Composition Assignment#05 Alejandro Baena

Composition Assignment#05 Index 1.Introduction and filmic structure of the film and style 2.Rehearsal sequence analysis

In the mood for love For this assignment, I’ve decided to analyze a film entitled “In the Mood for Love”. Directed by Wong Kar Wai and Cinematographer Christopher Doyle. This film is about frustration and the devastating feeling of two characters, finding that their spouses are cheating with each other but also falling in to an impossible love that she refuses to accept. “They are in the mood for love, but not in the time and place for it.” Composition Assignment#05 For example, this picture represents that by denying her some air in the frame and disconnecting the eye looks (his look is also contributing in the weight of the image but we dive completely in her thoughts). We can clearly see Mr.s Chan’s frustration as the main emotion and Mr. Chow’s desire opressing her. If we quickly set up the characters the other way around, you can clearly see how things change and who is feeling threatened now.

Frame from upcoming spinoff 2046 Background This duo of filmmakers is also known for developing a very vivid, saturated and bloomed look into their films, creating powerful and unique poetic and subtly romantic images full of colors and contrasting elements, lights and textures. Frame from Police chase sequence from another wong kar wai’s film Chungking Express Composition Assignment#05 Note it’s common that some compositional features get lost when thumbnailing pictures where its focal point is related to color. The weight of the still from ‘Chungking Express’ changes a lot if we just get rid of the red. It’s similar with the one from 2046, where the girl’s silhouette pops out thanks to the reddish saturated background. When analizying values from Christopher Doyle, this should be taken into account.

Chaotic but effective Classic Wong Kar Wai’s ‘In the mood for love’ is a film I consider a masterpiece, and specially in terms of composition due to the intelligent and deliberate use of staging, depth and space on its narrative (and also symbolic) behalf. This film is very character oriented and his Cinematographer had to come up with a very evocative, chaotic but effective framing style to depict both the internal and external reality for the two protagonists Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow without sacrificing the narrative in terms of clarity. Composition Assignment#05 All of this empty space is also important and well lit. This is telling us that something is going to happen when she reaches the door she’s looking at. It also evokes suspense.

Ideas portrayed by composition Before analyzing the sequence, I think it’s appropriate to highlight the core story ideas behind the main compositional choices from the movie. 1-The point of view: The feeling of being gossiped about by using foreground elements to give a voyeuristic impression of being observed or hidden. Note: As we can see, it’s rare that they have fidelity for the rule of thirds. From these two pictures, only example 1. is following this rule because they wanted proximity between the characters. But in example 2. and 3. elements are placed closer to the corners of the frame deliberately to achieve wider images and establish distant relationships between certain elements (2.) or to emphasize emotions (3.) 2-Two separate worlds: The difference between their thoughts and reality (also wants vs needs) are portrayed beautifully by isolating characters, using mirror and duplicated images and other staging decisions involving its position. 3-The sense of loneliness and being trapped by physically enclosing the characters inside tiny portions of the frame and denying air, crossing the 180º line, filling the frame with different shapes/planes by using objects, lights and textures… Composition Assignment#05

The simplest and strongest sequence For this assignment, I’ve chosen the Final Rehearsal sequence in which Mr. Chow tells Mrs. Chan that he’s leaving Hong Kong, so they end up practicing their upcoming goodbye like the used to do with their cheating spouses, recreating how it’d be the possible farewell. I find this sequence very simple in terms of quantity and complexity. But there are so many layers which unveils a deep narrative. I realized that this is one of the most meaningful and emotional moments of the film due to its deep acting, but it’s undeniably possible thanks to exceptional framing and staging choices. It also contains within the main moral discussion of the film, so that every narrative element of the story is summarized visually in an empty-street-two-character sequence. And that is genius. Composition Assignment#05

Final Rehearsal Sequence The sequence opens up with Mr.Chow sheltering away from the rain desperately in his look. We don’t know where he is going. Here, perspective and contrasting values from silhouette do all the work to easily read the picture but it’s also smart that the establishing shot now transforms without cutting into a medium shot so we can see Mr. Chow’s facials. This is a really shocking and noticeable jump cut to a similar composed shot than the previous one, breaking the 30º rule and introducing Mrs. Chan, now we know where Mr. Chow was facing. Repeating the composition, cutting like that, and mimicking the action of running again is already generating an uncomfortable feeling to this moment. The action and staging from these two shots is completely symmetrical, as we can, again, see both characters expressions when Mr. Chow arrives and the establishing ends. It’s worth mentioning that the position of both characters has a displacement to isolate Mr. Chow, but also to introduce the plant, which is a symbol of Mr. Chans real emotions. We clearly see the plant is imprisoned and hidden behind her body. Composition Assignment#05

