Cinema Arts Online Discussion

The Conversation [Francis Ford Coppola] Scene Analysis

2009-11-04T12:51:00.001-05:00

The opening scene in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation sets up the themes and underlines the dramatic tension of the film. The very first shot in the film is an astonishing three-minute long take; the camera starts wide on the square, establishing it as a major set-piece for the story--the setting where the elusory conversation takes place. The first two minutes of this shot are spent easing down into the square by a slow zoom, where the camera lens focuses in on a mime. The significance of the mime is to highlight the auditory disconnect from the visual in the film. When the camera is wide at the top of the shot, the sounds of the square sound distant; but as the camera pushes in, sounds like the dog barking become loud and crisp. This is done to establish to establish the theme of distance in the film, bringing the viewer into the movie through the auditory perspective of protagonist Harry Caul. Before it’s explained that high-powered microphones are miking the square, bitcrusher/phase distortion obscures pieces of the soundscape, the primary source of dramatic conflict for Harry that sustains the duration of the movie--an unclear, incomprehensible conversation.

Continuing with the theme of separation of audio and their corresponding visuals, the next shot is blocked so that the characters being miked disappear behind a Christmas tree as the camera pans and don’t reappear on the other side.

The next orchestrated shot pans left following a piece of a conversation with Harry in the background eavesdropping, and as soon as the characters leave his earshot, the camera pans right following another conversation until Frederic Forrest and Cindy Williams enter into frame with Harry. This highlights the motif of auditory distance and proximity. The camera pans with them until it cuts to a shot with the eavesdropping cop in the foreground; he continues to pan and they walk in front of Harry again. This furthers the motif while characterizing Harry as a powerful combatant of the dilemma of hearing a quiet roving conversation in a loud wide-open space.

The viewer remains in Harry’s auditory point of view after he enters the van. There is a disconnect between watching Forrest and Williams talk in medium shot not from Harry’s perspective, but hearing the garbled audio transmitted to the van. It’s very voyeuristic, objective shooting with a very subjective soundscape, since this film is primarily about hearing, not seeing. This continues to build the character of Harry Caul as an individual who relies on hearing more so than any other sense. It also establishes the conflict and strengthens the motif sound plays within the film.

Ricky Leighton The Conversation

2009-11-04T11:59:00.000-05:00

In The Conversation, Gene Hackmans character Harry Caul is submerged in his own audible world that alienates him from the rest of society. Due to the mental trauma he received when people were first killed because of his work, his character becomes obsessive and skeptical of other human beings. The fact that Caul spies on people causes him to become cautious of getting too close to others as well.
Walter Murch (Sound Editor) isolates specific sounds that help to heighten the intensity of Harry's situation. For example when he runs into the women who he believes is going to be killed, Murch takes the sound of the elevator, eliminates everything else and raises the volume of that sound. This gives the audience the feeling that drama and tension are building.
When Harry listens to his recording of the conversation, he hears one of the subjects say "He would kill us if he had the chance". This causes Harry to become obsessive over the tapes and question whether or not he should hand them over. He is still troubled from the previous incident when people were killed. Harry's alienation is evident when he is laying in bed with the woman who eventually steals the tapes. Despite her attempts to capture his attention, Harry can't stop listening to the tapes over and over, evidence of his moral uncertainty.
Through out the rest of the film, Harry continues to cut people out from his own personal world. He installs several deadbolts on his door, he plays saxophone alongside loud jazz music and keeps a telephone in his drawer. Eventually, Harry starts to choose what he wants to hear. He goes to the Hotel and believes that he hears the woman and man getting killed. He is in his apartment in the end and believes that he is being bugged somewhere in his apartment. Harry's work leads to his demise but it also leads to his lack of personal relationships. Even when he has a party, he insults someone and everyone leaves. In the end, the film is not about the conversation between the two subjects but the effect of conversation on Caul and the people around him.

Me and You and Everyone We Know Redux - Stone

2009-11-04T11:12:00.001-05:00

In Me and You and Everyone We Know (Miranda July 2005) there is one scene in particular that grapples with a huge theme in the movie, human beings reaching out through technology. The scene I’d like to look at is the one in which Nancy Harrington, the gallery director, returns to her office and watches the rest of Christine Jesperson’s (Miranda July) video.

The scene is shot in a sort of shot reverse shot between Nancy, standing at her desk, and Christine, superimposed on the TV. This gives the scene the feeling that there is a real conversation going on. This touches on a broader theme in the movie, this idea of technological communication in the new millennium. In the scene Christine has a mock back and forth with Nancy who naturally does not respond to any of Christine’s questions, as she is alone. And yet the scene feels like a real dialogue laced with each characters misconceptions about the other. Nancy Harrington looks at Christine as a young untalented young girl, and as expressed in the dialogue Christine is sure that Nancy, who she thinks will never watch the film, has a big family. Christine’s assumptions are immediately understood to be untrue, as Harrington is standing alone at her desk. What the viewer will find out later is that Harrington is trying to meet a man online.

You can see this developing theme in the scene of reaching out. Christine is desperately reaching out to Nancy, almost begging her to call so that she knows she has seen her work. Nancy as the viewer finds out later is reaching out for human interaction. As Christine’s words in the scene touch a nerve with Nancy the camera creeps in closer. This seems to be another theme in the film that is touched on in the scene, this idea that in the completely informal, impersonal technological world there are still moments that can change people, or touch them in some way.

