War In The Movies By Rossellini And Mizoguchi Movie Review Sample

The Italian drama “Rome, Open City” by Roberto Rossellini was shot in 1945. Being a perfect example of the Italian neorealism, the film is significant for its naturality. It depicts Rome during the World War II, with all its horror and cruelty. The story is told in chronological order. The film is black and white, with high-key lighting and mostly deep focus. The director of “Rome, Open City” uses normal lens, so the perspective is normal and the focal length is moderate. The film is shot by the objective camera, so that the spectator watches the action as the neutral observer. The film is full of intercuttings (especially when the main heroes are persecuted by the Germans). Several scenes are shot with the help of high-angle camera (to show the arrival of the Germans). The movie is set in the poor ruined streets and apartments of Rome where everything proves of poverty and hopelessness. The costumes of the characters are simple and sometimes even ragged (the children). The sound of the movie is realistic.
“Ugetsu”, or “Ugetsu Monogatari” by Kenji Mizoguchi is a Japanese film shot in 1953. Based on the ghost story of the same name by Ueda Akinari, the film depicts Azuchi–Momoyama period Japan. The film is praised by lots of critics for its cinematography. The beauty and the morality of the opening and the closing shots were complimented for the camera work. Another attractive scene is where Genjurō and Lady Wakasa make love near the stream: here, the camera follows the stream instead of shooting them. The director uses the objective camera and normal lens. The costumes in the movie play a very important role because they depict the Japanese culture and attract the viewer’s attention much.