film comparative essay

From Sprocket to Pixel

Volume 15, Issue 9 / September 2011

Comparative film analysis.

In this issue

Collateral :  A Case Study in Ethical Subjectivity

Kyle Barrowman

Atom Egoyan’s Chloe : Filtering Bergman’s Persona

Donato Totaro

Eyes Wide Shut : Dream Movie

Leon Saunders Calvert

The Thin Red Line – Every Man Is A Universe

The moral implications of Schopenhauer’s world as Will and Representation

Contradictions; or, The Languages of Violence and Peace in the film Five Minutes of Heaven

Exorcising the Troubles of Northern Ireland

Daniel Garrett

The idea of comparative film analysis is an approach that attempts to understand one film by relating it to another object, often another film(s) (as is the case, to varying degrees, with three of the essays here), or a concept from outside the world of film (as is the case with the fourth essay on comparative analysis in this issue). This month Offscreen groups together (four of the five) essays that attempt to illuminate specific films by drawing out formal and thematic comparisons to other films or other disciplines. In the opening essay Kyle Barrowman analyzes the richly textured (on both the visual and thematic sense) Michael Mann urban crime/noir film Collateral . Barrowman defines the film as either an “urban drama” or “crime drama” or “neo-noir” and hence makes a general genre comparison of Collateral to other similar films, and a more direct comparison to Taxi Driver and The Terminator . Barrowman argues that Collateral offers an ethical dilemma by making the murderous/villainous hired killer character of Vincent (Tom Cruise) sympathetic, largely because he lives by a rigid code of nihilistic ethics which is part of the post-9/11 zeitgeist. This forms the comparison to Taxi Driver and The Terminator , who also present similar ‘sympathetic’ killers. Barrowman relates this to what Robin Wood has identified as the “incoherent text.” The second essay, by Donato Totaro, burrows deep and unearths some striking similarities between Atom Egoyan’s Chloe (2009) and Ingmar Bergman’s Persona (1966), two films dealing with dual female fantasies. The third essay analyzes Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut as a ‘dream movie’ (hence the use of Freud) but also compares it to other Kubrick films, mainly The Shining and Full Metal Jacket . Eyes Wide Shut is also tied to Chloe through the thematic of infidelity, and the differences morally and psychologically between thought and action (having the thought of being unfaithful versus enacting on the thought). The fourth essay, on Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line takes as its comparative material Arthur Schopenhauer’s philosophical ideas on the ‘Will.’ Malick’s reverential attitude toward nature also stems partly from Schopenhauer’s philosophy, which believes that any act of destruction against nature is cruel, careless, and unthinking because nature is a part of the universe, and by extension, a part of ourselves. The final essay is a stand-alone entry by Daniel Garrett on the political drama Five Minutes of Heaven (which does share Chloe ‘s male lead, Liam Neeson). (Donato Totaro, ed.)

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How to Write an Essay Comparing Two Movies

The Irish playwright Denis Johnston once claimed that all stories are based on the same eight plots. If his theory is true, filmmakers often create dramatically different films out of similar plots, whether they work from identical source material or original screenplays. Film essays often compare and contrast two films in terms of visuals, dialogue and character interaction, examining the extent to which these elements impact plot and theme.

Brainstorm in Circles

A Venn diagram, which consists of two overlapping circles, is ideal for brainstorming before writing your essay. Name each circle after a film, and then write their similarities in the overlapped portions and their differences in the outer portion of the circles. For example, the films "Inception" and "Paprika" both deal with the idea of invading and changing a dream world. While brainstorming, you might write "dream sequences" in the overlapping portion, then write "animated, bright colors" under "Paprika" and "CGI, dull palette" under "Inception."

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How to write a college critical thinking essay, important elements in writing argument essays, keys to writing a reflection paper, lesson plans on pre-writing strategies, teaching how to read editorials in fifth grade, focus on relevance.

