Discussion 4 | Mise-en-scène & Cinematography
Read the instructions in the attachment below this is an example:
The scene I chose to examine was the emotional breakdown of the young and overconfident trumpeter Levee Green towards the end of the film. Prior to this breakdown, confrontation Between Ma Rainey, a highly regarded blues singer, and Levee Green culminated in him getting fired from her band.
1)How do lighting and use of ‘focus’ in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom establish and/or comment upon the character’s states of mind in your chosen scene? Do these elements change as the film progresses from here on? Explain with specific examples.
This scene actually utilizes a lack of focus and dim lighting to illustrate Levee’s erratic state directly after his confrontation with Ma Rainey. As Levee is pacing around the room and putting his things away the camera moves in and out of focus, and while it is not distracting to the ongoing action in the scene, it does give us an understanding of the frantic and adrenaline-fueled mindset Levee has directly after his confrontation with Ma. While changes in focus are common throughout the film, it’s the first time a consistent change of focus is seen when looking at a specific character’s actions. Throughout the remainder of the film, this effect is only used when focusing in on Levee’s actions and helps us understand his deteriorating mental state.
2)How are angled(high angle, low angle, Dutch angled)shots used in your scene and in the two scenes following? What are the implications for the turning points in the scene?
High angle, low angle, Dutch angle, close up, and medium close up shots are all used in this scene to rapidly change the focal point and give the audience a further sense of Levee’s frantic energy. The two scenes following, however, use primarily eye-level and high angle shots to give Ma a sense of authority and stability as she handles the record producers attempting to default on payments to her band members. The implication of this stark contrast is the extreme instability Levee is experiencing, which eventually leads to his mental breakdown and his murder of his former bandmate Toldeo.
3)How is costuming used to develop or establish characters? Discuss the use of costuming one important character. Does his/her costume change over time? If so, what do these changes symbolize?
While Levee’s costuming doesn’t change throughout the film, his presentation does change and is a nuanced way to show the downfall of a once confident and capable young man. When we first see Levee he’s just purchased new shoes and is dressed neatly with a pressed shirt, crisp pinstripe suit. As the film progresses we see that he progressively disregards his outward appearance by removing his jacket, improperly tying his tie, and allowing his shirt to become wrinkled. This neglect of his clothing and general appearance is a subtle sign that Levee is slowly losing his confidence and stability throughout the film.
4)A cinematographer can use COMPOSITION to create or reduce tension in a scene, Discuss ONE crucial scene where the director, George Wolfe& his cinematographer Tobias Schliesser use composition to enhance the emotional intensity and emotional release in a scene. Discuss how, when, and to what effect he uses these composition “tools” in your chosen scene: Be very specific with examples. Discuss the implications of your observations.
a. Color
While the lighting in this scene is warm to match with the rest of the scene much of the colors present are cool and muddy which contradicts the reds and yellows that we see in scenes that feature Ma. These hues not only illustrate how alone and cold the world that Levee lives in truly is, but it adds another layer to the stark differences between Levee and the titular Ma.
b. Balance and symmetry
There is very little balance or symmetry in this scene, which serves to both create a feeling of chaos and confusion and also give us an intimate look at a man’s mental breakdown. By removing any semblance of balance, we’re able to truly get a feel for how off-kilter Levee feels and how he’s struggling to maintain any control in his life, which is illustrated further by him using his body and risking injury to open a door that he hasn’t been able to.
c. Lines(verticals/horizontals)
Some horizontal lines are used throughout the scene to lead out focus towards Levee and to create an environment in which Levee may appear smaller. As we compare him to the lockers, doorframes, and electrical lines in the room behind the door, we’re forced to realize the Levee may be one of the smallest things in the room. One interesting line happens during the low-angle shot where the brick walls are shown at a steep angle and almost create a triangle towards Levee’s arms where we can see the massive amount of effort he’s putting into opening the door.
d. Framing
This scene utilizes tight framing around Levee towards the beginning of his breakdown to elevate the tension his breakdown is causing and then switches to lose framing when he breaks through the backroom door to illustrate how small and alone he truly is. The framing creates tension and keeps is hyper-focused on what Levee is doing before we come to the realization that his confrontation with Ma has left him entirely alone.
e. Foreground and Background
This scene lacks a notable background but there is a notable amount of clutter in the foreground in the early part of the scene. Again we’re left with a sense of chaos and uncertainty before the backroom is opened where Levee leans against the wall, surrounded by nearly nothing.
f. Depth of Focus
The depth of focus changes throughout the scene, likely caused by one lens being used for the entirety of filming. This creates slight changes in focus for both the characters and background that create a sense of chaos and unease as discussed above.
5)STOP THE FILM AT THE MOST POWERFUL POINT IN YOUR CHOSEN SCENE: Identify & describe
a. Where your eye travel within this composition?
The most powerful point of the scene was when Levee broke through the door to the back room. In the initial high-angle shot, out eyes are drawn directly to Levee who is not only the only moving object within the composition, but several lines draw our eyes directly to him, such as the girder at the top of the frame and the slight angling of the camera to make the doorframe create a diagonal line with Levee.
b. What patterns the eye follow and how you’d classify that movement?
The only real pattern to follow is the slightly diagonal movement of Levee as he moves through the room. This movement is exemplified and further exaggerated by the lines created by the room itself and the minimal scenery .
c. The strongest elements in this particular composition?(refer to the chapter on cinematography for the proper terminology).
The strongest element in this composition are the extremely high-angle shot that causes us to look at Levee from overhead as he braces his body against the back wall and the lack of any real set pieces within the room as he enters. While it seems off to consider a lack of something an element, it exemplifies Levee’s feelings of loss and being alone better than any individual element can.
d. Are people or objects on the edge of frame or even cut off? Why?
Only set pieces that appear to be natural to the environment are at the edge of the frame. The room is fairly small and severs to show us how alone Levee truly is after being fired by Ma, so any other objects or people in the room with him would have demised the impact of the scene.
e. How does Cinematographer Chayse Irvin organize space around his human subjects in this scene?
Irvin organizes the space around his human subject by adding a fair amount of debris within the small open room. By adding rocks and dust, the room is left feeling open and unkept without feeling overly sterile.
f. How does the filmmaker create visual depth in this scene?
By utilizing the height of the walls in the room, as well as the open ceiling, we see Levee from a top-down perspective and are left feeling that he is much smaller and more alone than we may have when he was pacing around the cluttered and dim room at the beginning of the scene.
g. Explain how the film’s dramatic problem and resulting in dramatic tension is implied in the cinematography in your chosen scene.
This scene specifically is an intimate look at a troubled man’s mental breakdown after being brought to ruin through his overconfidence. By implying that Levee is not only frantic and anxious but that he’s also entirely alone in the world and slowly losing control over his own life, it’s implied that the tension within the scene will only grow.
you will need this book
A Critical Introduction (3rd) by Maria Pramaggiore and Tom Wallis Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2011
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