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Wednesday
Nov092011

#21. Victoria & Albert, #22. The Young Victoria

The Young Victoria 2009While some docudramas have as much production value and spectacle as the book on tape version of The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, many showcase a moment in history capable of acquiring audience interest. Of course this interest is subjective, so how many viewers fall asleep during the BBC’s 2001 docudrama Victoria & Albert is, in a way, independent of the film itself. Even a great book chronicling the romance between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert is still a book detailing the courtship of 19th century English royalty. Forgoing the artistic license granted to feature films, it is an accurate chronicling of history that a true docudrama is concerned. Does that mean Victoria & Albert is a more faithful recount of that moment in time than the feature length film The Young Victoria (2009) that tells the same story?

To answer that question it is important to define the term “docudrama,” especially compared to a documentary or feature. An amalgam of narrative films and classical documentaries, docudramas have several specific characteristics. The typical docudrama “sticks to the facts as they are known… The goal is to give basic information, allowing them (the viewer) to draw their own conclusions.” (WiseGeek.com) Unlike documentaries, which often include varying degrees of agenda, be it personal commentary from the director or a flat out persuasive intent, docudramas are only here to present actuality. Take it or leave it.

More recreation than inspiration, docudramas lack the pageantry of most mainstream feature films. Opposing the basic design of cinema, docudramas are more concerned with information than entertainment, however, that is not to say they do not strive for dramatic effect. “Docudramas do not integrate fictional elements… remaining true to the events they document as much as possible… they can make historical events feel more accessible.” (WiseGeek.com)

That being said, when comparing a docudrama to a feature film, each presenting a version of a historical and well-known event, which form is more accurate? Or even more to the point, which is more engaging? No matter how factual any version of a story may be, if does not somehow engage the viewer and maintain a grasp on his or her attention, than its accuracy is irrelevant. Luckily for this spectator, Victoria & Albert surprisingly kept me rapt, engrossed by not only the natural allure of Queen Victoria’s fascinating life, but also the charm of the titular couple’s relationship. Likewise, The Young Victoria competently demonstrated the young queen’s development, but with an obvious budget that elevated the proceedings seen in Victoria & Albert far above mere made-for-television reenactments. Victoria & Albert 2001The pomp and circumstance shimmers throughout the feature, perhaps an obvious compensation for the inaccuracies only devoted historians of the period. And there in lies the danger. Where it is safe to assume that the events showcased in the BBC docudrama are faithful and true-to-life, trusting a filmmaker who in the end must always account for profit, like those of feature length films, historical accuracy must often times be manipulated for narrative consideration.

For instance, when discussing The Young Victoria on BBC 4 radio show Film Programme, writer Julian Fellowes admitted to the fact that Prince Albert never took a bullet for Victoria. A fictional concoction for pure spectacle’s sake, Fellowes crafted the exciting moment to further convince the audience of the newlywed’s bravery and integrity. Not only does this revelation disappoint on an emotional level (who doesn’t love a martyr for love?), but also forces the viewer on an academic level to question every event depicted throughout the picture. This confidence is mandatory for a director/spectator relationship, credence necessary for any enjoyment to be had when experiencing a historical portrayal on film.

Film can and should be considered an educational medium, but there are limitations that must always be considered when basing what is fact off of what is on screen. For a mainstream film like The Young Victoria, producing a product entertaining enough to sell tickets comes before telling a factual story. It may give viewers a good impression of an event or of a time and place, but should never be believed to be completely genuine. 

Smith, S.E. "What is a Docudrama." WiseGeek. WiseGeek, n.d. Web. 9 Nov 2011.

<http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-docudrama.htm>.

Tuesday
Nov082011

Nostalgia Watch: Evolution of Video Game Animation


Created By ColourLovers.com

Wednesday
Nov022011

Trailer Watch: Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto bannerSo Rockstar finally dropped the trailer for their newest openworld epic Grand Theft Auto V! Looks great, of course. Glad to see Rockstar is heading back to San Andreas, and I am getting the feeling that our protagonist is Tommy from Vice City. Also, sure seems like I saw CJ from San Andreas walking around. Let me know what you guys think, and if you are as excited as I am!

Share the site by clicking the button below and linking to your Facebook and Twitter... GET THE WORD OUT!

Saturday
Oct292011

Friday the 13th Retrospective

Friday the 13th bannerI wanted to link Steven Lambrechts' pretty exhaustive look at the Friday the 13th series he wrote for IGN AU. I just started reading it, but I wanted to share it before Halloween comes and goes! Enjoy!

