There were a few really key shots that stood out to me in the movie and there were alot of really neat techniques that Ernst Lubitsch utilized, however the one that stood out to me the most was the first shot we see of Gaston.
The shot begins with Francois Filiba passed out on the floor and shows him try to get up but fall over again. This shot is from his window and then the shot backs up slightly and zooms around the entire building which I can only imagine to make this a crane shot, and onto the balcony of Gaston's suite with him leaning casually as his waiting begins to ask him questions. The shot was so fluent and smooth and was very well executed. There was a time when I suspected a cut was made in the shot however I believe that was just a jump in the film or a glitch if you will. None the less it was a very well achieved shot.
I know we are not supposed to post our opinions but I really, really loved this film and found it witty, hilarious and well made.
Beause this film is a Romantic Comedy, I found it to be laden with sexual imagery, which merely adds to its fun, light-heartedness.
There were many explicit sexual references, such as when Mme. Colet is in a suggestive tennis outfit in yoga's plow pose: http://www.yogisutras.com/images/pose-plow.jpg, and asks, "Like this, Monsieur Laval?" But I found myself more drawn to the hard-to-reach references, such as the luxurious bed that is floating on a black screen among the beginning credits, whose pillows look like two huge breasts.
In any case, the director's little witty addition I like best was near the beginning, when Gaston and Lily are closing the door of their hotel room in a fit of passion, and putting up a "Do Not Disturb" Sign; the director uses a close-up shot of the door that goes on for several seconds, allowing the audience to clearly make out their suite number: 300/02.
(Of course, this film is constantly referring to numbers:fo example, time is constantly being checked and referred to, the suite Gaston and Lily had is mentioned a few times: 253 579, and Gaston's main duty as a secretary involves checking numbers in the estate, etc.)
But I found this number particularly funny because it seems as though the three 000s of ecstasy are front and centre. Tirst Gaston steals the pin from Lily's breast, then he removes her garter from under her dress, and then he seduces her. (Of course, at the risk of being gender-biased, I could flip it around and say that first Lily steals Gaston's (stolen) wallet, then she takes his watch from his wrist, and then SHE seduces HIM)
Well first of all I loved this movie, it really does make most modern romantic comedies look just so unimaginative and 2 dimensional. Most of the shots that I loved in Trouble in Paradise I loved because the witty dialogue about pickpockets and shoplifters was set against romantic silhouettes and intimate body positioning. This juxtaposition made the film so much more interesting to watch as well as listen to.
However the shot that stood out to me most of all was one with Madame Colet and Gaston. Madame Colet is standing in the window (her bedroom or his, I forget which) near the end of the movie. It's night out and as she looks out the window the shot is from behind her with Madam Colet to the left of the frame and a clock tower perfectly centered and lit brightly in the very center of the shot. The repetitive use of clocks closer to the end of the film just made this shot seem all the more important. Their time together is coming to an end and she knows it. She's standing so still and quiet partially behind the slightly see through curtains as Gaston enters the frame. They turn towards each other and discuss how their love affair could have been divine, glorious, marvelous and wonderful - all lit beautifully and all with the clock tower centered between their heads.
This movie was so fun to watch, I just wish we had more Ernst Lubitsch films on the schedule for class.
One shot that really stood out for me was when Madame Cole calls in Gaston's girlfriend (Lily I believe?) to have a chat. This was the scene where Lily enters Madame Cole's bedroom while she is laying on her bed eating breakfast. Lily stirs her coffee for her, while Madame Cole sweet-talks Lily into dating Gaston. The specific shot that I am referring to is when Madame Cole's ring drops on the ground and the camera just focuses on that ring on the ground. This shot "moved" me in the sense that it filled me with suspense. I didn't know if Lily was going to grab it and take it for herself and be caught for the thief she is, or if nothing at all would happen, and she would just leave it. She does end up grabbing it, which made it even more suspenseful because for that split second the audience doesn't know if she's going to get caught or not. It turns out, however that she grabs the ring and in fact hands it to Madame Colet with the intention of just returning her ring back to her. In this small action, Lily trys to show and emphasize to Madame Colet that she would never steal from her (which, obviously is the complete opposite from the truth).
My favorite shot in the movie is when there is a detective questioning Francois about the robbery and after each of Francois's answers he would then walk to the group of police officers behind him and translate/discuss. Despite the whole scene taking place in what would usually take up two screens, instead of cutting between the detective interviewing Francois and him talking to the other officers there is a smooth pan going back and forth. This makes the scene seem more fluent. It also goes well with the comedy of the film by making the scene seem more chaotic.
