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21872019 Par 3: Cinematography ~ Film Analysis
Film Analysis
Part 3: Cinematography
Section 1 - Quality
‘This section explores some of the elements at play Inthe construction ofa shot. AS the crtes at Cahirs du cinéma
maintained, the "how" is a8 important as the “what” in the cinema. The look ofan image, its balance of dark and High,
the depth ofthe space in focus, the relation of background and foreground, etc. all affect the reception ofthe image.
For instance, the optical qualities of grainy black ond white in Bate of Algiers (GiloPantecorvo, Maarakat madi af
Jazaer, Ageia, 1965) seem to guarantee its autherticty. On the other nang the shimmering Techriclor of a musical
‘uch a6 Singin‘ inthe Rain (Stanley Donen, 1952) suggests an out-ofthis-worl! glamor and exctement
Eady flms were shet in black and white but the cinema soon included color images. These images were intially
painted oF steneles ont the film Sut by the 1930 fimmakers were able to include calor sequences inthe films.
Apart from the added realism or glamor that a color image could provide, coleris also used to create aesthetic
patterns and to establish character or emotion in narrative cinema
In Federico Fellini's extravagant Juliet ofthe Spins (Gillett degl Spit, 1965) cols separate the bourgeols reality
and the fantasy dayareamings of the title character, who partyhops between black and write and rees and purples.
Jule of the Spints was the fist Flin fm In color, ang he intended to make ful se of i. In order to further enhance
the contrast with his previous work, he cast his favorite actress an wite Guetta Massina, the protagonist of Felin’s
carler successes such as Nights of Cabra (Le Nott a Cabiria, 1957) in which she play a destitute nooker in a grim
Suburban environment. Now Fl has the same actress playa rch housewife In luscious technical, obviously
signaling a clear turing point from hs early Neorealism-nspired films,
hitpstimanalysis coursepress yale. edulcinematography! ane 27872018 Par 3: Cinematography - Film Analysis
Contrary to pepularb
in Ingmar Bergman's Cries and Whispers (Viskingar Och Rop, 1972),
ry exclisive meanings. Compare the use of rea
and Zhang Yimou's Ju Dou (1990), for example
hips fimanalysis.coursepress yale. edulcinematography! ane 27872018 Par 3: Cinematography - Film Analysis
While Zhong exploits red as a diced signifier of unrestrained passion, Bergman associstes the color with stagnation
and contaminated blood.
‘The rato of dark to ht in an image, Ifthe cfference between the light and dark areas is large, the image is sad to
be high contrast” ifthe difference s smal ts referred to as "low contrast” Most fms use low contrat to achieve @
‘more naturalistic Hihting, High contrast is usualy associated withthe lw key lighting of dark scenes in genres uch
2s the horrer flm and the flm nl. A common diche ie to use contrast between light and dark to dstnguish between
‘00d and ev The use of contrast In a scene may draw on racist or sexist connotations,
For instance, this shot from Orson Welles Touch of Evil (1958) employs high contrast to further emphasize racial
dilerences between a blonde American woman and 2 menacing Mexican man
Like focus. In thase two shots from Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958) Besieged (WAssedio, Bernaréo Bertolucci,1998)
all of the sitferent planes of the image are given equal importance through deep focus, not only ta the characters (ke
‘the man pecking at the window inthe frst image), but lb tothe spaces (Shanduray's basement room in the
second).
While deep focus may be used occasionally, some auteurs use it consistently for they believe it achieves @ truer
representation of space. Directors ke Jean Renoir, Orson Welles, Hou HSB0-Hsien, or abbas Kiarostami all use deep
focus as an essential part of thelr signature style.
SHALLOW FOCUS
A restricted depth of field, which Kesps only one plane in sharp focus; the opposite of deep focus. Used to direct the
Viewers attention to one element af a scene. Shallow focus is very common in close-up, as in these two shats
fromCentrai Station (Central do Bras, Walter Sells, Brazil, 1998).
hips fimanalysis.coursepress yale. edulcinematography! ane 21872019 Par 3: Cinematography ~ Film Analysis
Shallow focus suggests psychological introspection, since a character appears as oblivious tothe world around
her/him. Its therefore commonly employed in ganres such ae the melograma, where the actons and thoughts ofan
individual prevei over everything else
DEPTH OF FIELO
“The dlstance through which elements in an image ar in sharp focus. Bright Vaht and a narow lens aperture tend to
produce a larger Gepth of field, as does using a wide-angle rather than along lens, shallow depth of felis often
Used as a technique to focus audience attention an the most significant aspect of a scane without having to use an
analytic cut,
Depth of field is cirectly connected, but nat tobe confused, with focus. Focus i the qual (the "sharpness" of an
abject as is registered in te image) and depth of fel refers tothe extent to which the space represente Is In
focus. Fora given lens aperture and level of lighting, the longer the focal cstance (te cstance between the lens and
the objec tat ln focus) te greater the focal depth, For a gwen focal distance, the greater the level of lghting or
the narrower the aperture, the greater the focal depth. For that reason, close-up shooting and shooting in low light
conditions often results in images with very sallow depth of fel. An image with shallow depth of fl, as this frame
FromPeking Opera Blues (Do Ma Daan, Teui Hark , 1986), has some elements infocus, but others are not
EXPOSURE
‘camera lens hasan aperture that controls how much light passes through the lens ane onto the fn. Ifthe aperture
Is widened, more light comes through and the esutant image will become more exposed. If an Image is s pale that
the detail begins to dsappear, i can be described as “overexposed Conversely, @ narrow aperture that allows
‘through les ign wll procuce a darker image than normal, known 2s “underexposed” Exposure can be manipulated
to guide an auclence's response toa scene
nis flm Trafic (2000), Steven Soderbergh decided to shot all of the sequences in the Northern Mexico desert
overexpaced, The resulting images give an Impression ofa Derren, desblated land being merclesly burt by the sun,
23 novman's land over whieh pace and customs nave no contol
RACKING FOCUS
Racking focus refers tothe practice af changing the focus of @ lens such that an element in one plane ofthe image
goes out of focus and an element at ancther plane in the image comes into focus, Tis technique ls an even more
‘this scane from Peking Opera Blues (Do Ma Daan, Tsui Hark, Honk Kong, 1986), 9 connection is mace between an
activist is hiding and a police officer who is pursuing him
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