Jason Statham: The Last Action Hero

Jason Statham is a famous action film star. Born in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, he is always an athlete since childhood. He accepts physical training from his father, who was a boxer and gymnast.He played football and also share his passion in diving. He was a member of Britain's National Diving Squad and even compete in 1990 Commonwealth Game as a representative of England. He starts his career in modeling after being spotted by the agency of Sports Promotions. 

He played his first movie, Lock, Stock and Two Smocking Barrels during 1998, a crime comedy film by British director Guy Richie. It put Statham in the public eye and he continues to star in more action film including The Transporter series, Snatch, Crank, The One and much more. Due to his athlete-capability, he prefers to do his own stunt. ("People walk differently, people talk differently, and they fight differently" he explained his aversion to double in The Transporter DVD extra). He never took acting lesson yet he is able to build his star image through movie characters that he performed, a tough man with the deadliest skills, can do almost any action including car chasing and jumping from the balcony.

Rethinking star by Richard Dyer introduced "Structured polysemy" as a way to study stars.The star image appears to be multiple and gives out different but finite meanings. However, we must not forget that through the multiplicity of the star’s appearances in different  medias, the multiplicity also extends to changes in the star’s image over time.This gives rise to inconsistency and fluctuations, further suggesting that the appeal of star image is based on constant reinventions and dissolutions to contraries, embracing the opposing terms. 

The star existing in different categories there are "star as celebrity", "star as professional" and "star as performance" . Star as celebrity indicates someone whose fame is founded outside of their work and is known for their lifestyle.Star as professional is known for his/her work while the private life appears little to non-­existent. Star as performer is focusing on their work and the public domain of the star image. Private life is not their emphasis.

Through my observation, Jason Statham appeared to be in the category of star as profesional. In Jason Statham's acting career for more than a decade, the roles that he take part of were mostly action hero, he was able to do his own stunt performance and deliver realistic action scene. Even without the look of "all American men", his performance delivered a more modern, everyday man hero. He maintained stable identities as a tough action hero though his movie. Even when he take part in the comedy movie Spy, he played a chauvinistic English secret agent and make a parody of himself by bragging his absurd experience with a straight face. Jason Statham maintains his physical fitness through practicing a similar lifestyle as his on-screen image, he keeps track on his daily training and healthy diet so he can be faster and stronger. He is also a very private person, he kept his private life away from the camera very well.

Reference

1. Huber, C. (2016). Last Action Hero: Jason Statham Plays It Straight - Cinema Scope. Retrieved July 17, 2016, from http://cinema-scope.com/features/last-action-hero-jason-statham-plays-straight/ 
2. Rose, S. (2015). Jason Statham: 'Do I want to be the next James Bond? Absolutely' Retrieved July 17, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/01/jason-statham-i-want-to-be-the-next-james-bond 

Madonna: The Queen of Pop

Introduction

Madonna is an international artist, an actress, a writer and a successful business women. She was born in a Michigan, USA during 16 August 1958 and growing up in a Catholic family. Madonna moved to New York City in 1978 and began her career as a dancer.
She released her first debut single, "Everybody" in October 1982, and another album, “Madonna”was released in the following year. Her major career breakthrough happened when she released album “Like a Virgin” during 1984. Despite the controversy on her music video, the album made a huge success and the title track of the album retained the first position on ‘Billboard Chart’ for six weeks. Madonna is known for constantly reinventing both her music and image, her rebellious attitude toward religious and traditional moral value often raise controversies to her career. She constantly enhance on women power in her music video and being supportive toward LGBT community had also made her one of the greatest icon of Feminism and LGBT rights.

Theory discuss

I would like to discuss on the star theory proposed by Richard Dyer. He suggests that Stars when viewed as a form of consumption would consider the audience as part of the phenomenon. It suggests a relationship between stars and audience, with four categories which is: emotion affinity, self-identification, imitation and projection.
Emotion affinity is when audience feels attached to the star when watching them through media, from being involved in watching the star, as part of the narrative. It is also the most common reading by the audience.Self-identification is an intensified version of the emotions audience feel when watching a film and begins to place him/herself in the situation of the star.
It follows by imitation, suggests that audience take to imitating the stars beyond the cinema, making them as role models, for example imitate how the star dress like. It usually happens among the young audience. Projection happens when audience project any form of decision making in accordance to how the star would when place in the same situation. However this rarely happens and not widespread.

