Watching Michael Mann movies from the beginning of class until now, it’s clear just how much Mann has changed his filmmaking. In the 80’s Mann had a formal extravagance to his films. We had the high action films, the historical films and now the digital style. I think the change in direction was essential for Mann to adapt a new style in the 21st century. It’s a changing time and rather than be left behind he had to step up and to his credit he did. Movie budgets I believe also played a role because films were being made at an even higher amount of money than before. It seemed like Hollywood was interested in this new innovation of style. The three films he used digital for were Miami Vice, Collateral, and Public Enemies. When he transitioned the digital style to these films I was a bit apprehensive at first because I wasn’t sure it would work. I mean why change what has worked so well for years. Thankfully the theme and genre of his films didn’t change at all. The shots were much faster and the three films, with the exception of Public Enemies, were shorter in length.…show more content… Because of that the movie was grainy and had very little light because of it being filmed on roads and highways. A majority of the action was inside of a yellow taxicab. So right away it looks nothing like anything he’s done before on film. Instead it embraces the technology rather than effacing them. The way it’s shot with the LA skyline behind them and with the view of the city, it seems like it’s both natural and surreal, a glow. Ultimately Mann is convinced digital is not a replacement for analog film, but rather a different set of tools. He owns this new aesthetic movement the only way he
