A Comparison Of Jurassic Park Essay, Research Paper
When one reflects on the past two decades of film, many magnificent movies have been put into production. They re has been ground-breaking developments in all of the different genre, not to mention in animation and other aspects of film. If we were to list the greatest films of this era, we would find that many of these films are made by one man, Steven Spielburg. Steven Spielburg has directed some of the most spectacular movies of our time. And after watching enough of his works, we begin to realize that Spielburg has a style that can be seen throughout most of his movies. This style of his can
be seen in both the movies Jurassic Park series and movies from the Indiana Jones series.
Jurassic Park was produced in 1993 and directed by Steven Spielburg. It takes place on a remote island, where a wealthy entrepreneur secretly creates a theme park featuring living dinosaurs that have been created from prehistoric DNA. Before opening the park to the public, the owner(Richard Attenborough) invites a Paleontologists(Sam Neil), a Paleobotanist(Laura Dern), and a Mathematician/theorist(Jeff Goldblum), in order to ease the anxiety of his investors. However, they re visit is anything but tranquil as the parks security systems break down, and the prehistoric marvels break from they re
containment and retake the food chain. But Jurassic Park hand more than just an interesting story, it was a technological breakthrough, taking a giant leap in the arena of computer graphics and spawning a new wave of film making. It was stunning, awesome, and terrifying all at the same time. Jurassic Park is, if nothing else, one of the most effective plays on an innate human fear ever put to film. It makes us realize how drastically different our lives might be if we weren t the top dog on the food chain.
Another marvelous film by Steven Spielburg was Raiders of the Lost Ark . This was the first installment of the very popular Indiana Jones series. Raiders of the Lost Ark was made produced in 1981 and directed by Steven Spielburg. Steven Spielburg decided to make this movie after he was refused as the next director for a James Bond film. He was denied because he was an American. So Spielburg teamed up with George Lucas to create theyre own James Bond, the dashing archeologist Indiana Jones. Indiana Jones was every bit as famous as his inspiration, but different enough to be known as an
original creation, rather than a James Bond Clone. Raiders of the Lost Ark takes place sometime in the early 1930 s, while the world is at war with Germany. But it soon becomes evident that Germany doesn t only fight with guns, they re pursuing the acquisition of historical and important biblical artifacts as well. The Mystical Ark of the Covenant is one of they re main pursuits. And Indiana will stop at nothing to stop the Nazi s from acquiring the Ark. The first Indiana
Now, when one compares these movies, one can see certain similarities between them. For starters, both Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park are with no doubt action movies. Both movies have a main character, or characters, that are facing an unbeatable force. In Jurassic Park , the two scientists and mathematician are faced with escaping a numerous types of dinosaurs with their lives, while at the same time saving the owners grandchildren. In Raiders of the Lost Ark , Indiana Jones is faced with
finding and keeping the Ark of the Covenant from the Nazi s, or they will become an unstoppable force of destruction. Both movies rarely have a slow moment, be it a Raptor jumping out from a wall, or pitfull of snake, we as an audience are constantly kept attentive. This is certainly one style that Steven Spielburg uses.
Another similarity that is often seen in Steven Spielburg movies is splendid music. The music of his films always seems to match the situation perfectly. This is in large part due to the composer John William s. Spielburg uses William s in many of his films, and time after time he does a splendid job. The music in both Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park match the situation superbly. In Jurassic Park for example, the scene in which the T-Rex is in pursuit of the jeep, the music makes the audience become filled with anxiety and actually tenseness. This what Spielburg wants us to feel, and through the music, we do. Indiana Jones is somewhat different. Music still plays a vital role, but the theme of Indiana Jones is one of the main things that makes it memorable. Almost anyone that has seen movies can instantly recognize the theme. In my opinion, it is one of the most identifiable themes of all time.
Another similarity that can be seen between Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park is the artistic and exciting use of camera angles. One example of a good camera angle in Jurassic Park is when the T-Rex first breaks out of his containment area, and you see his huge clawed foot set down and sink into the mud. This makes the whole scene very dramatic, and filled with a quiet sense of panic. Steven Spielburg uses these dramatic camera angles constantly throughout Jurassic Park . There is also good use of camera angles in Raiders of the Lost Ark . In this movie, camera angles are often used to create a more solid sense of excitement, like in the truck chase scene. If it
weren t for good use of camera angles in this scene, it would seem half as exciting. This is the affect that interesting camera angles have in a movie.
This style of Steven Spielburg can be seen in both the movies Jurassic Park and movie Raiders of the Lost Ark . These are two perfect examples of what Spielburgs style is, and how it is seen throughout his movies.