DOGME 95

Dogme 95 is an avant-garde filmmaking movement started in 1995 by the Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg with the signing of the Dogme 95 Manifesto and the "Vow of Chastity". They were later joined by fellow Danish directors Kristian Levring and Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, to form a group sometimes known as the Dogme 95 Collective or the Dogme Brethren. Dogme is the Danish word for dogma.

The genre gained international appeal partly because of its accessibility. It sparked off an interest in unknown filmmakers by suggesting that one can make a recognised film without being dependent on commissions or huge Hollywood budgets, depending on European government subsidies and television stations instead. The movement has been criticised for being a disguised attempt to gain media attention. Dogme was initiated to cause a stir and to make filmmakers and audiences re-think the art, effect and essence of filmmaking.
The manifesto and its companion vows were drafted by friends and initial co-signators Von Trier and Vinterberg. Vinterberg holds that it took them 45 minutes to finish. The manifesto initially mimics the wording of François Truffaut's 1954 essay Une certaine tendance du cinéma français in Cahiers du cinéma.


The Dogme movement was announced on March 22, 1995 at Le cinéma vers son deuxième siècle conference in Paris, where the cinema world gathered to celebrate the first century of motion pictures and contemplate the uncertain future of commercial cinema. Lars von Trier was called upon to speak about the future of film but instead showered a bemused audience with red pamphlets announcing the Dogme 95 movement.

In response to criticism, Von Trier and Vinterberg have both stated that they just wanted to establish a new extreme. "In a business of extremely high budgets, we figured we should balance the dynamic as much as possible."

The first of the Dogme films (Dogme #1) was Vinterberg's 1998 film Festen (The Celebration), which was critically acclaimed and won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival that year. Lars von Trier's Dogme film, Idioterne (The Idiots), also premiered at Cannes that year but was less successful. Since the two original films were released, other directors have participated in the creation of Dogme films. French-American actor and director Jean-Marc Barr was the first non-Dane to direct a Dogme film with 1999's Lovers (Dogme #5), followed by the American Harmony Korine's movie Julien Donkey-Boy (Dogme #6).

In 2004 the multi-awarded film Het Zuiden (South) directed by Martin Koolhoven thanked Dogme 95 in its credits. The movie (co-produced by Lars von Trier's Zentropa was originally planned to be shot as a Dogme 95 movie, but director Koolhoven decided against it.


GOALS AND RULES
The goal of the Dogme collective is to purify filmmaking by refusing expensive and spectacular special effects, postproduction modifications and other gimmicks. The emphasis on purity forces the filmmakers to focus on the actual story and on the actors' performances. The audience may also be more engaged as they do not have overproduction to alienate them from the narrative, themes, and mood. To this end, Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg produced ten rules to which any Dogme film must conform. These rules, referred to as the "Vow of Chastity," are as follows:


Filming must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in. If a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location must be chosen where this prop is to be found.

The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. Music must not be used unless it occurs within the scene being filmed, i.e., diegetic.

The camera must be a hand-held camera. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. The film must not take place where the camera is standing; filming must take place where the action takes place.

The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable (if there is too little light for exposure the scene must be cut or a single lamp be attached to the camera).

Optical work and filters are forbidden.

The film must not contain superficial action (murders, weapons, etc. must not occur.)
Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden (that is to say that the film takes place here and now).

Genre movies are not acceptable.

The final picture must be transferred to the Academy 35mm film, with an aspect ratio of 4:3, that is, not widescreen. (Originally, the requirement was that the film had to be filmed on Academy 35mm film, but the rule was relaxed to allow low-budget productions.)

The director must not be credited.


USES AND ABUSES
The above rules have been both circumvented and broken, from the first Dogme film. For instance, Thomas Vinterberg "confessed" to having covered a window during the shooting of one scene in The Celebration (Festen), which is both bringing a prop onto the set and using special lighting. Lars Von Trier used background music (Le Cygne by Camille Saint-Saëns) in the film The Idiots (Idioterne).

