Exploring Film Technique- Eve Ingram

     In the short animated film, Bunny, each minute is packed full of meaning and symbolism. This film depicts a moth being killed by an annoyed elder rabbit and at the end of the film it is this very moth that accompanies this bunny to heaven. This film mostly focuses on light and color. Most of the colors are dull, except for inside the oven which can convey the beauty of the afterlife while the faded colors show the end of what once was a vibrant lifetime. The moth is constantly flying toward the singular light source in the room which is not only normal for moths to do but also contains a second meaning of headings towards the light- death. The oven is used as an ultimate source of light and heat in the movie, which is 'like heaven' for the moth. 

    Harold and Maude depict an odd young man who is not happy that his mother keeps trying to control his love life. The boy keeps finding new ways to scare his dates away and this causes his mother to become angrier and angrier. During a close-up of their faces, the actors use incredibly subtle facial expressions that can only be pulled off due to the closeness of the shot. Placed level with the actor's faces, a slow shift of his eyes towards the camera lets the audience know how proud he is. Almost as slowly, the mother shocked face turns to meet his gaze as a frown slowly forms and she stares him down while continuing to look him in the eye as his gaze lowers. Anger from the mother led to partial shame from the son. The angle of the camera is extremely important here as the boy is intentionally interacting with the audience and we are meeting his gaze as in conversation.

    In Northfork, the main scene that is seen as shocking is the fact that the church's back wall is open to the mountain and the cattle. The vibrant colors of nature provide a sharp contrast with the simple church. The creation of simplicity is truly what caught my eye because in most churches there are stained glass windows, an elaborate cross, a video screen if it is a more modern church or even an organ. The absence of this could show a connection to nature coupled with a simple lifestyle. 

    Paris Texas opens with a man who is wandering through the desert. A close-up shot shows the ragged lines on his face while the rocky and jagged background mimics his features. When his brother comes to pick him up, his softer and less stressed features are also mimicked by the rolling grassy hills behind him. Flash forward to the distressed man meeting his wife who is now working at a brothel. They play with light really well here as the man is cast in shadow while talking into a phone and looking through a one-way mirror at his wife in a bright room. The shadows reinforce the man's despair as he is talking to his wife and also depict him as a stranger to her, even though she cannot see him anyway. The overly bright room brings to light her overly fake cheery disposition that the wife has to have as part of her job. At one moment as she moves closer to the mirror to touch it, her body too is then cast in shadow to show her mood change from cheerful to despair. 

    Finally, The Wall is a slightly disturbing commentary on society that is based on the Pink Floyd album. The animation that caught my eye the most was the first one about war. The cross slowly dripping red shows the blood of the people killed in battle and their gravestone marker. As the camera slowly pans down you can see the blood drip into a sewer, creating the effect that it has been forgotten. The cross itself could also be a commentary on faith and how it has been twisted by society, which is also seen later in the film when a wall breaks straight through a church while Pink Floyd sings about having a foundation. The pastel colors and morphing drawings in the black void create an almost uncomfortable image for the viewer.