Movies

The Battle of San Pietro is a documentary film about the historic battle of San Pietro, a small village in Italy, in which over 1,100 United States soldiers were killed while attempting to capture the village that blocked the way for the Allied Forces. Directed by John Huston, the film was noted for its dependency on raw emotions, events, and the cost of the war and the hardship endured by the soldiers in taking the village.
Critics of the film said that Huston dealt so much with the other difficulties of the battle rather than filming a full account of how the soldiers had claimed victory over the enemies. But such character of the documentary film had earned Huston the respect of film scholars and gave him the distinction of one of the creators of finest classic documentaries. Huston can be considered as a director with an insatiable appetite for making diverse and challenging movies that explore character and delve into universal themes.

Among the threads that run through his craft includes his fascination with unfulfilled and dangerous threads. The Battle of San Pietro is one of his documentary and combat films directed for the United States government. Facing a great deal of risk as he followed the grueling and prolonged battle at the village of San Pietro, he accentuated the film with a crisply written and compassionate narration. Hustons narration had made the film brutally honest in its portrayal of the high cost of the war and the difficulties of the said battle.
Hustons masterpiece was both an informative and authentic account of combat and a moving human document. The film utilizes diagrams to explain military strategy behind the long battle in the Italian village and footages of peoples faces to show the brutal impact of the battle. The documentary film was said to be hardly concerned with policy or the rhetoric of war and relies entirely on one of its greatest strengths voice over narration of Huston.

The voice over narration of the classic documentary was enough to convey the tenacity and impact of the candid shots of death under fire and the poignant scenes of villagers who were able to return to their ruined shelters. The documentary film uses the technique voice of God (voice over narration) commentary to put much emphasis of the films honest and raw qualities. It can be said that voice over narration opens many avenues for a certain film to employ all types of verbal ironies. Moreover, the utilization of voice of God or the voice over narration doubles the source of the narration as an image-maker and a storyteller.

Adding voice over narration to a film establishes a pliable, multi-layered structure which is definitely perfect for developing ironic disparities and elements of contradictions. Huston can be regarded as an ironic narrator based upon the descriptive terms that he used to convey an honest portrayal of war.

The Battle of San Pietro is a combat documentary which paired eloquent words with footages that defy words. As an ironic narrator, Hustons voice over narration was a remarkable factor in the film because he equipped his story with slightly simplified technical yet dramatic prose and sidetracked it with parody shaded with irony.

As it is noted that filmmakers can exploit many possibilities with the ironic potential of voice over narration, Huston was able to maintain the connection between the images and the narration. It is observed in the film that the Huston was able to utilize clashes between narration and scenic presentation to compromise the narrator himself and to break the audiences provisional principle or belief in that narrators authority over the text.

Irony at the First Part of the Film
It has been suggested that ironic narration entails the portrayal of tensions of the observational approach. This notion has to do with the tensions between showing and telling, between the specific and the general, and between filming and creating being transferred to the introductory dialogue. This displacement appeared at Hustons film in which an introductory statement from a representative of the army attempts to draw away the main perspective of the documentary film.

Put differently, films like the San Pietro, usually maintain a tension between the particular and the general, and between the historically unique instances and generalizations. Without generalizing, potential documentary films could become mere records of particular events and experiences. But with the combination of the individual shots and scenes that locate viewers in a specific time and place and the organization of these film elements into a larger whole, the film has its own power and fascination.

The concept of irony of the narration in the film was best explicated in the interplay between the commentary and the images on the screen (Kozloff 1988). Huston was able to show irony through the canny pairings of shots and verbal narration. In the introductory part of the film, footages of the horrendous destruction were combined with guidebook phrases such as A farming community (paired with shot of blasted fields), Patron St. Peter (paired with shot of ruined statue), and Point of interest St. Peters, 1438, (paired with shot of bombed church).

 The ironic understatement of Huston in the face of the horrors which expressed the counterpoint between the casualness of the narration and the honest brutality depicted on the screen was a chilling experience for the viewers.

Hustons incidental reference to the carnage in the tone of the film and the narrators vocabulary of architectural design established a vivid sense of irony. It is noteworthy to mention the interesting treatment of the chancel of the town church in San Pietro when all the audience could see are its ruins.

The use of the narration in the first part of the film, in the scene in which footage of the sun rising in the Liri Valley in Italy paired with melodramatic sounds and the harmonious effects of the wind rushing through the leaves of the trees, the bush and the soil were just perfect to represent the concept of irony. In this particular, the narrator was able to exploit all the angles of irony beginning with the beautiful and deceitful facade of war followed by factual representation of war in which that certain location was turned to a historic containment of bloodshed.

Though the use of sound was of minor importance to the film, it was an added potion in the film to entice the audience of what lies ahead after the harmonious narration and to prepare them for the brutal and honest scenes that will lie before the viewers eyes.

The enticement period which the first part portrayed was being reinforced by the unemotional yet highly expressive commentary of Huston who opened the story with minimal level of emotion and gradually grabbing the full attention of the viewers.
The Battle of San Pietro delved on its basic aim to illustrate the hardships which soldiers had to bare in the Italian soil before obtaining victory. As the documentary film is meant to include nothing but facts and honest portrayals, the use of voice of God classical narration was used to express the narrators mastery of the subject and to convey authority over the audience.

