Preview

Cinematography in "Moonrise Kingdom"

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1326 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Cinematography in "Moonrise Kingdom"
The movie Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson, 2012) tells a story of two children, Sam and Suzy, who feel estranged and disconnected in their small island community of New Penzance. Wes Anderson's use of cinematography and other audiovisual elements creates a highly stylized movie that explores the concept of family and the need for people in our lives. In the scene towards the end of the movie in which Sam and Suzy make a risky climb up to the top of the church bell-tower, in the middle of a storm, police chief Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis) saves their lives by caring enough to follow them into the storm and bring them back to safety. Wes Anderson combines the elements of a raging thunderstorm, the repeated appearance of a distinct silhouette styled shot, and the audio effect of church-bells in the background in order to illustrate the effects that Sam and Suzy have on the other characters by the love that they share for one another.
One of the biggest reasons that this scene stands out from the rest of the movie is because of the presence of the intense storm overhead that illuminates the characters from the constant lightning and creates an intense "on the edge of your seat" moment which is even greater emphasized by the constant sound of thunder and gusts of wind. The storm represents all of the conflict and negativity that Sam and Suzy receive from all of the other characters. Sam desires friendship but is rejected by all of the other Khaki Scouts because of his social awkwardness, and Suzy is in a dysfunctional family where brothers live in a world of their own, and she no longer trusts her parents because her mother is carrying on an affair. The love that Sam and Suzy share for each other seems to be the only meaningful thing in each of their lives, and everything seems to be crashing down on them as Sam faces being taken away by social services and Suzy faces having to return to a family who doesn’t pay attention to her. The storm in this scene emphasizes the
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Analysis Of Donnie Darko's The Killing Moon
    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Analysis Of Donnie Darko's The Killing Moon

    The opening scene of Donnie Darko incorporates Michael Andrew’s “The Killing Moon” with peaceful and mystifying shots to introduce the main character, Donnie, as he discovers he slept-biked to the top of a mountain.…

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Planimetic Techniques In Wes Anderson's Kingdom
    • 1315 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Planimetic Techniques In Wes Anderson's Kingdom

    Sam and Suzy decide to run away into the wilderness of the idyllic fictional island, New Penzance, first out of love for one another, second to escape the confines and struggles of the adult world around them, including Suzy’s two lawyer parents (Bill Murray and Francis McDormand) in a sterile marriage, the bumbling Khaki Scout Master (Edward Norton), and a lonely island policeman (Bruce Willis). Though a narrative about children, Moonrise Kingdom addresses adult issues of love (or the lack thereof), newfound sexuality, infidelity, parenting, identity, and the sense of belonging. Sam and Suzy, traversing through the wilderness, equally must navigate the rocky terrain of their own maturation while finding their place in the complicated adult…

    • 1315 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Under the Same Moon (Movie Review)
    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Under the Same Moon (Movie Review)

    Under the Same Moon is a story about a nine year old boy, Carlitos, who wants to be reunited with his mother, but has to cross over the Mexican border to do so. The movie starts by us learning about Carlitos life in Mexico and his mother’s, Rosario, who lives in L.A. Carlitos and his mother speak every Sunday at the same two payphones, while Rosario reassures her son they will be reunited in the U.S one day. We also see her describe what it is like in the U.S. to Carlitos. But after Carlitos Grandmother dies, he is left alone in Mexico. He decides that he will cross the border alone with a little more than a $1000 in his pocket that he has saved. Carlitos manages to cross the border by being smuggled over by two college students in desperate need of money, but almost ends up disappearing under illegal human trafficking. A bystander watching took Carlitos under her wing who also takes care of illegal immigrants looking for work. He manages to escape from the authorities after almost being caught, while picking tomatoes for work. He tags along with a man named Enrique who also escapes and is not fond of children, but as the movie goes on Enrique enjoys Carlitos company. The two travel on looking for Carlito’s mother and the telephone she calls from every Sunday. Carlitos ends up discovering his mother by the telephone booth that she described to him, (the Domino’s Pizza, Laundromat, mural and party store all surrounding it), but Enrique gets taken away by the police trying to protect him.…

