When the film’s actor Sterling K. Brown received the script from director Terry Edward Schaltz, he must be puzzled: this is an embedded music prompt, with different sizes and color fonts, constantly reminding the movie The pdf of the frame change. The uniqueness of the script also implies the experimental nature and characteristics of this movie.
Tame Impala, Frank Ocean, Kendrick lamar, Kanye West, Radiohead... How can I hear these people singing continuously in two hours? The answer is not a concert, but this movie called "Waves" .
Perhaps it is precisely because of the strong lineup that this film was once erroneously promoted as a music film (in fact, it is quite similar). The power of music to the film is obvious. The scene of listening to "Blond" in the bathtub in the film is fascinating, and Radiohead with hazy teary eyes is also heartbreaking . Taking into account the film's weak youth film script, the music conceals the weakness of the plot to a certain extent.
In addition to music, the biggest highlight of the film is the picture. The bold color scheme gives the audience a huge impact. This color scheme is not limited to the dazzling blue-purple neon in some party scenes. In the film, especially in the first half, the film pays much attention to the consistency and conflict between the colors of the characters and the environment. Overall, it presents a sense of youthful bells and whistles.
The change in the size of the film is the most noticeable in the film. There have been three frames in this film, 1.33:1, 1.85:1, and 2.35:1. The change of the frame is 1.85:1->2.35:1->1.33:1->2.35:1->1.85:1, presented in a circular form.
The film's frame switching is synchronized with the development of the plot . The first time the film has been changed was when Tyler learned that his girlfriend was pregnant and he was injured. Before that, his life was full of hope. The second change was after he missed his girlfriend to death. After Tyler was imprisoned, the third change was after Emily met Luke. After the fourth change, the film became the first one, and the family life became complete again.
The shrinking picture frame is like a shackle, locking the male protagonist's life and space, making him continue to make rash decisions until he goes to jail. In the 1.33:1 frame, the shaking of the lens, the follow-up, and the close-up are like documentary DV recording the process of Tyler's arrest. And as Emily's life returned to normal, the picture gradually unfolded. The whole process is just like the title of the film "The Wave", the tide ebbs and flows again and again .
The idea of the whole film is quite sophisticated, and the color, format and theme complement each other . The soundtrack is sufficiently in line with the tonality of the youth film, and I feel that the release of the original soundtrack may be more watched than the film (not). Even the weakest plot is still a qualified youth film with enough "wave".
This is already the third film between the director and A24, and the screen of this film is also reminiscent of A24's other recent film "The Original Diamond". Compared with the fierce conflicts in "The Original Diamond", the audio-visual level of "The Wave" can be said to be worse than that, and it has become the core point of the movie. It was said before that "The Original Diamond" is Oscar's biggest bead, so A24 must be the neglected necklace.
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