{"id":85567,"date":"2022-11-30T07:22:12","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T13:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=85567"},"modified":"2022-11-30T07:36:32","modified_gmt":"2022-11-30T13:36:32","slug":"visual-homage-cinema","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/visual-homage-cinema\/","title":{"rendered":"Visual Homage in Cinema"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Learn how to draw inspiration from the history of cinema while putting your viewing habits to use through the art of homage.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The cinematic machine stays alive by cultivating an ongoing sense of self-awareness<\/strong> and self-reference.<\/strong> Let’s explore the art of homage.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Homage?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/vimeo.com\/179185586\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

American Horror Story<\/a> via 20th Century Fox<\/a> and Stephen Coll<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An homage is an imitation of another work. At first glance, it may seem like an homage is a rip-off or a lesser copy, but it actually pays tribute to and honors the source work. Homage is a great way to use other filmmakers’ styles and content to crystallize your unique voice<\/strong> as a filmmaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even the smallest visual homage<\/strong> can point to a larger cinematic tradition and connect to your developing interests as a filmmaker. Consider the movie, Breathless<\/a> <\/em>(below via Criterion<\/em><\/a>), when Jean-Paul Belmondo’s<\/a> character, Michel, imitates the mannerisms of Humphrey Bogart<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Visual<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The character within the film announces the homage,<\/strong> but, ultimately, this is Jean-Luc Godard<\/a>, the cinephile <\/a>director, paying tribute to the idea of Humphrey Bogart as a cinematic icon<\/strong> while also pointing, with homage,<\/strong> to the film noir ancestry<\/strong> and influence that run through Breathless<\/em>. It sounds more complex than it feels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Godard<\/a> is an excellent example of an international director who constantly points back to the medium with a mixture of love and criticism. Godard would continue to draw inspiration from American cinema while also influencing American cinematic style. A symbiotic system of mutual homage.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

International Connections<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Visual<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

International films and filmmakers can be excellent sources of inspiration and influence your own work as a creator. Jim Jarmusch is an American director who has developed a unique cinematic style while forever paying homage to his cinematic influences. A great example of Jarmusch’s use of homage can be seen in his 1999 film Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai<\/a><\/em>, which is a direc<\/strong>t homage<\/strong> to Jean <\/a>Pierre-Melville’s 1967 film, Le Samoura\u00ef<\/a>,<\/em> (above, via Criterion<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jarmusch <\/a>pays homage to Le Samoura\u00ef<\/a><\/em> by using a similar hitman main character and story structure for his film Ghost Dog<\/em>. If you watch the films, you can easily find individual scenes, such as the theft of a car, that mirror one another almost exactly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Visual<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Le Samoura\u00ef<\/a> isn’t<\/em> the only film that influenced Ghost Dog<\/em>. The Japanese hitman film, Branded to Kill<\/a><\/em> (above, via Criterion<\/a>) is another key source. Once again, the two films share a similar main character, but the more interesting and fun connections between the two films can be spotted in specific scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Visual<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At a critical moment in each film, the main character is about to act as a sniper<\/a> \u2014 until something lands on the tip of the rifle and stops the murder. It’s a bird<\/strong> in Ghost Dog<\/em> and a butterfly<\/strong> in Branded to Kill.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai<\/a><\/em> (above, via Lionsgate) <\/em>owes a debt to samurai cinema<\/a> in general and nods to the samurai code<\/strong> with frequent readings from the Hagakure<\/a><\/em>. The idea of blending various influences has been a key strategy for many up-and-coming filmmakers, and George Lucas<\/a>, an admirer of samurai cinema, is no stranger to this technique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Visual<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lucas has pointed to The Hidden Fortress<\/a> <\/em>(above, via Criterion<\/a>) as a key reference point in devising the narrative structure <\/a>and characters for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope<\/a><\/em>. The art of homage<\/strong> has carried on throughout the many Star Wars<\/a><\/em> films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Visual<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story<\/a> <\/em>(above, via Disney<\/a>) continues the tradition of drawing from samurai films<\/strong> through imagery, costuming, and even direct character references to older samurai films. Chirrut \u00cemwe, the blind warrior, performed by Donnie Yen, is a curt nod to Zatoichi<\/a><\/em> (below, via Criterion<\/a>), the blind sword master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Visual<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Quentin Tarantino<\/a> is another director whose extensive knowledge of international film history<\/strong> has served him well throughout his career. It’s hard to watch a Tarantino film without seeing traces, large and small, of his cinematic taste and inspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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