Movie Review

I have always been a fan of movies, but this was the first time I had to look at movies in a whole new way. This time I had to focus on the design aspect of movies and it opened my eyes to a whole new appreciation for the movies. I had to watch three movies: Helvetica, Everything is Illuminated, and Wall-E. All of these movies seem different but when looking at the design aspect they are actually quite similar. They each use design to help tell their story, but they each do this in their own unique way. Helvetica uses the design aspect of the movie to show us how we are constantly surrounded by things that we are not aware of. Everything is Illuminated teaches us that it is not always about the destination, but it is about the journey. Wall-E teaches us that we do not always need words to tell our story.

The first movie I watched was Helvetica is a documentary about typography and how it has changed throughout time. Helvetica is the most popular font used in the world, yet no one seems to notice. It is in newspapers, magazines, advertisements, etc. yet no one recognizes or realizes that it is all the same. The movie also discusses how Helvetica has changed over time. It used to be more creative and arts, but now it is very simplistic. This shows how design is constantly changing. Some people feel that this is a great form of typography, but others hate it because it is not artistic. This also shows how each person portrays design differently. Some people appreciate the style more than others. Helvetica did a great job of reflecting how design is constantly changing both in general and in the eye of the consumer.

The next movie I watched was Everything is Illuminated. This film did a great job in expressing the mood of the movie in the setting. The main character Jonathan goes on a search for a lady who saved his grandfather during the Holocaust. Now the Holocaust was a bad time so the scene was designed to portray the sadness and destruction caused by the Holocaust. However, there were also times of bright scenery that show the positives that came out of the journey. The movie was also designed to teach the lesson that life is not always about the destination, but about the journey. Jonathan did not complete his end goal in finding Augustina because she was tragically killed after saving Jonathan’s grandfather. But throughout the journey Jonathan learned more about himself and became more appreciative and more knowledgeable about himself and the world around him. Everything is Illuminated did a great job of showing how design can help portray the mood of a movie while also teaching a valuable lesson.

The final movie I watched was Wall-E. This was an animated film created by Pixar. This movie was designed to tell a story without using words. For most of the movie there is no words and even when there is words it is only a couple of words because robots are talking. I thought the director did a great job of telling the story through the production of the film. No words were required, yet I knew exactly what was going on and what the intended message of the movie was. Wall-E was a great movie and I think the design aspect was awesome because that is what told this story not words like in other movies.

I think that all three of these movies show viewers that designed can be found anywhere and it can be found in many different ways. I think all of these movies show how design is changing throughout time. Everything is Illuminated is about the history of something that had occurred in the past. Helvetica shows the transformation in the design of typography from the past and into the present. Wall-E shows how futuristic design can be through animation and just the idea of telling a story through actions rather than through words. All of these movies used design in their own way to get their message across. One film was a documentary and more informative, another film was more of an every day film with actors, and the final film was with the newest technology of animation. All of these movies show that design is all around us and always will be. It is up to the viewer to interpret the design,

Overall all of these movies have taught me valuable lessons. Helvetica taught me to open my eyes and really appreciate the beauty around me. I should be more conscious of the things around me. Everything is Illuminated has taught me to enjoy the journey. I should not go around waiting for one thing to happen in my life. I should enjoy both the ups and downs of life because when I finally do reach my destination, it will make it that much better. Finally Wall-E taught me the lesson that actions speak louder than words. It is not enough to say something, I have to go out and back up my talk with action. I also have to make sure I am acting in the proper way at all times because you never know who is watching. Looking at these three movies through the design aspect has really taught me a lot and made me more aware of the deeper meanings of everything.