1. GRAND ILLUSION
These two men are different from all other characters in the film. They were birth of blue
blood. So, their temperatures were different from other people. Both of them have something to
stick to. Although they realized that democracy had become a trend. Their background couldn’t
mean anything. However, it seemed that there were some glories behind them. That was why they
respected each other. We could see some aristocrat qualities in them. When Boeldieus was on a
mission, he would choose his good equipment which showed his noble taste. What they did was
for their countries and their tradition. There were many times that Boeldieus’ comrades wanted
to escape, Boeldieus,as an nobles’ offspring, he wouldn’t want to do for the low work, like digging
caves. When we saw that, we would think that Boeldieus was too conceited. We couldn’t image
that he would die for his two comrades. For Boeldieus,his sacrifice was for the last dignity of
nobility. And maintaining the morality and justice for their comrades.As for Rauffenstein, he just
did his duty. Out of pity, he had forgiven Boeldieus many times. Boeldieus’ death symbolized that
the end of aristocratic era. What he would encounter to was a new era. He lost a friend who he
treated sincerely.
The film’s background was war. However, we couldn’t see any scene about brutal killing. The
atmosphere was so happy like holding a big party. “GRAND ILLUSION” the title of the film was
related to the story. Soldiers fought for their countries, losing their lives, what they contributed to
be a big illusion. Ironically, we could only see the old ,weak and wounded troops in the prison
camps. The film brought us a new war which was different from blooding war. Even, when the
French would escape from the prison camps, the background music was so lively. When
Rauffenstein killed Boeldieus, the background music became to blank. As they escaped from the
prison camps and saved by German housewife Ilsa, that was another heaven where made them
removed from war. Ilsa’s daughter’s bright innocent smile which couldn’t see any fear .That was
director’s carefully arranged which meant some anti-war.

2. “Rear windows”was the film which was used a large of obscure technique to express its
suspense. However, the director didn’t tell the story through actor’s mouth. What he used
was editing. In the beginning, the director didn’t introduce Jeff ‘s job and the reason he
injured by narrating. He used the table ornaments and a series of photos to introduce the
main actor. We knew that Jeff’s job was a photographer which had some hint to the next
story. We could realize why he would peep at his neighbor’s lives. All he did seemed to
become reasonable.
In the film, we could find Jeff didn’t leave the room even the wheelchair. The camera was
lingering in the apartment. What we could do just stay here to peep others’ lives as Jeff. The
director forced us to watch the event’s happened. Every home like a frame, each frame had a
story playing out. All the apartment was build out a big check which let me connect to the
Broadway’s show. Because our sight was limited, we couldn’t leave the scene. So, we would
feel nervous about what would happen to. We were imprisoned like Jeff. When the dog died,
“who kill the dog”, the space was formed a circle, like a trial which wanted to find the killer.
People surrounded the central that we would feel oppressed.
The difference of lightening plays an important role in the film. In some scenes, we could
find that the frame’s central was the brightest area. On the other hand, all around the frame
were darker. Like the spot light’s effect. The director wanted to highlight what the event was
happening in the central of the frame. Because Jeff used a telescope to peep at other people,
what effect to present the telescope’s sight was masking. We couldn’t see what happened
outside the frame, so we would feel nervous. By this way, it created some suspense
atmosphere.
What the film wanted to explore was the relation between people. Each family has their
problem. They were confined in the apartment. They distrust each other. We seldom saw
them communicating to each other. Even Jeff who was the leading actor in the film, just
through the telescope which was inanimate contacted to the outside world. Maybe that was
the reason why their problem was caused. I think one of the issues what the film explored
was trusting between each other. The dog symbolized some quality of innocent, when it was
killed, not only represented what the murderer wanted to conceal his crime but symbolized
the truth was wiped out. I remember the word what the dog’s owner said” Why killed him,
just he loved every one of all? ” The word revealed another aspect what the film wanted to
explore was trusting. The dog was the only one which trusted everybody living in the
apartment.