Narrow your brainstorming session to three related yet distinct topics. Categorize them according to essential film elements like plot (the events of the film), cinematography (the visual elements of the film), character (including personality traits and portrayal), diegesis (the world of the film) and theme (the overall message of the film). Reduce the selection down to three interrelated points. Using "Paprika" and "Inception" as an example again, you might compare and contrast the visual styles of the cinematography, the diegesis behind corporate dreams and the characters' approach to love.

Depending on which topics you decided to cover and the length of the essay, you may approach organizing the body in two ways. In the first method, you'd discuss the films separately, according to the three points. In the second method, each of the three points could be analyzed in order, addressing the similarities and differences between the films on each point. When transitioning to a new topic, indicate its relevance to prior discussion. Analyze the ways in which the three topics reflect or impact the respective themes of the films, emphasizing similarities and differences when appropriate.

Thesis and Conclusion

Often, the writing process can help you to modify or refine your central argument. For this reason, writing the introductory and concluding paragraphs can sometimes be easier after you have written the body. The introduction should grab the reader's attention, summarize your argument and offer a thesis statement, a sentence that highlights your main points and their significance. For example, "In creating chaotic worlds of corporate dream invasion, both 'Paprika' and 'Inception' examine potential threats that modern career concerns may pose to mental health and human connectivity." The conclusion should summarize the body of the essay and paraphrase the thesis with a sense of finality and authority.

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Comparing and Contrasting
• The Guardian: Stage and Screen
• Wabash Center: Film Vocabulary

Since 2003, Momi Awana's writing has been featured in "The Hawaii Independent," "Tradewinds" and "Eternal Portraits." She served as a communications specialist at the Hawaii State Legislature and currently teaches writing classes at her library. Awana holds a Master of Arts in English from University of Hawaii, Mānoa.

International Film Comparison

This essay attempts to compare François Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” (1959) with Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s “Amélie” (2001), examining how these films reveal and express themes of individuality, society and self-discovery. By exploring the film structure, cinematography, and design in detail, the essay demonstrates differences between their narrative approaches and aesthetics. It proceeds to examine how these two movies set in different periods of French society provide an insight into cultural and temporal contexts as well as relate to universal themes by bridging viewers from different generations. In this light, the article not only explains various ways through which cinema can be used for expressing complicated human experiences but

Introduction

In this essay, the theme of two different but rich in minute details films, namely François Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” (1959) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s “Amélie” (2001), will be discussed. The film “The 400 Blows” is one of the most influential movies of the French New Wave movement; it tells a very touching story about an adolescent who was negatively understood in postwar France (Hemingway, 2020). With its ground-breaking technology and deeply personal storytelling, Truffaut’s film is often considered a benchmark work exploring themes such as youth, rebellion, and identity questing.

In contrast, Amelie, directed by Jeunet, is a colorful and whimsically told story set in modern-day Paris. It is about a young woman named Amélie Poulain who has an unusual approach to life, prompting her to change things around her (Mulyani, 2023) subtly. This comparison seeks to uncover how Truffaut and Jeunet address themes of individuality, societal norms, and the pursuit of meaning through their disparate directorial styles within their unique milieus. The purpose of this essay is to compare these two movies on the basis of cultural context and historical aspects that relate to other areas apart from narrative or thematic dimensions. Based on narrative choices and visual styles used in each movie, it can be argued that despite differences between them, they still touch on human experiences that are universally shared amidst a profound exploration of the identity search process against expectations from society.

Background of Directors

François Truffaut, one of the main characters in the French New Wave movement, transformed movies by the use of his deep and introspective storytelling. The film that he wrote, called “The 400 Blows,” was inspired by his miserable childhood (Matthew, 2019). He often delved into teenage years, personal freedom, and the complexity of human relationships using innovative narrative approaches and a preference for naturalistic performances. His films are characterized by a blend of heartfelt realism with subtle yet powerful storylines that have had an immeasurable impact on world cinema.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet, born in 1953, could be a French chief known for his uniqueness, magnificence and visual excellence (Thomson, 2010). Genet’s movies, like Amelie, are overwhelmed by color designs, complex methods and stories. His movies regularly obscure the lines between daydream and reality, coming about in interesting stories that are phenomenal and energizing. And “Amélie” combines the sentiment of adore, the introduction of the Paris story and the dream of making an undetectable world, which makes them so alluring.

