Re: BBM Analysis: Ang Lee's Camera
by - Jassy (Wed Apr 5 2006 18:44:38 )
"I noticed two scenes in particular regarding camera. The first is the argument between Ennis and Alma in the kitchen after Thanksgiving dinner. He moves closer and closer and then around to directly see Alma, as you would want to see her, when she finally confronts Ennis over his infidelity. He does not move the camera, which would destroy your concentration, but instead changes the angle at critical moments during their argument. You get to see exactly what you want to see as the argument escalates."
In an interview, Heath talked about the trick Ang Lee used for that theme. He talked about how Ang shot that scene from all 4 corners to get all the facial expressions he wanted. Then he edited them together. I couldn't wait to get my DVD so I could watch for this. I haven't seen the film since December.
I'm sure this film will be studied in film schools for years to come.
Re: BBM Analysis: Ang Lee's Camera
by - zulovitz (Wed Apr 5 2006 23:13:48 )
Vikramas:
I'm a screenwriter, which means I'm also an avid watcher of films (and reader, as well).
Mr. Lee is one of few directors who directs his films with such care and intelligence. He works in different genres (EAT DRINK, MAN WOMAN; THE WEDDING BANQUET; THE ICE STORM; RIDE WITH THE DEVIL; CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON; THE HULK; BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN) and seems always to find a new and interesting way to tell the story. (Curtis Hanson also comes to mind.) However, he strikes me as someone who is particularly interested with "outcast" characters - people who live on the fringes of whatever society or milieu in which the story takes place. It's one of the reasons I connect with his work, for I too find myself writing stories that deal with a similar element. And too, Mr. Lee allows the characters to tell the story; he doesn't get in the way, doesn't feel the insecure preoccupation that too many directors do with jamming messages or specific agendas down the throats of viewers.
As for BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, my interpretation of his direction was that it was an extension of the character of Ennis Del Mar: quiet, stoic, somewhat removed. Also, when a director has a screenplay as stunning and honest as that written by Ms. Ossana and Mr. McMurtry, there's no need to distract an audience with whiplash editing and special effects.
Watching BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, I found myself noticing, too, Mr. Lee's use of closeups. At times, the utilization of such an angle felt similar to - but in no way a copy of - the films of Mr. Bergman. It made the film that much more personal, as if you were standing mere inches away from the characters, discerning from their expressions what their hearts wanted to say but which their minds would not permit them to say.
So unobtrusive was Mr. Lee's direction that one almost forgets he's watching a film (the sign of a truly great director). One is simply drawn in and then, two hours and fifteen minutes later, finds himself coming out of the experience as if from a fugue.
As for the final scene between Ennis and Jack, Mr. Lee has a shot of Jack in the f.g., with Ennis in the b.g. (as you noticed, too). Their relationship is at a turning point, moving into a territory from which they will never be able to return. Instead of banal expository dialogue, Mr. Lee informs the audience by slowly panning from over Jack's right shoulder to his left.
From the screenplay:
"Like vast clouds of steam from thermal springs in winter, the years of things unsaid and now unsayable--admissions, declarations, shames, guilts, fears--rise around them."
Eloquent, tragic beauty. And all done with a single, slow pan.
Also, Mr. Lee does something in the beginning and end of the film that I often find myself doing in my own writing: namely, visual bookends. He begins the film with a wide shot of the Wyoming landscape. A cattle truck enters frame; he cuts closer--two shots. Then, near the end of the film, as ENNIS drives away from the TWIST homestead, we again see a Wyoming landscape. ENNIS'S truck enters frame; Mr. Lee cuts closer--two shots. In the beginning of the film, the cattle truck carrying ENNIS is headed left; at the ending of the film, ENNIS'S truck is heading right. All told, four shots (combined) that paranthetically tie the film into a seamless, subtle whole.
Finally, Mr. Lee's attention to small details, buoyed, no doubt, by Ms. Ossana and Mr. McMurtry's gorgeous screenplay. For a film that follows its characters for thirty years ('63 to '83), there's only one superimposure used, at the beginning, which READS: SIGNAL, WYOMING 1963. The film - like Mr. Foote's TENDER MERCIES (directed by Bruce Beresford, 1983) - is told in an elliptical structure. The smallest details inform us of the time frame into which the story has moved, be it costume, hairstyle, furniture, etc. It's quite a feat.
One must also recognize--in addition to the director, actors, crew, editing, and Mr. Prieto's incredible cinematography (this is the best lensed film I have ever seen; often, I found myself gasping--along with the audience--at the breathtaking beauty of the scenes)--Mr. Santaolalla's score. It, too, seemed an extension of Ennis Del Mar: sparse, deceptively simple (though it's anything but), and more than a little melancholy. It beats beneath the film like a pining, timorous heart.
Film at its best is a marriage of the various threads that define the artistic medium. As joined in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, guided by the gentle, assured hand of Mr. Lee, the film transcends mere entertainment to become a work of inspired, lasting art.
As for the latter, I am certain that time will only enhance and ensure such observations.
Great post by you. Keep watching.