The film was a visible product of the many possibilities of using the irony concept for narration. The voice of God was used to convey rather than explain the battle for San Pietro. The voice of God narration was able to bring the viewers back from an acute moment of despair with the help of the images that define that the truth of the war is loss. The authoring presence of Huston in the film was represented by the commentary and his steadfast avoidance of the triumphant approach and epic narration.
The movie stood out alone in the history of documentaries as it portrayed the battle in the Italian valley using cruel realism. The film presented the battle as a costly continuing campaign rather than in retrospect as a victorious quest. Huston was able to mobilize such aim by imposing an aura of authority delivered through the narration mixed with irony.

Overall, the application of voice of God narration made the Battle of San Pietro  as approaching neorealism from the direction of the documentaries rather than a mere narrative and film practice. The narration of Huston was crafted to relate directly to the audience a realistic view of war.

Hustons narration in the film was aiming at creating a holistic picture of the real battle that happened in the Italian village through the balance between images and voice over. In this sense, it can be said that Huston meant to support the factual images with ironic words rather than to overpower the images using descriptive terms.

Dances with Wolves is a historical and epic drama that provides a romantic look at the terrible time in human history where expansion in the name of progress is inevitable. The story is about the profound relationship between a Civil War soldier named John J. Dunbar and a band of Sioux Indians. The film opens on a particularly dark note during the American Civil War when Lieutenant John Dunbar attempts to kill himself after learning that his legs are to be amputated. By his suicidal attempt however, he establishes himself a hero. Due to his bravery, Dunbar is offered a station anywhere he wants. He chooses the frontier and soon reassign to a remote post in South Dakota where he encounters the Sioux. In his stay there overtime, he becomes comfortable with his peaceful surroundings and the natural simplicity of the lifestyle. There is a subtle cinematic poetry in the frontiers scenes that makes the viewers learn not just the character of Dunbar but the land itself more than hundred years ago. In the arrival of the Sioux, there is an initial mutual distrust but as Dunbar and Sioux begin to communicate and interact, they form a bond. As Dunbar getting more infatuated with Siouxs lifestyle, he chooses to live his former life behind to join their culture, taking the name Dances with Wolves.  Dunbar makes a home for himself in this quiet plain, getting in touch with nature and enjoying the vast emptiness away from all the cruelties of the American Civil War he was used to.

In the film, Dunbar becomes a character who witnesses changes, those that are both tragic and enlightening, in the West. The Sioux culture due to imperialism is about to disappear. The encroaching approach of the new civilization come the possibility of the end of the Sioux culture. But the plot is not so much about foreshadowing the big possible impact of imperialism but it is more about complex human adventure of brotherhood and discovery. It is only after meeting the Sioux tribe that Dunbar begins to develop a full respect and love for nature and his new comrades. But the discovery of self and brotherhood are all threatened by the shadow of the army that will eventually thousands of Indians from their homeland and force them into submission.

In the film, with its lengthy running time, the viewers will learn to embrace both the White and Native American characters. More than the cinematic landscape, the viewers will embrace the characters as human beings that shine brighter than the afternoon sun. In the film, the viewers may forget many times the outside world and remain attach to the Sioux tribe and their authentic and profound customs and rituals. Due to their rich culture, the viewers will see many character relationships that are developed, including of course the spiritual growth of Dunbar. The authenticity of this epic film lies in the fact that it has an apparent humanistic appeal. Unlike other past epic Western films who only master gorgeous photography and stereotypical intensions, Dances with Wolves is first and foremost emotional that teaches the viewers about human nature. This epic historical film is more ambitious in scope compared to other films in the same genre since it places emphasis on human drama on a grand scale. Old epic is particularly known for its costume drama and its large expanse of time set against a vast, panoramic backdrop but this film is more on human emotions and transformation. In this film one will not expect lavish costumes, extravagant settings, dramatic scope, sweeping musical score and high production values.

Dances with Wolves is one of the most significant motion picture since it brings Native American culture into the consciousness of modern America. The script and the overall screenplay give a deeper understanding, sympathy and acceptance for the old Indian culture. The film embodies a dominant American culture that can not be ignored. The film gives the character of the soldiers different perspective. Instead of illustrating them as stupid brutes just like how other epic and war films manifest them, the film Dances with Wolves demonstrate them as human beings who wants a quiet life. The title itself determines the ultimate tragedy of the novels plot. The film was fruitful contribution to still remember that once in American frontier there came an ancient civilization that must be saluted with their expertise in the wilderness, pioneer life and the authenticity of their culture. The story is non fiction but the characters were created in the novel especially the Indian tribes has historical context. Though the land itself where the setting took place is as dangerous as the Indian tribes but the film also highlighted and justified the good sides of the natives. The setting is in the woods that fills Indian tribes. Their expertise in conventional battle in the wilderness fits their potential. The setting and nature conveys that the story is to introduce the native Indians. When the whites came, the film through the characters he created contributes to the depiction on how Indians are treated outside the Frontier. The film also showcases the weakness of the Europeans in their lack of understanding in the dangerous forest. At the very beginning, whites were expressive that they need Indians expertise to invade the land. Indians are fierce and dangerous though but it is for them to continue their legacy and civilization. Their keen awareness of racism made them defensive.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an emotional film that is directed by Michel Gondry to explore the nature of romantic love and memory. It uses elements of non linear narration to resonate with the story of tragic love affair where unforgetfulness becomes the only source of comfort. The film is a commercial success that developed a strong cult-following and received great compliment after its release. It is lauded by critics as one of the best films of 2004.The concept of love is captured with the creative use of image which is to memory. While containing much entertaining elements, the movie seems to have the Hollywood kind of ending. This essay seeks to analysis the movie Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind 2004.

