My personal favorite use of the voiceover narrator aside from the Shawshank Redemption is in Stand By Me. The narrator knows how the movie will end but the audience doesn’t, and it gives interesting insight on the characters’ actions and how they influence the protagonist throughout the film.
Great video! One thing I feel you could have mentioned is a way voice overs are sometimes used in noir. Noir in general as you know is a very fatalistic genre, and the voice overs in several of the greatest noirs - specifically double indemnity, sunset boulevard, and out of the past come to mind - greatly add to this fatalism. In double indemnity and sunset boulevard, the voice overs specifically dictate right from the beginning that this story has only one possible outcome, no matter what the protagonist does, they cannot escape their fate. In out of the past, it is more subtle, but still the narration from Mitchums character clearly shows that he is so stuck in his past that there is no hope for a future or even present for him. Maybe this is too specific for this video but I felt it was worth mentioning
Adaptation - I love the narration to this one. I enjoy Kaufman’s writing and hearing the main character’s thoughts. It add to the humor. They even address it in the film. I think you hit on the films with poor narration - Blade Runner really stands out as being really weak with voice over, stronger without.
Wings of Desire leaped to my mind when thinking of essential narration in film. The angels in the movie can fundamentally read the minds of the people they encounter on Earth and it's all expressed to the audience through narration. So you get glimpses into the thoughts of dozens of characters, everything from the mundane to the existential. It's absolutely integral to the structure of the film, and to film it without this device, would be to make a different film entirely. Also, Malick I expected to see, but The Mosquito Coast was a surprise. A compelling movie, even with its flaws and one of Ford's better performances. A deceptively interesting topic, thanks.
Excellent video as per usual! One example I like of a witness and perhaps unreliable narrator due to the time between the events depicted and the telling of the story would be in Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon.
One movie that immediately comes to mind of Voiceover Narration done poorly is David Lynch's Dune. Throughout the entire film, we are given voiceover narration in order to provide exposition or it is oftentimes redundant.
I think Casino should be mentioned. Sam's narrations are mainly about Nicky, Nicky's narrations are mainly about Sam - I loved this while I was watching it
I think the movie a river runs through it has really effective voice over. It's very poetic and the ending scene always makes me cry. I also think princess bride's voice over is very effective and brings a lot of whit. I like the voice over in forest Gump. Why? Im not sure. I just like it. The book theif has a really effective voice over. I love how the narrator is death.
I'm mostly a fan of "show - don't tell" so most of the time I don't like the narrator. One of the only times I liked the narrator was in an animated tv series _Death Note_ . Because showing the thought process of Light Yagami was vital to the story and I doubt there would be any more interesting way of showing it than just have his train of though able to listen to. Another one being from _The House That Jack Build_ but in this case the "narrator" is actually a dialogue between two characters, and the avant-garde structure of the film itself makes the narration improve the film 200%. What I really like however is the narrative chorus from ancient greek tragedies. I wish it was implemented in movies more often. Closest films got to it I think is in musicals, but not quite the same though. I wish the chorus was used in non musical films aswell.
I'm new to your Channel I saw one of your videos and then I automatically subscribed. I'm very picky when it comes to my entertainment / information viewing and you seem to check all the boxes for me. How about your take on sequels and why usually the first film is way better than the second. As in the original Tron and then the second Tron. Original Tron super underrated I believe as far as science-fiction goes and the second one was such a let-down and so much time in between
welcome. I hope you get as much out of the channel as possible. In truth I liked Tron: Legacy just for its look -- it was a weird black-and-white movie, not quite b&w but nearly so in a good portion of the movie. It's a good video suggestion, and really a ranked list of sequels better than their originals would be interesting though short!
Molly’s Game deserves the award for the worst use of narration in the past 20 years. I think it probably took up 95% of the film and was completely useless most of the time
@@LearningaboutMovies Aaron Sorkin really outdid himself on the talky dialogue for Molly’s Game. But a narration I loved was in “The Haunting” from 1963. It really adds to the creepy atmosphere and puts you in the mind of the main character without being too obnoxious about it
My personal favorite use of the voiceover narrator aside from the Shawshank Redemption is in Stand By Me. The narrator knows how the movie will end but the audience doesn’t, and it gives interesting insight on the characters’ actions and how they influence the protagonist throughout the film.
