In the late 60's and through the 1970's, young iconoclastic and experimental directors took over the once staid Hollywood Studios and made personal films much different from the Golden Age of Hollywood that ended barely a decade before. Influenced by the French New Wave and Italian neo-realism, they were determined to make a new kind of Hollywood movie. What stylistic innovations did you notice in Days of Heaven? What about the use of the light of the Golden Hour? What about utilizing the new technology of the steady cam? How did stylistic elements help tell the story and emphasize ideas and themes?
Advancements in technology and new stylistic choices in Days of Heaven were a turning point for modern movies in Hollywood. The use of the steady cam allowed the director to film in new places that were once difficult to film at such as rivers, forests, and being outside in general. Before Days of Heaven, films either had to be shot in a studio or very carefully filmed, like Bicycle Thieves, if they were shot outside. However, with the advancements in audio and the invention of the steady cam, Days of Heaven was able to get very well shot and recorded scenes outside. The scene that portrays this the most is one of the last scenes when Bill is getting chased through the woods by the men on horses. Not only were they capable of filming a high-speed and action scene in the woods, but they were also able to do it while keeping a steady frame and still having good audio despite the noises of the forest and the horses and the gunfire. The only other movie I can think of that had a chase scene like this was Birth of a Nation and if I remember correctly that only had still frames. Similar to how that chase scene resonated with modern-day films that I am used to, the chase scene in Days of Heaven begins to feel similar to chase scenes that we are used to seeing today. I also like the river scenes because historically, with large unwieldy cameras, rivers were not a place one could film, but with the technological advancements, Days of Heaven was able to film good river scenes that captured the feel of the scene very well. Stylistically, I think Days of Heaven used light and dark very well. In the beginning, Bill is in the forge where it is dark and gloomy and he is angry and needs to get out while the only light is the hot metal or fire. Although he escapes the forge, it seems that he cannot escape the fire. Even though they have a few days where it all works out. In the end, he is once again stuck in the darkness with the fire all around after the farmer finds out and the locusts come. The use of real fire added to those scenes and the ability to film and move around all the running people also made it feel real. Overall, the steady cam among other advancements and the use of lightness and darkness helped make this movie feel modern despite its classical theme.
ReplyDeleteIn Days of Heaven, multiple different advancements in technology are utilized to provide a better viewing experience for the viewer. First and foremost is the use of color. Colorization of film, now much cheaper in the 70s than in past decades, captured the colorful features of cities, sunsets, and trains, but also captured the horrors of fire, locusts, and infighting. The use of the Golden Hour complemented this technological advancement very well - by filming when the lighting was most aesthetic, colors and shadows were brought out better than if the movie had been filmed at any random time. The steady cam was also a major technological development, by using gyroscopic stabilizers, a person carrying a steady cam would be able to keep up with the action while not sacrificing the viewer’s experience. This is seen multiple times, especially in the more action-packed scenes at the end of the movie like the scene of the fire, and then the scene of the chase through the woods. These kinds of action sequences couldn’t be filmed well without a steady cam as the frame would inevitably bounce around. The only film we’ve seen that’s remotely similar to this was The General where the camera had to be loaded onto trains to film the chase scenes. Like the General, the use of destructive elements (in this case fire and guns) acts to captivate the audience and astound them with the devastation taking place. Other advancements in camera technology included having better resolutions to do macro shots, something exploited very well when it came to the locust shots. Everything about the locusts, down to their mandibles and bulging eyes were clearly visible on the big screen, likely for the “disgust” effect. The movie also used specific effects to advance the story, like dropping peanuts onto the set from a helicopter and then playing the scene in reverse to give the effect of locusts taking off. Such scenes emphasized emotions like hopelessness and loss, while also being extremely interesting to watch. Overall, the incorporation of different camera techniques, different technologies, and the specific ways those techniques and technologies were taken advantage of greatly emphasized the ideas and themes in Days of Heaven by highlighting both beauty and destruction better and drawing the audience in more.
ReplyDeleteIn the late 60s to 1970s, movies like Days of Heaven used advanced technology to demonstrate that movies are no longer just telling a story, they are capable of feeding audiences with overwhelming visual sensations that are truly amazing. Compared to previous movies where camera angles and subtle editing effects were used to promote the storyline, Days of Heaven can be viewed as a movie just for the pure visual effects rather than the plotline. Throughout the movie, the dialogues between characters were muffled by background noise, which implies that the information was insignificant. On the contrary, the advanced filming techniques such as the usage of the steady cam, the Golden Hour, and all sorts of editing were spotted throughout the movie. The use of a steady cam allowed Terrance Malic to film countless tracking shots on the farm, which would have been near impossible if they only had the old technique of using an actual track. The movie also had many scenery shots, which was quite uncommon before. Malic was able to capture the vast field of crops and workers through many extreme long shots. Sometimes he would simply film the beautiful crops moving like waves from the blowing wind, just to give the audience a satisfying visual experience. Malic used a time-lapse video to film the growth of a crop from underground. He then used a series of tracking shots and extreme close-up shots to capture the horrendous sensation of the plague of locusts destroying the crops. Malic also dropped peanut shells from a helicopter and made actors walk backward in order to have the effect of a plague of locusts flying away from the field. Along with that, Malic actually set the whole farm on fire just to create an overwhelming shock of visual effects that one would never expect to see in a movie. All the tracking shots of people running back and forth to rescue the fire and constant cutting scenes created a sense of panic so that viewers could immerse themselves in the movie. All of these immersive visual effects were shown to the audience continuously in a short span of time, causing the viewers to be overwhelmed with the visual sensation and leaving them astonished. None of these scenes were possible without the new technologies and techniques used by Malic, which shows that Hollywood film has begun a new genre of movie: those that are watched for the thrill brought by the scenery rather than the story.