Morgan W Sullivan

Rough Draft

The Significance of Lighting: Big Eyes

Far too often the praise and accolades of any given movie are awarded to the actors of

the film. To most people the actors bear the brunt of the work, shaping and molding

themselves to not only portray a different person, but to take on an identity and present it and

the associated life as their own. They speak the lines and emote so that we are drawn in to the

story, so that we believe. But what of the negative space? What must happen between those

spoken lines in order to further the story and add depth that simply cannot be spoken into

existence? This is where cinematography, lighting, and film score come in to play. These are

actors in and of themselves, playing their own parts. In this paper I will discuss the role of one

of those too often underappreciated players: lighting.

The movie Big Eyes, starring Amy Adams and Christophe Waltz, tells the story of

Margaret Keane; a painter looking for a fresh start in the late 1950’s who found success but was

unable to call it her own. Her husband, Walter, used a cocktail of charm and bullishness to take

the credit for her work in the name of greed and self-satisfaction. I could not help but notice

the several occurrences in the film that their natures were not only emphasized but captured

by keen lighting.

The movie begins in 1958 with Margaret’s first divorce. Defying convention of the time,

she leaves her home in the middle of the day with her daughter in tow. The sunlight almost

creates a haze that brings the background out of focus, softening the image. Despite the

difficult circumstances, Margaret’s outlook is one of hope as highlighted by bright blue and

open skies.

Not long after Margaret relocates to California she meets a charming man, Walter. He is

a well-traveled artist, is supportive of her ambitions and cares for her daughter. The scenes

featuring their developing relationship are

light and airy signifying that these are

happy times. The light illuminates the

beautiful landscape and makes this image

appear to be a painting itself.

Once settled into married life, Margaret initially appears to be happy. But we find the

happiness to be short-lived when Margaret discovers that her husband has taken credit for her

art in order to make a sale, with the claim that “no one wants to buy lady art.” It is during this

time that we see the transition from bright, hazy splashes of color to dim and darker scenes,

punctuated with shadows.

Figure 2: Margaret & Walter paint. Amy Adams, Delaney Raye, and Christoph Waltz. Big Eyes 2014

Figure 1: Margaret leaves her first husband. Amy Adams and Delaney Raye, Big Eyes 2014

In this scene we catch the first

glimpse of lighting beginning

to define the characteristic

differences between Margaret

and Walter. While in the

nightclub that features their

artwork, Walter and Margaret

are asked who the artist is. We see Margaret frozen by her own doubt and hesitant to respond,

while Walter stands in the darkness, almost a shadow. The light seems to illuminate Margaret

as the true artist, but in her hesitation Walter steps forward and takes claim of the art.

This is not the last time that we see battle lines drawn with the help of lighting. Over the

next several years, Margaret spends her time painting art while Walter markets it, and of

course takes the credit. The formula is

successful, although we can see toll it

has taken on Margaret. One day while

in the studio, she discovers some of

Walter’s first paintings and concludes

that he is not the artist he claims to

have been. When confronted with the allegations that he has taken credit for another’s art

before, Walter’s temper flares and he becomes defensive. We can see in the image above that

Walter has back to the light, as if in denial of the truth itself. His lies have come to the surface,

represented by the shadow cast on the opposite wall.

Figure 3: Margaret & Walter stand in hungry i nightclub. Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz. Big Eyes 2014

Figure 4: Walter denies allegations. Christoph Waltz. Big Eyes 2014

One of the most striking lighting differences can be witnessed toward the end of the

movie. At this time, Margaret has seen Walter for who he truly is, a manipulative bully using her

own fear against her in order to procure even more paintings for monetary gain. She finds the

courage to leave Walter, relocate to Hawaii and file for divorce. Walter’s greed gets the best of

both characters when he demands more paintings and a portion of her proceeds in all her

future works. Having finally reached her limit, Margaret decides to publicly announce that she is

the true artist and is taken to court, where both parties are required to paint to prove

themselves.

In the image shown here, we

notice more than the “good

versus evil” them that has

dominated the movie. The

audience is reminded that life for

women was starkly different

than of today. Women of that

period were expected to be

subservient and meek, as hinted by the light flooding over Walter. His side of the court room is

bright, while hers is very dim. Although she is the one with right and truth on her side, she is

forced to prove it in order to step out of the darkness.

Figure 5: Walter and Margaret paint in court. Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz. Big Eyes 2014