I Don’t Understand This Movie

I love movies, and I watch more then is probably healthy, and one of my favorite types of cinema is psychological movies that make you think and question if what you know is real, causing emotions such as anger, love, and confusion, and “Enemy“, is on the top of that list. I have seen “Enemy” three times and I can not tell you what the movie is about, however in its most basic form it is about a man who seeks out his exact look-alike after spotting him in a film.

“Enemy” was released independently in 2013 and was successful in that fact, grossing over a million dollars and winning 18 awards. The film is based on a book titled “The Double” by Jose Saramago, however the script was written by Javier Gullon, who typical writes for Spanish film which this is not. The script is an interesting one with not much dialogue but keeping your attention throughout. That being said I think director Denis Villeneuve is the spear head behind the brilliance of the film. He keeps you on the edge of your seat in scenes that contain nothing and finishes the film with a haunting final scene like nothing i’ve seen before.

Aside from the wonderful directing, the music was a huge influence on the intensity of the film. Accompanied with the directors thrilling shots this caused audience members never to drop their gaze. The thrilling score was done by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans. Aside from the score a lot of the audio in the film was natural however there is a car crash that was manipulated by a foley artist. There is also one real song that is played in the movie, that also ties into the plot as well called “The Cheater”. It plays as the character is in a movie store

The lighting of the movie was another important part of the film.

With a lot of dark shots and the light having a hazy yellow glow made every scene seem eery. 

Accompanying the light great shots and transitions were used in the film. A camera shot that is used more then once in the film is a wide angle location shot that shows the sky line of Toronto, (where the movie was filmed). It sets the scene and allows for the viewer to know the environment of the character. The setting was in the city so there were no extravagant location changes. This is a portion of the film that was made to look mundane as to make the movie more suspenseful, as to make the world seem normal. There is one notable transition in the film where it is just three shots showing the city with black cuts in between each shot. That being said it is the most thrilling transition ever. With rising booms on each scene it is literally one of my favorite parts of the movie. It causes the viewer to lean into the screen and gasp even though nothing is happening.

Jake Gyellenhal is the lead actor in the film but a very important supporting character is played by Sarah Gadon. She has no other big notable roles however she has been in films such as “The Amazing Spider Man 2″ and “Dracula Untold”. With no major roles under her belt I think she is serously underated because she killed the preformance in “Enemy” and in my opinon would do very well in lead roles.

There were more then two special effects in the film but there are two big ones worth mentioning that wont spoil the plot. The number one special effect of the film is duplicating Jake Gyellenhal, since he plays two identical characters in the film. When they are in the same room they have to film the scenes twice with the exact same camera motions while Gyellenhal plays the two different roles. A difficult maneuver but executed perfectly with eye lines matching and allowing the viewer to believe that there are indeed two of the same person. The second notable special effect was the making of realistic looking objects that didn’t actually exist. Without giving to much away these visual special effects melded nicely into the film allowing the viewer not to question their reality. The make up and and costume design on the other hand was nothing too extraordinary which perfectly fit the film since the special effects were suppose to catch the viewer of guard.

This movie has symbolism but rather then begin to try and explain it, which there are many theories online to what it is, I would rather suggest to you, the reader of this blog, to watch it for yourself and try and figure out what it means. Your guess is as good as mine.

Here is the trailer for the film “Enemy” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJuaAWrgoUY

Citations

“Enemy.” IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 9 Aug. 2015. http/::www.imdb.com:title:tt2316411:%3Fref_=fn_al_tt_1

Street art is a visual art that is produced in public domains outside of the traditional art setting. Street art really got its stride after the graffiti boom in the 1980’s. Stencil graffiti, wheatpasted poster art or sticker art, pop up art and street installation are all common forms of modern street art. I will discuss two artists, Banksy and Aryz, and their work

Banksy

Banksy is an English street artist political activist, film director, and painter. His art is seen in cities around the world with people paying thousands for limited priceless pieces of art. Coming out of the Bristol underground scene his stencil style of graffiti was influenced by wanting to cut down time spent on work due to law enforcement. In 2010 he was on Times list of top 100 most influence people and still to this day influences and motivates millions.

