Blog 4: The Deer Hunter

Film Blog 4: The Deer Hunter

Because The Deer Hunter focuses less on the Vietnam war and battle scenes and chooses to focus on its effects on a group of friends in a small town the opening scene starts off in their small working class town of Clairton, Pennsylvania. If you just watched the opening sequence alone without any knowledge of the film you would not know that the Vietnam war would be of any significance to the fim. It begins with a wide shot depicting a factory in the background which it will eventually go into where we will be introduced to the main characters of the film at their workplace. There is then a few wide shots inside the factory which show what happens inside the steel factory. These shots hold little significance to the film as a whole but play a small part in characterising the main characters which is the whole purpose of the opening sequence to the film.

After the inside of the steel works has been shown the first character shot is shown to us in the form of a long shot taken in the dressing room of the factory. The long shot is used to frame the introduction of the films protagonist Michael while wide aspects of the frame are important to see the other people around him and his interactions with them. It shows him as he pats people on the back and shakes hands with numerous work mates with a smile on his face. We then get a cut into the next room where Michael is about to walk into; the shot is the same wide framed as before except in the centre of the shot is another major character who is being introduced, Nick. Now we have the same thing happening as before as both characters shake hands and smile with their work friends as they leave work for the day in the same shot. The diegetic sound throughout the sound comes from the dialogue but it maintains realism by us not being able to hear much of what is being said as there's so many different people talking and there is nothing significant being said anyway, it just wants us to see our characters in their normal environment.

Shortly after Michael and Nick and three others are now outside the steel factory. Another long shot with a wide frame is used to show all of them in one shot. The significance of this shot is that there are now no other people in the shot emphasising the friendship these people share as the next shot becomes a very wide shot with all the other workers from the factory behind them. But because of the former shot we now that the dialogue in this very wide shot is only between them now and not other workers. It also shows that work has finished for the day creating a realism. Also now the diegetic sound of the dialogue is made clearer as though we are next to them and not where the camera is. This is done to give the dialogue significance as they are talking about deer hunting and one of the characters getting married which forms the beginning and direction that the plot will take.

This style of this opening sequence is used primarily to build characterisation around the characters as the major theme of the film is the dehumanizing effects of war. This small town setting of the film chooses to show life before people go to to war and then how these characters are changed after the war and how they settle back into ordinary life. There is little focus on war scenes and what happens in Vietnam unlike the three other films I have looked at.

Works Cited:

The Deer Hunter. Dir. Michael Cimino. Universal Pictures, 1978. Film

Corrigan, Timothy and Patricia White. The Film Experience: An Introduction. Third Edition. New York: Bedford/St Martin’s, 2012. Print.

A look into the Apocalypse Now opening scene

Without a doubt the opening to Apocalypse Now uses the most stylised aesthetics in its treatment of film form. Like Platoon it has a very powerful opener with its treatment of war depicting a man who has already seen war and been changed by it. The first scene in the movie begins with an extreme wide shot consisting of green palm trees. The same shot is held as non diegetic music, the beginning of the song The End by The Doors is played over top of the shot which adds to the mood. The diagetic sound of helicopter which gets louder as it is supposedly getting closer to the shot creates a sense of place for the viewer and realism. What then follows is a napalm strike over the trees in our still viewing wide framed, long shot. The stark contrast with the green natural palm trees we were just witnessing portrays a clear dehumanizing effect. Next is a pan to the right which shows the extent of the napalm and the destruction to the forest. The gradual fade in of our protagonists face with the overlapping of images behind this creates a link between the imagery of fire and helicopters with the protagonist. This interesting style of overlapping images in the frame helps us understand what is going through the head of this character, it foreshadows what's to come in the film and helps set the mood for the scene. Its looks similar to a flashback but unlike a flashback which only shows the past this method of Mese en Scene puts us more into real time with a characters thoughts or feelings. Here in this first part of a long scene is the beginning of the characterisation of our protagonist and also one of the major themes in the story; the dehumanizing effects of war.

After this part of the scene we return to a normal shot, a close up of protagonists face. The music has stopped now and there is then a cut to a Point of view shot of the ceiling showing only fans. The sound we here in this point of view shot is of a helicopters rotor spinning. The sound is clear and feels as if it is close to the viewer like the fans are. This technique again shows how unstable this character is. Its also interesting because the sound is non diegetic as It is just the imagination of the characters point of view. The view then tilts down showing the viewer and the character the setting, of a small motel room. It cuts back to the close up of his face then back to a point of view shot this time facing a pair of blinds and the point of view shot moves towards these blinds with the character. The sound of helicopters rotors are still heard right up until our character looks outside and gains a sense of where is he. 'Saigon, shit I'm still only in Saigon' is the narration we hear which portrays everything the opening scene has been trying to show: a man who is going insane and is already changed as a result of war.

A look into the opening scene missing the very last narration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU0DxJVWhGw

Works Cited:

Apocalypse Now. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Zoetrope Studiods , 1979. Film

Corrigan, Timothy and Patricia White. The Film Experience: An Introduction. Third Edition. New York: Bedford/St Martin’s, 2012. Print.