"Daughters of the Dust" Scene Analysis

2009-11-04T09:33:00.002-05:00

In Julie Dash's "Daughter of the Dust", in a critical scene the family is gathered around on the beach to celebrate and commemorate the elder family members and the crossing of their family onto the mainland. The scene starts with an extreme long shot of two people riding across the beach on a bicycle who start in frame ad then go out. Then there is a cut to the face of an elder in the family speaking about the importance of their gathering. The actors are blocked in such a way that they overlap in a sense no one person is ever by themselves. Thus, no character is ever in a single shot alone. There is always at least one or more other characters within the same shot. For instance when the elder who speaks to the family is shown, the head of another family member is shown behind him, as if to comment on the family's supportiveness. Most of the characters lean on eachother and sit very closely which further reveals a since of protection and security amongst them that they value.
The interaction between the figures and the landscape is another key consideration for the setup of this scene as well. For instance, most of the family is seated on the sands of the beach while they listen to the elders in the family speak, but the audience doesnt see the vast space of the beach as shown previously. In one frame, the characters are seated specifically around the older man who talks about the importance of the things they're parents taught them and honoring the "old souls." They all look up at him, listening carefully and seem to be at one with eachother which calls attention to the theme of unity. The beach is a major forefront of the film as a whole cause most of the scenes take place on it. However, in this scene less attention is drawn to the depth of the surrounding shown by tighter framing on the family.
In addition, the costumes in this scene create an important aesthetic thematically. During the commemoration, there is a tight shot of half of the family sitting together looking up at the figures standing. It seems that the shot was put together in such a way that near the foreground of the frame from the center to the right, all of the characters are dressed whites and cream colored clothing. They also happen to be the younger members of the family. Whereas in the middleground and background towards the left, characters placed wear navy blue and black colored clothing. These are the older members of the family who take on leadership roles. This is important because the difference in costume immediately signifies a difference in the characters position or role within the family.
The stylistic use of blocking, the interaction between figures and environment, and costumes employed in this scene suggest a running theme throughout them film that calls attention to the importance of unity and security amongst a family, as in efforts to remember pay homage to those who have paved the way for the younger generations.

The Conversation

2009-11-04T06:49:00.004-05:00

The Conversation is a film in which the sound design shows incredible insight into the mind of the protagonist, Harry Caul. For example, the scene in which Harry runs into the woman he suspects will be murdered in the elevator.

The elevator is crowded, adding to Harry Caul's issues of paranoia, claustrophobia, fear and dislike of people in general. We see Harry see the woman from behing, watch him watching her. It adds to the suspense and panic. The use of close ups on Harry heightens our knowledge of his fear.

The sound design of the scene adds even more to the fear and anxiety of it. As the woman enters there is whoosh sound which grows louder and louder as the scene goes on. It finally stops with a loud screech which is then revealed to be a sound bridge to the next scene of what Harry is listening to.

All of these things work together to give the scene an intense feel of fear, paranoia, anxiety, claustrophobia, and guilt.

CONVERSATION, THE

2009-11-04T01:18:00.000-05:00

The final scene of The Conversation is a scene of purely over-powering paranoia. After Harry’s big realization about what the true motives of the couple were, he succumbs to an extreme revelation. He knew the truth. At this point he heads home and starts playing his sax again. The camera pans back and forth. This is the setup for one last twist. Harry plays his instrument and tries to fit in with another place. I find this to be symbolic, but it isn’t even close to the meat of the scene. While Harry is playing, the phone rings, suddenly he’s pulled back into the real world. He gets up to answer it, but no one is there. He sits back down, and starts playing again. The camera pans back to that side of the room. But then the phone rings again. He gets up again and this time Martin is on the line. He tells Harry that everyone knows that he knows the truth and who murdered who etc. Because of this, they’ll continue listening to Harry. They play a recording of him playing saxophone from moments earlier. At this point we pan the room, and Harry bursts into a fit of paranoia. He tears his house apart looking for contraptions or bugs that they are using to spy on him. At this point in the film we know he hates being spied on (although he’s pretty much completely susceptible to it). He tears up the floor and walls looking for the bug. He smashes everything, even his statue of Jesus. This proves his total commitment to his cause, altered incredibly by paranoia. He’s so paranoid and scared that he doesn’t even remember that we learned how this bugging trick was done earlier in the movie. Obviously Harry isn’t exactly stable at this point so he rips up his house until it’s no longer recognizable. This represents his cutting off of ties to the real world. Then he goes back to playing the sax, giving Martin something to listen to.

BY FRIEDMAN, SAMUEL

Meshes of the Afternoon

2009-11-04T00:02:00.000-05:00

Meshes of the Afternoon is a classic example of avant garde at its finest. The main figure in the film, Maya Deren, has some kind of subconscious struggle within herself that is shown through a repetitive dream sequence. In this nightmare of a dream, the viewer is put both subjectively and objectively in Maya Deren’s perspective of herself. The film leaves the overall thematic context open to interpretation, but the scene beginning the dream sequence is significant to the film in three aspects.
The scene starts off with a medium shot of Maya opening up the door to her house and gazing inside with a flustered look on her face for a few moments. It then cuts to a first person point of view shot that pans and ends focuses on a knife. Introducing the importance knife by cutting to a close up, it shows to the viewer that there is some symbolism within. The close up of the knife is the focal point for a couple seconds but as Maya enters the frame slow motion begins.
The slow motion of her feet running up the steps alters the perception of time by changing up what Maya Deren is experiencing and also emphasizing that she is dreaming. The slow motion continues even when it cuts to a shot above the steps showing her face rather than her feet, which makes it seem like she leading to something. As she reaches the top of the steps, that something she was heading towards was her bedroom, but in another dimension. A shot of her floating through the curtain signifies that she is in a different space in time.
This whole scene there nothing but ambient sound, but when she is in her alternate dimension she sees the knife again and her reflection inside of it. The cut to the close up shot of her reflection, the eerie repetitive musical score starts dramatically and she is sucked back into the reality of the dream. Everything with the film begins to get crazy as the banging pot and pan music radically increases. The cuts begin to get faster and the camera movement begins to twist and turn spiraling into a crazy hysteria.
This scene justifies that the main character, Maya Deren, has a deep inner conflict that is symbolized by the knife. The style of editing and choices in cinematography in this dream sequence, distorts the overall time and space of Meshes of the Afternoon.

