Man on Wire

Man on Wire is a very well made documentary and it is a lot different then the other films that we have watched this year. This piece is a lot lighter and fluffier than what we have been doing most of the year which is watching propaganda films or films about propaganda. Philippe Petit is a cray man and an eccentric who you have to give credit to for accomplishing his dreams. I thought the most interesting part of this film was how the filmmaker recreated the scenes of them hiding in the twin towers with the voice over from the actual people involved. The film was extremely well made and i thought it was a very interesting character piece. The only thing I did not like about the film was how they glossed over the end pretty quick. I wanted to know a little more about how once Petit accomplished his dreams he moved on not only from wire walking but from all the people that helped him get there. I thought this part of the film was a little to rushed and could have been developed a little more. Overall I think this a very good film that is very interesting and it makes me want to see the narrative take in The Walk.  

"Man on Wire"

Watching the film “Man on Wire” was a welcomed distraction from propaganda films. Especially after viewing for the first time the ending of “The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas” I could not handle much more emotion that day.

I think what made the film “Man on Wire” as interesting as it was, is the fact that they had original footage. Majority of the film was not still interviews with the characters but footage that showed the group’s formation and the early days of practice for Philippe. If the film did not have this I don’t think it would have been as captivating as it was. The audience was able to see the idea evolving and even before the idea was an idea. I think this helped the audience participate in the journey to his dream to walk between the World Trade Towers.

Also, without this footage I don’t think the story would be as believable as it is with the evidence. Philippe is a very extravagant character and very animated in his story telling. This made me skeptical of how much of the information he was providing was factual or stories he was exaggerating. Anyone that is that animated or extravagant I am weary of and the footage helped me trust what he was saying.

There were a few surprising parts of the film for me. One was how he said he did not realize he was on the wire for over 40 minutes and had crossed as many times as he did. For me, that is not something you wouldn’t realize when you’re a quarter of a mile above the ground with no safety nets. When he said that he did not realize this it made me wonder how many other things he did not realize during this process and only fueled my skepticism of his storytelling. At the end of the film I was surprised that he split ways with all the people that helped to get him to that point. He called it a clean break but it looked more like he used them and their mission was done and they were dismissed. I especially felt bad for the woman who was dating him because of the amount of concern she must have had for him during this process and then he just leaves.

Boy in the Striped Pajamas

This is a very good movie not really a film I wanted to see for a second time because of the heartbreak that it brings. Asa Butterfield is great in this film as he has the very difficult task of getting the audience to care and getting the audience emotionally invested. Vera Farmiga is also another stand out from this film as she brings a real gravitas to all of her films. Though this movie is not a documentary I think it was a good way to tie up our propaganda section because of how propaganda is worked into this narrative film. I like the way that this film shows the effects of propaganda especially on young and impressionable youth. The fact that the main character Bruno is mostly unaffected by the propaganda that is constantly being taught to him but his sister who is only a few years older is affected on an extreme level. The scene where the soldiers bring in the film equipment to project a film and Bruno looks over the door to watch it reminded me a lot of the films that we have seen in class. The film showed happy people jumping on the stones and this was just a lie just like the film that Kurt Gerron was making in Prisoner of Paradise. 

Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Thankfully, this was the second time I've seen The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, so I was not hit with a tidal wave of emotion at the end of the film. I will admit, though, that no amount of preparation can keep you from feeling bummed out once the credits roll.

This movie allows the viewer to empathize with characters from all sides of the story in a way not many films can. From the beginning, you're siding with the son of a Nazi officer; while he's just a boy full of innocence, he does make some terrible mistakes (getting Shmuel beaten for eating food in the house). You even learn to understand that young, cruel soldier before he's sent to the front line; he acts so outwardly anti-Semitic to make up for his father's disliking the Nazi regime.

The music in the film is also fantastic. The classical score just carries you through the plot rather gently, until the ending climax, where the composer throws everything he's got at you. The one, shrieking sustained note that's held as Bruno and Shmuel meet their fates is absolutely bone chilling, and will never fail to move me. I firmly believe that without that perfectly created piece of music, the scene would not have been as powerful as it was.

Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The film, “Boy in the Striped Pajamas” solidified the semester long conversation regarding propaganda. It was not a documentary like the majority of films we have viewed this semester. However, it took all the concepts of the propaganda documentaries and presented them in a heartbreaking, relatable example.

The story focused on a young boy growing up in Nazi Germany with a father in the military. He is forced to move from Berlin to the country and unknowingly lives next to a concentration camp. By the filmmakers focusing on the young child it gives a different narrative to the story that is rarely discussed. It is telling the story from the point of view of a young boy who has no option but to listen to his father and mother and who is visibly lost by the events happening. This method of focusing on the boy evokes more empathy in the viewer because it is apparent how innocent he is and how little he knows of the events happening. If the focus was on the father or the mother, the film would not be as effective because they are older characters who understand what is happening and are making a conscious decision to support the Nazis.

By following the story of the boy through total innocents to beginning to understand the events happening, the viewers grow with him and become attached to him. This is why the ending is as effective as it is because it strikes in the blind spot taking an approach the viewers are not expecting or can’t believe will actually happen.

It is also important to point out the themes that allow everyone to connect to the story. Some of those are friendship, innocents and human nature, things everyone has experienced at one point and can relate to within Bruno’s story.

Man on Wire

The film Man on Wire turned out to be very different than what I was expecting. The story itself is obviously very remarkable, but the documentaries retelling and analysis of the event is equally remarkable. It's use of partially real footage and partially acted footage from Philippe Petit preparation is nearly seamless. The inclusion of the real-footage makes the acted-footage seem so much more believable and effective.

I thought the most powerful part of the film was hearing the interviewee's talk about experiencing the actual wire-walk, and also the after math of it. The fact that Petit's relationship with all of these people ended almost immediately after the event took place is really thought-provoking. On one hand, it is easy to think that Philippe Petit used these people as a means to his end, and as soon as he achieved it and reached a level of stardom he ignored them. Petit clearly thinks a little differently than most people, so it easy to point the blame at him.

On the other hand, I think that his crew is equally at fault for the post-wire-walking lack of communication. I believe that they realized, over the course of their preparation, who delusional and absorbed Petit was. I think that they stuck with it only because they had dedicated so much time, effort, and money in to the project, and they wanted to see the fruit of their own labor as well. They were able to be a part of the event and then walk away and have Petit out of their lives.

Petit's perception of wire-walking as an art form is very interesting, though I do agree with it. To me, it is the same as any form of modern exhibitionist art. It is a physical and interactive form of art. It is clear by the interviewee's reaction that seeing him performing is an extremely beautiful sight. I do wonder, however, whether random pedestrians who see Philippe in the act find it beautiful, or artistic, or if it provides them with more a thrill. I don't think their immediate reaction would be to consider this art.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a World War II film based on the novel of the same name. It focuses primarily on Germany and the holocaust. The story begins when Bruno, the 8-year-old main character, and his family must move to the countryside as a result of his Nazi father's promotion. I was struck by the pace of the film; it moves very slowly, building a dramatic tension from the start to the tragic climax. Knowing that it was not a happy story, I found myself wondering throughout the film what exactly would go wrong for Asa and his jewish friend Shmuel.

I thought the highlight of the story, which may be more credited to the book than the film, was the unbelievable complexity of each of the characters. The story is masterful at making you feel both sides of every character. Even though you just want Bruno to be happy throughout the film, there are times when you are extremely angry at him, like when he doesn't accept responsibility for Shmuel eating their food in the house.

Even the unlikable characters, such as the father, Ralf, and Lieutenant Kotler have moments that make you feel for them. Even though Ralf could be held accountable for the death of his son, Bruno, his crippling grief when he learns what has happened is extremely difficult to watch. Additionally, Lieutenant Kotler is initially presented as a heartless, scary, and mean character, but as the film progresses you see a much more human side to him.

Lastly, the score in the film was absolutely haunting. I didn't notice it as a point of particular emphasis until the climax of the film. Not that the climax needs music to be powerful, but the music absolutely amplified the tension and the horror of the situation. After Bruno's death, when all is silent, is one of the most chilling moments in film I can remember seeing.