ChristineinGA Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 I finally saw this movie on "The Essentials" and it was terrific! I had wanted to see it for years and I was particularly impressed with the production design. The plane crash scenes were outstanding and came as a surprise to me. I am so much more moved by "real" special effects than the computer-generated stuff we see nowadays. The acting was great, too. Thanks, TCM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidEnglish Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 Most movie goers wouldn?t consider Hitchcock to be a trailblazer with special effects, though he certainly was. Take a look at the perspective-distorting zoom or the psychological application of color in Vertigo (1958). Or check out the use of electronic sounds as bird noises or advanced optical printing techniques to simulate large flocks in The Birds (1963). Foreign Correspondent includes the spectacular shot where the plane is diving into the ocean. You see the water appearing closer, as viewed through the cockpit windshield. When the plane hits the ocean, the water suddenly rushes into the cockpit. All this is contained within a single shot with no apparent edits or special effects, so how was it done? Here is Hitchcock?s explanation from an 1962 interview with Fran?oise Truffaut: "I had a transparency screen made of paper, and behind that screen, a water tank. The plane dived, and as soon as the water got close to it, I pressed the button and the water burst through, tearing the screen away. The volume was so great that you never saw the screen." DavidE http://www.classicfilmpreview.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOOMANYNOTES Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 ' Message was edited by: TOOMANYNOTES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackBurley Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 There's an entire Foreign Correspondent Forum under The Essentials. Come on down! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 That's amazing. I never noticed the screen rip before, but I slowed it down and I could see it. Great effect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidEnglish Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I hadn't thought about slowing it down to see the effect. I'll give it a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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