Killer of Sheep

2009-11-03T22:53:00.001-05:00

Killer of Sheep, by Charles Burnett, is a film about the harsh realities of growing up and living in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in the inner city of Los Angeles. Visually, this film parallels the lives of the children in the neighborhood with the main character, Stan’s, life and work at a slaughterhouse to convey the idea that growing up in this faceless environment makes its inhabitants anonymous beings also.

The scene I chose to analyze is a scene between Stan working at a slaughterhouse and its parallels to three boys living in the neighborhood. At Stan’s slaughterhouse, countless numbers of sheep are seen being mechanically moved throughout the factory. Later, three sheep are hung up vertically next to each other presumably to be slaughtered. The following shot shows three boys riding on a single bicycle together away from the camera. The bicycle tips over and the boys are nearly run over by a car before scattering off down the street. The cut between the three sheep and the three boys is no coincidence. It is clear that these two visuals and the matching cut are used to say something about the deeper ideas and themes within this film. Burnett compares the sheep to the boys to perhaps suggest the tight confines of the inner city slums, as well as to perhaps suggest the plight of the boys; not that they will be slaughtered but rather to suggest the affects and the danger of the monotonous routines and faceless surroundings on the neighborhood’s inhabitants. The sheep are indistinguishable, as are the boys, who are generally faceless amongst the large group of youth that inhabit the personality-less environment.

In summation, Killer of Sheep is in many ways a film about the seemingly never-ending plight of this neighborhood’s residents and Burnett’s use of cinematography and editing underline this. The scene with the sheep in the slaughterhouse paralleled with the three boys on the bike focuses the audience’s attention on the underlying message in Burnett’s film: that sometimes the most dangerous aspect of inner city poverty is the undistinguished environment’s affect on the neighborhood’s youth.

Michael Curcio-Scene Analysis- Be Kind Rewind

2009-11-03T22:25:00.001-05:00

The montage sequence in “Be Kind Rewind” played upon many different elements and themes carried throughout the film. The music bolsters the “ho-hum” small town attitude that the film portrays. It’s beeping indie soundtrack pumps the scene to an exciting pace but does not take away from the action at hand. This subtle display of music shows the characters’ “sweding” accomplishments but much like how the music is handled in the rest of the film, it allows the story to unfold without strangling the audience with an overbearing song.

Gondry edits this sequence in a flowing, transitional pattern that does not break into cuts. Instead, the camera turns, pivots, pinwheels, changes color, rotates, and bounces from one “shot” to the next all while maintaining clean and smooth camerawork. Gondry has perfected this technique, which is often cheaply imitated by less-than-savvy indie editors. This montage showcases Gondry’s attention to detail and mise-en-scene by including necessary props that show show the audience what kind of “Sweding Filmmakers” they’re dealing with at this point (and here on out) in the movie. Jack Black, Mos Def and their crew use household supplies and junkyard scraps and a whole lot of imagination to create their films. The entire film relies heavily on this concept that Gondry so geniusly extrapolates on in this montage; it conveys the motif of a rag tag group of filmmakers rushing to make blockbusters their own way. Gondry chooses not to break the scene up with any quick cuts or spliced edits because he takes the time to plan and execute this montage-which I’m sure took weeks-to show the audience that even though the filmmakers in the movie make hack interpretations of Hollywood films, their imagination and attention to detail, no matter how small, makes their films worth watching because they do so much with the little they have.

Gondry’s expertly crafted montage breathes clarity into the quaint film while reminding the audience why he, Jack Black, Mos Def and their crew are worth watching.

scene analysis

2009-11-03T21:45:00.008-05:00

In the Mood for Love

I chose the scene when Li-zhen is going to get noodles. The opening of that scene we hear Yumeji's Theme (written by Umebayashi Shigeru). A low angle shot of a women holding a bucket. We don't see her face but we already know that its Li-zhen, by her graceful walk and one of her many beautiful dresses. Camera follows her up the dark alley down the stairs. I think that Wang used that shot to emphasize our characters emotional state. We don't see where the stairs lead her, the only thing we see is her going down, bellow the ground as representation of her own hell. Next shot we see her waiting for noodles, she is surrunded by people but she doesn't talk or look at anyone. The cinematography in this shot helps us to sense her emotional state. We see a big shadow over her silhouette, to show her isolation and distance from her environment.

Then camera starts to follow her as she walks out of the alley and up the stairs where the camera stops as she walks out of the shot. The next thing we see is Mo-wan walking into the shot and camera starts panning, following him the same way it did with Liz-zhen. Heavy use of slow motion was used to show characters paralyzed state of mind. They are lost in their routine of doing same thing over and over again, going to work, getting noodles and accepting the unfaithfulness of their spouses. In that scene we don't see our protagonists ever stopping and having a conversation with each other, when she is walking up the stairs he is walking down. Yet we get a sense of developing bond between them.

The continue editing was used to show a slow passage of time, to emphasize our characters routine. In mise en scene Wong uses Liz-zhen dresses to show the passing of days in that scene as well as thought the movie. In my opinion that scene plays one of the most important roles in the movie, for it establishes characters emotional bond as well as resemblance in each other lives. The use of cinematography, cuts and mise en scene shows us the psychological state of characters. The scene ends with slow motion shot of rain on the sidewalk as the reflection of Liz-zhen and Mo-wan feelings.

