Architecture in Film

"Batman" (the one with Jack Nicholson as The Joker) had some fantastic sets, architecturally speaking. Surreal, almost.

Metropolis is an obvious one, as is Battleship Potemkin.

I loved the look of Brazil and I agree with MA about Gotham City in the Batman films. I also found Bladerunner wonderful to look at.

"Bladerunner" was today's LA cleverly mixed in with futuristic architecture -- the Bradbury Building in downtown LA which was saved from demolition in the 70's was used in the center of the film. Neat story is that although this bears a namesake to Ray Bradbury, it is Forrest Ackerman's (Mr. Sci Fi) grandfather who is the architect. It's been used in many films with its' intricate grillwork centeral atrium and the first elevators enclosed in an open framework. The old Million Dollar Theater is also featured and it's architecture is some kind of indefinable Eastern motif and shows up again in "Batman." One of the companies I worked for provided the fiber optics which were all the illuminated windows in the Tyrell building.

"Metropolis" was in that era of silents with huge sets -- "Intolerance" relied on architectural recreations and actually one of the Babylon sets is the facade of a shopping center in the Eastern part of LA -- viewable when driving up the 5 freeway. They sure built them to last in the 20's!

I love the architecture and sets of "North by Northwest", which is also one of my very favorite films!

Hitchcock is famous for using architecture. Those opening shots of NYC in "North by Northwest" and the closing scenes with the tourist center and the Mt. Rushmore sculptures is an example of making architecture one of the characters in the film. He's used the Statue of Liberty, the museum in San Francisco and Golden Gate Bridge ("Vertigo") and an old Victorian house for "Psycho" among just a few examples.

"Vertigo" is the Hitchcock flick that comes to my mind immediately when we speak of architecture. And those long shots of the beachfront of Cannes in "To Catch a Thief."

I loved the architecture found in the Red Balloon.
I must take it out of the library again, just for cityscapes.

Really great shots of Paris and have you seen the short parody online at iFilm? More great cinematography of the city. "Frantic," Roman Polanski's film with Harrison Ford is also filled with sequences of the Paris architecture.

"Frantic" was Polanski's tribute to Alfred Hitchcock. In some ways it almost seems more like a parody than a tribute. No matter. Polanski's shots of Paris (remember that scene of Ford scampering over a red-tiled roof a la "To Catch a Thief"?) were directly inspired by Hitchcock. And I do mean inspired.

North By Northwest-that superb shot taken from a window of the United Nations building looking down at the forecourt while Cary Grants character makes his escape always makes me smile.

I thought the sets in "A Clockwork Orange" were excellent - the milkbar, the abandon theater, the crumby apartments, "Home", mostly because they combined the two distinct views of the future we see in films - the ratty, dirty, worn out version and the sleek, ultra modern version.

In "What´s New Pussycat",if anyone noticed,the entire film is absolutely jammed with Guimard architecture.It´s overwhelming. Donner(the director) must have really loved that guys work.Great if you´re into art deco I suppose.

Metropolis is certainly the first to come to mind!
I recently saw a film that I cannot remember the name of, it wasnt that fabulous of a film but, it was based on the architecture of one building...argh..this is going to bother me terribly!
If anyone saw it....help!
About a murder in a building in which a developer is about to destroy where his wife <a photographer> and her friend <a writer> go into it and its like stepping back in time, and they end up <yeah, fa la la> being entranced by it and all that, I wish I could remember the genre of architecture, that would be a good clue...the ones made of solid metal and up to 8 stories high..argh
Anyway, I thought that basing the story on one particular type of architecture, even one building was interesting as long as the subject was different.

I enjoy older films for art deco and such and have noticed many like "Whats New Pussycat" hebba

Great Quinn!Been waiting patiently for a reply.
Can´t help you with that mystery film I´m sorry.Ask Lightwizard.He´ll know for sure.

QUINN: Do you recall who was in it or what decade it was made perhaps?

I think it might be "The 13th Floor" which I still have avoided due to bad reviews. Otherwise, you've stumped me.

What's the most impressive set you've every seen in a film? The Roman outpost in "Fall of the Roman Empire" is one of mine but there are so many more.

If u want to see the sheer opulence in a Cinema set, strongly suggest watching an Indian movie called "Devdas". There are 3 versions of this movie, so be sure to get teh latest one (Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali).

I can bet anything that yr eyes will pop out !!!

Having said that - loved the sets of Moulin Rouge !! Ahh the colors, the imagination......

Aunt Susans "studio" in BVD!!