HAND CRAFTED CINEMA

A Touch of Welles, Mancini

27Jan12

"I don't care for your mustache, muchacho."

For the uninitiated, Touch of Evil is a film noir by director Orson Welles starring Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh. It was intended* as a pulpy, sensational story of sex, violence, and corruption. It has influenced generations of film lovers, filmmakers, and academics who have elevated it to the status of classic. So much so that in 1998, a restoration of the film was commissioned to bring it closer to Welles’ original vision. Prior to its release Evil was heavily re-shot and re-edited by the studio who did not appreciate the director’s efforts. A recurrent motif in Welles’ career.

For many Touch of Evil is right up there with Citizen Kane.

In the film Heston plays a Mexican police officer and though this has been the subject of much ridicule by academics and film lovers alike, I would like to point out that Orson Welles a few years prior played the role of Othello (yes, in black face, just like Lawrence of Olivier in the 1965 production) and Heston had previously been cast as an Israelite in The Ten Commandments, and later – possibly because of this film – as a Spaniard in the infamous production of El Cid. What I’m saying is, it’s not as ridiculous as it sounds given the time, but it can be confusing, especially when he pronounces his character’s last name, Vargas, in a thick American accent. (As a Spanish-speaking individual it really confused me).

Evil is said to have influenced the French New Wave and American directors alike with its stylistic flourishes, such as its fluid camera work, stark lighting, long-takes, overlapping dialogue, and staging. Many of these traits can be found in Welles’ previous work but their inclusion in a genre picture such as Evil make them all the more prominent.

One of the more famous moments in the film is the opening scene, which was the first thing altered by the studio. I realize for some, the following might be considered obscene but I argue that while the inclusion of theme music (and credits) to Touch of Evil’s opening credits went against Welles’ wishes, the score by Henry Mancini is pretty sweet. It would be a greater disservice to ignore it solely on the basis that it was commissioned by the studio. Mr. Mancini, I hope you agree, is a talented, dynamic composer. Continue reading ‘A Touch of Welles, Mancini’

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Tags: charlton heston, film history, henry mancini, long take, Orson Welles, touch of evil

Stereogranmator

26Jan12

image courtesy of NYPL Labs

Available through the New York Public Library are forty thousand digitized stereographic images from the mid-1800s to the 1930s, which you can use to create animated stereographs or 3D anaglyphs. The New York Times also has an article outlining the motivation behind the library’s project and some history on the subject.

Create your own here.

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Tags: 3d, stereograph

Illusion on the small screen

24Jan12

As with yesterday’s post, here’s another fine example of movie magic from the fine people at Brainstorm Digital:

HBO has been able to capitalize on, and in many ways redefine, the medium of television by incorporating big-screen spectacle – not only in terms of production values but writing. Season or series-long story-arcs that twist and turn organically is one of the hallmarks of HBO.

With shows like Rome and Carnivale, HBO has managed to accomplish the illusion of the period piece, on a scale reserved for major motion-pictures. Of course, the aforementioned shows never got past the second season. The cost of maintaining of period-piece can easily cut into profits and scaling back the spectacle can mean cutting back on the audience.

Still it’s no mean feat and the visual splendor of the thing is what people tune in for.

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Tags: boardwalk empire, digital filmmaking, season 2, visual effects