Two-thirds of people fell asleep while watching the film. Not because there are no conflicting plots in the film, nor because there is no sound when the film is played, but because the sound of the film is only the sound of the music, the film has no ambient sound, no voice-over, not even the voice of the dialogue between the actors. In addition, the video is very long, and the above is enough to kill the patience and interest of the viewers.
No matter what age, people don't like to develop war. The damage to a family and a country by war is unimaginable, just like a family in the film, they used to live peacefully and very happily. There was a lovely sister and two upbeat brothers, but when the Civil War broke out, the parents lost one of their sons. With the desolate demeanor of their parents and the chaos of war, the enemy could break into their homes and loot at will, but they were powerless to resist. This reminds me of the films I saw before about World War II, where the unarmed civilians are like ants in front of the invaders with guns and ammunition, and they have no dignity at all. I am afraid that only those who have really experienced the horror of war can understand clearly, and what future generations can do is to learn lessons and learn from them.
Personally, I feel that the war in this film has made the image of black people too despicable, and on the other hand, it has raised the status of white people too much, and racial discrimination is particularly prominent. There is a relatively long time in the film to describe how blacks forced white women to marry them. For example, a black officer forced a little white girl to a cliff and finally died. It is precisely because of this that the white people are more determined to defeat the black people and take back the rule of the region. From this point of view, it seems as if both the initiators and promoters of the war were black. But this is inconsistent with history.
The film is processed and beautified, which means that a large part of it is fiction or distorted facts, but the audience's perception of the black community will also be affected by this. This is where the film is controversial. This can also imagine the status and discourse power of black people in American society at that time. Perhaps this can also explain why the problem of racial discrimination has not been solved. The media does not play the role of advocating racial equality. It is used as a business buy point in order to cater to the views of the majority and earn more benefits. Most of the time, the audience follows the nose of the media. Of course, it is not absolute, but it will have an impact on attitude.
Body language and facial expressions are the tools for silent films to communicate with the audience. A film is a moving picture, a form of storytelling that blends image and sound. Its fluidity and dynamism create an atmosphere for the audience to be in it, so the film is a way to quickly spread information and most affect the audience's emotions in the media. Of course, like this film, because it was produced in 1915, due to the limitations of sound recording and production technology, it is impossible to coordinate the sound with the picture, and it cannot be like a sound film. But I have to admire the actors of that era, who implicitly expressed the relationship and conflict between characters through large-scale body on the screen. Such as showing anger by widening their eyes, biting their fingers in their mouths to show unease or surprise, and walking around to show they are thinking. It is also because of the large body language and facial expressions that give this silent film a sense of humor. I remember that when the black officer who forced the white girl to marry him wanted to run away on horseback, he ran very fast, and he kept watching to see if anyone found him, and his head was twisting and turning. At that time, he felt a little funny. . Not because of the plot, but because of the behavior of the black man.
Another is that the filming method of this film is worth exploring and learning.
The most impressive thing is that some films are shot through a circular lens. The audience seems to observe the development of the plot through a telescope, and they can also switch the plot by changing the size of the lens, which makes the original dull and silent film. Movies become fun. There are also some close-up shots, which use the limited technology at the time to present the audience with close-up actor dynamics, and the human face is the most eye-catching, which can also attract the audience to watch.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the ups and downs of the plot are completely consistent with the rhythm of the film's soundtrack, sometimes low, sometimes sonorous, sometimes rapid, which should be another symbol used by silent movies to convey its plot. However, I felt that the three-hour soundtrack was too long, and with no dialogue, it was a bit difficult to concentrate on enjoying it.
View more about The Birth of a Nation reviews
