Directed by Boong Joon-Ho (directer of Snowpiercer)
I recently watched this film and I enjoyed how the the film not only had an interesting plot, but also how the characters were very well crafted by the filmmakers. I found myself intrigued by each of the characters and the stories behind them. This film made me realise that sometime characters can be as strong as the plot itself. It also features a style of cinematography I really enjoy.
Here is the trailer:
Cynthia “Cindy” Morris Sherman
January 19, 1954
Glen Ridge, New Jersey, NY
State University College at Buffalo
Cindy Sherman has alway loved dressing up since she was young. She started photographing herself in 1977. This later came to be know s the Untitled Film Stills series which she completed in 1980. The Film Stills series was a series of photographs of Cindy Sherman herself, dressed up as female personas inspired by the American cinemas of the 50s. She does not specifically mimic any one film or character but instead creates a stereotype of the women portrayed in film. She was, in a sense, documenting the way in which society depicts women.
“Sherman uses herself as a vehicle for commentary on a variety of issues of the modern world: the role of the woman, the role of the artist and many more.”
In this photograph, we see Cindy Sherman in a kitchen, her right hand across her stomach, and her left shoulder slightly tensed up. From her pose itself, we see some form of vulnerability; it almost looks like she is trying to protect herself from something. She is looking over her shoulders to something that is out of frame, possibly implying that there is something that caught her attention. We as viewers would inevitably start to imagine what she could possibly be looking at. We notice that the camera is also placed at counter level, giving a sense of the viewer lurking into her private space. The context of a kitchen also hints at the boom in suburban housing in America during the 50s.
I think Cindy Sherman created an intimate portrait of a character that is instantly recognisable as the stereotypical American housewife. However I also feel that the low camera angle and her gaze and pose gives this image a sense of mystery and tension.
This photograph shows Cindy Sherman dressed up as a working woman, standing amongst towering buildings in the city. From her facial expression, we get a sense of hesitance and uneasy as she gazes into the distant with slightly furrowed eye brows. She almost looks as though she is “lost” in a new environment or that she is not familiar with the city. We can almost assume that it is her first day at work and she is feeling anxious about it.
“I’m trying to make other people recognize something of themselves rather than me.” Cindy Sherman
The judgements and assumptions made by the viewers are based out of the stereotyped perception of women especially those portrayed in film. Cindy Sherman creates these fictional characters to allow to viewers to introspectively project their own perception and judgement on the characters portrayed. Therefore these photographs are not so much self portraits in a traditional sense. She uses herself as a blank canvas to create characters that alludes to the societal notions of women.
http://www.cindysherman.com
https://lareviewofbooks.org/essay/cindy-shermans-untitled-film-stills
http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/sherman.html
http://artblart.com/tag/cindy-sherman-untitled-film-still-21/
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/art/review-cindy-sherman
https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=8r1aXAZUv6cC&pg=PA236&lpg=PA236&dq=cindy+sherman+untitled+film+still+21&source=bl&ots=rRGAdtxUCM&sig=PAOFBSNzfjz_sBbr6o4l3SSMgzI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CBkQ6AEwADgUahUKEwjw6oKembrHAhUPGI4KHePrA3k#v=onepage&q=cindy%20sherman%20untitled%20film%20still%2021&f=false
