Media Literacy Topic- Reading a Scene

 

• Describe what happened in the scene you watched; How does the scene make you feel? What techniques did the filmmakers use to make you feel that way?

This is the bar scene from Quentin Tarantino's alternate WW2 epic Inglorious Basterds. I feel anticipation whenever I watch this scene. I know there will be a ton of action about to take place. The director uses acting, tension, and setting to create the intense mood.

• How did the pacing of the scene (fast or slow) or the movement of the camera affect your reactions?

 The scene actually runs slowly, but it builds up tension between the characters. You feel that something will happen between the characters based on the slowness of the scene. There are obviously Nazis and Allies present under a guise and you are waiting for the fight between them to occur. The conversations between them add more to the build up of the action. The part where the guns start pointing at each other quickens the pace of the film, but only slightly to keep the interest of the viewer and leaves them at the edge of their seats.

• List all the visual qualities such as framing, camera angles, colors, setting, costumes, décor, and lighting.

This scene includes medium shots, panning, quick cuts, harsh contrasts with shadows and lighting, the costumes are recognizable as an evil connotation, the lighting is dimmer to create a darker mood, and the setting is supposed to be "homey" since it takes place at a bar with friends having fun.

• What was the mood of the scene? How did the colors used in the scene contribute to the mood?

The mood of the scene appears to be light-hearted with friends having a fun time at a bar, but in reality it is spies from the Allies sneaking into Enemy Lines to kill Nazi officers. The colors are a harsher yellow which is inviting but also deceiving to the viewers. The only colors that stand out are the red patches of the Nazi uniforms which makes them marked enemies.

• What did the costumes tell you about the characters?

Other than the obvious Nazi uniforms to show that they are the enemy, Diane Kruger's character wears fancier clothing which shows that she is a prominent figure in Germany (in this movie's case, an actress). She has style and class and it comes out in her attitude and costume. The Allies are in Germanic uniforms, but they are hiding under guise to kill the officers. This could also show that they are just as cruel as the Nazis and also share the view that they are doing the right thing.

• How did the music contribute to the mood and what did the music tell you about the characters?

 There is little to no music in the scene, only the noises around the characters. This could build the tension in the scenes and you learn more form the characters personally through the conversations than other ways.

• What did you learn about the characters from the dialogue?

The characters, especially the Nazis, aren't as evil as they seem. They are under the influence of their revenge, brainwashing, and hatred, but here we as the audience sees they are normal people who have to do bad things to better each side, some reasons more unsavory than others.

• What were the values and opinions expressed in this scene?

Each side obviously thinks of themselves as the better side while the other as true hated enemies. They know that they will both die and so will most of the people in the bar; that is a hard thing to deal with and they both do it anyway because the other is the enemy and its their job to kill the enemy.