The film in question is a Japanese period film released in 1990. The main theme of the film is war and its impact on warriors and common people. For a student of history, the film presents a fairly accurate presentation of costumes, art and architecture of 16th century Japan. Watching the film was like going…
Category: Media Studies
Mise-en-scene in The Red Shoes (1948)
The Red Shoes, directed by the marquee team of Michael Powell and Emeric Presssburger is an important film of British Cinema. One of the early exponents of Technicolor brilliance, the film is an exposition on use of light and colour for cinematic effect. Cinematographically the film is quite brilliant and a rich source for studying…
Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
The book in question is insightful, thought-provoking and controversial. One of the positive aspects of the book is its elaborateness. Having taken up a challenging thesis, the author goes about proving it with a rigorous scholarly approach. But as with all theses there are problems of omission and commission. The book presents an interesting view…
Raymond Williams and Marshall McLuhan on the Relationship Between Media Technology and Culture
Marshall McLuhan and Raymond Williams have made key contributions to our understanding of media and its relationship to society and culture. McLuhan, in particular, has been an influential thinker on the subject and his ideas continue to be debated to this day. McLuhan’s work laid emphasis on how media is not an exclusive domain, but…
Pablo Picasso: A short biography
Pablo Picasso is one of the greatest visual artists of the twentieth century. Born in Spain in 1881, he later moved to France where he spent most of his productive years. Though the public remember him as a painter, he also excelled as a sculptor, graphic artist and ceramist. He gained reputation on the basis…
Documenting the Media Revolution, Books, Version 2.0
Introduction: Many people think of e-books as just another medium of conveying content. To the authorial content that is conveyed comes with several added values. The cumulative effects of these enhancements offer a fundamentally new manner of experiencing content. In the context of libraries, it is becoming increasingly evident that functions like information gathering, harbouring…
‘night, Mother by Marsha Norman: Analysis and Themes
’night Mother by Marsha Norman is a thought provoking play. The entire drama is contained in the single act of the mother (Mama) and daughter (Jessie) talking. The subject of their conversation surrounds the casual yet sudden announcement by Jessie that she is going to end her life. One of the hallmarks of good theatre…
Cinematography of Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane has been voted the greatest American film to be ever made in poll after poll. And this assessment comes from critics, directors and fans alike. There are several reasons why this achievement is possible. When it was released in 1941, the film revolutionized and revitalized the art of filmmaking in Hollywood, which was…
Compare & Contrast: Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Pablo Picasso’s Seated Woman (Marie Therese)
The two works of art chosen for this exercise are – Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Pablo Picasso’s Seated Woman (Marie Therese). Both these works are masterpieces of visual art and exemplify the defining features of their respective movements. What is common between them is that they are both portraits of women. But the…
A critical appraisal of a performance by Chanticleer: Franz Biebl’s Ave Maria
Chanticleer is a San Francisco based male classical vocal ensemble. The group has acquired an ardent fan following due to the fact that their music serves as a communion with God at a time when mainstream popular music is becoming more sexualized and violent. The group has been in existence since 1978 and have given…