Director + Film Research
David Leitch and Bullet Train
This page shows the research i did on bullet train.
I researched bullet train as it has the underlying tone of Depression and PTSD. This is shown through the character "Ladybug" who is played by Brad Pitt. Ladybug stopped being an assassin in regard with his mental health and attended a therapist to help him. Throughout the film, Ladybug recites multiple things that his therapist told him like "Hurt people Hurt people" suggesting that people that hurt or kill others only do it as they themselves are suffering.
Ladybug also refuses to use a gun throughout the entirety of the film whilst his Handler keeps trying to get him to use one. Ladybug plays pacifist throughout the film and only attacks when his life in in danger.
Christopher Nolan and Oppenheimer
I also chose Oppenheimer as i love the way Christopher Nolan shows the way Oppenheimer feels regret after they created the atomic bomb. As everyone was celebrating his achievement, no one had thought about the amount of guilt that Oppenheimer would suffer from due to creating this.
He also has moments where he cant here anything and he starts to get overwhelmed with what he had done. He also ends the film talking with Einstein by saying "We thought we'd start a chain reaction that would destroy the world." after Einstein says "what of it?" Oppenheimer simply responds "I believe we did". This suggests that he is now living with the guilt and feeling that he destroyed the world and the nuclear bomb will end the world.
Martin McDonagh and The Banshees of Inisherin
One of the films that I chose to research for my project was “The Banshees of Inisherin” (directed by Martin McDonagh). I chose this film as I love the way that he shows the loneliness throughout all the characters.
The characters “Padraic” and “Dominic” aren’t quite aware of their issues whereas the characters “Siobhan” and “Colm” are. Padraic gets concerned about Colm suffering from depression.
I also love how the character “Dominic” keeps trying to make connections with people despite no one really liking him. He eventually strikes a connection with the character “Padraic”, and the friendship becomes beneficial for both, Especially Dominic.
Another way this is shown is during the final scene, where Padraic and Colm stand on a beach together. (Earlier Colm chopped his fingers off and through them at Padraic’s door. Padraic’s pony eats one and dies.) Colm begins to soften up to Padraic. However, by now Padraic had lost everything that he held dear, and he blamed it all on Colm.
Padraic realises that by trying to salvage the friendship, he had damaged things so badly that there was no going back.
Takashi Yamazaki and Godzilla Minus One
Another film that i chose to research was Godzilla Minus one (directed by Takashi Yamazaki) and how he shows the mental health aspects through the film
One of the ways he does this is he focuses on the character Kōichi and how he lived with guilt after failing to complete his mission as a kamikaze pilot.
And how the character Noriko survives the Godzilla attack but suffers from radiation sickness. mirroring the Atomic Bombings.
Todd Philips and Joker
I also chose to research joker as i love the way Todd Philips presents Arthur Flecks mental health and how he presents Gotham to reflect it.
The Gotham Cityscape is shown with the colours such as dull greens and cold blues to emphasise the bleakness of Gotham
Todd Philips effectively captures the emotional weight of isolation and makes the audience emphasise with Arthur Fleck