On the front of the book The Conversations, a joint project of Walter Murch and Michael Ondaatje, There is a quote from the Los Angeles Times Book Preview that reads (for those of you who haven't picked it up yet) "Should be required reading for anyone working in film." My first thought was "Well if you call a two-minute video working in film..."
However after cracking the sucker open I've realize that The Conversations is comprised of a heck of a lot more than the simple art of film. Murch and Ondaatje delve into the creative techniques of not only what makes a good movie, but what makes a good editor, a good actor, a good scene etc.
The interesting style of the manner in which the information was presented to the reader was what struck me first. Reading an interview, especially when conducted for the purpose of seeking the creative intelligence behind a finished product, is not only insightful but enlightening. I have never seen a single one of Murch's movies but I now have a strong desire to watch, if only to see if I can catch all these seemingly minute details he keeps discussing.
As I continued to read, I began to have a new found appreciation for the art of film. I enjoy movies as much as the next girl, but I never stopped to contemplate the endless steps that must be taken to create a two-hour piece of entertainment, and how this could become someone else's true passion. Murch puts his passion into words so eloquently when he says "You're the person doing it, yet the feeling is that you're not the origin of it, that somehow "it" is happening around you, that you are being used by this thing to help bring it into the world."
Finally, I found the comparison Murch made between reading a book and watching a movie to be interesting and somewhat confusing. I've always preferred reading a book to watching a movie because reading leaves much more up to the imagination; essentially none of your senses are being used other than your sight to read the words off of the page. You must then form your own images, sound, etc. On the contrary, Murch advocates for having all of your senses utilized at once while watching a movie. I am now unsure about which I prefer.
Regardless I have been brought over to the dark side of religious movie-watchers or have been enlightened to my true calling in the art of film, I found The Conversations to be thought-provoking and relevant to our class.
"Putting a film together is, in an ideal sense, the orchestrating of all those patterns, just like different musical themes are orchestrated in a symphony. Its pretty mysterious." - Walter Murch
I find all of Murch's analogies/metaphors about the film making process to be so insightful...he put things in terms relatable to the average person. Especially his example about the blue light in the room--he said you have to take risks and remove parts even if you think they communicate the essence of the plot. Once you take them out, you can rely on other scenes to get the message across in a more sublte manner. sweeeet
ReplyDeleteYou said you felt confused of which one do you prefer, reading or movie.According to my own expereience, some movies can really help me understand the book, either can it solve some questions, or can it create a new aspect to think about the book. But some movies indeed sabotaged the book. What I choose to do is to embrace them both~! Reading books and wotaching movies are the two things I love to do, they offer different experiences, they trigger different sensories.
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