I will analyze the movie Thor, which is probably in the same category as Transformers and Harry Potter…, but it is the last movie I saw and it’s the freshest in my memory, so I’ll go with it. Some people were surprised that the movie was directed by Kenneth Branagh, who is an English actor, producer and film director, because he is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare’s plays. Production Design was done by Bo Welch and Film Editing by Paul Rubell.
The movie starts with a brief introduction on Earth and how Thor, who is the main character and played by Chris Hemsworth, was found by a group of scientists. The flashback then takes the viewer to Asgard, where Thor is from, and explains his world, childhood and life. The technique of moving from specific information to a general conclusion is called inductive reasoning. These parallel editing or crosscutting shots were continuing throughout the movie, cutting back and forth between Thor on Earth and his family and friends in the skies to create the illusion that the scenes are occurring simultaneously.
Incredibly beautiful imagery and amazing special effects took place once the viewer was taken into the skies where Thor came from, flying high above the kingdom, massive throne rooms, a rainbow colored bridge, ice warriors and other fantasy elements that are impossible to describe. When in Thor’s world, Computer Generated Imagery was astonishing, but not overloaded with effects. A lot of shots were used to show these other worlds and they were done by wide angle lens and taken from high up, which can be done by studio dollies with cranes allowing sweeping movements through space. It also created the illusion of depth and space. The inter-galactic worlds were a real highlight of this movie. It was breathtaking, especially when a couple of times they showed the transition from the Earth into the other world by turning it upside down.
Especial attention was given to the lights, accentuating the rise and set of the sun, stars and galaxies that were almost everywhere, glittering and changing color. The contrast of lights was visible once leaving the warm, bright and color saturated world of Thor and visiting the world of ice warriors, where the light was minimal, creating a cold and abandoned feeling, accentuating only the parts that were important for the viewer to follow. The sound was changing as well, intuitively leading the reader into what to expect.
I watched this movie in 3D and afterwards I found out that it was actually a post-production after-thought, which I thought was very interesting. The proper name for this effect is the stereoscopy, which creates a lesser impression of depth than 3D by taking two photographs at slightly different angles and viewing them together. This could be done in a program like After Effects by cutting the film into different planes. Cinematographers often manipulate short depth of field and wide open irises to take advantage of natural light and direct audience’s eye towards the subject.
During the extravagant CGI battles between ice warriors and people, which looked very natural and cohesive, cameras were capturing the best moments from the best angles trying to show the battle at its best and busiest. The costumes of the people, or should I call them gods, in Thor’s world I thought were looking a little typical, but appropriate, done by Alexandra Byrne.
Overall, level of cinematography was amazing, which was done by Haris Zambarloukos. A lot of screen time was devoted to the relationships between the characters and especially between Thor and Jane, played by Natalie Portman. During the close scenes of them, the camera angles and light were soft and romantic, showing extreme close ups of the eyes and lips. Jane was often shown from Thor’s eye level and Thor from Jane’s, following by a shot of both of them or a shot in between them taken from the back. Shots were very close and probably done by a telephoto lens. The performances were all extremely strong and the action sequences were visually engaging and worked within the logic of the film. I had a great time watching the movie and following the cinematography elements and I would recommend it to everybody.
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