Blog Film Analysis Option 1

“Gravity” (2013), is a contemporary drama, sci-fi, thriller which contains strong themes of isolation, survival and rebirth. The film is about two astronauts, played by academy award winners, who endeavour on a mission to repair a space shuttle when disaster strikes. “Gravity” is a high concept film distributed by Warner Bros. with a budget of $100 million, grossing roughly $715 million on 3,820 theatres internationally. The production greatly relied on technological inventions, extensive rigging and visual effects, taking the film to new lengths (Rich and Eisenberg 2014). The immense production size of “Gravity” does not overwhelm the viewer purely through spectacle but assists the storyline through convincing character development. The hype surrounding the film’s production however, was marketed around the elaborate visual effects used. 

Emma Jones (2013) communicates the idea that Bullock’s character is introduced as being slightly emotionally troubled. This is demonstrated by the contrast between her mechanical actions and Kowalski’s free roaming movements. Dr. Ryan Stone is also shot in a persistent framing style consisting of medium wide, mid and medium close-up shots during the films first scene. This denotes her apprehensive, stubborn emotional state and inexperienced status as the tightness of the frame is reluctant to widen. Stone’s determination is the force which helps her overcome the conflicting mental state she experiences, driving the narrative forward. Her character’s attachment and commitment is constructed by the décor of the white space suit with the corresponding colour of the shuttle she is linked to. 

The following scene gives great insight into how cinematography and mise-en-scene develop character and storyline.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hicyeRsMcQ0

The composition in this scene is primarily created from the long take, point of view shot from Bullock’s character. This gives the viewer a greater perspective of her emotional position. The reflection of the space helmet is seen in the immediate foreground further reinforcing her personal, reflective state of mind. The earth’s size on screen remains the same in the background with Shariffs’ body seen in an extreme long shot which gradually appears larger in frame. The perspective change creates a dooming sense of isolation we are positioned to experience. Common hand held camera jerks and changing focus depths from Stone’s point of view denotes her inability to keep calm. The lack of still cinematography throughout the films entirety further represents the relentless and uncontrollable motions her character experiences in space. These techniques cause the audience to feel empathetic for Stone. The enforcement of Stone’s determination proves effective as this emotion, instilled in the audience, provides the expectation of conflict resolution; she uses her determination to overcome the physical and mental challenges ahead.

“127 Hours” (2010) is another Hollywood film with a tight budget of $18 million, grossing roughly $60 million at a comparably small 916 theatres worldwide. It is an adaptation of a real life adventure, drama story about Aron Ralston (James Franco) who is made to cut off his arm after being trapped by a boulder for five days in a remote canyon location. Despite being a smaller scale production than “Gravity”, “127 Hours” contains the same themes of survival, isolation and being trapped in an unforgiving environment. Different cinematographic techniques however, are used to achieve this effect. A great triumphant feeling is experienced at the end of the film both by Aron and the audience through the use of the split screen effect. A greater amount of information is able to be communicated because of this.

This split screen device is used during the introduction which displays a montage of people moving in a rush, racing to be somewhere. Aron’s swift movements show that he too is in a rush, foregoing virtues of precaution, patience and family acknowledgment. An extreme close-up of a tap left dripping during the beginning of the film also reflects his careless attitude. Sub-themes of travel and the freedom of movement are put onto the viewer through wider framed shots of a marathon running event, people walking in the streets and cars driving along the highway. These cinematographic and visual techniques, along with accompanying sound and editing devices, are used to establish an emotional engagement with the audience and Aron Ralston’s character and mindset. Throughout the film he records himself with a poor quality, grainy home owned camcorder. He does this on the way to the canyon which creates the first sense of realism about his endeavours. The smooth, vast, mountainous scenery of the canyon upon Aron’s arrival is composed using extreme wide shots with a warm, golden tint. This denotes a calmness, serenity and gentleness about the environment’s condition. All of this provided information the filmmaker positions the audience to accept creates an emotional engagement with the film and its story.

Similarly to “Gravity”, the theme of isolation is represented by the change in environmental setup, from beautiful to relentless. Unlike “Gravity” however, the cinematographic techniques used to achieve this vary quite significantly. Aron’s character development evolves when he becomes trapped in the canyon. The use of stills conveys a notion of motionless and entrapment which is in contrary to the opening sequence’s emphasis on movement. This advances the story as he is forced to embrace unfamiliar characteristics of patience, precaution and attentiveness in order to survive. The triumph of his predicament is the hinge on which the story lies. The use of extreme high and low angles furthers the emotional conflict as the feeling of helplessness is conveyed to the audience.

“12 Angry Men” (1957) is a drama film set in a jury-room and is directly relevant to the socio-economical events of the United States during the 1950’s (Boulanger-Mashberg, Anica 2010, 6). Boulanger-Mashberg (2010, 6) reveals that political and social conflict was rising at the time because of the Civil Rights Movement and the Cold War. Significant themes of the time include justice, class and moral ambiguity which are instilled in the audience. Mise-en-scene is a major propellant of the storyline as seen through location, set design, character movement and costuming.

The linear, real-time temporal order of the film is stressed as they are stuck in the same room for an hour and a half. Setting similarities are present in both “Gravity” and “127 Hours” as the location remains the same for the majority of the film, creating a sense of entrapment. The feeling of entrapment is emphasised by the character movements of the men in the room. Whenever someone is making a point or is in disagreement with someone else they get up and walk around. 

This creates action for the purpose of change and conflict. Their actions are in result of the conflicting personalities amongst the other men, as communicated by the narrative. Such tension is reinforced by the visual height difference, created by the positioning of sitting and standing characters, adding to the theme of justice.

The driving conflict of the film’s storyline is further illustrated by subtle costuming choices and alterations by the filmmaker. The hot temperature in the room is represented by the sweat on the faces of the men and is illuminated by the subtle use of chiaroscuro lighting. Eleven out of the twelve men end up taking off their jackets because of the sheer heat of the day. By looking deeper into this action it can be analysed that the rising uncomfortableness of their suits, due to the weather, is a metaphor for the growing confinement created by their seemingly unsolvable situation. A comparison can be made between the similarities in costuming in “12 Angry Men” and “Gravity” in terms of the tension created.

The three films discussed have varying production contexts which impact on how they are interpreted. Elements of cinematography and mise-en-scene are manipulated in order to express themes which are quite similar throughout "Gravity", "127 Hours" and "12 Angry Men". There are similarities and differences between these films in regards to the way the elements represent the themes.


Reference List

Boulanger-Mashberg, Anica. 2010. “Insight Text Guide.” Twelve Angry Men edited by Anica Boulanger-Mashberg, 1-6. Elsternwick: Insight Publications.

Jones, Emma. 2013. “Clooney, Bullock: Loneliness and laughs filming Gravity.” Accessed April 6, 2014. http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-24853198.

Rich, Katey and Eric Eisenberg. 2013 “How Did Gravity Do That? The Secrets Behind Its Groundbreaking Special Effects.” Accessed April 6, 2014. http://www.cinemablend.com/new/How-Did-Gravity-Do-Secrets-Behind-Its-Groundbreaking-Special-Effects-39790.html.

Narrative is an element of film language manipulated to position the audience to feel a certain way about specific plot information in relation to the overall storyline.

Commentary 1: ’The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ (2012)

Storytelling is the main goal of Hollywood cinema and is propelled by the characters within. New Line Cinema’s ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ is a fantasy, adventure film which holds no exception. There are many vital cinematic and narrative techniques used to establish character in the scene where protagonist Bilbo Baggins The Hobbit meets Gandalf The Wizard. Character movement and setting are two important aspects of mise-en-scène which build Bilbo’s character in this scene. When Gandalf faces Bilbo with the idea of adventure, a central concept to the film, he is noticeably confronted and subsequently acts surprised and confounded. We learn more about this central character through his movements when he awkwardly retreats back to his small, underground home. This reflects the mindset of the hobbit’s reserved, sheltered, habit driven lifestyle. Further developments of Bilbo’s character can be derived from the extravagant scenery.

The luscious green background literally represents the desire for adventure in the back of Bilbo’s mind. All of this information leads up to the point where he locks himself inside his home, an important part of the scene as we can readily identify the emotive contrast between his need for a lifestyle adjustment and determination to not. This scene is an essential ingredient in the propellant of the storyline as it firmly establishes character through unresolved conflict.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_cwRqXBR4Q

Commentary 2: ‘American Beauty’ (1999)

This image from ‘American Beauty’ is a perfect example of how filmmakers manipulate mise-en-scène and cinematography to convey character information. If you notice the way the slightly high angled camera frames Lester Burnham’s desk area, you can feel an entrapping notion as there is shallow space. This is made to reinforce the very same feeling of entrapment experienced by the main character. It can also been seen that the lack of direct lighting along with the bluey-grey colour scheme connotes a deprived sentiment. Another device which takes advantage of the subtly dull visuals is the placement of props. As shown in the image, the desk is cluttered with objects representing Lester’s uncontrollably dim and sedated psychological state. The most attention grabbing image of this scene is the computer monitor. We can see this as it is positioned centre frame, reflecting Lester in a medium close-up fashion. The vertical lines of information on the computer’s display pose as jail bars, locking the imprisoned character within the context of his monotonous work lifestyle.

Being positioned to accept that Lester is an emotionally trapped, sedated and monotonous man, we can see that the goal orientation of his character is to overcome these feelings. This gives us a scope of what to expect in subsequent scenes and helps encourage the narrative structure of the film.

Commentary 3: ‘Breaking Bad’: Season 1 Episode 1 (2008)

One of the more obvious narrative aspects used in Breaking Bad’s pilot episode is the flash-forward. This technique is used to give a viewer exclusive insight into the main character’s outcome in terms of situation, personality and morality. The episode starts off with a cold open, showcasing a dramatic, action packed scene involving protagonist Walter White. However, only at the start of the subsequent scene does the viewer understand the temporal order of the initial events.

The narrative type changes from restricted to unrestricted between these two scenes as the audience is already aware of Walter’s future whilst he remains oblivious. This causes the story to drive on with anticipation as the audience revaluates the causality of the unfolding events. The effect of this non-linear ploy is evident throughout the entire episode as we are positioned to actively engage with Walter’s character transformation. 

For example, instead of viewing his initial interaction with DEA brother-in-law, Hank, as a routine character introduction, we curiously question if and how he would have significance to the opening scene. Therefore, it can be said that the flash-forward technique is a very important tool in film and television storytelling.