When Shakespeare's plays are put on the screen, the biggest problem is how to properly retain the style of the stage play in the film. Fortunately, Kurosawa solved this problem with superb film skills. In order to retain the style and charm of the stage play to the greatest extent, most of the scenes in the film were shot in the middle and far view, and few actors were given long-term close-ups, especially the close-up of the old man Xiu Hu. When he was down and out, I wanted to push the camera forward and let me have a closer look at his desperate and sad face, but the camera of the film always kept a certain distance from Xiuhu.
In addition, the film also applies the "blank space" technique in oriental art painting to shooting. "Blanking" refers to leaving a large blank on the screen and drawing characters in a limited small place. In the film, Kurosawa replaced the blank in painting with mountains and grasslands, and the characters were placed in a narrow space in the picture, which was in sharp contrast with the majesty and grandeur of nature. This way of composition can not only lay the epic style of the film, but also create the effect of the stage play, which really kills two birds with one stone. In this way, the charm of modern film technology and traditional stage play is magically combined in Kurosawa's hands.
The greatest charm of Shakespeare's plays lies in the profound revelation of human nature, and Chaos, which is born out of Shakespeare's classic plays, is naturally not inferior in this respect. In fact, Kurosawa's films have always reflected his profound humanistic concern, and most of them have a very strong sense of images and profound moral concepts and philosophies. Rashomon, Seven Samurai and Dream are all inspiring masterpieces of human nature. Chaos, adapted from Shakespeare's masterpiece, is more handy in excavating human nature and showing humanistic care.
Hegel once said that evil is the driving force of historical progress. This sentence can be said to be a wise saying when used in a chaotic plot. The plot of the film begins with Xiuhu's two sons, Dalang Kazujiro, fighting for the throne. The evil in human nature or the desire for power has been pushing the development of the plot. If Dalang Kazujiro's endless desire for power leads them to kill their brother and father regardless of their own flesh and blood, which represents the "evil" in human nature, then Mrs. Feng, who is desperate for revenge, is far from being so thorough in the degree of evil, and the two courtiers who betray Xiuhu for some immediate interests are such despicable people. In sharp contrast with them, it is a good camp composed of Hirayama, crazy Amy, Mrs. Tan and others. Hirayama and Crazy Ami represent loyalty and integrity, while the lady who devoted herself to Buddhism and the kind and straightforward Saburo represent the innate "all-goodness".
The ending of the film retains the consistent characteristics of Shakespeare's tragedy. The guilty people, the kind people, the cursed people and the unchasted people all died, leaving the audience with endless thoughts and sighs. And we, like Xiuhu in the film, see clearly the good and evil in this world with deep eyes and see through everything in human nature.
Akira Kurosawa is a master of using color, which can be seen from his superb use of light and shadow in the era of black and white movies. Rashomon and Seven Samurai show the subtle psychological changes in the minds of the characters through the changes of light and shadow, and their skillful skills are enough to be written into film textbooks for future filmmakers to worship. Finally, in the color age, Akira Kurosawa can freely express his talents in this field, and he is almost obsessed with the use of various colors in movies. In this respect, Dream filmed by 1990 can be said to be the pinnacle. The eight dreams described in the film are colorful, eerie or dignified like a colorful oil painting.
Chaos is a complete tragedy, but the tone of color is bright and bright. The picture is full of colorful colors most of the time, and the contrast of various colors is also very strong, such as Dalang's yellow, Jiro's red, Saburo's sky blue and his wife's white ... The use of these colors not only highlights the characters' own personality, but also enhances the visual effect of the film. In addition, the blue sky, grass, dark castles, soldiers wearing different colors of armor, and the flexible use of various colors in the film have created a strong visual effect, making the film a vivid historical picture of the Warring States period in Japan with an epic temperament.
The high use of various colors has greatly improved the freehand brushwork of the film. Many pictures are as impressive as the works of masters in ink painting, and two shots left a deep impression on me. First, Xiuhu was besieged by his two sons. Surrounded by a group of red and yellow armies, Xiuhu slowly walked out of the gate, behind which was a burning tower. At this time, the sky as the background is gray and the wind is blowing hard. The heartbroken Xiuhu walked out despite some uneasiness. His deep eyes seem to have seen the good and evil in this world. The second part is the end of the film. In the dim background, the blind lonely crane pill in the old city stood alone at the head of the city, and the Buddha statue in his hand suddenly slipped under the city wall. At this time, the audience strongly felt the profound unknown and desolation, waiting for future generations will be the abyss of fate and the reincarnation of fate. In the long river of history, such tragedies will continue.
From this, we can evaluate Chaos without exaggeration: Akira Kurosawa has made a truly great work based on Japanese traditional culture and the inner thoughts of Shakespeare's plays, which is extremely epic.
See: /view/432633.htm#7 for details.