The qualities of the film stock, lighting, lenses, framing, angles, camera movement, and use of long takes did add up to the overall look of the movie. The film stock did make it look like an older film and did set that mood for the time period they seemed to be in. The lighting, framing, angles, and camera movement did make it seem as if us the audience were in his body and had us more connected to the character. The use of long takes added more drama and emotion to certain scenes especially when he was talking to loved ones and he was a vegetable and couldn't react with any sort of emotion.
IMAGES:
There are some images in the film which convey information that is not reflected in the characters' actions or dialogue. One very image that I thought were strong when the doctor was stitching up his eye and the character wasn't able to show or give off any sort of pain. It proved to show the strength of the character himself. Another emotional scene was when his father had called him and without being able to talk or move we noticed a tear slowly run down his cheek. His father nor the nurse knew what was truly going on inside his head.
SHOT LENGTHS:
There are some recognizable patterns of the length of shots in the film. There are some long takes to really show how he can't move so therefore has to focus on whatever spot he is placed to look at for awhile. It gives the audience of feeling what he really might be like to be trapped inside a paralyzed body without even a head turn.
SHOT TYPES:
Of course like many films this one had many different types of angles, but the one that was mostly used were close-ups. These extreme close-ups played a huge role in the film to have the film in his point of view. It made the audience seem as if we were in his body thinking, hearing, and seeing everything from his point of view. It captured the audience attention and drew a connection to the character. Many of the close-ups were with the doctors, nurses, and family members.
CAMERA ANGLES:
In the film there are a variety of angles including both high and low and POV shots. The low shot in the film when he is driving represents power or superiority to show how important his role is in the movie. There are many low angles shots which are from his point of view since majority of the movie he is in the hospital bed paralyzed so it really makes the audience feel as we are watching the film from his body.
COMPOSITION:
The composition of the shots within the film are quite different since they are not balanced in a way that conforms to the rule of thirds most of the time. The elements within the frame are arranged in a less "painterly" composition since they are really trying to film it in the main character's point of view. The composition contributes to the overall look of the scenes, because it's giving the audience his story from his own eyes and experiences.
CAMERA MOVEMENT:
In this film the camera movement did play an important functional role in the film's narrative. One example in the film was his movement of the wheelchair he had to be placed in to get around and do anything. It had that dolly effect to move through the hospital rooms or outside at the beach with his family.
CINEMATOGRAPHY STYLE:
The cinematography style for the film seemed to be strictly from his point of view to give the audience a closer connection and understanding. It was intentional on the filmmakers' part to tell us the story right from the main source. The purpose in making the cinematography so noticeable is to make it seem as we are watching the film from his eyes hearing his thoughts and emotions and seeing everything from his point of view.
