I have been wanting to see this film for many years now, and am extremely glad I had the oppurtunity. It wasn't my favorite musical, like the dance and song numbers were just alright. But for the storyline and what the creators were trying to do with this film is what really interested me.
I loved how the movie addressed the switch from silent films to "talkies." I thought it was hilarious with that scene when the actress could not figure out the microphone situation. I also really enjoyed her real high and annoying voice, a voice that is often used in musical theater (for the annoying girl ex. Anything Goes, Victor Victoria, etc...).
I found the reading for this film to be quite interesting. I enjoyed the section when discussing how the film "winks" at the audience. The film does this to make apparent to the audience that it's purpose is to point out Hollywood's faults and or techniques. I noticed this before even reading the article. In the beginning you have the main actor discussing to his fans his success story, which sounds glamorous, but on screen you see contradictory images. And this makes it very apparent to the audience, a feeling that you don't often witness or deal with in film, but when done correctly, it is very effective.
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So take this further. What's going on with the contraditions in this movie, do you think?
ReplyDeleteWell, I just feel that the contradictory images were used as a new and innovative technique. It is something that an audience isn't use to seeing. I mean here is a voice over telling you one thing and then there is this image showing you the exact opposite. I feel it is also very effective in keeping the audience's attention to what is going on as well.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, it is also to show how success stories are not always as glamorous as celebrities may proclaim. I feel this film suggests that Hollywood is not this perfect world, in the fact that it points out many of its faults.
Oh, I like your response. One of your classmates was noticing the escapist quality of vintage movies--they're so deliberately unreal, in some ways. So it's so cool that you say that Hollywood isn't a perfect world, since its job is to produce artificial perfection--another level of self-reflexiveness in the movie.
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