Trine Lindberg: “Meshes Of The Afternoon” by Maya Deren, is a silent movie, which makes soundtrack extremely important. The soundtrack, which is by Alberto "Hugo" Polese and Alessandro Fedrig, is a big part of creating the right mysterious tone of the movie. The movie starts off with a lot of close ups and extreme close ups of the main character, the woman’s hands, feet and eyes. Because the video starts off like this, the audience gets curious. We want to know more, we want to see where she is and how her surroundings look like. After a while, the camera is panning and tilting, which satisfy the audience’s need to a certain degree. The house where the woman is entering looks abruptly abandoned; there is bread on the table, newspapers on the floor and a knife in the staircase. The slow motion feels almost claustrophobic because we want the woman to hurry up and figure out what has happened. The house is spinning, and this makes the audience uncomfortable. The way the woman is reacting creates a feeling of panic and hysteria, which the soundtrack supports in a great way.
Jordan Tanner: From the beginning it’s pretty clear this short film is not one composed of literal storytelling. Image after captivating image is presented to the viewer and its subconscious almost without aim upon first glance. Yet, the sense of continuity eventually establishes itself through the reoccurring images and before long these images, once vague, are speaking louder and conveying more than any literal form of this story could. So while the structure (objectively enigmatic) is dense and packed with psychological symbols, its meaning can be unpacked by subconsciously sifting through said symbols and figuring out how they operate within the story. In the subconscious, certain things can evoke or even take various forms: an object can be an object and still represent many things. Therefore, by interacting with these objects our subconscious unleashes certain feelings and images bringing them to the external where the reaction happens. Which brings us to the question at hand: was it a key or was it a knife? Husband or Hooded Mirror figure? Multiple versions of her or just the one version taking it all in? We may never know but one thing we do know is, her journey through that fragment of the day turned into quite the emotional experience.
Kayla Cassese: Although this short film seems simple in terms of color, setting, and action, its chaos is conveyed through camera angles and repetition. The beginning of the film is shot from a viewpoint of the woman's feet which creates a sense of wonder and mystery for the audience. Something as ordinary as unlocking the front door becomes mysterious just due to the fact that you cannot see anything of the woman's face. Towards the end of the film, all of the woman sit down at the table. I saw this as the woman experiencing multiple personalities or multiple emotions all at once. I became slightly confused when the man stepped into the picture. I took this film as a symbol of routine. I believe that if you spend every day doing the same thing over and over, eventually you will go insane. Your spirit dies and you enter a state of chaos and disorder. The music for "Meshes of the Afternoon" also added to the illusion of a chaotic mental state. It helped the audience know how to feel while the woman repeated the same actions in a more chaotic state each time. I didn't necessarily enjoy this short film but it definitely got me thinking.
“Meshes of the Afternoon” by Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid is a short, silent film that s black and white because it was made in 1943. This film has many interesting characteristics to it one which includes the extreme close ups of the main characters hands and feet. There are also close ups of a knife and key at different points throughout the film. One major characteristic of this short film is the fact that it is silent. This makes the job of Alberto “Hugo” Polese and Alessandro Fedringo extremely important. They provide the sound for the film and create the suspense and mood that is seen by viewers. I think that the sound and flashy images create a chaotic film, which adds suspense and makes the audience curious about what is going to happen. I’m not sure if this is the original score for this film but either way, it is very important for the film. Throughout the film there are a lot of images that are put together and it kind of skips around from the knife to the key. I think that these items serve as symbols and help to tell the story. This also makes the audience curious and causes some anxiety and suspense.
Caroline Ficken: “Meshes of the Afternoon” is a thrilling, silent short film that employs music and visuals to convey an unnerving story. Instead of sound or dialogue, Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid incorporate the composition of Alberto Polese and Alessandro Fedrig to set the mood of the film along with vigorous camera angels that diverge viewers from the grasp of reality. There is an eerie tone expressed through surreal black and white filming and repetitive camera movements. Maya Deren portrays a haunting woman who carries the story through her dreaming. There are small connections between her dream and reality including small objects that appear continuously, her reoccurring self, and the setting. Toward the beginning of the film, the camera shoots from the point of view of the leading character but once she enters her dream state, the point of view then shifts and there are a variety of different camera angels. She is often chasing a cloaked character, which introduces the story. As she travels up the stairs following the veiled figure, the camera movement shifts and twists creating a tossed feeling. There is no stability or sense of time or space. Visually, the film is very rapid and always jumping from frame to frame. There was a lot of chaos and confusion running through my mind when watching the film but overall it was a very interesting performance.