In this film, we are introduced to the story of love. It is not an idea that is brought out clearly because the director, Michel Gondry, decides to make it dominant in the end. Perhaps, this is the irony to want to avoid making it so evident. Riggs (2006 89-94) argues that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has a hopeful ending attributed to this ironic suspense. It is portrayed by the simple realization that both the characters and the audience have of just what they are up against. Accordingly, it is equally among the things that depict it as a get story because, most couples in the film is up against exactly the same thing. In the saying, familiarity breeds contempt, the characters have one advantage over real couple since they are able to start over again in a very unique way. The key publicity image of the movie lies in the fact that couples are found in the situation where they are faced with the cold world out there but the warmth of their love, personal union and happiness is often threatened by underlying weakness. This is symbolic to the human situation of love and relationship such that everyone always treads on a thin ice.

The skills employed by the director makes the movie to take a late point of attack. For example, by the end of the film, we realize that what we initially thought was the beginning of the story turns out to be near the end. With regard to this, Clementine and Joel are meeting as though it their first meeting. This is attributed to the fact that they have both had their memories for each other erased. Kaufman (2004 75-83) claim that this small touch of fiction is a style used to clarify many things. For instance, loss of memories for each other shows how bad their relationship had gotten, how much they are spontaneously drawn to each other to empathize and  naturally get along and finally what they are going to do to deal with their problem if at all they must begin their relationship on a new pedestal.

It is significant to realize that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is mainly put together of flashback, because, it is only near the end of the film that we catch up with the beginning. It therefore becomes obvious that the director gives us an invaluable clue to where we are at any time in the chronology of the film. For instance, Clementine had dyed her hair red before their first date to symbolize the earliest and happiest days of their relationship. When she dyes it orange, it is evident to note that everything as far as their relationship is concerned still seems to be fairing on well although the some problems begin to crop up. In light of this, they do not seem to have anything exciting to say to each other. Riggs (2006114-119) underscores that Clementine grumbles that Joel does not tell her about himself and similarly Joel responds with a cutting remark of her own talkativeness. He even complains of her drinking. These events later lead Clementine into hopefully and brightly telling Joel that she wants a baby. It is possible to note that somehow, this is a way of creating a tie and strengthening the bond of the relationship.

According to Kaufman (200469-75), most couples in any marriage must weather the point where they become a little weary of each other. The mannerism as well as habits that seemed endearing and fresh at the beginning of the relationship later becomes irritating and annoying. For instance, when Clementine has been hurt at the end of the movie for hearing Joels pre-procedural claims that she used sex to lure people into liking her, it points out the question as to whether relationship needs change as couples mature into the relationship. The desperate hunger of a fresh sexual attraction thus becomes intimate and comfortable but the question of routine makes it less exciting, infrequent and a bit daunting. Therefore, it is important that a couple must ask if it is simply time to move on or if there is enough that a little commitment is worth the effort. Clementines bails Joel and forget about theirs issues in the most literal sense.

 The evident power in the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind resides in the exclusive process of forgetting. It is revealed that the tendency of forgetting about each other seems to be of an affinity that even a great deal of work would be worth the effort to renew the relationship. This is succinct in the later memories of Joel and Clementine being erased first rolling back to the beginning. But when he gets back to the happy memories of Clementine, he realizes that he does not really want to lose them. As a result what Joel found out about Clementine and their relationship does correspond to Clementines own feeling about him.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind addresses in a unique way the intermittent phases that love goes through in a relationship. Clementine and Joel starts all over again as before. There is indeed undercurrent of even stronger attraction. Taking to strangers at a party, which ideally exists for such things is nothing unusual .Introducing yourself to a stranger on the Long Island Railroad as well as on the train is something else altogether. Clementine comes on so strikingly such that as she admits herself, it seems as if Joel backs of at first. By physically recoiling as she moves to the seat next to him, she facilitates an opportunity for Joel to be attracted to her. There are several indications that love in married life does spiral from low moment to high warm moment. It is natural, according to this movie that the pattern of warm   and cold and warm does follow and therefore, it is up to the couple in question to understand each other in relation to this thought and learn to please each other thereby lives in happiness. For example, back to the apartment, Clementine first hands Joel the drink and hastens to say that it will ease the seduction. Later, she calms such statement by laughing it off and arguing that it was a pure joke. Riggs (2006 123-129) understands that such silly utterances are the essential basis upon which the fire of romance is enkindled in marriage and relationships at large.

However, Joel and Clementine are sufficiently well developed and realized characters because they are able to keep the audience actively involved in the storyline. Although Joel is a quiet cautious man, he is not adept at expressing his feelings. The eminent frustrations and misunderstanding among these couple as well as their mutual attraction and their ability to delight at each others uniqueness is indeed a sense of authenticity in the relationship. Kaufman (2004 111-116) postulates that the characters readiness to adjustment leads the viewer not to feel the aggravations of Joel especially with Clementines carefree willfulness and her annoyance with the curiosity about his deep taciturnity.

