The International is a 2009 political thriller directed by Tom Tykwer and starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts. The movie centers around the activities of a powerful and secretive bank known as The International, which is involved in global arms dealing and other illegal activities. The movie opens with a shootout at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, which is revealed to be the headquarters of The International. Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Owen) is investigating the bank's activities, working closely with Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Watts). As Salinger delves deeper into the bank's illegal activities, he discovers a web of corruption that extends to governments, arms dealers, and other power brokers around the world.
The movie is shot on location in various cities around the world, including Berlin, Milan, and Istanbul, reflecting the global nature of the bank's activities. The architecture of these cities plays a key role in the film's visual style, with Tykwer using the distinctive buildings and landscapes of each location to create a sense of place and to emphasize the scale and complexity of the bank's activities.
In Berlin, for example, the brutalist architecture of the Berlin Senate building serves as a symbol of the German government's involvement in the bank's activities. The building is shown in several scenes, with its imposing concrete design contrasting sharply with the more organic forms of the surrounding cityscape. Meanwhile, in Milan, the futuristic design of the city's Pirelli Tower is used to illustrate the high-tech nature of the bank's operations.
Throughout the movie, Tykwer employs a range of visual techniques to highlight the themes of the film. One recurring motif is the use of reflective surfaces, which symbolize the ways in which the bank's activities are hidden from view. Glass, mirrors, and other reflective surfaces appear throughout the movie, creating a sense of disorientation and confusion for the characters and audience alike.
Another key visual element is the use of color. The movie is shot in a muted, desaturated palette, with greys, blues, and browns dominating the color scheme. This reinforces the sense of darkness and corruption that pervades the film, and underscores the idea that the bank operates in the shadows, away from public scrutiny.
One of the most striking visual sequences in the film takes place in Istanbul, where Salinger and Whitman pursue a lead on one of the bank's key operatives. The scene takes place during a crowded festival, with thousands of people thronging the streets of the city. Tykwer uses a handheld camera and quick cuts to create a sense of urgency and chaos, with Salinger and Whitman darting through the crowd in pursuit of their target. The scene culminates in a tense confrontation on the rooftop of a nearby building, with the cityscape stretched out behind them, emphasizing the global scale of the bank's activities.
Overall, the architecture of The International serves as a central element of the film's visual style, reflecting the complex and multifaceted nature of the bank's activities. Tykwer uses the distinctive buildings, landscapes, and urban environments of each location to create a sense of place and to underscore the global reach of the film's central conflict. The use of reflection, color, and other visual techniques creates a sense of unease and disorientation, underscoring the film's themes of corruption, secrecy, and power. The International is a powerful and visually stunning thriller that uses architecture to add depth and complexity to its storytelling.
The International:The Architecture of The International is a action movie with a runtime of 6 minutes.