Scene Analysis: I'm Not There - Reid Carrescia

2009-11-03T21:44:00.005-05:00

In I’m Not There, director Todd Haynes portrays the life of Bob Dylan through six separate characters. Though each character conveys concepts about Dylan’s struggle in stardom, Dylan as “Billy the Kid” may seem to offer the most abstract depiction. One such notable scenario is the scene where Billy the Kid arrives in Riddle County, doomed for destruction.

Warned by his friend Homer that Riddle County will soon be demolished, Billy the Kid nonetheless ventures into town to find out for himself. Upon his arrival, the town is celebrating Halloween. However, crime is taking place, and a crowd solemnly gathers for a young girl’s funeral while a band play’s Dylan’s “Goin’ to Acapulca”. Everyone is fixated on the music despite the surrounding chaos. Billy the Kid joins the crowd in listening in and observes the town’s reaction to the music.

Mise en scene plays a vital role in contributing to the apocalyptic and desperate nature of this scene. The majority of the town, including the band, is dressed in costume, adding an overall a surreal mood to the town’s setting. The color white is also used. For example, the dead girl, the singer’s face, and the girl’s dress that approaches the stage are all white. Here, white is used to suggest a lack of life and thus, a “passing on” of one time to another. Symbolically, it portrays the feelings of dread and uncertainty felt by many during the turmoil of the sixties, which Dylan played a large part in reflecting upon through his art.

Soundtrack also serves to the film’s intentions. Dylan’s “Goin’ to Acapulco” conveys the change the town is going through, and on a broader level, the change that was going on during Dylan’s growing career in the sixties. The lyrics express the act of going to see a girl that provides comfort and happiness. Thus, the lyrics relate to the Riddle County’s yearning for sanctuary after the destruction of their town, and furthermore, people’s yearning for sanctuary in Dylan’s songs during the chaos of the sixties.

The cinematography in this scene is significant as well. While the line “I’m just the same as everyone else” is sung, the camera goes wide and pans throughout the crowd, uniting the town’s citizens and bringing them together as one. Under further analysis, this unification serves as a representation of people’s sense of unity through music while being faced with the hardships of the Vietnam War and the other numerous political disturbances of the day. Furthermore, close-up shots of Billy the Kid are placed between the shots of the community. These shots serve to convey Billy the Kid’s empathic reaction to what is happening to his town. These close-up shots symbolize Dylan’s artistic response to the disorder of his time through the outlet of his music.

Through use of mise en scene, sound, and cinematography, Todd Haynes helps create the plight of Bob Dylan faced with a chaotic world and the manner in which many turned towards his music for consolation. As the film is about Dylan’s search for identity, this scene stresses the difficult situation Dylan was in the direct eye of the public as someone with an enormous amount of cultural influence.

The Conversation - Scene Analysis

2009-11-03T20:43:00.002-05:00

From Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, the scene I'm analyzing is the one in which our protagonist, Caul, invites a fellow surveillance expert from the East coast, Moran, back to his workplace for a post-convention party. Among him are other guests, including Caul's partner Stan and a showgirl floozy who seduces Caul. This scene says so much more than what's on the surface, revealing a lot about Harry Caul, as well as the theme of the film.

For one, the dialogue spoken by Moran is invasive and annoying. Throughout the whole scene, he interrogates Caul about a previous assignment back on the East coast. He keeps asking him, "So how'd you do it? Back in '68, how'd you do it?" He then tells the others that this job Caul was involved in later resulted in the death of two people. Caul never directly answers the question, leaving us wondering why, for someone who invades others' privacy for a living, he's so guarded and protective of himself. Perhaps being in the surveillance industry has left him in a permanent state of paranoia. Or perhaps he simply wishes to not reveal the information of his secret, a humble way of keeping his reputation as "the best in the business."

This section of the scene also differentiates Caul from Moran through choice of lighting, costumes, and set design. At one point in their conversation, Caul unlocks the heavily guarded chain link gate into his personal workspace, adorned with a sign that reads "Keep Out." While this is a practical set design move (i.e. it makes sense for someone in his profession), it also represents his undisclosed nature: he's both literally and figuratively locking others out from his life (and in this case, Moran). Another interesting aspect of this scene is the fact that while Moran is questioning him, he's fully visible and well-lit standing in the main room of the warehouse with the rest of the party guests. He wears a rather tacky and colorful red leisure suit and has slicked-back hair and gold jewelry, boasting about his newest "bugging" invention, a pocket pen that's a mini microphone. He speaks to Caul through a barrier: an odd sandblasted piece of colored glass that only reveal Caul's shadow. When we get a shot of Caul's reaction to Moran's questions, we can see that the glass is in the way and Caul's face is half hidden in the dark. And Caul's clothing choice is much more subdued: plain gray suits, glasses, nothing fancy. This shot composition separates the two as complete opposites. Moran isn't hiding anything. He's boastful and egotistical, and reckless in his profession. On the flip side, Caul is careful and precise in his profession, hiding his personal life from others.

This scene certainly isn't the longest in the film and it doesn't necessarily enhance the "A" story plot of the recorded conversation and the impending murder, but it reveals so much more that's under the surface. Through use of shot composition, dialogue, costume and set design, and mise en scene, this scene in Coppola's The Conversation emphasizes the protagonist's guarded and mysterious life rooted on his profession as a surveillance expert, as well as the theme of the film: invasion of privacy and its consequences.

