punisher5150 said:
Soft Focus of Indy 4 intentional
Punisher, I wasn't debating whether the "soft" look was intentional or not. My main objection was regarding your thought that Spielberg decided to use "soft focus" to replicate 1950s sci-fi/saucer films. I don't know which ones you're talking about but I've seen many and can't think of any that have this look. While watching "Skull", not once did I ever think that it was filmed like a 1950s sci-fi movie (and still don't).
Spielberg's intent was to have "Crystal Skull" look like the previous 3. When Janusz Kaminski was interviewed about Indy 4 by "American Cinematographer", he even spoke about this at length but he never mentioned anything about the desire to make it look like a '50s movie.
punisher5150 said:
http://www.thatmoviesite.com/readReview.php?rId=1545
Extract from the article:
Director Steven Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski had a distinctive intent for the visuals of the film. The entire movie kind of looks like a soft focused wedding picture. There is obvious attention to light, framing and everyone is kind in an unnatural perfect formation to let you see all their faces. There is a glossy sheen over most of the scenes, as if Kaminski went through thousands of gallons of Vaseline in the making of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Even though it evokes feelings of my aunts wedding, it works to create a retro feeling, to put the audience in the fifties with Dr. Jones.
This "article" is a movie review by a blogger who is a self-professed, amateur critic. I read her entire review and it's peppered with incorrect details about the story plus misinformed statements (ex. Philip Kaufman co-wrote the script). She even dedicates a paragraph to complain about Indy's hat having too much screentime. Most importantly, of the 125+ films she has reviewed, NONE are from the '50s!
In my opinion, LaRae Meadows' clueless remarks aren't very valid.
I was wondering how & why you chose that particular piece to support your theory so I googled, 'crystal skull kaminski fifties', and her review was the top result of the search. Is that how you found it, as well, or are you a regular reader?
All that said, I think the look of "Skull" should be carried on with the (hypothetical) new film in order to keep some continuity between the two.
Túrin Turambar said:
Would be good if they had the Vietnam war involved in Indy 5 I think this is a strong idea,
I disagree. "Crystal Skull" confirms the trend that Indiana Jones movies reflect the Hollywood films of whatever era they are set in. The 1960s were definitely NOT a time when movies about the Vietnam War were fashionable and it stayed that way until 1978. Vietnam War flicks were, largely, an '80s thing.
The only fitting aspect of that war that I could see being in Indy 5 would be the anti-communist angle, which I'd like to have continued (if there ever will be a new movie). Put Dr. Jones in winter 1959, in a snowy, Chinese location and have him tool around some islands in the South China Sea. Heck, throw in Hong Kong, too, so we can have another Blumburtt-type character & British troops who save Indy at the end!