Moulin Rouge Evaluation

Briefly Describe the Setting/Location and the type of activity/i.e. would usually take place in this setting?	The location or setting of the scene would be in Paris and the year of 1900. Therefore it is now what we call old fashioned. Then the main set though, is the apartment on a high floor of a building. It is on a slope on a mountain. It is a very messy place because of the character acting depressed and gloomy. It is all a small place being very tight therefore quite small for an average apartment. Other sets within the scene would include the train station, the night club and the streets within the village.
What props have been included in the setting to convey an intended message or describe the activity/i.e. taking place?	The props that have been included in the scene are the dull curtains, tables, and other furniture. The others also would include the clothes spread around the room, the papers from the typewriter that are everywhere around the room and also the empty alcohol bottles everywhere around the room. This suggests that he is depressed and sad. The typewriter is also another prop that is used many times by the main character. This shows he is reasonably wealthy to be able to pay for such equipment and that he is training to be a writer.
What does the contrast (light levels, difference between dark or bright areas) indicate about this setting?	In the apartment in the beginning of the scene, the light levels are very low. Therefore it creates a sad and depressing mood in the area and for the character making him a depressing character that is sad about something which he eventually confesses that the girl he loved has died. However as the film moves on and the character remembers the beginning he came to Montmartre from London, the light levels rise as he is new to a new place and is happy about moving. The light has risen also to show that it is a happy village and the character back then was happy with his life because he had no recollection of the girl in the Moulin Rouge.
What types of tones or colours are used within the setting; pleasant, simple, cheery, bleak? (Also consider the lighting).	In this scene there were many tones and colours used. The colours used in the first few shots of the main character in his apartment were very bleak and gave off a very depressing mood therefore the amount of lighting put into the shots was very low. However as the scene progressed, the camera focused on the night club of the Moulin rouge where the colours were very exotic colours such as red and bright warm colours such as pink and orange. The tones in those shots were very bright and extreme which involved the use of a lot of lighting apart from one shot as it focuses the camera on Nicole Kidman’s character otherwise known as the sparkling diamond. The next few shots after that were of the train station. These colours were very simple such as maroon type reds, browns, light greens, and very light pinks for skin. This therefore gives off a sense off pleasantness but plain.
Describe the spaciousness of this setting (Cramped or open/roomy).	The spaciousness of the main room which is the apartment is very cramped. This is due to the main character leaving his clothes everywhere around the room and other things to make it feel very cramped. These include clothes spread around the room, alcohol bottles left everywhere, papers thrown everywhere and the bed and his desk make the room look even more cramped.
Describe the physical state (messy, neat, and formal).	The physical state of the room is very messy. The bed looks as it has not been made in a very long time. There are papers all around the apartment as he is a writer. There are empty alcohol bottles spread around the room as he has been drinking which therefore means that he is depressed. There are also lots of clothes around the room which means he is very lazy and couldn’t be bothered to do anything.
What is the general atmosphere of this setting (what moods or feelings does it invoke)?	The general atmosphere of the setting in the apartment is very depressing. As it is very messy all around the room and that the room is very cramped and the colours that are shown in the apartment which are dark and gloomy, the mood that therefore comes from this is that it is a very depressing and sad place which the character is and looks to be like.
Describe the acting style of the characters within this setting?	The acting style of the main character in the apartment is a very sad and depressed character that looks to be grieving over another character. Therefore the acting style was to become a very sad and depressing character that cries and grieves a lot. However as the scene progresses and it moves back to one year ago, the character seemed to be very happy and a bright young character who wanted to learn everything and anything about the world.
How does this setting contribute to the acting style and character/s personality?	The setting contributes immensely to the acting style because if it looks to be a very happy and bright place like a zoo then the character is sad, it does not make the audience feel as much sadness as what you would if it was in a very cramped room with only one person in it.

 

Cinematography Evaluation

 

General Cinematography Evaluation
What types of shots are used to convey the intended message in this scene?	Some of the shots that were used in the scene to convey the intended message were close-ups of the character crying while writing a story on the typewriter in his apartment to show that he is grieving about something or someone. Another was a high full shot looking down at the character crying in a cramped spot in his apartment to show that he is weak and very upset and depressed in life.
How does the use of framing convey information to the audience; by hiding or showing specific elements and information?	The use of framing helps convey the mood of the scene and helps convey the intended messages across through hiding certain scenes within the shot. This to only show the most important parts within the shot so that there is absolute focus on those elements. This particularly used when the main character is crying and having a close-up which the background behind the character is blurred and cut off.
Describe how the camera position affects each shot?	The camera position affects each shot because if there is a high shot over the character, this can make the character feel weak and little, although when there is a low shot with camera looking up at the character, this can make the character feel powerful and strong.
What type of camera movement takes place and how does it enhance the shot?	The camera movement that took place in the scene was lots of zooming into the shots and other up and down scrolling movements. This enhanced the shot as it made the shots more interesting like the audience was being pulled into the shot which meant it was very interesting.
Does the cinematographer make specific use of under or over exposure to convey a message?	The cinematographer makes use of underexposure in some shots like when the camera slowly zoomed into a shot of the main character crying, which mad the shot more intense and very sad which made it darker therefore more depressing.