Elements_of_Design

Elements of Design Aurora L. Sepulveda ENG 225: Introduction to film Instructor: Alene Morrison December, 12, 2011 Elements of Design The film I chose is Doctor Zhivago, an epic love story set in the midst of the Russian Revolution. The lead actors are: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie and Geraldine Chaplin. Omar Sharif plays the role of Dr. Zhivago. The movie traces the life of surgeon-poet Yuri Zhivago before and during the Russian Revolution. Yuri Zhivago's father abandons the family and when his mother dies while he is still a child, he is taken in by his mother's friends, Alexander 'Sasha' and Anna Gromeko and their daughter Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin). Gromeko is a retired medical professor living in Moscow. Zhivago marries Tonya who is devoted to him, yet falls in love with an unfortunate woman who becomes his muse. Zhivago is torn between fidelity and passion. Sympathetic with the revolution but shaken by the war and purges, he struggles to adapt to the new reality of his homeland. Julie Christie plays the role of Lara, who becomes Zhivago’s lover and is the inspiration for his poetry. Geraldine Chaplin plays the role of Tanya, Dr. Zhivago’s wife and the mother of their two children. Their marriage is torn apart by the hardships during the Bolshevik Revolution The director of this movie is David Lean the producer designer is John Box, art director Terence Marsh. The director interprets scripts into personal vision and decides overall “look” with the production designer and cinematographer; directs actors and the action while shooting. (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011, p. 1.2) The art director, sometimes called a production designer, he is responsible for keeping the sets, props, and costumes appropriate to the story and characters, and historically accurate if necessary. (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011, p. 1.2) He is responsible for the overall look of a film. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures. Working directly with the director and producer, they must select the settings and style to visually tell the story. Lighting can be used to have a character “stand out” from the background, it draws attention to them. In the scene, the lighting is a nearly perfect moon light that along with the snow filled house almost makes the viewer feel the bitter cold of winter. The impact of the lighting is very effective in transmitting the filmmaker’s romantic image of a man finding a brief peace both in his life and the fast-changing world around him. The scene I chose is on a harsh snowy, vast landscape of Russia with snow and frost turning everything into winter fairyland, Zhivago and Lara are living in the abandoned country house that belonged to his father-in-law. The majestic house is filled with snow and ice cycles hanging from the overhanging of the roof, but they manage to make a couple of rooms livable, and they have plenty of fire wood for them to stay warm and safe from the Bolsheviks that were after them. One night, unable to sleep, Zhivago gets up to write but was disturbed by the wolves howling while Lara and her daughter are sleep. The film takes place, for the most part, during the tumultuous period of 1912–1923, the years which included World War I, the Russian Revolution, and Russian Civil War, as the regime of Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown and the Soviet Union established. Lara is asleep, warmly tucked in the bedroom. Zhivago has a Victorian style thick robe, as he writes on a fine wood desk. The costumes are used to “transport” the viewer to the time and place where the movie takes place. It makes the viewer feel as if they were outside looking in through a window. Lara’s and Zhivago’s hair style are fitting for the time period. Her demure hair tuft is simple that complements her looks. Zhivago’s hair is well trimmed and gives him an appropriate serious look. The mise-en-scene are natural looking for the winter scene, the snow covered furniture, doors and windows all give us a sense of the cold weather. All the elements work well in this scene, giving it a calm, peaceful feel to it. The design elements are fitting for the filmmaker’s vision of the scene, they convey the feeling of the harsh winter, yet the house is peaceful place in the midst of the turmoil the country is going through. I believe that it all works together in a harmonious way including setting, costumes, props, lighting, color, makeup, and actors including their positioning and movement. (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011, p. 3.2)   References: Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. https://content.ashford.edu