Burnett's Killer of Sheep

2009-11-03T20:34:00.001-05:00

Charles Burnett’s film Killer of Sheep is rife with metaphor for the hardship of growing up in an urban society below the poverty line. The majority of these metaphors are predominantly expressed visually throughout the film, although none have quite as much impact as the scene in which the protagonist, Stan, is working at his job at the slaughterhouse. Three sheep are pulled from the stifling crowd of livestock to be strung up together from the ceiling to move on to the killing floor. The on-screen visual then cuts immediately to a group of 3 boys from the neighborhood crowded onto one swerving bike as it travels down the street. The positions of the three boys are paralleled directly by the positions of the sheep during the cut, drawing the obvious comparisons between the boys and the sheep.

The implications of such a cut are vast and far reaching, with many layers of depth ranging from the most obvious issues of overcrowding in poor urban neighborhoods being akin to the conditions faced by sheep packed into slaughterhouses, to the much deep-seated commentary about the futures faced by these specific boys due to the nature of their upbringing. The sheep on their way to be slaughtered paralleled with the boys’ doing such a seemingly innocent activity of riding a bike down the street hints at their eventual approach into adulthood that can, because of the opportunities not afforded to them by their environment, end in very few ways.

In the final moments of the scene, we see the boys on the bike swerve to avoid an incoming car, falling from the bike and scrambling into the street to avoid being struck, again paralleling the children’s immediate danger in the scene with the eventual plight of the sheep and, although the children avoid it this time, the implications still remain.

The Conversation Scene Analysis

2009-11-03T19:56:00.003-05:00

In Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation," the scene in which Harry breaks into the hotel room is the climax of the film and also the most memorable scene that conveys that all things are not exactly how they seem. After Harry leaves Robert Duvall's office, his paranoia reaches new heights. Harry is hesitant but eager to find out if he really saw the woman murdered on the hotel balcony or not. After harry breaks into the hotel room, Cinematographer Bill Butler does a slow pan shot around the room as if it were from Harry's point of view.

As we enter the hotel room, we see the bathroom light on and hear the diagetic sound of water running while the camera is panning around the room. The room is dimly lite and it appears as if no one had rented out this room and no murder had taken place previously before. Harry along with the audience are confused and suspicion is at an all time high. After Harry hears the running water, he notices the bathroom light is on and the door is open. This leads us to believe that someone may have been in the room earlier since the light was left on and the running water was either coming from the sink or the shower.

As Harry walks into the bathroom, we are taken into a point of view shot of Harry looking down at the toilet and realizing that the sound of water running he heard was coming from the toilet. The sound of the toilet we hear in this scene is the sound one would hear after flushing a toilet and the toilet in this scene appears to be unused because it still has the wrapping around it. Harry understands this and is suspicious of it.

The only consistent sound in the scene at this point is the sound of the running water. Up until this scene, throughout the film we had heard the non diagetic score mixed in with the diagetic sounds in the film. Using diagetic sound for the majority of the climax builds eerie tension and anticipation for what awaits when Harry flushes the toilet and all of our suspicions and speculations are confirmed. Walter Murch deciding to utilize the sound a toilet makes after being flushed to get Harry's attention and speculation about the toilet connects to the central theme of paranoia because it shows that Harry's paranoia wasnt getting the best of him and he did actually witness a murder being commited. As soon as Harry lifts the toilet seat up, an eerie non diagetic score plays. Throughout the film, we consistently heard the same types of non diagetic songs playing but the song that plays during this climax is very eerie and conveys the feeling of discomfort and disgust.

Cinematographer Bill Butler choosing to position the camera behind Harry's feet in a mid shot gives us an uneasy feeling that makes us cringe and the shot placement makes it feel like Harry is trapped and cannot escape the overflow of blood. The blood overflowing at Harry's feet is symbolic because its almost as if it was Harry's fault this happened and now he has gotten the blood on him.

Meshes of the Afternoon

2009-11-03T19:51:00.000-05:00

Maya Daren’s Meshes of the Afternoon provides a large bevy of scene analysis. A scene that sticks out is a sequence that occurs almost a half a minute into the film. We are introduced to the films intimate world by the sunny, street contrasted with dramatic shadows reflecting in sunlight. A hand appears with a flower, slowly setting it down, the hand abruptly dissipears in a jump cut, instantly transitioning us into the strange dream logic that occurs throughout. A hand is seen through shadows, as it picks up the flower and begins to walk away. A silouette of the woman appears sniffing the rose. Through the constant use of silouette mingling with reality, we are being shown how this dream world operates. It shows her continuing to walk down the street, but the camera quickly reverts back to her going up a staircase and trying to open a door. Several shots like these occur throughout the film, perhaps because Daren wants to make clear that her character has several identities that come and go whenever they please within the dream state, showing us the audience through tricks of continuity and highly clever camerawork. We are shown another shot of her trying to get her key but having it fall down a flight of dramatically lit steps, where she opens the door, perhaps indicating that we are going through another layer of the dream as an audience member.

