I am reimagine the film Brooklyn changing the setting characters plot and feel the film is now set in 1954 on the island Majuro in the Marshall Islands during the US military's Hydrogen Bomb test on the bikini atoll . the character of Ellis is now Jonathan Richeson a US Army nuclear scientist who is sent to the island of Majuro the largest population center on all of the islands. to monitor the nuclear radiation levels on the island and on the surrounding reefs. while working on the islands he meets Mary Loeak the reimagined Toney who is now a hotel maid who works at the hotel Jonathan is staying at. the two fell in love and Jonathan begins to feel a scene of community and belonging with the locals. but he knows that under the sulfas of this island paradise is every looming presents of the nuclear fallout that is slowly killing Mary and her family and when the Radiation levels get to high Jonathan is forced to leave to the safety of America.
One of the main reasons I wanted to set it in the south pacific during the 1950s atomic tests is due to the beauty and underlying danger of the environment. It makes the setting become a character in its own as the new location is killing the characters and bring them together at the same time
I renamed it from Brooklyn to Half-Life. The name Half Life comes from the scientific term for the lasting effects of nuclear radiation. which is what the main character Jonotherns is doing on the island testing to see how long the radiation lasts. it also takes on a more literal meaning as the radiation is killing Mary leading to her life being cut short and her only having Half of her life lived.
Johnerten is a US nuclear scientist he is relocated to the Marshall Islands from his hometown of Syracuse in upstate New York. Syracuse is a remote landlocked city in upstate New York with cold snowy winters it is the complete opposite to the tropical Marshall Islands. I felt Syracuse was the perfect choice as it not a major US city but is believable that an average American would be from there.
The Island of Marshall Islands an island chain in the Pacific Ocean and was a US territory from 1947 to 1979 in that time of being a US territory it was host to US nuclear tests and stationed US scientists and US military personnel.
Locations
Miller station is a US army research center on the island of Majuro set up to monitor the effect of Nuclear radiation on the island's population and environment. a concrete building with a massive radio antenna on the roof. interior white walls with brown wooden desks and chairs with a black and white checkered floor with fans spinning on the roofs
Miller station scene - day - Colonel's office
The scene in millers Station is where Johnerten meets colonel De Sanita in his office we see the colonel sitting at his desk we get a very limited view on the coronals face when every he is in frame it's either a close up shot on his sunglasses or an over the shoulder shot. Johnerten sits very awkwardly in his chair he is separated from the cornels desk by about 6 meters showing a sense of disconnect and superiority bye the Cornel over Johnerten .
Mary's family home is an average Marchel Island home on the outskirts of Majuro. it lies near the water covered in palm trees with a flax roofed veranda with a green-painted wooden table with a floral sheet wrapped over the table. that sits outside the house where the family has dinner every night
Dinner scene -Dinner table under a flax Gisbo -sunset
The dinner scene is the first time Jonathan meets Mary's family for the first time. Just like in Brooklyn their is tension between marys family and Jonathan but instead of it being over race it's about the US testing on the island . as Marys father and brother disapprove over the US Nuclear tests on the island . I felt that making the conflict more about the test then race would make it more personal as Jonathan is partially responsible for the test and knows information about them wich not even mary knows . he feels guilty as he knows the impact they are doing to the people who he feels so at home with now.
Instead of the dinner scene being is side at a traditional dining table set up . I wanted to show off the beauty of the island by having it outside under a Flaxed roof Gisbo so that we can see the sunset and the waves crash against the sea wall making the location come alive and giving a physicality to the world .
Characters
Jonathan is my reimaging of Ellis. Jonathan is a US Military atomic scientist who is sent to marshall island to study and report the effects of radioactive fallout on the natural environment and on the island's Population.
Jonathan is an intelligent but shy early twenties guy who never really was able to fit in america but finds a sense of community and love from Mary .
I chose American actor Troy Donahue due to his stereotypical 1950s American appearance but also due to his eyes I they look both confident and sad at the same time I feel that his face can convey both charming shyness and sadness.
Mary Loeak is my remaking of Tony .mary is an early twenties hotel maid who works at the Coral View Hotel on her home island of Majuro where she lives with her family.
