since the movie's launch, critics have conversely commended and critiqued Gardner as evocative and cinematographer, while others have derided him for having no valid scientific and anthropological spotlight. Reviewer often noted his recall of a Dani parable and his representing bird camera angles. The most noticeable graphic of the film is a long time of a bird floating across the Baliem Valley. Examiners note that Dugum Dani's worldview is a foreground film. Others voiced concerns that information on cultural identity, including the nation-state and agricultural production, was shrunk by the movie.

The Lion King

1. What is the film about?

          This animated feature from Disney is followed by the excursions of his father, Mufasa, the newborn Simba. Simba's wretched uncle, Scar, sequences Mufasa's crown into an emblazoned wild bird by attracting his father and son. But Simba is escaping, and Mufasa alone has been killed. So, Simba comes back with his buddies Timon and Pumbaa as a grown-up, taking back his native land from Scar.

2. Discuss characters and characterization in the film.

          King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi, governing lions, welcome Simba, their youngest. Simba is presented to all mammals by the mandril spiritual leader Rafiki, and they all bend before the unique prince. His inhumane uncle, who asserts he murdered his parents, casts a young lion's heir to the throne out of his arrogance. The prince is growing well beyond Savannah as the uncle ruled with a steel paw. He lives with a theology: no trouble for the remainder of your time! However, the future king must make his decision when history comes to plague him: will he continue, or confronts his monsters, and become what he requires to be?

3. What is the setting?

          The sun is rising on the Pride Country. Mammals from across the Kingdom go to Mount Olympus or Existence Circle. The setting is a natural world where mammals live with their universe. It encompasses many green scenery and kingdoms where the characters portray their message to the world.

4. How does Cinematography and artistic design help tell the story?

          The Lion King is a Disney estate recognized as an entertainment jewel. I have a great plot with funny and enticing protagonists and the most famous soundscape in a children's movie, just as Frozen wants it. However, the cinematography is basic and flat. It was shot outside where the fields are seen, and it delivered an excellent point of view through manipulating angles. This kind of cinematography is quite soothing in the eyes. It helped deliver the message especially to children.