In this blog post, I will summarize the plot and provide a formal and narrative analysis of the documentary film ‘Project Nim’. Documentary Introduction Title: Project Nim / PROJET NIM Director: James Marsh Year of Production: 2011 (Released August 9, 2012) Synopsis: In 1973, a chimpanzee named “Nim” is born at a research institute in Oklahoma. Forced to be separated from his...
Analysis of the Film “Silent Gaze”: Documentary-Style Narrative and Analysis of Sequences by Type
In this blog post, I will summarize the reasons for selecting the film “Silent Gaze,” its plot, analysis by genre and sequence, and my concluding thoughts. Reasons for Selection In April 2014, while I was serving in the military as a riot police officer with the 3rd Mobile Brigade, the Sewol Ferry disaster occurred. The state has a duty to protect its citizens, but it was only natural that...
Where Does Guilt Go When Perpetrators Reenact the Massacre in ‘The Act of Killing’?
In this blog post, I will examine how the psychology of the perpetrators and social memory intertwine through the reenactment scenes and the testimonies of the participants in ‘The Act of Killing’. Film Information and Reasons for Selection ‘The Act of Killing’ is a 2013 documentary co-produced by Denmark, Norway, and the United Kingdom, which was released in South...
What Makes ‘Genesis: Salt of the Earth’ So Moving?
In this blog post, I will focus on Wim Wenders’ ‘Genesis: Salt of the Earth’ to explore why I chose this film and examine its formal and narrative characteristics. Reasons for Selection First, when choosing a documentary, I considered what kind of subject matter would allow me to analyze it with genuine enjoyment rather than feeling burdened. That subject was “nature.” Perhaps because I...
Review and Analysis of the Documentary ‘Pina’: The Longing of Pina Bausch and the Wuppertal Dance Company
In this blog post, I will examine Pina Bausch’s artistic world, the physical language left behind by the Wuppertal Dance Company, and the longing and process of reenactment they expressed, focusing on director Wim Wenders’ documentary ‘Pina’. Film Information Title: ‘Pina’ / 104 minutes. Genre: Documentary. Director: Wim Wenders. Cast: Pina Bausch, members of the Wuppertal Dance Company...
What Does the Documentary ‘Marathon Boy’ Convey?
In this blog post, I will analyze the documentary ‘Marathon Boy’ (2010) and summarize its key scenes, characters, and formal devices. Introduction and First Impressions My initial impression after watching the documentary was the striking portrayal of Orissa, where even the institutions of law and order—supposed indicators of trust—appear powerless. Biranchi appeared as a symbol of justice...
How does the documentary ‘Oceans’ use the beauty of the ocean to challenge humanity’s responsibility?
In this blog post, we’ll explore how the documentary ‘Oceans’ portrays the relationship between humans and nature through majestic ocean landscapes and the lives of marine creatures, and ultimately, what responsibilities and questions it poses to us. Sequence Analysis Waves roll in over the vast, endless ocean. On screen, five or six children run toward the sea, and one of the boys stops...
How did ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ subvert the romantic comedy formula?
In this blog post, we will examine how the film ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ follows the traditional romantic comedy formula while simultaneously reimagining the relationship between love and marriage through an ending that features cohabitation instead of marriage. What is a romantic comedy? The romantic comedy originates from a literary tradition known as “New Comedy.” Developed in...
How did «Chronicle of a Summer» reveal the cinematic truth of cinéma vérité?
This blog post examines how «Chronicle of a Summer» — through the cinéma vérité format — documented the daily lives and questions of ordinary people, revealing the cinematic truth about the reality of an era and human happiness. 「Chronicle of a Summer」 Plot Summary In Paris during the summer of the 1960s, director Jean Rouch instructs a woman named “Marcelle” to ask various passersby on...
How did an ordinary man in the movie “Notting Hill” achieve love with a global superstar?
This blog post examines the structure and meaning of how an encounter between an ordinary everyday life and a global superstar evolves into a convincing love story, using “Notting Hill”—a quintessential romantic comedy—as an example. Film Introduction This film is the most famous and representative work that cannot be omitted when discussing the romantic comedy genre. Released in 1999 as a...