Cloverfield: A Shaky Future
By mnandipa
I could have forgiven the trite plot. I could have even forgiven the “Oh my god! Oh my god!” that the characters scream every other second. But with all the nausea, the vomit, and the otherwise dizzy feelings I was forced to endure, I cannot forgive Cloverfield.
The story revolves Rob, a denizen of New York City who just accepted a job position in Japan. But during Rob's farewell's party, a gigantic monster invades New York and Rob and his friends must leave the city to survive. A basic thriller, right? Not really. The entire movie is recorded by one of Rob's friends, Hud, using a handheld camcorder. The director believed that this type of filming would immerse you into the thick of the action, making you feel like you are actually in New York battling a Godzilla-like monster. So when Hud runs with the camcorder, the image on the screen is also moving all over the place. Even when Hud stands still, his unprofessional and nervous hands lend a characteristic shakiness to the whole affair.
The only relief from the unstable filming comes once when the camcorder is resting on the ground. Unfortunately, that scene doesn’t last too long.
I should have heeded the multiple warnings I received before I even entered the theater. Upon entering the mall, I saw one of my friends, clutching his stomach and gripping a crushed foam glass. He cautioned me, but I refused to listen. Then, when I bought my movie tickets, the cashier informed me that many viewers had experienced intense vertigo after the movie. Still, I felt that I came to the mall to watch a movie, and Cloverfield was the only movie playing at the time, so I thought I would tough it out.
Bad idea. Throughout the movie, I frequently found myself squinting to prevent the shaky camerawork from overwhelming my mind. Even the bloodier and more grotesque scenes did not affect me as much as the shakiness did. I wanted to watch a movie for entertainment, not for puking. I know of easier ways to get sick, and each method is a fraction of the cost of a $10 movie ticket.
There was a deeper (and deeply regrettable) reason why the director used the shaky cinematography. “Cloverfield very much speaks to the fear and anxieties of our time, how we live our lives. Constantly documenting things and putting them up on YouTube, sending people videos through e-mail – we felt it was very applicable to the way people feel now," director Matt Reeves explains. The shakiness is a tribute to the way many people watch videos: on the Internet. Yet what the director does not understand is that most YouTube videos are not very shaky and do not make people sick. And the few wobbly YouTube videos are not purposely made shaky; it is an unfortunate consequence of shooting with a handheld camcorder. Why, then, use the worst aspect of homemade videos in a professional movie?
Many movie critics such as Jones Mast, Demeng Zhangchai, and Ryan Stewart, use two words to positively describe Cloverfield: roller coaster. Well, if you want to ride a roller coaster, don’t make the trip to Busch Gardens: Cloverfield is playing at your local theater. At least for the next couple of weeks or so. But then you could get it on DVD and have a roller coaster right at home.
Despite many people’s gripes, Cloverfield was undoubtedly a successful release. During its opening weekend, the movie grossed over $40 million and became the most successful January release of all time. Now, I am beginning to fear what Cloverfield may do to the future of film. Will the directors of the future add shakiness to their films to appeal to the younger generations? Suddenly, I realize that the shaky filming has already diseased our American movies (The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum are the first that come to mind). Soon, all action movies will be nausea-inducing.
Maybe this new trend will not be so bad after all. Hey, Hollywood, watch the shaky videos I filmed at home. My natural talent is up for sale.
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