Raging Bull

In this blog, I will analysis a section of a biopic movie called ‘Raging Bull’. It is a black and whit movie.  Robert De Niro is the mainly character of this film. In this film he played a boxer. This story maybe happened in 20th century in America. Because in boxing match, some women audiences' clothing style was popular in American in 20th century. And in the scene of this film, it wrote' New York 1950' , so I guess this story happened in America. This section mainly talk about a boxer prepare for a competition. It can be divide into five parts.

Firstly, I would like to talk about the scenes of this boxer walking to the ring. It uses a large number of eye-level angle and a little high angle. During the boxer walking to the ring, the shot sizes of this part are medium shot and medium close up. It makes the audience focus on emotions of characters. The movement of this part is handheld, because this part mainly show the boxer walking to the ring, the actor change his position all the time. It uses selective focus, not all the frame is in focus and it just concentrating on the important aspect of the boxer. All of these shooting skills are make audience feel the confidence of this boxer and can feel he is very popular among people.

Secondly, next part is the boxer entrance to the ring. It use wide angle, wide angle of view exaggerates depth, figures in foreground seem larger than they really are, figures in background seem proportionately small. Movements towards camera appear faster. In this part, the panning follows a movement. It uses a large number of close up and medium close up shot sizes. This kind of shots size can more intimacy and focus on emotions of characters.

Thirdly, this scene is about the fight. It uses high angle, low angle, and canted level. These kinds of angles can show characters powerful, exaggerate size of subject and emphasise fear of panic. It also uses medium shot and close shot. More intimacy and focus on emotions of characters. It shows the fierce competition and audience. The features of boxer’s face can feel both of them are very hell-bent. The camera angle of scoreboard use low angle can make people feel more powerful.

Fourthly, it is the end of the fight. When people put water on boxer’s body, it uses canted angle, subject creates diagonal line through frame. Because canted angle can make audience feel anxious and nervous, it is indicate what will happen next. When a referee walking to another boxer, to tell that boxer he is the champion, he has won the competition. Because slow motion can highlight the details, create atmosphere and deepen the feeling of tension.

Finally, it is about celebration. When the champion put on the gold belt it uses tilt shot. Tilt shot are vertical moving up or down on tripod, simulate looking up or down and exaggerate the dimensions of a figure. Use tilt shot can feel more powerful and dominate the shot. When the boxer know he is win the competition, all of people are very excited and it uses close-up many times. It creates insight into relationship and tensions between characters, creates intimacy between characters.It uses eye-level angle, worm’s angle and low angle. Through low angle can exaggerate size of subject, feel more powerful, dominate the shot.

Metropolis

Metropolis

At the start of the movie, I saw the rotation of the gear and the images changed quickly, a big machine started to whiff. The background looked like a morning of a city. I guess this city maybe belong to America, it is maybe happened in 20th century. Because the film appeared many planes, cars and viaducts. In 20th centuary, America was already reached this level.

Then the frames went to a very dark place, this is the location 1. Two teams of workers, they all wear black clothes and looked down, movement automatically and they are organized orderly, everyone did the same motion. One team went in and another team came out. All of these workers looked like lifeless. It was very depressive. This film use dark light, it made audience felt depressive and tired. When this workers all in an elevator, then this elevator fall.

In location 2, firstly, a runway appeared, some young man were prepared to raced. Then the imaged went to a beautiful garden, some women wear retro and floridly dress, they took photos and an old steward refined the make-up for these women. A young man appeared, he maybe the host of this garden and he is the mainly character of this film, because he also wear exquisite clothes and the next story were used his angle of view to evolution. By the way, all these actors in this film make-up were very exaggerated, it has huge contrast with their skin. The host were played hide-and-seek with a girl, they use exaggerated actions, the light show a lively sense.  When they almost kissed, a beautiful girl with a group child appeared, the rich young man was attracted by her beauty and followed her to that factory. He was shocked by the sense of the factory. All the workers motion unified, it use dark light to show these workers were oppressed by capitalism. Suddenly, the factory exploded, many factors got injured, but soon, other factors quickly replaced. The young man was scared, he seemed the factory became a monster, many workers was eaten by the monster. He can not endured al of this. He run out of this factory to find his father-factory director.

In this film, the actors said nothing, they just use actions and emotions to express the theme of this film. The theme is in developed city, capitalist oppress poor workers, the society was dark. The development of the society was depended on the labour of that workers.I guess maybe this young man can save these workers ‘s destiny and fall in love with that girl.