2009-11-03T17:53:00.005-05:00

Killer Of Sheep

I choose a scene from Charles Burnett's Killer Of Sheep for my Scene Analysis. The scene stands out in my mind because of its use of visuals to set the tone of the characters and surroundings. The scene is when the father and his friend go to a house of people in hopes of buying a car engine from them. The two enter a small, cramped apartment with an injured man lying on the floor next to the engine and three other circled around a table playing cards.
The first thing the viewer becomes aware of is just the confined, cramped space of the apartment and the spacing of the characters from one another. As a member of the audience, I felt very closed in and uncomfortable in the space and also imagined how hard it would have to be for all four members of the household to coexist in such a small area. The man that is obviously holds the power of the household sits at the table, between a woman and another man. He is the farthest in the room from the father and his friend and silence all when he speaks. He is also the only one in the room wearing any kind of "fancy" clothing. I would imagine he must have been some kind of neighborhood hustler that was trying to pawn off a rusty motor. The whole relationship of the interaction of the household and closed in feeling speaks to the ominous, imprisonment feeling the film holds in full.
The injured man lies on the ground parallel to the old engine. The roll of the man and piece of machinery seem almost interchangeable. The man has no job and the engine has no car. The man asks for money and the engine is about to be sold. Both hold extreme doubt because of their dreadful condition and their value is questioned. This seems to relate to the theme that the people in this community have nor more worth than an object or an animal.
Though technically the next scene, when the father and friend carry their newly acquired engine from the hustler's apartment, the audience is given the tone of struggle that appears over and over in the film. Not only do these poor men have spend their little amount of money on a broken down engine, but they have to struggle their way down flights of steps and cover ground to get to the truck. The long shot is painful to watch as the two men grunt and struggle to the old pickup. They finally make it and hoist the engine onto the bed of the truck. But the fools do not secure it and it falls off the truck and is destroyed when they drive off. This is much like other events in the film that show a struggle and almost obtaining something yet falling short and being disappointed.
One could look at almost any one scene from Killer Of Sheep and come up with a list of themes and insights into the film. And by just comparing a handful of them together, the lists of themes and purposes of the film will line up more and more.

The Conversation

2009-11-02T23:38:00.001-05:00

In “The Conversation” by Francis Ford Coppola the scene in which Harry Caul encounters the woman in the elevator is an important scene that conveys many themes of the film. When Harry spots her in the elevator the use of shot reverse shot shows the woman and then Harry who is staring at her from behind. There are also close ups of Harry who seems to cower in the corner instead of warn her of her pending murder. A high angle shot makes Harry seem smaller who is paralyzed with fear in the elevator. Harry is incredibly guilty from his the deaths that have resulted from his previous recordings and is a paranoid character. The use of shots in the scene conveys this well.

Mise en scene also emphasizes the paranoia and guilt that the protagonist experiences during the scene. The lighting is dim and helps to set the suspenseful mood. The use of other characters and having the elevator extremely crowded creates a claustrophobic feel, which helps to create a stronger sense of panic and intensity in the scene.

The use of diagetic and non diagetic work well in this scene to help emphasize the fear and panic experienced by Harry. When Harry steps onto the elevator there is eerie non diagetic music playing that has a suspenseful tone. There is also a diagetic whoosh of air that grows increasingly louder as the scene progresses and plays on Harry’s increasing fear after spotting the woman. At the end of the scene there is a loud screeching sound and it is unclear where the sound is coming from until it cuts to the next scene and it’s established that its diagetic sound from the reels Harry is listening to. Diagetic sound is an important theme of the film since the recorded conversation is an important motif that is constantly revisited.

Meshes of the Afternoon

2009-10-31T23:51:00.001-04:00

Maya Deren's shows a theme well through the method of surprise and repetition. Such distinction is reinforced gradually and has the powerful effect in the sequency of the third self being. (It'd better analyze one sequence, not one scene because this movie has the unique structure and subject according to it of each self being.)
The third self sits down the table which other two beings already sat on. As soon as she puts her knife on the table, it changes into the key with the sound of the drum. Sound in this part stirs up the tension and emphasizes the reversal paralleled with transition of the shots. During the course of two self-beings' taking the key, sound-tempo and timber of the pipe and drum- is almost same and has regular pattern. But the stark sound is heard at the moment the third picks up the key and turns her hand inside with the visual stimulus, colored palm and knife changed from the key. Sound at this point makes suddenly frightening mood.
Editing of this sequence is remarkable. Maya often uses trick though the editing to express the free shift of time and space. The key continues to still be shown in the middle of the table after two self-beings' grabbing it. Furthermore, when third being goes forward the real-being taking a nap, the shots of the walking foot destruct the continuity of the space as jump cuts and are punctuated as the expansion and the transition of the dimension.
The tense as self-being in the dream goes to the real being sleeping in the real world is rising up and the shocking turning point happens through the change of POV. Before she wakes up, POV in the scene is her self-being in the dream. But after she awakens by the knife approaching to her, POV is her real-being in the present. There is the connection between them. The former sees her and the latter does her husband. The interesting is that there is the knife shot between them.
And as soon as she sees her husband, she cover her sight with her hand. It makes us guess the knife has some relationship with her husband.
Even though this movie has the different form and style unlike the conventional movie, it offers hints to figure out the message and effect the director intends.
And we can share it by analyzing sound, editing and transiton of POV in the sequence goes toward the climax.

The Conversation

2009-10-28T18:58:00.001-04:00

The Conversation [Francis Ford Coppola] depicts the downward spiral of Harry Caul [Gene Hackman], who is a covert surveillance expert and private investigator, as his paranoia causes him to get drawn into an elaborate and confusing murder plot. Harry Caul [Gene Hackman] and Stan [Johnny Cazale] are in the workshop editing the surveillance audio from the day prior. Multiple aspects of this scene build up the characteristics that are vital to driving home the overarching significance of what is about to transpire in upcoming scenes to make the movie effective on the whole.
Walter Murch [Sound Editor] and Howard Beals [Sound Effects Editor] managed to edit the audio so that it illustrates exactly what is going on in this scene, and the rest of the movie. Harry begins to his editing session by listening to the raw audio. The audience hears this as a bit of the targeted source audio (the couple) and a lot of background noise. Eventually, as the couple walks in front of a street drummer, you here nothing but the drummer, which prevents Harry from hearing something that may be important. Harry must filter out the garbage audio. He rewinds, you hear the rewinding effects, and plays again while playing with an envelope filter. You hear the audio change as he messes with the faders and knobs of the filter he invented.
This helps communicate to the audience what he is physically doing with the sound without ever taking the time to have the character make an aside and say, “I am doing this right now for this reason.” Harry Caul, as a deeply secretive and introverted person, would never say such a thing to anyone. This character trait is held sturdy throughout the movie and is reinforced again in this scene. There is nothing stopping him from explaining this to Stan, who is curious about what Harry is doing. It is only that Harry Caul is overly protective of his secrets and this builds his character.

