The Italian Job (2003)

Here we have an establishing shot of L.A. at sunset. I like how the dark vertical buildings contrast with the golden horizon. It's a good establishing shot because it has all the elements you'd expect in a big city: cars, lights, tall buildings, and good old urban sprawl.



This scene I like not just because of the gold, but because of the way they made the gold look so pure and valuable. The simple shining of a light on these bricks really drove home their monetary value and the magnitude of the wealth the thieves had acquired.



Image you've just acquired $27 million to be split among you and your close friends. What would your reaction be? Shouting would probably be part of it, as it was for the hacker character. Problem is he was in an airport terminal when he did it, so he gets a few wary stares. I liked this scene because it pretty much sums up the feelings one would have if they got rich.

The Truman Show (1998)

I found this to be an interesting point of view shot. Strangely enough it seems to be coming from the radio in his car. So far through the movie the viewer has caught a few glimpses through some odd POVs. This builds up the suspicion that he's being monitored intensively.



Truman and his friend are watching the sun set while Truman ponders the strange recent developments in his life. His friend says, "Look at that sunset Truman, its perfect. That's the big guy. Quite a paintbrush he's got." I got the impression he wasn't talking about God, but about some other "almighty" being, perhaps the one behind this facade. Honestly, have you ever seen a sunset like that?



This will probably end up being one of my favorite reaction shots ever. Here Truman is going through his photo album when he notices a small detail. Upon magnification he realizes that, in one of his wedding photos, his "wife" is crossing her fingers! His somewhat restrained response of surprise and shock is quite fitting.

Pitch Black (2000)

I've always enjoyed it when a film shows a situation through more than just a singular point of view. The accompanying shots show things from the point of view of Riddick (first and second) and the alien creatures inhabiting the planet (third). Riddick's view is unique due to the alterations made to his eyes, which allow him to see in near-perfect darkness. The shots range from close-ups to long shots, which I like because it doesn't make this special point of view repetitive or boring.




This shot caught my attention because it used a wide-angle lens. I assume this was done so the viewer could get a sense of the heat and expansiveness of this alien desert. It shows all the key elements: three suns, flat dry land, and no vegetation.


Here we have a view of the alien desert from atop a lookout's station. The lookout had installed a cloth sun umbrella for protection from the blue sun's rays. As the shot pans up, we see the strange desert landscape beyond. If there's any symbolism worth looking into, it is of the suggested protection of the man-made device from the naturally-occurring wilderness beyond. As the movie progresses, the stranded passengers of the crashed spaceship find sanctuary in the machinery they discover along their way.

Swordfish (2001)

The beginning of the movie starts with Gabriel, the lead "bad guy", discussing movies. The topic: realism. The idea that the bad guy never gets away with his crime is, according to him, unrealistic. This concept will play a major role in how the viewer expects the movie to conclude, and how it actually does.



I like this next scene because it demonstrates thoroughly the destructive nature of a bomb. These days we hear about bombs and we think "big fiery explosion" with stuff pushed out. But not all explosions have that effect, which is shown by the bomb which explodes in this scene. Many pounds of C4 explosive and canisters of ball bearings have been strapped to hostages. The bombs are controlled by a proxy sensor which will detonate the explosives should a hostage wander too far. As is evident from this scene, one of the hostages strays. The scene itself is a slow-motion "matrix-style" sort of thing. As the explosion occurs, the camera slows down the speed of the film while simultaneously panning in an arc around the bank containing the criminals and remaining hostages. This method lets the viewer take in all the details.



This last scene is another example of foreshadowing. Here, Gabriel (bad guy) queries Stanley (hacker) about how Houdini became such a successful magician. The key is misdirection, which also provides a key element in the direction of the plot of this film.

The Tuxedo (2002)

One part of this movie that really stood out was the symbolism in this scene. It gives a feel for what the main character, Jimmy, is going through. Before the job as chauffeur to a government agent, he was leading a dull, miserable little life as a cab driver. The suit shows promise of a better life, though he does not know it yet. He is still in the dark, and the light of understanding has just barely shone on him. The suit does indeed end up improving his life, as we see later in the movie.



Another thing I found interesting about this movie was the action scenes. Those familiar with Jackie Chan's work will know that he does most, if not all, of his own stunts. Coupled with the interesting use of environmental factors, his style of martial arts never fails to entertain. There are no flashy special effects because they are not necessary.

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

The scene in the helicopter with the eccentric gunner helps solidify the nature of our occupation of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. People that lived through such conditions were either crazy or lucky. In the case of the gunner, it was crazy. Here is an excerpt of the conversation between the gunner and the reporter.
Gunner: "Anyone who runs is a VC. Anyone who stands still is a well-disciplined VC."
Reporter: "How can you shoot women and children?"
Gunner: "Easy, you just don't lead them so much."



I found this next scene to be humorous in a macabre sort of way. Here we have a trench of Vietnamese bodies covered in lime with a crowd of U.S. personnel surrounding it. The man in the center is interviewing the man on the right while the man on the left takes pictures. What was funny was that the man on the right always faced the camera when the cameraman was about to take a picture. This shows that, even in grim situations, some people will always concern themselves with appearances.



This last scene symbolizes the divide between American forces and natives of Vietnam. Though our mission there was to stem the flow of communism, the people there saw us as invaders and worthy of utmost contempt. If the helicopter gunner was too blatant a clue, this scene might appeal to those inclined toward subtleties. In any case, the message is clear.

Alien vs Predator (2004)

This movie contains lots of blue, since it takes place mostly in the arctic. It is usually accompanied by darkness, which is abundant throughout the film. Darkness conveys a sense of nighttime, a time our ancient ancestors saw as dangerous due to prowling predatory animals. I believe the aim of having the majority of the movie take place at nighttime is to play on this primal fear of the dark.



The use of small passageways by various characters heightens the tension and suspense because of their claustrophobic nature. Nobody today would design such small passageways for regular use, so we are accustomed to having a certain measure of space. Having the characters try to survive in such abnormal conditions gives a feeling of impending doom. A space which limits mobility to such a degree is as good as any trap, in some cases. And nothing says "dead meat" quite like a trap.



The inclusion of unidentifiable runes or hieroglyphs allows for a timed release of information regarding the plot. We must rely on the characters fluent in whatever language to decipher them for us. Often times this is done in a way that foreshadows events to come, or confirm suspicions.