I Learned It From Watching You: Lessons in Cinematic Storytelling – The Seven Samurai
Monday, March 22nd, 2010A good way to start thinking in visual terms is watch movies with an eye towards the cinematic storytelling.
Every once in awhile, this blog will discuss certain films that a filmmaker should watch and learn from.
The Seven Samurai is a great example of cinematic storytelling. It even transcends spoken language (while the spoken word in the film is Japanese, it works like a silent film in many places; every thing you need to know is available visually).
What to watch for:
Composition.
In many places a perfectly composed image pans to another perfectly composed image. While the acting seems a little exaggerated and stylish, it works because the visual language of the film is exaggerated and stylish. There is a lush, emotional world being explored here, and it is being explored visually.