3. SING IN THE RAIN
1 What do you enjoy most in this film?
The movie showed the very period that films were evolved from silent films.
However, it can’t make audience feel bored like preaching. The film expresses a
lively atmosphere. Among the movie is quality of music which attracts me most. I can’t
believe how an excellent actor to perform so easy. In other words, they should be
positioned on performers, artists, not merely actors. Each scene can be seen as an
individual show. When the film was played, it seems that there had an invisible tempo
existing in the film. The temple affected the flow of film which likes a stream. Even actors
in the film were talking to each other has rhythm. How strong quality of music the film
was! That was the most attracting me when my emotion ups and downs with the
development of film.
2. What have you learned about film business from this film?
I realized the development of film. What a movie was produced. In the film, I have a
question. Why did they not check a film before it was played in public? There was a scene
that Lina’s bad performance on her first time used microphones. With the playing of the bad
quality of the film, it made a lot of laugh. Whether should they make sure everything is fine
before playing the film? Through the film I realized the evolution of film business. Sound is
important to make the movie more real, instead of just a development of technology. It
makes us feel that as if we were standing in front of the scene and watching things
happening. We always say that movie is a kind of visual art. However, sound makes the
development of films more complete. Take Lina for example, she had a good appearance, but
didn’t have a good voice. Sound can affect a feeling to something, which can support the
reality. Nowadays, not every film should have the sound. Sometimes, directors use silent to
express the artistic quality. It depends on what they want to present to the audience.
3. Do you know any other similar films?
I have watched a film like this. Chicago is a similar film like” Singin’ in the rain”. It’s full of
sings and dances which made the film more musical. However, unlike ”Singin ‘ in the rain” ,
Chicago used more exaggerate sound effects which were the product of the technology.
Maybe, the modern atmosphere was what the Chicago wanted to express, so it used a lot of

4. technology to support the story. Both films used singing and dancing to link films. Whenever
you watched films, you would shake with the tempo of films. Compared to Chicago, ”Sing in
the rain” was classical like an old piano’s playing. What a good film like this depends on their
performance and how to link the story with songs and dances naturally, but not scattered.

5. Sunrise
This film used a lot of contrast ways to portray humanity. All the things like on
the both ends of scale for people to compare. In the beginning, a series of shots
were used to catch the mistress’ facial expression. She dressed up herself
carefully with heavy makeup, just like a black widow waiting for the pray falling
into her web. Whenever she appeared, the strange background music was
playing. To the farmer who had lived in a honest country for a long time, the city
woman, was not merely a beautiful fantasy but a black bottle which had liquor in.
when the husband saw the city woman, he lost his direction, like drinking the
poison she had prepared first. The film expressed this dizzy feeling of man’s
crash on the woman by using film acceleration and close-up lighting.
In what ways does the silence makes this film a more moving story? That
really needed the actors’ and actress’ superb acting, and exaggerated facial
expressions to make the roles more vivid. I think that’s what a silent film powerful
place, without the support of lines how to catch the audience’s heart, making them
immerse in the film? In addition, the use of light can increase the vividness of the
film. When the husband decided to murder his wife, the light spotted on his face, the
change of light and shadow made his face sinister, as if the evil in his heart devoured
his gentle. The
Change of light is used to portray humanity profound, making the audience
easier to distinguish between good and evil, there are many elements in the film are
opposite, such us: country and city, farm and capitalism. The director portrayed
both wife and mistress in an opposite way which made the film more moving.
I haven’t seen other films like “Sunrise”, however, there are many dramas in
Taiwan have a similar story like wife’s and mistress’ battle, which was lack of the
quality of artistic.

