First off is Twelve O'Clock High. It's a WWII film from 1949 starring Gregory Peck about a General that is put in charge of reinvigorating an American bomber squadron to get better results. The first thing that struck me that I haven't quite appreciated before... Is how gorgeous black and white film is. There's always such rich values being used, because rather than relying on colour, they must use straight greyscale tones to achieve contrast to separate elements. It's beautiful. The second thing about this movie was the story itself. [Spoiler alert. That's right - spoilers on a 60+ year old film] Basically, this General relieves the old commander because he was growing too close to his men, and restructures the squadron to make all the pilots and crew push through their combat fatigue and deliver results. He goes in and is hated by the men, but things start turning around. Eventually, though, after a while and some casualties, the General starts to fall into the same rut as the old commander. And eventually he himself, the icon of capability and perseverance, falls to combat fatigue, and he breaks down, not being physically or mentally able to get into his bomber to lead his men into battle on an important mission. And while his men are gone without him, he sat in frozen silence, not doing anything. When they returned, he went to bed. And that's pretty much where the movie ends. It was so wonderfully depressing, and not the type of 'yee-haw Americans win the war and are totally capable of anything' that I expected from an old war movie. Instead, it was about a General who cared about the effort and his men becoming so overworked and exposed to stress that he lost his ability to function. So incredibly sad. I loved it. It's the kind of movie you just wouldn't see today, at all. There was no focus on combat or hardcore personal drama. It was a story about a man and those he led, and how war doesn't take any prisoners. Like a lot of movies, it wore its heart on its sleeve, and had an earnest and honest approach. It was a breath of fresh air.
The best part? I watched this movie on a complete whim. Two years ago, I came on a picture of Gregory Peck in costume for the role, and made the above drawing for it (speaking of which, I need to try that style out again - I like how it looks). I later found out what movie it was from, downloaded it, and... Promptly sat on it until the other night where I figured I'd watch something short and brainless. It was completely the opposite, and I was so pleasantly surprised.
Over the last couple few days, I played through Limbo. It's a sidescroller/platformer, that's presented in this wonderful black-and-white aesthetic where your character is always silhouetted with the rest of the plane it's present it, perfectly blending in with the ground and other objects. Blurring and other tones of grey add some more visual depth (foregrounds/mid-grounds/backgrounds) that your character doesn't really interact with, but is used to an alarming effect. The game just oozes atmosphere. Visually of course, but also the sound is so crisp and adds such a fantastic layer of depth to the environments. Gameplay wise, you have left, right, jump, and push/pull. That's it. There's no real combat - it's all using these few simple gameplay mechanics to solve puzzles. Some wonderfully brain-twisting ones, too, where you really have to pay close attention to your surroundings and think about things in a non-standard way than how you'd normally perceive puzzle platforming. There's no solid story, really - and the way it ended kind of left me puzzled, because it felt like there was so little context. But the presentation and environments, combined with how your character appears and the settings he finds himself in... Is enough to keep your brain ticking a bit. Maybe not in terms of plot or character development, but more along conceptual terms. "Who is this boy?" "Why a boy?" "Where do these big structures and contraptions come from?" "Where am I going?" Etc, etc. Yeah, on one hand it feels like "I'm TOTALLY clueless about what's going on here", but on the other hand, it feels like you're meant to fill in that gap by yourself, and there's some satisfaction in that uncertainty.
If anyone ever says that games are not/can not be art, show them Limbo. Because it certainly has that feel, where it has something to say and it's presenting it in a way that... The video game is the right medium to do it in. Like choosing sculpture or painting to communicate - it's what works best to deliver the creative expression of the craftsman. And above all... It makes you feel, and it makes you think. It fills you with a sense of awe and investment in the piece. It's an incredible experience.
-Cril
I don't ever care to rise to power
I would rather be with you an hour
For the things that one can buy
Are not worth a lover's sigh
I don't want to set the world on fire
I just want to start a flame in your heart
In my heart I have but one desire
And that one is you, no other will do
I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim
I just want to be the one you love
And with your admission that you feel the same
I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of, believe me
I don't want to set the world on fire
I just want to start a flame in your heart
Vera Lynn - I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire
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