HNC Photography, IFC - Coursework, Introduction to Film Culture Blog, Part one - Heroes & Villians "re-made", Project 3 - lights, camera, action
Exercise 1.3
Watching three films back to back, which essentially are the same story has been an interesting exercise I have written a full analysis on the films in separate posts which can be accessed by clicking on the movie title. However, the exercise asked me to summarise each film in around three sentences.
A Ronin arrives in a town controlled by rival gangs. He decided that the town would be better off with either gang. What follows is the Ronin playing the gangs against each other to achieve his goal.
A Fist Full of Dollars (1964)
A stranger arrives in a town controlled by rival gangs. He decides that this can work to advantage to make money. In his attempts to play them off against each other for money brings down one gang and wipes out the other to avenge the friend he made in the village.
A drifter/gunslinger arrives in a town divided by gangs. For his purposes, he plays both gangs against each other to bring them down.
The two remakes are remarkably faithfully to the original screenplay of Yojimbo – so much so that Kurosawa successfully sued for breach of copyright over A Fist Full of Dollars. However, there are subtle differences in them all. I believe Fist full of Dollars is closest, weighted towards money making especially at first, by the stranger; morality is coming later in the film when we see him rescue Marisol. Yojimbo I feel the destruction of the gangs the Ronin’s moral crusade.
Last Man Standing although an official remake I found the narrative much more confusing – there is no moral standpoint. Yes, he helps the two female characters but is that out moral decency or guilt as in the in especially in the case of Lucy is probably is the cause of her being attacked. He is seen telling the Texas Ranger he intends to bring the gangs down, but why? To step in, there place?
Of the films the most pleasing to why eye regarding cinematography is “A Fist Full of Dollars”. There is that open expansiveness found in the traditional westerns, with deep depth of field used, with expansive wide shots; however, there is a good use of close-ups – extreme close-ups in places e.g. the final face off with the man with no name and Ramon. The film stock used is not too vivid its colours, there a some muted effect give a more feel to how the old west would be compared to traditional westerns.
Yojimbo is not as expansive in its shots; there are more close-up to characters the, camera is often at right angles to the scene. On the whole, there are more medium shots and there is an overall dark feel and look to the lighting.
Last Man Standing the cinematography lots of combination of long, medium and close-ups there no consistency. The colours are all muted by a layer of dust, and while I have said, I don’t mind this, it does on further reflection give an overall drab feeling to a lacklustre film.
Of the three film in would say the most skilful cinematography is in A Fist Full of Dollars because the have successfully mixed the Japanese and traditional western styles together to give unique dramatic effect. I like the way that the film has a look on the surface of the classic western, but as you are drawn in, there are more close scenes giving the feel of a not western genre drama.
Culturally is there a big difference to the Japanese audience between the sword and the pistol about the western and the chanbara? I feel that probably there isn’t. Chanbara is escapism for the masses in Japan in the same way that the “cowboy” (western) was escapism to American audiences.
However, the use of a pistol in Yojimbo is a different it is used to show the character of (or should I say lack of?) Unosuke. Unosuke has no honour or skill he is the quintessential bully and bringing the pistol is giving himself a power that he could not have otherwise.
Perhaps really where the cultural feeling towards the pistol will e would be a metaphor for the bulldozing nature of the American culture intruding in other cultures and overriding them. Which can also be seen metaphorically in the famous knife to a gunfight scene in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”