In addition, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is mixed together with the sequences that focus on the pair of Clementine and Joel. These sequences predominantly capture how Joel and his memories reveal the activities of the person removing these while their patient is a sleep in the apartment. In these scenes, the viewer probably visualizes how Stan and his girlfriend drink beer, get stoned and dance on their clients bed. It emerges that Stan is a technician in charge of the procedure while his girlfriend Mary, previously had an affair with one Dr Howard. Riggs (2006214-219) outlines that these events depicts the confessions that Stan makes in regard to stealing the pants of Clementine and then leaves so that he can continue with his quest of seducing her. Ideally, attempts to seduce her older married lover and ultimately, her efforts in light of this have significant and surprising consequences. Kaufman (2004 121-128) observes that even though none of these characters is intriguing, as the protagonist, they are similarly disliked especially in the scenes where they apparently maintain the movies pace. Without them, the director would have fallen short hence, being left with the option of making the more tiresome to watch than it is.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind concludes with a decidedly hopeful affirmation of the ability of the two people get beyond whatever silly situation they find themselves in, talk to each other, and get a chance to look each other into the eyes and communicate on an elevated and intimate plane. The director does emphasis on the need to iron out issue and work together to rejuvenate the spirit of love among married couple. It is vital that fondling, appreciating each other and reminding each other of their worth is the central key to maintain the fire f love to continue burning. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is indeed a timeless commentary of social life and thus its reveling dystopian conceit helps the fill to hide an astute analysis. The film is a literary piece that captures the bold realism of life under the closet of love and marriage, communicated through humor and riveting theatrical skills. It largely deals with emotional weighty issues without necessarily descending to a melodrama.

An exploratory study on the correlation of viewers perception and interpretation of meaning through color

There is almost no need to express the importance of restoration and conservation in the humanities. In art most especially, restoration is key in continuing cultural heritage and preserving it for generations hence as well as in furthering national identity. Works of great artists of old would not be enjoyed and studied by scholars and students at present, and they would not be appreciated by the passive layman if it were not for the considerable effort exerted to make old originals appear as their creators intended them to be.
Film, for one, is a product of human creativity and culture. But it has worth being a shared experience and it registers as a multiple-sense data unlike other art forms. It is a visual medium that has to be preserved and improved on.

The technical side of production has involved photochemical means as well as electronic and artistic since film was first produced for commercial purposes in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Film formats and storage do not last forever, as any other painting or sculpture heading to deterioration, and they have to be continually maintained especially if the material itself is of value to the field. An Orson Welles masterpiece has to be preserved as much as a Caravaggio.

Film, like painting, cannot be allowed to deteriorate, especially in details of elements and colors. They are a medium of visual communication, and it is important that they convey the same message and project the same mood as the filmmaker intends it to be. Art can only be said to withstand the test of time if spectators through the years would sense similar meanings communicated by the material  the meanings forged by the author, and not by chance or temporal circumstance.

Technologies have been developed, therefore, to ensure that these meanings are retained for new audiences. Color correction as a process is a vital component in any analog or digital film restoration project, since it not only enhances the original color and lighting, but reinstates damaged portions of reels.
After a films color has been corrected, there are given nuances that may leave the original slightly altered. Colorization of black and white films is definitely a big leap from what has been initially intended by the filmmaker.
What these nuances leave the audience is an interesting area to explore. And has the corrected film conveyed the same meaning as the original as perceived by the viewers If so, is color correction necessarily a helpful aesthetic practice or otherwise These questions would necessarily lead us to delve into color theory, human psychology and culture, as well as aesthetics and communication.
Taking a further look at the relations between the viewers interpretation of color meanings in film, and especially how these very interpretations may vary upon seeing a material that has undergone changes from color restoration, correction or enhancement would lead us to understand both ends of the filmmaking process  creating or conveying meaning and how this meaning is received.

HYPOTHESES AND RELATED DATA

Personal Relevance

As a student in this institution, I believe in the call to further cultural ends, and express and meet the inner yearnings of man through filmmaking and its subsequent preservation. Art is very much a part of me, and this conviction brings me to look at the business of restoration and the venues it provides in conserving cultural products created for audiences.
Studying the processes behind color correction and whether or not it is a worthy option to take in the development and storage of films is something, I believe, would be of much help to filmmakers, studios and academic organizations in considering the intrinsic values and conditions of both the film and the market it serves.
I am also interested in the study of color, and this paper and topic would give me the opportunity to read more about color theory and the accompanying concepts of perception and interpretation of meanings. Since I have delved into filmmaking myself, I am aware of filmmakers concern over the message they are delivering, and if it is being received the way they intend to. A study of this kind would thus be of significance to the industry, especially in the field of cinematography, by providing feedback from the receivers of the message channeled through several mediums. Color correction is a factor that affects the message, and its effects are definitely very interesting to explore.

Hypothesis

The preliminary proposal the author wishes to substantiate with this study is the influence of color in conveying the films meaning and the viewers interpretation of this very meaning.
Color correction, aside from changing the original film materially and objectively, affects the perception of audiences and their interpretation of a particular scenes moods, its predictability and surrounding theme, and their identification of symbolism. This assumption also connotes that due to the nuances made in the original film caused by color correction methods, the filmmakers intended message is also reshaped.

