Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah
Julian Cornell
12 May, 2017
Language of Film
Final Essay
Movie watching; one of the most common pastimes in American society, so popular we no longer need to leave our homes to do it. With systems like Netflix and Hulu, not to mention the vast number of pirating sites, film access is at our fingertips. The average movie lasts around an hour and a half, and in that time period viewers watch a story unfold, taking them on a journey through a beginning middle and end. A huge amount of time and work go into creating an effective story, from the smallest details to a masterful soundtrack. At first, it may be difficult to see the little things that create such large projects. However, when you are able to zero in on a film in small portions, it is then that you can see just how many elements make up the big picture.
For many directors, the most important step in storytelling is to set the scene, which is where the elements of mise en scene come into play. In the Ridley Scott’s, Blade Runner, Scott doesn’t wait till the characters are on the screen to do so, but instead begins at the credits, utilizing two items many may not first think of as ways to reveal story, he does this through sound and font. Font and sound can have a huge role in preparing an audience for the tone of the film. If the opening titles of a movie have upbeat, lighthearted music and blocky handwritten fonts, one may be prepared to watch a family comedy. A grand orchestra with cursive credits may infer a romance or musical. The font used in the opening titles of Blade Runner is reminiscent to those used in popular sci-fi and horror literature, like Stephen King novels. Coupled with Vangelis’ eery score, it becomes clear that the film will be an action packed sci-fi drama.
The score in this opening sequence is interesting as it couples with the visuals in a way that neither could live without the other. The sound effects, both on and off screen, fit perfectly with the score, which develop the changing moods in this sequence, which flow from confusion to tension, to a mixture of both. For example, during the opening credits, the score is eerie and foreboding with a high pitched flute like noise accompanied by deep bass undertones. The bass notes grow louder sporadically, resembling distant explosions. When the sequence eventually begins, we see that they are in fact explosions, in what appears to be an apocalyptic Los Angeles. Instead of standing alone as a musical track, this score embodied the tone of the scene by including the sounds of the story within itself.
Color plays a big role in most films, in this particular one, Scott makes great use of the color red to tell the story. Red is used in this sequence to highlight. Red highlights the main character, Deckard, when he is first introduced into the film, it highlights the antagonists of the film, “The Replicants”, in the opening titles, as well as the billboards of “the Colony”, that is mentioned various times throughout the scene. Red is a color most widely known to symbolize passion and love, however can also mean violence, rage or danger. Red elicits an emotional response from us and commands our attention, which is why it is used for stop signs and warning signals like fire alarms. Scott uses red in the opening shot of Blade Runner. In a wide shot of Los Angeles fiery red explosions go on and off almost rhythmically. A flying car then zooms by, drawing our attention with its bright red light before becoming lost among the further off explosions, somehow letting us know it will show up again soon. It does, in yet another wide shot of LA as it zooms towards a pyramid-like structure, presenting the setting of the story.
The ability for viewers to follow along with the plot in this film relies heavily on how effectively the story is set. The narrative itself is introduced within the first minutes of the film, with a scrolling monologue that tells the viewer where they will be for the remainder of the it. To further establish the setting, Scott provides long wide, high and close up shots of the LA skyline. Although this film appears to be one that will be fast paced, these initial shots last multiple seconds to really create the sense of space. With each new setting, Scott gives the viewer time to take it all in, and really believe that this is LA.
When we meet the characters of the film, the use of close ups in dark spaces is highly utilized. We meet Deckard in the nighttime, his face illuminated by the bright red lights from the sign behind him in a close up shot. Deckard is filmed in highly cramped spaces, filled with a variety of people yet he is the only one in focus. Because of this, Scott tells the viewer that this is your hero, or main character, even when he is surrounded by people, he is who you should be looking at. When we meet Leon and Mr. Holden, they are in a dim, slightly dingy room. The personalities of these characters are highlighted in their close ups. Both Leon and Mr. Holden appear to have greyish green, cold eyes, however each tells us different stories. Mr. Holden’s eyes are stern, proper, and still, while Leon’s are shaky and nervous. Through their close up shots we feel slightly more attached to Leon because of his eyes, and more distant toward Mr. Holden. Even for me when Leon shot at Mr. Holden, still, I felt sympathetic towards Leon, due to the relationship establish in his close up.
Going off of the effects of close ups in this opening sequence, one of the most glaring close ups is that of the eye. After shots of the extremely gloomy Los Angeles we receive a close up shot of an eye. In an even closer cut to the eye we see the explosions in the distance, almost as though they are occurring within the eye. At this point we do not yet know who’s eye this is, we find out later during the interaction with Leon and Mr. Holden. Because at this point we aren’t given information on the eye’s owner, this gives a sense of mystery and tension that remains present throughout the sequence. A few years back during my karate training, I had to fight my instructor, Shihan. No matter what combination of moves I used on him, he would deflect each of my attacks. I asked him how he did this and he responded by looking at my eyes. Shihan was known for not blinking during a fight, and he explained that this was because, “People’s eyes tell you whatever you need to know. They tell you what they are going to do, what they want to do. They tell you what they like, and what they hate. I knew where you wanted to kick me before you did it because of your eyes.” Eye’s can tell you a lot about a person, however in this close up I am unsure of what the owner of these eyes was thinking. As it was clear they were watching the explosions go off in the city, it was unclear to me if these explosions made them fearful, or if they made them happy. Did they have something to do with the destruction?
One of the most interesting elements Scott includes here is his depiction of what seems to be a post apocalyptic Los Angeles is the culture he depicts as the majority. In most post apocalyptic/sci-fi films, the main characters, as well as majority of supporting characters in the movie are typically Caucasian American individuals,(Hunger Games, War of the Worlds), which, realistically, would not be the case. Scott depicts a world where Eastern and Western cultures come together, most of the people on the streets in the scene with Deckard are Asian, from the woman on the billboard to the man that sells Deckard his noodles. It wasn’t clear what language the police officer that stopped Deckard was speaking, sometimes it appeared to be Japanese but not at others. If this was intentional, it showed that 2019 America had undergone an extreme fusion of culture, not only changing the physical outlook of Los Angeles but also the language spoken there. This inability to understand what was being said leads to questions for the rest of the film, “Why does Los Angeles look completely different?” “What is this language?” “How did we get here?” “Where are we going?” By establishing distance from the norm, Scott draws the viewer into the story, prepared to piece together answers.
As I analyzed this opening sequence, I found myself finding something new each time I rewatched. As the scene unraveled, I found myself channeling in on different elements, from color, to sound, to shots, trying to see what Scott’s vision, as well as seeing just how much goes into making a film. Scott’s ability to lure his viewers in through complex visuals and mysterious music gave me more insight on effective movie making and story development through a masterful use of mise en scene, editing, sound and storytelling.