I also really enjoyed this movie, and how it was alot different than ones we've previously seen. A simple scene that I enjoyed was when when the beautiful Kay Francis was talking to Francois about marriage. She is holding a drink and leaning back casually. The lighting of this shot is so pretty, and makes her look stunning. It's coming from the back and creates a silver light on her hair and her white shoulders are emphasized. The lamp in the foreground looks just as tall as her, making her appear small and delicate. When she is speaking she is not looking at him, but off into the distance. She then looks at him and explains that marriage with him, would be a mistake.
An amusing shot within the film was when François and The Major are waiting downstairs for Madame Colet. Each dressed in identical clothing and both holding there cane and hat in the same position. i felt this showed how they were flat characters and very similar to each other , which in this case was not the sexual attraction of Madame Colet. François informs him of the obvious, which is that he does not like his company but wants to be civil as they will have to be with each other for the evening. The major is unresponsive sitting still and pretending to be deaf.This continues for until being harassed forcing him to sharply respond with "Tonsils". An amusing shot that shows the childish nature of these two men battling out for the same women. This also is reference for the next sequence as Tonsils was the last thing François remembered before being robbed of his money, and The Major has similar intentions of robbing his potential lady, and leaving him lonely for the night. The shot then concludes with a nice dissolve into a new shot consisting of Madame Colet and The Major.
The shot that moved me was the one that the camera captures the image of a clock, and the viewers understand the characters actions just by hearing what they say. It's an amzing way to break the pattern. Gaston is saying goodbye to Lily at the door of his room; at this point the camera is already positioned towards the clock standing on a table. Mme. Colet comes to invite him to have dinner together, and the image is absolutely the same. They come back to the room, and decide to leave again, to talk in the living room. When the night comes to an end, they say their goodbyes and Mme. Colet takes off to her room. From the beggining of the sequence until the point where they say goodbye, the camera captures nothing but this especific clock. It forces the viewer to create the images in their minds; you hear the dialogues, and make the connections, but the final imagery will be the one created in your head. Again, great way to break the pattern.
My favorite shot in Trouble in Paradise is the part where the radio actor is making a commercial for the Colet perfume company. It starts off with the actor’s over-the-top pitch about the importance of personal odor, and then moves into a company jingle. The thing I found neat about this shot was that even though it was a commercial for the radio, it was shot like a tv commercial. Shots of the actor speaking into the microphone are interspersed with footage of billboards and various people using perfumes. This was the only part in the movie that was shot in this way, and it really seemed to stand out to me.
The shot that moved me was the final shot of the movie was when Gaston and Lilly are on there way to the train station in the back seat of the car. For me this sums up the entire movie and love afair between the two. Despite the fact that prior to this scene Gaston has fallen in love with Mme. Colet the two rekindle there love the same way it began. As the two reveal to one another what the have pick pocketed from eachother there anger begins to fade and there love slowly returns. It is the "final test" for eachother as they realize they were meant to be and there love could never die.
The shot that I enjoyed the most was that of the clock. It seemed to be very involved in height of Mme. Colet and Gaston's relationship. The reason that I enjoyed this shot was because it allows the viewer to imagine in their heads what is going on just by using sound, light and the passage of time. It made the story move along at a quicker pace without having to use the actual characters and show what went on. We already could tell they liked each other, so it was more fun to use the imagery of the clock and sounds we heard, to decide what happened between the two. There was a clock throughout the whole "date," until they said goodnight and Gaston turned out the light on the hallway clock, symbolizing the end of their date and after that neither one of them come back out of their rooms.
The shot that I found most interesting was when Gaston and Lilly sit together in the car at the end of the movie. They pick pocketed from eachother and act like a child. I found the lighting is also very nice in this shot. It uses a three point system to creat the lighting effect on this two characters
the shot that moved me the most was when the labell was saying goodnigth and while he was talking there was a shot of a clock that read five to eleven.Its like its time to go or something will happens to him if he gets discovered.
the shot i enjoyed the most is the opening shot, a long shot of the guy whos taking out the trash,there was no fill light in this shot,the only light source is the light on the boat,everything is so dark and peaceful, then hes great volume of singing just broke all the calmness, and the singsing introduced the location where the story will take place.
