Secondary Contextual film Research

As part of my research I decided to watch several films that could inspire my project, from real life stories like Sophie Scholl, who dissented against the Nazis, to The Lego Movie, a modern day children animation with Marxist undertones.

Sophie Scholl was very inspiring to me as it is a true story. Scholl, her family and friends worked together to undermine the Nazi regime and eventually sacrificed their lives. The films interview scenes are very symbolic of her standing up alone to a system that didn't work, it dials down major issues and events and contains them in a jail cell or interview room. This is good from my perspective as my films will not have a budget and must take place on the small scale, but with this deliver the huge impact to the audience that a revolution should make them feel.

This film was hugely inspirational for the direction
of my idea. It tells the story of a Sports agent who has a moral epiphany that he should stop obsessing over money and expanding success and scale down so he can actually look after his clients. Its story strongly focused on the personal revolution, actively working to change and improve his own life by becoming a better person.

The Godfather is also extremely relevant to the ideas of personal revolution, however unlike Jerry Maguire, Michael Corleone's personal revolution moves in the opposite direction; once a respected war hero, he moves toward greed, vengeance and personal gain, culminating in him murdering his own brother in part II. This made realise that my film has an entirely new direction to move into and one i think i actually prefer, revolutions often don't go well, leading to downward spirals and i think this might be a better narrative arch to explore as it could be a good twist to put to the audience and make them think. 

Secondary Research- Russian Revolutionary artwork

Conveniently during my study of revolution the Royal academy were displaying art work from Russia from 1917 to 1932- displaying the work created in a time when the Revolutionary Bolsheviks had won the Civil war and as a result, Russia. The art was extremely interesting as it showed how the people responded to the victory of revolution. I hoped that looking at this would inspire any ideas for visuals of my film, i like giving my pieces a unique and surrealist look that is often captured in paintings.

Death of a Commissar (1928)

Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin

This image represented the price of victory in the Russian Civil War as a Red Army soldier lies in the arms of his Comrade. The picture symbolises the Russians potentially moving on and forgeting the sacrifices made for them to live thier lives under Bolshevism

Tram Condcuter

Alexander Samokvalov, 1928

This painting was the symbol of Russia's social and economic progress under the Bolsheviks in the late 1920s. It showed how industrialisation had changed Russia, and how women had become a greater force in society, here the conductor stands tall and powerful under the blue flash of electric.

This was a protest piece from the early 1920s, depicting Russia as massive, hellish prison of which Vladimir Lenin is the centre, flanked by his politburo with soliders supressing the white army in each corner. Work like this would have been outlawed, epecially after Stalins succeful rise to power.

FMP Primary Research- Protests

As further Primary research I decided to attend some high profile protests in London against the rise of right wing reacionism and populism. After Brexit and the Election of Donald Trump people feel we are moving backwards to a more hateful and polarised time, and so people felt the need to turn out  and show that they were not happy with this, and did not intend to go quietly.

As shown in the picture, much of the anger of the protest was directed towards Trump, after Teresa May's announcement for him to have a state visit at the expense of the Tax payer. People rightly believed it was wrong for someone so hated and against the international community, to be allowed to come here for free to try and ensure a good post-brexit deal. "Teresa The Appeaser" was a commob nick name being thrown around.