Movie review

Watch The shape of water, the movie, then address three of the following questions. You may also take the conversation in new directions. Be sure to apply concepts studied in this week's reading and respond to at least one other student's original post. Must: Addresses prompts in depth and detail. Points are insightful, objective, and supported by specific, relevant examples from the movie. The post clearly demonstrates careful viewing of the assigned movie. Correctly applies multiple concepts studied, clearly demonstrating careful reading of the assigned chapter(s). The post uses vocabulary and ideas from the reading, and it references specific pages (with in-text citation: the page number in parentheses). The reference does not repeat what another student has already posted. Any borrowed language is in quotation marks, though the post does not over-rely on quotations.

RULES WHEN WRITING ABOUT A MOVIE: • The title of a movie should be in italics: Juno -- not

"Juno." • Discuss events in the film itself in present tense, as if

they are still going on. ◦ correct: "Dorothy clicks her heels together" ◦ incorrect: "Dorothy clicked her heels together."

• Refer to characters by their names in the movie, e.g. "William Munny" rather than "Clint Eastwood" – unless you are discussing Eastwood’s acting.

• When writing about actors, refer to them by their last name, e.g. "Norris" rather than "Chuck."

• Provide specific examples from the movies to support your ideas. For example, if you claim that “Benjamin Braddock seems disconnected from members of his generation,” add the reasons you have drawn this conclusion: “Nobody his own age attends his graduation party; all the guests seem to be his parents’ friends. The film never shows him in contact with friends of his own. When Benjamin and Elaine go the hamburger stand, he appears annoyed by the music and behavior of the younger people in the next car, and he raises the roof of his convertible to escape them.”

• The terms "film" and "movie" are interchangeable. • Do not address the reader as “you.” For example, if

someone writes, “You see how Juno changes her mind” – well, maybe the reader didn’t see it! Rephrasing suggestions: ◦ “The film shows us Juno’s attitude when . . .” ◦ “Viewers may observe that . . ." ◦ “We might notice . . .” ◦ “Juno acts differently, starting when she . . .” or,

• Don’t start sentences with or over-used phrases like “I think” or “I feel” or “I believe” or "to me” or “ in my opinion.” Readers assume that your answers represent your thoughts, feelings, and inferences. Write in third person as much as possible.

• Do not refer to film-makers as "they," as in, "They use a lot of dark lighting" or "They want you to feel the protagonist's misery." People have specific jobs in

making a movie, e.g. director, screenwriter, cinematographer, or editor. To refer to the combined efforts of everyone involved, refer to the film as a whole, e.g. "The movie has a lot of dark lighting," or, "The film helps us experience the protagonist's misery through the dark lighting and by showing us events through her point of view."

QUESTIONS

1. Like many of Guillermo Del Toro's films, The Shape of Water creates two separate worlds: a harsh world represented by the happenings in the lab and the somewhat magical world of fantasy that is often set in and underwater. How does the cinematographer/ director move from one world to another? Consider implied camera distance, camera angle, camera movement, and composition. Choose a specific scene and provide examples.

2. What are the colors used in the real world and the fantasy world? A good comparison would be the room in the lab where the creature is held vs. the underwater dreamlike sequences of when Elisa and the creature are together.

3. Note the direction and quality of lighting in a specific scene. Consider also the lighting ratio. Again, use the two settings above.

4. What patterns and tropes can you spot from mythology and fairy tales? How are they significant? Were you expecting the end and how what the world

had perceived as a disability is in fact explained in the beautiful end to the film?

5. Consider how many of our characters seem to be victim to the time period in which they live. Modernity seems to be leaving some of them behind, though their reactions are vastly different from one another. Specifically discuss Strickland and Giles.

6. Camera movement and framing enhance the feeling of fear and danger in several scenes. Choose a scene and describe how camera movement is used. For example, the scenes where Elisa is sneaking to see the creature and the great escape scenes are all worth discussing.

7. Discuss one wipe from the film that involves water. How does this type of transition enhance the scene? How does add to the tone of the scene? How does it add significance to the scene and contribute to the overall meaning of the film?

8. What it means to do the right thing and to "be human," is at the heart of this film? For example, when Elisa asks Giles to hep the creature escape, Giles scoffs and says that the creature is not even human. Elisa tells Giles that if they don't help, they will also not be human. What does it mean to "be human" in this context? Some of our characters have been treated less than human. Why? Discuss one to two characters and discuss their plight(s).

Film Vocabulary

Art director Production designer Framing Closed frame Open frame Moving frame On location Set Sound stage Cinematic language Shot Editing Cut Fade in/fade out Cutting on action Implicit meaning Explicit meaning Cultural Invisibility Form Theme Motif Point of view Content Form Formalism Cinematic language Mediation

Verisimilitude Realism Anti-realism Mise-en-scene Narrative Frame Shot Sequence Scene Instructional film Persuasive film Propaganda film Direct cinema Stream of consciousness Genre Stanislavsky system method acting typecasting casting screen test major role character role distancing effect or alienation effect improvisation

• Cinematography • Take • Set up • Film stock • Colorization • Widescreen • Lighting ratio

• Rule of thirds • Three-point system

◦ Key light ◦ Low-key lighting ◦ High-key lighting ◦ Fill light ◦ Back light

• Iris • Focal length • Zoom lens • Deep focus cinematography • Dept of field • Aspect ratio • Rack focus • Types of shots

◦ Establishing shot ◦ Extreme long shot ◦ Long shot ◦ Medium long shot ◦ Medium close-up ◦ Close-up ◦ Extreme close-up ◦ Two shot ◦ Three shot