April 7, 2004

The first thing we did today in class was watch the first part of

"Vanilla Sky," which was the Hollywood remake of the film "Open Your

Eyes" viewed on Monday.  This film also stars Penelope Cruz in the role

of Sophia, but Tom Cruise is the lead character.

Next, the questions from "Open Your Eyes" were discussed.  Questions

and answers as follows.

Answers courtesy of Candice Benfield-

-1)  The initial perception of time is not what it is revealed to be at

the end of the movie.  Initially, the “present” is when Cesar is in the

mental institution talking with his psychiatrist.  The past is set up

to be when Cesar and his best friend Antonio are playing tennis and

later on at Cesar’s birthday party where he first meets Sophia.  Later,

we realize that all of this is in the past and that Cesar has chosen to

be frozen after his death (he committed suicide).  Everything the

audience has seen past the night at the club where Cesar passes out on

the sidewalk has been inside his mind courtesy of the Life Extension

program.  The true reality of the film is in the end after Cesar has

chosen to live the rest of his waking existent in the future so he

kills himself in the dream that L.E. has put him in.  When the nurse

says, “Open your eyes” is when the true reality of the film begins,

which is ironic seeing as how this is the end of the film.

-2)  Open Your Eyes borrows from science fiction, romance, fantasy,

drama, film noir, and thriller.

-3)  The director portrays this film as fantasy in the sense that

something like this could never happen in today’s society.  Cryogenics

is an abstract concept now but was made to be something very possible

in the film.  The film is science fiction because of the cryogenics and

the ability for Cesar to live out his life in not only a dream, but in

the end, the future.  Romance comes into play between Cesar and Sophia,

as well as Cesar and Nuria.  Nuria is the scorned ex-lover that sets

the whole film into motion when she kills herself and destroys Cesar’s

face in the suicidal car crash.  The film is a mystery because there is

no clear direction or concrete things happening until the end of the

film.  The audience is left guessing about time sequences and

characters until the last 10 minutes.

-4)  Throughout the film up until the final moments, the audience can

only guess as to what the outcome of the film will be.  When the

director puts Cesar on the roof being torn between reality and fantasy,

it is then that the viewer’s expectations are thwarted.  Everything the

audience has seen for most of the entire film has been a dream all in

the mind of the hero, Cesar.

-5)  This film is about fantasy versus reality.  I feel like the

director is trying to show the audience that sometimes dreams can be so

real that they seem as if they are reality and vice versa.  The concept

is very basic but the film is unusual.  Cesar learns that the life he

has been living is one that he could have controlled, because it is all

in his mind.  The film challenges the viewer to realize which scenes

they were shown actually happened or were just fantasy which ties along

with the director’s purpose of the film.

While discussing these questions, there was a brief discussion on

differences the class saw in the two films.  The fact that Cameron

Crowe chose to have Tom Cruise's character be wealthy beyond audience

comprehension was brought up.  In "Open Your Eyes," the main character

Cesar was well off, but in "Vanilla Sky," the main character had an

over-the-top wealth that made him less identifiable with the audience. 

Another thing that was brought up was the board ("The Seven Dwarfs")

that were the board members in "Vanilla Skye."  These characters were

never shown in "Open Your Eyes" which was a part of the psychological

aspect Dr. Reimer said.

Very briefly Dr. Reimer went over some Dogme 95 information.  There

were ten rules for the movement which are referred to as the "Vow of

Chastity"  The ten rules are as follows:

(courtesy of http://www.dogme95.dk)

1. Shooting must be done on location. Props and sets must not be

brought in (if a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location

must be chosen where this prop is to be found).

2. The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice

versa. (Music must not be used unless it occurs where the scene is

being shot).

3. The camera must be hand-held. Any movement or immobility attainable

in the hand is permitted. (The film must not take place where the

camera is standing; shooting must take place where the film takes

place).

4. The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable. (If

there is too little light for exposure the scene must be cut or a

single lamp be attached to the camera).

5. Optical work and filters are forbidden.

6. The film must not contain superficial action. (Murders, weapons,

etc. must not occur.)

7. Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden. (That is to say

that the film takes place here and now.)

8. Genre movies are not acceptable.

9. The film format must be Academy 35 mm.

10. The director must not be credited.

Lastly, the presentation day assignments were given.  There will be

three days of presentations.