Heli

Describes the setting of a scene in a play or a film. It refers to everything placed on the stage or in front of the camera—including people. In other words, mise en scène is a catch-all for everything that contributes to the visual presentation and overall “look” of a production. When translated from French, it means “placing on stage.”

Setting

Setting

Location

Explanation

Heli was primarily filmed at on-site locations. The movie was filmed where the actual story takes place, in villages around the state of Guanajuato. There are several scenes where it is a wide shot of the scenery where we can see vast fields and mountains. This can be seen in the scene where Heli goes to kill Estela’s rapist. In this particular shot, we see a singular worn-down brick structure, and behind it is nothing but empty fields and mountains. Additionally, we see a graffitied Star of David on the wall. This serves as a visual marker: the ironic use of a religious symbol in a lawless area, specifically on the building where a horrible crime took place. Although the religious symbolism is there, it serves as a godless environment.

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Props

Prop

The dog, Cookie

Explanation

One prop used to highlight the severity of the crime and length that the people went to be able to get these packages and hurt the family was Estela’s dog, Cookie, which she only had for a short amount of time. Near the beginning of the movie, Estela finds a small white dog and brings him home and names him Cookie. Once the people posing as police enter their house, Estela hides under her bed holding her dog. A soldier grabs her from under, snatches the dog out of her hands, and snaps its neck. This prop was used to highlight the lack of empathy that these people have as well as to have the audience develop an emotional attachment to the dog, just for it to be swiftly killed.

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Lighting

Explanation

In the scene where Beto is being flogged, we can see how lighting is used for dramatic effect. In this still, we see only a single lightbulb from the ceiling. The light is directly above the flogger. The usage of a toplight and him being lit up while Beto is dark and only a silhouette additionally highlights who is in power during this specific instance. Additionally, the minimal lighting in the house also showcases the economic and social statuses of the people who live there. The lack of lighting and aesthetics with the lighting shows that they are in a rural village and of a lower socioeconomic status than someone who would be living in the city.

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Costume

Costume

Estela's school uniform and Beto's shirtlessness

Explanation

In order to highlight the age gap between Beto and Estela, there are very specific costume choices made. One of them was when Beto and Estela were hanging out talking about Beto’s training. Beto wants to show Estela what they do over there, so he does bicep curls using her as a weight. In this still, Estela is dressed up as a little girl. She is wearing her school uniform of a shirt and white knee-high socks. She also has a heart-shaped barrette in her hair, making her look like her true age of 12 years old. Beto, on the other hand, is shirtless and in brown cargo pants. Earlier in the scene, he is wearing a button-up shirt as well. This outfit choice and him taking off the shirt remind the viewer of his age and make him look older, especially compared to Estela, who is dressed up as a little girl.

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Hair and Makeup

Example

Heli in the car with the invesigators

Explanation

After Heli initially goes to the police station, they go out and try to find his dad’s body, which was abandoned during the kidnapping. The three investigators are all wearing business clothing, while Heli is in the passenger seat badly beaten, bleeding, and wearing scuffed-up clothes. The differences in their appearance highlight Heli’s vulnerability in this situation, being scared and powerless. It also highlights the power dynamic between the two classes. The investigators being in clean, professional clothes makes them appear more than Heli in his dirty clothes. This distinction is especially important as Heli was taken advantage of by the female investigator later in the film.

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Figure Behavior

Example

Heli and the Investigator

Explanation

Once Heli decides to tell the investigator the full story, the female investigator starts to make sexual advances on Heli. At first, Heli reciprocates but then later stops and leaves the car. Throughout the interaction, Heli looks tired and emotionless. This highlights his lack of power with the situation regarding his sister being missing. The investigator making these advances also shows corruption with the state, as she was there for professional reasons, and she starts undressing as she’s telling him that his sister’s case is basically closed. In Heli’s reciprocations with her, he has a lack of passion and very awkward motions, emphasizing even more how broken he is.

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Representative Clip

Explanation

In the second to last scene of the movie, Heli follows a map to the location where Estela was raped. The building is a run-down brick building with the Star of David graffited on the front. Heli breaks down the door, and the rapist jumps out the window, and Heli follows. The two are now on the field outside, and Heli begins to beat and stangle the man to death. The camera follows the two jumping out the window, and the picture is now in a square ratio, rather than a rectangle. While Heli is killing the man, a Christian radio show is playing in the background, in which it is telling listeners to open their Bible to John 9:31. The verse John 9:31 basically says that God does not listen to sinners, but God listens to those who worship God and do his will. This Bible verse playing signifies that as Heli and his whole town live in sin, God has turned his back on them, and they live in a godless and lawless land. Additionally, this verse draws attention to how he was forced into this life of sin. Since Beto was the main reason that he and his sister were kidnapped, he never had a choice to stay clear of this life. Even when Heli tried to seek justice the legal way, he was prayed upon by the female investigator, and the police ultimately did nothing. This led to him seeking justice in the form of murder. Ultimately, this scene and the accompanying audio and Bible verse highlight the main tragedies of Heli throughout the movie, as he has had no other choices throughout his life, which has led him down a path of sin, away from his normal life of grace before the cartel forces raided his house.

Timecode

1:35:32 - 1:37:50

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This is the art of photography and visual storytelling in a motion picture or television show. Cinematography comprises all on-screen visual elements, including lighting, framing, composition, camera motion, camera angles, film selection, lens choices, depth of field, zoom, focus, color, exposure, and filtration. Cinematography sets and supports the overall look and mood of a film’s visual narrative. Each visual element that appears on screen, a.k.a. the mise-en-scène of a film, can serve and enhance the story—so it is the cinematographer’s responsibility to ensure that every element is cohesive and support the story. Filmmakers often choose to spend the majority of their budget on high-quality cinematography to guarantee that the film will look incredible on the big screen.

Editing is the process of putting a film together–the selection and arrangement of shots and scenes. Editing can condense space and time, emphasize separate elements and bring them together, and organize material in such a way that patterns of meaning become apparent. In addition, editing can determine how a film is perceived: for instance, quick, rapid cuts can create a feeling of tension, while a long take can create a more dramatic effect. The first photoplays generally had no cutting, owing to the fact that they were single-reel films; once filming began, you could not stop until the film ran out. (https://filmglossary.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/term/editing/)

Sound is an integral part in a film. It refers to everything that the audience hears including sound effects, words and music. Sound is used in films for various purposes, including: providing the information to the viewer about the location of the scene, heightening the mood, telling the audience about the characters and advancing the plot. Every person who watches a film realizes that the choice of voices, soundtrack and music present in a film affect the way that the viewer perceives a particular film. As a result, the sound is an important and integral element of the film, one that determines the way that the viewer experiences and understands a film as a visual experience.

Narrative analysis is an examination of the story elements, including narrative structure, character, and plot. A narrative can be considered to be the chain of events in a cause-effect relationship occurring in time and space. In order to analyze the narrative of a film, we need to first make the distinction between the plot of the film and the story of the film. This is sometimes referred to as the discourse and story of a film. Narrative may also be called the story thought story mainly refers to the events that describe the narrative.

Film genres are various forms or identifiable types, categories, classifications or groups of films. (Genre comes from the French word meaning "kind," "category," or "type"). These provide a convenient way for scriptwriters and film-makers to produce, cast and structure their narratives within a manageable, well-defined framework. Genres also offer the studios an easily 'marketable' product, and give audiences satisfying, expected and predictable choices. Genres refers to recurring, repeating and similar, familiar or instantly-recognizable patterns, styles, themes, syntax, templates, paradigms, motifs, rules or generic conventions.