Please help me with a response to this discussion.Thanks. Hello All, I selected
ID: 3499747 • Letter: P
Question
Please help me with a response to this discussion.Thanks.
Hello All,
I selected the science fiction/fantasy movie, Guardians of the Galaxy starring Chris Pratt as Peter Quill. Guardians of the Galaxy tells the story of Peter, also known as Star-lord, and his adventures as a criminal/trash collector that travels space with his gang of highly skilled warriors who seek to stop villains from causing harm to planets.
This film shares similarity to Metropolis: Maria’s Transformation (1927). As I viewed the scene where the inventor engineers the robot named Maria, the idea of a room filled with gadgets, chambers, wires, and lights that enhance the motion picture to show the action of coming to life, is shared between both films. Although Metropolis was too early of a motion picture to feature monitors, the viewer is exposed to devices, like the chamber where Marias body is being held in that tell viewers that something out of the norm is happening. Monitors in movies like Guardians of the Galaxy display images that we do not understand, yet we get the idea that something important is being projected on them. Film producers ensure that some of the unknown gadgets or highly technological concepts used in films are in some ways simplified by showing us an outcome that tell us what they are intended for.
Another similarity between both films is the artistic work that goes into costume design. In science fiction movies, we see attire that is not common or hasn’t been used before. Sometimes costume design in films is inspired by current or past fashion. In the case of Metropolis, the Robot looks very metallic, which was probably revolutionary for its time, and the inventor looks almost like a priest. In Guardians of the Galaxy we see the use of metallic pieces used as body part for some of the characters. Also, Star-lord has a mask that looks very robotic that helps him travel to space.
Sound, as we have discussed in previous discussions, is very important for films. It gives the viewer an idea of what the scene is about or at times music helps with knowing something important is about to happen. Guardians of the Galaxy has a fun and exciting soundtrack. For example, Star-lord is fascinated with an audio cassette given to him by his mother before she died. On it he listens to popular oldies from Gjorn Skifs, David Bowie, Marvin Gaye and others. Most of these songs have a happy tune to them and while star-lord fights crime, the songs from the cassette are played given scene a happier note to them. Another example of how this film uses sound is to demonstrate the power behind futuristic weapons. Although the weapons used are fiction, they resemble machinegun fire with laser like sounds. Lastly, I found the scene between Ronan and Thanos, two villans seeking to cause harm to Star-lord. While Thanos appears in halographic form his voice is modified to sound deep and animalistic. This gives the viewer the idea that Thanos is large in stature and is evil.
Explanation / Answer
Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.
(Answer) Let us assume the popular television series “Downton Abbey.” This series is about aristocratic life in the 1920’s and 30’s. For the viewer to get the full experience of what life was like at that time, the producers have incorporated vintage sets, costumes, classical music, makeup, archaic words etc. The series turns into more of a “sightseeing” like experience for the viewer. This is where the viewer is virtually visiting an old time as a tourist would visit an old castle.
With films like “Metropolis: Maria’s Transformation” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” the filmmakers attempt to make the viewing experience and surreal as possible for the viewer. With Metropolis, the makers attempt to make the film like a walkthrough to a futuristic time where artificial intelligence is a likelihood. With GOTG, the producers have tried to make the audience feel like they are experiencing a story in outer-space. In order to get the best from this experience, what the audience sees, hears and mentally visualises are essential components of the film. This makes the experience more believable and the film more relatable.
Characters are given voices based on what their personalities are like for instance, rocket raccoon and Thanos have voices befitting their personalities. Screen work is incomprehensible because it is in a make-believe world where we are not supposed to know what screen data on “Zandar” might look like. Also, the makeup, the costume, the contraptions etc. all point out to unusual and “alien.” This is how the filmmakers take us through an experience with subtle details and nuances.