7. 400 blows
The 400 blows was a film which was full of conflicting. Sometimes, what a film
wants to express is endless contractions. Through the contractions, the director
wanted to attract our attention so that we could aware of something and thinking
deeply. There were many contractions and conflicts in the 400 BLOWS. At first time,
the director gave us a big shock. Our visions were leading by the shot, as if the
director took us to the Paris. However, as soon as we got to Paris tower, the steel
structure was heavy which like a cage forced us out of breath. Similarly, the tower
imprisoned the boy’s mind. At the first time, the director gave us a big hint. In the
film, the image of prison was emerging constantly. Not only symbolizing the body‘s
imprison but also the spirits’. The tower was taken with low angle which made the
tower heavier. It took the dominant palace in the frame. The director wouldn’t make
us who was looking the tower. The person was so small that couldn’t present in the
frame.
In the next film, we couldn’t find that the boy’s space was compressed
constantly. In the school he was punished by his teacher, standing behind the
blackboard which separated him from his classmates. At home, he slept on the path
that made him doesn’t have many space to move. His position was constantly
compressed.
In the end, he was sent to the asylum, the outsides colorful and his bad mood had
a big contrast. We almost couldn’t see his face as if he didn’t want us to approach.
Ironically, the back ground music was so lively which had a bigger conflict. To him, he
was a child; the music seemed to remind us, why they couldn’t give him more space.
There were many times we could see his space was compressed, even to outside of
the frame.

8. 單車失竊記 Ladri di biciclette
What about the film moved me most was the affection between father and son.
We could find that no matter where did the father go, the son would be his father’s
side. To some extent, I think the son was his father’s reflection. When they were
finding the bike, their action was symmetrical which had some classical aesthetics. At
that time, I thought that the son was a part of his father. The camera used the long
shot to make both father and son stand parallel, as if they were equal to each other.
The use of long shot dwarfs them so that we could compare them and found that
they were so similar. When the father couldn’t find the convict, venting the anger on
his son and drove away him. As he heard someone was drowned, he thought the
person was Bruno. As he ran faster to check, he ran outside the frame, becoming
much smaller. On the contrary, the anxiety became bigger because we wouldn’t see
what was happening outside the frame. The father’s echo vibrating in the air made
us feel nervous and the father’s helpless. At that moment, the feeling of losing made
him sober. He loved his son so much. There was some implication that the affection
between the relatives was more important than anything.
The film like a documentary film which recorded the thing might happen in our
lives. The film didn’t use lots of montages; it described the matter detailed and
accurately which made me feel that the film didn’t want to modify and hide anything.
It presented a social matter faithfully; the director didn’t want to beautify the ugly
side of human nature and bad society. The film was so trivial that made me feel that I
was listening an old man telling a bad story. However, the story was flowing easy and
smooth which didn’t make us feel drowsy. It was rich in narrative.
In spite of the fact that the film didn’t use lots of movie techniques which made us
feel the director was showing off his talents. However, in some touching scenes, the
film also used some techniques to emphasize the strong emotions. When the father
got after the burglar with lost, the camera gave him a close –up shot to emphasize
the helpless on his face. The camera followed the actor’s steps forward as if the
audience would find the bugler with him. Then, the actor went to the crowds, his
form turned to small, finally, he became to a part of the crowd like melting in them.
The camera used the long shot to make us see the actor’s all form which symbolized
that the human was small on the world. Sometimes, we didn’t have power to
struggle to the fate.
When we saw that the father was hard to post the posters which were his job
that got not easily. We could find that he wasn’t good at posting the posters. Because,
we could find that the posters weren’t posted smoothly. However, he must to do the
job, which was his duty to support the whole family. So, when he found his bike was

9. stolen, he still returned to do his job unwilling. To their family, he was so important
to support a family livelihood. That was why he must to find his bike. In the film, we
could find that no matter where he went he uplifted his bike instead of pulling his
bike. From this, we could aware that he very treasured his bike.
Not only the bike wasn’t easy to get but also it was the tool to support his family.
The film criticized some aspect of the society. In the beginning of the film, we
could see that the crowd came in great number to find a job. What caused the
phenomenon? It could be originated from the war which influenced civilians’ lives.
The bad fate caused the father’s bad behaviors. There were many contractions in the
father’s life. In the beginning, he didn’t believe in the shaman, however, when he
couldn’t find his bike, he turned for her help which was contrary to his belief. At last,
he even wanted to steal a bicycle from the crowds. All the contractions of him were
due to the bad environment in the society. When his son and he ate in the restaurant,
the son and the rich child’s eyes touch could make us aware of the problem of
poverty gap.

