August 31st, 2018
Samantha Cormack Humanities Isle of Dogs: A Film to Admire An 8/10 on IMDb, an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a Metascore of 82, for a film that should have a 10/10 on IMDb, a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and a Metascore of 100. Numbers aren't everything, and I’m here to prove it. Isle of Dogs is one of the best films ever made, with an astounding soundtrack, exhilarating cinematography, and stop-motion that will become an inspiration to directors for years to come. This film is tough to beat, and for good reason. Isle of Dogs is directed by no other than master storyteller Wes Anderson, a director given many awards for films such as The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. This film being directed by Wes Anderson is a very good reason on its own, but of course, it’s not the only reason. Isle of Dogs is set in a dystopian future in Japan, where the entire dog population gets infected with a disease. As a result, the humans decide to expel all dogs to a far-away island. The film follows the story of a young Japanese boy and his group of helpful dogs with the goal of finding the boy’s lost dog, who was one of the first dogs to be expelled to the island. This film does a great job at sending a good message about protest, controversy, and diversity which can connect to today’s society. The first aspect of this film that I would like to dig into is the stop-motion. If you have seen a couple of Wes Anderson films in your time, you know he adores stop-motion. Even when he tries making a live-action film, he finds a way to sneak in an stop-motion animated scene somewhere. For instance, in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, there is a 4 second scene of a child holding a rainbow seahorse in a plastic bag, and the seahorse was fully stop-motion, no CGI. The scene did not need the amount of effort that was put into it. However, Wes Anderson’s love for stop-motion couldn’t stay away. It really goes to show Anderson’s true efforts into his art. This theme of tiny scenes of stop-motion is very common in his films. So if the short scenes of animation are amazing, what do his fully animated films look like? Well, quite extraordinary in fact. Isle of Dogs and Fantastic Mr. Fox are great examples. Wes contrasts the art of cartoon physics (when the dogs start getting rough with eachother and begin a physical fight, they get thrown into the classic cartoon trope of a dirt cloud) with deadpan, self aware neurotics. (In Isle of Dogs, when well-groomed ¨Nutmeg¨ gets asked if she was a show-dog before getting kicked to Trash Island, she replies with “I don’t consider it my identity.”) Both films milk the power of photo-realistic detail upon handmade objects, which make for some amazing scenes. My absolute favorite aspect of this movie is the way the soundtrack dances with the cinematography. I will admit, I listen to this soundtrack in my free time. The film does an excellent job of letting the music melt into the environment perfectly, as it uses western themes (like Japanese drums, for example.) This shows Wes’s effort into making his work a real japanese film, instead of the cliche “epic battle with samurai swords wearing robes and sandals” that we have all seen before. The film uses music by Akira Kurosawa, who worked on the award winning film Django (Directed by Quentin Tarantino, creator of the legendary Pulp Fiction.) Not only that, the way the camerawork harmonizes with the soundtrack is such a satisfying thing to behold. Every little head turn, every stomp, and every camera angle switch goes to the beat of the music, including the absolutley glorious title credits. It really represents the amount of detail and effort put into this film, as it is an easy one to watch over and over again. Isle of Dogs is a truly excellent film. The soundtrack, the cinematography, everything is exquisite. But what makes a film a film? As a person who has seen their fair share of cinema, I have come up with a few theories and ideas about the concept of film. One idea asks the question, “Is there a difference between a movie and a film?” My answer, is yes. “For me, filmmaking combines everything. That’s the reason I’ve made cinema my life’s work. In films, painting and literature, theatre and music come together. But a film is still a film.” – Akira Kurosawa. Notice how in this quote Kurosawa uses the word “film” instead of “movie.” When you think of Guardians of the Galaxy, do you think of it as a movie or a film? When you think of Phantom Thread, do you think of it as a movie or a film? For me personally, I find that Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers and others like it are considered movies. Entertainment, eye candy, fan service. Of course, these don’t have to be bad things. They cater to the audience, and in return, the audience eats it up. But what about a film? A film is the mesmerizing doodles in your highschool notebook that nobody knew about. A film is the hidden mural in an alleyway next to the Dodger Stadium. A film is art. Art isn’t entertainment or fan service, but expression. A movie will cater to an audience, nurture it, and give it what it wants. A film says “hello,” shakes your hand, hands you the meaning of life, slaps you in the face and runs away. You’ll catch yourself thinking about a film in the most abstract of settings. Picking up an apple at the grocery store, or zipping up your jacket. A film has the power to do that, unlike a movie. It takes effort to make a film. It takes thought, detail, emotion, and sleepless nights. All things done to make Isle of Dogs. Isle of Dogs is truly incredible, funny, and thought-provoking, and I believe everyone should see it. It spreads subtle awareness about today’s society, things that should be talked and thought about. A film is hard to come by, especially one like Isle of Dogs. A film is hard to replicate. A film is art. A film is beauty. A film is Isle of Dogs. Citations: Shmoop Editorial Team. “Seven Samurai: Music (Score).” Shmoop, Shmoop University, 11 Nov. 2008, www.shmoop.com/seven-samurai/music.html. “Isle of Dogs (2018).” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/title/tt5104604/. Rotten Tomatoes, www.rottentomatoes.com/m/isle_of_dogs_2018/. Dowd, A.A. “On an Isle Of Dogs, Wes Anderson Uses Stop-Motion to Construct One of His Most Wondrous Worlds.” Film, Film.avclub.com, 20 July 2018, https://film.avclub.com/on-an-isle-of-dogs-wes-anderson-uses-stop-motion-to-co-1823968967
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AuthorI'm Samantha Cormack, and this is my blog for my 10th grade year of 2018-2019! If you would like to know more about me, visit the home page and you will find my biography. Archives |