Aims, Nature and Target Audience

The objective of this study is to communicate how audiences interpret meaning through their perception of color. This is to get across the idea that changes of color, especially after a movie has undergone color correction, have considerable effect on viewers. This paper would also consequently aim to show whether or not the fear and panic surrounding many restoration projects are unfounded, by attempting to look into the thought products of the viewer.
It has to be recognized that there is not much literature available that links preservation practices and their effect to viewers. This paper, therefore, is fundamentally exploratory in nature, aiming to provide preliminary work on restoration and color theory in film. It is no attempt, however, to provide an extensive data that could be generalized for every situation. Further validation across cultures would eventually be needed.
This study would help filmmakers and cinematographers as well as archival entities to improve on their methods and be more accurate in their operations by being increasingly aware of the aspirations, patterns of interpretations and expectations of their audiences.

Color Correction Process and Development

Salgia (2005) notes that the process of restoration and color correction involves stabilization of the frames, removing of scratches and dust, rectification of pinholes, stitching of ripped and torn frames, correction of color dyes, reduction and enhancement of grains (p.131).

Digital softwares such as Effect Plus, designed by the Indian Academy of Arts and Animation, primarily works on the grey shades of the black and white picture to make the reproduced image as close to the original as possible (Salgia, 2005, p.132).
Salgia (2005) enumerates the steps involved in the restoration-correction-colorization process. Each scene is divided into shots with a single-camera point of view, then art stills using polygons are drawn to identify objects from which an art director chooses the colors that match they grey shades of the key frame (p.132-133).  A historian is also consulted to verify the accuracy of colors used in the shot.
Animators start their work by filling in colors in the remaining frames of the shot, usually done digitally. Patience and an eye for details are key in colorizing hundreds of frames per shot. Animating the shot also entails choosing major motion key frames, and the subsequent tweening. The job of the supervisor is to ensure the quality of the image. Scanned black and white frames are then uploaded into a digital disc recorder, from which the shots are transferred to software installed in a computer for the colorization process (Salgia, 2005, p.133).
Color stabilization is the final step to ensure a uniform color level throughout the film (Salgia, 2005, p.133). Image adjustment is also done by tweaking the Red-Green-Blue (RGB) levels and the gamma to correct the lighting and exposure.
Colorization was invented and developed by Wilson Markle, founder of Colorization, Inc., and was first used in 1970 to add color to the footage of the moon from the Apollo mission (Burns, undated). It is a time-consuming and expensive process that entails more than a few hands. According to Burns (undated), that it cost around 3,000 per minute of running time, amounting to over 300,000 in 1988 to colorize an entire film. Such expense can therefore only be justified by public demand.

2.5 Key Terminology

Original  the material, film or clip before color correction methods were applied
Corrected  the material, film or clip that has undergone restoration, correction or color correction
Perception  the viewers identification of color
Interpretation  the viewers mental representation of the meaning or significance of a film, clip or material
Meaning  the message that is intended or expressed or signified (Word Web dictionary, accessed 2010)

Scope and Limitation

Due to constraints of time and resources, especially that the subject matter of the paper has not yet been considerably explored by existing literature, this study will only be for mainly exploratory purposes. It cannot also be used to generalize among different audiences and for all kinds of films that have undergone color correction given that practices and methods used worldwide differ depending on the staff carrying out the operations.
Color correction is used in this study to refer to the changes in color made to an original material in varying degrees from minor corrections in lighting, RGB levels or exposure, to full-scale colorization.
The following rough timeline will be used in conducting the study. Note that this will serve as a guide and not to be taken as a definite outline of schedule.

PSA Production Study PeriodCommencing October 2009 and running until the end of December 2010.
PSA Testing and Assessment Period
This period of study will take place between January 2010 and February 2010
Total Hours into Study and Research
One hundred and Ninety Hours (190 hours)

Literature Review

2.8.1 Discussions on Restoration and Color Correction

The restoration of the Sistine Chapel frescoes by Michelangelo teaches the world an important lesson. For many years, fine art scholars have been articulating how the masters works that is dark and gloomy contrast in an age of grandeur and vivid color such as the Renaissance. Restoration work commenced in 1984 and was completed ten years after, cleaning up intense details which turned out to be only cracks, dirt and candle soot much to the surprise of art scholars. Fulford (1998) quotes John Osborne from the University of Victoria who says literature on Michelangelo have to be reconsidered because the restoration of the Sistine Chapel has shown that he both an unexpected and rewarding colorist (p.C-2).
In film, there is similar talk surrounding major correction and colorization projects. Woody Allen has been cited by Time Magazine to have dubbed the colorization of original black and white as criminal mutilation, while the Directors Guild of America calls it an artistic desecration  (Krauthammer, 1987, p.44).
Salgia (2005), on the other hand, praised the recent restoration and colorization of Mughal-e-Azam, the 1960 film that cost almost 10 times the average production budget in India (p.128). The author concludes that the effort effected magnificently and says that it was to enhance the viewing pleasure of the films audience (p.134). Basing the selection of color on the original grey tones and hues, according to Salgia, also ensures that the final output is close to master copy (p.132).
When a valuable film is deemed to already be of a quality not anymore suited for presentation, be it because of damage or chemical reaction, studios resort to restoration which involves the meticulous process of color correction. Color correction refers to the various techniques used to clean badly-damaged films (Carroll, 2005, p.18) or colorize black-and-white films or both (Salgia, 2005, p.132). Such restoration work is done using either digital restoration techniques and software, manual techniques such as dyeing, or photochemical restoration technologies means that are still generally preferred (Turci, 2006, p.113).
Turci (2006) notes that restorers at several studios in Europe put strict limits when it comes to the manipulation of film, and that they were seen to have shown concern about respecting the original film versions. This has been a perennial problem for any restoration team, and this is somehow addressed by ensuring that the makers of the original film are involved in the correction process.
Carroll (2005) argues, however, that the restoration process, more than a means to retain cultural memory, is also an instrument of capitalism, by saying that such demonstrations are less concerned with archival conservation than actively shaping the market of cultural memory (p.21).

