Spike Lee is an American director who's films tend to focus on themes such as racial and political issues. He has made such films as She's Gotta Have It, Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X. Lee has a very unique and recognisable style that he uses within each of his films which can be seen through each micro element of film, with those being Cinematography, Sound, Editing and Mise-en-scène. To show and explain the way in which he is an auteur, I will be analysing one clip from his film Malcolm X and comparing it with his other film Do The Right Thing, both of which have been incredibly influential and were met with acclaim upon release. I will be focusing on the following clip from Malcolm X: Cinematography
Lee tends to use several signature techniques when it comes to cinematography. Seven seconds into this clip, the camera quickly pans between each character as they begin speaking. The camera focuses on whoever begins talking as they are becoming the centre of attention. The quick pace of the camera movement could emphasise the feeling of desperation with each character and the fact that each person is coming up with a quick response to what the other person says during the argument. This camera movement technique is also used in another of Lee's films called Do The Right Thing from 1989, for example it is used in the scene when Mookie argues with Sal before going off to meet with Tina. Therefore it would appear Lee uses this technique when there is an argument or sense of hostility between multiple characters. Lee also tends to follow and track the movements of either a character or object within scenes in his films. This is highlighted in the clip from 2:44 to 3:37, as the camera follows the movement of Malcolm X (played by Denzel Washington) towards the hospital and so the camera is moved accordingly alongside him, however the camera becomes stationary as soon as he stops walking, signifying that the main focus in the scene has come to a halt and so the audience should as well. This feature is also seen very often throughout Do The Right Thing, as whenever a character is moving, the camera tends to follow them - an example being when Mookie goes to pick up the trash can that he ultimately throws at the window of Sal's Pizzeria. Lots of aerial crane shots are also frequently used within this clip from the film, which helps to show the grand scale and mass amount of people marching towards the hospital and signifies the impact that Malcolm X is having within the community. An aerial crane shot is also used in the final scene of Do The Right Thing, which shows that despite all the disaster that took place, they are still united as a community. Editing In the clip from the film, there is a fair use of shot reverse shot when there is a conversation between two characters. This is noticeable at around 4:42 when the policeman talks to Malcolm X. The camera tends to cut from one shot to the other once one of the characters has finished talking. This helps for the main attention of the audience to remain on the dialogue of each character, as they're not being presented with new and fresh images to look at as the main thing that they should be focusing on is the dialogue of the character and so it means that they don't become distracted by new imagery. This editing technique is also used frequently throughout Do The Right Thing, as it is very rare that, while a conversation is taking place between two characters, a character will be cut away from mid speak and so the camera will wait for each character to finish speaking before cutting away to the next piece of dialogue from a different character. Sound There isn't an awful lot to say about the sound used within this clip, however there is a plentiful amount of diagetic sound, for example the dialogue from characters, as well as things like the turning of pages in a book and the opening and closing of blinds. This helps to add a sense of realism to the film, as without these sounds being heard, it wouldn't feel real or grounded. There is also music played within this clip. Most notably, there is a piece of music that comes in at around 2:43 which begins with a drum beat and builds to an incredibly loud, triumphant and dramatic piece, and it builds even more whenever more people become involved with Malcolm X's march towards the hospital, which also helps to emphasise the dramatic nature and importance that this is to all of the characters and people, and also the impact that Malcolm X is having on the public. Music is also used for representation in Lee's other films, such as Do The Right Thing, as the song 'Fight The Power' by Public Enemy is repeated at many points throughout the film, which symbolises the idea of the black community standing up and fighting against racism and discrimination. Mise-en-scène A large amount of this clip from Malcolm X is set outside at night. This dark setting could help to symbolise that the world isn't so bright and what's happening is very dramatic and serious, instead of being happy and lively. Malcolm X and the two people he enters the police precinct with are all wearing very tidy and formal suits, however one of the police detectives' suit is quite scruffy and not well groomed at all. This could help to emphasise the fact that Malcolm X's beliefs and what he is doing is very serious and he has a very determined mindset, however the police detectives aren't entirely bothered and don't have a serious attitude to what Malcolm X is saying or asking of them. Overall, Spike Lee has a very signature and recognisable style that is present throughout his films, and can be seen as being used through each micro element of film.
1 Comment
Blade Runner 2049 is the very highly anticipated sequel to the iconic 80's sci-fi classic 'Blade Runner'. The film is directed by one of the best directors currently working today, Denis Villeneuve and stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford and Jared Leto. It depicts the story of Officer K who lives in 2049 Los Angeles and is tasked with locating and destroying the child of a replicant. Before I go in depth, I just want to say that 2049 is a straight up masterpiece. Villeneuve is cementing himself as an absolute genius, especially with his other works such as Sicario, a fantastic crime thriller, and Arrival, which was an incredible sci-fi and was one of the best films of last year - and so now he has proved himself yet again with Blade Runner 2049, which is somehow his greatest film to date and one of the greatest science fiction stories ever put to screen and, in my opinion, excels the original in nearly every single way - and don't get me wrong, I adore the original film, but it's hard to argue that this wasn't a superior film. First off, 2049 is a visual masterpiece and is such an incredibly visceral experience. Some of the visuals are just simply gorgeous and makes the film amazingly stunning to look at, and it's near impossible to become bored whilst looking at the world that has been brought before your eyes which leaves you in awe has to how it came about. 2049 is also a perfect example of how to make a sequel; it doesn't shove fan service down the audience's throats (*cough* Jurassic World *cough*), but instead it gives us a fresh new story set in the same world, while also expanding upon the original movie in some form. Ryan Gosling gives one of the greatest performances of his entire career as Officer K and, in my opinion, should at least be considered for an Oscar nod. Harrison Ford is also on par with one of the best performances from him in a while, even though he was pretty solid in The Force Awakens he's definitely better in this. Jared Leto also gives a very menacing portrayal of the villainous character of Wallace, and is definitely an improvement from his last villain role from the astonishingly abysmal Suicide Squad. The narrative of 2049 is also full of twists and turns, and is very far from predictable - which is a criticism that could easily be made of the first film. The film has a total running time of 169 minutes, which is almost 3 hours, however it really doesn't feel like it - and the incredibly built world really helps to keep you engaged in the story despite the fact that it is very lengthy in retrospect. 2049 is almost completely void of flaws, however unfortunately no movie is completely perfect. Whilst the 169 minute run time doesn't necessarily become tiresome, it could very easily be reduced due to one or two unnecessary scenes. The film also uses several voice clips over and over again from earlier points in the film to remind the audience of what's happened and to give them audio clues to piece the puzzle together, however each mystery revealed itself pretty easily without these audio clips being required - and so I felt they could've and should've been removed. There's also some expository dialogue and heavy amounts of product placement, but these both make sense in terms of the narrative and the universe so they can be forgiven. In conclusion, Denis Villeneuve yet again proves himself to be one of the greatest working directors at this current point in time with Blade Runner 2049, which is a modern day masterpiece which expands upon its predecessor and tells a fresh and exciting narrative, instead of relying on it to please audience members. Blade Runner 2049 is one of the greatest science fiction movies and sequels of all time and is even greater than the original film, I cannot recommend it enough - please go and see Blade Runner 2049 as soon as possible and on the biggest screen you can find. |
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December 2017
My Favourite Films:
The Breakfast Club (1989) Drive (2011) The Social Network (2010) The Dark Knight (2008) Empire Strikes Back (1980) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Taxi Driver (1976) Dr Strangelove (1964) Trainspotting (1996) |