Deadpool is one of the highly successful R-rated superhero movies created by Marvel Cinematic Studio. Although other superhero films were one of the most profitable products in the history of cinematography, Deadpool brings a lot of changes to comic books-based movies. The most iconic scene from Deadpool 1 is the fight scene at the beginning, where Wade or Deadpool is listening to the music Shoop by Salt-N-Pepa.
The scene has divided into two parts, where, in the first half, the basic concept of Deadpool is introduced, and in the second half, action scenes take place. The given scene is critical because it serves as the setup and introduction of the main character. In the scene, Deadpool is shown as a character that can break the fourth wall and talk directly to the audience, comical, and possesses advanced combat skills.
Scene Overview
In recent years, there has been a trend towards a systemic recovery of the cinematic process. In this situation, the discovery of aesthetic and communicative means, the use of which can ensure steady attendance in cinemas, creates an additional competitive advantage for the modern producers in the fight against Hollywood trends for the audience in their market. The changes that have occurred in the wake of globalization, with particular convincing highlighted the trivial truth that it makes no sense to professionally create films that, by and large, no one will ever watch (Brown 278).
They convincingly demonstrated that filmmakers need to know the audience as a socio-communicative community deeply. Without an analysis of audience preferences, proper communication, and therefore profitable film production, is impossible.
This regularity was paid attention to when it was relatively favorable for cinematography. With this in mind, it is advisable to introduce the term communicative elements of film production, understanding those elements of film production, the presence or absence of which affects the probability of the viewer perceiving the work as a whole. However, the communicative effect of films cannot be exhaustively described with the help of communicative elements, since even if people could isolate and formalize all possible features, it is impossible to determine with high probability their influence on a potential audience in an arbitrary combination (Brown 315).
The type of film includes all the characteristics relating to its genre specificity. The kind of movie is irreducible to its genre. The emergence of the so-called mixed styles makes it difficult to classify paintings into familiar genre groups, forcing them to turn to an analysis of the prevailing characteristics of the plot.
The very first shot shows the close-up view of a music source, where an attentive audience can notice Deadpool’s real name, which is Wade. The next shot is a top-down view or bird-eye shot of Deadpool’s current position, and it is a representation of the hero’s lack of fear. The following shot can be considered as mise-en-scene because it shows Deadpool’s fully, which makes it a long shot (Sikov 12). The next shot demonstrates Deadpool from the side and gives a clear picture regarding his overall location because a viewer can finally see where the given scene is taking place. The next shot shows Deadpool drawing a picture, which further develops his comical nature by showing unrelated activities in one shot. It also introduces the name of the main villain, who is Francis.
The popularity of the type of film depends on the embodiment of archetypes, social values, mythologies, and fairy-tale traditions in it. The viewer must understand what kind of movie he or she is watching, how the author relates to his or her characters, and the events depicted in the picture. A mass film should not contain elements of unacceptable mixing of genres and unclear author’s assessment.
Movies with a natural course of events from a logical point of view enjoy significant audience success, unlike films where plot conventions do not correspond to common sense, are not sufficiently motivated artistically and psychologically (Brown 329). The emotional state of the audience in the process of film communication is also important. Films that cause mixed feelings in the viewer are less popular among the mass audience.
The plot of the picture has a significant impact on the result of communication. Viewers tend to visit those paintings in which there is an acute plot conflict. An interesting, non-trivial, logically structured plot has a strong communicative potential and is capable of involving a considerable number of viewers in the film communication process. An important communicative element is an appeal to fantastic stories. Another successful way of plot construction is to appeal to the so-called life cinema when the characters are placed in situations similar to real ones (Brown 334). Important content can be concluded in a criminal, detective, adventure, melodramatic, or other plots. Films that do not affect fundamental topics do not find the proper response from the audience.
The following shot is a close-up shot of Deadpool, where he simultaneously breaks the fourth wall and talks to the audience for the first time. The next shot is a medium shot, which is followed by a close-up shot again where Deadpool continues to be comical. The next shot is critical because it introduces the typology of villains, where viewers can finally see that antagonists are stereotypical criminals. The latter statement is further elaborated by an in-car moving shot, where unsuspecting criminals are listening to music. The next shot is the on-ground view of cars passing below the bridge, where Deadpool was sitting.
The following shot is a low-angle shot, which shows Deadpool jumping from the bridge. The given shot tilts from low-angle to high-angle shot to follow Deadpool’s fall, and in the end, it becomes a bird-view shot. The next shot takes place in the car, where viewers can see the landing of the main character. It is followed by a shot of the car driver, and in the next shot, viewers can see a tracking shot of a car hitting another one due to Deadpool’s arrival.
Visual effects were largely created by the cinema that exists at the moment. Since the opening of the possibility of editing, the directors have actively used various methods of changing the image of reality. Communicatively effective visual effects include luxurious costumes, decorations, and makeup (Brown 291). The real boom in the field of special effects that occurred after the computer editing technologies made it possible to create images on the screen that were not previously available. Today, without beautiful special effects, it is difficult to count on the attention of the public, accustomed to computer graphics and spectacular visual scenes, which has led to a significant increase in expenses for the production of paintings.
The following shots are close-up shots of Deadpool demonstrating advanced combat skills, with some alternations of extremely close-up shots of body parts being injured. When one of the villains gets tossed into the back of a car, thus breaking the back window, viewers see a tracking shot followed by a close-up shot of Deadpool. The next shots show Deadpool’s fights from several low- and high-angle shots with some variations of Dutch angles. One of the essential shots is the dolly shot of Francis’s bike, which alternated with sidetracking shots (Sikov 23). The combat shots following-up car dolly shots, in-car medium, and close-up shots with low- and high-angles.
One of the most iconic shots of the given scene the car roll-over, where Deadpool grabs a villain on the bike. The following shots are medium slow-motion dolly shots, which track the main character and other in-car villains. The most critical shot is the one where slow-motion action stops completely, allowing Deadpool to talk to the audience in the middle of battle by breaking the fourth wall. The next shots finally introduce the most gruesome shots of villains dying due to the car roll-over crash. Most of these shots are dolly shots with some alternation of static shots.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mass cinema not only standardizes the phenomena of media but also constructs the basic stereotype – new conceptual reality. Deadpool is a primary example of how a comic book-based character can become a successful R-rated superhero. Summing up, it should be noted that the manipulative technologies of cinema can shape the consciousness of the individual and society, to influence various social processes through the reflection of existing reality and the embodiment on the screen of internal drives and fears of a person. To draw parallels between the manipulative technologies of cinema and deception means to reduce them to an elementary psychological process, ignoring their most important social functions, including the task of socializing a person.
Works Cited
Brown, Blain. Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers and Directors. Routledge, 2016.
Sikov, Ed. Film Studies: An Introduction. Columbia University Press, 2009.