Shot Techniques in the Film, Do the Right Thing
Spike Lee does many fascinating things from a directorial standpoint, which makes his film (dare I say, joint), Do the Right Thing so interesting to watch. Writer, director Lee makes much use of the high and low angle shots. He does this to draw clear contrasts between the two elders of the block, Da Mayor and Mother Sister and to make conflict more apparent.
Mother Sister certainly believes she is on a higher moral plane than the lowly Mayor and is usually seen by way of a low-angle shot high in her window preaching down and casting criticism on the passersby, giving her an almost God-like characteristic. The high angle shots from her view give Da Mayor and others on the street a
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Briefly the two are in the same eye-level shot showing the viewer that Mother Sister and Da Mayor are very much the same. This also gives her character a much more tangible, mortal quality. They are also shown this way after Da Mayor risks his life to save a boy from being hit by a car while playing in the street, but it is not so much because the two are equals as it that the God-like Mother Sister is coming down from her high perch to grace Da Mayor with her sacred opinion that he has done a good thing.
A good example of Lee using high and low angel shots to exemplify conflict is in the two encounters between Sal and Radio Raheem. Radio Raheem is shown throughout the film only with low-angle shots giving him a threatening, larger than life appearance. When Radio Raheem walks into Sal’s Famous with his boom box blaring the first time it starts a huge altercation between Sal and Raheem. The camera jumps back and forth between low angle close up shots of Raheem to the reverse high angle close ups of Sal as the two yell at each other. This confrontation ends with Radio Raheem finally turning off the music and peace is restored. The second instance occurs just before and serves as the catalyst for the violent climax.
Lee makes excellent use of these shots as a way of bringing the viewer into the action of the movie. His use of high and low angle, point of view shots both heighten tension and give the feeling that the characters
In ChungKing Express shot composition tied into the editing process reflects the overall feeling of franticness in the “preparation” sequence while also engaging the viewer to the storyline. In relation to the action the camera is constantly being shifted from a far distance to a relatively close one. These particular cuts add to the rapidness being displayed in the scenes and pieced together with the jumps in intimacy, the viewer feels the bustle and business of the situation. An example of this is the shot in which we’re taken outside to the shop; making the viewer feel like nothing suspicious is going on inside but we are then sucked into the way in which the cocaine is sewed into the hat. In extension, the heavy use of motion blur, in pair with the
Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing is a compelling story about the realities and consequences of prejudice and racism. It is a story of a community and how the lives of the people living there intertwine and collide on the hottest day of the year. Throughout the film the viewer is introduced to characters of different races and ages allowing for several points of views to be heard and addressed. It is a wonderful film that’s message is still relevant today, especially this year. Lee does a phenomenal job of juxtaposing classical Hollywood themes with his own unconventional ones. He finds a way to follow the rules yet giving them a twist that keeps the story interesting. His derisions do not hinder the film, but instead help to support the theme of the movie. A
Figgis mainly used multiple shots to emphasize the two protagonist's interactions with each other. The two shot and the over-the-shoulder shot were used often to build a situation or emotion between the two characters before usually going over to a close up to highlight how each character reacts by their facial expressions. The director mainly used eye level shots, to leave it up to the audience to judge the two main characters of the movie, although certain power struggles in the film are shown from high angles to illustrate someone dominating a conversation or argument. Figgis also uses some point of view shots to show the imbalance during Ben's drunken periods where the camera is placed at an oblique angle to show tension and approaching movements. The images in the film are in high contrast with streaks of blackness and harsh shafts of light to underline the dramatic events that occur.
This scene uses the mid-tempo-shot (social shot), to crescendo their faces to perhaps exaggerate that Ellie and Lee are quite in the same plight, and to show their relationship as a guerrilla that conquers social norms. It also gives a scenario of how confident Lee turns into because “it was the first time he’d used the
Gavin Hood’s ‘Ender’s Game’ is a great showing of power with the help of cinematic techniques. Some examples of these cinematic techniques are ‘point of view’ or P.O.V shots, close ups, over-the-shoulder, wide-angle shots, special effects (FX) and sound. Hood use of power helps convey the plot and characters personality. Many times during the movie Hood uses wide angle and over-the-shoulder shots to show the control and power Colonel Graff, played by Harrison Ford, possesses.
