Neruda

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

The setting is on-location (mostly) and historical, both based in and filmed in Santiago, Chile during the 1940s. Santiago is, though beautiful, what Neruda is trapped within. The city cages his physical body, though his ideas are shown to transcend it. Escaping these borders in any way, but specifically to Paris, is necessary for his survival. The use of the outdoors, along with the characters that are placed in it, contrast directly with the dark, deep indoors that Neruda is confined to. The final mountain scene is perhaps most evident of this – it features deep blue lighting, tons of blank, open space, and the constant backdrop of the white snow. This feels immediately like a breath of fresh air in a movie with so much darkness and clutter. The mountains and the sky above show so much freedom and potential, which is especially key when understanding Neruda has only been allowed a taste thus far. The death of Peluchonneau is, ultimately, what brings him this freedom. He can only achieve it at the cost of such tragedy, and it happens in the light of the Andes mountains, far away from the city of Santiago.

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Setting

Location

Explanation

Regarding space, the claustrophobic nature of the houses where Neruda hides is very evident. The walls are extremely close to us and the ceiling is always in view. Undoubtedly, there is a clear connection to the outside world and freedom of physical space that Neruda is not afforded. The clutter scattered across the table and the house is contrasted immediately to the outside world, where the letter is read here. Neruda is not allowed to go and see the fruits of his writings here. His ideas transcend the physical boundaries keeping him inside in darkness. His words have such reach, despite his isolation. The setting, especially in its contrast, is key here.

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Lighting

Explanation

Lighting is very intentional throughout the movie, as it reflects both Neruda's physical danger and constant threat as well as his emotional state. When he gets to Paris, every scene is flooded with light. The blue hues remain, but the whole scene feels much brighter. In contrast, stuck in Santiago and being informed of the scale of the police force searching for him, Neruda and his friends are barely visible. The feel is tense and dramatic, and we feel claustrophobic with Neruda in his captivity. Each time he is on the verge of escape, the scene is lighter. Light is freedom, and Neruda doesn’t have that. His words do, but he does not. He’s kept in darkness against his will.

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Costume

Costume

Neruda's white suit jacket

Explanation

Most people in this movie are upper-class and well-dressed. There is no shortage of expensive suits and dresses flaunted at the camera. These costume choices don't stand out until we come to this scene with Neruda's brand-new white suit. The color white, pure and clean, along with the expensive nature of the silk material, is draped across the body of a peasant girl dressed in rags. The camera quickly cuts to her being searched by Peluchonneau and his crew. Again, the contrast between the two characters is what makes this scene so visually captivating. The use of the color white, along with this scene being outdoors, is showing us another taste of Neruda's freedom, both artistically and physically. It matches the snow at the end with his final escape.

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Figure Behavior

Example

The importance of physical touch

Explanation

The importance of physical contact with Neruda is key throughout the movie. Individuals are constantly overwhelmed with emotion from his ideas and words, and it often moves them to embrace him in some way -- this male singer kissing him at a bar is a key example, but the brothel scenes that feature Neruda reading out his poetry or strangers asking him for hugs are plentiful. Notably, he avoids contact of this kind (or the reading of poetry, for the most part) with his own wife, even when asked. This is perhaps especially relevant in Neruda's embrace of the peasant girl, which appears to be his only emotional contact with someone that has no idea who he is or what his ideas are. It reemphasizes her innocence, as well as Neruda's identity as something separate from his reputation as a poet and a romantic. Also of note is the interrogation of both this singer and the peasant girl by Peluchonneau's team after the encounters.

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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.