To become the best, we have to learn from the best.
Out of the Past is a pretty decent film about a private eye on a case who ends up falling in love with a woman and finds himself in the middle of a dangerous game.
The film had it's problems in my eyes, some things didn't quite work but regardless, it's a decent film.
Let's begin breaking down my favourite frames from the film that encapsulate what I think are some of the pivotal points of importance in the story.
Let's get started!
The
man on the left takes up half of the frame but our attention is on the couple
talking behind him. This shows us that he is ease dropping on them instead of
just showing their conversation as exposition. I like this; it tells us information in a way that stops it being boring because we are participating in the ease dropping.
Man walks to find the girl he’s following and walks into a
pitch black opening which is metaphorical for his decent into a trap. He is walking into an unknown; crossing the threshold into the depths of the unknown and unfamiliar territory.
The
conversation is conducted with strong lighting at a low angle over the shoulder. When the angle reverses for the other character who is speaking we get the same framing. Both men are equal in power and stature, equal matches for each other and on a level playing field.
Our hero has seen through the lies and deceptions of the femme fatal in the film. She is insignificant in the frame, overpowered and minuscule. The lighting on her is very flat which helps us understand that he has seen through her. He has seen her true nature; that of a cold blooded killer who enjoys seeing people fight.
The
bars of the gate form a visual prison to show the predicament the protagonist
is now in. He is walking into the lions den; he is about to confront the antagonist in the film. He is walking into enemy territory and the cage in front of him makes it that much more intimidating. He is at the threshold of the confrontation of the climax.
High angle shot from on a hill to the bottom and the contrast
of light reflecting off the water to the dark trees gives remarkable depth to
the shot. The man about to carry out the hit is towering over this tiny ant of a man. he is dressed in black, the colour of death while the man is fishing in a glistening lake of white, the colour of purity. The symbolism!
Another use of the window cage as we see in pretty much every film noir. The edges of the frame are confining the character in a box. If we had no idea who this is or the story, we would see from this that he is under pressure, amongst darkness and the unknown.
Last
shot of the movie shows that the characters start the beginning of a long and
new journey in life with a wide angle long shot of the road ahead. This is literally what the shot is saying. It says that the boy has a long and known road ahead, one that he hasn't walked and one that will take him to a new destination.
Out of the Past is a great movie and a good watch if you would like to sit down and watch a good film noir with a protagonist who falls in love at the drop of a hat, only to realise she is as capable of murder and you must face a life or death encounter with a man of equal or even greater power. Fun stuff! Watch it, it's pretty awesome.
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