Film Comparison

 film structure.

Two “The 400 Blows” and “Amélie” embrace distinctive account structures and voices. This reflects the substance and visual course of the film. Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” embraces story structure and tells the story of on-screen character Antoine Doinel, who encounters numerous troubles and mistaken assumptions (Hemingway, 2020). The pace is exceptionally quick and gives the group of onlookers sufficient time to empathize with Antoine’s explore for character in post-war France. Therefore, this fashion succeeds as a awesome vehicle to communicate the film’s subjects of young apprehension and self-discovery, making it both piercing and important.

On the other hand, “Amélie” adopts a non-linear, whimsical narrative. A mosaic of digressions and interconnected subplots. Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s entertaining and fast-paced story allows him to create scenes and situations that are all brought together through Emily. His designs include destiny, connection and the impact of small actions, making it a fascinating and useful narrative.

Cinematography

The cinematography in “The 400 Blows” is very simple and realistic. Truffaut employed natural light, deep focus, and static shots together with handheld ones in order to bring out a sense of authenticity or urgency in his work (Insdorf, 2014). All these facts serve as invitations that allow the audience into Anthony’s world since they make his experiences feel tangible right there. Long takes are noticeably used here so as to prolong some scenes naturally, hence giving some depth to character development and emotional impact.

In contrast, ‘Amelie’ is full of bright colors, complex shooting techniques, and creative camera movements. The usage of saturated colors coupled with meticulous framing has created a fairytale-like atmosphere (Bell, 2015). The use of tilts, pans, and an occasional deep focus, among other camera movements, gives the film a whimsical and magical feel. This approach to cinematography emphasizes the fantastic elements of the film, making it fit well with its narrative style and thematic exploration that centers on wonder and joy in ordinary life.

Design in both movies is one of the main elements that enhance their narrative and themes. In “The 400 Blows”, design is rooted in realism, capturing the atmosphere of post-war Paris. The sets, costumes, and props are functional and unadorned, reflecting the starkness of Antoine’s life (Jenkins, 2019). Such minimalism in design serves to expose alienation and search for identity, as even the environment becomes a mirror for Antoine’s inner feelings.

Conversely, design is an integral part of storytelling in “Amelie.” This movie is known for its whimsically designed sets that are almost treated as characters as much as Amelie herself. Hence, from the quaintly quirky innards of Café des 2 Moulins to neatly arrayed bric-a-brac items found at Amelie’s place, symbolism element dominates all forms of designs being used here (Mulyani, 2023). To this end, an exaggerated and stylized design palette creates a fantastical version of Paris, which falls into line with the film’s themes of romance, whimsy, and beauty in what is mundane. This differentiation in terms of design philosophies between these two films highlights their thematic contrasts where “The 400 Blows” grounds its plot on cold, hard facts while “Amélie” lifts its story up into a realm where whimsical fantasy takes over.

Multi-Perspective Analysis

In spite of the differing narratives, both “The 400 Blows” and “Amelie” engage deeply with local as well as global themes and give insights into French society and broader human experiences. “The 400 Blows” is a reflection of postwar Paris from the local perspective (Hemingway, 2020). It is globally significant due to its transcultural theme of adolescent rebellion in search of identity. This film provides a very sensitively depicted response of a young individual to pressures from society.

As opposed to that, “Amélie” offers a more whimsical interpretation of local Parisian life, which seeks to celebrate charm in the city’s inhabitants’ interconnectedness. Its global appeal arises from such issues as the pursuit of happiness, small acts of kindness, and yearning for connection that is common to all people (Mulyani, 2023). This film has a unique mode of communication where there is a direct address to the audience, and the narrative intertwines different characters’ lives, thereby showing how these individuals are part of one another’s existence in a microcosm as well as representing a global experience for humans. These films have different styles, but they capture human emotions and social relations, hence presenting a microcosmic view besides being global in nature.

