BLOG POST #2: Mise-En-Scène

The scene that I chose to do was the famous hospital sequence in the movie hard boiled. It was a heroic bloodshed film, which was a sub-genre of the genre of action films. The scene opens with the protagonists looking in at the camera from behind the hospital door. We can see their heads, parts of their upper bodies, as well their weapons from this view through the glass. This shows that they are getting ready to enter into unknown territory. The fact that the camera was placed from inside, it is trying to show that they are trying to enter. The film score help establish an anxious and unpredictable mood, like our protagonist does not know what will happen. But never the less, are prepared for a fire fight. The lighting was done very dark. It has very dim key and fill lights. This was based off the influence of film noir as well as neo-noir films. Then we get a shot from their vision of the inside. This is obviously done to showcase what the characters are seeing. The camera then goes back to the inside viewing them through the door and glass. It shows them locking and loading their weapons. This shows that they are being prepared for an intense shoot out. The camera then goes to the outside and shows one of the character kicking open the door to begin the sequence. What happens next is the infamous long take that took up over two minutes and 40 seconds. The camera work was masterfully done in the long take. It was always placed where we can see the action and never any obscure angles that make us question why it is there. The camera would also go to slow motion during key moments to intensify the action, which is beautifully done to heighten the story telling. The choreography are also over the top, so it can allows specific people to be in specific locations on set and then the camera would focus specifically on them, before they are get shot. This camera focus combined with over the top choreography creates a high impact visceral action, which is both exciting and aesthetically pleasing. The intense acting and melodrama intermingled with high velocity action and choreography brings a new exciting style to film making. This work is simply a master perfecting his craft.