Since 2002 and the 31st film (included) no more verification process through the original board is needed by a filmmaker to have his/her film certified as Dogme 95. The founding brothers have moved towards new experimental projects and showed themselves to be skeptical about the later frequent interpretation of the Manifesto as a brand or a genre. The movement eventually broke up in 2005. Today, filmmakers submit a form online and check a box which states they "truly believe that the film ... has obeyed all Dogme95 rules as stated in the VOW OF CHASTITY.



CRITICISM
Remodernist filmmaker Jesse Richards criticizes the movement in his Remodernist Film Manifesto, stating in Point 10, "Remodernist film is not Dogme ’95. We do not have a pretentious checklist that must be followed precisely. This manifesto should be viewed only as a collection of ideas and hints whose author may be mocked and insulted at will. American film critic Armond White also criticized the movement stating that it is "the manifesto that brought filmmaking closer to amateur porn", and that it will be rejected by film historians.

Resident Evil Afterlife "more of the same"

Autumn has always been the perfect season for movie premieres about suspense, thriller and horror. Zombies, dead, ghosts and vampires, we invade at least until November. In commercial cinema the suspense is not a ghost or a zombie, it's practically a dead topped. The fourth part of the Resident Evil series is one example of this. A film with a hackneyed plot and a predictable dramatic development, is a film that I would call EXTRACOMERCIAL. Although I wonder how they dared to do the fourth series? How I held back in the theater watching this movie? Watching how worn celluloid and economic resources.

The film directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, begins with the continued expansion of the T virus in the world and existence of Arcadia, a ship free of infection, to which everyone wants to go to be safe. During the first scenes is trying to capture the essence of the classic zombie movie, with interesting characters and sense of threat and constant fear. However Resident Evil Afterlife takes place in a cycle of predictable patterns in the style of film entertainment. Special effects on one hand and meaningless fights on the other. While this scene takes, the movie works for that audience, the argument is heading towards a new and forced confrontation between Alice and the Umbrella Company. Alice jovocich character played by miles is worn and does not have that strength displayed on-screen in his first three films; even she gets so over-acted and unconvincing. Some battle scenes in slow motion that it becomes excessive and unnecessary, a total lack of imagination, is what we will find from here. There is an especial villain, played by Shawn Roberts that does not meet minimum quality requirements and the emergence of Wentworth Miller in the role of Chris Redfield.

The basic problem with this video game adaptation of the same name is the first movie, "Resident Evil", which created an entirely new storyline around the character of Alice (Jovovich) instead of respect or adapt the video game. This error has been accusing the rest of the sagas, in which they have tried to gradually introduce characters and elements of video games, as the brothers Redfield or villains like Nemesis and Majini Verdugo. Nevertheless continues to insist again and again in the initial plot, for calling in any way, and "resources" with those trying to entertain the fans are no longer sufficient.

In conclusion, although there has been a remarkable technical and visual improvements, the story fails captarte as a spectator, to become a torture slow and boring, it will be enough for anyone spectator who wait more than action and fighting in 3D. Many people in the theater came to laugh even in scenes that supposedly appeared serious and action, but by their level of mounting a direction quite predictable and repeated in this type of film no longer convince an audience alienated by these types of films. Now I understand the 3D in the movie, was perhaps the only way to convene the public and take over the global number 1 film in this weekend. If you decide to see it, do not forget this movie could be a great exercise to know what kinds of films do not see.

El intercambio

Clint Eastwood es sin duda alguna uno de los mejores directores que existen en estos momentos. En “El Intercambio”, nos propone una dirección sobria, clásica, en la que sobresalen los actores en una historia realmente sorprendente y que cuesta creer que haya ocurrido en la realidad, por la gravedad de los hechos.

Angelina Jolie una madre desesperada por la desaparición de su hijo, y junto a ella nos encontramos actores impresionante como John Malkovich y Jeffrey Donovan. Jason Butler Harner también compone un personaje a destacar.

