February 27, 2014

Film Review: Pompeii

The last few films directed by Paul W.S. Anderson have been universally-hated, so I was skeptical about him directing a historical epic.  His telling of the Pompeii disaster definitely emphasizes spectacle over substance, but I actually expected a lot worse than this.

If nothing else, I enjoyed the film.  There are quite a few gladiatorial fights and battles in the film's first half, which are pretty well-staged and just fun to watch.  Then, when Mt. Vesuvius inevitably erupts, the mass destruction fills up the screen and provides a somber backdrop for even more outrageous action scenes.  It gets pretty ridiculous, maybe even too much for more serious-minded viewers, but even during the melodrama in between, the film rarely dragged for me.

However, the film's story leaves something to be desired.  The opening scenes, which lay out the Celt's backstory, seems to mirror the origins of Conan the Barbarian exactly.  The dude's progression through gladiatorial combat is a story that's been covered well enough in films like Gladiator and Spartacus.  As I've seen other viewers mention, the actual love story is pretty much the same situation as Titanic.  And, just like Titanic, we all know how the story of Pompeii will end.  There's nothing terribly original or groundbreaking in this story.

On its own merits, the story gets the job done though.  It expends the bare minimum to establish a cast of one-dimensional characters (including an incredibly unreasonable villain) playing through a formulaic plotline.  I'm not entirely certain as to how historically accurate the film is; I have seen the Pompeii ruins some years ago, and what I saw on film regarding the street-level views, the amphitheater, the shops, the homes, all generally looked the part.  I imagine more informed viewers could nitpick a lot about the film's portrayal of geography, politics, historical background, and culture.  With my own knowledge of Roman history, however, I didn't notice that much really wrong.  At the very least, as the volcanic eruption went on and on, it became more and more unbelievable that these characters could run around, dodging flaming rocks and debris, and jumping over countless chasms that suddenly appear, without dying.

This film is made with some solid photography.  In fact, I was pretty impressed by some of the imagery; I thought the film's opening shots, showing figures coated in ash with Clinton Shorter's music score and Pliny the Younger's words, is decently invoking.  Editing is good, although a few of the fights might have been cut a little too fast.  Acting is nothing to scream about; Kit Harington is a pretty average tough guy here.  I enjoyed the performances of Emily Browning, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Kiefer Sutherland.  Writing is simplistic and cliched.  This production uses some really great-looking sets, props, and costumes.  Special effects are good-but-not-great.  The music score is really good, and might be the best thing about the film.

It's a story that's been done before, full of cliches and flat characters, and it's historic accuracy is questionable.  However, it is an entertaining thrill ride, and the film has its earnest moments.  You might enjoy this film if you just want to see some big-scale effects and swordplay; if you're looking for something deeper, you might be disappointed.

3.5/5 (Entertainment:  Good | Story:  Average | Film:  Pretty Good)

February 22, 2014

Writing Prompt: Writer's Digest Your Story #57

For the next Writer's Digest Your Story competition, the following prompt is offered:

Prompt: Write the opening sentence (25 words or fewer) to a story based on the photo to the left.

Use the submission form OR email your submission directly to yourstorycontest@fwmedia.com.

It's a pretty straight-forward exercise.  The real trick is to try and convey something unique, funny, exciting, or all-around promising, in only 25 words.  Exercises like this could be useful for visualizing story openings, because starting a story is one of the hardest parts of story writing.

If you wish to submit to this competition, simply go to the web page for this exercise, and submit through Writer's Digest.   If you win, you could be published in their magazine.  No cash or prizes, but it is a fun thing to try, and it's a good exercise for the brain.  The deadline for this exercise is April 14th.

The first responses that come to my mind:


Scrambling along the floor of the prison cell, Jacques desperately tried to find the lock pick that Serj had dropped.

After stepping through the mysterious vortex, Robinson Crusoe was surprised to find himself no longer on a desert island.

Despite his exhaustion, Dennis struggled to do one more push-up for his robotic overlords.

With his legs bound in tie-wraps, Don had no choice but to roll off of the gurney, fall on the floor, and crawl away from his captors.
  
Waking up face-down on the hard white floor, Arnold realized to his terror that he had been drugged and abducted by organ harvesters.

Knowing that the aliens would be back to probe him, Ernest struggled against the drugs and tried to pull his numb body toward the hatch.

Examining the floor carefully, Roger affirmed with his keen senses that there were traces of gasoline leading to the next room.

Having been knocked to the floor by his opponent, Earl started to wonder if this martial arts school was for real…

Sprawled on the floor, James thought to himself, "This is the worst job interview ever."

Joe immediately lunged to the floor, looking for the gold coin that Mendes had dropped.

After all he had been through, Matthew suddenly wished he was in Disneyland.