FILMS

AH BOYS TO MEN

Directors: Jack Neo

Production Company: mm2 Entertainment

Release Date: 6 November 2012

Genre: Comedy

The army-themed film 'Ah Boys to Men' revolves around a group of army recruites in the National Service in Singapore. Narrated by the main actor, he brings the audience for an experience through a funny and memorable rite of passage in National Service. The film takes place on location in Tekong Island where a military camp is located off shore Singapore (Wikipedia, 2015). The obvious use of CGI effects and sound effects makes the audience feel a sense of loss as a depicted war goes on, on local sand (Don't worry, be happy., 2013). The cast of the movie were able to engage the audience through the cleverly slotted local SIngaporean inside jokes and especially a Hokkien (chinese dialect) jokes that only Singaporeans would understand. The mise-en-scene of this film includes real props such as military guns, tanks and smoke grenades familiar to every man who have experienced National Service. The men were clothed in Singapore's military uniform and acted out their roles perfectly whether a seargent or a an ordinary army enlistee.

References

Wikipedia, (2015). Ah Boys to Men. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ah_Boys_to_Men [Accessed 21 Dec. 2014].

Don't worry, be happy., (2013). Ah Boys to Men - Review and post-movie thoughts. [online] Available at: https://yummybearbear.wordpress.com/2013/02/09/ah-boys-to-men-review-and-post-movie-thoughts/ [Accessed 25 Dec. 2014].

GURUSHETRAM

Director: T.T. Dhavamani

Production Company: Blue River Pictures

Release Date: 8 April 2010

Genre: Thriller, Drama

Set in contemporary Singapore, Gurushetram tells us a story about a 17 year old teenager, Prakash who goes through the trials and tribulation of evading the dangerous life in the underworld. Brought up in a working class Singaporean Tamil family, with gangsters at his doorstep and parents who were drug addicts, Prakash struggles to hold his family together (Gurushetram.com, 2015). This edge-of-your-seat thriller brings the audience to see what's really happening in the under world and the consequences of messing around with Singapore's law. Gurushetram, breaks the assumption that Singapore is a problem free community thriving in a prosperous nation. The acting by Prakash was really emotive and powerful, it perfectly portrays the role of Prakash in the movie (Irritable but Irresistible, 2010). The mise-en-scene includes high-key lighting portraying the emotions of the actors. The film was set on location around the streets of Singapore and most actions took place within the four walls. The casts fitted in their roles perfectly with their traditional costumes and the use of traditional indian rituals.

References

Gurushetram.com, (2015). Gurushetram - 24 Hours of Anger. [online] Available at: http://www.gurushetram.com/ [Accessed 20 Dec. 2014].

Irritable but Irresistible, (2010). Gurushetram, 24 Hours of Anger - Review. [online] Available at: https://dubiousentity.wordpress.com/2010/04/14/gurushetram-24-hours-of-anger-review/ [Accessed 19 Dec. 2014].

PENAREK BECA

Directors: P. Ramlee

Production Company: Malay Film Productions

Release Date: 25 October 1955

Genre: Romance/Drama

This melodramatic film portrays the life of Amran (P.Ramlee) , a poor trishaw puller who falls in love with Azizah, daughter of a rich man who disapproves of their relationship (Ms.wikipedia.org, 2015). The film goes on to share the moral of how rich and poor people are no different. Penarek Becha addresses the issue arising from a common occurence in the malay society then; where the rich people look down upon the poor people. Filmed in black and white without special effects and cuttings, the film has a chronological flow. The movie had a dark shadow setting, most likely due to the to the inadvanvement of videography equipment in 1955. Loud stormy sound and light effects were used to portray the film scenes as the films were produced in black and white then. The set takes place within the malay villages, a familiar sight to the locals in the 50s (BECA, 2008).

References

BECA, T. (2008). Anak Wayang: THE TRUTH ABOUT P. RAMLEE'S PENARIK BECA. [online] Sayaanakwayang.blogspot.sg. Available at: http://sayaanakwayang.blogspot.sg/2008/08/truth-about-p-ramlees-penarik-beca.html [Accessed 20 Dec. 2014].

Ms.wikipedia.org, (2015). Penarek Becha. [online] Available at: http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penarek_Becha [Accessed 24 Dec. 2014].