Mda1700 communicating in film

MDA 1700 Communicating in Film : Styles and Movements

Stylistic analysis assignment

By Manuela Gilke

Match Point. 2005. JADA Productions, BBC Films. Directed and written by Woody Allen. Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emily Mortimer.

This Essay will critically analyze a 3, 00 minutes scene from the Movie “ Match Point ” by Woody Allen (Seq. 35:00-38:00) focusing on Sound, Editing and Cinematography based on the definition of Mariano Prunes, Michael Raine and Mary Litch – Yale University.

Sound:Sound in Movies:“ The sense of a sound's position in space, yielded by volume, timbre, pitch, and, in stereophonic reproduction systems, binaural information. Used to create a more realistic sense of space, with events happening (that is, coming from) closer or further away. ” (http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/htmfiles/sound.htm)

The overpowering Sound in this Scene is clearly the rain. The Volume of the rain sounds overdone and nondigetic (nearly unrealistic) – which makes the audience automatically set focus on it. Also, the Rain might describe the mood of the characters – The Tears, the Tension and Anger.

In the first sequence the rain is just slightly to hear in the background. As the Debate rises, so does the sound of the rain. It indicates the sadness and fury within Scarlett Johansson Character.

It might also symbolize the sexual Tension between Jonathan Rhys Meyers Character and Scarlett Johansson’s Character.

No music is used during this Scene.

EditingDuring this Scene, Woody Allen uses several Techniques to engage the audience with the different characters, while he still keeps the flow of the story. The different Techniques are useful to demonstrate – WHO is talking, WHO is he talking to, or WHO or WHAT are they talking about.

EYELINE MATCH “A cut obeying the axis of action principle, in which the first shot shows a person off in one direction and the second shows a nearby space containing what he or she sees. If the person looks left, the following shot should imply that the looker is off screen right. “

During the Debate in the room Woody Allen uses the “ Eye line Match “ to indicate Scarlett Johansson’s Character focusing on the Mother, as she speaks off her opinion. It became the most obvious during the following dialogue:

Mother: “ All I’m saying is acting’s so will-o’-the-wisp. Those that have it know it right off… ”

Fig. 35: 49 Fig. 35 : 51

After this Shot the Camera focuses on Scarlett Johansson Face – so you can clearly see her focus on the mothers face. Using this Technique, Allen shows the viewers Scarlett Johansson’s Point of view, giving them the opportunity to “ see what she sees. ”

CROSSCUTTING “Editing that alternates shots of two or more lines of action occurring in different places, usually simultaneously. The two actions are therefore linked, associating the characters from both lines of action.”

Allan uses the “ Crosscutting “ during this Scene, to give the Audience an Overview of the main characters. It also gives us an Idea in which constellation the characters relate to each other.

CONTINUITY EDITING “A system of cutting to maintain continuous and clear narrative action. Continuity editing relies upon matching screen direction, position, and temporal relations from shot to shot. The film supports the viewer's assumption that space and time are contiguous between successive shots. Also, the diegesis is more readily understood when directions on the screen match directions in the world of the film. The "180° rule," shown in the diagram below, dictates that the camera should stay in one of the areas on either side of the axis of action (an imaginary line drawn between the two major dramatic elements A and B in a scene, usually two characters). “

Woody Allen uses the “ Continuity Editing “ to follow the Character of Scarlett Johansson from inside the house to the outside. In Between showing the Character of Jonathan Rhys Meyers Character and Scarlett Johansson he uses the Pan to signify her, leaving the house, through the observation of Jonathan Rhys Meyers Character – using his point of view.

CinematographyIn the aspect of Cinematography this essay will focus on the different kind of Shots, such as Long Shots, Medium Shots and Close up, as well as the general Atmosphere.

ATMOSPHERE“The look of an image, its balance of dark and light, the depth of the space in focus, the relation of background and foreground, etc. all affect the reception of the image.”

As the sound changes when Scarlett Johansson’s Character leaves the room, so does the light and the environment. As she goes outside, she enters a garden, that looks like the Garden of Eden – which might symbolize the forbidden Tension between her and the male Character of Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who follows her into the garden. Also, the Path in the Garden leads the Viewer to the next Shot, where the two Characters are cheating on their Partners. The light in this scene (and most parts of the whole movie) is kept very dark. It shows the Viewer the serious character of the movie and brings out the mood of the different Characters and the general Topic of the Movie.

Fig. 36 : 38 Fig. 36 : 42

LONG SHOT “ A framing in which the scale of the object shown is small; a standing human figure would appear nearly the height of the screen. It makes for a relatively stable shot that can accommodate movement without reframing. “

The “ Long shot “ is used when Scarlett Johansson is walking in the fields, joined by Jonathan Rhys Meyers. This way, the viewer gets to know the location and the Atmosphere of the Scene. He also gets an overview of “WHO” is in the Scene and “WHERE” are the Characters , as the Long shot allows the viewer to take a look at the Surroundings.

MEDIUM LONG SHOT “ Framing such than an object four or five feet high would fill most of the screen vertically.”

During the Living Room Scene, Allen uses the Medium Long shot to focus on two Persons in the Frame. As Jonathan Rhys Meyers Character enters the Frame, the Choose of shot makes the audience focus on him, even though they are still able to see his background. Before the actual kissing scene, Allen moves from a long shot to a medium long shot (before he goes into the close up) to raise the tension.

CLOSE-UP “ A framing in which the scale of the object shown is relatively large. In a close-up a person's head, or some other similarly sized object, would fill the frame. Framing scales are not universal, but rather established in relationship with other frames from the same film. “

Woody Allen uses Close ups very sparingly. During the argue with the mother, he uses the close up to show Scarlett Johansson’s Reaction and Emotions, as the mother speaks her opinion.

Fig. 35 : 51 Fig. 35 : 56

In the outside Scene, he uses the close up during the Kiss of Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers to show the Emotions on the Characters faces, as well as to intensive the Moment and show the importance of it.

Fig. 37 : 12 Fig. 37 : 15

Fig. 37 : 20 Fig. 37: 29

Diagram “use of different shots”

Scene 35:00 - 38:00

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LongshotMedium Long ShotClose Up

References:

http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/ , Mariano Prunes, Michael Raine and Mary Litch – Yale University

Film: Match point (2005), Woody Allen, BBC Films