2.8.2 Color and the Expression of Meaning

There is a significant relation between the use of color and the conveying of meaning in film. Neale (2001) explains that color is neither purely subjective nor purely objective (p.92), and that color transcends cultural conventions. The objective aspect is inscribed in the material itself, the photographic or cinematic image, while the subjective part is mainly implied in motivation and implication of symbolism.
Neale (2001) confirms that the use of color systems especially in mainstream cinema enables the capacity of color to produce a pulverization of meaning, a multiplicity of meanings was marked, recognized and contained through the construction of color systems, the matching of color to dramatic mood, on the one hand, and to the referential exigencies of landscape, dcor and so on (p.93).

METHODOLOGY

Practical Components and Limitations

3.1.1 Method

A controlled experiment is to be undertaken for this study to find out whether or not color correction of original materials affects the audience and the meaning of the film. A selection of 10 original film clips are collected, recorded and setup in a way that there is a 2-minute break in between each. Another set of film clips which are corrected versions of the original ones will also be recorded, collected and separated by 2-minute breaks. Two control groups will be tested. The first will be made to watch the original set of film clips, using the break for them to answer certain parts of a questionnaire that seeks to find out how they interpret the preceding scene. The second control group will be given the corrected set of film clips and asked to answer the same questionnaire.

3.1.2 Respondents Sampling

The respondents per control group will be based on convenience sampling. Each control group is comprised of 50 respondents, for a total of 100 participants for the study. Respondents to be selected are those that have not previously watched the film clips in order to ensure non-spuriousness in the factors and variables involved.

3.1.3 Clips Sampling

Clips to be gathered should have both the original and the corrected versions at hand. They will be selected according to different degrees of corrections made from minor corrections in lighting, RGB levels or exposure, to full-scale colorization.

3.1.4 Research Instrument

A close-ended questionnaire will also be developed. The choices will be different types of interpretations of a certain scene. Options would be ordinal-polytomous, with a 4-point Likert scale. An example question would be, I think this scene is bright, vivid and happy. 1. Strongly disagree, 2. Strongly agree, 3. Agree, 4. Strongly agree.

Ethical Considerations

The instrument will be administered using the paper-and-pencil questionnaire mode while in a closed room in order to avoid uncontrolled factors to influence the results.
Three to four items of questions will be asked about each film clip, balancing positive and negative responses, and  or other possible interpretations in order to avoid the tendency of acquiescence and central tendency biases.

Final Thoughts and Personal Learning

I am personally convinced that this study will be of help to the ongoing debate on colorization, which is essentially an ethical battle between aesthetic-cultural considerations and commercial motivations. It is also important for people to consider not only the practical consequences of restoration practices, but also the intrinsic meanings associated to and intended by the film. A black and white film, after all, has been composed to be such, and the actual colors while in production would always be variably different from the digitally recreated ones. In many situations, Compromise can be reached by not drastically changing the colors in the process of restoration, while at the same time still aiming for an enhanced audience experience by re-recording, dubbing, mending and rectifying.

Eric Rohmer used the warm Venetian colors characteristic of David and Fragonard to give the film a Neoclassical feel. Moreover, David was in particular known for his artwork depicting Napoleon during the generals various campaigns such as the Franco-Prussian War a period openly referenced in the film(Wellington). Rohmer used the natural lighting provided by the sun to achieve this effect. He also used settings and costumes that had the same warm color effect prominent in David and Fragonards painting Thus, the film had the atmosphere of the Neoclassical art(Rohmer). It is as though the paintings of the two artists came alive and acted out an entire story as vivid as the colors they were painted.

Delacroix expressive style of painting influenced the way various events and scenes were played out. His paintings depicted the exact raw emotion of whatever occassion or subject he painted always coldly accurate to how a person feel at such an event(Collings). The battles were depicted with the realistic blood and gore the real world wars would have. The rape scene was raw and brutal, emphasizing the sheer terror the victim would experience (Rohmer). Delacroix paintings were made real, the art still expressive but no longer static.

Visual art is an effective way to create a good film and also to introduce the artforms of the past. By using the tried-and-true methods of the artists in the past, one can replicate the same awe-inspiring effects their artworks have and at the same time help a newer generation appreciate the artworks of the past. It makes the memory of the ancient artists fresh in the minds of a younger and more modern audience.

