Oldboy Analysis

This close-up makes the audience believe, at first, that it’s only a few guys that he has to beat up. This is a good example of how the director has used the cinematography to withhold Information. We then see a hard cut to a medium close-up shot of the protagonist’s reaction to the group of guys as he delivers his line. This medium close-up give the audience a detailed view of his straight face, unchanged by the scenario indicating that he is prepared for whatever these bat-wielding thugs can throw at him.

Also, this shot shows the audience the only weapon he has to defend himself, a tiny hammer which makes the audience think that there is not much he can do with that tiny hammer against these thugs. The director has chosen the camera angle to be at eye-level for the audience because the protagonist is definitely not in any powerful position against these guys but the director also wanted to subtly Indicate that he Is not In any weak position either because ultimately he will come out on top.

It then hard cuts to a crane shot from behind the protagonist, the camera tilts upwards with a deep depth of field to focus the audience on the group of bat-wielding thugs. This shot is to show Just how many guys the protagonist will actually have to go through and It’s not a Just a few. This plays with the audiences feeling of will he or wont he make It through the fight, It also shows how narrow the hallway is which gives a sense of claustrophobia and confines us to this little space where the action will take place.

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The camera is slightly angled downwards as the director wanted to emphasis on the feeling that the protagonist might Just end up coming out on top. After this, we see a hard cut too close-up of the protagonist dropping his knife with the dietetic sound-effect of it landing on the floor; this close-up gives the audience a detailed view of the irritation’s action and shows the audience his change of character In this scene from the beginning of the film.

The fact that he has a lethal weapon but would rather prefer to use a tiny hammer and his fists than a knife to take care of these thugs tells us that 15 years of random imprisonment has changed him completely, from being almost a coward to this insane character seeking answers and driven by revenge. Also, the fact that the director chose for the camera not to track the knife to the floor and let it drop out of the frame as the camera stays still shows us that the knife will lay no further part in the film.

In a way, the knife dropping out of frame signifies that it is also leaving the film. The whole of the fight is one long continuous take as the camera tracks them along from left to right. The reason for the long take Is that It shows the protagonist’s perseverance through-out the fight which adds a sense of realism to the scene. If there were cuts to a bunch of half second close ups this effect 1 OFF wouldn’t De pulled or stressfully as It would Electroplates ten alliance. I Nils means that they wouldn’t be able to focus on everything that is going on in the scene.

Another reason is that it would look too ‘Hollywood-like’ and make him seem like a typical Hollywood protagonist who predictably gets out of this situation. The long take plays with the feeling that he might not make it through this and highlights the impossibility of the task ahead of him. Also throughout the whole take the camera angle is positioned at eye-level which emphasizes on the feeling that the audience doesn’t know whether the protagonist or the antagonist’s will come out on top.

I believe that the fact that the camera tracks from left to right instead of the other way round is because it’s more comfortable for the audience as that is the way we read a book for example, it helps them to focus on the scene, even through all the violence that is going on. Also the director has choreographed the fight to coincide with the “golden triangle. ” The audiences’ eyes are naturally drawn to the middle of the screen so the fact that the director has made the camera and the actors move towards the centre of the screen always keeps the audiences’ eyes dragged towards the fight.

After the fight has finished we see a close up shot of the protagonist looking tired. The frame is composed in a way to mainly focus the audience on the protagonist but there is also a shallow depth of field so the audience can see the damage he has done to the guys on the floor. Miss-en Scene: The big fight scene is set in a hallway which serves to compress space and to emphasis on the idea that he might not escape. The fact that the hallway is so narrow confines the audience to focus on what is happening inside the frame which is the fight.

If the shot was anymore wider or zoomed out it would distract the audience slightly. The hallway is lit slightly from inside the frame, on the walls and ailing, and lowly lit outside the frame from above them at a slight angle. This is to give the characters shadows to make the scene look dark and menacing. The character actions during the fight are significant to the audience as the fight is choreographed in a way to make it look as realistic as possible.

The missed punches from the characters, the bats breaking after missing the protagonist and smashing into the wall, the antagonists falling all over the place and the way the antagonists take off their shirts might look like mistakes from the actors because of the long mutinous take but I believe the fight was choreographed that way to emphasis on the sense of realism during this scene. It makes the fight much more believable and grabs the audiences’ attention, taking them with the protagonist through the fight.

As you can see from the corrections above one of the thugs throws the bat at the wall attempting to hit the protagonist but goes no-where near him. This small character action shows the audience that the antagonists are trying anything and everything to knock the protagonist down but they Just can’t, he’s almost undetectable and the fact hat the bat goes no-where near him shows that nothing can touch him. Sound: The non-dietetic score played over the fight scene is contrapuntal sound. It is an odd and unusual Juxtaposition, the score doesn’t go together with the fighting.

It’s not what the audience would expect, they would expect an upbeat, pulse-raising score. This makes the scene unpredictable and again makes it look less Hollywood like. The score almost calms the audience through all the violence, usually the audience would expect the soundtrack to make their heart race but the director wanted to make their earth race tongue ten cinematography Ana males-en scene, nothing else. I Nils also emphasizes on the feeling again that he might not make it through this. As well as the non-dietetic sound during this scene, there are also dietetic sound effects throughout the fights.

There’s the sound effects of multiple punches and kicks, as well as the breaking of bats, the smashing of the tiny hammer and stabbing of the knife into the back of the protagonist. This makes the scene all the more violent and realistic. There’s a dietetic sound effect of an elevator bell, the music stops and we see a smile on the protagonist’s face. The sound effect of the elevator bell is to let the audience know that someone is in the elevator whilst keeping the focus on the protagonist and capturing his reaction to the elevator.

It also keeps the audience guessing as to who is in the elevator. The music stops to indicate to the audience that the next part of the scene will not last very long. The facial expressions of the actor show he’s tired and worn out, blood runs down the side of his face and neck, but after the bell rings and we hear the elevator doors open, there’s a smile on his face as he sees the group of guys in the elevator. This smile from the protagonist shows the audience that he’s still willing to preservers.

The fact that he has blood running down his face and he’s still smiling shows that he will stop at nothing to try and make it through this even if it kills him. It also shows how he’s a changed character from the beginning of the film when he was a coward to now where he’s this almost insane character. We then see a mid-shot of more guys with bats in the elevator. At first glance the audience would think that the protagonist is going to get beaten up now but the fact that they’ve already seen him go through 18 guys makes them realize hat another 7 guys doesn’t seem like a problem for him, which was also evident when he smiled.

For a few seconds the audience is made to wait to see what happens, it then cuts to what is probably the ground floor, the camera moves again from left to right in a fast motion past the barrier and the audience then sees what has happened as the elevator doors open. The antagonist’s drop to the floor and the protagonist is the last man standing. When he walks out the elevator this is when the audience realism that he’s almost invincible, nothing can stop him now on his Journey for answers which sets up the next few scenes perfectly.