Noorahaljboor.files.wordpress.com



Noorah Al-FraywanWilliamsFILM 1070-00310th October 2013Cinematography: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Cinematography is described as the art, process, or job of filming movies. Essentially, it includes both the shooting and development of a film-what techniques were used, filters to change the colors and enhance the overall mood, camera lenses and angles as well as depth of field and lighting. All of these components are necessary to produce a successful film. In the film industry, it is the cinematographer (Director of Photography)’s job to make sure all the technical aspects come together and support the director’s vision. In the film “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”, cinematography is effectively utilized in part to tell the story of a man named Jean-Do who, due to the effects of a stroke, communicates only by blinking his left eye to a list of letters read to him. When the film first starts, we see a bleak, bland-looking aqua blue colored hospital room through the eyes of Jean-Do. The bulk of the film is shot in subjective point of view interspersed with objective point of view. The lighting is subdued yet thorough, and is seen in nearly every angle; ergo, there are minimal shadows. Not only does the lighting enhance the artificiality of the environment, but it gives the overall look of the film sadness and bleakness. The “washed out” so to say, look enhances the storyline by acting as a visual representation of Jean-Do’s expectations in life. Because of his accident, his life is now dull and absent of color, much like the room in the hospital. It appears this way because of how the film was processed. The bleakness of the lighting is prominent in multiple shots. Most of the shots used in this film vary from extreme close-up to wide. For example, when the doctors come in to check on Jean-Do, they get close to his working eye and talk directly to him. In the flashback sequences, such as when Jean-Do is helping his dad shave, medium shots are used. Medium shots are also used in Jean-Do’s dreams, and in his mind, he controls the movement of the characters. Everything moves at a slow, steady pace. Also, the figures in his dreams are staring directly at the camera, unlike in reality, where people have to bend over to look at him. In Jean-Do’s mind, he can command the attention of everyone, while in his current state, he is easily distracted and has a hard time focusing. For example, when the speech therapist is talking to him, he tries to concentrate, but ends up looking all over the room rather than where he’s supposed to. He looks at the pictures on the wall, outside the window, at the therapist’s lab coat and name tag, etc. However, his mind appears to be in order as heard through the narrative of his thoughts. The camera pans to show the objects he is viewing, which conveys the idea of the lack of physical control. Some of the shots are blurry and out of focus, but they quickly become in focus as Jean-Do tries to concentrate. This use of the camera, as well as fading in and out, is a visual representation of how the brain pieces together bit of a person’s memory as they are “escaping from the fog”, so to speak. The length of the shots in this film tend to be a bit long, but not too long to where the story becomes boring and loses the viewer’s interest. For example, when Jean-Do is trying to communicate with the speech therapist, the process of blinking every time the correct letter he wants to use is said can be a bit painstaking. However, long shots such as these are needed to captures the patience of the speech therapist. The director strikes a balance between long and short shots to successfully move the film along and run its course. If the director had only used short shots, the film would be choppy and would depict Jean-Do’s recovery much faster than it actually was, and would give off the wrong image. In point, the film moves at a steady pace. The movement of the camera is slow and graceful. Jean-Do pictures beautiful images in his head, and the movement describes them almost ballerina-esque. When his eye is looking all over the place, the camera moves in the same direction to show us what he is looking at. Other times, the camera sits very still and motionless and captures the scene from a nearby quiet point, such as when Jean-Do faces the facts about his condition. The purpose of the camera movement is to reinforce the emotional content of the film. Certain camera angles (typically high or low) are used to reflect the point of view of the characters. For example, as seen in Jean-Do’s perspective, the camera is tilted slightly to the left, and that’s how he sees objects due to the lack of bodily control. These angles give the effect of disorientation. Low angle shots are used when the therapists come say “hello” to Jean-Do, but essentially, the characters have to lean down in order to speak to him. The same thing is shown with the doctors. The use of these angles conveys the message of friendliness and that the specialists are Jean-Do’s friends and they are trying their best to help him; they are not his enemies. Also, they speak very slowly and smile as they establish eye contact and again reinforce their helpfulness. In conclusion, the cinematography in “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” not only portrays Jean-Dos’ condition emotionally and mentally, but also reflects his outlook on life. The cinematography effectively tells the story and works well with the actor’s performances as well as the narration and dialogue.Works Cited"Cinematography." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 04 Oct. 2013."THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY." THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2013. <;."The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (film)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 04 Oct. 2013."The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." IMDb. , n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2013."The Diving Bell And The ButterflyThe Amazing Story of One Man's Life through a Lens." . N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2013."Filmus-Analyticus." : Cinematography in "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" N.p., 22 July 2012. Web. 04 Oct. 2013.Mondello, Bob. "'Diving Bell' Celebrates Life of the Mind." NPR. NPR, 30 Nov. 2007. Web. 04 Oct. 2013."Spirituality & Practice: Film Review: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Directed by Julian Schnabel." Spirituality & Practice: Film Review: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Directed by Julian Schnabel. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2013. <;. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download