10. 我的父親母親
I can’t forget the last scene in “MY DAD AND MOM” which depicted the long
funeral procession marching in the snow white. The scene was so silence that
like there was an invisible stream of sadness flowing in their heart. Everywhere
was covered with snow white to support for the feeling of sadness and solemn.
To my opinions, white is a color which can flow unconsciously. This snow white
land is an important spot, when teacher Lou dedicated himself to rushing to
build a school the land had left his steps. Finally, his life ended in the same place.
The film didn’t portray a lot of scenes about teacher Lou’s form in the bone-chilly
winds and snow. However, as the procession marching in the silent snow, it
seemed that we could see his form and realized how great teacher Lou was.
The way to express actor’s struggling in his heart was so special that
impressing me. As he decided to revenge to his rival in love, the director used
the change in stream of light to emphasize his mood conversion. When he sat in
the restaurant facing with his rival, the over white light spotted on their faces
presenting the nervous atmosphere and contractions. The use of a large number
of light to express the relationship between people in urban. Furthermore, it
pointed Out the relation between people which was difficult to image.
I prefer “MY DAD AND MOM” to “KEEP CALM”. The director used the contrast
technique to express the difference between present and past. The director used the
manner of flashback, the story started from black and white screen, making the
audience realize that the reality was strictly cruel. At first, the dialogue between son
and mom was so dull that made me consider the film as a documentary film. As
mother insisted on weaving for his father, it seemed that today had a link with the
past. The scene came back to the past. Immediately, the screen became so colorful,
all the feeling pouring out suddenly. At that time, the real story just started over.
The reason why I like this film wasn’t merely the narrative technique but the
touching romance which made me immerse in it.
I have seen “HERO” which was directed by Zhang Yi-mou. The film’s scene was
so magnificent that made me gaze steadily. I found the fact that Zhang Yi-mou
liked to play color game. Each scene consists of different colors. Maybe, he was
a rich director like to use the technique of counting the bowl movement was U.S.
That’s the production of high-cost.
We can find that in his films, the use of red is seen quite often. For instance, the
film 大紅燈籠高高掛.It seems that he had a crash on red. Red symbolizes festival in
the traditional Chinese. However, the over festivity made me feel gloomy. How

11. strange was! Compared to his films, red is used to emphasize a kind of intense
emotion, just like a stream of blood flowing and stirring up an intense feeling in
your body.
I like to his technique to produce films. He continues to create a kind of visual
pleasure. However, I don’t like the film “Hero”, because there has some ideology
in this film. Virtually, the film has become a tool of demonstrating their country’s
thought.

12. Mise-en-scène and Symbolism in 400 Blows and Roshomon
Pin Jun Liu
Professor Wenchi Lin
EL2033 Introduction to Film Studies (Final Paper)
2011/1/12
Roshomon was a city gate which worn down by the years without repairs. There
were three people took the shelter from the rain under the gate. They discussed a
crime. A drench of rain coincided with the theme. The rain symbolized the collapsing
of humanity which throughout the whole film. Before that, a man ran in the heavy
rain we couldn’t see him very clear. The scene in the film was very blurred and dirty.
The ground was miry and the man was splashed. We could find that all the scenes
were dirty and old: a broken gate, the muddy ground which was caused by the rain.
The beginning of the story, the director gave us the filthy scene that had an
implication of humanity. “Humanity “was the theme that running through the
beginning to the end. However, what we flashed back the happening process had to
through these three people’s narrations. Their mouth was the only media that we
realized the whole story. As a result, when our sight was taken to the temple, what
we heard first was the man’s murmur. The three man presented the different aspects
in the humanity which made me think about the personality that Freud‘s Structural
Psychology. The monk was superego, the servant was id, and the woodman was Ego
that made a balance between the superego and Id.
The entire film was conferring different aspects of humanity. When they talked
about the crime, the rain formed as the curtain. It symbolized the collapsing of
humanity. However, the film didn’t take sides. So, the director almost gave them the
equal space. The camera took them from the same distance and position. Even gave
them a close up shot to present their argument as if they did a confession to the
audience. The whole film was very orderly which presented the beauty of classical.
The main role was put in the middle of the frame. We could see their complete figure
to present their argument.
The film didn’t have lots of dialogues. The black and white presented a feeling of
silence film. The use of light shade becomes very important. When the woodman
walked into the forest, the director used a low angle shot to present the mottled light.
He also used a high angle to show the woodman’s advancing. The camera followed
his steps, which made the scene more dynamic and flowing. We could find that the
woodman’s figure was covered by the tree just like there was something freaky in our
life .We might be hoodwinked by it. The forest symbolized people’s mind. The reason
why the director made this scene more flowing was he hoped that the audience