There were a few shots in the 1932 film "Trouble in Paradise" that I found to be moving. The film, despite being made in the 1930's invented a genre (romantic-comedy) I found to be most relevent to today's society, which in turn made it more enjoyable to watch.
The fisrt shot that I found very interesting was the shot in which Madame Colet and The Major are sitting up in the balcony watching a play down below. The view in which we see them is through the veiw of binoculars (possibly Gaston).The camera focuses on Madame Colet, then onto her expensive handbag, then again to Madame Colet, than again to her handbag which in one shot shows her hand over the bag, then another one where her had is off the handbag. I feel that the role that this scene plays is forshadowing to the near fate of the handbag. The shot in which her hand is removed from the handbag, represents a possible unprotected approach maybe saught by Gaston which made his plan successful.
Another shot that I found to be interesting was the shot in which the camera focuses (close-up) on the face of a clock at many different times in the evening. The light is dim in this shot as it portrays the evening and late hours of the night. The shot begins when the clock reads 5:00pm he next time then reads 5:15pm. The clock time then progressively chnages over the course of the evening late into the night as we hear the exchangeing of suductive voices between Madame Colet and Monsieur Laval. The shot ends at approximatly 2:00am.
Another shot was the one in which there is a silhouette of Madame Colet and Monsieur Laval (Gaston) overtop of the bed covers of Madame Colets bed. I also feel that this shot maybe forshadowing the relationship between the two.
The camera technique used by Ernst Lubitsh that I found interesting and was used many times throughout the film was the one in which the camera would focus on a person through an outside window looking in. The camera would then pan across the exterior of the house to another window, in which someone else is standing. The light coming out of the house windows from behind the people is quite bright do to the contrast from the dark outside.
The shot that i found the most interesting was the very last shot in the movie. The reason that i found this shot the most compelling was because of the simplicity of it. The shot was an eye level shot not involving any camera movement, which allowed the character story to shine. The most important part in the shot was the reconnection between the lovers. The actions in the shot became a flashback to the reason that they fell in love in the beginning of the film. The framing of the shot with the car roof and seats emphasizes even further how the shot is centered around the characters. Through the simplicity of the shot not only was the romance able to shine but also the comedy involved in the situation, seeing as these are the two main aspects of the film since it is a romantic comedy it is only appropriate to have the last shot solely focused on it.
The shot that got most of my attention was the shot with Gaston and the Countess when they were at the table having a conversation full of sarcasm and suspense. The humor climaxed when they started to talk about the thigs they had stolen from each other and soon after began to give each other their things back like the watch, the wallet, her pin and then finally, with a hint of sexual comedy, Gaston somehow managed to steal her garder that she had had on. Yet, they were not angry nor surpirsed with each other but in love with each other. This was good comedic releif from the previous shot. The idea of this romantic comedy really do make romantic comedies today just that much more dull and two-dimensional. Overall, to make a long story short, this film was made perfectly with almost evey aspect. Great film.
The really good shot that moved me in this film would be the one that Ernst Lubitsch tries to mask a lot of the rather implicit scenes in the movie. Just like the one where they kept on changing their minds whether or not Colet wants to go to the party or not.They really had a lot of time on their hands when they were still deciding. But how they did it and what they did was not explicitly shown. However, that scene was completely masked with a different cuts with various clocks whether it be a wall clock, grandfathers clock, or a table clock. I think the clock emphasizes a time,which is golden, they just used for their pleasure. Eventually around how many hours had passed, she decides to go but will return eventually for a follow-up meeting with him again.
That was not the only time Lubitsch used clocks and other familiar images but that particular one moved me. Everything masked were to be left for the viewer's imaginations but really there is no doubt that a lot of it were of sexual innuendos. It wasn't completely leaving the audiences clueless for what it was masking because there were just a lot of inclination that what they did was something inappropriate because of the background music and the dialogues they were making at least.
I really loved the film. It was so smart and hilarious!
the shot that moved me was when Madame Colete was talking to François about marriage and she says "Marriage is a beautiful mistake which two people make together, but with you it would b a mistake." She's being illuminated by a 3-point-lighting making her pop out of the frame, while she is lining back enjoying a drink, and looking up to the roof as if she was dreaming with someone special, by doing this it is obvious that she has no true feelings for François. When the shot is done we see François turning around being illuminated just by a back light making him look like a flat character.
