A movie is an image which has a historical background. Also, a movie is an art speaking for culture. Therefore, we can learn about the culture and art through buildings in movies.
The movie “Marie-Antoinette” started as Marie-Antoinette moved into the Versailles Palace after she married Louis 16th. The era in this movie is the Rococo. However, the representative architecture of the movie is the Versailles Palace, which is the Baroque style formed by Louis 14th. Therefore, you can see both styles in the movie. The Rococo style has more humanity than the Baroque, and it is the main difference. Red curtains make a gorgeous contrast with decorated gold foil, and the furniture is huge and heavy in the Baroque. The Rococo gives a comfortable feeling through the proportion of the human body. This movie shows the typical elegance of France.
The next movie is “Arrogance & Prejudice,” which shows the Empire style of England. The Empire style was originated by Napoleon in France. It emphasizes magnificence, showy patterns and an army camp style to promote the authority of the king. However, the Empire style of England is lighter than France, and there is no army camp style. Using marble and gold foil makes houses more graceful. Also, classical factors are applied in houses harmoniously. For example, in this movie, a salon has a column which is Greco-Roman style, and it makes the building more deluxe.
Lastly, let’s look at the Japanese architecture in the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha.” In this movie, you can see traditional wooden buildings. The floors of the buildings are built high off the ground because of the moist climate. Using the best wood protects against earthquakes. In the movie, the heroine goes to a house to participate in a cherry blossom party. The rooms of the mansion are divided with sliding doors, not walls. This is due to the climate. Conversely, it does not provide privacy for each room. Also, traditional Japanese houses always have a Japanese floor mat, “Da-Da-Mi,” which is effective for keeping warm and moisture-proofing. Nowadays, Japanese use the Japanese floor mat, and they use the mat for surveying room size.
Walter Gropius, who found the Bauhaus school of design said, “The most synthetic art is architecture.” How wonderful it is that we can appreciate the best art through movies!