 

http://movies.ign.com/articles/121/1210937p1.html


Friday the 13th

Saturday
Oct292011

#20. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World - Analysis


Master and CommanderPerhaps the most prevalent theme of this course, second to that of British history, would be the power of one’s artistic license. When basing a film on historical events a filmmaker can find a wealth of inspiration, from the noblest of actions to the dastardliest of deeds, characters from archival legends serve as hearty cinematic fodder. However, when attempting to bring to life a well-known person from the past, everyone involved has a responsibility to respectfully represent him or her in a manner fitting to his or her reputation and background. This duty to effectively recreate history can easily handicap directors and screenwriters. Forgetting the artistic license all filmmakers keep in their back pocket, some become a slave to details, forfeiting the chance to make a great film by instead focusing on creating a faithful one. Peter Weir’s adaptation of the Patrick O’ Brian novel Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is not based on any real person, and this freedom gave the director the opportunity to produce one of the most historically accurate, and at the same time engaging films ever made.

Master and Commander is an exhilarating nautical escapade set during the Napoleonic Wars at the turn of the 19th century. “Lucky” Jack Aubrey is the captain of the HMS Surprise, an aging but serviceable vessel in his Majesty’s fleet.  With orders to track and subdue the French privateer Acheron off the coasts of Brazil, Aubrey and the crew of HMS Surprise must effectively thwart Napoleon’s mission to extend his reach to South America. It is exciting, engaging, and complete fiction. Of course the time and place for which the film is set is accurate, but there was never a Captain Jack Aubrey or an HMS Surprise, and Weir takes advantage of this liberation from legacy to design one of the most praised films ever dealing with the time frame. At the time of its premier, Dr. William S. Dudley, director of the Naval Historical Center in Washington said, “I think it was the best portrayal of life in a warship during the Age of Sail that has been produced in Hollywood. The language, the uniforms, the rigging of the ship, the customs of the Royal Navy of that period, the portrayal of the captain by Russell Crowe, all seemed quite authentic to me.”Master and Commander books

All of these details of which Dudley praises gives the movie its verisimilitude, but was this authenticity a result of the filmmaker not being forced to slavishly concern himself with a character’s real life prestige? To put it another way, would Master and Commander have been as successful, both narratively and historically, if instead of telling the tale of Captain Aubrey the film centered on the adventures of Royal Navy legend Vice-Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson? The short answer is “who knows,” but when embracing conjecture it is possible to theorize that the exploits of Lord Nelson, however true and rousing they may be, would by the nature of a writer’s creative ingenuity limit his or her ability to fully explore the themes and details provided by the circumstance of time. They would be artistically tied to their character’s celebrity. 

Consider the response of historians to films like Elizabeth, Robin Hood, The Duchess, and so on. Biographical films carry too much baggage, their characters are too well known and that leaves room for error. If Queen Elizabeth, played by Cate Blanchett, cuts her hair too soon in the film, historians will notice. When Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood chooses to approach a version of the legend that most historians do not agree with, he will be criticized for the blunder. Master and Commander was heralded for its precise production of the era, its attention to detail, specifically because it could afford to do so.

Master and CommanderDocumentaries are considered to be the most historically accurate, and educational forms of cinema. They can employ knowledgeable commentators to explain any topic, and combine them with interesting images to best inform the viewer. And yet, the majority of documentaries focusing on the subject of the Napoleonic Wars and 19th century seamanship would have a hard time engaging the audience like Weir’s Master and Commander. While a documentary can provide pictures of war ships from that time, and perhaps even low-budget reenactments of famous battles, it is impossible for them to match the spectacle of an expensive Hollywood blockbuster.

Early History Branch historian Charles Brodine, after viewing Master and Commander said, “I was impressed with the depiction of the combat scenes: the crew moving to and fighting at their battle stations, the working of the guns below deck, the damage to ship and personnel from shot and shell, the care of the wounded and the repair of the ship after battle.” Many historians such as Brodine and Dudley praised the film for its effective retelling of one of history’s most exciting phases, a compliment rarely bestowed upon biographical films or documentaries, proof that fiction may in fact be the best method for manufacturing authenticity.

 

 

"A Brief History of the Royal Navy." National Museum of the Royal Navy. Royal Navy

Museum Library, 2004. Web. 26 Oct 2011. <http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_naval_history.htm>.