The shot that moved me in Trouble in Paradise was the shot where Lilly is reading a newspaper laying on the couch with Gaston across from her.
Lily takes what I believe is some sort of pastry and dips it in her warm beverage.
The reason I enjoyed this shot so much was because she hides this behind the news paper she’s reading. It just the thought that she can commit robbery but to dip the pastries in her drink is such a forbidden act to commit.
We see the same act committed later in the film as well by Madame Colet, but I think that in her case the situation is quite different. Madame Colet is built up to be viewed as this "proper" woman with such edict. When she feels the need to hide dipping her pastry into her drink this it’s almost understandable.
When Lilly hides dipping this pastry, I’m just blown away with how she feels this is such a horrible unthinkable act to commit. However stealing a purse, a necklace, or money is clearly a regular normal approved act to commit. As well when the lighting hits Lilly while she does this she is shaded so well to dramatize this apparent unthinkable act.
This was a very interesting film. It was quite a joy to try and understand the comedic aspects of a timeless movie made almost eighty years ago. I would have to say, though, that the shot that I thought was very well set up was the one of the clock with the background dialogue.
In a previous shot we learned that Mme. Colet strictly prohibited Lily from working past five. Not long after we are shown a shot of a clock at ten past five and Mme. Colet was requesting an outing with Lily and Gaston knowing full well that Lily would not be there. The end result was that Gaston and Mme. Colet went out for a night on the town, just as she wanted.
I found this film to be littered with witty banter and as such this scene was a fantastic example. The way the clock was implemented into this shot gave it an interesting twist in which the dialogue stayed the same but the actions were given to us to contrive as we related each passing of time with another event.
In Trouble in Paradise, there were several shots that stood out to me, but one of the shots I remember best is the one in which Madame Colet and Gaston are in her bedroom, and there is a shot of the bed, with the shadows of their faces in profile are draped over the bed. The dark shadows on the bed really stood out, because of the lack of colour anywhere else in the shot. That is why I liked this shot in particular.
The shot that moved was of Gaston and Mariette saying good night to one another after spending an extended evening dinning and drinking.
At first we see Gaston and Mariette standing in the hallway outside thier rooms. Each is hesitant to say good-bye. Mariette makes the first move and goes in to her room. Gaston still lingers in the hallway, unsure of what to do. He finally retires to his room. We can hear him lock the door behind him.
Thr camera pans over to Mariette's door. After a slight pause we hear her lock her door in return.
The shots that stood out for me the most in Ernst Lubitsch's "Trouble in Paradise" were the multiple shots of characters, mainly Gaston, running up and down the staircase in Mme. Colet's mansion. I don't believe that there was a single eye line shot of a character running up or down; every time the camera was positioned at a high angle at the top of the stairs, or at a low angle at the bottom. These shots stood out for me the most because, I believe, that nearly the rest of the shots in this film were taken at eye level. This difference in camera positioning probably has significance to the plot as a whole, however, I have spent the entire weekend analyzing films and novels so I'm going to leave my comment short and simple.
First off I have to say that I really enjoyed this movie. The parts that I really liked were at the beginning and the end. Where Gaston and Lily steal for each other, I found it hilarious throughout the entire time.
The shot that I found best of that of Lily and Madame Colet arguing in Colet's bedroom. An epic joke on the blond vs. brunette stereotype. Here the brunette is the seductress and the blond plays the part of the uptight rival. As the two characters argue over the favor of Gaston. The blond dressed up neat and tidy, flustered and angry. The brunette calm and collected, even after she finds out that her love interest was stealing from her this entire time. The shot is both funny and classy. Even after Lily has said her piece and walks away with the money, it is Colet who wins the argument. Which is funny because she hardly said anything while Lily was there.
this movie was wonderful for a sound mix with a black and white, hysterical to the end. the shot that moved me the most would be the dinner scene at the beginning between Gaston and lily, bright but subtle soft light fills the room. as they are eating they start accusing each other of thievery, saying that each other had stolen the money from the man next door to them. they continue on a ramble of many witty pick pocket attempts from each other and ending with the arms in arms falling in love. i found this as a very unexpected way to fall in love, yet it was perfect and comical. why can't they make them like they used to, after some of these movies i know what many people say by that phrase. modern romantic comedy's are soulless pieces of junk with no imagination and etched with many weak sexual innuendos.
