Scene Analysis
The scene for analysis involves a monologue by an individual who envisions getting rich through the black market sale of gold. The individual then agrees with the tenant to mortgage his things for money to buy gold. Crows and Sparrows is a Chinese movie directed by Zheng Junli and released in 1949. The film is notable for its evident criticism of the corrupt bureaucrats in the Nationalist party. The film is therefore critical on its opposition to the corrupt nature of the Chinese ruling government at the time. The particular scene applies cinematography and editing techniques meant to empathize with the common citizen’s need to get rich, while the government officials are engaging in widespread corruption.. Analyzed below is the film’s cinematography and editing techniques used to reinforce the film’s main theme by evoking emotions directed towards empathizing with the common citizen and criticizing the level of corruption in this country.
As the scene opens, the viewer is introduced to two people in a conversation through a medium long shot. The medium long shot accommodates the two characters in the screen and adhere to the 180 degree rule by having the camera steady at one position. The scene then uses a jump on action to transition to the next scene. A medium shot is widely used in the next scene. Different from a long shot, the medium shot is meant to get the viewer somehow emotionally involved by bringing the viewer to a conversational level with the character. The medium shot brings the viewer and the character to a casual conversational level and this means that there will be an investment in emotions (Heiderich 7). The scene depicts an individual who plans on getting rich by using the black market for gold, and this breeds mixed emotions. Although there is empathy for the character’s poverty level, the reader is mixed between being empathetic and being opposed to corruption and underhand means of getting rich. A medium long shot then introduces another character in the scene by also jumping on action.
There are no camera movements in the first scene as the camera is entirely steady and in one position. In the medium shot scene that follows, the camera tilts as it introduces the viewer to the next scene, and the tilting goes all the way to the bottom before focusing on the character through a medium shot. The tilt movements create anticipation before the viewer can get emotionally involved. The camera then focuses on a close up shot for some time before moving back to the medium shot. At the close up shot, the viewer can see the character’s expressions where he is evidently happy in his new prospects. The shot then quickly moves back to a medium shot to accommodate other events that include falling off the seat after being overwhelmed by laughter.
The editing technique used in this scene is largely on continuity, with sections that include jumping on action. As the scene begins, the viewer is first introduced to a Nationalist official having a conversation with his wife before he leaves, and this features only one shot. The scene is very short (approximately 2 seconds) and it the jumps to the monologue being done by Little Broadcast just as the official’s wife is buttoning his coat. The buttoning of the coat marks the cue to jump on action where the next shot involves smoke billowing upwards as Little Broadcast is smoking. The scene is from there characterized by tilt camera movements that move between medium shots and close up shots.
In Little Broadcast’s monologue scene, the film then features match cuts that move from a cut in where the character is holding his back facing away from the camera, and a cutaway where the character is facing the camera while holding his back. While the cut in was a close up shot, the cut away brought in a medium long shot that accommodated two characters following the entry of a new character in the scene. There are four shots in this scene beginning with the tilt movement medium shot introducing the scene, a medium shot during the monologue, a close up as the character holds his back, and a medium long shot during the conversation. All the techniques used within the scene are meant to emphasize spatio-temporal continuity.
Work Cited
Heiderich, Timothy. Cinematography techniques. 2014. Web. October 17, 2016 https://www.oma.on.ca/en/contestpages/resources/free-report-cinematography.pdf
The scene for analysis involves a monologue by an individual who envisions getting rich through the black market sale of gold. The individual then agrees with the tenant to mortgage his things for money to buy gold. Crows and Sparrows is a Chinese movie directed by Zheng Junli and released in 1949. The film is notable for its evident criticism of the corrupt bureaucrats in the Nationalist party. The film is therefore critical on its opposition to the corrupt nature of the Chinese ruling government at the time. The particular scene applies cinematography and editing techniques meant to empathize with the common citizen’s need to get rich, while the government officials are engaging in widespread corruption.. Analyzed below is the film’s cinematography and editing techniques used to reinforce the film’s main theme by evoking emotions directed towards empathizing with the common citizen and criticizing the level of corruption in this country.
As the scene opens, the viewer is introduced to two people in a conversation through a medium long shot. The medium long shot accommodates the two characters in the screen and adhere to the 180 degree rule by having the camera steady at one position. The scene then uses a jump on action to transition to the next scene. A medium shot is widely used in the next scene. Different from a long shot, the medium shot is meant to get the viewer somehow emotionally involved by bringing the viewer to a conversational level with the character. The medium shot brings the viewer and the character to a casual conversational level and this means that there will be an investment in emotions (Heiderich 7). The scene depicts an individual who plans on getting rich by using the black market for gold, and this breeds mixed emotions. Although there is empathy for the character’s poverty level, the reader is mixed between being empathetic and being opposed to corruption and underhand means of getting rich. A medium long shot then introduces another character in the scene by also jumping on action.
There are no camera movements in the first scene as the camera is entirely steady and in one position. In the medium shot scene that follows, the camera tilts as it introduces the viewer to the next scene, and the tilting goes all the way to the bottom before focusing on the character through a medium shot. The tilt movements create anticipation before the viewer can get emotionally involved. The camera then focuses on a close up shot for some time before moving back to the medium shot. At the close up shot, the viewer can see the character’s expressions where he is evidently happy in his new prospects. The shot then quickly moves back to a medium shot to accommodate other events that include falling off the seat after being overwhelmed by laughter.
The editing technique used in this scene is largely on continuity, with sections that include jumping on action. As the scene begins, the viewer is first introduced to a Nationalist official having a conversation with his wife before he leaves, and this features only one shot. The scene is very short (approximately 2 seconds) and it the jumps to the monologue being done by Little Broadcast just as the official’s wife is buttoning his coat. The buttoning of the coat marks the cue to jump on action where the next shot involves smoke billowing upwards as Little Broadcast is smoking. The scene is from there characterized by tilt camera movements that move between medium shots and close up shots.
In Little Broadcast’s monologue scene, the film then features match cuts that move from a cut in where the character is holding his back facing away from the camera, and a cutaway where the character is facing the camera while holding his back. While the cut in was a close up shot, the cut away brought in a medium long shot that accommodated two characters following the entry of a new character in the scene. There are four shots in this scene beginning with the tilt movement medium shot introducing the scene, a medium shot during the monologue, a close up as the character holds his back, and a medium long shot during the conversation. All the techniques used within the scene are meant to emphasize spatio-temporal continuity.
Work Cited
Heiderich, Timothy. Cinematography techniques. 2014. Web. October 17, 2016 https://www.oma.on.ca/en/contestpages/resources/free-report-cinematography.pdf
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