Kacey Tanveer: "Meshes of the Afternoon" by Maya Deren & Alexander Hammid is a silent black and white short film that uses the composure of its shots and its ominous and sometimes even chaotic soundtrack to set a very suspenseful tone for its audience from the very beginning. The shots of the female character's hands and feet or of her shadow build tension as you watch her entering the house and running up the stairs. Then once you see her face and the action starts building and becoming more intense, the shots become more chaotic as well. The camera movement in the film also helped the audience become a part of this environment. Overall I think the camera movements and the soundtrack are what gave this film its avant-garde feel.
Sydney Black: "Meshes of the Afternoon" by Maya Deren & Alexander Hammid is a silent, black and while short, that is thrilling use of a wonderful sound track by Alberto "Hugo" Polese and Alessandro Fedrig, and incredible shots of the characters made the film with extreme suspense and action. The close up shots of the female and the flashy and choppy edits made the viewers anxieties levels rise. The choppy edits helped give a chaotic vibe to the short, And the soundtrack with is terrifying sound in and of its self help the film be horrifying with no words and in only thirteen minutes achieve so much than most 90 minute thrillers today.
Julie Bowman: "Meshes of the Afternoon" is a short film that grabs a viewer's attention and does not let go. The curious storyline keeps people watching until the end. The black and white composition, combined with dramatic, closeup camera angles and the unique soundtrack, gives the film an air of mystery and suspense. The anxiety and tension continue as the film progresses.The motives behind the characters's strange actions remain peculiar and puzzling. The shadows are filmed to enhance this theme. The repetition of the items, rooms, and events are also baffling. The black and white images serve their purpose in keeping with the tone of the plot. The film would not have quite the same meaning if it had been published in color. The darkness is where mysteries lie. The dreamlike (or nightmarish) sequence of events are put together to create a mystical, and unique story.
Keran Jiang:The film with the black and white color, the use of messy shooting skills, a woman's silhouette, footsteps on the stairs, falling keys and the like to heighten the film's suspense. Music is also very strange, creepy, constantly on things close-up, I think this is showing the hero's inner thoughts, I think this movie suspense and mystery story beyond its.
Trine Lindberg: “Meshes Of The Afternoon” by Maya Deren, is a silent movie, which makes soundtrack extremely important. The soundtrack, which is by Alberto "Hugo" Polese and Alessandro Fedrig, is a big part of creating the right mysterious tone of the movie. The movie starts off with a lot of close ups and extreme close ups of the main character, the woman’s hands, feet and eyes. Because the video starts off like this, the audience gets curious. We want to know more, we want to see where she is and how her surroundings look like. After a while, the camera is panning and tilting, which satisfy the audience’s need to a certain degree. The house where the woman is entering looks abruptly abandoned; there is bread on the table, newspapers on the floor and a knife in the staircase. The slow motion feels almost claustrophobic because we want the woman to hurry up and figure out what has happened. The house is spinning, and this makes the audience uncomfortable. The way the woman is reacting creates a feeling of panic and hysteria, which the soundtrack supports in a great way.
ReplyDeleteJordan Tanner: From the beginning it’s pretty clear this short film is not one composed of literal storytelling. Image after captivating image is presented to the viewer and its subconscious almost without aim upon first glance. Yet, the sense of continuity eventually establishes itself through the reoccurring images and before long these images, once vague, are speaking louder and conveying more than any literal form of this story could. So while the structure (objectively enigmatic) is dense and packed with psychological symbols, its meaning can be unpacked by subconsciously sifting through said symbols and figuring out how they operate within the story. In the subconscious, certain things can evoke or even take various forms: an object can be an object and still represent many things. Therefore, by interacting with these objects our subconscious unleashes certain feelings and images bringing them to the external where the reaction happens. Which brings us to the question at hand: was it a key or was it a knife? Husband or Hooded Mirror figure? Multiple versions of her or just the one version taking it all in? We may never know but one thing we do know is, her journey through that fragment of the day turned into quite the emotional experience.
ReplyDeleteKayla Cassese: Although this short film seems simple in terms of color, setting, and action, its chaos is conveyed through camera angles and repetition. The beginning of the film is shot from a viewpoint of the woman's feet which creates a sense of wonder and mystery for the audience. Something as ordinary as unlocking the front door becomes mysterious just due to the fact that you cannot see anything of the woman's face. Towards the end of the film, all of the woman sit down at the table. I saw this as the woman experiencing multiple personalities or multiple emotions all at once. I became slightly confused when the man stepped into the picture. I took this film as a symbol of routine. I believe that if you spend every day doing the same thing over and over, eventually you will go insane. Your spirit dies and you enter a state of chaos and disorder. The music for "Meshes of the Afternoon" also added to the illusion of a chaotic mental state. It helped the audience know how to feel while the woman repeated the same actions in a more chaotic state each time. I didn't necessarily enjoy this short film but it definitely got me thinking.
