Since we're allowed to write about any kind of medium now, I've decided to make one last movie blog. Just the other day I watched a movie called 21 Grams, which was a movie that interweaves several different plots in a nonlinear arrangement. There are plenty of movies I've seen that interweave different plots, but never have I seen one jump from the present to the future to the past several times within each plot in no particular order. It was confusing!! In the end, after I figured everything out, I ended up understanding it, though. It was a good movie, but also very sad in some points.
I actually prefer to watch these kind of movies. One of the reasons I like them so much is because it makes me think and pay attention more. I never get bored or feel like dozing off becaues they require constant attention to really be able to understand the plots.
A couple other great movies that interweaves plots are: Vantage Point, 11:14, Pulp Fiction, and Crash.
I really enjoyed all of those movies, but my two ultimate favorites were Vantage Point and 11:14. Vantage Point actually shows the same story six different times, each from a different viewpoint of a different character. It was very well-written. 11:14 also shows several interconnected stories that all converge at 11:14. Each story directly affects the other stories; this was also very well-written. I would highly recommend them both.
Movies written to follow multiple storylines and characters are called Hyperlink Cinema. Flashbacks and flashfowards along with plot twists are all common characteristics of hyperlink cinema. Janet Grischy explains hyperlink cinema like this: "The idea is to reproduce on film the mess, confusion, and richness of modern life. The overriding theme of hyperlink cinema is connection." I think of it like this: My blogs are full of hyperlinks. You can read my blog and click on my hyperlinks, plus check your email and Facebook page all at the same time. Hyperlink cinema offeres the ability to follow many different storylines all at the same time.
What are your thoughts on hyperlink cinema? Do you enjoy them or not so much?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think it takes more imagination and better writing to write hyperlink cinema.
ReplyDeleteRegular movies are usually only from 1 or 2 character's point of view, which is how real life is for us (from our own point of view), making it easier to follow.
Hyperlink Cinema is like trying to get every view from every point of every story that is being told. You may need the story (stories) told to you several times before you comprehend what is going on.