Great video! One thing I feel you could have mentioned is a way voice overs are sometimes used in noir. Noir in general as you know is a very fatalistic genre, and the voice overs in several of the greatest noirs - specifically double indemnity, sunset boulevard, and out of the past come to mind - greatly add to this fatalism. In double indemnity and sunset boulevard, the voice overs specifically dictate right from the beginning that this story has only one possible outcome, no matter what the protagonist does, they cannot escape their fate. In out of the past, it is more subtle, but still the narration from Mitchums character clearly shows that he is so stuck in his past that there is no hope for a future or even present for him. Maybe this is too specific for this video but I felt it was worth mentioning
thank you. great topic -- voiceovers in noir. and yes, more, much more, could be specifically said about that! your comment is a good start.
Adaptation - I love the narration to this one. I enjoy Kaufman’s writing and hearing the main character’s thoughts. It add to the humor. They even address it in the film.
I think you hit on the films with poor narration - Blade Runner really stands out as being really weak with voice over, stronger without.
yes, we should look at Adaptation closely on this channel. thank you.
Wings of Desire leaped to my mind when thinking of essential narration in film. The angels in the movie can fundamentally read the minds of the people they encounter on Earth and it's all expressed to the audience through narration. So you get glimpses into the thoughts of dozens of characters, everything from the mundane to the existential. It's absolutely integral to the structure of the film, and to film it without this device, would be to make a different film entirely.
Also, Malick I expected to see, but The Mosquito Coast was a surprise. A compelling movie, even with its flaws and one of Ford's better performances.
A deceptively interesting topic, thanks.
you're welcome. Mosquito Coast is underrated and still is relevant. A gem from the 80s.
Excellent video as per usual! One example I like of a witness and perhaps unreliable narrator due to the time between the events depicted and the telling of the story would be in Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon.
thank you.
apocalypse now has a great first narrator
I forget that one. will have to watch again for it. thanks!
One movie that immediately comes to mind of Voiceover Narration done poorly is David Lynch's Dune. Throughout the entire film, we are given voiceover narration in order to provide exposition or it is oftentimes redundant.
I need to rewatch that to prep for the new one. thanks, good thought.
I think Casino should be mentioned. Sam's narrations are mainly about Nicky, Nicky's narrations are mainly about Sam - I loved this while I was watching it
haven't seen that in over 20 years. Good tip -- I'll check it out again.
I think the movie a river runs through it has really effective voice over. It's very poetic and the ending scene always makes me cry.
I also think princess bride's voice over is very effective and brings a lot of whit.
I like the voice over in forest Gump. Why? Im not sure. I just like it.
The book theif has a really effective voice over. I love how the narrator is death.
Another great video! I think one of my favorites is Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
thank you.
I'm mostly a fan of "show - don't tell" so most of the time I don't like the narrator. One of the only times I liked the narrator was in an animated tv series _Death Note_ . Because showing the thought process of Light Yagami was vital to the story and I doubt there would be any more interesting way of showing it than just have his train of though able to listen to.
Another one being from _The House That Jack Build_ but in this case the "narrator" is actually a dialogue between two characters, and the avant-garde structure of the film itself makes the narration improve the film 200%.
What I really like however is the narrative chorus from ancient greek tragedies. I wish it was implemented in movies more often. Closest films got to it I think is in musicals, but not quite the same though. I wish the chorus was used in non musical films aswell.
you have me trying to recall when movies use a Chorus. It's exceedingly rare. I think the Coens Brothers had one in one of their movies, briefly.
Ramy Malik in Mr robot
I'm new to your Channel I saw one of your videos and then I automatically subscribed. I'm very picky when it comes to my entertainment / information viewing and you seem to check all the boxes for me. How about your take on sequels and why usually the first film is way better than the second. As in the original Tron and then the second Tron. Original Tron super underrated I believe as far as science-fiction goes and the second one was such a let-down and so much time in between
welcome. I hope you get as much out of the channel as possible. In truth I liked Tron: Legacy just for its look -- it was a weird black-and-white movie, not quite b&w but nearly so in a good portion of the movie.
It's a good video suggestion, and really a ranked list of sequels better than their originals would be interesting though short!
Molly’s Game deserves the award for the worst use of narration in the past 20 years. I think it probably took up 95% of the film and was completely useless most of the time
helpful, thank you. I haven't seen it and yet I can picture such a flaw.
@@LearningaboutMovies Aaron Sorkin really outdid himself on the talky dialogue for Molly’s Game.
But a narration I loved was in “The Haunting” from 1963. It really adds to the creepy atmosphere and puts you in the mind of the main character without being too obnoxious about it
Would love to see you on clubhouse to have group conversation without you
do I need to set that up, or can anybody set it up?
@@LearningaboutMovies anybody can make a room and make u the moderator