From normal 2D screening to an improvised technology, 3D films came in during the 1920s. Yes, it is shocking to know that the first full length feature 3D film ever made was in the year 1922 directed by Nat G. Deverich and Harry K. Fairall titled ‘The power of love’. It was a silent film and did not do good business back then.
But the technology developed and we had many path breaking films like Bwana Devil, House of Wax and more during the 1950s which was the golden period for 3D films. This technology was invented to show depth onscreen and to make the audience get thoroughly involved in the film. Now, this made me wonder about the original purpose behind using this technology in today’s films.
Currently, two 3D films that are seeing good business in the Indian movie market is ABCD 2 and in the international market it is Jurassic World. While I enjoyed the 3D projection in the former, I was completely annoyed wearing the 3D glasses for the latter. ABCD 2 is an out and out dance based movie directed by Remo D'Souza starring Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor and Prabhu Deva in the lead roles. This movie was a sumptuous feast for hip-hop lovers and was a brilliant respite from mundane romantic love stories.
3D used in this film was to give a unique experience in terms for displaying dance moves. The title credits quite literally made adequate use of 3D and especially for one particular dance move. It was engaging and I literally felt like getting up and dancing along with them. With an exorbitant production value and appealing movements, the film was definitely worth the 3D screening. The dance moves were spilt throughout the movie and 3 dimensional viewing of those moves in equal parts gave an all time high. Cameraman Vijay Arora must be applauded for making the viewers not just view the dance but also feel the moves.
However, Jurassic World, being such a predictable movie definitely scored well for its engaging value throughout but lacked the ‘dinosaur’ feel. In a Jurassic world movie one would expect to see dinosaurs even in real life where the suspense and chase scenes would be ever resounding. Somehow, I felt, the movie did not do justice for 3D technology. As a 3D movie, I definitely expected the dinosaurs to swag away its tail on my face; I did want the lead characters to run into my face; I was wanting to see the luxurious Jurassic world in a more luscious fashion; And I was surely hoping to see the dinosaurs, Apatosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Mosasaurus and all of the other ‘saurus’ in an extravagant, touch-and-feel kind of a manner. Unfortunately all that never happened.
I would have enjoyed it had it been just a 2D film. That’s the kick about 3D films, it’s either really good or it is unnecessary. While films travel beyond the four corners and touch our hearts through its story and screenplay, it is also important to create the same technical magic, given that a 3D film can quite literally transform itself from on screen and create a realistic impact. Don’t you agree?