Even though in real life, psychopaths and serial killers may not have the capacity to exhibit emotions that are specifically geared towards an individual, Hannibal Lecter was able to establish an idiosyncratic relationship with Clarice Starling. Albeit he was hesitant at first, owing to the realization that Starling was sent by Crawford as another pawn in trying to extract information from him to help with the Buffalo Bill case, he eventually became warm towards her. He also communicated with her during her visits and this made Starling uneasy at first, but she too was able to confide in him, possibly in order to gain his trust.

Lecter has the mental capacity to assist Starling in her pursuit of Buffalo Bill, but his motives for doing so were not profoundly elucidated in the movie. Perhaps in understanding why this is so, the need to be acquainted with the characters is warranted. We see at first that Lecter did not want to talk to Starling, but indeed she was persistent. She was on top of her class and she was chosen, as believed by Dr. Chillton, for this task because Crawford knew that Lecter would not be able to resist her. But even though this may be apparent for Starling, her drive and passion for her studies may have surpassed this phase already and instead of succumbing to this intrusion, she was very objective and logical, but always doing her work with a heart. Her character was strong enough to possibly overthrow any boundaries being setup by Lecter or even the mere fact that he was willing to talk to her was made possible.

There may be several explanations as to why this is so, aside from the strong and head on approach by Starling which did not seemed to work at first. After their first conversation wherein Lecter clearly denied Starling of the chance to converse with him, Starling accepted this and walked away. But as she was walking away and leaving, Lecter suddenly changed his mind. As to why this happened, one can only postulate. A reason for this sudden turn of events may be because of Lecter wanting to test Starling. If the motive will be to test her and to evaluate her abilities as a future FBI agent in addition to the mentoring and quizzing skills of Lecter also being tested, one can assume that this is the reason why he sent out a clue to her and made her solve the puzzle. It could be possible that Lecter was not expecting Starling to be able to respond inquisitively and intelligently to this task, but as it turns out she was able to follow through with his clues. This may also prove that Lecter might be looking for someone who can outsmart him, or at least reach the level that he wants his students to be or those that he wants to raise as his apprentice. While doing so, he might also be able to manipulate Starling into becoming a part of his plans of probably escaping the asylum eventually.

When Starling passed his test, he knew that he would be able to convey all his messages to her and she would be able to comprehend these, in the event that he would not tell the truth in front of several individuals. A mentor-like approach to handling Starling is the fact that he did not give direct information to her, but instead he gave clues and in those clues he wanted her to discern what he was trying to say. This attitude is very much like what professors do when discussing, and Starling was smart enough to engage in a discourse with Lecter.

 In passing, there was also rapport that was built between the two, and although trust may not really be present in this kind of setting, there was a form of trust that could be seen between them. And most importantly, Lecter was not just giving information freely to Starling, he asked for information too about her in return. The problem with this exchange is that while it may seem harmful at first to ask about personal questions about her, Lecter was already formulating thoughts about figuring her out, about manipulating and utilizing this information against her if the need to do so arises.

Aside from becoming mentor-like towards Starling and testing her if she was worthy of his time, he could also be having a paternal instinct towards her. He knew somehow by his profiling of her that she was wounded and was leaning towards this job as her only sanctuary. This allowed him to exploit this need by Starling to solve the murder case. In the realm of the movie, Lecter was not a man totally devoid of emotions, in fact, his small gestures has shown that he almost had a fatherly instinct towards her. He handed over a towel for Starling when she was wet from the rain when she was enthusiastically talking about finding a decapitated head in a storage rental, he also called her to tell her that she is not going to be eaten by Lecter in spite and despite of the fact that he was out of his cell and to congratulate her on her feat. Considering that Lecter is not devoid of emotions, a person like him would still want to be needed and leaned on to and his success will just add to his already bulging ego.

This brings about another possible motive behind wanting to aid Starling in solving the case, to add another credential to his already long list of achievements that includes his appetite for human flesh. If Lecter cooperates and helps in solving the case, it might be for the first time and he wanted to do it because it might have something to do with the fact that he wants to prove something to Starling, but it might not be because of wanting to prove something to the whole world. He might possibly pass that phase already. We may not know whether or not he it was true when he said that he is acquainted with the killer which makes the case really simple for him and it poses no challenge already. Or he might have said that because he knew that they will believe him. It is still a mental puzzle, and he might have enjoyed the interaction and the process of being involved with it, furthermore, he was able to go outside for a short period of time when he met with the Senator, and this even paved the way for his escape. Because it might be impossible for a man of his wisdom to believe that any of the intended negotiations is true and will be done if he gives up the name of the killer. Whereas, if he helps Starling he might gain an ally, even though it might be extremely impossible to set this up, and Starling might later on find herself not saying no to Lecters wishes.

Another possible reason why he wanted to help Starling with the case is because he might also be considering Bill to be his rival, although he knows that he is the only person who can be that morbid and gory. If Lecter is to treat Bill as a threat to his achievements as a psychopath serial killer, then that is motive enough for him to try to aid Starling catch Bill. But this theory might be the weakest because Lecter has within himself a huge appreciation of who he is and who he is not, wherein which the identification of a killer who might be like him will not weaken him. But it could possibly be that he wanted his reign to come back and he saw this as an opportunity for manipulation and escape above all.