Analysis

In the case of Madonna, her fashion sense and rebellious attitude bring influence to generations of American. Madonna tends to convey a story through her music, the lyric, and her music video. She is building emotion affinity with her fans as they feel attached by watching her in the music video. It also influences their self-identification, for example in music video “Papa Don’t Preach” Madonna plays a teenage girl get pregnant and decides to keep her baby. It makes the audience to place themselves in the situation and raise the social awareness on the issue about teen pregnancy.
The rebellious attitude is also performed in Madonna’s fashions sense. Her style comprised of lace tops, skirts over capri pants, fishnet stockings, jewelry bearing the crucifix, bracelets, and bleached hair. Young women who look up to her will try to imitate her fashion, as they want to be as brave and tough like Madonna.

At last, fans will start to goes beyond imitating the star in terms of clothing or hairstyle, etc. Fans might project any form of decision making in accordance to “what would Madonna do?” when they are in the same situation. Madonna is also a well known LGBT icon for always show supportive toward the LGBT community, and even featured gay kiss in her music video “Justify My Love”. By using her influence, she changed how people think of the LGBT community and eventually contributed to the development of LGBT rights.

Conclusion

In conclusion, use star as phenomena of consumption to study on Madonna's stardom had propose the source of consumption by audience. Madonna builds her emotion attachment with the audience through her music, films, and any other media. Her moral value was accepted and spread widely in the society. It brings influence to not only the American and but also the international market who consumed her music. 

Reference

1. Madonna Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved July 10, 2016, from http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/madonna-2212.php
2. Dyer, R., & McDonald, P. (1998). Stars. London: BFI Pub.

The Happening (2008)

Intro

The Happening is a 2008 American science fiction thriller film written, co-produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. As I already watched "Signs" and "The Village" during the class, I would like to make a comparison among and discuss the recognizable imprint on M. Night Shyamalan's movies.

Theory discuss

Auteur theory explores the notions of individual creative vision and control in cinema. An auteur is a director who displays his/her style and vision consistently across his/her films regardless of genres. Similar film style and theme exist across his films and one will deduce them to grow sophisticatedly in subsequent films. M. Night Shyamalan is an Auteur as he always leaves his signature imprint includes the mise-en-scène and the themes featured in his movies.

Synopsis

The Happening start with a mysterious event begins from Central Park, New York where people acting strange and killing themselves. After the government explained the suicidal behavior might cause by toxin of a"terrorist attack", high-school science teacher, Elliot Moore(Mark Wahlberg) decides to flee to Philadelphia with his friend Julian(John Leguizama), along with Julian's daughter, Jess(Ashlyn Sanchez) and his wife, Alma(Zooey Deschanel). Their train forced to halt before arriving at its final destination.Julian leave Jess to Elliot and Alma and looks for his wife at Princeton. Elliot suspects the "toxin" were actually produced by the plants and carried by the wind. People who travel in smaller group will have greater chance to survive.

Analysis

In The Happening, Shyamalan used the theme of a dysfunctional family. In the beginning of the movie shows the relationship of Elliot and Alma was falling apart and Alma seems to have an affair with Joey (voiced by M. Night Shyamalan). The same theme was also used in the Signs film, Graham's family is also having a dysfunctional relationship. He is having a hard time to communication with his children after his wife died in an accident. However, the family relationship will be fixed at the end of the movie as they overcome the disaster together. Elliot and Alma finally being honest with each other and confess their love after they survived the disaster. They live happily together with Jess, who lost her parent and Alma found out she is pregnant at the end of the movie.

Other than that,the character in Shyamalan's film will always give a second chance. In The Happening, Elliot is given a second chance to fix his relationship with Alma and save their marriage from the edge of falling apart. In Signs, Graham regains his faith and building an intimate relationship with his family again. And in The Village, Ivy inherit Lucius's will to go to the town and seek for medical supply for the village. Despite the terrible things happen in the movie, the characters find hope and grab the opportunity to make remedy to their mistake.

The long take was constantly used in Shyamalan's movies to reveal an ongoing event. For example in The Village, when Ivy encountered the monster in the wood, she hides behind a tree and trying to escape from her situation. The scene was captured in long take and controlled what to show to the audiences, emphasized the thrilling feeling as it almost stimulates Ivy's emotion in this scene.In The Happening, the long take was used in the scene when a police killed himself with his own gun and the next person picks up the gun and shot himself too. The usage of long shot in here lead us to travel through the trail of the gun been passing around and bringing more death.

