Essay About Minutes Of The Film And Film Shot

Jean De Arc
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In watching “The Passion of Jean dArc”, it was evident from the first thirty minutes of the film that there would be many many close-up shots throughout the whole film. I can honestly say that I havent seen a film shot the way this was, that I can remember. It was very interesting to see these close-up shots of Joan and the priests faces throughout the film. It really gives you a different feeling and plays into the viewers emotions more when shot this way. When I think about exactly why the director decided to shoot this film in this way, there is a few interesting reasons that come to mind. First, and I feel most importantly, is the heightened emotions that the viewer feels from watching so closely the facial expressions of the actors on screen. When the camera is focused so closely upon someones face, you are not allowed to get distracted by extras in the background, or a passing car, or what have you. Instead, you are forced to focus solely on the facial expressions. I dont believe though that a director alone can achieve heightened emotions from the audience alone without profound acting from all of the actors on screen. This film was able to give you a good sense of what the actors were feeling without them having to say too much dialog. You could especially see this through the main characters acting who portrayed Joan in the film. She was brilliant. You could clearly understand the answers to questions the characters had been asked even when they didnt respond with any dialog. This is another attribute to the close-up shots used in the film. All in all, this films use of the close-up shot really allowed us to understand the emotions and reactions of the characters.