Personal Insights and Film as a Cross-Generational Conversation

These films serve as cinematic time capsules, which provide significant insights into their respective eras and cultures. In post-war France, Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” stands out as a living example of this generation’s discontent with traditional values within a rapidly changing world. It seems to speak to the youth culture of the 1950s and 60s (Hemingway, 2020), reminding one of movies such as “Rebel Without a Cause” that were universal in theme dealing with teenage struggle and defiance.

On the other hand, Amelie portrays a fanciful, idealized Paris at the beginning of the 21st c., full of charm and quirkiness. It mimics the cultural shift towards self-expression and wonder in everyday life, like those lovely stories shown in films such as “Midnight in Paris.” Although these two films are deeply rooted in their own specific cultural and temporal contexts, they engage in the broader cross-generational dialogue about finding oneself reaching across generations from different times.

This comparative analysis of François Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s “Amélie” shows how film can explore and express differing themes of individuality, society, and the search for oneself. These two films differ in terms of the storylines, cinematography, and design, yet they are able to show what it feels like to be a human being in different cultural and temporal contexts. “The 400 Blows” gives a realistic depiction of post-war France, and “Amélie,” a whimsical account of early 21st century Paris, reminds us that movies have not lost their ability to move people across generations by dealing with particular related personal angst, societal intercourse or what can truly make us happy.

Bell, G. (2015, February 9).  Cinematography of Amelie | Introduction to film and media studies . https://sites.lafayette.edu/fams101-sp15/2015/02/09/cinematography-of-amelie/

Hemingway, T. (2020, December 22).  On the Beach: The 400 Blows.  Document – Gale Academic OneFile. https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA645266904&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=0277335X&p=AONE&sw=w

Insdorf, A. (2014).  The 400 blows: close to home . The Criterion Collection. https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/528-the-400-blows-close-to-home

Jenkins, C. (2019).  The aesthetics of absorption: Truffaut’s ‘The 400 Blows’, PopMatters . PopMatters. https://www.popmatters.com/400-blows-truffaut-aesthetics-absorption

Matthew. (2019).  400 Blows, The (1959) . https://www.classicartfilms.com/the-400-blows-1959

Mulyani, N. I. (2023). Magical realism in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amèlie (2001).  ejournal.unesa.ac.id . https://doi.org/10.26740/lk.v11i2.56378

Thomson, D. (2010, February 18). Jean-Pierre Jeunet.  The Guardian . https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/feb/18/jean-pierre-jeunet-david-thomson

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Comparison of Two Movies

The history of film-making is one which is considered rich and dynamic.  The films evolved as technologies evolved and the artistry was better expressed as technology in filmmaking also improved and developed.  In tracing the history of filmmaking and in considering its early beginnings, it is interesting to note how significant changes and developments in the late 1920s and early 1930s soon affected the look and the sound of films.  This paper shall compare two films, one from its early beginnings, and another during the early 1930s when major improvements in film technology were noted and full length feature films were created.  The films chosen for this comparison are: “A Trip to the Moon” (1902) and “Alice in Wonderland” (1933).

The film “A Trip to the Moon” is a 1902 silent French film which was directed by Georges Melies (Kovacs, 1-13).  It is a story of explorers deliberating about going to the moon.  A decision is made to build a space capsule to go to the moon and immediately it can be seen that the capsule and some of the explorers later make it to the moon.  They later discover ‘lunar inhabitants’ and a skirmish breaks out where some of the lunar inhabitants explode when hit by the explorers; eventually the explorers make it back to earth with one of the lunar inhabitants accidentally riding their capsule (Kovacs, 1-13). Their glorious return is soon celebrated by the people of earth.  The lunar inhabitant seems to be celebrating with them as well.  This film shall be compared with the 1933 “Alice in Wonderland film.”  “Alice in Wonderland” is an adaptation of the book of the same title with some added elements from the sequel “Through the Looking Glass” by Lewis Carroll.  The film is directed by Norman Z. McLeod with the screenplay adapted by Joseph Mankiewicz and William Cameron Menzies.  While both films are in black and white, a major difference between them is that “Alice in Wonderland” is a full-length feature sound film with a running time of 90 minutes while “A Trip to the moon” is a short silent film which runs for about 18 minutes at 12 frames per minute/9 minutes at 24 frames/16 minutes at 14 frames per minute.