Blog 2: Full Metal Jacket

Blog 2: Full Metal Jacket

The opening sequence to Full Metal Jacket begins in a barbers shop with multiple close up shots showing someone different having their hair shaved off. The scene is pretty simple on a film form level as the same close up shot is used in every shot, the editing is done after a few seconds to show someone else getting their hair shaved. There is no presence or technique used to introduce a main character. The non diegetic song playing during this short scene however is used to great effect. The song is by Johnny Wright called Hello Vietnam released in 1965. The song was popular at the time it was released and the use of it in this scene adds the dimension of time and place to the film; it tells the viewer the film is set at some time during the Vietnam War. The song also touches on the story and direction of the film, 'Goodbye my darling, hello Vietnam' suggests a mother saying goodbye to her son as he is sent off to Vietnam. Which is essentially the direction that the plot and story take. The next scene takes us to the start of the recruits seen in the first scene beginning their basic training before they can go to Vietnam.

The next scene skips straight to the what is essentially the start and first day at the recruits basic training. It starts with a medium shot depicting to the right of the shot, Sergeant Hartman and to the left of the shot his recruits. The shot then begins to track and move back motivated by the Sergeant moving towards the camera around his subjects as they are all lined up by their bedposts. This shot introduces us to the films only form of antagonist and the scene as a whole introduces key characters for the plot and the film itself. Costume in the first shot shows the Sergeant wearing a blazer jacket done up with a Sergeant's badges pinned to his left breast pocket, a tie and shirt underneath. Drill hat and a red emblem depicting his rank on the left arm of his jacket. This use of costume is contrasted with the recruits he is instructing. They wear a plain green shirt, plain green pants and a basic belt. Arguably the most important form in this scene is the sound of dialogue. The strong tone and choice of words the Sergeant uses automatically characterises him as strict and a plain mean antagonist kind of character. The dialogue begins with the Sergeant introducing his name to his recruits and also to us the viewer. He then rants 'from now on you will speak only when spoken to and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be sir. Do you maggots understand that?'. The imagery of sewers as mouths and maggots as people suggests how Hartman thinks of his subjects and portrays him as a hard man. Whats interesting about Full Metal Jacket is in the case of Platoon it treats landing in Vietnam as hell whereas here it begins by portraying the hardships of getting through basic training before arriving in an even worse kind of place.

First hair shaving scene:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwMPZR3sS2o

A link to the second at basic training:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71Lft6EQh-Y

Works Cited:

Full Metal Jacket. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Warner Bros, 1987. Film

Corrigan, Timothy and Patricia White. The Film Experience: An Introduction. Third Edition. New York: Bedford/St Martin’s, 2012. Print.

Platoon Opening Sequence analysis

Opening sequences for a film play an important for many reasons: It is the directors chance to capture the audience and keep them interested enough to keep watching. Perhaps more importantly it introduces us to the essential narrative elements of setting and character and might hint at the direction of the plot. Out of interest I have decided to look at four films centered around the Vietnam War to analyze the form and function of their opening sequences. The films I have chosen are as follows: Platoon,Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter.

The opening scene for Platoon shows how simple elements of film form can make a really powerful opener. It shows how simplicity can capture and audience and create mood just as well as the opening scene of Apocalypse Now. The first thing we see onscreen is a quote from Ecclesiastes that reads 'Rejoice O young man in thy youth'. At the same time non diegetic music plays from a viola. Significantly before any shots are shown the music alone has already set the mood as melancholy. The quote has hinted at character but as a whole is an irony used to portray the films anti war theme.

The first shot is a wide long shot with a large military plane the focus of the shot. A closer inspection of the Mise-en-scène reveals a lot more to the shot. There is a very obvious lack of colour and the shot looks bleak, everything happens over a thick layer of dust. Military vehicles and personnel move across the shot in familiar green colours. The effect of this showing the setting as a military base and also preparing us for the introduction of the main character who is on that plane.

Next there is a cut to the back of plane motivated by the door opening which is followed by a zoom outwards showing a group of people exiting. We learn that this is a group of fresh recruits from their plain, undecorated, basic military clothing and the clean shaven youthfulness appearance given off by the actors. This is further suggested by the quote shown earlier. The next cut is to a medium shot which introduces us to our main character. This is made apparent by the way the shot holds its focus on his face for a few seconds while giving the background images a slight blur so all we see is our main characters face. In the same shot a tap on his shoulder followed by a finer pointing turns our main characters head which is the motivation for the next cut which changes to a Point of View shot of dead soldiers in body bags. The shot switches back to a medium shot facing the main character while another person comes over to the group to say 'alight you cheese dicks welcome to the Nam follow me'. This piece of dialogue confirms country of the settings they are in, Vietnam.

The scene neatly and simply portrays many key ideas. The melancholy music consistent throughout the scene sets the mood and allows the viewer to experience and share the same emotion as our main character. It gives a very close representation as if we were the ones landing in Vietnam for the first time and a large part of that feeling is through the music which's adds another level to the emotion felt when a point of view shot is used to show dead bodies. It also sets the mood for the narrative. It introduces the main character and tells us where we are.

A link to that opening scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97dqp28B2mg

Works Cited:

Platoon. Dir. Oliver Stone. Hemdale Film, 1986. Film

Corrigan, Timothy and Patricia White. The Film Experience: An Introduction. Third Edition. New York: Bedford/St Martin’s, 2012. Print.