SCREEN-L Archives

April 2000, Week 4

SCREEN-L@LISTSERV.UA.EDU

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show HTML Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Rory Johanson <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 28 Apr 2000 04:50:02 EST
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (31 lines)
>On Mon, 24 Apr 2000 at 09:27:09 -0500
>
>Jane Campion's most recent film, _Holy Smoke_, received very mixed
>reviews....

For me, Campion's use of geography and surroundings in "Holy Smoke" and "The
Piano" are used much in the same way as they were in "Sweetie", that being
backdrops which allow us to focus on the character.  The remote settings in
India and New Zealand enhance the characters isolation, and endear them to
us as the hero.  Her contrasting of the outback with the city in "Sweetie"
supports the film greatly. The family leave the city and enjoy harmony,for
once,in a free atmosphere (outback), while Sweetie is left to drive herself
crazy with the noise and bustle of the city, in the dark and suffocating
suburban house.  The locations allow for her character driven narrative to
progress smoothly and seem distant, due to our focus on the characters
within the location rather than on the context.
I urge you to see "Sweetie" it is by far Campions most creative and
beautiful film, which came in a period of her film making career where she
had evolved from making wonderfull student films to quality artistic films,
which contributed greatly to the forming of a rich national cinema in
Australia.

R.Johanson.

________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com

----
To sign off Screen-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF Screen-L
in the message.  Problems?  Contact [log in to unmask]

ATOM RSS1 RSS2