Short Movie Reviews

I read moviez and I wants to write aboot them, ok!

1. Stalker (1979)
Directed by Tarovsky, Stalker is one of those very Russian films – sparse dialogue, emphasis on cinematography, and an abundance of nature. Man not merely separated from nature but part of it. The film seems to emphasize how industrialization changes society – the first part, the first 30 minutes or so, is full of faded color and urban landscapes. Then the film switches – color is introduced as we see a transition in to lush, green rural Russia. One masterful feature of the film is the framing: images are portrayed intimately without feeling zoomed up.

The cinematography, along with brief snippets of music, captures a distinctive world: it is a Russia seemingly without full industrialization, a Russia that is distinct from characteristic images of the Soviet day. This film captures an alternate Russia, one that has features of 20^th century Russia but is also distinct – through this lens, we can see how encroaching industrialization impacts people’s lives. A stalker, the film reveals, is someone who escapes urban life to enter the Zone, which can supposedly fulfill desires. However, the Stalker later tearfully admits that one gets caught up in worldly desires, especially the craving for money. 

Stalker ponders life itself and how humans can change with industrial progress. Through excellent directing, the film captures impressive scenery while moving slowly, creating a stronger impact. However, this slow but necessary pace does get in the way of personal enjoyment. Because of its themes and portrayals of Russia, the film is absolutely worth watching.

2. Tales of Vesperia: First Strike (2009)

Tales of Vesperia: First Strike is a prologue movie, meant to be seen in conjunction with playing the game Tales of Vesperia. The film, as a result, focuses on the characters Yuri and Flynn, who appear as main characters in the game. Specifically, ToV:FS tracks Yuri and Flynn’s and others time as Royal Knights – those familiar with the game would know that Yuri drops out whereas Flynn does not, setting the stage for a sub-plot behind the film.

However, this film serves a broader purpose: to acquaint the viewers with the world itself, not simply add details for the seasoned fan. With this development, we learn that Yuri is apathetic but also quick-tempered – he is not a person who enjoys excessive rigor and having to temper his tongue. Flynn is rather similar to Yuri in many ways – however, Flynn is more obviously a highminded person who wants to accomplish good in whatever manner he can. In a sense, they are both self-centered, which leads to conflict. Though the film is geared for a general audience, it is bogged down with terms such as “aer” or “blastia” that have to do with the particulars of the world.

Despite this overexposition, this film is a fun fantasy adventure, though it is improved through familiar with the game. The movie tends to be slow but it uses such opportunities to build the characters. With a climax only minutes from the end, the film keeps you on edge. The jerk is satisfyingly and brutally slain. Throughout, the bright visuals and clean animation are also quite compelling – clearly someone put a lot of money into this film.

3. Expelled from Paradise (2014)
CG, yes CG. I was quite worried beginning a work with computer-generated graphics but to my surprise it was well-implemented. (The head movements still seem far too jerky to provide an accurate depiction – here is where the CG seems least bearable.) Though I prefer non-CG, the experimentation was interesting. The main character Angela Balzac, who lives as a digitized human on the space ship Deva, is forced to use a physical body during her time on Earth – I believe that the clunkiness of the CG well represents her character as being completely unused to this unfamiliar body. However, the CG cannot be excused as much for other characters.

Expelled from Paradise centers around the idea of human evolution and offers the solution that humans become digitized and lose their physical bodies. Having such a corporeal form, to the beings living on Deva, is a relic, only fit for dying out humans left on Earth – the uncivilized humans. To them, Deva is an utter paradise, fitting because the word Deva refers to a divine being in both Hinduism and Buddhism. When Angela has to head to Earth to find a hacker threatening the people of Deva, she is disgusted by the planet, especially at the idea of having a physical body. She meets a man named Dingo, who, through his guitar playing, teaches her about the value of having such a corporeal form. Music is at its most powerful when it can be felt -  classical music that can soothe your muscle tension, or  metal that can raise your heart rate.

The film presents some rather interesting themes, though they are not completely explored, which provides for an intellectually stimulating work. The ending is centered around fighting, which shifts the emphasis towards fighting off the bad people, rather than further exploring themes. I really enjoyed the film’s consideration of the relationship between an individual and society, especially what happens when an individual is cast out. Aristotle, for example, believed that a person cast outside of society is either a god or a monster, which summarizes the latter half of the movie well. Expelled from Paradise is a comparatively fast-paced film which makes it worthwhile even though it has some squandered potential.

4. Rebellion (2013)
With sweeping strings that enter a few seconds in “Colorful” by ClariS, through its upbeat and invigorating sound, provides a burst of energy into the introduction of the film Rebellion, which is a sequel to the anime show Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Asides from the song’s stylistic role in the intro, it aptly describes the visual aesthetics of the entire film – even as the film takes on noir tones that heavily rely on shadow, there is an excess of color always present, giving vibrancy to the background.

 Through this style, the film can explore darker themes while not feeling overly indulgent in grimness. The film features expansive perspectives, showing us that the characters are part of their backgrounds, not simply individuals in a sea of nothing. (This approach is reminiscent of that which is explored in Stalker, at least to me.) The film also makes use of dioramas and other creative artistic devices – reminiscent of Monty Python albeit more serious.

Owing to the art style, clarity does suffer somewhat, making many scenes rather confusing. As a work of art, Rebellion refuses to reveal its secrets too soon. As a result, pacing does seem rather slow for the first 15-20 minutes, but once the movie picks up it hardly slows down, except when it comes time for a conclusion. Through watching, I found myself feeling especially connected to Homura, who is apparently cast as a villain – I felt that she chose to take up Madoka’s role rather than allow Madoka to suffer, which is a rather  courageous action. In short, it reminded me of Those Who Walk Away from Omelas, which captured a similar exploration of utilitarianism. In the Madoka universe, apparently the few suffering for the good is not without consequences. Out of the movies I saw recently, this was my favorite.