So far, the films I am looking at are
Paprika by Satoshi Kon (Japan 2008) or Perfect Blue (1998) by Kon
High and Low (1963) or The Bad Sleep Well (1960) Japan, both Akira Kurosawa
Inception by Cristopher Nolan (US 2010)
Vertigo by Alfred Hitchcock (US 1958)
I find that these movies are "mind-trippy" in a way that the average viewer can generally grasp without being a TOK student. I like this because it shows an important part of the Hollywood films/non-Hollywood counterparts, as in what makes blockbusters work; the knowledge curve combined with something that draws people in with the want to know what they do not know, to be tricked and then figure out the trick in a way that they can debate with others over. Also, the questions and ambiguities of morality are very important in the films listed; this makes audiences question their own morals, what is in their own subconscious, helping to interest the audience by making them question their own definitions of morality. That is what makes such movies so critically acclaimed while being so very popular among the general population; the appeal of a "grander-than-normal-life" world that relates and shows the issues we face in our everyday world, forging a personal connection between the viewers and the film as a whole, especially its characters.
| Vertigo | Inception |
| -use of double identity signature of Hitchcock -use of special effects that were relatively advanced at the time to of the film to show the psychosis of the characters -plays with the viewer’s mind on which character is in the right and who is in the wrong -the main character has a psychological issue, as in a fear of heights, that leads to more psychological issues, as in the longing for the female character -slowly reveals what is true in the film, not telling the viewer relatively clearly until the end | -uses perception of what is reality and what is a dream; something that the audience can relate to -also the audience can relate to wanting a dream to become reality; the world-building necessary speaks to the audience to interest them, as if they are acting out their own dreams, and even more than they can imagine -connects such a fantasy world to the real world, real hopes and dreams, like with Cobb wanting to return to his children -yet appeals to how people want to escape into a world that they can control, just like Cobb and Mal did for a long time in their own world, but then leaves the question "If it was you, would you leave it?" This attracts viewer emotionally -heavy use of action sequences that "blow the mind" to interest the viewer in that regard, for this is a very long movie, to make the movie goers think, but still have the familiarity of an action film -the ending serves to make us question whether or not its good that Robert Fischer had that catharsis with his father through inception, for it was good that he was able to reconcile with his father, but that reconciliation was false, untrue, done for an impure reason. Does that make such a feeling of good-will bad for Fischer? In general? That is left up to the viewer, and that is part of why this movie is so popular, at least I would think. |
| Paprika | High and Low |
| -examines rampant dreams coming into reality -seems like newer movies focus more on the dreams rather than morality, at least in Paprika, but Inception has a more undercurrent issue of morality; its not the main issue of the film, but effects the main issue in certain ways, especially in respect to DiCaprio's wife, but not so much the corperate son | -morality issue with the question: do you still “do the right thing” even if it will hurt your loved ones financially? -powerful presence of the main character, a person who seems to have a very sound mind with few "follies"; sets him up for a downfall -movies in 1950s, 1960s could not have too many special effects, so it seems like an emphasis on something that can be portrayed in a familiar situation of sorts; a dream land would be harder to orchestrate, though possible at the time, though not necesarily wanted One of the greatest cops-and-crooks films ever made, High and Low is a combination of immensely powerful psychodrama and exquisitely detailed police procedural -James Roche, Netflix |
My three areas of interest are the persona of the main character, the world of the characters and special effects.
| Vertigo | Inception | High and Low | Paprika |
| -the main character is James Stewart, an actor who gives of a strong, respectable vibe that appeals to the audience; he is the everyday American man who evokes a sense of familiarity and respect -still, despite his appearance, he has a major flaw; his acrophobia | -the main character is very mysterious, letting the viewer know very little at the beginning -the viewer is drawn into his character by his love of his children, his seeming grounding in reality | -Mifune has a strong, authoritative appearance -he seems very grounded in reality, not so much about h | -seems to be very confident -a female lead, with high power in her world and outside of it |
The World of the Characters
| Vertigo | Inception | ||
| -normal world, San Fransisco -goes between the city scape and the country side | -dreams can be contoled and infiltrated by other people |
| High and Low | Paprika |
| -the world is normal -Japan in the early 1960s, but the corporate world that few people know of; it has a certain glamor in the way that most people | -dreams and the real world collide in this movie |
| Vertigo | Inception | High and Low | Paprika |
| -very limited to show the pathos of James Stewart’s character -also, technology of the time was limited, but could show how the character was losing his mind at an important shift in the film, with the swirls and | -this movie is heavily reliant upon special effects to portray the worlds of the characters and the conflicts displayed -much of the action and movement of the story relies on the special effects in the “dream” world and how the characters can manipulate that world | -this movie uses no special effects that I can see -this is important because it shows how the crew wanted the story to portray morality in a more “human” and comprehensible-using-societal-convention ways. | -high use of technology because it is animated; used with a very colorful design with extrodianary images abound of the dream world -some camera angles shown would be very difficult to achieve with normal filming techniques |
