EU/US films

EU/US films

  • US

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • EU

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
  • Poll closed .
surf

surf

Veteran
when you watch a movie, you can tell from some seconds, wether it is a film made in the US or in Europe. I think the biggest difference between them is in the Cinematography, but I am not sure.

what do you think? (and which do you like better?)
 
surf said:
I think the biggest difference between them is in the Cinematography, but I am not sure.
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I've always thought the biggest difference was the accents, or in some cases the entire language... but I could be mistaken.
:)
 
I've always thought the european film making sensibility conentrates on intrinsic values of the human condition. Someone here mentioned cinema verite. But europe has always inspired and evolutionised film making across the world. Whereas, the US was always trying to entertain and dazzle from the beginning in cinema, europe decided to try a different path. Europe saw it as an artform and did magnificent things with lighting and narrative. i.e. Battleship Potemkin. Then we have great directors such as speilberg, tarantino, coppola etc who state they have been influenced by so and so director from europe. I don't think europe can compete with the industrial complex that is hollywood, but the reason why europeans are so influential is because they work as independent film makers, not part of a factory churning out goods everyday. So as an indie film maker you have much more control in the artistic process. However, in the same breath we shouldn't forget that the US are the pioneers of film in terms of technological advancement, i.e. colour film, dollies, steadicams, etc etc. In conclusion i guess both europe and the US compliment each other in what they do.
 
The weird thing is they don't translate well. Meaning, a film that works well as a French film, made in the US just doesn't seem right at all, for instance.

I have no idea if this bears any resemblance to reality, but I was watching "American Virgin" and throughout the whole thing I was thinking 'this would work so much better in French.'

It wasn't until I saw the credits that I thought maybe it *was* supposed to be a French film orginally, but they decided to go with American actors (well, not Bob Hoskins, but...) instead.

It's just a completely different feel to European films vs American films.
 
I love films from countries all over. However I feel that most European countries have their own sensibilities and styles so to group them all together as "European" does certain nations an injustice. I love certain films from certain European countries however there are one or two nations where I think cameras and film should be banned by the European Union.
 
It depends on the movie. If it's a good movie (according to my strange standards), I'll like it. I don't care where it was made.
 
HorseFilms said:
It depends on the movie. If it's a good movie (according to my strange standards), I'll like it. I don't care where it was made.
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I'm with horse on this one.

Some of my favorite movies were made in Japan, Spain, and Germany.
 
HorseFilms said:
It depends on the movie. If it's a good movie (according to my strange standards), I'll like it. I don't care where it was made.
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Yep, can't argue with that one.

My favorite of all time is "The Vanishing". Not the lameass american version. The one with the "killer" ending.

Foreign films too me don't water things down and pu$$y out. They go right for the jugular.
Takashi Mike is another crazy mo'fo who I love.

PS- This poll needs to be expanded.
 
Okay. I gotta agree on "The Vanishing". I saw it on IFC. The questions posed by a lot of foreign films just don't hit home to me, once in a while they do, but generally no. On the other hand, maybe I just don't like to have to split my attention between the movie and reading the subtitles. "The Vanishing" was a good story. That's what I really ask for...a good story. What I consider a good story, you might not. That's okay. That's what taste is all about and why we have such a variety of films out there.
 
And what about American directors that make "European" films and European directors that make "American" films?
 
Blaine said:
And what about American directors that make "European" films and European directors that make "American" films?
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Roland Emmerich and Uwe Boll... I feel so ashame I'm a german.
 
Blaine said:
Yeah? Well I was thinking of Jim Jarmusch. I just don't get him :embarasse
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Watched Broken Flowers last night. My wife was a little ticked at the non-ending.

Didn't bother me. Things often don't have wrap-it-up, all-loose-ends-tied in real life, so it doesn't bother me to see that (occasionally) in films.

But it looked like A) they shot it sequentially, and Murray wasn't completely into it yet in the first act....or B) they shot it t'other way 'round, and he was tired of doing it by the time they got around to the opening.
 
NO CA$H said:
I'm with horse on this one.

Some of my favorite movies were made in Japan, Spain, and Germany.
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and then some were made in my very own bedroom :grin:


A great film is a great film regardless of where it was made. Looking at the poll results it seems that a good majority are picking US, but a lot of movies aren't shot in the US anymore (canada, europe, australia, new zeleand)...

The thing is, who cares? We don't have a great division of filmmaking right now between what a US and EU film is like we did in the 60's. I always liked to think of filmmaking as collabrative and able to erase the boundaries of nations, then again, I'm naive and have degrees in liberal arts so what do I know?
 
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