http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BtZY3z72jY
This is a clip from the movie "Requiem For A Dream"
How do the visual images contribute to the video?
How does the camera angles contribute to the message?
Does this video provide a positive or negative portrayal of drug use? Why?
Does the director use any pathos, logos, or ethos in this clip?
What effect does the racial tension have on the video?
Blog Prompt 1:
ReplyDeleteWhen the men are in the car talking, the lighting and scenery are dark. There is only a small amount of light, and the men in the car are wearing dark colored clothing. This suggests that whatever the men are discussing is about an illegal activity. Illegal topics are more likely to be discussed in a dark, private place than in an area that is well lit and out in the open. However, the scene is also hopeful. One of the men is being given a new opportunity and is being trusted by the others. Although the men are discussing shady dealings, there is a sort of contradiction in the scene.
I agree with your response about the lighting that is present in the scene. Darker lighting always represents more of a negative outlook rather than bright lighting and due to the fact that the men were dealing with drugs in this it makes sense for the lighting to be dark.
DeleteThe camera angles in this clip provide the viewer with a better opportunity to relate to what the character is experiencing. When the character is running away after being shot at, the camera is focusing on him. The motions made by the camera are crazy and erratic, showing that the character is distressed by what has just happened. Viewers are able to be up close and personal with the character. Those who view this video are also able to see what is happening from the character’s point of view. They can experience the character’s emotions and his fear better because of the camera angles.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with Madison on the fact that the camera angles provide the viewer with a better opportunity to relate to what the character's experiencing. I think that it also shows not what is happening in the moment with him running away from the police, but also what has led up to this point and got him in this position. It is safe to say that a lifestyle of confusion and utter loss of control is displayed throughout the scene, and more specifially when the camera begins to shake and tremble when he runs away from the police. Additionally, the camera positioned in front of the main character while he is running also suggests that he is running away from his problems and criminal life involved with drugs as well.
DeleteI believe that the video clip portrays a drug use in a negative way. In the clip, the men are recruiting someone to help with selling drugs. After he agrees, the limo screen is rolled down and the white driver shoots into the back. The newly recruited seller gets covered in the men’s blood and he runs away from the violence. You can infer that the shooting was done by a competing drug seller. It shows that the drugs resulted in the shooting. If the men in the limo had a different profession, their lives could have been spared.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Kim says, referring to prompt 3. I think this video emphasizes drug use in a negative way. The video implicitly says drug dealing causes shootings, killings, and arrests. The overall message of the video clip is showing the consequences to selling drugs, and I saw nothing good come out of the characters actions.
DeletePrompt 1:
ReplyDeleteThe movie clip suggests that danger comes with a criminal lifestyle. This is evident from looking at the elements used in the background of the scene. The background is dark and it is almost as if the characters are cut off from the outside world. Also the music used in this scene foreshadows that danger is ahead. Another piece of evidence is when the deaf guy signs that if the manis disloyal he will kill him. Danger is an important concept in this movie clip it suggests that becoming a criminal comes with certain dangers such as death and being arrested.
The camera angles made the movie scene seem more real because of the way they shot it for instance when the man is running away from the crime scene and ends up running into the police.
Blog Prompt #1
ReplyDeleteThe opening sequence shows some sort of meeting that is dealing with matters that seem to be illegal in nature, given that the men are all of one race and the subject matter is ominous with what is actually happening. With the addition of the television screens in the background, along with the tinted windows of the car, the setting around this group of men is within a suburb of a crime-infested city. The leader of this gang of men in the car is suggested to be the deaf man, as he is the only member of this group that is wearing any jewelry (aside from the new member wearing multiple chains and earrings). The ambiguity with someone translating for a new member leads one to believe that the new guy will not last long in this operation. Also, the white driver seems to be a member of a sting operation or a member of a rival group that is trying to cripple this group in the back of the car. The driver's shooting leads to multiple men dying in the car, while one man escapes. While there is the addition of the police to show law enforcement and a sense of justice, the whole scene is combination of set-ups.
Blog Prompt 1:
ReplyDeleteI believe the surroundings in this scene portrays a lot about the message of this clip. The start of the clip is set in a dark limousine. This portrays that something serious is happening. I also think the most important part of the scene is the city or setting set around the clip. The neighborhood appears to be a run down part of the city where probably most poor families live. That means that drugs and gangs could have major influence in that area. The video portrays in my eyes how fast someone could go from being ranked up to having everything taken away from you in the drug world. The reality is shown through having the main character ranked up then having everything ruined when his boss is shot and then he becomes arrested.
Prompt 1
ReplyDeleteThis clip displays a horizon of elements that are visually interesting. The lighting is a significant part of the clip as it demonstrates the negative connotations when it comes to drugs and drug activity. That being said, the dark lighting reflects the negative tone of the scene and of the drug deal itself. It also adds greater emphasis and understanding of the tough situation the protagonist is in, being seemingly new to the drug business, and how it is tough to escape. Ultimately, the dark lighting exposes drugs as an extremely negative thing, and if the lighting were bright it would have changed the scene completely.
I agree with Cian about the lighting emphasizing the negative way the drugs are potrayed. I also feel the lighting is important because it kinda obscures the viewer from getting a clear picture about what is going on in the scene. It makes the events more ambigious and allows the viewer to make their own conclusions.
DeleteThat's a great point, the lighting is of important value. I noticed the dark tint and lack of exterior light entering the vehicle, that is until the separating window is descended. A freeze-frame of this shot shows the driver, a white male turning to face this situation in darkness with hostility and ample light beaming into the part of the vehicle that he occupies. The second part I noticed was the alley. We are afforded only a short glimpse of where this man is running to, and in this we see an alley that is admittedly well lit, but the end of it is left completely black. It's completely black until the flashing lights of the police cars become the only sight for attention. The implications there are very evident.
Delete