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"Hell in Heaven" Shot Study 1/365

"Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" (1980)

According to commentary from director Irvin Kershner, the primary driver of the production design in this shot was to create a "hell in heaven." (2004 Trilogy DVD Collection)

Up until the time of this film's debut, The Cloud City of Bespin was the most luxurious and refined location seen in the Star Wars Universe. Its introductory scene establishes an ominous feel with the suspicions expressed by the Falcon Crew feel, punctuated its dusk lighting and color pallet.



However, in the next scene, it seems things are going well as the city comes to life, appears more bright and welcoming and shows peaceful normalcy. We see hints of the city's dark mechanical underbelly, but the danger is revealed with Vader.

From this point on, Cloud City begins to become more hellish.

1/365
I will be posting studies of film each day for a year. The study will focus primarily on cinematography and production design.

Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)

"We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason if we dig deep into our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men. Not from men who feared to write, to associate, to speak, and to defend the causes that were for the moment unpopular."

-Robert R. Murrow

I often see friends share political comments and articles that are well intentioned but are filled with errors and sometimes even outright falsehoods. I believe that there are few things as toxic as misinformation, and it is frustrating to be shunned after sharing honest and reasoned disagreement. While is is great that free speech is protected from government interference, I believe the individual power to censor is too often abused, preventing healthy discourse from playing out, which is extremely harmful for politics in the long run.

"He was one of those civilized individuals who did not insist upon agreement with his political principals as a precondition for conversation or friendship"

-Murrow

Good Night, and Good Luck is a film I have found myself watching again and again over the past few years, especially after things like this. This Anitation entry will be a selection of screenshots showcasing the picture direction of this film (which was executed marvelously by Robert Elswit (imdb.com)) and will not be nearly as wordy as previous ones because the film itself is, in many ways, an overt commentary on the state of affairs in both the mainstream media and the US government. I present this film because it reminds me of something important: that there are times people have dissent and the rights of citizens must be spoken for, even if the position is unpopular to the mainstream, defiant to the powers that be, or put one at risk in falling from favor.

 

"If none of us had ever read a dangerous book or had a friend who was different, never joined an organization that advocated change, we'd all be just the kind of people Joe McCarthy wants."

-Murrow

 Excellent use of composition, rack focus and cuts to guide the viewer's eye

"[...]I believe today that mature Americans can engage in conversation and controversy, the clash of ideas, with communists anywhere in the world without becoming contaminated or converted."

-Dr.Harold Laski

 

"I've searched my conscience, and I can't for the life of me find any justification for this, and I simply cannot accept that there are, on every story, two equal and logical sides to an argument."

-Murrow

The lighting throughout the film is done very well. Those rim lights are especially hard to pull off

 "We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always, that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. [...] This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthy's methods to keep silent or for those who approve."

-Murrow

Good Night, and Good Luck is the dramatic retelling of Robert R. Murrow's open criticism of Senator McCarthy during the 1950's. During this period, the USA was beginning to enter the Cold War with Russia, and there was concern that Communist agents had infiltrated positions of power and national security in order to subvert the USA from within. Senator McCarthy appointed himself to the task of uncovering these communist agents at any cost, even if it meant doing away with due process of law and potentially ruining the lives of innocent people based on association and flimsy evidence. This film focuses on Murrow, who stepped up to challenge McCarthy's methods, putting his crew and his network in risk of being branded as communist supporters. I highly recommend this film for its direction in photography and overall message.

"[Television] can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box. Good night, and good luck."

-Murrow

SHMinar

Back in February, I was given the privilege of presenting for the Shrunkenheadman Club. The topic: Film Analysis, why every film student should take it up, how to get started, and a few observations of my own. Special thanks to my colleague and SHM President, Youri Dekker [here's his blog] for supporting my efforts and letting me share a passion of mine to fellow Shrunkenheads.

