Bad Filmmaking vs Good Filmmaking, Vol. 1

The 2014 film Force Majeure directed by Swedish director Ruben Östlund is a masterpiece.

Its American remake Downhill starring Will Ferrell & Julia-Louis Dreyfuss isn't.

I discuss...

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[MarcusFlemmings]

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[outlawsuperstar]

the fact that the camera is stationary also makes me panic. Like there’s nothing I can do

[thatmoviegirl]

The first one was so good at delivering that panic and confusion that I didn’t even realize the problem was that the father had left the family behind until his daughter asked where he was. I was just rooting for everyone to get away as fast as possible

[aaronfahey]

the single shot also allows us as viewers to consider what has changed before and after the incident. Same position, all the characters totally different. Lives completely changed. I love the way it emerges through the dust of the snow.

[davidci]

As one comment pointed out in the video of Downhill's avalanche scene, one huge thing that makes the remake's scene weaker was that the dad was alone on his side of the table. Him running off can be excused with him thinking his family would follow him. However, in the original, not only was his son right beside him on the table, everyone also saw him push his son to the side for him to escape.

[SailorDee]

One thing I much prefer about the original version is the conversation leading up to the impact. The rest of the family is expressing their fear to Tomas, but he continuously shuts them down, saying that "it's fine". The moment *he* finally believes there is an actual danger, his true colours show and he leaves them all behind, even pushing aside his son to get to safety. It drives home the disconnect much more and shows that he was not considering his family's safety, only his own.

[GabzitoHD]

The Östlund one made me FEEL the extreme awkwardness now that the family knows what the dads priorities are and it serves like a perfect setup to the rest of the plot about their relationship.
The Will Ferrel one made the scene into a simple "gag" with his comedy acting and the movie after that could be about whatever really.

[elisabethschmerzler]

The avalanche scene in Force Majeure is also better because of the location of the camera.

The camera is around the level of the tables and placed in a way that the audience could very well be another vacationer at a table watching the avalanche along side the family. It allows us to see the bigger picture, all the actions taking place and feeling the fear, stuck frozen as we watch it hurdle down, experiencing the stress the characters probably feel.

[SemperFine]

Notice how the father in the original took a while before coming back for his family, it shows that he was hesitant because of how he reacted to the incident. In the remake, the father's back to it like nothing happened, no sense of guilt or remorse present.

[tomashize]

I expect the assumption is American audiences will get bored or uncomfortable with long static takes and underplayed performances but I reckon they underestimate people and its a self fulfilling prophecy

[greghenrikson]

This is excellent analysis. On top of the shakey cam nonsense, most modern Hollywood films seem obsessed with getting as many tight shots of the lead actors' faces as possible.

[breakfreak]

The slow fade back to colour (back to normality) helps make the scene as well. As the panic subsides more colour saturates the shot. Great stuff!

[AozoraUltra]

this scene reminds me of how little some couples know about each other. Sometimes I talk to couples and they are learning so much about each other with me.

[hyuna]

I find interesting that the dad in the first movie grabbed his son at first like he wanted to protect him but as soon as he realized that the avalanche was really really close he just abandoned the whole family like the instict of survival or fear won over the protective parent mode idk

[sproductionsinc]

The detail of Will's character grabbing his phone before he runs off got me. 🤣

[derbyedits]

I like the Original because the steadyness of the trypod resembles the feeling of wanting to back up, but being unable to, as you are drawn in by the spectacle. It physically makes me fell stuck

[audreyquinn]

The original static long shot feels more harrowing. Watching the family scream in fear and disappear under the snow is much more effective. I like your conclusion: "often simple filmmaking is perfect filmmaking." ❤

[nestorarranz]

Another thing thats very american productions with their 30 cuts in a 100 seconds is that you need to light and shoot for 10 angles of the same scene wich elevates costs unneceseraly

[AAAEA]

You're so very right on how a wide shot adds a sense of realism at the start of this video I legit thought this was real. I thought this was a bts shot of what happens when a studio rushes and stinges out on the budget and thought that this video was gonna be about the "good and bad ethics" of filmmaking 💀

[vdiitd]

The worst effect in filmmaking is the shaky camera effect. Brain just shuts off and doesn't try to understand what's going on in the scene.