Requiem for a Dream

2009-10-18T13:02:00.000-04:00

The film Requiem for a Dream displays a form of intensity that continues to build up though out this entire depressing film about addiction. The editor of this film, Jay Rabinowitz edited this piece to create the films overall terrifying vibe. The power of editing conveyed how fast all of these addict’s lives decayed over a period of time. The film uses many bold editing technique, such as split screen and continuous fast cuts, to switch the focus to each of the main character’s different, yet intertwining reality.
Requiem for a Dream has those recognizable 10-second edits that are a trademark for the film. It is the series of the extremely fast cuts with the close ups shots that show some kind of drug being used. After these transitional drug cuts follows a little spectacle for the viewer to get the feeling of exactly how the characters feel. These transitional drug cuts are just one part of how the editing in this film causes the viewer to follow each of the character’s addiction as if we are in their world.
All of the characters have a dream in this film, whether it is to be starring on a TV show or even just simply having the hopes to live the high life. In the film, the importance of each character’s dreaming state of mind is also seen through editing. The main character Harry, played by Jared Leto, has dream that was showed in the beginning of the film and also at the end of the film. It portrays Harry running to his girlfriend, Jennifer Connolly, on a beautiful sight at the end of a dock. However at the end of the film, his dream turns into a nightmare and everything falls apart, as t does in the reality of the film.

Psycho---Ricky Leighton

2009-10-14T14:29:00.000-04:00

Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is renowned by film critics for it's uniquely edited sequences. While the editing techniques build suspense and terrify the audience, the editing also allows the magnitude of the material to come through and scare the audience with unconventional cuts and angles. Through out the entire film, the editing allows the content of the narrative to seep through and scare audiences simply by freaking them out.
For instance, in the often analyzed shower sequence in which not one bare breast or knife plunge is shown, the editing focuses on other elements of the situation to create scare tactics. The sequence shows the blood dripping down the drain and the blurry figure through the shower curtain. All of these shots depict what it would really be like to be attacked in the shower. The shots don't include prosetic skin being torn apart by a prop knife. Instead, the sequence steers away from these fake elements and uses the reality of the situation to horrify onlookers.
When the Private Investigator is interrogating Norman Bates about Marie Crane, the shots remain fairly standard, switching back and forth from shot reverse shot to two shots. Then once the Investigator breaks into the house, the shot becomes a high angle and only depicts the PI walking up the stairs and the light shining through the doorway. The PI creeps up the stairs and the editing allows the drama to become tense and gradually build up. During the attack scene, the stabbing doesn't become too gory and again focuses on the length of the knife and the look of terror across the man's face. The editors choice to remain on the PI's face is an attempt at allowing the audience to understand what it would really feel like to be in that circumstance.
The best part about Psycho is that the context of the story allows all of the murders and the psychological status of Norman Bates to feel realistic. This causes the material to hit home and strike a specific chord in the audience. Everyone knows what it's like to be tempted by money, to drive in a terrible storm and fear the actions of someone criminally insane (even though they appear to be normal). Part of the reason why this film is priceless, is because the clever editing accents the material and provides a unique look and feel to a very distinct genre.

EDITING: LESBIAN VAMPIRE KILLERS

2009-10-14T12:47:00.001-04:00

There are many different approaches and techniques in editing a film and certain choices are made that greatly affect the presentation of the material. Lesbian Vampire Killers is a quirky and comedic play on a classic horror concept. Through the use of stylized cutting, sound effects, and pacing, this film takes on a new form as a slapstick version of a vampire thriller. Even without the comedic dialogue it would be pretty clear to an audience that this movie is not supposed to elicit real fear, anxiety, or suspense based on how it was edited. Cartoon-like sound effects accent the already exaggerated actions of the characters and the use of deadpan reveals is successful in evoking big laughs. Also, another characteristic of this film that sets it apart from the genre it is parodying is its transitions and comic-book location titles. All of these choices make this film create a sense of humor in an otherwise life threatening and terrifying circumstance.

One instance in which sound effects created a comedic play on action was the use of the “punch” noise when Fletch gestures while telling his story in reference to hitting a small child and losing his job as a clown. The sound effect takes an already absurd moment and frames it in a way that we are meant to believe the character is still quite harmless. Fletch’s pantomimed punch removes from his story, the dark truth of the crime, and replaces it with a very cartoon-like recollection of the story. Sound effects find there way into nearly every scene of this movie to exaggerate action and suspend disbelief. There are plenty of wooshing noises that signify Jimmy’s girlfriend, Judy, is in fact a vampire. The woosh we hear every time she moves is quite obviously hinting toward this.

This film does a lot of playing with cinematic time. The edit of many of the scenes affects the way we interpret a character. For instance, the priest is usually shown with a lot of sped up action because this presents him as a pro-active character. One example is when he is in his office and loads up the crossbow, his motion is accelerated to create a heightened sense of determination and immediacy of his action. This scene is presented as a call to arms moment. Another time that cinematic time is altered is for the sake of suspense. When the vampire queen, Carmilla, is being resurrected everything around the ritual is shown in slow motion with operatic gestures from the lesbian vampires and as our protagonist’s blood is being drained and mixed with that of the virgin, Lotte, music and slow-motion takes are effective in creating a boosted tension or suspense. This sequence is also intercut with fast paced shots of Fletch and the priest rushing through thick woods to come to their rescue.

