C is for…"Chinatown" & "A Clockwork Orange"
[Chinatown] is known in film world as one of the most outstanding mastering of production design. It is one of the most authentic looking period films, and that is thanks to both Polanksi’s vision and style and designer Richard Sylbert’s keen eye.
They decided based on the premise of the film, that all sets would be in dry land colors: brown, tan, beige, and everything in between. EXCEPT, however, at the Mulwray’s house, where they have been part of a water scandal, there is a LOT of green.
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I love watching movies from decades ago and seeing what they thought the future would look like. Maybe it isn’t REALLY what they thought it would look like, but it moved the story forward. Either way, [A Clockwork Orange] takes place in the unforeseen future. This film is very violent and provocative, which may not be easy for everyone to watch. This futuristic Great Britain feels like maybe sex is much more acceptable and you get that from some of the sex scenes and from some of the decor.
As a way to express that this film takes place in the future without having to state where and when, the designer adds elements that are showcased around the neighborhood. For example, right in the lobby of [our antihero] Alex’s family apartment there is remnants of art, as we know it today, all over the walls, except that it has all been graffitied over and vandalized, insinuating that it has been a while since that art was put up, or maybe even respected.
See what I had to say with examples from the films @ http://cest-la-vie-dml.blogspot.com/2012/05/c-is-for-chinatown-clockwork-orange.html
About Julie Dawn Fox
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