Session Three /Amelie

Amelie was a funny, fragmented and perplexing film.  It was the first time I have ever watched a film with subtitles.   I found it difficult to focus on the visual elements of the film while concentrating on reading the subtitles.  I had to replay several scenes to make sure I could take in all that was happening on the screen.

The visual image was quite simplistic.  No elaborate sets or scenery, just everyday scenes of the character's homes, train stations, restaurants and the like.  The only exception was the clever use of photographs of the garden gnome taken from locations around the world.  The way this film was shot reminded me of a documentary.

There were a few special effects in this film.  One of my favorites was when Amelie realizes she may have blown her chance at love and she turns to water that crashes to the floor of the restaurant.  It said volumes about the emotions that she was feeling, without ever saying a word.  Another effect that was used successfully was when Amelie and her neighbor would watch each other through binoculars and a spy glass.

The costuming for this film was pretty simple, but made great use of color.  It gave the film a whimsical feel, I especially liked Amelie's style.  It gave her an air of originality, although it did remind me of the cartoon character Olive Oyl.

This cinematic film made use of the objective point of view most of the time.  As I mentioned before, at times it felt like I was watching a documentary.  The objective point of view was most noticeable during the scenes where Amelie was watching her neighbor work on his paintings.  The subjective point of view was utilized effectively during the scenes where Amelie was sneaking into Mr. Collignon's house and messing with his belongings.  I could feel the suspense, wondering if she would be caught.  It was like I became part of Amelie's secret.  The indirect-subjective point of view was particularly noticeable in the scene where Amelie was at the fun fair and rode on the scary ride, all by herself.  Nino, dressed up as a skeleton hops onto the ride and rather than scaring Amelie,  it ends up as a seductive experience for her.  You could actually see her very emotional reaction to having him so close to her.

Special visual effects were used very sparingly in this film.  One example is the scene where Amelie is baking, and there  is a picture within a picture effect of what she is imagining, ( Nino going to the store to get her some yeast, coming home and walking through her beaded curtains, the curtains actually move and she realizes it is her cat) was a subtle yet very cool effect.

Another scene that I like was near the end of the movie.  The director used a handheld camera to shoot Amelie and Nino on his motor scooter riding through the city.  It was shot with the subjective point of view.  You could see the happiness on their faces and had a real sense of being part of their joy and their new found love.

Works Cited

Boggs, J. M., & Petrie, D. W. (2008). The Art of Watching Films (7th Edition ed.). Ashford University: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.