Regards,
John
Re: BBM Analysis: Ang Lee's Camera
by - SuperBatMan (Thu Apr 6 2006 00:00:00 )
I think Ang Lee is one of the finest and versatile Directors to come in a while. I too am a film major, well film MINOR, or at least I plan to be, hehe. Anyways, I too noticed those Motifs. I think one of the best things about the film is the Directing, the story is right up there. The performances are great as well. He really made a bunch of B-list or FINE, teen queen stars, namely the female actors into bonafide Superstars!. The Mise-en-scene was AWESOME!. He did a great job at that.
Re: BBM Analysis: Ang Lee's Camera
by - stevme (Thu Apr 6 2006 07:33:02 )
"So unobtrusive was Mr. Lee's direction that one almost forgets he's watching a film (the sign of a truly great director). One is simply drawn in and then, two hours and fifteen minutes later, finds himself coming out of the experience as if from a fugue."
You have touched on something here that was absolutely stunning about this film. My very first reaction after having left the theater was "that was not even a movie!" What it was, I can still not describe adequately. The experience was so direct and penetrating that one lost the sense of "willing suspension of disbelief" that accompanies a play or film, as is suggested in your quote above.
Other viewers have commented about how "real" the characters seemed, and Annie Proulx commented to the effect that the movie created, "living, breathing beings". This must, as you say, have to do with Ang's direction, but credit also has to be given to the wonderfully complex characters and versimilitude of place that is Annie Proulx's work, and its translation and expansion for the screen by McMurtry and Ossana. So, too, the pitch perfect acting must receive its due. In Ledger's performance we have a brooding, Hamlet-like figure deeply textured with meaning, and Gyllenhaal adds insouciance, romance and lyricism.
While one should attempt to untangle the sources of this work's power, I think the exercise is one in which all of its elements must be sharply brought into view, as you have done with one --- your comments on Ang Lee's direction.
Re: BBM Analysis: Ang Lee's Camera
by - meryl_88 (Thu Apr 6 2006 09:42:56 )
As for BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, my interpretation of his direction was that it was an extension of the character of Ennis Del Mar: quiet, stoic, somewhat removed.
zulovitz, thanks for that lovely insight, along with your other comments. Even though I've seen some of those things noted before, I love the way you describe them.
vikramas, thanks for starting another camera/Ang discussion.
Re: BBM Analysis: Ang Lee's Camera
by - Jassy (Thu Apr 6 2006 11:59:38 )
John, thanks for a wonderful post. I'll look for more details you pointed out when I get my DVD.
Re: BBM Analysis: Ang Lee's Camera
by - muscla_1 (Thu Apr 6 2006 22:29:32 )
So unobtrusive was Mr. Lee's direction that one almost forgets he's watching a film (the sign of a truly great director). One is simply drawn in and then, two hours and fifteen minutes later, finds himself coming out of the experience as if from a fugue.
Amen to that.
Adding to this effect was Ledger's breathtakingly absolute and total disappearance into the character. He wasn't an actor playing Ennis del Mar, he WAS Ennis del Mar.
It was one of the damned few times I felt that I forgot I was in a theater watching a film, but transported to being a viewer watching a real drama unfold before me.
For very different reasons, I had the same feeling watching the middle installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I simply was in another place and time.
"Jack, I swear..."
Re: BBM Analysis: Ang Lee's Camera
by - zulovitz (Thu Apr 6 2006 13:25:45 )
Actually, Mr. Lee is known to work closely with the members of his crew. It was one of the things that so surprised Ms. Thompson when she worked with Mr. Lee on SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. Mr. Lee begins each day with meditation and exercises - for everyone. It's about focus and relaxation.
He also has his actors, on their first day of shooting, film the more difficult scenes. It was something that surprised both Mr. Ledger and Ms. Williams; however, it allowed them to have a history of the more central conflicts in the characters' relationship, thus allowing them to have the experience to draw upon during the rest of the shoot.
As for standard camera angles - what directors haven't been influenced by the directors who came before them? Despite the socio -political and -cultural elements of his work, Mr. Griffith is often regarded more for his ability to tell a story visually (example: use of montage).
Consider any genre, and think of the classic and modern films. The latter are often influenced by the former. An example: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Mr. Demme directed this film much as Sir Alfred Hitchcock might have directed it. Mr. Demme presented scenes built upon the "suggestion" of violence, in lieu of presenting said violence in a crude, gratuitous manner. Too, he incorporated the use of subjective camera, which worked very well, considering the film was told from the Clarice's (the subject, the central character) P.O.V.
A great director understands the importance of film being a collaborative effort; his (or her) job is akin to that of a conductor standing before an orchestra. It's one of the reasons, I think, that Mr. Altman makes such wonderful films: M*A*S*H, McCABE & MRS. MILLER, NASHVILLE, THE PLAYER, SHORT CUTS, GOSFORD PARK, to name a few.
It has been said that there are no "original" stories anymore. Given the exhausted redux being produced by many studios today (remakes, sequels, etc.), it wouldn't be impertinent to think that - at least for those people in powerful positions - this is true.