13. could follow the woodman’s steps to see the happening of a crime smoothly. By
doing this the audience could go into the film’s world fast. On the other hand, there
was an implication that symbolized people always get into a maze of people easily.
The use of contraction was the reason why the film had the appeal for the audience.
The weather was hot that caused the lady masking a veil. People had a desire for
peeping at which made the lady more charming. The two factors were corresponding
that made the bandit have more desire for the lady. When the camera took the lady’s
hat which was placed in the side of the frame, the director gave the hat much time to
show some feeling of discomposed. To some extent, the hat and veil represented a
hint of chastity. This way of setting up which made us realize something wrong was
happening. When the woodman saw the dead body, he ran to the government office
gate. The track in shot was stopped, his pace became to disorder which symbolized
his senses was awake.
When witnesses were talking about the crime, they were put in the middle of the
frame very orderly. The form gave me some feeling of justice that highlighted the
atmosphere in the office in local government. They did a confession to the audience.
We realized the crime through their mouths. However, when the image which
showed the different ways how the crime was caused, there weren’t many dialogued
to describe the crime. Even the scene which describing the bandit was falling to the
horse, such a image should be dynamic, there weren’t many dialogues. As if the
explanation was imposed on the image. That caused a contradiction between image
and langue. The image was an expression of esthetics which was an element that the
director wanted to confer. So, he used this way to trace back the most primitive
esthetics.
When the different people to describe the crime, they did an advantageous
confession to themselves. It symbolized that people have something which they
wanted to maintain. That made a question to humanity. The physic was taken
possession by the samurai, describing the crime, It represented the implication “Lie
never disappeared even you had been dead”.
The end of the film, the servant was throwing the wood to make a fire. The weak
fire which in the drenching rain, liking the last hope to the bright side of humanity.
The servant’s position was in the front of the frame. He had a higher status than the
other two people. Because, up to present of the film, what the director to do was
showing the dark side of the humanity. However, the baby’s crying was the last test
for the humanity, when they found the baby, the position was reshuffled. Again, they
back to the equal status. When the rain was stopped, the sunshine appearing, which
appealed to the weak fire, it symbolized that there was bright side of the humanity.

14. The sharpest symbol in the 400 Blows was”imprison”. From the beginning to the
end in the film, the topic was fastened on the film. In the beginning of the film, we
were brought to view the Eiffel Tower, which was the biggest bomb that the director
thrown to us. Apparently, the scene was companied with the stringed music; it
should give us the feeling of easy, however, the low angle shot to the tower that
made it like a huge monster. It was like a monster which was impending and would
devour the children’s spirits. The tower was made from steel which had the same
material with the prison .In the end of the beginning of the film, we were even taken
to the underneath of the tower, it was the square shape as the shape of “prison”.
This way of setting up was fasten on the symbol of ‘”prison” again. However, the
symbol of “prison” was not only the body’s restriction, but whole society suppressed
the boy’s thought.
We could find that there was a partition in Antoine’s classroom, which was the
implication of “isolation”. As we thought, when he was kidding with his classmates,
liking a general kid’s behavior, however, he was force to stand outside the classroom
by his teacher. He was isolated from the right of education.
The apartment where Antoine lived was black and old. However, the space which
Antoine had was very narrow. When he was sleeping, his would be squeezed out of
the frame, just like his status in his family. Because, his room was small, when his
mother closed the door, the door’s shadow would fall on his body. The shadow was
like a heavy burden which bulling his small body. Just like what the whole society
gave to him.
The plot that he escaped from his home and school was shown in the film many
times. We could find that the road which he passing was full of obstacles. Instead of a
broad way, what he brought us to pass were black and narrow lanes. These narrow
lanes were hiding in the big society. By doing this, we could realize that there were
many black corners in the big city. When Antoine escaping from the school, even the
society, pursuing to the freedom that he aspiring after, there weren’t places he could
stay. The factor where he stayed was full of machines and sacks. This time, he still
had a narrow space to sleep just like the position that he could own in his family.
That was a great irony. What he should get from the society, when he escaping from
the big trap, the society still didn’t gave to him.
Escaping from his family, he walked on the road by himself. It seemed that the
freedom was companied by the lonesome. We would show sympathy to him when
we saw the scene. However, the director used the shining sigh in a shop window to
enhance our sympathy. The scene and Antoine’s situation became to an intense
contrast.
In the morning, he washed his face in front of the fountain. It symbolized his

