plankton corpus

This film is indubitably the greatest science fiction movie ever made. Up to this very day after decades since it's release it still sits comfortably at the top of the list. It's haunting, awe inspiring, astounding, and limitless. There is very little human interaction and character development. There is no focus emphasized on any single character really while all the characters that are addressed and given space are simply conveyed as the representatives of the human race itself. Stanley Kubrick uses images and sounds as the focal points to tell his story. The pace is slow and the images are given a considerable amount of time so that they can establish themselves into the recesses of our minds for us to ponder upon even long after the film is viewed. The classical compositions are sometimes ominous while at others convey a sense of majesty and glory applied critically to give more dimensions to the scenes. The scenes themselves may come across as tedious at times but sit through it, pay attention, and think well into it later, and you will discover the brilliance of Kubrick's direction. The subject of the film is the evolution of man. Certain mysterious monoliths are the creative pieces Kubrick puts to convey alien presence. The mystique of the monoliths are carried to the very end of the film and their significance may well be lost on a casual viewer who may find himself frustrated that such central elements of the story are not explored enough to establish their importance in the film. The first time a monolith appears, it triggers a thought process in the apes who are confronted with it and are surprised and captivated by its unnatural existence, which is different from anything they have seen upto that point. This thought process leads to the conclusion that a bone can be used as a weapon. The second time a monolith shows up, mankind has advanced to the point that they can land on the moon, discover and excavate it by themselves. This one serves as a pointer to Jupiter and tantalizes humans to explore the connection. The third one is a wormhole. The final monolith appear after a period of comprehension, and serves the objective of ultimately transcending humans to the level of cosmic intelligence. They appear at turning points in human history as catalysts for change. They are placed at critical junctures in the story where their mystique influences evolution. The great artist Botticelli in the final page of Dante's paradiso where he was supposed to sketch God, instead left it blank . His justification being it's best for that image to be filled individually by the readers rather than impose his own vision on them because perfection is subjective. In a likewise fashion, Kubrick never shows the aliens but uses the monoliths to convey their superiority , presence and mystique. And precisely because of this execution, the viewers reactions to the existence and actions of these extra terrestrials are extremely strong and will forever be a giant invisible presence in our minds. 2001: A space Odyssey and it's message will forever be limitless and open to interpretations like a Mark Rothko painting. To me personally, it ends on a very positive note where the potential for human evolution is conveyed as still incomplete but potentially would reach a status of cosmic intelligence should we choose to recognise and repair the many intrinsic human flaws and accept that our intelligence and consciousness shouldn't be wasted and rather be focused elsewhere to ensure our progress as a species.

Citizen Kane is a movie about the search for a puzzle. The journalists who try to complete the puzzle of the word the protagonist uttered with his dying breath take the centre stage and the narrative structure of the film is based on Mr. Thompson, a journalist who tries to make sense of this by interacting and interviewing the people who were supposedly the closest to him and through whose stories, the main character is brought to life. The film establishes the aura and presence of the larger than life character Charles kane in the opening shots of newspaper reels . A man who is thought to have attained everything life had to offer. And this giant upon his deathbed utters a single , simple word , and towards the end , after his wife leaves him and to the very end of his life, we find out that this word seems to have taken up completely occupied his thoughts. The direction is impeccable. The shots are dynamic and the camera work exploits space and perspective to not only show what's happening but also suggest deeper meanings. There is one shot specifically that demonstrates this characteristic openly, that is when Kane's shadow falls on his second wife Susan Alexander who attempts to escape Kane's plans to make her an opera star, but immediately cowers from the presence Kane exudes. Every shot is well calculated and some are imbued with a deeper significance. Ultimately, it's the story of a man who had everything but never attained what he really yearned for throughout his life. 'Rosebud' the word that occupied his mind completely towards his end is the name of a sled he used in his childhood days, from where he was torn apart and send to live elsewhere . Perhaps the innocence, simplicity and the possibilities that surrounded the child in him ,was when he was the happiest. And subconsciously and consciously his actions to gain love and affection were all guided by this longing to go back to those days. It's a very simple film really and deeply philosophical at the core of it.

Edward Yang's 'Taipei story' is characterized by introspective moods, muted colours, soft lighting, lush frames with distinctive details, raw storytelling, and characters imprisoned by the cage that is life. The main characters Lung and his girlfriend Chin are taciturn, driven to exhaustion by the process of living. They have little to speak to eachother, most often choosing silence over words. This exhaustion is reflected in most of the other characters they engage with in the film. Unattainable dreams and uncooperative circumstances surrounds them. They are simply enduring life driven by an obligation to survive. They cling to fleeting hopes where they feel the possibility of answers may await them or simply to delude themselves so that they can face the next day. The quiet raw storytelling with little explanations allow the audience the sensation of experiencing a phase of the subjects' lives as it unfolds before them silently. Edward Yang succeeds in showcasing the role of circumstances which holds the reins of life.

A timeless piece in the history of cinema, the film is about the passage of time, the different generations and how they embrace life, it's about perspectives, ideas and life itself. The direction is impeccable and the narrative style unique. The light and the composition of each frame r carefully used to bring out the raw and oragnic ambience of the film. Background music is kept to a minimum and instead the sounds and buzz of city life fill in the vacancies most of the time to further bring out the raw appeal. The characters in the movie are inseparably linked to the environment and urban life around them; and each and every frame r designed to carefully envelope the characters, their dilemmas and thoughts and moods along with the world that surrounds them in which life keeps moving at a constant and at times merciless pace...The camera movement is slow and the frames patient to let the impressions permeate your mind . Sometimes the moments in life come unexpectedly and you can never truly value it when it's happening. They could be deceptively simple , yet unfathomably deep to stay in the recesses of your mind for years... possibly decades. This movie is an introspective reflection on life.