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
    • 986 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

    3. Storms are represented as chaos and dangers throughout the novel. “The tat-tat of the rain against the tin roof, changed to a deafening roar that sound as if thousands of giant rocks were hurled against the earth.” (45) The author uses the expression of thousands of rocks being hurled to earth, in “the tat-tat rain . . . turned into a deafening roar.” The strong amount and force of rain is basically telling everyone to be safe, and take cover. If they do not be careful, they could be stoned to death. Another example is, “Mr. Avery stepped dripping the room . . . Theys ridin’ tonight.” (60) “A clap of deafening thunder drowned Mr. Avery’s words, then the rain quickened and the conversation was lost.” (62) Mr. Avery starts talking about the ridin’ tonight, Mama gets scared and suspicious, shortly after the storm drains out the conversation. The strong storm leaves important information to be unheard; this leaves the person suspicious and frightened.…

    • 986 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Citzen Kane-cinematography
    • 386 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Citzen Kane-cinematography

    Citizen Kane is about a man who is given the chance to be successful and he is but he dies with his last words being rosebud but what does this mean, people are trying to find out. In the end we find out it’s the sledge, which symbolises his childhood that he lost.…

    • 386 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Movie Analysis of Alien (1979) Cinematography
    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Movie Analysis of Alien (1979) Cinematography

    The sharp hatches confine Captain Dallas and create the illusion he is very much on his own and there is no going backwards at any speed. This along with the very close camera angle throughout create a claustrophobic depiction.…

    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Importance Of The Motifs In Station Eleven
    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Importance Of The Motifs In Station Eleven

    The storm could also call attention to the years that were skipped to the future in the novel that left the reader wondering what happened in between those years. This could be implied as a mystery that maybe later in the novel, it will be revealed how Kirsten and the rest of the characters made it to where they are twenty years later. In the comic, there are “…orange and crimson skies with two moons on the horizon.”(Mandel 42) Mainly, the purpose of the reoccurrence of the storm and crimson sky is to insinuate the devastation that is to occur. The message of this motif is to be aware for what is yet to come because the characters are placed in a situation whether they either adapt to the new life or die. The storm relates to a contrasting view between the light and darkness. During a rainstorm it cam be dark and cloudy, but after it stops raining the sky is clear and the sun is shining. In the same way, the prophet believes that the epidemic happened for a good reason, however those who survived may not agree because they were miserable while it…

    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Cinematography In Vertigo
    • 230 Words
    • 1 Page

    Cinematography In Vertigo

    The cinematography of Vertigo is, at least for me, is the most memorable aspect of the film. The theme of voyeurism, already a common Hitchcock element, is accentuated by the use of the camera as Scottie’s eyes; the audience is Scottie, and we see exactly what he does. Only twice does the camera break from the protagonist. In Judy’s flashback the camera goes where Scottie cannot, making the audience more powerful than the protagonist. The audience does not object; we desire to see more of Judy’s inner thoughts, as if we were observing a rat in a laboratory. Soon afterwards, Judy dies, right as Scottie overcomes his acrophobia. He gets what he wants, but only at the cost of his love’s life. Similarly, we get what we want (the truth of the mystery),…

    • 230 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    pleasantville analysis
    • 1032 Words
    • 3 Pages

    pleasantville analysis

    Slowly, the entire town begins to brighten and show colors, even those who were against change. The mayor finally changes color when he has an outward expression of his anger, and the husband/father when he openly shows his love for his wife and that he misses her. The town experiences rain for the first time, and consequently a full color rainbow. This is symbolic of how change can seem like chaos at first, but it usually results in something beautiful (with exception to hurricanes and tropical storms.)…

    • 1032 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Cinematography: Pariah
    • 1231 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Cinematography: Pariah

