Title/Year: Rare Exports (2010)
Director/Birth Country/Year Born: Jalmari Helander - born
Budget: €1,948,000 (estimated)
Gross: 1,243,997 (approx)
Synopsis:
Narrative and Visual Keywords: Christmas, Santa Clause Thriller, Adventure, Snow, Mountains, Finland, Evil, Hunting, Naked Old Men, Beast, Comedy, Dark Comedy.
Characterization/ Dialogue: The language spoken in the film is Finish with some English here and there. The Santa Clause in the film is characterized as "evil" - stealing naughty kids, the boy Pietri reads about Santa and finds out Santa is a beast with horns and he punishes the naughty kids.
Camera/lighting/editing technique: The visuals in this film are amazing! Ranging from lighting to VFX and camera work.
How would you classify the visual aspects of this film in relationship to theme or mood?
The film is a dark comedy with a little bit of a thriller/horror theme. Even though the portrayal of Santa Clause is this dark, scary old man, I would say that the visuals (camera,lighting) and over aesthetics don't really match with the dark tone. The visuals are very beautiful, the lighting, the colors, the camera work and even the VFX, even though very subtle were still very believable. However, since the film is a comedy part of the comedy is the story itself, the acting and the exaggerated portrayal of Santa Clause - he's a scary, untamed, naked old man, BUT that's what they want everyone to think Santa is. Towards the end of the film you realize that these are actually Santa's little helpers (elves), running all nude all over the place snatching of up naughty kids. The REALY Santa is actually a giant beast with horns frozen in an ice crystal, who doesn't ever get revealed.
Does sound play an important role in the piece? If so, what?
Sound definitely plays an important role. Besides hearing music and a soundtrack we also hear the typical " moment of silence" to heighten up the intensity letting us know that something "scary" is about to happen. We also get to hear the beastly sound of the even Santa. Overall throughout the film all the SFX are important, because it makes everything more believable
What is your subjective take on the piece as a whole?
Mostly all the Christmas movies out there you see are all family movies, focused on kids, showing the same typical, childish story lines. Rare Exports decided to try something different. Santa doesn't travel around the world giving gifts to everyone, he's actually trapped inside of a mountain and he's got his helpers running around everywhere snatching those who have been bad. Because of curiosity, archeologists dig him up, however all the local villagers get involved. Local deer farmers, after seeing their deer massacred, decide to go on the hunt for Saint Nick and sell him to get back the money they've lost from all the dead dear, plus more. As the characters find out more about who Santa is the audience joins the ride and soon notice that we all just need to expect the unexpected.
No comments:
Post a Comment