Con una duración de dos horas y media, “El Intercambio” nos presenta la trágica historia de Christine Collins, centrándose en ella pero dándonos otros márgenes de maniobra en los que la película fluye diversificando esa duración y componiendo una de las mejores producciones de este 2008.Clint Eastwood sabe cómo crear una verdadera atmosfera cinematográfica con un gran equipo, eso está claro, pero también hay que saber dirigirlos. Otro gran maestro como es Alfred Hitchcock siempre decía que trabajar con niños y animales era lo peor y más difícil del mundo, pues bien, aquí el bueno de Clint se rodea de unos niños que nos dejan unas interpretaciones espectaculares.

Puede que este Intercambio partiera desde un principio con ciertas desventajas. Analizando su premisa, esta no dista demasiado de esos bodrios de sobremesa de consumo rápido, en el que el melodrama escapa por la pantalla como una substancia viscosa y asfixiante. Sin embargo, la magia del genio fluye desde el primer fotograma introduciendo al espectador en una historia visceral, dura, carente de edulcorantes y al mismo tiempo emotiva y conmovedora. El Intercambio es la lucha de la humanidad contra el salvajismo instalado en sus instituciones y en el propio espíritu de los hombres; y sus protagonistas, al fin y al cabo, son tan sólo hombres y mujeres condenados a vivir rodeados de depredadores. Eastwood equipara ante los tribunales del pueblo a corruptos y a asesinos, a consentidores y a criminales en esta impactante cruzada de una inolvidable Angelina Jolie, aquí menos estrella y más actriz, que impulsa con su presencia un drama demoledor. Porque esta es la marca de la casa, ese factor con el que Eastwood marca la diferencia. Sus obras logran que el público llore, ría, sufra, hierba de rabia en sus asientos e incluso se rebele. Eastwood logra que el espectador sienta, y que no se limite a comer palomitas mientras espera, lacónico, la siguiente explosión. Esta semana sí, en esta sección tenemos cine.

Una gran dirección artística nos ayuda a meternos en la historia, al situarnos en la ciudad de Los Angeles de los años 20 y 30. En definitiva, “El intercambio” es una película que sobresale entre la mediocridad que abunda en las carteleras, y se mantiene como una gran título en una filmografía plagada de éxitos como es la del Sr. Eastwood.

"Postdata te amo"

El argumento de este filme es bastante sencillo y enseguida capta la atención del espectador (un hombre fallece de un tumor cerebral y deja a su esposa una serie de cartas que recibe semanas y meses después de su muerte para que de este modo ella afronte el futuro con optimismo). Sin embargo, y como sucede en tantas y tantas ocasiones, las expectativas que uno tiene con determinadas producciones suelen ser demasiado elevadas si luego nos atenemos a lo que la realidad nos depara.

Así, “Posdata: Te quiero” es una cinta lenta. El punto de partida de la historia no aparece en escena hasta que ha transcurrido alrededor de media hora del filme, sucediéndose una serie de insulsas situaciones antes y después de que Holly, la protagonista, vaya abriendo las distintas misivas que en su día escribió su desaparecido marido. Amigas insoportables, apuntes cómicos que no nos hacen reír y tópicas palabras sobre el amor se acumulan en un guión bastante más convencional de lo esperado. Al menos uno puede disfrutar de algunos de los hermosos paisajes por los que se pasean los personajes, de la agradable música de John Powell, quien logra dejarse oír a pesar de las numerosas canciones que forman parte de la banda sonora, y de las interpretaciones de algunos integrantes de su reparto (Kathy Bates y Hilary Swank en los instantes dramáticos de la cinta). Sin embargo, insisto, la sensación que se nos queda tras ver esta película es la de encontrarnos ante una desaprovechada obra a la que le sobra mucho metraje y le falta algo de sentimiento (eso sí, sus responsables deben de estar bien contentos, ya que, con un presupuesto de 30 millones de dólares, “Posdata: Te quiero” ya ha recaudado alrededor de 140 en todo el mundo).