Chinatown

I saw Chinatown for the first time yesterday and it was everything you  said it would be; simply a movie masterpiece.  Although I disagree with Mr. Polanski's extra curricular activities his directing abilities are undeniable.  Not to mention, Jack Nicholson's portrayal of good-natured, but strong willed private detective Jake Gittes is a prime example of his genius on the silver screen; you want to root for him.  For me though, Chinatown's story development is what makes it so enjoyable it feels as if right alongside Jake Gittes as he navigates through a world of crooks.  Plus, the plot keeps you guessing all the way up to the very end.  After seeing one of Mr. Polanski's earlier works I am eager to compare it to one of his more contemporary pieces!

A Different Interpretation of Film

The Saturday of fall break I spent the day with my old marching band, and this year I've taken a special interest in their show because their title this year is "The Silver Screen." The songs they're performing are 20th Century Fox Fanfare, Robin Hood, Smile, Marimba Rag, and Hooray For Hollywood. They take a different approach to looking at the history of film and different styles and effects of those films, and portray those effects on the field.
While my friends back in high school might rather focus on the technical aspects of the show, I sat on the sidelines with the instructors seeing a completely different show. And it's just hitting me now what the real point of the show is; the music. The entire show is designed from the musical selections, and those musical selections are landmarks because they affected a mass audience and became pieces that most people can recognize easily. And instead of the music becoming the foundation for different shots and scenes, in this instance they became the foundation for designs on the field, flag designs, body movements, dance, and emotion in the performers.
This weekend is their championship competition, so once the season is over I'll try and update this post with a video of the show. (I can't publicly post videos of the current season's show until the season is over.)