- mise-en-scene, camerawork, sound and editing
The close up shot was the shot that mostly caught my eye.
You get close ups of Jet Li and Donnie Yen’s faces which deepens the battle and
the overall experience for the audience. It deepens this fight scene because we
get a closer look at their faces which makes their real emotions and facial
expressions more visible which means that the audience are able to relate to
the characters better.
The main aspect of mise-en-scene I chose was the weapons
that Jet Li and Donnie Yen are using. These weapons are a clear code for battle
which immediately sets the suspense and jeopardy mood for the battle. The type
of weapons they are using are very authentic and cultural and stereo-typically Chinese
which gives us a clue to where the fight is and what kind of warriors these men
are and what exactly they are fighting for.
The diegetic, metallic sound of the weapons hitting each
other makes the battle sound more authentic as you can actually hear the sounds
of the battle happening. It also deepens the battle because it makes it sound
more realistic, helping to engage the viewer.
The main piece of editing that caught my eye was the slow
motion of the raindrops. This creates a sense of suspense but also adds to the
atmosphere. The slow motion of this allows the viewer to actually see the
raindrops falling into bowls. This also creates a sense of peace and beauty in
this calm environment.
Grade C/B
ReplyDelete1. Aim to take your analysis of the close-ups further by identifying exactly WHAT you see on the faces of each character and the CONTEXT of the scene: what is happening to them at the time? What emotions / reactions are visible? In fact, in wuxia films, the warriors are very self-controlled and try to be as stoical as possible in order not to show weakness, so their emotions may not be visible as their faces may be inscrutable.
2. The same applies to the weapons. Describe them exactly and link their ritual beauty to wuxia.