Uncertainty Within the Darkness.

Film: Alien

                Again, we are presented with a film that has undergone more analysis than we could ever evaluate, and yet we are set with the task of attempting to write something original about it.  There are so many aspects of this film that are worth exploring, but I will (attempt to…)  focus mainly on the lighting throughout the film and how it adds to the complexity of the shot as well as providing depth, in this case horror, to the progress of the plot.

                In this film what is seen by the viewer is very important.  For example, information given from different computer terminals ultimately yielding the knowledge of Special Order 937 and the fact that human life is expendable when compared to the value of the alien life, and the emergence of the infantile alien from the chest of Kane (time: ~56:30) to instill the first sense of terror into the audience.  However, what is unseen may actually add more to the dramatic effect of the film.  For instance, we don’t actually get our first view of the full grown rendering of the alien until approximately 12 minutes after its emergence, and even then only parts of the alien are actually shown and mostly under the cover of darkness.  Additionally, in this scene we are unaware that the alien is even a threat until we see the shadows on Brett’s face indicating that the alien is in fact coming towards him.  Later, when Dallas is killed, again we are only given a brief flash-shot of the alien (time: 75:56) and then we are to assume that Dallas is dead because there was never an actual shot of the attack.  I believe it is the uncertainty within the darkness that leads to an increased level of anxiety and fear of the alien; we don’t know what it is or what its motive is and that terrifies us. 

                Once Ripley is the sole survivor on the main vessel, fighting for escape, it is the lighting (time: 97:33-98:20) combined with a continuous shot and Ripley’s frantic breathing that creates an overwhelming effect of suspense and horror that ultimately results in a dramatic climax with a strobe-light effect that disorientates the viewer while giving another rapid glimpse of the alien.  As Ripley retreats it appears that the strobe effect followers her.  This yields the effect of the strobe light belonging to the alien, and as he briefly pursues her, “his” light consumes her.  Once the alien stops the pursuit and focuses on Jonesy, Ripley seems to be able to escape the effect. The strobe effect then returns once Ripley discovers the alien aboard the escape vessel and persists until the alien is ejected from the ship.  This further reinforces the notion that the effect is used to heighten fear when the alien is in the presence of the great protagonist Ripley...

-MTG

We are all stardust

Film: Sunshine

Sunshine is a sci-fi thriller based in a future in which the sun is dying out, and a group of astronauts is sent to deliver a stellar bomb into the heart of the sun with the hope of creating a new star within a star.  This film is a visual masterpiece that relies heavily upon suspense and multiple unexpected plot twists to keep the viewer highly engaged and emotionally manipulated throughout its entirety.  But the level of suspense, and other emotions, is GREATLY magnified by the immaculate use of editing and unique camera angles alongside a very powerful and emotional score. 

These effects can be immediately be seen just a few minutes into the film (time ~7:00 and ~11:30).  In these scenes the score brings across a sense of wonderment as viewer is presented different aspects of this highly advanced and self sustaining starship, while at the same time it yields itself to empathy by showing the vulnerabilities of the particular crew members that are struggling with the knowledge that they are entering the transmission dead-zone much earlier than expected, which results in a communication blackout with Earth.  The solemn track appeals to the viewers own sense of humanity and the sadness that would accompany the fact that crew will never be able to receive any kind of closure from their loved ones that are back on Earth in the event that their fate is similar to that of the Icarus One (I will ignore the very apparent allusion going on with the naming of the individual starships because that digression would lead to a completely different blog…).

             However, later in the film (time: ~35:30) the editing and score is much different when Capa and Kaneda are on the surface of the solar shield making repairs.  Here, rapid scene splicing coupled with a score that shifts around according to the vantage point highly increases the suspense of the scene as well as increases the overall complexity of the entire moment.  Furthermore, instead of keeping camera angles at a true axis of action, most of the scenes have shots that are slightly, or greatly, shifted from a perpendicular “foot plane.”  Then once the imminent death of Kaneda is realized (time: ~40:00) the score is then double layered with a fast tempo but again the same music that was presented earlier forcing the viewer to be both caught up in the intensity of the moment hoping that Kaneda will survive, while at the same time harkening back to the sympathy felt when a sense of hopelessness overcame the vessel.  This duality then sets the stage for further emotional manipulation later in the film when the thriller aspect enters the plot.

MTG