26 comments:
There were a few really key shots that stood out to me in the movie and there were alot of really neat techniques that Ernst Lubitsch utilized, however the one that stood out to me the most was the first shot we see of Gaston.
The shot begins with Francois Filiba passed out on the floor and shows him try to get up but fall over again. This shot is from his window and then the shot backs up slightly and zooms around the entire building which I can only imagine to make this a crane shot, and onto the balcony of Gaston's suite with him leaning casually as his waiting begins to ask him questions. The shot was so fluent and smooth and was very well executed. There was a time when I suspected a cut was made in the shot however I believe that was just a jump in the film or a glitch if you will. None the less it was a very well achieved shot.
I know we are not supposed to post our opinions but I really, really loved this film and found it witty, hilarious and well made.
Beause this film is a Romantic Comedy, I found it to be laden with sexual imagery, which merely adds to its fun, light-heartedness.
There were many explicit sexual references, such as when Mme. Colet is in a suggestive tennis outfit in yoga's plow pose: http://www.yogisutras.com/images/pose-plow.jpg, and asks, "Like this, Monsieur Laval?" But I found myself more drawn to the hard-to-reach references, such as the luxurious bed that is floating on a black screen among the beginning credits, whose pillows look like two huge breasts.
In any case, the director's little witty addition I like best was near the beginning, when Gaston and Lily are closing the door of their hotel room in a fit of passion, and putting up a "Do Not Disturb" Sign; the director uses a close-up shot of the door that goes on for several seconds, allowing the audience to clearly make out their suite number: 300/02.
(Of course, this film is constantly referring to numbers:fo example, time is constantly being checked and referred to, the suite Gaston and Lily had is mentioned a few times: 253 579, and Gaston's main duty as a secretary involves checking numbers in the estate, etc.)
But I found this number particularly funny because it seems as though the three 000s of ecstasy are front and centre. Tirst Gaston steals the pin from Lily's breast, then he removes her garter from under her dress, and then he seduces her. (Of course, at the risk of being gender-biased, I could flip it around and say that first Lily steals Gaston's (stolen) wallet, then she takes his watch from his wrist, and then SHE seduces HIM)
Either way, third time's a charm?
Well first of all I loved this movie, it really does make most modern romantic comedies look just so unimaginative and 2 dimensional. Most of the shots that I loved in Trouble in Paradise I loved because the witty dialogue about pickpockets and shoplifters was set against romantic silhouettes and intimate body positioning. This juxtaposition made the film so much more interesting to watch as well as listen to.
However the shot that stood out to me most of all was one with Madame Colet and Gaston. Madame Colet is standing in the window (her bedroom or his, I forget which) near the end of the movie. It's night out and as she looks out the window the shot is from behind her with Madam Colet to the left of the frame and a clock tower perfectly centered and lit brightly in the very center of the shot. The repetitive use of clocks closer to the end of the film just made this shot seem all the more important. Their time together is coming to an end and she knows it. She's standing so still and quiet partially behind the slightly see through curtains as Gaston enters the frame. They turn towards each other and discuss how their love affair could have been divine, glorious, marvelous and wonderful - all lit beautifully and all with the clock tower centered between their heads.
This movie was so fun to watch, I just wish we had more Ernst Lubitsch films on the schedule for class.
I really liked this movie! It was so funny!
One shot that really stood out for me was when Madame Cole calls in Gaston's girlfriend (Lily I believe?) to have a chat. This was the scene where Lily enters Madame Cole's bedroom while she is laying on her bed eating breakfast. Lily stirs her coffee for her, while Madame Cole sweet-talks Lily into dating Gaston. The specific shot that I am referring to is when Madame Cole's ring drops on the ground and the camera just focuses on that ring on the ground. This shot "moved" me in the sense that it filled me with suspense. I didn't know if Lily was going to grab it and take it for herself and be caught for the thief she is, or if nothing at all would happen, and she would just leave it. She does end up grabbing it, which made it even more suspenseful because for that split second the audience doesn't know if she's going to get caught or not. It turns out, however that she grabs the ring and in fact hands it to Madame Colet with the intention of just returning her ring back to her. In this small action, Lily trys to show and emphasize to Madame Colet that she would never steal from her (which, obviously is the complete opposite from the truth).
My favorite shot in the movie is when there is a detective questioning Francois about the robbery and after each of Francois's answers he would then walk to the group of police officers behind him and translate/discuss. Despite the whole scene taking place in what would usually take up two screens, instead of cutting between the detective interviewing Francois and him talking to the other officers there is a smooth pan going back and forth. This makes the scene seem more fluent. It also goes well with the comedy of the film by making the scene seem more chaotic.