ReplyDelete“Meshes of the Afternoon” by Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid is a short, silent film that s black and white because it was made in 1943. This film has many interesting characteristics to it one which includes the extreme close ups of the main characters hands and feet. There are also close ups of a knife and key at different points throughout the film. One major characteristic of this short film is the fact that it is silent. This makes the job of Alberto “Hugo” Polese and Alessandro Fedringo extremely important. They provide the sound for the film and create the suspense and mood that is seen by viewers. I think that the sound and flashy images create a chaotic film, which adds suspense and makes the audience curious about what is going to happen. I’m not sure if this is the original score for this film but either way, it is very important for the film. Throughout the film there are a lot of images that are put together and it kind of skips around from the knife to the key. I think that these items serve as symbols and help to tell the story. This also makes the audience curious and causes some anxiety and suspense.
ReplyDeleteCaroline Ficken: “Meshes of the Afternoon” is a thrilling, silent short film that employs music and visuals to convey an unnerving story. Instead of sound or dialogue, Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid incorporate the composition of Alberto Polese and Alessandro Fedrig to set the mood of the film along with vigorous camera angels that diverge viewers from the grasp of reality. There is an eerie tone expressed through surreal black and white filming and repetitive camera movements. Maya Deren portrays a haunting woman who carries the story through her dreaming. There are small connections between her dream and reality including small objects that appear continuously, her reoccurring self, and the setting. Toward the beginning of the film, the camera shoots from the point of view of the leading character but once she enters her dream state, the point of view then shifts and there are a variety of different camera angels. She is often chasing a cloaked character, which introduces the story. As she travels up the stairs following the veiled figure, the camera movement shifts and twists creating a tossed feeling. There is no stability or sense of time or space. Visually, the film is very rapid and always jumping from frame to frame. There was a lot of chaos and confusion running through my mind when watching the film but overall it was a very interesting performance.
ReplyDeleteKacey Tanveer: "Meshes of the Afternoon" by Maya Deren & Alexander Hammid is a silent black and white short film that uses the composure of its shots and its ominous and sometimes even chaotic soundtrack to set a very suspenseful tone for its audience from the very beginning. The shots of the female character's hands and feet or of her shadow build tension as you watch her entering the house and running up the stairs. Then once you see her face and the action starts building and becoming more intense, the shots become more chaotic as well. The camera movement in the film also helped the audience become a part of this environment. Overall I think the camera movements and the soundtrack are what gave this film its avant-garde feel.
ReplyDeleteSydney Black: "Meshes of the Afternoon" by Maya Deren & Alexander Hammid is a silent, black and while short, that is thrilling use of a wonderful sound track by Alberto "Hugo" Polese and Alessandro Fedrig, and incredible shots of the characters made the film with extreme suspense and action. The close up shots of the female and the flashy and choppy edits made the viewers anxieties levels rise. The choppy edits helped give a chaotic vibe to the short, And the soundtrack with is terrifying sound in and of its self help the film be horrifying with no words and in only thirteen minutes achieve so much than most 90 minute thrillers today.
ReplyDeleteJulie Bowman: "Meshes of the Afternoon" is a short film that grabs a viewer's attention and does not let go. The curious storyline keeps people watching until the end. The black and white composition, combined with dramatic, closeup camera angles and the unique soundtrack, gives the film an air of mystery and suspense. The anxiety and tension continue as the film progresses.The motives behind the characters's strange actions remain peculiar and puzzling. The shadows are filmed to enhance this theme. The repetition of the items, rooms, and events are also baffling. The black and white images serve their purpose in keeping with the tone of the plot. The film would not have quite the same meaning if it had been published in color. The darkness is where mysteries lie. The dreamlike (or nightmarish) sequence of events are put together to create a mystical, and unique story.
ReplyDeleteKeran Jiang:The film with the black and white color, the use of messy shooting skills, a woman's silhouette, footsteps on the stairs, falling keys and the like to heighten the film's suspense. Music is also very strange, creepy, constantly on things close-up, I think this is showing the hero's inner thoughts, I think this movie suspense and mystery story beyond its.
ReplyDelete