The Use of Different Lighting and Camera Angles Essay

Alfred Hitchcock in Psycho and Jonathan Demme in Silence of the Lambs effectively stylistic camera works such as lighting or color, close-ups, the angle of the camera, and over the shoulder shots to capture the audience attention and create tension. I have selected to analyze the parlor scene in Psycho and the first meeting between Clarice Starling and Hannibal Hector in Silence of the lamb. In these two scenes, the directors use a variety of different camera shots to convey a thrilling nature of the scene. The composition and framing of these sections help the audience understand the mood in each of the scenes. They help the audience understand the different aspects of the characters and the setting, creating a hint of what they expect will happen in future scenes of the film. Both Hitchcock and Demme utilize the different aspects of cinematography and lighting to help the audience have a better understanding of the characters that are in these scenes, create tension and provide hints of what they should expect to happen later on in the film.

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Hitchcock uses lighting effectively to show a difference in the personalities of Norman and Marion. The lighting of the room casts a shadow on over half of Norman's face. This is a hint by Hitchcock to the audience of his character's split personality. On one hand he seems to be courteous (through his kind gesture of offering Marion food and giving her company while she eats) and on the other hand, there is a sense of evilness and secrecy, which the audience will, later on, come to witness (Hitchcock, 2017). The shadowed side of his face is a foreshadow of his evil nature to the audience. This is further emphasized by the powerful shadows of Norman's head and shoulders and the other objects behind him (the owl and eagle- that are in attack positions), which are an indicator that he is evil (Hitchcock, 2017). On the other hand, for Marion, the lamp light illuminates her face. Her radiant nature symbolizes that a sense of innocence, despite the fact that she has stolen money from her boss. There are also no shadows behind her, which is an indication to the audience that despite her evil deed, that there is hope that she can be forgiven for her wrong-doings.

The camera angle when Marion sits down to eat presents an interesting view to the audience. The placement of the camera presents Marion as the subject in the foreground and Norman who is watching her eat in the background. Norman is portrayed as a predator who is watching his prey. This is further indicated by the stuffed owl behind Norma's head, which seems to be in an attack mode (Hitchcock, 2017). This is a hint to the audience that Norman while watching Marion eat seems to be weighing his options in a similar manner as when a predator stalks its prey as whether it is the right time to attack. He even states that; "You...you eat like a bird..." showing that he understands how his victims behave and also hinting that he intends to kill her as he did the birds that hang on his walls (Hitchcock, 2017).

Jonathan Demme also uses different colors/shadow effect and camera angles to create tension and an imbalance of power in the film, Silence of the Lambs. As Miss Clarice is walking towards Hannibal's cell, within the prison, there is a shot of the corridor showing the withered prison cells (Demme, 2017). The lighting at this point is set in such a way that the audience cannot see the cells, only past them. The casting of shadows creates tension in the audience. There is a sense of mystery as both the character and audience are not aware of what to expect of Hannibal at this point (Demme, 2017). She encounters creepy characters who are in shadowed cells illustrating to the audience that despite their demeanor (especially the prisoners in the first and second cells- the two old men) they audience should not feel sorry for them because they committed crimes and deserve to be in prison. The cell corridors seem to be gloomy and it is undecorated (it looks plain and ancient). The setting creates an uncomfortable atmosphere for the audience and they are able to identify with the tension that Clarice at this point is feeling as she moves into Mr. Hannibal's cell. When she sets her eyes on him, at first glance he seems to have a benign outward appearance but his stance radiates a sense of malice.

The close-up shots whereby the camera position changes between the prison corridor and Clarice allows the audience to see and feel her nervousness as she moves towards Hannibal's cell. The shots of the three prisoners provide a hint of Hannibal's character to the audience. It creates an uncomfortable atmosphere and a sense of fear (Demme, 2017). When Hannibal and Clarice begin to engage in a conversation, there is the use of a combination of over the shoulder and close-up shots. For instance, at the beginning of the conversation, there are over the shoulder shots of the two characters. There seems to be an equal balance of power between the two characters at this point as they are 'sizing each other (Demme, 2017).' It is important to note that Demme's shot selection of Hannibal is high-angle shots that create a sense of the importance of the character of Hannibal to the rest of the film. However, Clarice loses her power aspect when she accepts the offer from Hannibal to sit down. The camera angle shifts from an eye-level perspective to him looking down on her indicating a sense of domination over her. At this point, although Clarice is the one who is asking the questions, Hannibal is in control. His sense of power will be repeated throughout the film whereby; despite him convicted as a psychotic serial killer, he is the most important piece in their investigations on the serial killer, Buffalo Bill.

Conclusion

Alfred Hitchcock and Jonathan Demme proved that the use of different lighting and camera angles can be used to effectively create tension, fear, and anticipation in their movie thrillers Psycho and the Silence of the Lambs. The use of shadows and different camera shots taken from different angles that Hitchcock used in the parlor scene affect the audience differently. Marion is presented in an illuminated manner, while Norman's is partly in a shadow. This effect insinuates that these two characters have different personality traits that the audience may not have been aware of before they saw this scene. On the other hand, the casting of shadows in the prison corridor during the first meeting between Clarice and Hannibal creates an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. Camera shots shifting from eye level to the audience having to look up or down to one of the characters in both scenes is an indicator of domination. The audience looks up to Norman, which shows that he is in control of the situation even though the conversation between her and Marion may indicate otherwise. The same case applies to Hannibal and Clarice. Their use of lighting and camera angles has been replicated in modern horror films such as in Paranormal Activity.

References

Demme, J. (2017, January 6). The Silence Of The Lambs 1991 - "Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins" [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pQP8TVyVT8&t=472s

Hitchcock, A. (2017, April 1). Psycho Movie 1960 Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGqef4pIgK4