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie Days of Heaven, many different new innovations were utilized in an attempt to create a new type of movie that overshadowed the movies of the past. The innovation that stuck out to me the most was the invention and use of the steady cam. The steady cam allowed for clean and stable tracking shots. Whenever the characters were walking while talking, the scene could be captured without causing issues with unstable ground. The steady cam and its smaller design also allowed for new camera angles. I thought that the most interesting shot was near the end when the characters were on a boat, and the camera was most likely also placed on a boat and showed the boat along with the shore. Without the steady cam, the highly mobile aquatic shot wouldn’t have been possible or at least wouldn’t have been as smooth as it was. The movie also utilized the light of the Golden Hour. Since the film was in color, and color requires good lighting to properly show, it is important that each scene had ample lighting. Throughout the film, I noticed that the color was pretty vivid, and this was thanks to the Golden Hour shedding beautiful light at everything. Being set on a farm, there also weren’t a lot of obstacle to create shadows that would block the light, so the perfect lighting from the sun was enough for all of the scenes. The lighting was able to play a role in storytelling as well, as there was a specific scene where night had fallen, and the workers were burning the locusts, and the background was completely black, and the only thing we could clearly see were the characters faces. During this time, we were able to properly see the characters’ faces, therefore giving us a clear idea of their emotions. This was when the farmer realized he was being tricked and attacked Bill. Throughout the beginning of the movie, all the scenes were brightly lit and therefore had a very healthy and full atmosphere, which resembled the relationships of the girl with Bill and eventually with the farmer. However, after the farmer’s death, Bill and the girl ran away from the farm, and hid out in a forest. In the forest, the sunlight was blocked and there was shade everywhere, symbolizing a change in mood from the bright and happy sunlight of the farm to a more ambiguous happiness of Bill and depression of the girl.
ReplyDeleteIn Days of Heaven, many new innovative techniques and technologies were used to create a film that would far outclass the ones of the past. This involves techniques such as the utilization of the golden hour, as well as new technology such as the steady camera, which overall created a much better viewing experience for the audience. But what overall struck me as the most important was the wider use of color throughout the film, as it allowed for the film to have shots of beautiful vistas of the American West, as well as colorful, dramatic imagery such as the final scene where everything is on fire in the fields. The overall use of color in the film allows for a much better viewing experience. Following the use of light, the director also used techniques such as extreme close-ups and time-lapses to show the beauty and destruction that can occur in the west. In regards to the time-lapses, they were used to show the beauty of life through the growth of the wheat in the fields. And then we are shown the devastation right in front of us as the locusts swarm in and began devouring the crops. This is done through the use of a combination of extreme close-ups and far-away shots, both to show us the individual insects as well as the swarm that persisted through the fields. Days of Heaven’s use of brand new technology in combination with new and old filming techniques allow for it to be seen as one of the best examples of New Hollywood films, as it used all of the tech and techniques to build an overall better viewing experience for the audience.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn the film, Days of Heaven, many advancements in technology were clearly present throughout the film. Two of the main new techniques that became known throughout this film was the use of "golden hour," and a steady camera. The technique of using golden hour in this film, allowed immaculate lighting throughout the film. The color and lighting in this film was very appealing to anybody who was watching it, and allowed for a better viewing experience. Another prop used to create a good lighting experience for the audience was fire. The fire is covering everything in the fields. Not only were the light scenes very impactful, but there were many darker scenes filmed well in the dark. One example of a darker scene was at night and the workers were burning the locusts. The only thing that we could see throughout this scene was their faces. This allowed us to get a clear view of the emotions they were feeling in this moment. The steady camera was an impressive technique used because they were able to film a high speed action scene while keeping the camera steady. This allowed the scene to be much more enjoyable. Without the steady camera angle, many of the scenes filmed would not have been as smooth and appealing as they were. Another technique that was used and very interesting in the film was the time-lapse. It showed what could happen and become over a certain period of time. Many more filming techniques were used, making this film a very good example of New Hollywood films.
ReplyDeleteThe cinematography in Terrence Malick’s "Days of Heaven" is one of the most significant and innovative aspects of the film. The use of a lightweight camera allows for more fluidity in the shots and greater control over movement.
ReplyDeleteThe use of this new technology creates a new visual language that was not seen before in other movies in previous film movements. The camera moves with the actors and follows them around as they ride a train or walk through the landscape. This creates a sense that we, the viewers, are there with them, experiencing everything they are going through.
The film also uses the camera from the first-person perspective of the farmer to show his anger and disarray after finding out about the love between Abby and her "brother." This holds connections to German Expressionism and "The Last Laugh," where viewers see the doorman's warped perspective after he gets very intoxicated -- in this case, there is no perspective of the mind/mental distortion that one would find in a movement that boasts perception and feeling over true reality. In other words, unlike German expressionism, this film is grounded in reality.
In addition, Malick’s cinematographer, Néstor Almendros, used "golden hour" lighting for the film, which greatly enhanced the look of the film. When the shadows fall just after sunset and before sunrise, the lighting and colors in the final film become more vivid and dramatic.
The film also uses ultra-close-ups/macro shots as well as time lapses, two brand new techniques in this film wave. Macro shots play an important role in the film when locusts are eating away the wheat fields by allowing us to see the damage of just one locust in a seemingly endless crowd of others. The combination of the macro shot and a timelapse also allows viewers to see the growth of vegetation, and in itself displaying the passage of time.
"Days of Heaven" is a film that is not only intellectually and emotionally stimulating, but also aesthetically and technically impressive.