This is a short clip from "What Dreams May Come" starring Robin Williams. I thought this would be a fitting clip to analyze because there's no dialogue. All of the emotion expressed in this scene, then, is portrayed through other means-- namely, film and editing techniques. The beginning of the clip is really interesting, as we see a splotchy image of the main character with his back turned towards the camera. Eventually this fades to white, which then fades into a close-up of the main character's face against a colorful patch of land. The use of fading is quite effective at portraying a big change. It's clear to the viewer that a significant shift has occurred, and that the main character has left his old life and entered a new world. The clip continues to show close-ups of Robin Williams and alternates these shots with wide angle views of the incredible colorful and vivid environment in which he has found himself. I think this works to highlight one of the themes present in this scene as well as in the movie at large, which is the idea of size and space. Williams is small in comparison to the vast land that surrounds him, but the close-ups suggest that the space isn't overwhelming.
Also, one of the greatest moments in this scene is when the camera moves us through the painted land, making the viewer wonder "where is this going?" That question is soon answered when we see a shot of the dog leaping through the air and landing right into Williams's open arms. We see the two wrestle and step together into the painted ground, and the music also reaches a climatic point at this point in the score. These techniques really work to establish the idea of a relationship and the happiness that results from the two reuniting.
2 comments:
Annie, excellent detailed analysis of the use of specific techniques to create this dream-like world and Williams's relationship with that world. It's almost an animated world in terms of the metamorphosis of the flower in his hands. And, we engage in some mind-reading experience given the close-up of his face to try to infer his feelings and thoughts as to what's going on. The color is also a key part of this scene, as is the music, in creating what does seem like a dream that leads off into a sunset at the end.
Annie you are right. This is an interesting clip to analyze. With the no dialog I saw the images with even greater detail. I also found it interesting that the director chose to have the camera move through the field. I was confused at first thinking it was robin Williams jumping in the field. However out of nowhere came a dog, and the jumping was through this characters point of view. The overall editing, music, and animation really made this clip dreamlike in its sequence.
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