Category: Mediaphilism

“Pather Panchali” explores the microcosm of an impoverished Indian family’s daily life. Their poverty is apparent in the state of their home, holes in the walls, worn-out wooden doors and window coverings. Cats wander about everywhere like pests, plants grow in the courtyard, and everywhere is open spaces, letting the home merge with the natural…

Two aspects of David Lean’s directorial style are most striking. Using the technique of letting scenes “introduce” one another, Lean maintains congruity across different scene locations and characters. Lean also uses visual metaphors and the symbolic actions of his characters to give his storytelling depth. “There are two men in there, one half-mad, the other…

The introduction and conclusion of “Citizen Kane” serve as bookends to the many observations of a man’s life. They encapsulate the film’s dark tone, and emulate the varied aspects of power and wealth. The two sequences also offer two perspectives of the same material in life and death. Moving up from the “No Trespassing” sign…

David Lean and Robert Bolt undertake the monumental task of developing T.E. Lawrence in their epic film, a man eluding simple explanation. An outsider among British and Arab cultures alike; Lawrence is a loner, a thrill seeker, headstrong, yet intelligent and idealistic. He is enigmatic. A man racing along the English countryside gives us our…

David Lean and Jean Renoir are directors of equal caliber, but give drastically different scales to their film’s visions. Their cinematography also contrasts, between Lean’s distanced, observing camera and Renoir’s mobile, intimate camera shots. Both directors make use of symbolism, a crucial tool for giving meaning to the action on a deeper level. In contrast…