Sequence chase-RH and sequence chase-Hero can be regarded as good examples of how different formal elements (camera movement, color and sound) convey different ideas. Of course, these formal elements are means of communication for a film director who starts a dialogue with the audience.
The sequences are very short (chase-Hero lasts 19 seconds and chase-RH lasts one minute 21 seconds), but the formal elements used are really informative. There is no need in dialogues to understand the director’s ideas and messages. The director does not need to put words into his character’s mouths.
He creates the world where words become irrelevant. Interestingly, the elements used are very similar with only slightest differences. Nonetheless, these differences help the director convey quite different ideas and messages. The two sequences are concerned with passion, but it is passionate though pure love in one case, and it is passionate desire to destroy in the other case.
One of the major formal elements to analyze is camera movements. The two sequences can be regarded as an illustration of the role of camera movements (close-ups, to be more precise). The director employs close-ups to focus on the actresses’ faces and their gazes.
The focus on the women’s gazes makes the dialogue unnecessary and even superfluous. The close-ups help the audience understand the director’s messages, which are quite different in the sequences. In sequence chase-RH, the gaze reveals the young woman’s interest and passion. She is too shy to approach the man she is interested in.
However, she can’t continue her journey as she can’t resist the temptation to look at the object of her passion. Her gaze reveals her desire. It is necessary to mention that the director also employs long shots to stress the fact that the object of her love remains at certain distance. The man is ignorant of the woman’s presence. He continues his journey surrounded by children and their innocent games.
The man is depicted as a certain ideal to love and admire. The man resembles some kind of an archetypal dream of a woman. The editing of the sequence enhances this idea. Close-ups and long shots are intermingled and this makes the audience aware of the woman’s feelings. The woman longs for her dream man, but she is too indecisive to approach him and tell him about her feelings. Her passionate affection is idealistic and pure.
When it comes to sequence chase-Hero, camera movements also reveal the idea of passion. However, this passion has nothing to do with love. The passion here is the passionate desire to destroy a person. Again, the chaser’s feelings are revealed with the help of the camera movements. She is chasing a woman trying to kill her. Close-ups make the audience focused on the chaser’s hatred and passionate desire to kill. It is also necessary to note that the director also employs a number of long shots.
These long shots also focus on the positions of the two characters. The chaser is very close and the one who is trying to escape is almost within reach. The fleeing woman is aware of the fact the chaser wants to kill her. Though, she seems to pay little attention to the chaser as if the chaser can never reach her. The fleeing woman is indifferent to the chaser’s attacks.
The close-ups help get this message as all the feelings are manifested on the women’s faces. Of course, no words can articulate such messages in such a passionate and precise manner. There are cases when words make the scene more trivial. These sequences are such cases. The use of camera makes the sequences really informative and appealing.
Another potent element is the use of sound. This element helps the director convey the major idea. The director employs both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds in the sequences. In sequence chase-Hero, diegetic sound is the noise of trees and the chaser’s shouts. The chaser tries to hit the fleeing woman. Her violent desire to kill is revealed in her screams.
At the same time, the fleeing woman is silent. This silence helps reveal the idea of her being indifferent. Notably, the sounds used are contrasting. The contrast created makes the sequence more passionate. The silence of the forest and the fleeing woman combined with violent screams of the chaser creates a really special atmosphere. It brings to the fore the chaser’s passionate desire to kill.
It is necessary to add that the use of non-diegetic sound contributes to creation of this atmosphere as well. The director makes use of a quiet song which can be good for meditation. Female voice creates the atmosphere of serenity and piece. It can be regarded as the representation of the inner world of the fleeing woman who remains calm and indifferent. Of course, this contributes to creation of the contrast between the piece and the violent and passionate desire of the chaser.
As far as sequence chase-RH is concerned, diegetic and non-diegetic sounds are also used to convey a specific idea. Romantic music is used as non-diegetic sound. This music enhances the idea of romantic passion of the woman who is chasing the man. The music is a symbolic representation of the chaser’s feelings and thoughts.
It can seem that the audience is inside the chaser’s soul as the woman’s inner world can be heard. The music is also supported by diegetic sound, i.e. children’s laugh. Children’s laugh is a conventional symbol of purity and innocence. The director manages to convey the idea of the woman’s passion which is also pure and innocent.
Furthermore, color is also one of the formal elements employed to convey the idea of passion. This element helps the director enhance the atmosphere of passion. Such rich colors as red and golden prevail. It is necessary to note that colors convey the same idea of passion but the passion has different tinges in the two sequences.
In the case with sequence chase-RH, the passion displayed is the passion of a young woman who is chasing the man she loves. The red color combined with the sound and the camera movements helps the audience plunge into the atmosphere of the passion and the pure love at first sight. In sequence chase-Hero, red and golden colors also prevail. Red color is a symbol of passion.
However, the passion is quite different. The red color is also a symbol of blood and death. This is the symbol of the chaser’s passionate desire to kill the fleeing woman. Again, the audience is exposed to the world of the chaser who sees the target and wants to see the fleeing woman’s blood.
In conclusion, it is possible to state that this paper provides a brief account of the role major formal elements play in the two sequences. The paper focuses on camera shots, sound and color as these elements are the most comprehensive, i.e. they appeal to people’s senses and are archetypal and universal.
The paper also reveals the importance of tiniest details which help the director convey specific ideas. Admittedly, the same theme (passion) is articulated with the help of similar formal elements. However, the director manages to add certain tinges which change the nature of the major theme. Thus, passionate love and passionate hatred are revealed with the help of the same elements with addition of certain details.
It is important to note that some questions remaine without an answer. For instance, the use of golden color is still yet to be addressed. It is also quite unclear why the director does not use close-shots to stress the man’s being unaware of the chase in sequence chase- RH. However, these questions can be addressed in a more substantial research which will focus on a variety of details and meanings.