Today in class we reviewed several films and took notes on their lighting and how they affected the various scenes. The following are my notes:
In The Mood For Love (2000) by Kar Wai Wong had a mix of ambient street lights and off-set key lighting that caused high contrast effect featuring harsh shadows. This type of lighting worked well to bring out details in the dirty street while still highlighting features of the two lovers. The feeling this lighting mixture produced was secretive, much like the clandestine nature of their relationship. The contrasting shadows brought out texture in the walls and stones that showed the grit of their surroundings.
Blade Runner (1982) by Ridley Scott used nothing but the ambient light from the chaotic streets. At times, this lighting choice made the characters difficult to see as they ran through the crowds chasing each other. However, this type of lighting allowed me to be more in the moment of the scene and mimicked the urgency of Harrison Ford's character as he also struggled to see and pursue Zhora before killing her.
Days of Heaven (1978) by Terrence Malick used all natural sunlight. This produced a beautiful realistic feeling as the characters traveled through the open countryside. It is possible that some diffusion was used as the shadows are not very harsh when what appears to be a cloudless sky however, as the time progresses and the sun sets the tones are warm and the shadows are longer as they would be if out on the open plains as these scenes were.
Dracula Pages from a Virgin's Diary (2002) by Guy Maddin incorporates theatrical spot lighting that often silhouettes the characters. This causes deep dark shadows on the character's bodies. Often they are light with a 90degree side light which accents the form of the dancers as they tell the story. This lighting creates a feeling of drama and suspense while showcasing the beauty of live theater.
Barry Lyndon (1975) by Stanley Kubrick features incident lighting in that the light is coming from the candles that are on the screen. This lighting effect creates a dreamy, romantic, and warm feeling and also captures a realistic representation of what a typical parlor would look in 18th century England.
Ida (2013) by Pawel Pawlikowski uses ambient light from the interior of the characters surrounding. Depending on the placement this often created interesting low key shadows while the subjects were indoors. When outdoors we saw lots of diffused natural light from the cloudy day. This cause the shadows to be less harsh and help show the viewer that time had passed from night to day. The feeling this type of lighting produces is realistic and helps the viewer get lost in the action rather than drawing attention to the dramatic lighting effects that off-set lighting can often produce.
Do The Right Thing (1989) by Spike Lee shows a mixture of available light that shines through the window of the dark bedroom and also uses a harsh key light set to the side of the couple as they talk. This mixture of lighting adds drama to the scene and helps the area to feel as hot and uncomfortable as the actors portray. The available sunlight that is shining through the window also helps to create this illusion because the fan creates flickering shadows on the bed. This is a clever use of shadows to explain the environment.
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