Summary
- I grew up with the original series as a kid that was made in 1979, so I was familiar, and it was just easy to analyze overall because the two versions were so similar. I chose this version because I believe its one of the rare cases that it is better then the original.
Film Analysis
| Film Title | Space Battleship Yamato 2199 |
| Year | 2013 |
| Director | Yutaka Izubuchi |
| Country | Japan |
| Genre | Science Fiction |
| If you could work on this film (change it), what would you change and why? | I would have a few scenes more from the original carried over to this version. |
As you view films, consider how the cuts, camera angles, shots, and movement work to create particular meanings. Think about how they establish space, privilege certain characters, suggest relationships, and emphasize themes. In addition to shot distances, angles, editing, and camera movement, note details of the narrative, setting, characters, lighting, props, costume, tone, and sound.
Ask yourself the following questions:
| TOPIC | YOUR NOTES |
| 1. Who is the protagonist? | Kodai or Captain Okita |
| 2. Who is the antagonist? | Abelt Dessler |
| 3. What is the conflict? | Earth is attacked by the Gamilas, they have bombed the surface so much that everyone is forced to move underground. Earth then gets help from Queen Starsha of Planet Iscandar with the plans for a spaceship that can travel to Iscandar to retrieve a device capable of reviving the Earth. |
| 4. What is the theme? (summarize in one or two words)Learn more… | Growing up, Reality of War. |
| 5. How is the story told (linear, with flashbacks, flash-forwards, at regular intervals)Learn more… | Regular intervals, there are still some flashback scenes. |
| 6. What “happens” in the plot (Brief description)? | On the adventure, the Yamato is constantly attacked by the Gamilas. |
| 7. How does the film influence particular reactions on the part of viewers (sound, editing, characterization, camera movement, etc.)? Why does the film encourage such reactions? | The film uses characters to influence the reactions of the audience, by showing both sides of the war. |
| 8. Is the setting realistic or stylized? What atmosphere does the setting suggest? Do particular objects or settings serve symbolic functions?Learn more… | Definitely Stylized, The year the story takes place is 2199 and almost nothing is recognizable in the setting even Earth which now looks more like Mars in the story (picture below) YouTube Thumbnail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT3Uoo3K3aA |
| 9. How are the characters costumed and made-up? What does their clothing or makeup reveal about their social standing, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or age? How do costume and makeup convey character?Learn more… | All of the characters have unique designs, You can definitely tell what place they rank in their society just by looking at them. For example the Yamato crew uniforms are all color coordinated for what sector they operate in.  https://ourstarblazers.com/vault/696/ |
| 10. How does the lighting design shape our perception of character, space, or mood?Learn more… | The lighting is always pretty bright and shows a lot of detail in every shot, the only times the lighting changes is to create suspense. |
| 11. How do camera angles and camera movements shape our view of characters or spaces? What do you see cinematically? Learn More… | |
| 12. What is the music’s purpose in the film? How does it direct our attention within the image? How does it shape our interpretation of the image? What stands out about the music?Learn more… | the music’s purpose in this series is to convey the mood, which I think it does perfectly. The Gamilas even have their own anthem. |
| 13. How might industrial, social, and economic factors have influenced the film? Describe how this film influences or connects to a culture?Learn more… | There are a lot of war themes in the series, so there are a lot of examples of that in the series. For instance they show both opposing sides and you can actually see how similar they are. Also the Yamato ship itself is actually based off a WW2 Battleship. WW2 Yamato  https://www.amazon.com/Fascinations-Metal-Earth-Yamato-Battleship/dp/B07L51TVC4 2199 Yamato  https://www.amazon.com/Bandai-Hobby-Space-Battle-Yamato/dp/B00EOEBS5O |
| 14. Give an example of what a film critic had to say about this film. Use credible sources and cite sources | “Its few faults are enough to keep me from labeling this show as a masterpiece, but not by much. Its a criminally overlooked series and has definitely carved a place as one of my favorites.” Under the Scope (2015) “UTS Anime Review: Space Battleship Yamato 2199” Dec 7, 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBiga754d5g |
| 15. Select one scene no longer than 5 minutes that represents well the whole film and shows relevant cinematic elements. Explain why. | There is close to nothing of scenes of the series that you can find on the internet so here is a review that I found which explains the the main themes really well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBiga754d5g Watch 2:41 to 3:26 6:10 to 6:33 |
| 16. Write a sentence for each of the elements below: | |
| a. Screenwriting: | Lots of plot twists and turns to make the story interesting |
| b. Sound Design: | used the same sound effects from the original 1979 version, the sound design is perfect still. |
| c. Camera Movements: | Lots of wide angle shots, lots of panning during action scenes. |
| d. Light Setup: | Bright, colorful |
| e. Soundtrack: | Used to convey mood |
| 18. What’s the socio-cultural context of this film? Learn more… | Reality of War |