Final Rehearsal Sequence There’s this extremely long lasting shot when Mr. Chow tries to bring his umbrella and Mr.Chan stands there waiting. Again, even on a wide shot in the middle of the street like this, they try to reinforce the idea of them being trapped. Not only by rain but his personal situation. Also, because they are stuck, the composition is very static full vertical and horizontal guidelines. The idea for this shot is similar but it tells the story better because they start talking about the terrible idea that is to get inside the house together. So the previous shot was a description and this one is starting to get emotional and intimal. As the talking gets tighten, we cut to this medium close up. The idea is pretty the same that the first frame we analyzed for this assignment. The look of Mr.Chow hunts Mrs.Chan, who is unable to look at him. It’s very less emotional than original and the composition is way more balanced on this one due to the viewer need to focus on the conversation as well. Composition Assignment#05

Final Rehearsal Sequence This is a reuse from the previous wide-closer shot. Showing us repetition. The conversation is fluent, everything is flowing properly for now. The poses of the character are very well designed. This cut is also interesting as it jumps the line on purpose. Mr chow moved in the last shot. evoking stress to the situation and repeating the same idea of her being oppressed with this reused frame. This reverse cut, again jumping the line, shows us a moment of intimacy with Mrs. Chan. Despite of her suppressing her feelings, the direct look provides us with a more honest view of her frustration so we can feel with her. Mr Chow is half out of picture, he’s not so important now that he confessed he’s in love, it’s Mrs. Chans turn. All this negative space creates an unbalanced composition and also represents the invisible eye of the gossip and that something is really wrong. As we’ve seen for now, this is used during the entire film. This cut is clearly a turning point in the conversation, as Mr. Chow finally admits is fed up with the gossip and leaving the town. She loses control of the conversation, reflected in Chows silhouette, almost obliterating Mrs.Chans and again with no air. Composition Assignment#05

Final Rehearsal Sequence The following shot is really poetic and symbolic as it shows both characters jailed thanks to foreground and placing the camera inside the building. Despite of freely being in the street, it tells us that they are stuck together: they can’t act their emotions freely but they can’t control them neither. These insert shots are smartly placed at this very moment of the sequence to mark an interlude. All the stakes are already presented. I think this is a neutral relief to slow down the sequence and re-engage strongly after, generating rhythm. It also shows that time passed as the action of raining ended. Despite being static shots, they are dynamic thanks to directional forces of perspective and the water movement itself. Rain can also represent death or end in some oriental cultures. Directors like Hitchcock, Kurosawa or Tarantino use it as a symbol. The fact that the rain stopped means that they can leave the street now and end their conflict but also means the end their story. I like how the hight contrast in both stills helps read and magnify the force of water. Composition Assignment#05

Final Rehearsal Sequence Is in this second part of the sequence when they start the rehearsal. Still jailed by foreground elements, the camera pans nervously from one side to another following Mrs. Chan and portraying the stillness of Mr.Chow. These shadows projected on the wall are intentional as they suggest they are playing the role of their future selves. When the shadow appears, Mrs. Chan’s voice is more confident, when we directly see Mrs. Chan, she looks insecure. Note that the stillness of the shot is depicted by the lack of depth and hieratic lines anew. I like how they composed this shot with different textures on the wall directing the eye to the characters through that empty space. Additionally, the black line tries to compensate the weight when Mr. Chow is not there yet. This is also a great example on how the action of the characters can change the composition. Composition Assignment#05

Final Rehearsal Sequence This is Mr. Chow’s heartbreaking goodbye. I find interesting they’ve used the corner to hide Mrs. Chan, focusing completely on his acting. Then we cut to a similar jail shot in which both silhouettes are lovely merged but his shadow is clearly separated. This means he has also secret suppressed thoughts. There are similarities with previously analyzed pictures in terms of unbalanced elements, foreground and spacing. The conversation ends with Chow getting lost in the distance as the camera Pans Up. Then, the beautiful performance of Mrs. Chan reveals just by body language what her feelings are until we finally see her face miserably opposed to Mr. Chows silhouette. This complex choreography plays with differences in sizes, depth, and the action of the characters. Composition Assignment#05

Final Rehearsal Sequence This cut to black is useful to clarify the idea it was a rehearsal. So now everything starts again cutting to a reused shot of the hands. The contrasting shapes of the bodies make easy to read the hands, which are perfectly separated from the big shapes. We can appreciate a good use of big. medium and small shapes establishing a hierarchy. This reuse of their hands touching has significance because it’s the only part they’ve been allowed to touch from the other several times during the film. When Mrs. Chan breaks in to tears, they magnify their foreground ideas by filling more than half of the screen with black. It gives the viewer the feeling that both characters, but specially Chan, are hopeless and it wont never change. Composition Assignment#05

Final Rehearsal Sequence These two last shots are complementary, since they give us insight of how the characters are with symbols. On her side, the void behind her but also costume design and nature has relevance to define her state of mind. In the other hand, Mr.Chow is often associated with stone during the film due to its cold and tough personality. So this last shot is representing him isolated next to the stone wall. It’s also worth noting that neither of them are together in this hug. They are separated and barely appear in the shot of the other. This supports the idea of separation that they are about to experience, they are disconnected. Composition Assignment#05

Composition Assignment#05 Alejandro Baena