Mary is a full-of-life girl who deeply loves both her family and community loings for more in life in which she finds in Jonerthon . she sees herself in him as they both despite being well respected among their communities but still feel discounted and lonely .
I choose Poyinsian actress Tarita Teriipaia due to her beauty and charismatic personality
The wardrobe need the reflect both 1950s US military uniforms and both 1950s American casual clothings. In the office scene he where's a Standard 1950s US army specialist formal uniform when at the base. The grey uniform is distinct from the army green and navy white signifying him as a scientist
But off duty he wears a causal american 50s outfit suited for the island environment be begnis to wear his Casual outfit more and more as he begins to feel more at home and free on the island
Mary wears a traditional Polynesian lava lavas or muumuus dress a cotton dress with a floral pattern.
Her bright and vibrant pattern contrasts with Jonertons dark grey military uniform when they first meet but when she gets closer to Jonerton he matches her vivacity and color in clothing.
The leather suitcase has a built in Geiger counter to measure radioactivity and radiation while on the island without arousing suspicion the counter's constant ticks is a source of anxiety and danger as it signifies the radiation that lengers from the actions from Jonathan's actions
The dish that is served at the dinner between Jonathan and mary's parents is a traditional marchel island dish served on a leaf plate made up of Chicken, fish, pork, bread - fruit, rice, coconut, banana bread, bananas, papayas. The prop adds to the setting giving a culuterly look into the marshall islands
For my Remagen film I wanted to go for a more formal realism style using natural colors and realistic dialogue but filled with a more stylistic camera angle a with very stilted shots . the camera never moves around the screen with every shot a painting.
The camera is pulled back in most shot to show distance from the audience and the characters but it also is a key in the theme of memory and nostalgia as Jonathan is looking back on his memories of his time on the island. the space between the camera and the characters creates a sense of loneliness and beauty as the audience can truly see the island's beauty.
Color palate
The color pallet of the film is made up of mostly natural and warm colors with bright blues, yellows, and oranges in the evenings. the claiming and natural colors contrast with the underlying danger and death from the nuclear fallout.
The light baby blue is prevalent throughout all of the films due to it being the color of the ocean which is in almost every shot showing purity Vitality and innocence which opposes the invisible danger of the radiation in the clear water and the innocence of Of Mary who is unaware of the threat of the nuclear test
The warm orange and yellow show warmth and comfort the yellow represents innocence while the orange memory and nostalgia as the story is all being remembered from Jonathan's Memory
Pacification 2022 film
One of the biggest infuses for my reimaging was the 2022 French film Pacification. the film is about is more about losing touch with a community and being stuck in a almost purgatory when your time is almost up . the colors and environment is in the film shows decay and neglect showing the last hours of light on a dying empire . as you have noticed I have used a lot of Images from Pacification on my mood board as I had seen screenshot on the internet Which I Used in early drafts of the mood board .
Artwork of Hisao Kawada
The artwork of Japanese artist Hisao Kawada was a major influence on the color and environment of the film. His almost dreamlike interpretation of a beautiful island paradise mixture of vibrant blues mixed with the often darkened green palm trees creates a beautiful environment for the world of the film. that serves narrative as the beauty classes with every looming preset of impending death and destruction from the nuke tests.
References
Davies, H. (2022, February 9). What does each color mean in cinema? Domestika. https://www.domestika.org/en/blog/2810-what-does-each-color-mean-in-cinema
Bradshaw, P. (2023, April 20). Pacification review – trouble in paradise, in apocalyptic Tahitian mystery. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/may/26/pacifiction-review-trouble-in-paradise-in-apocalyptic-tahitian-mystery
Wikipedia contributors. (2024, January 10). Lavalava. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavalava
Wikipedia contributors. (2024b, May 22). Marshall Islands. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Islands
Travel2change. (2019, January 7). Let’s Talk Marshallese Foods and Crafts. Travel2change. https://travel2change.org/2018/09/30/lets-talk-marshallese-foods-and-crafts/
Wikipedia contributors. (2024b, March 27). Nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_testing_at_Bikini_Atoll