Art in Cinema

You know that feeling when you lay languidly, letting the buoyancy of the sea keep you afloat, your mind at ease, your face warm from the touch of the sun and you cannot help but smile? Really smile. Well, that was how I felt walking home tonight. And no, I did not just meet Mr. Spain. Instead, I have just returned from the cinema. The movie was "Seda", which is more than likely "Silk" in Spanish and even more likely to have been released some time back.

I just have to say, the cinematography was spectacular. Imagine a beautiful artwork come alive. The attention to detail, the careful consideration of lighting, perspective,and all the elements one could note in a painting, equaled, if not superseded, the storyline. Together, it became a work of art.

With that being said, this film may be beautiful simply because of the imagery. But the topic of Art In Cinema can go much further.

We had a guest speaker who's thesis is connecting Cinema with Art. Some of the examples were far-fetched, while others, clearly demonstrated the directors' references to particular art periods or signature styles. She showed examples of directors using limited color palettes specific to a period. Perhaps using only candlelight and daylight to match the tone of the paintings. There was one in which the characters were framed in the same positioning as "The Last Supper". The use of reflections in a mirror nods to artists like Velazquez and Jan van Eyck. There were a couple films where specific shots of the landscapes were almost exact to particular paintings.

Obviously, there will be films that will mimic the feel of a painting in order to convey a certain period. But the films in question were examples of how the same principles of a painting could be applied in a different medium, film.

I wish I had taken notes so I could be more precise in the examples. But what I can say is the next time you take a look at a movie, see if you can find the artistic direction.

And, if you want to walk home smiling, might I suggest seeing "Silk".