Short Term 12 : Blog Post

Short Term 12 is filled with different cinematic elements in different unique ways, giving the movie some perfection with elegance and reaches into your heart. the element I would like to focus on from the film is on lighting.

In the film, lighting was used effectively when the main character, Grace, would talk or just simply hang out with Jayden. When Grace and Jayden sat next to each other trying to comfort each other, there was low key lighting on their faces and barely enough light surrounding them. Their bodies is being partly covered by the darkness the and on top of their heads shows the most light but still minimal light. The lighting shows that both of them have been through some sort of trauma at a very young age at their childhood. They're both devastated and are being haunted by their memories of what happened to them in their thoughts. The only person who can relate to them are each other and are special kind of friends.

Another important moment where lighting was important was at the scene where Grace and Jayden were riding in a bike together in night. The lighting around is set in night time, sure it was because it was at night but this scene took place at night time purposely to show the darkness that still surrounds them, not just individually but also both of them together. Both Grace and Jayden are riding together with grace being relaxed and Jayden holding her. this shows that Jayden's trauma was recent whereas Grace wasn't and that Jayden is scared and can only rely on Grace for help and protection and that she also experienced a similar situation. The lighting that's literally shining right on their heads (even though it's a street it's taken right above their heads) suggest that there might be hope in them and a recovery for a new life. For the new hope, they'll need to be with each other for without them, their might not be any light but darkness instead.

The scene where it was least effective was when Grace was talking with Marcus. Marcus also has had something bad happen to him and that it also destroyed some part of him. Some darkness should have been showing on him for his past that has shaped him destroyed a part of him. When Marcus talks to him, theirs no light shining upon them and no darkness but low key lighting on Grace's face. The scene contributed a lot from this scene on building and knowing who Marcus really is and why he's there. With no lighting we can't depict if whether he still traumatized from what happen to him or if the memory isn't haunting him. The director's use of lighting helps with the story by showing you the darkness in each of the characters and how it affected them and in who they are. When the characters would speak or show up, some minimal lighting is shown in some scenes upon them to show you that they have a dark past that haunts them so you can see what they've through and so you can mentally see their emotionless face. Another film where this component is used really well is The Godfather. One of the characters, Vito Corleone, always hard almost pure darkness upon him with little lighting shining on him. It was to show the soulless, evil man that he is and it tells you that Vito is a powerful man and that if you fail him, you'll suffer the consequences he's going to put upon you.

Myst #3: Drive

I'm not a fan of a dark theme crime movie and often times it's hard to follow with the story or what the main character is doing. Don't get me wrong, there are some crime related movies either because of it's intensive unpredictable scenes to the smaller aspects of the cinematography and fitting well with the story. The director Nicolas Winding Refn directed Drive and other including "Only God forgives", "Bronson" and the "Pusher" which are crime movies that have decent storylines and well appropriate cinematography and fitting in with the appropriate scenes in the movies symbolizing the personality of that certain character. While I was watching the movie, I was wondering if I was going to get bored either from making no sense to me the scenes of being judgmental if the scenes would make sense with what's happening. When I was this movie, I was amazed at the scenes in cooperation with the cinematic aspects and how the characters interacted with those scenes. The movie is about a driver (Ryan Gosling) and that he is a very good at stealing money. As the movie progresses, he becomes fails at stealing a heist. The consequences of him failing is that he ahs to protect Irene (Carey Mulligan) and Benicio (Kaden Leos) from the criminals that want him dead.

Towards the middle of the movie, we are taking a closer look at when the driver kissed Irene. When they kissed, there's light coming from a little source that has it while the rest of the room is covered in darkness and the light shining on their faces indicate that there might be hope in what they're about to do and or their mission to save each other. The darkness indicate that while their might some hope with the light shining upon them, that there might be a chance that death will occur and concur their lives and that they might die with what they're about to do. Their kiss indicate like that of a usual movie that it could be their last time together considering that it might their last time being alive. The high key lighting is separated from the darkness with no low key lighting showing a chance of them surviving and a chance of them not surviving.

In my own opinion, what I enjoyed about the movie was the how the lighting fit in well with each scene and how it set separate tones of the mood of the characters and their situations they're in from the different components that fit well together. What I didn't like about the movie was how (Spoiler) towards the end, the movie left you to ponder as to what just happened and what's going to happen to the main character next. I would recommend this movie to those who love crime related movies and those who always criticize a movie for they might be surprised of what this has got to offer.

 

Drive Official Trailer