. “Pole Vaulter Escape” was made for the 2012 Olympics in London. It depicts a pole vaulter jumping a barbed wire fence and landing on a dumped mattress left behind. I really love that this work because it incorporates the soundings of the world instead of just being a run of the mill painting. It also sends a much needed message to break out or “Escape” the restrictions and to do what you love no matter the circumstances.

“Follow Your Dreams” turned up in Chinatown in Boston in May of 2010. This piece is one Banksy’s most popular works having been turned into prints and posters. Along with all of Banksy’s work I find a lot of meaning in this piece and love it. Taking yet another political stab, proclaiming that the famous phrase “Follow your dreams” has been cancelled and is no longer true to our future generations. With the black spry paint style lettering and then the bright red and white paint and the sharp lettering evokes a lot of emotion and drives a viewer to want to make a stand. “Follow Your Dreams” is not yet a great piece of art but a message worth fighting for.

“Flower Thrower” was created in 2003 in Jerusalem. This is Banksy’s most iconic piece, having been made into multiple pieces of merchandise and also the front and back of his book “Banksy Wall and Piece”. The picture depicts a man that has armed himself for a riot or war with a bouquet of flowers rather then a weapon, “The substitute of the flowers for a weapon portrays peace and hope in place of destruction.” -The 50 Greatest Banksy Works of All Time. Again I love this piece and the meaning behind it, I also think his choice of choosing all black except for the flowers adds another level of beauty and meaning behind the art.

Aryz

Aryz is a young Spanish artist from Barcelona, Spain that is slowly but surly making his way up through the street art world. He as been drawing and painting since he was a small child. He started his career as a street artist on a random summer day with some friends and now it has blossomed to something incredible. “Aryz’s beautiful street art often includes gigantic creatures, arranged through strange, emotional mixtures expressing both rawness and tenderness. His art may also represent a paint palette of vibrant, cool colors which create fantastic atmospheres resembling those of science fiction.” -Street Art Bio

“Low Tide” is painted on an abandoned factory in Sant Celoni, Spain during 2013. This old warn down boat the appears to beached on the wall is a beautiful and peaceful piece. I love the dull colors and how it blends perfectly with the old weathered wall of the abandoned factory. The choice of colors was a brilliant one, with the dull grey that blends perfectly with the wall and then the rustic blue and red from the trim of the boat stands out and makes a load impression while still fitting the canvas.

“Fried Egg” is found in Katowice, Poland and was painted in 2011. The piece is a very colorful piece with a mix of vibrant red, blue and green. The gorgeous mix causes the viewer stop and emirs them selves in the painting. I love this piece because of that fact and also how Aryz includes parts of the anatomy of the chicken in his art. The fried egg represents something that we take from this animal as we deconstruct its body.

“Harvest” is found in Turku, Finland and was painted in 2011. This famous Aryz painting is another beautifully vibrant painting which includes a wide range of colors from dull grey’s to bright yellow’s and blue’s. Painted on the side of a building, “Harvest” strikes out in the crowded city to shed some beauty and light on passer by’s.

Citation’s 

Street Art. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_art

The Story Behind Banksy. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2015, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-story-behind-banksy-4310304/?no-ist

Follow Your Dreams “Cancelled” by Banksy. (2012, September 7). Retrieved July 27, 2015, from http://www.stencilrevolution.com/banksy-art-prints/follow-your-dreams/

The 50 Greatest Banksy Works of All Time – 1. Flower Thrower, 2003. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2015, from http://www.complex.com/style/2013/11/banksy-greatest-works/flower-thrower

Outdoor. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2015, from http://www.aryz.es/outdoor/24yhviv5tbt61x62h10hvam8drci62

Street Art Bio | Street Artists Biographies. (n.d.). Retrieved July 28, 2015, from http://www.streetartbio.com/ – !aryz/c3g2

WWI was a interesting time for the arts. During the war great pieces depicting the horrors and life on the battlefield were made and celebrated. Then after the war people began breaking from tradition because they believed that tradition was the cause of the war in the first place. The following are examples of both.

