My third film themed blog is about a comedy drama called ‘Everything Is Illuminated’. As with my previous posts, these are simply notes that I have made after watching the film myself. Please see a short list of new vocabulary at the end of the blog that you might find useful.Remember, watching films in English are a great way of improving your language skills!Film: Everything Is IlluminatedDirector: Liev SchreiberYear of Release: 2005Everything is Illuminated (based on Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel of the same name) follows the moving tale of an American Jew who travels to the Ukraine in order to discover the secrets of his grandfather’s escape to the USA during World War 2. The film is far from a fact flaunting history lesson, although it does sit comfortably in a subject range of which I am most interested. Even though this elegantly crafted adaptation was a hit on the big screen, it is by no means a typical block buster smash! It is a heart-warming drama set in the Ukrainian countryside with none other than Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello as the film’s humble narrator. Mathew Libatique’s beautiful cinematography brings the rich landscapes and charming Ukrainian labourers to life with his warm and sensitive use of the lens, portraying the country as a startlingly beautiful place (even though the film was shot in the Czech Republic). The film is full of tit-bits of historical information and enriching subplots that make for truly remarkable viewing.Vocabulary:Elegantly – (adverb) – Fine or luxurious in designAdaptation – (noun) – Something produced by changing something else, for example to adapt a film into a theatre productionHumble – (adjective) – Not proud or arrogant. Modest.Lens – (noun) – A see-through piece of curved material used for magnifying and changing the appearance of light rays. In this context, it is part of a video camera.Subplot – (noun) – A secondary story.Can you think of any other recent films that are based on a book?Is it always true that the book is better than the film?Feel free to comment!
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