The classic movie Casablanca masterfully uses lighting to shape the message of the film. The Nazi controlled city of Casablanca, Monaco is holding international citizens hostage, not allowing anyone to leave. The entire city is full of temperate refugees, mostly consisting of wealthy international travelers. The film’s lighting shows a city overcast with impossibly dark and dynamic shadows. The shadows from window blinds are cast over the main characters faces in several scenes as they talk secretly in a private room. The shadows stretch like prison bars across the actors face, representing how hopelessly trapped they are, hoping for a way to escape. The character Rich was a bright idealist turned into a cynic by the brutality of reality. He chooses to stay …show more content…
hidden in the shadows throughout film, which shows that he is not trapped by the shadows, but instead prefers to remain in them.
This is his characters way of adapting to the harsh realities of life. Even given the chance to finally be with his love he instead realizes in front of the harsh reality the entire would is facing his love “doesn’t even amount to a hill of beans.” Rick is a representation of America. As he chooses to enter the harsh shadows that have trapped the globe trotters, fighting back against the Nazis for the greater good. The international citizens trapped in the city represent the citizens of the world, confined to the shadows while they are hiding from the Nazis oppressive spotlight.
Lazlo is an idealist who represents the best in the world. He is a bright light of inspiration to those around him, and the lighting displays this clearly.
He is always the center of the scene, with a bright light shining across his face. The contracts with the shadowy hero Rick, to show that the world still has some idealists left. While the world needs soldiers fighting in the shadows for the greater good like Rick, it also needs heroes in the spotlight to inspire others. Both Lazlo and Rick have different things that only they can do, and both have the moral duty to act. The act not only for the greater good, but also to protect the woman they love, Ilsa. She is an angelic character always shown in a soft hue, that makes her skin appear to glow flawlessly. Both the shining hero and the soldier of the shadows are fighting to protect her, and it is in this way she represents want America wants to protect. Ilsa is the American people back home, the ideas of freedom, the purity of America that men went oversees in order to protect. The difference in lighting on the different characters faces, and the different angles the camera shows the audience subtly the differences in the characters. The mean, frowning, shadow covered drunk Rick. The dazzling, bright, and inspiring Lazlo. The flawless, warm, loving, and beautiful Ilsa. All of these characters subtly are unveiled to the audience through the art of cinematography. Allowing audiences to determine for themselves who they are with only subtle hints, this is what makes the character have so much depth, and what made Casablanca known as one of the best films ever made.
This film captures this class distinction without subduing the atmosphere through the use of a variety of cinematic devices. “A good film is not a bag of cinematic devices but the embodiment, through devices, of a vision, an underlying theme” (Barnett, 274). The audience can see this theme of the realities of the oppression, poverty and despair of this time period through the use of the things mentioned, but also through the character development that is driven by the character’s hopelessness. Each of the characters associated with the lower class is motivated by the conditions, which are viewed through the cinematic devices mentioned above: color, spherical lenses, long shots, and high angle shots. Sources Cited:.
The lighting for this picture was absolutely perfect because it was getting dark and in my opinion darkness defines the projects. The darkness represents the mystery of fear within the community since the projects is known for drugs and violence. The people living within the community possibly fear the fact that their children have to grow up in that specific environment. Darkness is substantial and compelling. The second images shows the different side within Bedford Stuyvesant that many do not get to see through media. I specifically took this picture because it is the complete opposite of the first image. The image shows beautiful brownstone houses of various colors. These bright cool colors represent warmth within the community. These colors say the neighborhood is not all about crime and violence but beauty within. This image gives a whole new perspective to people who have never visited within Bedford Stuyvesant and has only seen what the media portrays. The colors of the houses give life and a sense of personality to the neighborhood. Bedford Stuyvesant is truly one of the most beautiful neighborhoods I have ever
The lighting in this movie is very effective. It helps to establish the characters very well. The audience is helping in distinguishing the bad and the good characters through the lighting. The movie overall is very stylized. There are some other strange lighting patterns brought out by Hype Williams, but by far the most effective lighting patterns are ones that help to characterize the main players in the film.
Roman Polanski's 1974 film, 'Chinatown', revolutionized the film noir genre. Aside from the absense of voice-over, the film shares all the same characteristics with earlier noirs. That is, of course, except for the fact that ?Chinatown? is filmed in color. Because of this, it is more difficult upon the first viewing to immediately classify the movie to this genre. In movies such as ?Double Indemnity? even scenes that take place during the daytime are dark, and since it is a black and white film, this is easy to do. However, in a film with color it is much harder to create this dark effect, especially in scenes that are filmed outdoors. Polanski makes references to symbols that remind the audience that although ?Chinatown? is in color, it still belongs in the genre. For example, one of the first lines in the movie is, ?I just had [the venetian blinds] installed on Wednesday.? Venetian blinds are often seen in the genre, and the reference immediately makes the connection between this...
One way the filmmakers did this is with the on location shots of rubble in many scenes. The characters in these shots are carefully placed to make the rubble stand out behind them. Lighting is carefully placed to illuminate the rubble and make it stand out. However, the carefully planned cinematography also plays into the overall meaning of the film and not just how it looks. The lighting, for example, influences our feelings for certain characters. Susan Wallner is always filmed in light. This is a drastic difference from how we see Hans Mertens. Hans is usually filmed with low light and is very dim. This helps show that Susan is optimistic, while Hans is pessimistic. Another way lighting is used in this film is to create shadows. Shadows are very prevalent in the last sequence of the film. Hans has confronted Bruckner and as the camera cuts back and forth to each of them we see Hans shadow keeps growing bigger and bigger behind Bruckner. We can interpret that as the shadowing is growing bigger so his Bruckner’s fear, because the dialogue coming from Bruckner is getting faster and we can also hear the fear. There are many times in the film where close ups are used to make the storyline more dramatic. One scene that comes to mind that makes use of quick cuts and close ups is in the end of the film: Susan ran in, stopping Hans from killing Bruckner. At this point we
Robert B. Ray categorizes Casablanca as "the most typical" American film. Ray uses Casablanca as a tutor text for what he calls the formal paradigm of Classical Hollywood as well as the thematic paradigm that addresses the conflict between isolationism and communitarian participation. The film is typical in its appropriation of an official hero Laszlo, who stands for the civilizing values of home and community, and an outlaw hero Rick, who stands for individu...