Dada Urinal 

The Dada art movement came as a reaction to WWI because many people thought that tradition had caused the war. In their efforts to do their part they decided to break free of tradition and start something new. Dada was an art form based on chance and taking risks, for example the piece titled “Fountain”.

In 1917 the art world flipped on its head when an artist by the name of Marcel Duchamp came out with a piece he titled “Fountain”. He took a porcelain urinal and turned it 90 degrees and signed it “R. Mutt” and dated it “1917”. The piece was highly challenged to determine if this was really art, if one could simply take an ordinary object and call it art. I find it hard to decide if it is art or not, there are a lot of strange pieces out there today. I would have preferred, if he would have painted it in a unique pattern or did something else for it to pop rather then just sign it, but thats just me. However I can say whole heartedly that I would not purchase this piece and have it in my house.

Fountain 1917, replica 1964 Marcel Duchamp

Cleaning Out Boche Machine Gun Nest

“Cleaning out Boche Machine Gun Nest” by George Harding of September 12, 1918 in France. The picture which is made with charcoal and crayon depicts a tank overrunning German machine gunners in WWI. As the tank is the center of the piece there are American soldiers in the back ground falling in behind the tank. As well as two German soldiers in the foreground wearing camouflage helmets, along with a barbed wire entanglement on the right. I think this piece is a wonderful depiction of WWI. With the dark bleak colors you get a since of the dread that everyone was facing during these periling times in history. The dark greens mixed with the browns and grey encompasses everything we are taught about this time in history. Unlike the Dada piece, this piece isn’t in response to WWI it was used to show WWI.

Gassed

“Gassed” by John Sargent was painted in Great Britain in 1919. The piece depicts soldiers walking in a single file line led by a medical orderly. The men are being led because there eyes are bandaged due to being gassed and loss of sight. It is suppose to be based on a real mustard gas attack in August of 1918 as the horrors were witnessed by artist Sargent. I love the use of color and how this piece steps back from the use of dreary bleak colors and instead uses a bright yellowish orange. It still captures the events excellently but does so with a little more light then paintings such as “Cleaning out Boche Machine Gun Nest”.

Citation

Howarth, S. (n.d.). Marcel Duchamp, ‘Fountain’ 1917, replica 1964. Retrieved July 15, 2015, from http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/duchamp-fountain-t07573/text-summary

Cleaning Out Boche Machine Gun Nest. (n.d.). Retrieved July 15, 2015, from http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_448008

Kutner, M. (2014, August 13). This Riveting Art From the Front Lines of World War I Has Gone Largely Unseen for Decades. Retrieved July 15, 2015, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/remembering-americas-official-artists-war-180952321/?no-ist

Home. (n.d.). Retrieved July 15, 2015, from http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/23722

Impressionism

Impressionism a very unique style that involves loose brush strokes and blended or mixed colors. I personally do not find the Impressionism style to be quite my taste. However that being said there are some works such as “Impression, Sunrise” by Claude Monet that I do enjoy. I find it fascinating because it reminds me of a post apocalyptic landscape, has a “Mad Max” feel to it. Aside from that I don’t much care for the lack of detail and the overall bleakness of most pieces.

“The Houses of Parliament at Sunset” by Claude Monet was painted in 1903, London. This is one of hundreds Monet painted of the Thames river and the Houses of Parliament. I find it not nearly as good as some of his other works such as “Impression, Sunrise”. Yes it has the same color scheme but the feel that i get from “The Houses of Parliament at Sunset” is less exciting. It is just bleak and has nothing for me to sink my teeth into. Maybe its because visually it doesn’t have the same depth but whatever it is, it makes it so Impressionism falls to the bottom of my list of art styles I like.

