Cabaret Film Anaylsis
I directed Cabaret in 1971 and my main aim was to explore the nature of humans and how they behave in certain circumstances. Set in Berlin, 1931, the movie follows the lives of Sally Bowles and Brian Roberts through the struggles of living in Nazi Germany. Through the use of film techniques such as camera shot and angles, musical numbers, and repeated symbols, the viewer perceives how what contributes to the decisions people make, and how this affects their lives.
The use of camera shots and angles featured heavily throughout Cabaret. I use the low angle close up frequently to establish a feeling of power or dominance. The first musical number I wanted to be viewed from the audience’s point of view, looking up at the cabaret performers to show the performer’s dominance and create a tense, excited and somewhat sinister atmosphere. It was also used to show that Brian is new to Berlin, a stranger. I showed this by making the audience continually look down on him from many perspectives. The close up shot is also frequently used. This shot is dramatic and fills the screen with a single subject, and when focusing on a person’s face, it is used to show emotion. This shot I used mostly with Sally. After she had her child aborted, the audience looked down at her. This combined with the fact she was wearing minimal makeup, it made her look almost child-like, showing she needed protection and emphasised the fact that she was very vulnerable. Camera focus is used to make the audience pay attention to certain details and I wanted to make the MC come to the forefront of the audience’s mind as he foreshadows misfortune or the coming of bad times. The title sequence starts with a blurry image which slowly comes into focus, and we see the face of the MC, indicating what I have just explained before. I often used close ups, or extreme close ups on the hands of the characters. These shots are used to draw the audience’s attention to a particular detail as well as distort reality.
The use of camera shots and angles featured heavily throughout Cabaret. I use the low angle close up frequently to establish a feeling of power or dominance. The first musical number I wanted to be viewed from the audience’s point of view, looking up at the cabaret performers to show the performer’s dominance and create a tense, excited and somewhat sinister atmosphere. It was also used to show that Brian is new to Berlin, a stranger. I showed this by making the audience continually look down on him from many perspectives. The close up shot is also frequently used. This shot is dramatic and fills the screen with a single subject, and when focusing on a person’s face, it is used to show emotion. This shot I used mostly with Sally. After she had her child aborted, the audience looked down at her. This combined with the fact she was wearing minimal makeup, it made her look almost child-like, showing she needed protection and emphasised the fact that she was very vulnerable. Camera focus is used to make the audience pay attention to certain details and I wanted to make the MC come to the forefront of the audience’s mind as he foreshadows misfortune or the coming of bad times. The title sequence starts with a blurry image which slowly comes into focus, and we see the face of the MC, indicating what I have just explained before. I often used close ups, or extreme close ups on the hands of the characters. These shots are used to draw the audience’s attention to a particular detail as well as distort reality.