The Aviator (2004) - Jared's Thoughts

4 out of 5 stars

I have to say I really enjoyed this movie. There is so much to pay attention to, one of the foremost elements being the use of color. Simply brilliant use of contrast between the older two-color Technicolor look and the later, more saturated 3-color process. I guess I had an unfair advantage going into this one since Lord Parkin in our 285 class gave a brief overview of how color is used in this film. It’s inspiring to see filmmakers do such cool stuff with the visual elements. It takes a lot more effort and time than most people think, and adds such an intensity to the film. It just goes to show the difference between amateur and professionals. Both can point and shoot, but the true professionals think about what’s in front of the camera, outside the frame, and where it belongs temporally in the story. Amazing stuff.

The scope of the film’s story really appealed to me. Partly because it is based on a true story that my grandparents remember living through, and also because it is such a big story. It covers such a vast time period and shows an amazing character progression. The character’s changes kept me wondering what was going to happen next to this intriguing character, portrayed with amazing skill by DiCaprio. But props must also be given to the rest of the cast, who convincingly reproduced that era of film making.

Overall, very well done. I highly recommend this one. It's a great film to analyze for smart film making.