Compared to Impressionism style is “Phantom City Moral” by Dennis McGonagle and his partner, Tyler Kinnaman, it was painted in 2010. The 300 square foot scene of Broadway is a very vibrant piece that focuses on color and less on detail, which is why I think that it has a similar style to Impressionism. I prefer this over Impressionism though, because it is less of a bleak nature and focuses more on the bright colors. For example compared to  “The Houses of Parliament at Sunset” by Claude Monet it uses way more colors and detail even with the loose brush strokes.

Citations

Claude Monet | The Houses of Parliament (Effect of Fog). (n.d.). Retrieved July 8, 2015, from http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/437128?=&imgno=0&tabname=label

WhittierArtists.com: Celebrating the Art and Artists of Whittier, California. (2014). Retrieved July 10, 2015, from http://www.whittierartists.com/Artwork.aspx?ArtworkID=389

Soka University. (n.d.). Retrieved July 10, 2015, from http://www.soka.edu/about_soka/our_campus/art-gallery.aspx

Claude Monet. (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Monet

During the Classical era the American and  French revolution along with other anti-government uprisings, were big influences on the arts. The following are some of those pieces.

Jacques-Louis David’s “Oath of the Horatii”

The painting “Oath of the Horatii” was painted in Rome in 1784 depicting three brothers saluting three swords held by their father as women weep in the background. During this time people had never seen a painting like this, and it transfixed them. Even the painter Jacques-Louis David acknowledged this by saying “I do not know whether I shall ever paint another like it.” It is believed that the painting has the brothers taking an oath to defend Rome, an act of self-sacrifice for a political ideal. Along with this thought it was suggested that the painting was used to rally republicans against the monarchy of France.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart “The Magic Flute”

Mozart wrote “The Magic Flute” in 1791 and first performed it in Austria. The piece was a great success and brought forth high attendance, being a big hit through out the 1790’s. Two months after “The Magic Flute” premiered Mozart died at the age of 36. The piece uses symbolism of the Freemasons, which Mozart joined in December 1784. “The Freemasons extolled republicanism and brotherly love, and questioned the accepted ideas that nobility and wealth make someone worthy of respect.” Nicole Colson

“Tennis Court Oath” by Jacques-Louis David

“Tennis Court Oath” was painted by Jacques-Louis David in 1791, the location of where the piece was painted is unclear. The piece depicts a part of the French Revolution where delegates vowed against royal authority to not leave until they had drafted a constitution for France. He drew inspiration for this piece from his previous painting “Oath of the Horatii”, and the message that it sent, self sacrifice for a political cause.

Citation

Gian Lorenzo Bernini was an Italian artist and architect. He was the leading sculptor of his time but also dabbled in painting, writing plays, and designing metalwork and stage sets. He had the skill to depict dramatic pieces with characters showing intense psychological states. He could manipulate marble in such a way that he was considered a successor of Michelangelo.

Bernini took seven months to finish the Baroque depiction of the biblical David. It shows David about to throw the stone that would take down Goliath, different from other depiction’s of David, Bernini’s version showed implied movement. These effects were brought on by the Council of Trent. Along with the rest of Baroque art it was a result from the Counter-Reformation, and the Church needing a powerful style of art to fight against Martin Luther. The church would then employ people such as Bernini to depict grand, powerful, and dramatic and sometimes freighting passages from the Bible. These pieces of art were then used to try and stop the protestant reformation.

I think that the Baroque representation of David is a lot more appealing then Michelangelo’s renaissance David. With the use of action and implied motion Bernini brings the sculpture to life. The amount of detail put into the piece is incredible, the way that Bernini sculpted the human body and the emphasis on the lines of the muscles (such as in his leg) really adds a realistic effect to the piece. The realism of his actions and the beauty of the human body draws me in and doesn’t let go.