I also really enjoyed this movie, and how it was alot different than ones we've previously seen.
A simple scene that I enjoyed was when when the beautiful Kay Francis was talking to Francois about marriage. She is holding a drink and leaning back casually. The lighting of this shot is so pretty, and makes her look stunning. It's coming from the back and creates a silver light on her hair and her white shoulders are emphasized. The lamp in the foreground looks just as tall as her, making her appear small and delicate. When she is speaking she is not looking at him, but off into the distance. She then looks at him and explains that marriage with him, would be a mistake.
An amusing shot within the film was when François and The Major are waiting downstairs for Madame Colet. Each dressed in identical clothing and both holding there cane and hat in the same position. i felt this showed how they were flat characters and very similar to each other , which in this case was not the sexual attraction of Madame Colet. François informs him of the obvious, which is that he does not like his company but wants to be civil as they will have to be with each other for the evening. The major is unresponsive sitting still and pretending to be deaf.This continues for until being harassed forcing him to sharply respond with "Tonsils". An amusing shot that shows the childish nature of these two men battling out for the same women. This also is reference for the next sequence as Tonsils was the last thing François remembered before being robbed of his money, and The Major has similar intentions of robbing his potential lady, and leaving him lonely for the night. The shot then concludes with a nice dissolve into a new shot consisting of Madame Colet and The Major.
The shot that moved me was the one that the camera captures the image of a clock, and the viewers understand the characters actions just by hearing what they say. It's an amzing way to break the pattern.
Gaston is saying goodbye to Lily at the door of his room; at this point the camera is already positioned towards the clock standing on a table. Mme. Colet comes to invite him to have dinner together, and the image is absolutely the same. They come back to the room, and decide to leave again, to talk in the living room. When the night comes to an end, they say their goodbyes and Mme. Colet takes off to her room. From the beggining of the sequence until the point where they say goodbye, the camera captures nothing but this especific clock.
It forces the viewer to create the images in their minds; you hear the dialogues, and make the connections, but the final imagery will be the one created in your head. Again, great way to break the pattern.
My favorite shot in Trouble in Paradise is the part where the radio actor is making a commercial for the Colet perfume company. It starts off with the actor’s over-the-top pitch about the importance of personal odor, and then moves into a company jingle. The thing I found neat about this shot was that even though it was a commercial for the radio, it was shot like a tv commercial. Shots of the actor speaking into the microphone are interspersed with footage of billboards and various people using perfumes. This was the only part in the movie that was shot in this way, and it really seemed to stand out to me.
The shot that moved me was the final shot of the movie was when Gaston and Lilly are on there way to the train station in the back seat of the car. For me this sums up the entire movie and love afair between the two. Despite the fact that prior to this scene Gaston has fallen in love with Mme. Colet the two rekindle there love the same way it began. As the two reveal to one another what the have pick pocketed from eachother there anger begins to fade and there love slowly returns. It is the "final test" for eachother as they realize they were meant to be and there love could never die.
Adam Sawyer
The shot that I enjoyed the most was that of the clock. It seemed to be very involved in height of Mme. Colet and Gaston's relationship. The reason that I enjoyed this shot was because it allows the viewer to imagine in their heads what is going on just by using sound, light and the passage of time. It made the story move along at a quicker pace without having to use the actual characters and show what went on. We already could tell they liked each other, so it was more fun to use the imagery of the clock and sounds we heard, to decide what happened between the two. There was a clock throughout the whole "date," until they said goodnight and Gaston turned out the light on the hallway clock, symbolizing the end of their date and after that neither one of them come back out of their rooms.
The shot that I found most interesting was when Gaston and Lilly sit together in the car at the end of the movie. They pick pocketed from eachother and act like a child. I found the lighting is also very nice in this shot. It uses a three point system to creat the lighting effect on this two characters
the shot that moved me the most was when the labell was saying goodnigth and while he was talking there was a shot of a clock that read five to eleven.Its like its time to go or something will happens to him if he gets discovered.
the shot i enjoyed the most is the opening shot, a long shot of the guy whos taking out the trash,there was no fill light in this shot,the only light source is the light on the boat,everything is so dark and peaceful, then hes great volume of singing just broke all the calmness, and the singsing introduced the location where the story will take place.
