Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a fictional action-adventure
film. The story focuses on Milo Thatcher who, with a team of experts, embark on
an expedition to find the lost world of Atlantis.
Narration of the film
The film begins with a series of events detailing what
happened to Atlantis during ancient times.
Fast forward to 1914 in Washington D.C., in a museum, the
story then focuses on Milo, a young man who is intent on embarking on an
expedition to Atlantis. He is presenting to an audience about his proposal,
detailing all the research he has made and how the purpose of his expedition is
to bring Atlantis' source of energy to the surface so it can be used by
mankind. A telephone call then reveals that he is actually working as a boiler
room operator for the museum. It is then revealed that the audience is fake and
Milo is practicing in preparation for his presentation on his proposal to the
people who would provide him with funding for his expedition. Unfortunately, he
realizes that they had deliberately changed the time of the presentation
without his knowledge as an excuse to not listen to him, claiming that his
expedition is useless as they believe Atlantis did not exist and is only a
legend. Desperate, Milo declares that he will quit if they do not fund his
expedition, but is only met with ridicule.
Dejected, Milo returns home only to find a mysterious woman
waiting for him. She introduces herself as Helga Sinclair, and tells Milo that
she is representing her "employer", with a proposal that may interest
him. Puzzled, Milo asks who her employer is, and Helga then takes him to a
mansion where she then tells him to act decently and "keep his sentences
short and to the point", before leaving him.
He then is greeted by Mr. Whitmore, who is revealed to be a
close friend of Milo's late grandfather. He tells Milo that he and Milo's
grandfather had a bet that if he could find the journal that holds the key in
finding Atlantis, Whitmore would fund the expedition. Unfortunately, Milo's
grandfather died before they could begin the expedition, so Mr. Whitmore passed
on the journal to Milo, who is an expert on ancient and dead languages and is a
key member of the expedition.
He then embarks on a ship heading to Iceland, and is
introduced to the expedition crew, and is introduced to Rourke, who would be
leading the expedition. They then submerge into the ocean using the submarine
that was already provided by Mr. Whitmore. Inside the submarine, Milo is then
further introduced to the rest of the crew.
After a series of events, Milo and the expedition finally
managed to discover Atlantis, and is introduced to some of the natives. The
leader of the clan is revealed to be the princess of the kingdom named Kida,
who tells Milo that their civilization is as good as lost if they could not
recover their past. Due to Milo's expertise in Atlantian language, he is able
to decipher the secrets of the lost world and help restore Atlantis to its former glory.
Mise-en-scene
Costume
There are two significant types of costumes that are
employed in this film. The first are the costumes worn by the expedition crew
and the beginning of the film; these are costumes that reflect on what is worn
by society in 1914. The costumes also signify the characters' roles in the
expedition; Rourke, for example, is dressed similar to an army general in the
beginning -- this signals to the viewer that he is the leader of the expedition
to Atlantis.
The second type are the costumes worn by the people of
Atlantis. In the beginning the people wear costumes that signify that they may
be a highly advanced civilization. However, in the events leading to the
discovery of Atlantis, the people are seen wearing costumes that reflect more
on an indigenous, native society. This provides a significant contrast between
them and the expedition crew, in the sense that their roles within the society
are somewhat reversed due to the change of time.
Lighting
The lighting in the beginning of the film is light to
briefly reflect on a "sunny" setting. This is perhaps to clearly
depict the setting. Towards the end, however, the lighting is mostly dark to,
again, establish the setting -- Mr. Whitmore's mansion and the bottom of the
ocean are examples of these, as well as the submerged path that leads to
Atlantis.
The colors used in the film are mostly blue, to reflect on
the setting that Atlantis is a city submerged under the ocean, especially
considering most of the film is set not above the surface of the ocean, but
rather under it.
Towards the end of the film, the colors shift to brighter
hues as the film becomes faster in pace with more action.
Actors
The actors are animated human characters.
Cinematography
Camera shots
The camera shots mostly employ medium to long shots, with
the full shots used to show the setting of the film. Medium shots are used to
show an action happening within a frame. Some close shots and head shots used
to introduce the viewers to the characters or set a change in the tone of the
film, but these are employed sparingly.
Camera angles
The film uses a lot of straight angles to depict the actions
happening within the frame. It also uses high angles to establish setting.
Composition
The film depends almost completely on dynamic composition,
as it helps to set the mood of the film.
Motion
The film uses slow motion to emphasize on the actions
happening in the film, as well as establish dramatic effect for some of the
scenes within the film. Fast motion is used in one part of the film to show the
audience of the daily lives of the Atlantian people, as well as being used to
establish action towards the end of the film (before moving back to slow motion
again), as well as used for the montage showing the timeline of the expedition.
Reverse motion is used sparingly for flashbacks.
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