Conclusion

In conclusion, M. Night Shyamalan indeed practice auteurism by transcends the script by imposing his style and vision, blending subjective and personalized filmmaking practices. Throughout his movies, from Signs to The Village and The Happening, similar film style and themes can be recognized and continuously develop in the subsequent film

References

1.  N. M. (Ed.). (2010). Auteur Theory. Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://film110.pbworks.com/w/page/12610154/Auteur Theory 
2.  C. L. (2013, June 20). Looking back at M Night Shyamalan's The Happening. Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/26050/looking-back-at-m-night-shyamalans-the-happening 
3. Staiger, Janet (2003) ‘Authorship Approaches’, in Gerstner, David A. and Staiger, Janet (eds.) Authorship and Film, New York: Routledge, pp. 27 – 57

The Village (2004)

The Village is a psychological thriller film written, produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Featuring Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody and William Hurt. The movie was nominated for "Best Original Score" in Academy Award(2004) and won the award of "Top Box Office Film" in ASCAP FIlm and Television Music Award.

Plot

The story is about an isolated community lives on a village build on the edge of the Covington Woods and governed by the council of elders during the 19th century. The village safety is threatened by Those We Do Not Speak Of, a carnivorous monster who live in the woods . Watchtowers are set up and guarded by young man every night, color red will be buried because it attracts the beast. Villagers were taught to not walk into the wood since they were young.

The movie begins with the funeral of a seven-years-old child who die in illness. To prevent more death happen in the village, Lucius Hunt (Joaquin Phoenix) ask the council of elders for the permission to pass through the wood and seek for medical supplies from the "town" , but the elders forbid him to do so to keep their oath of never leaving the village. It does not stop Lucius to make a small venture into the wood after he saw Noah Percy (Adrien Brody), the village idiot walks into the wood safely and returns with a red berry. But soon, the creatures broke into the village and mark every door with red paint as a warning.

Ivy (Bryce Dallas Howard), the blind young daughter of the chief Elders, Edward Walker (William Hurt) confess her love to Lucius Hunt, and he returns her affection after saving Ivy during the invasion of Those We Do Not Speak Of. They arrange to be married, but Noah Percy who is apparently also in love with Ivy stabbed him with a knife. Lucius is badly injured and the village lack of medicine to save his life. Ivy volunteer to pass through the wood and get the medical supplies.

Edward Walker agrees her decision and told her the beasts were actually faked by the council so they can keep people from entering the wood. Ivy insists on traveling into the wood after her guards are both run away in fear. She then encountered the monster and kill it by tricks it falling into a deep hole. The monster was actually Noah wearing in costume. In the end of the movie, Ivy successfully passes through the forest and returns home with medicines she gets from the park ranger, Kevin.

Analysis

Same as Shyamalan's previous movie, The Village also consist a plot twist at the end of the film. The Village have two plot twist that surprises the audience with events that happened out of their expectation. The first plot twist in the movie is when Edmond Walker told Ivy the monster was actually made out by the elders. They put on a costume to scare away people who intended to enter the wood. The second plot twist was the monster appeared in the wood. Audiences were surprised as they did not expect to see the creature again after they were told the creature do not actually exist. It was later revealed that the creature was actually Noah Percy who wearing a costume.

Unlike the traditional thriller film, where the villains are usually supernatural creature. Although The Village does show us a monster in the film, yet the real villain in the movie was actually human, or to be specific, crimes committed by the human. Crimes happened on the elders' family become the reason of pushing the elders abandon their previous life and form an isolated community. By making an oath to protect the innocent, the council ruling the village through fear. It was a human hiding behind the mask of a monster and human was the only creature who ever done harm to the others throughout the movie.

The soundtrack of The Village had definitely enhanced the emotion of the movie, the majority of the music consists of violin solo against a background of strings, winds and piano, gives the movie a more tender emotional focus. The silence was used during violence scene creates disturbing feelings. For example, the uncomfortable silence when people finds dog were killed and skinned in the farm. And also the scene when Noah stabbed Lucius with a knife, there is no background music and not even sound effect when the knife stabbed into Lucius' stomach, the whole conflict happened in silence.