    Pariah is a 2011 independent film depicting the story of a young black lesbian in Brooklyn who is trying to come to terms with her identity. Though you might not guess that at first if you were to go in blind. The film makes very little attempt to directly affirm a lot of information to the audience right away. In the opening of the movie, for example, we are introduced to a dim and noisy nightclub, or more accurately thrown in. The shots here are close, the lighting is very dark, and the dialogue is sparse and minimal.While we’re not formally introduced to these characters, we still learn things like how Alike’s character already identifies as a lesbian from the start, in contrast to many other coming-out stories. We’re not directly told a lot of things, but we’re still given a lot of information about the characters and their stories through these film techniques. These uses of cinematography, sound, editing, and narrative to help tell the story are prevalent throughout the whole film, and are used effectively to elevate a convincing coming-of-age story into something much more unique.…

    • 1231 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Local Color in Chopin's "The Storm"
    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Local Color in Chopin's "The Storm"

    The setting of the story takes place in Louisiana, during the nineteenth century. The opening scene is where Bobinot and Bibi are at the local Friedheimer’s store, having to wait out the storm that is to come. During their wait Bobinot purchases a can of shrimp for his wife Calixta. He knows loves them and aims to please her but it betrayed by her in return. Back at the Calixta and Bobinot’s home we’re given a scene where Bobinot’s Sunday clothes hanging out to dry. This shows the significance of dressing up on “church day” in the town that they live in. The storm itself is a symbol in which we get the feel for the positive, not negative outcome at the end of the story. Instead of bringing harm into the character’s lives, it brings peace and happiness.…

    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Thunderwith
    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Thunderwith

    Soon afterwards Lara meets a dog. She decides to call it Thunderwith because she thinks that it is a gift sent down by her mother. Lara is so happy that she can have one moment of happiness. “She had just met Thunderwith and somehow by caring about him meant she didn’t care about being by herself. She “was not really alone at all-Thunderwith was in her thoughts.” Lara can not handle her mother’s death so she tries to block out her grieving about her mother’s death. Thunderwith has entered her life and she can think happy thoughts and not feel alone and upset. When Thunderwith is with her she doesn’t need to care anymore about being alone. The main character Lara is in denial of her mother’s death, and tries to block it out.…

    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Birds Film Analysis
    • 1120 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Birds Film Analysis

    As the crows lay stagnant on the playset, children begin to run away from the school house under the advisement of their teacher, causing the birds to follow in hot pursuit of the children. The movie involved stronger features in its literary elements including plot, characters, and setting. As the film produced substantial differences in both the characters and setting revealed in the short story. A major distinction between the two works is in the characters. In the film, the main characters are Melanie Daniels and Mitch Brenner, who stay together in the town Bodega Bay with a majority of their time spent in Mitch’s mother's home during the attacks on the city. While in the story, the main character is Nat Hocken who focused on protecting his family and home during the Kamikaze attacks from the birds. An additional literary element that generated an impact larger in the film was the setting. The film took place in the small town of Bodega Bay while the story took place in a small town outside of London. In the seminal film and short story, “The Birds”, the film conveyed a deeper and stronger meaning in comparison to the story using setting, characters and plot.…

    • 1120 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Cry Game Film Techniques
    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Cry Game Film Techniques

    The Crying Game brings up many disorienting points. One of the main oppositions is male versus female. Imagine a child opening up his presents on Christmas day. There is a box underneath the tree shaped exactly like the toy he’s been begging for for months now. When he opens the box he is disappointed to learn that it is just a set of pajamas and some tube socks. This situation is a little disorienting for the boy and he learns that he won’t always get what he wants and that things aren’t always what they seem. This is the same situation that Fergus found himself in when he and Dil were together but it is a lot more disorienting for Fergus.…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Film Techniques In Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind
    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Film Techniques In Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind

    A Beautiful Mind, written by Ron Howard, it tells the story of a brilliant mathematician named John Nash who eventually discovers he had an ill mind when he is seeing people who aren’t real. As John goes through college at Princeton and the rest of his complex career we watch him battle his own mind. The director uses several different film techniques to walk the viewers through the life of having a crazy but beautiful mind.…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics