Day 5

     The Great Train Robbery by Edwin S. Porter was originally filmed in 1903. Although both, Voyage Dans La Lune and The Great Train Robbery were silent films, The Great Train Robbery was hard to follow whereas Voyage Dans La Lune was depicted in a much simpler fashion. There was a more complex sequence of events that occurred in The Great Train Robbery that might have been more clear if complemented by audio or perhaps if I had watched the film a second time again. Astoundingly one is able to see the technological advances in film from 1902 to 1903 when comparing these two silent films. The most prominent advancement I noted was the variety of camera angles. Voyage Dans La Lune had one straight on angle for the entire duration of the film. The Great Train Robbery however, depicted the characters from side angles and even from the back when they are on top of the train. I thought this was amazing. The parallel between film making and technology fit hand and glove.

Day 4

      "Le Voyage dans la Lune" (1902) by George Méliès  was surprisingly interesting for a silent, black and white film. I did not expect all the details on the set such as the rocket ship, the snow, the choreography of the aliens, and the arrival into the ocean. Before watching the short film I would not have thought a silent movie would be entertaining.  The portrayal of aliens on the moon was humorous because of the outlandish jumps and struts. I thought their reaction to the humans mimicked the way an indigenous tribe might act to trespassers perhaps of a different complexion. The aliens brought the humans to their ruler as prisoners but they escaped back to Earth with one of the creatures in tow. I believe the film was meant to be outrageous on purpose; it was too far fetched even for 1902. It seems more like the absurdity was actually a device to create wonder or humor in the audience. At the end, every one parties as does the alien. The sets were very interesting to see. In comparison to the graphics of 2015, the setting where the rocket ship landing in the sea looks like a fish tank. Nevertheless, to the audience of 1902 it likely seemed very realistic especially with the added effect of the fish and distortion caused by the old methods of film making. 

Day 3

     The Assignment was to watch an opera from before 1920. Lucky for me, the only opera I've ever seen, Madama Butterfly, was composed by Giacomo Puccini in 1904. Nevertheless, I watched the opera again to fully capture the message(s), explicit and subliminal. The opera was tragic. Act 1 portrayed a Japanese geisha who meets an american sailor, Captain Pinkerton. She is the personified symbol of a butterfly; delicate, passive, sweet, naïve, and short lived. She is the quintessence of the ideal Japanese woman. Unfortunately, her sweet and sensitive personality does not serve to her benefit when Captain Pinkerton leaves her impregnated and with no intent to return. Madama Butterfly's unyielding faith of his return causes her to go mad. She becomes depressed because no one believes in her obsession that Captain Pinkerton will return for her and make her his bride. Years later he returns but it is not for Madama Butterfly. He, Captain Pinkerton, arrives with an American wife and takes the Madama Butterfly's young son. She is heart broken and realizes his true intention from the beginning. Her reaction is just as extreme as her previous love obsession and she concludes the opera with the taking of her own life. As the audience it was heart-rendering to see the protagonist live a tragedy and ultimately die for love. The opera does an excellent job of encompassing and portraying the desperation for love and affection of a woman in the Nineteenth Century.