Whatever his causes are for helping Starling, he definitely saw a loophole wherein he was able to achieve his hidden agenda. Whether is was escaping from the asylum or manipulating several important figures, or getting his revenge on his psychiatrist Dr. Chillton, it can be assumed based on the ending of the movie that he got what he wanted. It is important though that in analyzing this concept that Lecter, as presented in the movie, has the emotional capacities that are usually devoid of psychopaths and serial killers because of his rapport with Starling that is considered to be the first one to happen in all of Crawfords minions. It might be important to notice that it could also be due to Starlings exemplary performance in her work that might have caused the guidance of Lecter in solving the case and is not purely based on Lecters hidden agenda alone.

For this paper, I choose the following movies Born Into Brothels, Cry Freedom and Gandhi.  The common denominator of these movies is that they deal with human dignity and human rights.

The movie Born Into Brothels (2004) is a documentary movie made by Zana Briski and Russel Kauffman who spent time in India among the prostitutes, documenting them through photographs and their families as well as interviewing them to gain insight into the conditions they live in an what drove them into the trade.  In exchange for documenting their mothers, the filmmakers offered to conduct photography classes for their children and these sessions would be filmed along with life in the red light district of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).  Briski and Kaufmann intended to highlight this glaring problem of poverty among the underprivileged of Kolkata which serves as the root cause for the hand-to-mouth existence of the women here which prevents them from getting better education and decent jobs.  Being deprived of these opportunities prompted them to get into the oldest profession as they practically have nowhere else to go (Kaufmann  Crowdus, 180).  Briski and Kaufmanns efforts bore fruit when they won Best Documentary in the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and an Academy Award in 2005 for Best Documentary Feature.  Although one could say this movie is not earth-shaking to say the least in trying to address the issue of poverty in India, the makers of the film hoped to raise awareness and are also hoping this would be spread a hundredfold to the world.

The movie Gandhi (1982), directed by Richard Attenborough, depicts the life and times of Mohandas Gandhi (played by Ben Kingsley) who rose from being an English-educated lawyer in South Africa to eventually become the leading figure in Indias independence movement.  India during Gandhis early life was a British colony that not only exploited its natural resources but subjugated its people through discrimination and exploitation by their British colonial masters.  What was interesting to note in the movie was Gandhi first experienced this not in India, but in South Africa where he worked as a lawyer where whites tend to look down upon dark-skinned people and regard them as inferior without any consideration to their strengths, as in Gandhis case, his education and his intelligence in the scene where he was thrown out of the train for refusing to move to the Third Class compartment despite having a First Class ticket (Kingsley).  It was also in South Africa that he began to develop his trademark passive resistance movement (satyagraha) where he sought to fight for what was right without resorting to violence.  The film not only highlighted the discrimination and exploitation of Indians, it also highlighted Gandhis novel way of fighting the evils of colonialism through satyagraha.  Although India eventually achieved its independence, the creators of the film intended to highlight the effectiveness of Gandhis satyagraha.  The movie is a historical drama and it serves to remind people of how one man and his idea could make the difference and the proof came long after Gandhis death with the civil rights movement in the United States to the peaceful demonstrations in eastern Europe that helped hasten the fall of communist regimes there.

The movie Cry Freedom (1987), also directed by Attenborough, depicts life in South Africa during the enforcement of the policy of Apartheid which had been in force since 1947 by the minority white government who feared being dominated by the black majority.  The story centers of the friendship between a white English South African newspaper editor Donald Woods (played by Kevin Kline) and Steve Biko (played by Denzel Washington) who was one of the leading exponents of the anti-Apartheid movement besides Nelson Mandela.  The plot of the movie is based on the books, Biko and Asking for Trouble.  These were written by Woods following the death of Biko at the hands of the authorities and his subsequent flight to England to escape persecution in order for him to tell the entire tale.

Although the movie centers mainly on the friendship of the two men, the film provides the audience a look on what life was like in South Africa during the Apartheid years through the eyes of Woods, who at the beginning was very critical of Bikos views. Biko, like Mandela, was also the target of persecution by the authorities for his bold stand against Apartheid that he was banned where he was forbidden to mingle with other people, do anything in public or even leave his township. His experience underscored what other black South African had to go through under a system that intended to keep them inferior by a minority group fearful of being dominated by them, hence the need to use terror and repression. When Biko was arrested, he died while under police custody and it was suspected he was tortured to death, Woods attempted to seek the truth but was persecuted (Washington).  Fearing for his life and that of his family, Woods and his family escaped to England where he exposed the evils of Apartheid in his two books.  When this film was first released, South Africa was then practicing Apartheid and it helped arouse awareness to the issue.  It was so critical of the incumbent regime then that the film was banned throughout the period until the 1990s.

In conclusion, all these films are political, as Crowdus stated in his book (Crowdus, xi).  Born Into Brothels is more of a documentary where the creators used real people who are going through real miserable conditions as part of their goal in arousing awareness and making a statement of their stand against the social problems plaguing not only India but other places that are also going through similar circumstances.  The other two feature films are historical in nature and both also sent a political statement of the sufferings people face when their dignity is stripped from them and their rights violated.  These films were not meant to only entertain but to arouse awareness as well and to make people be vigilant.