Continuity + Dialogue
"The Royal Tenenbaums bridge scene analysis" was the video that did the most to help me appreciate the technical subtleties of film making and know what to look for when analyzing other film clips. My favorite part of this scene by far was the use of leading lines. The leading lines were a very subtle and compelling use of technique, gently guiding the viewer through the scene. I also enjoyed the smooth panning from character to character in this scene, as opposed to the shot/reverse shot style from the Coen brothers video. The panning allowed for focus on each character's real time reaction to the other's dialogue, setting a natural pace to the conversation. On the other hand, I had hard time buying the commentator reading into the metal pole being symbolic in the background of the shot, to me it felt like a bit of a reach. I also really enjoyed the diner scene from Mulholland Drive, and the use of shot/reverse shot over the should dialogue. It felt like an appropriate choice since the bulk of the dialogue is centered on one character, and the dialogue itself is more expositional in nature. The camera also seems to be free floating, instead of solidly mounted on a tripod, which fits really well with the vibe of the scene and the mental state of the first man. Most of the shots have an over the shoulder style, giving a conversational feel, but at key moments the camera shifts so that the man who's speaking fills the whole frame, which I think helps pull the viewer deeper into his narrative. Later, as they leave the dinner the shot/reverse shot is used to great effect, showing us the context of the situation, but also simulating a first person perspective, making the man's anxiety into our own as well.
Good point about the impact of first- versus third-person perspective (we'll talk further about this in reference to the assigned Fellini scene as well). I'm excited to see you're carving out some space for yourself to challenge things in this screening, such as the authority of the Tenenbaums video essayist. My only pushback on this is to emphasize the level of compositional intentionality that is employed in Anderson's films. He is a "formalist" (as opposed to Greengrass, for instance, referenced in the Coen video essay, who is certainly more of a "realist"). While a realist filmmaker would allow for way more compositional happenstance, a formalist tends to be exacting, almost obsessively building form, tension, and symbolism into the frame. You certainly may be correct, but I'm sure Anderson noticed the pole! Nice comprehension of terms here, Andrew, now in future responses try to weave your observations together and include some thoughts on your own production ideas.
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