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Melies’s style in most of his films is very much theatrical as seen in its stylized sets with usually a stationary camera capturing the action.  This style seems to make the audience feel like he or she is watching a play in a theatre (Kovacs, 1-13).  McLeod’s “Alice in Wonderland” is filmed from different cameras and angles with much movement noted in the camera work.  In this case, there is less theatre-feel in “Alice in Wonderland” as compared to “A Trip to the Moon” as the former now features camera work which are dynamic and which are able to follow the actors where they go (Dancyger, 3-4).  “A Trip to the Moon” was filmed before the age of narrative film editing and therefore does not use the cinematic editing styles which Americans and Europeans would come to later expect in their films (Dancyger, 3-4).  This translates to the lack of camera angles and intercutting of the shots.  Instead, Melies’s film presents a unique dramatic scene which is not interrupted or edited (Kovacs, 1-13).  This style appropriately fit the theatrical style at that time and for the purpose it was filmed.

Some advancements in the approach to film making was nevertheless already evident in “A Trip to the Moon,” specifically in the temporal continuity shown by the film, with an event presented two times – the first time is when the capsule hit the eye of the moon and in a closer shot, the capsule shown in the surface of the moon (Kovacs, 1-13).  In this case, the director applied nonlinear storytelling with time as well as space shown as repeatable as well as flexible moments (Jones, 15).  Before the onset of continuity editing, other filmmakers also experimented with time.  Silent filmmaker Edwin Porter considered temporary discontinuity as well as repetition in his “Life of an American Fireman” film (Sklar, 33-36).  This style of temporary repetition would become popular in modern television while watching sports when instant replays are made available to the audience (Sklar, 33-36).

The assessment of Melies’s films is based on how film at that time has been presented.  The technology at that time, including cinematic vocabulary was limited but critics now do not deny the influence that the film and Melies’s films have had on the creations of cinema during its early years (Kovacs, 1-13).  “A Trip to the Moon” can be understood better in the context of a 19 th century play and some have faulted Melies for not developing a more intimate way of storytelling.  Nevertheless, the first years of storytelling are very much associated with cinematic attractions where the focus of filmmakers was the presentation of the spectacle or attraction, not so much on specific matters like editing. The shift to the more intimate storytelling approach can be seen more in “Alice in Wonderland”; but the power of the integrated story film is undeniable in Melies’s “A Trip to the Moon” (Pallant and Price, 63-65).

As a full-length feature film, “Alice in Wonderland” included elements which were not included in “A Trip to the Moon,” most distinctly with its long title sequence which lasted about three minutes where the actors and the characters they were playing were shown (Pallant and Price, 63-65).  There is a significant amount of anonymity in the movie for most of the actors in the film because of the costumes the characters had to wear which, most of the time covered their faces.  In “A Trip to the Moon,” the characters might as well be anonymous as well as their faces can hardly be seen.  The camera does not focus on each individual faces of the characters and there are hardly any singular characters playing starring roles in the film which merit distinction.  As a feature length film, “Alice in Wonderland” has the luxury of presenting the story at length, with deliberation and at a pace which builds to momentous and suspenseful scenes (Pallant and Price, 63-65).  The story was presented in almost the same way as one would imagine a book being translated to film – slowly and deliberately.  In “A Trip to the Moon,” the story is told at a quick pace, with a concept formulated, acted upon, results experienced, and outcomes reached, all in the span of about 9-18 minutes depending on the frame speed.

