Foreign Films vs. Hollywood

One issue mentioned is taking foregin films and forcing the Hollywood agenda on them. I did not realize before taking my Screenwriting class that companies such as, Miramax distribute films but do not really take part in making them. Such as Blue, White, Red, Life Is Beautiful, Chocolate y Frezca, and more. I didn’t realize how much Life is Beautiful, one of my favorite films, follows the Hollywood tradition. I recognized right away that Blue felt different. This one is a French film. It has a great deal of suffering for the main character. Her husband and daughter were killed in a car crash. She suffers quitely, there are not moments of anger or rage. She continues to retreat away from life and pull herself away from her emotions. One scene that is very painful to watch is an old woman trying to throw a bottle away. As she struggles, the main character Julie just watches. The scene moves very slowly. I felt that it connects more with real life because when we replay the day we had in our heads, we may think I should have done something or ask why didn’t I do something. She eats ice cream fast because it reminds her of her daughter. This film requires the viewer to watch for the little things. Blue, White, and Red are all very real because of the simplicity and they lack the “overdone” quality of Hollywood. It makes sense to me why Blue is first and Red is last after watching all three. Red seems to complete Blue. One example is that in Blue, the hero allows a cat to kill a mother mouse andher babies. In Red, the main girl aids a pregnant dog and helps her take care of her puppies. To me, Red heals the suffering in Blue. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/415Q02HNNDL.jpg