 Chi, Brian S. "Master and Commander; Is It Naval History?." Official Website of the

United State Navy. Navy.Mil, 13/11/2003. Web. 26 Oct 2011.

 "Chronology of Lord Nelson." The Nelson Society. The Nelson Society, 2009. Web. 26

Oct 2011. <http://www.nelson-society.com/life-of-nelson/chronology/>.

 "History." Royal Navy. Royal Navy, n.d. Web. 26 Oct 2011.

<http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/About-the-Royal-Navy/History>.

 Knows, Dear. "Interview with Gordon Laco, Historical Consultant on Master and

Commander: The Far Side of the World." The Dear Surprise. The Dear Suprise,

02/10/2010. Web. 26 Oct 2011. <http://www.thedearsurprise.com/?p=1989>.

 Lally, Kevin. "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." Film Journal

International. Film Journal International, 2003. Web. 26 Oct 2011. <http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000695483>.

 Schultz, Cathy. "The British Navy Sails Again in Master and Commander." History in

the Movies. Joliet Herald News, 18/04/2004. Web. 26 Oct 2011. <http://www.stfrancis.edu/content/historyinthemovies/masterandcommander.htm>.

 Wall, Ian. "Study Guide." Film Education. Film Education, 2003. Web. 26 Oct 2011.

<http://www.filmeducation.org/pdf/film/MasterandCommander.pdf>.

 Weir, Peter, Dir. Master and Commander:The Far Side of the World. Dir. Peter Weir.

Twentieth Century Fox, 2003. Film.

 Youngs, Frederick. The English Heritage. 3rd. 2. Wheeling, IL: Harlan Davidson,

1999. 491. Print.

 

Thursday
Oct202011

#19. I Am Nancy - Review

I Am Nancy 2011 PosterA documentary following Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) actress Heather Langenkamp as she attempts to answer her own question of why Freddy Krueger gets all of the fan love and her character Nancy has been forgotten could have been, should have been, a lot of fun. Instead I Am Nancy is a grating excursion into the mind of a has-been, or perhaps a never-was. Langenkamp and director Arlene Marechal travel around the globe attending horror conventions filming the actress’s interactions with fans of the Elm St. franchise. They spend 2-hours interrogating anyone willing to speak on camera, asking them why Freddy is a more popular character than Nancy, and for the most part these interviews are as banal as you would expect. The brief moments actor Robert Englund spends on screen proves that he has more charisma and charm in a single wink than Langenkamp appears to have in her whole body. If there was a point into this investigation for any reason other than Langenkamp’s own insecurity and neediness then it was lost on me, which is disappointing because the base themes do offer several cultural, cinematic, and feminist notions that deserve to be explored by a more capable filmmaker. 

 

Thursday
Oct202011

#18. Absentia - Review

Absentia 2011 PosterThe plot for Absentia is a little involved, so I will allow director Mike Flanagan to explain: “Tricia's husband Daniel has been missing for seven years. Her younger sister Callie comes to live with her as the pressure mounts to finally declare him 'dead in absentia.' As Tricia sifts through the wreckage and tries to move on with her life, Callie finds herself drawn to an ominous tunnel near the house. As she begins to link it to other mysterious disappearances, it becomes clear that Daniel's presumed death might be anything but 'natural.' The ancient force at work in the tunnel might have set its sights on Callie and Tricia ... and Daniel might be suffering a fate far worse than death in its grasp.”

Absentia was one of my absolute favorite films of the festival, and a definite must see for fans of well done, low-budget horror films that bravely investigate subjects and ideas most directors wouldn’t dare. I can’t really talk about what I liked most without spoiling some pretty major sections of the film. I will say the women of the film are fantastic. Katie Parker and Courtney Bell do all of the heavy lifting and don’t even break a sweat. The story they are caught up in could have easily been lost in genre silliness, but both of these actresses do a superb job elevating Absentia above Sci-Fy channel filth. I wish I could say the same for their male support. Dave Levine as Detective Mallory is especially bad, consistently playing to laughable police officer tropes instead of finding a balance of fear, concern, and sincerity.

Thankfully this is Tricia and Callie’s show, and Absentia takes them into some pretty extraordinary situations. Director Flanagan knows his limitations and uses them to his advantage, employing darkness and interesting cinematography and camera design, giving Parker and Bell everything they need to motivate fantastic performances. Great Job.