As a feature length film, “Alice in Wonderland” had multiple sets which were built in different scales in order to support the narrative of Alice becoming bigger and smaller.  There are only a few sets in “A Trip to the Moon” and they are not as accurate as the sets used for “Alice” (Pallant and Price, 63-65).  The optical trick is already used by Menzies and McLeod in order to make Alice appear bigger.  There is no such trick or effect used in “A Trip to the Moon” (Dancyger, 3-4).  Optical illusions are used by Menzies and Mankiewicz to present the story to great effect to the audience (Pallant and Price, 63-65).  This shows how filmmaking has somehow evolved from its early years because in “A Trip to the Moon,” there were moments when these sorts of illusions could be used to portray the story, but at that time was not conceptualized as yet.

Most of Alice’s encounters with the magical creatures were presented on conventional stages and in a way, the stage setup was also apparent in “A Trip to the Moon” where each scene was conceptualized as a staged-scene.  Menzies designed the look of the stage using the book illustrations of Lewis Carroll’s story (Pomerance, 2).  In some of the sets, there are paintings used. There were no deliberate and aesthetic elements included in “A Trip to the Moon.”  Attempts to provide a look of the characters close to the book characters was also made in the Alice film; in “A Trip to the Moon,” efforts were also made to make the characters look close to what they were imagined to be (Dancyger, 3-4).  The lunar inhabitants for instance looked like other-worldly creatures, and the scholars debating at the start of the film looked like scholars with what appeared to be formal robes matching the time frame when the film was made.

The transitions and special effects in “Alice in Wonderland” would look outdated to modern eyes but these effects exquisitely flow from one frame to the next (Pomerance, 2).  Menzies and McLeod applied state of the art special effects available at that time and the makeup they used created an authentic look for the film, very much reminiscent of the book.  In “A Trip to the Moon,” significant efforts were made to use the tools at their disposal at that time in order to make the film.  Both films were effective in telling the story with both films effectively making use of the technologies and developments in filmmaking to great effect.  Both films also did their best to be innovative and unique in their approach and they would serve their purpose of being initial trendsetters in filmmaking during their time.

There are essential similarities and differences in the 1902 “A Trip to the Moon” and the 1933 “Alice in Wonderland” films.  Both films are in black and white and are early attempts at filmmaking, with “Alice in Wonderland” emerging from the age of full-length feature films.  “A Trip to the Moon” was created during the period of silent film when sound did not yet translate onscreen while “Alice in Wonderland” came during the era of sound.  Both films served the storytelling process well with “A Trip to the Moon” being shorter and faster in its narration and “Alice in Wonderland” being more relaxed and deliberate in its storytelling.  As expected, “Alice in Wonderland” has more advanced visual effects processes in its arsenal while “A Trip to the Moon” is less evolved in its use of set design , costume, and visual effects.  Nevertheless, both films have used innovative tools to support their filmmaking process and their efforts have translated well onscreen.  Both films now would be considered outdated, but their impact on the evolution of the filmmaking industry is very much undeniable and necessary.

• Dancyger, Ken.  The technique of film and video editing: history, theory, and practice . CRC Press, 2014.
• Jones, Steve. “Cohesive but not coherent: Music videos, narrative and culture.”  Popular Music & Society  12.4 (1988): 15-29.
• Kovács, Katherine Singer. “Georges Méliès and the” Féerie”.”  Cinema Journal  (1976): 1-13.
• Pallant, Chris, and Steven Price. “William Cameron Menzies, Alice in Wonderland, and Gone with the Wind.”  Storyboarding . Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2015. 63-83.
• Pomerance, Murray. “Chapter One A world that never was: Old special effects, new eyes.”  New Cinema, New Media: Reinventing Turkish Cinema  (2014): 2.
• Sklar, Robert.  Film: An international history of the medium . Vol. 2. Thames and Hudson, 1993. 33–36