Online Film Analysis

D- Magnolia:
The most striking part about this clip is that it is one long take, and the camera tracks many different characters through many different areas.  The same nondiegetic music is played through the whole clip, with the diegetic sounds of rain and talking on top of this.  The shot is generally a medium shot, though it varies slightly as the camera follows different people.  The closeness of the shot gives a good feel of the size of the space; when the woman and the boy are in the elevator the shot is a close-up, and when people are walking down the hallway it often becomes a long shot.   The effect of the camera following so many different people is that there is a sense of busyness and urgency, and it is not clear who will become important characters.  The objective perspective is important at this point because it creates uncertainty and curiosity about each character and their relation to other characters, as well as the context for their situation.

A- Ocean's 11:
The scene starting out with all the characters sitting around a round table playing poker created a choatic feeling as the camera was constantly changing directions to feature a different person.  It reminded me of the clip we watched in class from The Fellowship of the Ring.   The short takes set the fast pace of the film and the nightlife atmosphere they were in.  The light seemed to be low-key because of the many shadows present, and the light quality seemed soft, there was light coming from many different places.  This definitely conveys a glamorous, more relaxed feeling.  There is never any nondiegetic music, so the viewer is completely immersed in the world of the film.  The costuming helps develop the character; the leading man especially.  Wearing the silver shirt and tie, he appears confident and comfortable in his surrounding.  His dress helps establish him as the important character he seems to be.

E- Amadeus:
The scene starts with an older man playing tunes on a harpsicord, giving us diegetic sound.  Suddenly, he starts to envision the full piece, with all parts being played, and then himself conducting in front of an audience.  This brings us from an objective perspective to a perceptual perspective.  This serves to show the mental state of the old man- by seeing how exciting his 'glory days' were, the viewer can better feel the disappointment he currently feels about what has become of his music.  Also, having most of the scene as a medium shot makes the music and mental state of the old man the focus of the scene.  By never seeing what this building is or what the surrounding area is like, the focus is strictly on what happens in the room.  The use of restricted narration is also effective.  When the younger man recognizes the last tune, you feel excited for the old man, then let down when you hear that Mozart actually wrote that tune.

B- Strangers on a train:
This opening scene is very powerful and effective.  The feeling of chaos is very strong.  The combination of the quick cuts between takes and the dizzying effect of the spinning merry-go-round really leaves an impact of the viewer.  Switching between the diegetic merry-go-round music and the non-diegetic dramatic music, as well as the overlay of talking and screaming, adds to this chaotic feel.  With all the different characters and the jumping between them, there is always something else to think about; the man crawling under the ride was always at the back of my mind. The ending with confusion over who committed the crime leaves the viewer unsure of pretty much everything, but eager to see more.  The whole scene is fairly dark with light that seems more low-key.  This adds to the lack of clarity that seems to be the intention of Hitchcock