Citation

Harris, B., & Zucker, S. (n.d.). Khan Academy. Retrieved June 22, 2015, from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/baroque-art1/baroque-italy/a/bernini-david

(2015). Retrieved June 22, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(Bernini)

Web Gallery of Art, image collection, virtual museum, searchable database of European fine arts (1000-1900). (n.d.). Retrieved June 22, 2015, from http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/b/bernini/gianlore/sculptur/1620/david.html

“The Garden of Earthly Delights” was painted by Hieronymus Bosch in 1504. It now is on display at the Museo del Prado in Madrid and has been since 1939. It was painted oil on oak and is formed with a oak center flanked with two other oak pieces that fold in. It has been said that the painting depicts a warning of the perils of life’s temptations.

I believe this painting connects with humanism because it explores in three different panels human behavior, spirituality, beauty and destruction.

The first panel of the painting (starting from the left) depicts the Garden of Eden although with alterations from what you would expect, with odd architecture and animals of all sorts ranging from elephants to mythical animals like unicorns. Near the bottom of the painting where animals are gathering near a watering hole is  God. He is blessing Eve where she appears to be kneeling before her savior, before being presented to Adam. “The introduction of woman to man, in this setting, is clearly intended to highlight not only God’s creativity but human procreative capacity.” Dr. Sally Hickson, Khan Acadamey.

The center panel, illustrates the children of Adam and Eve frolicking in a land with an abundance of animals, fruit and exotic vegetation. Many people think that Bosch was expressing human nature and how instead if people worshiping God they were overcome with personal indulgenses. “Scholars have debated the meaning of this central image, arguing that it represents a vision of innocent pleasure, a cauldron of sinful excess, and everything in between.” Whitney Chadwick, Annenberg Learner.

The Final panel shows hell breaking loose onto the earth. With the dark background and prison like walls Illuminated by fire and groups of humans huddled together in fear, this final panel is full of peril. Throughout the painting are beasts that are eating the humans, which is said to show the revenge of the mistreatment of animals. Also found in the final painting is the appearance of musical instruments being evil and how it damages people and the senses. “The Seven Deadly Sins, in which our senses deceive our thoughts into self-indulgent overconsumption.” Dr. Sally Hickson, Khan Acadamey.

I enjoyed the painting and like how every time one views the piece they find something new. The first panel in my opinion is a bit dry, with the least amount of excitement going on. However from a religious aspect I can see how it would be very moving and powerful with the appearance of God and the first meeting of man and woman. The center panel is a very exciting part to look at with so much going on and the beautiful uses of color and design. I really enjoy the funky abstract architecture and the vibrant colors used to depict them.  Also with the joy of humanity being portrayed expertly with the interactions of humans and animals and humans and humans. The final panel of the painting is what I find most fascinating. It is dark and disturbing but this is the section where Bosch’s imagination came to life. You can see this with the eating of humans by the animals and the various torture devices made out of musical instruments. This is a very beautiful piece and I hope one day to see it in person.

Citations

“Khan Academy.” Khan Academy. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jun. 2015. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/northern-renaissance1/hieronymus-bosch/a/bosch-the-garden-of-earthly-delights

“2 / Dreams and Visions.” Art Through Time: A Global View. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. http://www.learner.org/courses/globalart/work/100/index.html

The Garden of Earthly Delights. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Garden_of_Earthly_Delights

2 / Dreams and Visions. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2015, from http://www.learner.org/courses/globalart/work/100/zoom.html

My name is Mark, I was born and raised in Alaska. I love the outdoors and traveling, when I’m not doing that I’m doing something movie related. Im majoring in film and minoring in justice and business. After I graduate from UAF I plan on moving to L.A. to further my film career.

sexy milkman costume 2014 Halloween with the squad

My relationship with art is a broad spectrum. My biggest artistic passions include film, writing, and music. I have made several short films that have won awards, I love writing my own stories and scripts and I have a fascination with music. I don’t play necessarily but I love listing to it and I have a radio show that broadens that horizon. One of my favorite websites to look at art is https://www.shortoftheweek.com