An example of high angle in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is when the camera is above the deserted factory. This example shows how huge the factory is and makes the audience feel small compared to it because the factory is so huge. An example of a high angle in Edward Scissorhands is when the shot is above Ed’s house in the scene with the barbeque. This example creates a feeling of being puny of small because the shot shows everyone surrounding Edward. An example of high angle in Big Fish is when the camera is above the little town in the forest. This example creates a feeling of weakness because the people are so small compared to the buildings. Burton’s use of high angle provides an effective tool to help the audience feel like a part of the film and effects them the same as the
Spike Lee's 1989 film Do the Right Thing is able to effectively explore the problem of racial conflict in America by skilfully manipulating cinematic devices such as staging, narrative, cinematography, editing and sound. The concentration and emphasis on characters' certain physical attributes with the use of photography and camera framing, the fast pace editing style and manipulation of sound all contribute to film's overall meaning. In analysing the short sequence beginning with a small girl drawing a chalk painting on the road and ending with Sal, the local pizzeria owner, making Radio Raheem, "a hulking misunderstood home-boy" , two slices of pizza, these devices are seen to illustrate the hostility between Black and Italian working
In the movie you have the three basic camera angles used, which include the low angle or ground level angle, eye level angle, and the high camera angle. The ground level angle emphasizes the seriousness and drama of the moment. it is taken from below the character and can make a character or object look threatening. The eye-level angle is simply shot at the same level as a character is more of a normal shot which has little effect on the viewer. Lastly, theres the high angle camera shot which is shot above the subject and looks down upon them. It can build suspense, prevent the viewer from seeing details, and most commonly in this film it is used to make a subject look small or weak. Most of the responses viewers have from the different camera angles depend on the emotional content and action of a given scene. They can be used differently in all films, but the different camera angles are commonly used for an array of expressive purposes, which include conveying information about a character’s view of the world and accompanying emotions. The camera angle can also complicate emotional responses by playing against our visual responses that we have with the
The filmmaker of To Kill a Mockingbird uses specifically camera angles to help develop the characters Harper Lee created in her novel. When filmmakers use close up shots on anyone's face especially with creepy music in the background people instantly tend to feel scared or creeped out. Jem and Scout felt that way when Nathan Radley suddenly came around the tree trunk to patch up the hole where the kids had been gathering little gifts Boo Radley left for them to find. The director had decided to do a close up on Nathan's face during this scene in the film to capture how the children felt at that moment. A more effective way to make people who are watching the film to feel the way the kids did is if during the close up of Nathan's face is if
When Andy plays music we see the prisoners shown form a bird's eye view, this is another camera angle used to display the prisoners as small and insignificant. The camera angles used by Darabont allow the audience to see the status of the characters. As the audience we get an instant look into who is a in control and who isn't.
Using a close-up shot shows more appropriate information. In this scene, Allie exaggerates facial expressions which convey emotion.
Denver claimed she was the first to know it was her dead sister “as soon as she spelled her name” and from that moment “Denver tended her, watched her sound sleep, listened to her labored breathing and, out of love and a breakneck possessiveness that changed her.” (64) Developing aplomb was essential If Denver was to get any information she knew she had “to appear uninquisitive about the things she was dying to ask Beloved, for if she pressed too hard, she might lose the penny that the held-out hand wanted,” (141) meaning if she were to get the information she wanted, Denver would have to use deception and strategy. Opportunity was key for Denver’s scheme to be successful. So when it presented itself, Denver suggested Beloved could sleep in her room, where “they could have their talks easier.” (80) As Denver’s questions began to narrow, Beloved’s answers became more precise. Too precise. Her answers were no longer ambiguous: they were real, emotion-filled, and supernatural. The type of answers that made Denver feel like the amount of time before her mother would find out, and kill Beloved again had drastically dwindled. It was then that “Suddenly Denver, who was sitting cross-legged, lurched forward and grabbed Beloved’s wrist,” commanding, “Don’t tell her. Don’t let Ma’am know who you are. Please, you hear?” (89) Leading Beloved to reply, ”Don’t tell me
The director used low angles and high angles shot throughout the movie to depict the character. The director used low angles shot when Tom was standing in somewhere, watching the criminals, and using his special ability. The low angle shot made Tom strong and powerful. Eugene had supervisors. In his supervisor's’ house, Tom found a lot of drug. Tom hided these drugs in rapers’ house and called the police. In the scenes of catching people who had drugs in house, the director used high angles shot. Shooting from the sky, Eugene and other people ran like rat in the street. The high angles shot made them weaker.
In about the fourth scene Lorelei, Dorothy, and Gus get onto the ship before the boat leaves. The angle of the camera starts high on Lorelei walking down the hall making the hallway appear longer. When the camera tracks Lorelei to the windows it flattens out making a longer medium shot and made her the center of the shot giving her the look of importance. The next part of the scene when Lorelei is talking to Gus, the angle again changes to a slightly high angle making the area appear bigger and giving Gus the advantage of looking more important than Lorelei. This continuous flow of angles and movement sets the tone for the conversations of the two lovers. The angle changes to a low angle when Dorothy starts singing. The angle helps keep the focus on Dorothy and keep her in the focus of the scene, rather than the rest of the Olympian team. This is only one part of the movie that utilizes the angles to create the look of wealth and keep the focus on the main
She is disgusted at her mercenary and calculating sisters, who deceive their father. She prefers to “love and be silent.”