Chapter 4: Seeing Through the Image: Cinematography (pgs. 94 - 133)
"Visual stimuli determine a significant part of our experience of the world around us: we look left and right for cars before we cross a busy street, we watch sunsets in the distance, and we focus on a face across the room (pg. 96)."
We use our sight to navigate through this world. Whether we are looking at something up close, seeing something from afar, or watching a moving object, we need our vision to help give us perspective and determine the context in which we live. We use sight to examine our surroundings. What we see on the silver screen is a reflection of life. As an audience, we share the movie viewing experience with others as well as ourselves.
"We go to movies to enjoy stimulating sights, share other people's perspectives on the world, and explore that world through the details contained in a film image (pg. 96)."
Going to the movies gives us the feeling of being connected with others. We can see other people's perspectives about life up there on the screen. We can relate to the experiences we see through the characters performance. Movies use actors to help tell the story. As the story progresses, we begin to see things from that character's perspective. The setting and plot help to support the context in which the character finds himself/herself: this is referred to as the mise-en-scene. As we get into the story, we forget that we are watching a movie, we are transfixed. We get inside the character's mind. We are emotionally drawn in. For a couple of hours, we are invested in the movie we are watching. That is the magic of the movies. While watching a movie, we are able to shut out the world and escape our everyday lives. This is pure escapism at its best.
"Color profoundly affects our experience and understanding of a film shot, and black-and-white films also use contrast and graduations to create atmosphere or emphasize certain motifs (pg. 114)."
When I was a child and saw The Wizard of OZ (1939) on a colored television for the first time, I was amazed when Dorothy's house landed in Munchkin Land. When she opens the door, for the first time, the movie goes from black and white to bright vivid color. I was amazed at the transformation. I had never seen anything like it. It was magical. To this day, The Wizard of OZ (1939) is still one of my favorite movies of all time. The other significant use of color in that movie is the use of the color red. The ruby slippers are a key component in that film. The slippers have magical powers. They can transport Dorothy back home to Kansas. Home, the place she had been searching for throughout the whole movie.
In the movie The Book of Eli (2010), sepia tone was used to set the tone and create a post-apocalyptic mood. There was very little color used in that movie at all. When color was introduced, the colors were muted. This technique was very effective in this particular movie.
"Our visual experience is not just naturalistic; it is also fantastical, composed of pictures from our dreams and imaginations (pg. 120)."
In the movie Avatar (2009), when humans go into the machines to be transported telepathically, into the avatar on the other side that was created specifically for them, they are in a dream-like state. Scientists have somehow been able to tap into the subconscious minds of these individuals. They are transported to a fantastical world filled with amazing creatures. While there, the characters are captivated by the shear beauty of the place. We, as the audience, get to experience this world through these characters. In our minds, we are transported to this magical place, too.
Works Cited
"The Wizard of Oz (1939) - IMDb." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 05 Apr. 2011. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/.
"The Book of Eli (2010) - IMDb." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 05 Apr. 2011. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1037705/.
"Avatar (2009) - IMDb." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 05 Apr. 2011. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/>.
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