There were a few shots in the 1932 film "Trouble in Paradise" that I found to be moving. The film, despite being made in the 1930's invented a genre (romantic-comedy) I found to be most relevent to today's society, which in turn made it more enjoyable to watch.
The fisrt shot that I found very interesting was the shot in which Madame Colet and The Major are sitting up in the balcony watching a play down below. The view in which we see them is through the veiw of binoculars (possibly Gaston).The camera focuses on Madame Colet, then onto her expensive handbag, then again to Madame Colet, than again to her handbag which in one shot shows her hand over the bag, then another one where her had is off the handbag. I feel that the role that this scene plays is forshadowing to the near fate of the handbag. The shot in which her hand is removed from the handbag, represents a possible unprotected approach maybe saught by Gaston which made his plan successful.
Another shot that I found to be interesting was the shot in which the camera focuses (close-up) on the face of a clock at many different times in the evening. The light is dim in this shot as it portrays the evening and late hours of the night. The shot begins when the clock reads 5:00pm he next time then reads 5:15pm. The clock time then progressively chnages over the course of the evening late into the night as we hear the exchangeing of suductive voices between Madame Colet and Monsieur Laval. The shot ends at approximatly 2:00am.
Another shot was the one in which there is a silhouette of Madame Colet and Monsieur Laval (Gaston) overtop of the bed covers of Madame Colets bed. I also feel that this shot maybe forshadowing the relationship between the two.
The camera technique used by Ernst Lubitsh that I found interesting and was used many times throughout the film was the one in which the camera would focus on a person through an outside window looking in. The camera would then pan across the exterior of the house to another window, in which someone else is standing. The light coming out of the house windows from behind the people is quite bright do to the contrast from the dark outside.
Overall, a very funny and well done film.
The shot that i found the most interesting was the very last shot in the movie. The reason that i found this shot the most compelling was because of the simplicity of it. The shot was an eye level shot not involving any camera movement, which allowed the character story to shine. The most important part in the shot was the reconnection between the lovers. The actions in the shot became a flashback to the reason that they fell in love in the beginning of the film. The framing of the shot with the car roof and seats emphasizes even further how the shot is centered around the characters. Through the simplicity of the shot not only was the romance able to shine but also the comedy involved in the situation, seeing as these are the two main aspects of the film since it is a romantic comedy it is only appropriate to have the last shot solely focused on it.
The shot that got most of my attention was the shot with Gaston and the Countess when they were at the table having a conversation full of sarcasm and suspense. The humor climaxed when they started to talk about the thigs they had stolen from each other and soon after began to give each other their things back like the watch, the wallet, her pin and then finally, with a hint of sexual comedy, Gaston somehow managed to steal her garder that she had had on. Yet, they were not angry nor surpirsed with each other but in love with each other. This was good comedic releif from the previous shot. The idea of this romantic comedy really do make romantic comedies today just that much more dull and two-dimensional. Overall, to make a long story short, this film was made perfectly with almost evey aspect. Great film.
The really good shot that moved me in this film would be the one that Ernst Lubitsch tries to mask a lot of the rather implicit scenes in the movie. Just like the one where they kept on changing their minds whether or not Colet wants to go to the party or not.They really had a lot of time on their hands when they were still deciding. But how they did it and what they did was not explicitly shown. However, that scene was completely masked with a different cuts with various clocks whether it be a wall clock, grandfathers clock, or a table clock. I think the clock emphasizes a time,which is golden, they just used for their pleasure. Eventually around how many hours had passed, she decides to go but will return eventually for a follow-up meeting with him again.
That was not the only time Lubitsch used clocks and other familiar images but that particular one moved me. Everything masked were to be left for the viewer's imaginations but really there is no doubt that a lot of it were of sexual innuendos. It wasn't completely leaving the audiences clueless for what it was masking because there were just a lot of inclination that what they did was something inappropriate because of the background music and the dialogues they were making at least.
I really loved the film. It was so smart and hilarious!
the shot that moved me was when Madame Colete was talking to François about marriage and she says "Marriage is a beautiful mistake which two people make together, but with you it would b a mistake." She's being illuminated by a 3-point-lighting making her pop out of the frame, while she is lining back enjoying a drink, and looking up to the roof as if she was dreaming with someone special, by doing this it is obvious that she has no true feelings for François. When the shot is done we see François turning around being illuminated just by a back light making him look like a flat character.
