Directed by Andrew Dominik (2007), Cinematography by Robert Deakins
1. Overall Look:
I certainly think this film's aspects add up to overall look. I noticed Robert Deakins is a big fan of light and shadow. