Swades: We, the People

The Bollywood film, Swades: We, the People, is the story of a young  project manager in NASA, who returns home after one of his parent's death anniversaries to find the woman who took care of him as a child.  He finds his nanny when he goes to a small village called Charanpur, but when he asks her to come back with him, she refuses, saying that even though her life would be comfortable in the US, she loves her homeland.  Mohan stays on in the village longer, soon realizing the terrible hardships these villagers face in their everyday lives, so he decides to help out these villagers by encouraging them to educate their children and fixing their old electrical system.  However, eventually NASA calls Mohan back to the US telling him that he is needed, so he is forced to go back without his nanny or his friend Gita.  Feeling very alone, he returns and finishes his project there before resigning and returning to India.

 

This film does a very good job of realistically representing the lives of villagers in India.  The daily lives of these villagers and the hardships they face is very typical of the Indian rural society.  One main point that is presented in the movie is that of arranged marriage.  These arranged marriages are typical of India, where the families will meet and agree on the marriage whether or not the girl agrees.  More often than not, the girl is also expected to give up whatever career she may have and stay at home to take care of the house and of the children.  In this story Gita refuses to do so because she does not want to give up being a teacher, but in most circumstances the girl does not have a choice, especially if the guy is from the US.

The other important theme that this movie presents is the love Indians have of their land. Whether they are living abroad or they live in India, they all love their country, which is something that Mohan very clearly shows us.  From the moment he returns to India, he makes every effort to make the lives of his nanny and the other villagers better.  Many people in India blame all these problems on the corruption of their government, but each individual, especially those from abroad are often compelled to use their resources to make their homeland a better place.

This movie does a very good job of sending out a message to Indians about their homeland, and shows the deep pride their people have of their country.

Establishing Shot

Tracking

High Angle

Over the Shoulder

Dutch Angle

The film "Amores Perros", directed and produced by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, is an intense Spanish action film about the dysfunctional lives of people in three scenearios that are inevitably intertwined in eachother's fates. The first story is about the unrequited love of Octavio's brother's wife Susana. Throughout the story, she becomes unfaithful to her husband, Ramior, with Octavio while Ramiro is having his own relations with a coworker. Throughout a series of dogfights, robberies, and violence, they all become seperated and watch their volatile relationships fall apart. The second story is about Daniel seperating from his wife and children to settle down with his spokesmodel girlfriend that he has kept undercover. After a devastating car accident with Octavio, she suffers from many injuries and loses her dog, her job, her vanity, and she almost loses Daniel. The third story illustrates the life of a hitman who has lost his family. After being hired to "dispose" of a business man by his "supposed partner", he abducts his target as well as his employer to teach them both a lesson. He also saves the fighting dog of Octavio who as been shot and suffered in a car accident, only to have the saved dog kill all of his own pets who were the only family he had left.  Throughout the film, the plot reveals the irony and pain that intertwines the three stories' fates together.  

The form of the film takes on many international characteristics typical to action genres, such as low dim lighting, quick scene changes, short takes, racy music, and wobbly/jarring camera movements. The style of cinemetography used can be seenin films from all over the world. It is very effective for portraying intense emotion during high action scenes.  Another global aspect of this film is the subjects of the stories. These themes are seen and experienced all over the world. From violent acts, to deceptive relationships, and disasterous events; they are all common themes used in films. They are also themes that take place in real life and can be relatable by the audiences, although these specific scenarios might be extreme, the general ideas are very global. The importance of animals and pets in people's lives is also a concept accepted globally. In these stories, the pets play significant roles in the lives of the people, whether they are used for comfort, financial gains, or family and love. A more local aspect of the movie is the illustration of the different classes in Mexico. The story of Ramiro, Susana, and Octavio represent the lower classes while the story of Daniel and Valeria represent the upper classes of Mexico. The third story of El Chivo, however, eximplifies how the two classes intertwine with eachother.

Overall, this was an intense and action-packed film. There is almost too much blood, gore, and violence. The plots will keep the viewers at the edge of their seat, and the connections of the fates of the characters throughout the film keep the audience guessing. The extremity of the scenarios will cause emotions to soar. This film could be very exciting and appealing to audiences.