Bella Rivas - Exploring Film Technique

In Harold and Maude, tone was exemplified through the framing, panning, and quality of the scenes. In one scene, Harold's mother is disappointed in him for lighting something on fire. Harold directly addresses the camera with his eyes as if to say, "look what I did." The camera pans out from his face and we see his mother look him up and down, as if to size him up and judge him. This is shown at an oblique angle. Later in the film, there is a shot of a cemetery, where the tombstones stretch back as far as the eye can see. This scene conjures very 'anti-war' imagery.

In Bunny, the moth going after the light was symbolic of afterlife. The oven was symbolic of transformation, and how death is the door to eternity. In North Fork, the mountains stood steadfast as the town changed radically. The mountains symbolized eternity. ''

The Wall was the film that stuck with me the most. Its imagery was shocking and unsettling, but I feel that is what caught my attention the most. The harsh and abrasive imagery was representative of Pink Floyd's acknowledgement of the dysfunction and limitations of society. Specifically, education was portrayed as indoctrination. The wall was also symbolic of his lack of connection with others and a lack of intimacy.