Cutting is an important element in this movie as specific choices are made clear based on the reactions of the characters and hopefully the audience. Deadpan is a popular comedic editing technique. Holding on a character or characters’ reactions as they are faced with some new or strange sight before them makes the audience even more invested in what they are about to see. Prolonging this reveal and finally presenting something unexpected and out of place usually evokes laughter. For instance when Ms. Rossi is sitting on her desk, sternly addressing Fletch and we only hear his rebuttal and only see Ms. Rossi the pay off is that we’re given a hard cut to Fletch sitting, dressed in a clown suit and make up. It spins this employee-employer scene from a serious firing to reveal an absurd pretense to the entire situation. Also another important element in regards to cutting in this film is that during every fight scene we see lots of fast cutting to add more excitement and a frantic feel to these high-tension moments.

All in all, Lesbian Vampire Killers, though a genre-parody and comedic romp, is very successful at employing certain cinematic editing techniques that alter the perception and substance of the material. Everything that is funny about this film is exaggerated and played up to be even funnier because of its editing.

Editing in A Clockwork Orange.

2009-10-14T03:56:00.002-04:00

The film A Clockwork Orange tells the story of the protagonist, Alex, an amoral teenager who takes advantage of the weak, having no concern for the laws upholding civilized society. When he is captured, Alex goes from meddling with the laws of society to being a pawn of them. In order to evade prison he undergoes aversion therapy, which involves taking drugs and watching films that produce a nauseating feeling. Editing plays a major role in his transformation, portraying Alex as villain and then as victim.

As villain, Alex displays a carefree attitude and finds excitement only through violence. The editing indicates this when a scene with Alex in a threesome is viewed in fast forward, and with slow motion glorifying him when he beats up his friends in order to take over as their leader once again.

As a pawn of the government's new technique, Alex is put on display, literally on stage, following his condition of the treatment. The shots alternate between Alex being tempted by sex and violence, the harsh glare of a spotlight, and reaction shots of the audience, making his helplessness appear as a spectacle. Following the performance, the governor and priest argue over the importance of good citizenry regardless of the human element and the importance of moral choice. These shots alternate between the two of them and Alex, who has each of their hands on his shoulders. As they dispute their ideologies, Alex sits smiling dumbly.

Several repeated shots punctuate Alex's transformation. Before Alex breaks into the writer's home and rapes his wife, an establishing shot between the road and driveway is seen with a sign reading "HOME". This shot is seen again after Alex has been left homeless and beaten up by his former friends and he comes back to this place looking for help. Also, following Alex's first night of brutality and rape, the viewer sees him sprawl out on his bed and revel in his deeds while listening to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Then, after the writer takes him in for a second time and realizes who Alex is, Alex is drugged and the film cuts to him regaining consciousness on a bed with the Ninth Symphony blasting, causing him excruciating pain.

Breathless - Editing

2009-10-14T01:17:00.001-04:00

Jean Luc Godard’s Breathless is often heralded as the most famous or recognizable film from the French New Wave period of film history during the 1960s. Breathless is often used as the best example of French New Wave to represent all of the movement’s characteristics like existential themes or the breaking of many of film’s established rules. However, it is the editing in Breathless that sets this film apart and the clever and unique ways in which the editing conveys themes in the film.

Godard’s Breathless is almost always referenced in discussions about film editing because of the film’s use of jump cuts, or shots in which the same subject in both shots is varied slightly, giving the impression that time has “jumped” or is no longer continuous. Godard uses this technique several times in Breathless, including when main characters Michael and Patricia ride in a convertible together. As Patricia is described, jump cuts insinuate that time has passed as the audience is focused in on Patricia’s appearance. Although, some consider Godard’s jump cuts to be nothing more than simply following the orders of a producer who demanded the film be cut for the sake of running time, I believe that this editing technique is employed to accentuate the underlying themes in the film. The main character in the film, Michael is an apathetic and disconnected youth who has no regard for human compassion or life and his reckless behavior is emphasized by the editing technique in this film. The jump cuts, a discontinuous technique, suggest that the audience only see what is important in this film and at times seems reckless or irresponsible, just as Michael’s character is. For example, after Michael shoots and kills a police officer, for almost no apparent reason, a jump cut is used to show Michael in Paris, making no attempt to hide from authorities.

In summation, Godard’s Breathless will always be a great example of French New Wave, but the editing techniques in this film is what makes it legendary in film history. Jump cuts are employed in this film for an artistic and intellectual response because they represent the emotional qualities of the main character.

Punch Drunk Love

2009-10-13T23:47:00.001-04:00

In the movie "Punch Drunk Love" the opening scene uses wide shot to establish the personality of the main character. The wide shot captures the emptiness and the darkness of the place. The only light we see is focused on the desk of our main character Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) who is sitting at his desk. Paul Thomas Anderson chose not to use the close up shot to emphases the reflection of our main characters personality through the environment he is in, not his face. By doing so he carefully introduces Barry's lonely,closed up personality to the audience. That dark, empty office space serves as representation of Barry's escape and shelter from the outside world. When Barry stands up from his desk the camera starts to pan as he starts walking out of the frame in to the darkness. We see him opening the door and coming outside of his "box" to the reality of the bright day light. Instead of cuts between shots, the use of transition by camera panning from a total darkness to the light was used to show the dramatic shift in Barry's life. The camera starts to follow our character to the outside, moving behind his back with a wide angle shot. Very carefully placed shot behind his back was used to keep viewers away from Barry's appearance but concentrate on the world around him. The shot starts to pan showing the empty street through Barry's perspective, camera is flowing with a long point of view shot out on the street from the alley to the distance. Suddenly the car crushes, a van pulls to the side walk dropping of the piano. Then a close up shot of Barry's face finally introduces his reaction on the world around him.