The Village is also about how love becomes the intention when people makes their decision. The love between Ivy and Lucius gives Ivy the courage to pass through the wood by overcoming her fear and disability. Noah was also in love with Ivy but the enviousness consumed him when he knows Ivy and Lucius were about to get married. He then tried to kill Lucius and put on a monster costume so he can stop Ivy from getting the medicine for Lucius. The elders who choose to build the village was also driven by love. Losing their family breaks their heart and they lost their faith in humanity, they decide to escape from the society and seek sanctuary by lives in an isolated environment to keep their purity and innocent.

Reference

1. Scott, A. O. (2004, July 30). FILM REVIEW; The Fear Is Color-Coded And the Forest Is Scary. Retrieved June 19, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D0DE1D7103DF933A05754C0A9629C8B63 
2. SOUNDTRACK REVIEW by Andrew Klay – The Village (2004). (2012, February 14). Retrieved June 19, 2016, from http://www.reichelrecommends.com/soundtrack-review-by-andrew-klay-the-village-2004/ 
3. B. A. (n.d.). Lessons from 'The Village' Retrieved June 19, 2016, from http://www.cbn.com/entertainment/screen/ayers_village.aspx?mobile=false 

Signs (2002)

Signs (2002) is a science fiction thriller movie directed by M. Night Syamalan.Starring Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin. The film was nominated for Online Film Critics Society and The Empire Award. It also won an award from the American Society of Composer, Authors and Publishers.

Plot

The story focus on former priest Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) who lost his faith and leave his duty when his wife died in a car accident cause by Rey Reddy (Shyamalan). He live in a wooden house in front of cropfield with his younger brother, Merrill and his children, Morgan(Rory Culkin) and Bo(Abigail Breslin). The event begin with they discovered a huge geometric shape, crop circle on their cornfield.It follows with more strange event such as more crop circle appearing around the world, animals turn violent, the strong, dark creature appeared around their house and the weird conversation they received through an old baby monitor. They soon realized those signs was related to an upcoming alien invasion.

Analysis

Although Signs is actually about alien invasion, the theme of the movie is also about how Graham gain back his faith. He was in great depression after his wife death, he believe god abandoned him for letting his love to die, especially when he been serving god for so many years. He shows reluctant when people still calling him "Father" and asking him to hear their confession, he even refuse to pray on their "last dinner". However when Morgan is in risk to lose his life when he breath in the toxic gas from alien, he pray and miracle happened as his son asthma save his life.

Religious metaphors featured in the movie is also deliver a different way for audience to interprete the meaning of the movie. People believed "aliens" in the movie is actually symbolize demons or evil. The aliens in the movie do not have technology or weaponary, they are merely clawed, naked beast and can be defeat using water, much like vampire or any other dark creatures that can be defeat by holy water. Except for that, the radio reports about the method killing the aliens has been found "in three small cities in the MIddle East", it could be symbolize the religious hub of the three Abrahamic traditions.

The first thing that catch my attention throughout the film will be the effective used of sound track in the movie. As we know sound track can be use as an effective way to create and enhance thrilling atmosphere of the scene such as when Morgan receive a weird noise using an old baby monitor, the soundtrack of this scene is very intense and we can hear the creepy crackling noise from the baby monitor, it sure brings a lot of tension through the music. I believe many people will like the jump scare from the scene when Graham first encounter the alien in his crop field and the scene when alien walk by on a birthday party, these scene won't be so effective if without the brilliant soundtrack.

I personally feel dissapointed when the movie reveal the aliens as they show up in the living room and and being defeated by a baseball bat and water. I enjoy how Syamalan build up the thrill and mysterioud admosphere without really showing how the aliens look like throughout the movie. The crackle noise from the baby monitor, the legs that walk across the cropfield, the low quality video that give us a glimps of the strange creature and claws that reach out beneath the door, these are the moments that exites me the most, but the thrill falls apart when the aliens stood in front of the Huss family. The design of the aliens looks old fashion and the special effect is also seem very unrealistic compare to today's technology.I would rather the mysterious invators stay mysterious till the end of the film.

However, Signs is still considered a very suscessful hybrid genre. The director is trying to tell us more than an alien invasion, it is a story about how a man regaining his faith and family, how he realize the signs was given when he lost someone he loves and finally belief there will be someone watch over them no matter what happens.