... try to secure the downtown area, they were quickly overrun by the zombie horde. After hiding in a burned-out tank, Rick is eventually recused by a group of survivors who have been making risky supply runs into the city. When he returns to the group’s camp outside the city limits, he discovers that his wife, son, and best friend are also part of this rag-tag band. After the tearful reunion, the question of what to do next drives the subsequent episodes.
Janey Place and Lowell Peterson article “Some Visual Motifs of Film Noir” establishes noir as a visual style and not a ...
The main protagonist Rick Grimes is portrayed as a small town sheriff who maintains a sense of responsibility and obligation to the people he is with. Though he is frequently challenged on his standings and behavior, he remains as a moral compass throughout the season. One of the best illustrations of this is the “bicycle walker”. Rick first comes across the walker whose only remaining parts were the upper half of a woman's body: head, arms, torso, nothing from the waist down but a few dragging entrails. The reality of that woman was something that he could not even process. He envisions her as one who was once alive and a human, comparable to himself he has taken pity on her and gives her the dignity of ending her life. Once Rick shoots her he struggles with killing her because he tells her, “I’m sorry this happened to you.” This shows that he knows it is disrespectful and wrong to just shoot someone, and he experie...
...indow streaming natural light seems to be the only source of light in the room. It falls directly on the action, the man holding the woman. Their shadows then form flawlessly across the canvas and their profiles are in perfect shape. The statue, which is behind the canvas, is in complete shadows, again signifying the conservative part of the image that hides in the shadows.
This is shown in one scene as Strasser and his men sing Die Wacht am Rhine in the café. Rick gives permission for Victor to sing La Marseillaise which shows a changing attitude from his previous disinterest in the situation at hand. This is again shown in a later scene in the film where Rick fixes a round of roulette to help a young Bulgarian couple obtain visas from Renault in a way which would not corrupt their marriage. Adopting the roles of shapeshifter and ‘false enemy’, Renault closes the café at the order of Strasser. Rick’s ‘Road of Trials’ began with the fall of France and Isla’s abandonment. However, in obtaining the visas and a married Isla returning into his life, Rick’s moral compass is tested, and his ‘Road of Trials’ continue within the film. Rick’s allies and enemies (real and false) meet. The allies, Victor and Isla, go to ‘false enemy’ and shapeshifter Renault’s office where they encounter the ‘real enemy’ Strasser. Strasser states that the venture of escaping Casablanca is impossible for Victor and he will not allow him to do so alive. Afterwards, Victor and Isla learn of Rick’s possession of the letters which prompts Victor to request them from him. Being confronted with his past ‘Road of Trials’ and his ‘Inmost Cave’, Rick recluses and refuses to sell the letters up saying, “ask your wife” when questioned as to why not. Rick is then forced to come to terms with his inner pain and himself as Isla holds him at gunpoint, making him to listen to her explanations. As conversation with Isla continues, Rick’s acceptance of the truth is brought forwards and a new intimacy with Isla is created through this ‘Meeting with The Goddess’. By allowing himself to approach his ‘Inmost Cave’ and deal with his inner demons, Rick begins the true turning point of his journey as the hero in the special world, his ‘Ultimate Boon’. Using his experience from the journey thus far,
After all the challenges Rick faced through this story in the end everything came down to empathy. His feelings toward the androids, the feelings about animals, the feelings of others, and even the feeling towards himself. Any human being no matter who they are has empathy of some sort. What Philip K. Dick was trying to posses in this story is a world without empathy is like Earth in this story, damaged, contaminated, worthless, contagious, and sad. Be true to whom you are, have empathy for others, and reach for your goals.
The sudden change in luminance, occurring as Cheng lights the lantern, also conveys the effect that light has on a scene. A key part of mise-en-scene, directors utilize lighting to emphasize certain emotion or aspect of the scene (127 Bordwell and Thompson). In the case of the third segment, the use of low-key lighting emphasizes the contrast between lighter and darker areas, drawing even more attention to Lucy. Paired with the change in filter color, the lantern also represents Cheng’s newfound spiritual inspiration. Covering the room in colored light as it illuminates, the lantern mimics Cheng Huan.
Rick is one of the main characters shown in the Walking Dead. Rick is an individual who is typically calm. He shows a side of his knowledge and how it pertains to survival, along with the nature of being a good friend. On the other hand, he has created stress within the group due to the morals that he possesses. However one of Rick’s greatest faults may be is his intuition to place
Rick is a cartoon character trying to seek redemption. He seeks redemption from his family, friends, past and contiueing sins; through means of alcohol, nerturaring Morty through adolescents, and being present for family situations. The show is about about Rick and Morty who go on wild and crazy adventures trough the galaxy. Through their adventures Rick is trying to reconnect with his family. He is an alcoholic who seem 's to drink to mask his previous failures and current situations. He is 'nt empathetic to others emotions; however, as the show progresses you begin to see him losing this trait and begins to be occasionally respectful or at least be cautious