Films Analysis Essay on Fritz Lang's 1931 Classic M and Girlhood by Celine Sciamma

Introduction

The art of filmmaking is the leading edge of creativity whereby the concerned individuals have to apply new and different styles depicting their topic of interest. There are many discrete stages which are inclusive of the initial story that actors have to perform, ideas that need to come out through the activities of screenwriting, casting, shooting as well as sound recording. Filmmakers also have to engage in other activities that are essential to come up with a finished product such as reproduction, editing, and screening before the release or exhibition of the film to the audience. The elements of filmmaking that help the directors and writers tell the exclusive narrative include the likes of film structure, aspects of cinematography, the design, editing and visual effects among others. The paper will look into the comparison of two films which as Fritz Lang's M and Sciamma's film on Girlhood. These two movies depict similarities and differences that directors use for their filmmaking processes.

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The film structure of Fritz Lang's M is that of allegory and narrative structure whereby the director uses the tools to bring a closer understanding of the murderer who is the critical element of the movie. The film shows that the murderer, in this case, is a little more than a plot function. The actions that they portray tend to accelerate the movement as it is shown in the movie and the narrative continues to unfold from one scene to another (Herzog, 2009). The film structure, in this case, is supported by the changing views where the murder appears in most areas. There is the struggle shown in the way the murderer behaves and the people trying to catch him. It is a good structure that reveals the political Romanticism of Lang that he practiced.

The film structure of Girlhood by Sciamma is that it is mainly centered on fiction. Sciamma in the film tries to describe imaginary events of the girl gang that the actors formed and the different characters she included in the movie. Fiction helps to show the roles of each character in the film such that the story has a beginning where Marieme is rejected and decides to enter an all-girl gang, a middle where Marieme falls under their bravado and subtle energy and ends up making foolish choices and the end (Wilson, 2017). The decision for a perfect film structure is the same way an individual decides on how they should dress for a particular ceremony. The film is strategically done in the order of events transitioning from one scene to another where one activity leads to another.

The visual effects are also essential elements of a film especially in the aspect of motion pictures which makes films be forms of human expression. Fritz Lang's M shows a range of visual effects where he made sure that most images remain genuinely iconic (Herzog, 2009). He uses the visual effects to portray the killer and the society that produced him which he shows to be very extraordinary. Throughout the film, he explains the equally terrible consequences of murders. However, he does not demonize him. The film shows that Fritz clearly understands the visual potential and its splendor that help to make sure that the viewers remain pleased with the old novels and tales.

The visual effects of Girlhood also show a clear flow of events for the girls. The fact that the film is modern depicts the use of current results to create an engaging story for the viewers to follow. The film makes use of effects such as digital compositing, miniature effects, and in-camera effects to generate imagery and manipulate the viewers to take note of the same outside the context (Wilson, 2017). It is weird that Sciamma is a white girl but made a film on black women. She says that it is different working with black women but most importantly, she wanted to give a face to the French youth. Thus, the visual effects clearly show the scope of black women which go ahead to create a certain amount of sociological details from the film.

The films also use characters to show the different roles of different people in society and their impacts. Fritz's M uses Beckert as the murder and the Berlin police who relentlessly search for him (Herzog, 2009). These two characters hint at the somewhat murky moral status of the society that the murder lives in as well as try to point on the hypocrisy that may turn into uncontrollable witch-hunt (Wilson, 2017). Sciamma in Girlhood uses the four girls as main characters of the story and how their behavior influences each other and what the society depicts of them.

Conclusion

Filmmaking elements matter in ensuring great fulfillment in trying to understand the dynamics of a film. The story elements are unique to every medium, and they help to satisfy the human urge to tell stories and the desire of others to listen. Filmmaking is an essential part of creating a film, and the inclusion of unique elements helps to make sure that the film is captivating to the audience.

References

Herzog, T. (2009). Fritz Lang's M (1931): An open case'. Weimar Cinema: An Essential Guide to Classic Films of the Era, 291-309.

Wilson, E. (2017). Scenes of Hurt and Rapture: Celine Sciamma's Girlhood. FILM QUART, 70(3), 10-22.