At the end of this scene from The Departed, realist filming techniques are used. When the police commander discovers that his men are shooting at the group of gangsters, he stays static for the rest of the scene. He does not say anything, he does not move anywhere, he doesn't even put down the phone. In this example, realist editing is used for dramatic intent. The Matt Damon character is to be analyzed by the audience. He stays static in a wide shot in order for the audience to take in the different aspects of the shot. We see him at a desk where he calls orders. He is in an office - probably in the police station. He has a shelf behind him with government documents and folders. All these pieces of the production design are available for the audience to pick up. Through the use of realism in this film, it not only build up emotion, but also provides context.
Lastly, Formalism is also used in this film in the beginning to establish a setting. Because the city that this film is so large (which also makes the plot so large), a lot of coverage must be used to fully depict the city. The editing cuts from one part of the city to another, from riots to peaceful parts. Formalism is mostly used in this film to build context. By revealing all these different aspects that relate to each other, the audience gets an idea of the setting of the film. Furthermore, not depicted here, the film also uses formalist cutting to reveal backstory about characters. The Leonardo DiCaprio character is shown a lot of times in this way. Because he is an undercover cop, people do not oftentimes know a lot about him. The use of formalism therefore provides information that isn't provided otherwise.
No comments:
Post a Comment