Peeping Tom puts any audience member within the film as we see through the viewing lens and watch the terror that the lead character Mark is so enthralled with. This technique of giving the audience the eyes of a killer especially through his own viewfinder really displays wonderful use of metacinema.
Now when I watched Sherlock Jr the first time around I found it to be very entertaining. I never really thought hard about its use of metacinema (I term in which I was unfamiliar with at the time). I was more so focused on the idea that it was just a comedy piece. However now that I have viewed it a second time and have been introduced to the term metacinema I understood this film in a whole new way.
Buster Keaton does a wonderful job depicting a film within a film as he plays a projectionist who falls asleep during a showing and basically has a lucid dream that puts him right in the middle of the film. During the entire film you are reminded that you're watching a film as Keaton continuously changes the setting to not only adapt to the comedy of each scene but to portray the idea that the illusion of cinema is really just an illusion.
This is my first time ever analyzing films in this way as I had never heard of metacinema until this class. I enjoyed both of these films and I look forward to progressing in my knowledge of cinema and digging down into the deeper meanings behind each film that we view.
First off, Tyler, this is way under the required 500 word minimum.
ReplyDeleteNext, you MUST avoid using language like this: "and I will say that I was extremely satisfied. The substance that the story held was very fascinating to me because people like Mark really do exist in the world and that instills fear beyond words. However let's talk about the technique."
Writing an analysis is not about whether or not you are satisfied. It is about constructing an argument about the material of the film and what you think it accomplishes on a conceptual level. And whether or not people like this exist is irrelevant. Also, never say "now lets talk about X"...just start talking about X. Otherwise its empty speech. Also, you don't actually address technique very well. We need CONCRETE example. Talk about a specific shot. What does it look like? What is happening on the soundtrack? What does that accomplish thematically?