Reference

1. Theory will make you rethink M. Night Shyamalan's SIGNS. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2016, from http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2012/08/This-theory-will-make-you-rethink-everything-about-M-Night-Shyamalans-SIGNS 
2. Scott, A. O. (2002, August 2). FILM REVIEW; Finding Faith, or Something, in a Cornfield. Retrieved June 12, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D05E4DA113BF931A3575BC0A9649C8B63 

Irréversible (2002)

Irréversible (2002) is a French art film written and directed by Gaspar Noé, featuring Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, and Albert Dupontel. Irréversible competed at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and won the Stockholm International Film Festival's award for best film. Many people would label the film as controversy or disturb to watch as the movie contained exposure of private part, brutally killing scene and a 10-minute long take rape scene.

Plot

The movie is performed in reverse-chronological order as the story was told backward. The story focus on a tragic event happened to Alex (played by Monica Bellucci), who was raped and brutally beaten by a stranger in the underpass of Paris when she walks back home from a party. Her current boyfriend and ex-boyfriend, Marcus (played by Vincent Cassel) and Pierre(Albert Dupontel) decided to seek revenge for Alex and ends up killing a wrong man in a gay club. 

As the story is told backward, the movie starts with two men sitting in a room having a conversation and the camera pan outside of the window and shows Marcus and Pierre being wounded and arrested by police from a gay club, “The Rectum”. It continues with a flashback of why they are in the gay club, and more flashback explains how they found out Alex was being raped, how Alex leaving the party alone after argued with Marcus and how it leads to her terrible fate. The movie ends with Alex and Marcus enjoying their intimate moment and Alex dreams about herself sitting in a park and surrounded by children, unaware of the violence she would face few more hours later.

Analysis

The reverse-chronological order used in storytelling create suspense . Audience hardly understands what happen from the beginning of the film, it keeps audience to be curious about what causing this current situation and eager to know more. The truth will unveil itself as the movie goes on. It successfully kept the mysteriousness of the story even though the plot itself is very simple and straight forward. The structure of the movie gave us a very calm and happy ending while we all know choices they made for the next few hours will lead them to the irreversible fate, turning heaven into hell.

In the movie, red was often used as the sign of death, violence and hell. For example, the underpass where Alex being brutally raped and beaten was painted in red. Except for that, the scene when Marcus and Pierre went to “Rectum” to look for La Tenia and smashed a man’s skull with a fire extinguisher. Red, flashing lighting was used on the set, not only portray “Rectum” as an isolated, seedy world, and also hinting the bloodshed that was going to happen in that place.

Irréversible can be considered as contemporary expressionism as the movie employed the visual distortions of expressionist style. The hand-held camera is shaky throughout the whole movie especially in scenes that showing intense emotions, For example, when Marcus and Pierre were in the gay club, Marcus was in furious and madness after being high on boozes and drugs. The camera was spinning in high speed, briefly scanning through the gay club . The visual impact occurred when we get a glimpse of what was going on in that place. Except for that, the dizziness and confusion cause from the distorted visual emphasize the emotion of Marcus and Pierre. It also makes people in “Rectum” seem like they are insane as they indulge in sex.

Long shot was used throughout the whole movie and the editing only occurred between the "flashback" and purposely makes it look like it is been shot in one take. During the rape scene, the camera placed on the ground, filming the whole process of Alex being rape by Le Tenia without any camera movement or cut, making this scene seem very realistic and disturbing to watch as there is no any other effect to allow audience avoid looking at it.

In conclusion, the movie Irréversible is a well-designed film in technical and atheistic aspect, to delivered a story where all of the fate of the characters are written, and cannot be alter. The beautiful smile when Alex found out that she is pregnant will surely break audience’s heart as it reminding them what will happen next on her and her unborn child.  Gaspar Noé did an excellent job to remind  us the first line of the movie: "Time destroys all things".

Reference

- Roger Ebert (2003). Irreversible. Retrieved on June 4, 2016. From http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/irreversible-2003

- N. (2003, February 12). Irreversible (2002) Movie Review. Retrieved June 05, 2016, from http://www.beyondhollywood.com/irreversible-2002-movie-review/

- Prince, S. (1997). Movies and meaning: An introduction to film. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.