Here are the Slides and a script roughly accounting what I said for each slide:

[Slides]  [Script]

Illustrating Depression in "The Garden of Words" (2013)

According to a study done in 2005 at the University of Melbourne, the common portrayals of mental illness in media have a negative effect on how mental illness is perceived and treated. Depression manifests itself in overt anti-social behavior, self mutilation and suicide in successful films such as American Beauty, The Virgin Suicides and just about every Wes Anderson film. While these films have an element of truth to depression's destructive nature, The Garden of Words delivers an excellent portrayal of depression's more common and more subtle qualities.

Check the gorgeous trailer!

The Garden of Words (referred to as "Gardens" for the remainder of this entry) is Makoto Shinkai's best feature film to date on several levels. As usual, Comix Wave Studio delivers breath-taking visuals that raise the bar for digital 2D+3D animation. However, while all of Shinkai's previous films look spectacular, a common criticism is that the stories are slow in delivery, characters are generic in appearance and motive, and plot development relies too much on narrative monologues.

In Gardens, it seems Shinkai has taken this feedback to heart, delivering a more fluid and compelling story that relies much more on subtle narrative devices. This Anitation entry will be focused on the subtle portrayal and story arc of Yunkino, a professional who comes off as mysterious and level-headed but is in a lonely struggle with depression.

[Warning: I have left out any mention of the film's climax, but there are spoilers ahead!]

Yukino is introduced in the beginning of the film as a quiet stranger willing to share a bench with Takao in the park. At first, there seems to be nothing peculiar about Yukino until Takeo notices she is drinking beer and eating chocolate. Through the 1st act, Yukino is gradually portrayed as stable, intelligent, friendly and generous. While Takao skips school so he can have quiet place to sketch, Yukino's reasons for skipping work are not made clear until much later. 

Fig.1, Yukino's face (left)  is obstructed several times through the film, suggesting her withholding nature.

She is avoiding something.

Environmental elements are used to conceal Yukino and separating her from Takao. More subtle ways of showing Yukino's tendency to secrecy are employed as well. According to Shinkai, umbrellas represent a personal barrier and bubble, and putting it away represents honesty and openness. 

Fig.2, In this scene, Yukino holds on to her umbrella while Takao shares his aspirations to be a shoe designer, even though both of them are standing under a gazebo. While he is being expressive and honest about himself, she holds back and says nothing.

Fig.3, The most consistent decision in illustrating Yukino's depression is the use of shadows. With the exception of two instances, Yukino's face is in shadow.

It is mentioned in conversation that Yukino has lost much of her ability to taste food. This can be a symptom of depression. Her mentioning the only foods she can taste are beer and chocolate further drive this idea that she is dealing with depression since she has loads of those foods which give instant gratification that is short-lived. 

Fig.4, She drops her foundation, breaking it. She is quietly and clearly upset by this private failure. During production, Shinkai learned second-hand that breaking foundation is always a downer, no matter how well the day is going.  It can be extrapolated that Yukino is losing her ability to put on a face.

To herself, Yukino says "At 27, I'm not at all smarter than I was at 15." She has no idea where she is going in life. Alone, in the summer heat, she kicks off her shoes and looks up at the patchy roof and disheveled trees. She is losing the will to go on with her life (Fig.5).

 

Fig.5

In the scenes where Yukino and Takao visit before the start of summer and where they share lunch at her apartment, water takes form in vapor. In both these scenes, they are really enjoying each other's company. However, after Takao leaves, the picture focuses on a mug full of hot tea (Fig.6). At first, steam is leaving the mug until it grows cold. While held establishing shots are a common practice in Japanese cinema and are often used to express the passage of time, Shinkai takes it a step further to show that Yukino is reverting back into a depressed state. 

 

Fig.6

When Yukino accepts Takao's offer for handmade shoes, Takeo is coy yet careful, staying true to his craft as he measures her feet. Despite the intimate atmosphere, Yukino remains emotionally distant. The nature of their relationship is foreshadowed as Yukino stands high above Takao while he measures her feet (Fig.7).

Fig.7, In this composition, Yukino and Takeo are close yet seperate. Yukino towering over Takeo foreshadows the nature of their relationship.

