#cinematography

mmanalysis:

Continuing in no particular order, let’s look at the first episode of Amazon.

First,we get some of those trippy cuts from Kamen Rider, and we have our main Rider shadowed for part of the beginning. When we do get a better look, Daisuke is bathed in an eerie green light, foreshadowing his less than human nature. We also do the fragmented parts of his face as well in the beginning but not to the same extent as Hongo. 

One thing I found interesting is that there’s less experimentation compared to the first Kamen Rider. My theory is that the New Wave was dying down around the world and that since Amazon was completely different, they didn’t want to do too much. 

Around the halfway mark, I noticed they had wide long shot of him among the trains and later as he’s eating the bananas they had him sitting in the darkness in a cramped area. Like Kamen Rider and Black, they created an atmosphere of confusion and showing Daisuke alone in the world. When Masahiko enters, it’s still dimly lit but we get medium shots of the two foreshadowing the close bond they will have in the future. 

Now for the transformation scene against our spider monster(we should make that a drinking game, we have Daisuke being fragmented with the shots and his face shadowed. When it comes time for the actual process, we get a sort kaleidoscope image. My guess for why they did it was to show Amazon separating himself from his humanity to become a Rider.

The fight scenes are a tad disorienting with the cuts and angles. Possibly to simulate how animals fight since Amazon is the more animalistic of the Riders. 

So, I think I’ll try and make this a thing. Got to use that film degree for something!

mmanalysis:

Kamen Rider Black edged further to Ishinomori’s true vision for the franchise of a human turned into a creepy monster by malevolent forces and boy, does the cinematography does it’s job here!

First, we start off at nighttime, a first I believe for the franchise, and we get our establishing shots of our villains. When Kotaro is introduced we get a lot of first person point of view shots and quick cuts between showing his face, his feet, and that POV shot. This heightens the tension and puts us straight in Kotaro’s shoes of being confused and frightened. Even when he transforms to Black, his form is fairly shadowed and when illuminated we only see part of his outfit. When we finally get a good look at the suit in the light, it’s towards the end where the confusion has abated somewhat for Kotaro and he has a a clear path for what he wants to do.

I also want to point out that we get a few bird’s eye views and wide shots that makes Kotaro appear smaller than he actually is. This is done to show how small the character is in the grand scheme and how out of control they feel in their situation. It’s only towards the end of episode one that we start getting close ups of Kotaro and his fists to show that Kotaro is taking back his autonomy.

As for the editing, there is quite a few cuts, in particular jump cuts of Kotaro that speed up his reaction and causing a disjointed experience for the viewer. And to go along with Kotaro gaining a new resolve and purpose, the cuts become more static and sequential. 

Overall, the first episode relied less on narration compared to Kamen Rider and wanted to put us in a place on fear and confusion. 

mmanalysis:

When Hongo is on the operating table, I noticed that a lot of the close up shots of his face were fragmented. Like we’ll see an eye, his forehead area, or his face in shadows but rarely a close up of his whole face and rarely does it stay long enough for the audience to get a good look. We see his whole body however and I do believe this was done on purpose to show how Hongo is no longer human. By not showing his whole face during those scenes and contrasting with his introduction of seeing his whole face, we are put in his shoes as he realizes that he is no longer human. 

In future posts I’ll try to add more discussions on the cinematography, or mise-en-scene if you feel fancy, of other toku series.

I attend a Tribal College in Montana and parts of the film were rumored to be shot within the region. When the movie was released a large group of us (students) went to go see it at the local theatre (which only has two screens; so to even be screened at the theatre, there has to be some sort of demand). I can’t speak for anyone else, but I really liked the cinematography. I thought the story itself droned on at points and I always get a bit uncomfortable watching violence (whether it bear or man or bear and man).

…but I feel like your question is really asking about representation and I will bite.

I appreciated the fact they actually hired Native actors and conducted an actual casting (thanks Michelle Shining Elk), rather than relying on the standard Native standby actors that seem to populate any mainstream Hollywood film that deals with Natives. I did have an initial kneejerk reaction where I feared the Natives in the film weren’t going to be fleshed out and instead just treated like scenery or props. I also find myself conflicted about the larger issue of media representation for us being incredibly limited and when we are depicted it’s often in a historical context. This creates an incredibly distorted view of our culture. We either become historical relics, savages, or else ‘not real natives’ because we don’t act like the Natives in cinema and run around in buckskin, shooting arrows, and live in tipis. Instead, we might go to Universities, wear jeans, write code, read quora, etc. and are fully individualized people just like anyone else. But because Natives are rarely shown doing these ‘modern’ things, we aren’t always thought of as capable - if we are even thought of at all.

Overall I didn’t watch this film because I thought it was going to be about my culture or important to my community. I watched it because I like Alejandro González Iñárritu.

I think I developed more of an interest in the film when Leonardo DiCaprio used his Academy Award acceptance speech to namecheck our respective communities. That speech clip was passed around by my friends on snapchat, facebook, instagram, and even discussed in class. Other than that, the few times the film has come up with friends it’s we mostly talked about the bear scene, or how so-and-so’s Uncle was an extra, Tom Hardy, or arguments about filming locations.

Now ‘Ridiculous Six’ on the other hand……..#$@!

1917 study, what an awesome film.

Environent and vehicle concept art as part of a studio test.

I really do wanna find that post about how it was such a well done cinematic sequence after Stiles essentially committed manslaughter in self-defense, called the cops, then realized he had blood on his hands, and Dylan’s performance too, ugh like the post included that scene and the score and everything and discussed film theory.