The language of cinema: how directors talk to the viewer without words (20 photos)

The story in films can be conveyed by more than just words and obvious actions. Some directors resort to certain techniques that give the viewer the desired emotions and information in just a couple of seconds. Often you just need to be a little more attentive to understand what the creator wanted to say and convey.





For example, some convey information through news reports or the display of newspaper clippings. This technique is especially often used in films about the future. For example, in A Quiet Place, it is through newspaper clippings that one can get a complete picture that the monsters arrived after the meteor shower and bred all over the world.







Also useful information is provided by the notes of the father of the family regarding the blindness of aliens.

Some films drag on too long, but among filmmakers there are fans of using close-up editing with elements of acceleration. For example, when the hero is preparing for some important events, such as an important battle with opponents. This technique can be found more often than others in action films.





Sometimes such a dynamic technique can quickly tell a story. Guy Ritchie especially takes advantage of this. So in his film “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” the plot is revealed in less than half a minute.



Another popular technique is character framing. To obtain the desired focus, objects are placed in front of or behind the character. The use of a similar feature can be found in “Artificial Intelligence”.





Very often, directors convey the state of their characters through costumes and appearance. There are more than enough examples here, but we will focus on the far from most obvious one - the film “Death Sentence”. The character goes through a difficult path after the death of his son and turns from a spineless office worker into a beast drunk with a thirst for revenge.





The vertigo effect has always been a popular technique in horror films. In this case, the cameraman moves along the optical axis, achieving an insane zoom in on the hero to create a sense of excitement in the viewer, as in Jaws.



But in modern cinema it is also used in other genres, performing the same function. For example, in The Lord of the Rings, when Frodo senses the approach of horsemen on the path.



In some works you can find a deliberately blurred frame. The rays of light behind them add mystery to the scene. By the way, this is Spielberg’s favorite technique, which can be found, for example, in “E.T. He also uses it to convey a dramatic moment.



Is it possible to find out in advance who the positive hero is in the frame? Undoubtedly. To do this, they came up with certain markers of goodness, through which it is easiest to show the necessary secondary characters with a lack of screen time.



Cats and dogs are often used as such markers.

One of Tarantino's favorite techniques is shooting from below. He used it in all his films. The viewer does not yet see what is happening there and can make guesses, increasing his interest in the moment.





Film metaphors deserve special attention when the same object shows a different state of the hero. For example, in Joker it was a staircase. When Joaquin Phoenix's character was crushed, she was shown in cool and dark colors, but when he descended into madness, her color scheme changed dramatically.





Well, let's finish with such a feature as the Dutch corner. Its essence lies in shooting the hero from the bottom up with a deliberately blocked horizon. Most often it is used to show the emotional instability of the on-screen character.