Anitations: "Wash your Hands", Rushmore (1998)

Shortly after Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) gets kicked out of Rushmore, Ms.Cross (Olivia Williams) resigns from teaching at Rushmore. In this scene, Max's delusions of having a romantic relationship with Ms.Cross are shattered when she makes it clear that she has no interest and mocks Max's intentions.

I chose this scene because its shots are different from Wes Anderson's style which he uses in all his feature films and is often parodied for (notably in this SNL Halloween Special). Despite its deviation, this scene still stays very true to Anderson's style, and a small "wash your hands" sign is evidence for that which I will get into later. But first, it is important to be familiar with how Anderson typically stages his shots.

A vast majority of Anderson's shots throughout his films are head-on or profile. To some, this approach of shooting is off-putting and even downright unsettling. However, this approach does a few things for Anderson:

• It is an homage to classical theater, even down to having a play within a film as seen in Rushmore and Moonrise Kingdom (2012). (fig.1)
• It helps give an artificial feel to Anderson's stories, where the delusions of characters are a central flaw and source of conflict. (fig.2)
• It helps the audience understand the relation of setting to the character(s).

 (fig.1) Plays within films, as seen in Rushmore and Moonrise Kingdom

(fig.2) Captain Zissou in The Life Aquatic (2004) tries to fabricate a life full of adventure and drama through his documentaries. Anderson does not hide the fact that much of Zissou's boat is a film set.

In this Rushmore scene, the camera is hand-held for all shots here, as opposed to Anderson's usual profile/head-on with cameras mounted on dollies and cranes. I also realized that this method of shooting is used by Anderson when the delusions of a character are broken, sometimes during a chaotic event that forces a character out of their comfort zone. (fig.3)

(fig.3) Death and loss provide a sobering realization for Anderson's characters, notably in Life Aquatic and The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

However, Anderson does not break from his style completely in this Rushmore scene. He is still very deliberate in how the shots are composed and uses the space for the sake of narrative as a play director would. The way Cross uses the easel as a barrier and how Max gets talked into a corner is classic theater (fig.4,5), while the words "wash your hands" and "free" on Cross' shoulder at start and finish is no coincidence and reflect Cross' state of mind (fig.4,6); a testament to Anderson's meticulous style.

(fig.4) Above Cross' shoulder is a "wash your hands" sign. While not out of place in this classroom setting, it subtly reflects her state of mind. It is an old expression of one ridding themselves of responsibility for someone else's life. One of the most notable uses is in the Bible, where Pilate sends Jesus to the crowd to be judged and executed (Matthew 27:24) 

(fig.5) Max gets backed into a corner. While there is space outside, he is still trapped. This backdrop with all the fish tanks is a reference to the aquarium Max tried to build for Ms.Cross in an effort to win her over but got him expelled. It is a visual play on the mess he got himself into.

(fig.6) With Max gone, Cross is free. Is the word over her shoulder there by coincidence? I hardly think so.

As seen with Anderson's deliberate use with of themes in licensed soundtracks for his films, such as betrayal in Rushmore with "Oh Yoko" by John Lennon, nostalgia in The Fantastic Mr.Fox with "Balled of Davy Crockett" and "Love" which were Disney movie originals, and a sense of absolute uncertainty in the opening of The Darjeeling Limited with "This Time Tomorrow" by The Kinks, Anderson has a blunt yet subtle way with the presentation of words in his films, scattered throughout like Easter Eggs.

Anitations: "Let it Go" from "Frozen" (2013)

I lied.

I said my next Anitation entry would be from Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, but Disney Animation just released the animation sequence for "Let it Go" from their most recent feature Frozen. I love this film and I love this song, so how could I not say no to studying it?

This Anitation will focus on studying the eye trace of the sequence. The Eyetrace will be highlighted with a rectangle on screen. Sorry, the sound is absent because it can be distracting and it would violate audio copyright terms of YouTube if left in. The original video will be found here as long as Disney decides to keep it on their YouTube Channel.

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