The shot that moved me in Trouble in Paradise was the shot where Lilly is reading a newspaper laying on the couch with Gaston across from her.
Lily takes what I believe is some sort of pastry and dips it in her warm beverage.
The reason I enjoyed this shot so much was because she hides this behind the news paper she’s reading. It just the thought that she can commit robbery but to dip the pastries in her drink is such a forbidden act to commit.
We see the same act committed later in the film as well by Madame Colet, but I think that in her case the situation is quite different. Madame Colet is built up to be viewed as this "proper" woman with such edict. When she feels the need to hide dipping her pastry into her drink this it’s almost understandable.
When Lilly hides dipping this pastry, I’m just blown away with how she feels this is such a horrible unthinkable act to commit. However stealing a purse, a necklace, or money is clearly a regular normal approved act to commit. As well when the lighting hits Lilly while she does this she is shaded so well to dramatize this apparent unthinkable act.
Matthew Gilson said...
This was a very interesting film. It was quite a joy to try and understand the comedic aspects of a timeless movie made almost eighty years ago. I would have to say, though, that the shot that I thought was very well set up was the one of the clock with the background dialogue.
In a previous shot we learned that Mme. Colet strictly prohibited Lily from working past five. Not long after we are shown a shot of a clock at ten past five and Mme. Colet was requesting an outing with Lily and Gaston knowing full well that Lily would not be there. The end result was that Gaston and Mme. Colet went out for a night on the town, just as she wanted.
I found this film to be littered with witty banter and as such this scene was a fantastic example. The way the clock was implemented into this shot gave it an interesting twist in which the dialogue stayed the same but the actions were given to us to contrive as we related each passing of time with another event.
In Trouble in Paradise, there were several shots that stood out to me, but one of the shots I remember best is the one in which Madame Colet and Gaston are in her bedroom, and there is a shot of the bed, with the shadows of their faces in profile are draped over the bed. The dark shadows on the bed really stood out, because of the lack of colour anywhere else in the shot. That is why I liked this shot in particular.
The shot that moved was of Gaston and Mariette saying good night to one another after spending an extended evening dinning and drinking.
At first we see Gaston and Mariette standing in the hallway outside thier rooms. Each is hesitant to say good-bye. Mariette makes the first move and goes in to her room. Gaston still lingers in the hallway, unsure of what to do. He finally retires to his room. We can hear him lock the door behind him.
Thr camera pans over to Mariette's door. After a slight pause we hear her lock her door in return.
The shots that stood out for me the most in Ernst Lubitsch's "Trouble in Paradise" were the multiple shots of characters, mainly Gaston, running up and down the staircase in Mme. Colet's mansion. I don't believe that there was a single eye line shot of a character running up or down; every time the camera was positioned at a high angle at the top of the stairs, or at a low angle at the bottom. These shots stood out for me the most because, I believe, that nearly the rest of the shots in this film were taken at eye level. This difference in camera positioning probably has significance to the plot as a whole, however, I have spent the entire weekend analyzing films and novels so I'm going to leave my comment short and simple.
First off I have to say that I really enjoyed this movie. The parts that I really liked were at the beginning and the end. Where Gaston and Lily steal for each other, I found it hilarious throughout the entire time.
The shot that I found best of that of Lily and Madame Colet arguing in Colet's bedroom. An epic joke on the blond vs. brunette stereotype. Here the brunette is the seductress and the blond plays the part of the uptight rival. As the two characters argue over the favor of Gaston. The blond dressed up neat and tidy, flustered and angry. The brunette calm and collected, even after she finds out that her love interest was stealing from her this entire time. The shot is both funny and classy. Even after Lily has said her piece and walks away with the money, it is Colet who wins the argument. Which is funny because she hardly said anything while Lily was there.
this movie was wonderful for a sound mix with a black and white, hysterical to the end. the shot that moved me the most would be the dinner scene at the beginning between Gaston and lily, bright but subtle soft light fills the room. as they are eating they start accusing each other of thievery, saying that each other had stolen the money from the man next door to them. they continue on a ramble of many witty pick pocket attempts from each other and ending with the arms in arms falling in love. i found this as a very unexpected way to fall in love, yet it was perfect and comical. why can't they make them like they used to, after some of these movies i know what many people say by that phrase. modern romantic comedy's are soulless pieces of junk with no imagination and etched with many weak sexual innuendos.
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