Week 7 + Response
- Adjedmaa Ali
- May 24, 2020
- 1 min read
It is really interesting to see the development of cinema between these 2 films. Not only in length but in film quality. It just shows again how fast cinema has developed over time. It was probably YouTube but I noticed a difference in the sound quality of the music.
The Great Train Robbery had a lot of success because of its of its fusion of the chase and the railroad types of films creating this new Western genre. It was extremely likable because it incorporated trends and genres that where a big part of cinema (90). Using these ideas Porter and the Edison Studios tell the in depth story of a train robbery. I think with this being a complex story it is a little bit ahead of its time. I think with more modern technology there wouldn't have been any confusion about the simultaneous scenes.
I Was Born But... Is a more modern film that talks about the modernization of Japanese culture. I think this film uses the tool of specificity to express its point. Showing the hardships of the boys and how they are adjusting to a new life. I think this film helps pave the way for films that focus more on specific issues rather than events.
I find this to be a really astute observation about the way "I Was Born But"operates: "this film uses the tool of specificity to express its point....I think this film helps pave the way for films that focus more on specific issues rather than events." Early film does rotate around events rather than stories in a way that Ozu's film does. Whether its a train robbery or a train coming into the station, the only focus is on a singular event. Part of the genius of Ozu's films is that he not only explores the reality of everyday life that are subtle and build a story rather than spectacle.