VIEW Moonlight
Moonlight (Links to an external site.) (2016, Barry Jenkins)
For the first of two questions in the essay section of the midterm you will be expected to view Moonlight prior to completing that portion of the exam. I am not sure you need me to provide a skeletal outline, but here is a blank in case you have become accustomed to them. FYI, the second question is based on a clip from a film previously screened in class.
These were the two Midterm questions - only one was on Moonlight the second on House of Sand.
Define and
discuss the concept of invisibility (both formal and cultural) in regards to
narrative fiction. How does the cinematic language of form and content of Moonlight demonstrate
invisibility? What conventions does Moonlight utilize
and how is it different? Give multiple examples.
Your
Answer:
In cultural invisibility
films work to reinforce viewers' shared belief systems of the dominant
culture. Moonlight takes us into another cultural lifestyle in
the crack dealing and housing area of a suburb in Miami. This is a different
culture than the dominant culture but we are brought into it as we were
in The Last Black Man of San Francisco or Middle of
Nowhere. The content reflects the story of the creator of the film.
Chapter six explains that Barry Jenkins uses cinematic form to explore take us
into this culture not in a realist, documentary form that in a lot of other
films that reflect social issues. He uses effects to give a "dreamlike
quality."
He uses a lot of color that we would not see in a more realistic depiction of a
crack neighborhood. He uses light blues with his peaceful friendships with Juan
and Teresa.
He uses neon pink mixed with red when Chrion's mother is screaming at
him.
He also puts viewers in many close up and eye level shots to see the film from
various character's point of view.
He uses "single key light with no fill" to max the shadows in the
faces.
These eye line shots and look into the faces give us empathy and understanding
for the lifestyle of the characters.
One of the most dramatic eyeline to eyeline shots is when Kevin is hits Chiron
and tells him to lie down, stay down.
Chiron instead stands up and we see eyeline shots back and forth of Chiron
staring at Kevin and Kevin punching him down again.
The way that they made the faces very clear with lighting and depth of vision,
plus the use of close up shots and eye to eye level proxemics takes us into
this emotional and life changing moment through their eyes.
The content narrative informs that speech and mannerisms of a hyper masculine.
It is a dangerous place to live and the crack dealers or the most violent
people in schools are king.
Cinematically, chapter six explains one cinematic effect that was
creatively used to show masculinity and aggression in the film was to move the
camera in circles around a person very quickly. Having characters use movement
in an aggressive way around a weaker source to dominate them.
This happened in the beginning with Juan's drug dealer having issues with a
crackhead. It happened with Terrel circling Kevin to punch Chiron and later in
the film Black was circling around his drug territory.
It was a fascinating way to be taken into a different world than the dominant
culture and see what it can be like to grow up in poverty and violence. How
Chiron through our point of view through him we get to see him grow up. He goes
through a difficult life, survives and prosper in what is seen as prospering in
that environment.
Grade 23/25
Great examples. You have many many examples of cinematic techniques that contribute to formal invisibility (and of course cultural invisibility) yet you never define the term formal invisibility. It is obvious you understand the concept.
Not yet
graded / 10 pts
In the
following scene from House of Sand describe the explicit and implicit meanings
and implications of the action portrayed. How does the mise-en-scène contribute
to the meaning?
Your
Answer:
The explicit intent of
this scene from House of Sand is conveying a setting of Vasco
the husband being erratic in trying to build a house. He moves too
quickly and causes an accident whereby he dies from the housing materials
collapsing and killing him.
There are two women in the scene that are scared by the man but support each
other.
The implicit meaning is beyond the explicit acts, what is the deeper meaning of
the film, what did this express to us about the relationship of these three
people and why was there such strong emotions?
Also, what cinematic forms enabled us to understand a deeper meaning and the
emotions of the people.
The scene opens with the loud unpleasant sound of a rifle being shot and then
the sound of it being tossed on the ground. We also hear cacophonous sounds in
a foreign language that sound like cursing.
Vasco is moving erratically shooting his gun and violently chopping wood. He is
also making noise he is the dominant in the scene.
The area surrounding Vasco is very dense full of wooden poles protruding
up vertically and more in different directions on the ground. The framing is
tight and it hard to move around the area hence the tripping and accident. This
cinematic form has informed us that this is an unpleasant arrangement. It is
not harmonious. It is not symmetrical and the framing of the poles and
construction objects are clutter and show discomfort to this character and
anger.
Grade 15/25
Although you seemed to have run out of time to further discuss how the mise-en-scène contribute to the implicit meaning you did a very thorough job how it contributed in general. Good work.
Until his erratic
behavior causes him to move too quickly and cause an accident
This scene also conveys the setting that there are three people in a very sandy
area in an unfinished house. The women are scared by the man. The women are
close and support each other.
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