15. comprise to the society. The camera took him from the far distance, making his figure
look so tiny. We suddenly saw the light, realizing that he was just a kid!
Compared to the big society, his figure was so small.
The director used the technique of documentary which making the film like a real
story. As Antoine was taken to the police office, he was imprisoned in the small jail.
We could see that his figure was restricted under the jail, making his space smaller.
He was isolated from the society. On the way to the reformatory, we could see his sight
of his back, just like he kept away from us and telling us not to inquire about his mind
because he was a kid who was abandoned by the society.
The final scene that he escaped from the reformatory lasted a long time. It seemed
that he was eager to take us to see the world which symbolized by freedom. However,
the director used a shaking shot to remind us that the story was just a film. What
important was the implication behind the film. We should value the education system
and the family support. When Antoine looked after the camera, just like his accusation
to the society. The words “Fin” in the last scene, was imprison to Antoine.
References:
再見楚浮/ Don Allen 著 張靜蓓譯 1991 遠流出版社
武者的遺跡/ Stephen Prince 著 刁筱華譯 1995 萬象出版

16. Dr .Wen was a film that had a touch of sadness. Black and White aroused a feeling
of memorizing. There weren’t much excitement in it. The director used an indirect
way to tell the story. When the film talked about Dr Wen’s family life, he used many
videos. By this way, it made the film like a real documentary in the field of
documentary. Even where we knew Felix was through Dr .Wen’s narration. Maybe,
someone would think that all because Flip had been dead. Dr Wen’s gazed at his
son’s things, thinking of his son.
The film’s shot was shaky, maybe that because the camera was handed. By this
way, it presented a way of natural which like the thing was staged in life. When the
illness child was taken to Dr Wen, the camera gave he a close up shot companying
with his mom’s narration. We knew the child by an indirect way. The shot’s focal
distance was changing unceasingly. The shot was very disorder, as if the film was
taken randomly. The film used lots of montages to present views ‘changing. The shot
was followed the car’s advancing, as if the shot was attached to Dr Wen’s body,
becoming the part of his life. That made me associate with his job was doctor; the
camera was like his organ. The film suggested his son’s death continually. When
Dr .Wen watered for the swimming port, we saw his body was covered by the
balusters. His body was confined to the balusters that presenting a father’s helpless.
Bubbles were emerging constantly which symbolized the passing of life. The film was
played to here; I smelled a feeling of uneasy. The water was fluid which dropped a
hint of death.
There were two boys in the film. The film compared the two. Felix and Sebastian
were very similar. However, both of them had the different fate, Felix chose to
commit suicide; Sebastian tried his best to survive. The film gave us the different
aspects to think about life. When Dr. Wen talked about his son’s death, he almost
faced to the right side; the camera took his face in profile, the camera kept a distance
from it. As if he was stating the fact, however, to some extent, he was making his
own confession. After a while, the camera was closed to him, we could see his face
more clearly. Because, when he talked to his son’s death aroused the intense
emotion. The camera closed to his face, hoping we could feel the same way about his
sad emotion. Then the shot was slowly moved to the ceiling. Describing the scene
that Dr Wen taught Felix how to shave. The shot was very close to the wall, we
almost could see the grain. Leaving some white to the scene, as if the film was telling
us that there was some depression in our life that we couldn’t bear.