In this blog post, I’ll examine Woody Allen’s ‘Match Point’ from a film noir perspective, delving into the twisted desires hidden behind the surface love story and the workings of fate. My decision to choose ‘Match Point’ (2005) as the subject of my film genre analysis wasn’t based solely on curiosity. I went to see it in theaters simply because Woody Allen directed...
Why Is “Roger & Me” So Entertaining?
In this blog post, I’ll introduce Michael Moore’s documentary “Roger & Me” and summarize why I chose it, my analysis, its shortcomings, and my thoughts on the film. Introduction “Roger & Me” is a black comedy-style documentary by Michael Moore that chronicles the reality of the city of Flint, which fell into ruin after the American automaker GM (General Motors) left, and satirizes...
How does the film ‘Babel’ amplify the breakdown of communication through drama and suspense?
In this blog post, I will analyze how the film ‘Babel’’s nonlinear narrative, region-specific music, and director Iñárritu’s direction weave together disparate events into a single emotional conclusion. Introduction The story of the Tower of Babel—which tells of how, in the beginning, humanity lived in a single region speaking a single language—symbolically illustrates the...
How Did May’s Loneliness Turn Into Fear in the Movie ‘MAY’?
In this blog post, we’ll examine how May’s isolation and obsession in the movie ‘MAY’ are visualized through dolls and gore to evoke a chilling sensation in the audience, using plot, psychological, and scene analysis. Plot Summary of the Movie “MAY” The protagonist, May, who had a squint in one eye since childhood, grew up being bullied by her peers. Lacking human connection, May’s only...
“The War on Crime” and “Good Friends” are both crime films, so why do they offer different kinds of thrills?
In this blog post, I’ll compare and examine the structure of desire shared by “The War on Crime” and “Good Friends,” and how their differing cinematic realisms create distinct thrills and levels of immersion. The Challenges and Thrills of Crime Films Depicting crime in film is surprisingly tricky. While romantic dramas focus on the emotions of love, comedies on laughter, and horror films...
How has the history of musical films evolved?
In this blog post, I will summarize the concept and characteristics of musical films, their historical background, trends by era, and narrative features. The Concept and Characteristics of Musical Films A musical film is a genre centered on song and dance, in which the characters convey their dialogue through singing and dancing. As popular theater and commercial cinema developed...
How do “numbers” in musical films interrupt the narrative and create an alternate reality?
In this blog post, we’ll explore how musical films intertwine narrative and performance to reconfigure space, props, and the audience, thereby creating the diverse forms and styles seen in films such as ‘Moulin Rouge’, ‘Chicago’, and ’42nd Street’. The Essence of the Musical Genre From Narrative to Musical Numbers Musicals create a distinct genre...
Is ‘Infernal Affairs’ a crime film rather than a true film noir?
In this blog post, I’ll examine how ‘Infernal Affairs’ can be systematically interpreted as a “crime film” in terms of imagery, characters, and plot, based on Thomas Schatz’s genre theory. Why Is It a Genre Film? I recently watched a Japanese film titled ‘The Disgusting Life of Matsuko’. Thanks to the dazzling colors that dazzled my eyes throughout the film and a...
What characteristics of the film noir genre does the ‘Infernal Affairs’ series exhibit?
This blog post focuses on the genre characteristics of Hong Kong film noir as exemplified by the ‘Infernal Affairs’ series and their variations. The Origins and Typical Characteristics of Film Noir Film noir originated when French critics began using the term to describe low-budget “B-movies” produced in Hollywood after World War II that featured crime or thrillers with a dark...
What is the history of melodrama?
In this blog post, I will summarize the origins, evolution, and key issues of melodrama from a historical and genre-based perspective. The Pre-Genre Era and Feminist Criticism Feminist criticism has played a major role in reconstructing the gender politics of film theory by equating melodrama with the female-centered and female-oriented dramas of the studio era. For example, the narratives...