However, what makes some films so stunning and creative is the angle at which the director (and crew) approaches the story. It's about taking staid formulas and breathing life into them, which initially is discovered in the reading of the screenplay. This is something of which Mr. Lumet (12 ANGRY MEN, SERPICO, DOG DAY AFTERNOON, NETWORK, THE VERDICT, RUNNING ON EMPTY) speaks so eloquently in his book, MAKING MOVIES.
As for Mr. Lee and BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, he allowed every element of the film - from direction, cinematography, acting, score, etc. - to reflect the characters' themselves; in short, the "story." And, as I've stated, he brought together a wonderful collection of people to realize this similar vision. I commend the work of everyone on this film, as I also stated in my earlier post. However, it is Mr. Lee's approach to the material - from Ms. Proulx's stunning, classic story to Ms. Ossana and Mr. McMurtry's razor-sharp adaptation - that allowed this film to be what it is: one of the best motion pictures of its decade. One of the best, frankly, in the history of the cinema. Such may seem a prodigious claim to make, yet given the final product, it's neither bloated or untrue.
Regards,
John
Re: BBM Analysis: Ang Lee's Camera
by - n-maree (Thu Apr 6 2006 19:42:53 )
stevme, you mentioned the post written by Casey Cornelius. I happened to save that post because I thought it explained things so well. It was written a few months ago so might be hard to find, so I'm going to copy and paste it here. It's very interesting, not just for film students but for anyone who wants a little more insight into the characters.
___________________________________________________________________________
Casey Cornelius
Jack and Ennis - Lake Scene and A Unique Camera Move:
Several threads on the site have debated Jack's and Ennis's last meeting in the film and whether it presents the possibility that Jack has had enough and is ready to 'move on' out of frustration with Ennis's inability to commit. One can speculate strongly that Jack has already initiated another affair with Randall, the Childress ranch foreman with the talkative wife who essentially propositions Jack outside the dance - an elaborate topic already taking up a number of threads.
Ang Lee, however, is able to suggest it with a unique camera move I have never previously seen used in film. For those who have seen the film, remember that as Jack faces the mountain lake and listens to Ennis's litany of excuses, at this point familiar to Jack, why he can't meet in August, the camera is focused on Jack, 'hiding' Ennis behind him. Then the camera begins to track to the left holding Jack stationary in the foreground as Ennis in the background, but still in focus, emerges into the frame listing his options. I was reminded of a scale tipping to one side, as if Jack is weighing the discussion and how he will react to it. The camera even seems to oscillate or quiver hesitantly from the momentum as it is poised on the image including both of them - foreground and background. Then, the camera reverses direction and tracks back across Jack to the right [ the scale allusion confirmed ] as Ennis 'disappears' once more behind Jack to eventually emerge to Jack's right, this time blurred and SLIGHTLY OUT OF FOCUS.
What more economical way for Lee to show Jack's decision, in 'weighing' the options, to finally in exasperation give up on the excuses Ennis offers and lose Ennis as his sole emotional 'focus'. I know the scene ends with the two of them seeming to 'torque' things back to the way they were. However, I can't help but think that Ang Lee has shown his hand as far as he's concerned with this elaborate CONTINUOUS camera move.
I was so taken with the dialogue in the scene and the emotional content in my first few viewings of the film that I completely missed this. A complex camera move which would have required a great deal of planning, experimentation, and rehearsal with the actors, and demanded considerable expertise in order to show Ennis emerging out from behind Jack both in focus and out of focus within the same continuous shot.
But, it's there, clear as day. A subtle but brilliant camera move by Ang Lee and Director of Photography, Rodrigo Prieto, as innovative and revealing as other of the greatest camera moves used by Michelangelo Antonioni, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Ingmar Bergman.
If someone else knows of this being used previously in film history, let's talk.
I am astonished more and more with every viewing of this miracle of a film.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Re: BBM Analysis: Ang Lee's Camera
by - muscla_1 (Thu Apr 6 2006 22:35:03 )
However, what makes some films so stunning and creative is the angle at which the director (and crew) approaches the story. It's about taking staid formulas and breathing life into them, which initially is discovered in the reading of the screenplay. This is something of which Mr. Lumet (12 ANGRY MEN, SERPICO, DOG DAY AFTERNOON, NETWORK, THE VERDICT, RUNNING ON EMPTY) speaks so eloquently in his book, MAKING MOVIES.
Mad props for the screenplay of running on empty, written by
are you ready?
Jake's mom.
"Jack, I swear..."
Re: BBM Analysis: Ang Lee's Camera
by - zulovitz (Sat Apr 8 2006 03:12:27 )
Yes, her name is Naomi Foner. Jake's father is a director, named Stephen. They've done some good work together (see A DANGEROUS WOMAN, based on the novel by Mary McGarry Morris).
The strange thing is, when I mentioned RUNNING ON EMPTY in an earlier post, I didn't even think of the familial connection; rather, I was thinking of the films Mr. Lumet has directed that I consider some of his best.
As for "mad props," it's not a language I speak, if you will. To me, when I mention work that I've found particularly good (sometimes even great), I think of it more in terms of admiration. Of respect.
John
