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The Eidetic Techniques Of Ridley Scott

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The famous British film director and producer Ridley Scott was born on the 30th of November 1937; notably only two years before the beginning of World War Two. Scott is well known for having a striking visual style. He crafts this style by creating realistic atmospheric lighting to make the audience feel as if they are a part of each scene, living with the characters, and commonly uses slow pacing to build tension in the lead up to action sequences. Another technique Scott uses to build tension and other emotions is the use of sound or music – both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. It is suggested that Scott has an eidetic memory which gives him the ability to vividly recall images after only viewing them for small amounts of time with high …show more content…

Prior to the camera panning to the sky, Juba (Maximus’ friend) is seen burying figurines of Maximus' wife and child once cherished by Maximus. Many aspects of symbolism are present in the wake of these actions. Juba says, "I will see you again, but not yet." This line demonstrates the perseverance of all the gladiators as they fought their way to the Colosseum, and ultimately to freedom. The idea of the figurines being buried in the soil of the Colosseum is symbolism for a funeral service as Maximus’ loved ones are laid down beside where he died – a thoughtful gesture from his closest friends that helped him to freedom. Maximus’ death is further expressed as a service with the medium-long shot of his body being carried out of the Colosseum. The idea of the body being carried out by the pall-bearers (the people who were closest to him) screams funeral service. However, also obvious in the scene is the splattered red seen all over the ground in the Colosseum. When first seeing this it appeared to look like blood that had most likely gushed from the men that had been killed in the arena, but when seen in a close up, it was made clear …show more content…

In particular, Scott is seen to be using his realistic atmospheric lighting to help the scene become more life-like. For example, in the final scene of the film Rick Deckard and Roy Batty are seen in a misty, wet scene creating the essential sense of realism in a futuristic film. This carefully crafted mis-en-scene helps make the setting seem more real and immediate with the inner workings of the unfamiliar world shown in a recognizable manner. The raining, misty scene creates a sense of mystery forcing the audience to become uncomfortable. This is common in all Ridley Scott’s films. Many of Ridley Scott’s films are set in the future including Blade Runner, Alien and Prometheus to name a few. All these films show a broken down society that has a very evident social hierarchy – potentially showing Scott’s predictions for the future. In particular, the setting of the film is always based in a dark, rainy, smoky atmosphere as if it is post-apocalyptic; most unlike the atmosphere of Los Angeles’ (where the film is set) atmosphere today. Scott is also identified to be utilizing the slow-pacing cinematography to give the audience time to analyse and feel the emotions of the characters. As Batty proceeds to die, the camera switches between Batty and Deckard using close up shots on their faces showing the varying emotions of the two men. These close-up shots are complemented by the

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