Film Analysis

Clip E

Because this clip is of a conversation between two people, the 180 degrees rule is used. When a shot of the musician is being shown, the audience sees the left side of his face, and when a shot of the priest is being shown, we see more of the right side of his face. This helps the audience keep track of the characters and understand that they are looking at and talking to each other. The primary light source in this clip is from a window behind the musician, so backlighting is used to illuminate him. A cut takes place between a scene of the musician at his piano and an opera singer performing, but there is a graphic relation between these scenes because we see the conductor at the opera begin conducting, and the musician from the original scene finishing conducting after the second cut. This also demonstrates Kuleshov's effect because we make the conection in our minds that the conductor is the same person as the musician.

Clip A

This clip includes two separate scenes of people sitting around a table and playing poker. Because they are all talking to each other, the 180 degrees rule is taken into account to make it clear which characters are talking to each other so it is easier to follow the conversation. In addition, they are usually talking about the game, and to emphasize the poker chips and cards on the table, a low angle is used when directed at the characters. The sound is all diegetic, so the music in the background is the music being played at the bar, and the sounds of cards and chips being placed on the table reflect what's happening in the film. Finally, there is an interesting transition where we first see Brad Pitt at the table and then the shot cuts to him at the bar. The eyeline match emphasizes this character and his personality and behavior at the bar.

Clip B

All the music and sound in this clip is diegetic because it is the music being played by the carousel, even though it feels like background music. There is a graphic relation between the conductor of the carousel being shot, the wheel of the carousel getting faster and the carousel itself speeding up. Even though we see these things in three separate shots, we understand that they are related. While the carousel is turning quickly and the fighting is taking place, the rhythmic relations with the quick editing and many cuts add to the chaos and hectic feel of the clip. When the woman falls, a low angle shows the man who pushed her, emphasizing that he is the powerful, dangerous character, but because the woman is closest to the camera and the man is in the background, following the rule of thirds, the audience understands that she is the victim. Compositional stress is used in this clip when certain characters are leaning off the edge of the carousel, or when there is a close up of the horse's face. This imbalance makes the audience nervous and adds to the suspenseful tone of the clip.

Clip C

The most significant element of this clip is the editing, and the way the cuts emphasize the contrast between the investigators outside and the strange events inside. The shots are all very similar in leingth, creating a rythmic relation between the two events. When we first see one of the inside shots, it is an extreme close-up of the main character with a bug on his face; a shot that already makes the audience uncomfortable and allows us to see how strage the character is. The hard lighting in the inside shots, as well as the loud music contrast sharply with the soft, bright, outdoor lighting and lack of music in the outdoor shots. There are many variations on the types of shots used. Both the indoor and outdoor scenes utilize long shots to show the unique settings, but medium and close-up shots are used as well during the shots that are meant to focus our attention on the characters.