Super 8, is a brilliant science fiction film with meta narratives that tell us compelling stories about government control and the struggle of small town people being confined by the military. The story begins with innocent children trying to satisfy their curiosity of the unknown by making a zombie movie. The children are trapped in the middle, when they stumble upon the military’s intention to contain an alien. The Director, J.J. Abrams captivates the viewer’s attention by using visual materials to narrate each scene in an extraordinary mise en scene manner. All four distinct formal elements such as staging of the action, physical setting and décor, manner in which materials are framed and photographed are brilliantly portrayed in this film.
In this scene, a tight frame is used to show how one of the characters, Preston is confined to a tight space on the left side of the frame with no room for movement. On right side of the frame is Joe Lamb’s father, Jackson Lamb (Kyle Chandler) who is in an intimidating position wanting answers from Preston about his son’s disappearance. The frame excludes audiences in the background by blurring their presence. The dominant is the reel of film, Preston is holding right in the center; the subsidiary contrast is the towering presence of Jackson looking Preston straight in the eye. Closed form is used in this scene to show confinement and no way out for Preston, who instantly comes out with the film reel. Available lighting is used as this scene is in a hospital setting. The characters are in a three quarter turn position which conveys Jackson’s unfriendly feelings at that moment towards Preston. The camera proxemics appears to be an extreme close shot, even though the character proxemics especially of the father appears to be angry and hostile, but not intimate.
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ReplyDeleteI did enjoy your analysis of this photograph, but I believe you left out an important element about the character proxemic between Mr. Lamb and Preston. Throughout the film, the audience can notice how distant Mr. Lamb is towards Joey’s friends. Specifically, at a dinner scene, Mr. Lamb expresses his dislike for his choice of friends and tell his son, Joey, to “grow up.” Therefore, when there are scenes between Mr. Lamb and Joey’s friends, the director makes sure that his distance makes himself look alienated and detached. However, as the movie progresses, Mr. Lamb begins to question the conduct of the military and decides to rebel against them to save the town. In order to save the town, Mr. Lamb has to seek out Joey’s friend to find out what his son is up to. Therefore, by the time the audience comes to this scene, it is important to notice how close Mr. Lamb is to Preston. Instead of alienating himself, Mr. Lamb shares a personal space with Preston to gain information regarding the military cover up. Therefore the news reel serves as the dominant because it holds all the answers that Mr. Lamb needs to find his son, Joey. I don't think this shot would promote an "angry/hostile" proxemic because the emotions that are displayed do not signify that particular emotion. What the audience can gather from the character proxemic is neither angry or hostile, but simply exerting his authority over Preston. The audience can not notice any aggressiveness coming from the father. In my opinion, I believe this scene is a neutral between the two characters and not hostile.
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