Sarah Crosier
Cinematography Portfolio
West Side Story
Killed by Hate
In the movie West Side Story, the more modern version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the last and most pivotal scene is the climax to the whole movie. The whole problem of the movie comes gets confronted by Maria who was stuck between it all. Finally Maria has the power and chance to say what she really feels during this scene.
From the very beginning of the scene, Maria is lit the best. Her lighting continues to be the best lit throughout the scene. This was probably a director’s choice to emphasize that she is the center of attention during this scene. The others are lit poorly with a dirty look to them to also give Maria more power and emphasis.
Maria is the only one who has any real dialogue in the scene and it is pretty limited. However, the things that she does say are repeated or yelled to make sure the viewer understands exactly what she means. The first words of the scene, spoken by Maria, are “get back.” This moment is shot with a very wide shot to show all characters involved but still give Maria her spotlight in the middle. She continues to have control because of the gun she gets from another character.
When the police lights are first shown in the scene, Maria seemingly does not notice or care that they are nearing. She is more focused on the boys who killed Tony and her brother “with hate.” The moment when Maria collapsed with grief, the shot does not cut down to her level. It moves down with her but shoots from above. This is done to really emphasize that she is at her lowest point of the scene. Maria does not really recover from this low point of the scene and the shots mainly continue to from above her or at her level.
Harry and Snowman
Ron Davis's movie, Harry and Snowman, tells the heartwarming tale of horseman, Harry DeLeyer, and his beloved horse, Snowman. Harry, an immigrant from the Netherlands, came to America after World War II with his wife to start his life as a horseman. He started his career as a riding instructor at the prestigious Knox Academy. Students adored Mr. DeLeyer and his obvious connection to horses and the students. Harry went to a horse auction to find horses for the Knox Academy. When he arrived at the auction, he and Snowman locked eyes and Harry knew he was bringing him home. He and Snowman had an incredible connection from the very beginning. Over time, Snowman became the DeLeyer family horse and he was Harry's claim to fame. Through all of life's ups and downs, Snowman and Harry stayed together and won many prestigious awards even though he was just an old plow horse that Harry paid $80 for. He became invaluable to the DeLeyer family, especially Harry. His calm and friendly demeanor, and of course his jumping ability, won over hearts all over America. Snowman was the beloved family horse and the champion that no one thought he would become.
The opening of this movie sets the tone for Harry's love for horses: Harry leading horses out into the pasture at the age of 86. This love continues to be displayed through the b-roll of Harry's past life and his current life. The introducing of Snowman was done very well. As Harry started to talk about Snowman, the b-roll showed footage of Harry's house with photos of Snowman and books about him. One thing I really liked about this movie is that all of the b-roll was actual footage of Snowman and the DeLeyer family. It makes the film and the b-roll much more valuable. It allows you to connect with Harry and Snowman. Another thing that I liked a lot was the tie to the family life. I think that also showed you how committed Harry was to his horses, especially Snowman. I cannot say that I disliked anything about the film. The whole thing was touching and heartwarming from beginning to end. It would be hard to not feel the love between Harry and Snowman.
Because many horse movies can be dry to non-horse people, it is important to make it interesting for all viewers. While I am obviously bias, I believe this movie could draw any viewer into the story. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for a movie that will make you smile through the whole thing. Harry's fond memories of Snowman and their relationship are what make the movie. Another part of the movie that I really enjoyed, was when former students of Mr. DeLeyer spoke about him. They clearly saw the knowledge and passion in Harry. Their words meant a lot to the story and really developed more of the feeling that he was a great riding instructor and horse person. The ending of the movie (don't worry I won't spoil it) wrapped up the movie perfectly. Even though Harry rescued Snowman from slaughter, Snowman rescued Harry.
Django Unchained
Calvin Candle Negotiation Scene
It is clear from the very beginning of this scene that Candie is in power of the situation. Schultz and Django obey his commands immediately. From the point forward, the directors gave him cinematic power as well. Most of the shots of him remain the same. His shot from below at Schultz and Django's point of view which makes him appear even more powerful. You can see this in the screenshot to the right. Another shot that is used for Candie, is farther away but still low enough that he remains superior to Schultz and Django. This shot is mainly used during the less intense parts of the scene. You can see an example of this shot below.
In this scene of one of Quentin Tarantino's amazing films, Django Unchained is one of the most pivotal scenes in the film. Dr. Schultz achieves his goals, which was to make money and kill outlaws. And now it is time for Django to get what he wants: his wife back. They track down Broomhilda who is owned by Calvin Candle, AKA Candie. Candie is an extremely wealthy and brutal slave owner. Schultz pretends that Django is, in fact, his slave in order to win over his trust and respect. Their act proved to be successful until this dinner. Candie realizes that they have be lying to him. Candie lashes out very powerfully and violently during this scene.
On the other hand, Schultz and Django are always shot from above at Candie's point of view. This also gives Candie power and shows that they are completely submissive to Candie. You can see an example below.
Another thing that I like about how this scene was filmed, is the lighting. It is very clear that it is night time during a time when electricity was nonexistent. Yet, Candie is the best lit out of all of them. Schultz and Django are the second best lit. Before Broomhilda comes out, the secondary characters are very clearly a focus because of how they are lit.
The setting of this scene is pertinent to Candie's power during this scene. If the scene did not take place in his house, would not have the secondary characters to help him control the situation. It is also important that it is mainly a closed environment so Django and Schultz cannot try to escape. It also helps Candie because he knows that he has control. He is allowed to remain calm during parts of the scene because of this.
The only background noise during this scene is very faint crickets in the background. I did not even notice them until I listened very closely for background noise. I think the crickets are fitting because of the setting of this section of the film. It also backs up the idea that it is nighttime because crickets only come out during the evening.
Overall, the cinematics of this scene is masterful. Tarantino is an amazing director who looks that every detail of a scene to make it perfect for the film. In every scene of Django Unchained, each character's individual personality shines through. This is one of my favorite scenes because of the fact that Django is finally getting what he wants.