TodaySentinel Lunchtime Blog (Movies): Blockbusters find more emphasis in art
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For films and TV, the visuals are everything.
From action sequences to fantasy worlds, modern moviegoers want their movies to have special effects that are indistinguishable from reality while still looking like something they’ve never seen before.
That may be a big reason why directors usually known for their independent films are given the greenlight on big budget projects. Although critics believe Marc Forster bit off more than he could chew with “Quantum of Solace,” other directors are hitting it big with blockbuster films. Peter Jackson started off with his ham horror flicks and indie favorite “Heavenly Creatures” before making a name for himself with “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and getting to work with bigger budgets on “King Kong” and the upcoming “The Lovely Bones.” Jackson may not have been able to claim the director position in the upcoming “Hobbit” movies, but Mexican director Guillermo del Toro did manage it after his hit independent films “The Devil’s Backbone” and “Pan’s Labyrinth” as well as the blockbuster “Hellboy” movies.
Producers are willing to bet big money on the success these directors will have on the various franchises, and many of those budgets can be costly.
Baz Luhrmann is a relatively new director, starting with his first movie “Strictly Ballroom” in 1992. However, his completion of the Red Curtain Trilogy with “Romeo + Juliet” and “Moulin Rouge!,” Luhrmann has definitely made a name for himself — a name big enough for Fox to agree to a $120 million production budget for this Friday’s release “Australia.”
“Romeo + Juliet” was made on a modest $14.5 million, but it made $46 million domestically and $100 million foreign. “Moulin Rouge!” was more expensive with a $50 million budget, and it barely broke even domestically, though it got more than enough back in other countries with $120 million.
The huge budget given to Luhrmann to make his sweeping romance across the Australian Outback was a surprise for me. I’m a big fan of all three of the Red Curtain Trilogy, but the movies were more cult films than blockbusters. Sure, Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes became huge teen favorites after the film (“Titanic” only helped Leo solidify his place in pre-teen hearts) and “Moulin Rouge!” was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, the films have more die-hard fans than places in people’s DVD cabinets.
What I think helped Luhrmann find the money to tackle his dream project was the visuals he creates on screen.
If someone can find fault in any of Luhrmann’s movies, the sets, costumes and scenery are not on that list. Each of his movies are known for their spectacular uses of color, or in the case of his last two, giving a period piece a modern look, either through a new setting or through new music.
Each one of Luhrmann’s films in the Red Curtain Trilogy was meant to tell a story in different ways — “Strictly Ballroom” had dance, “Romeo + Juliet” had Shakespearean dialogue and “Moulin Rouge!” had song. “Australia” is going to be a departure from that vision, but I think audiences can expect to be in awe of rolling landscapes and intricate costumes.
Now they’ll just have to get people into the theaters over the holiday weekend.
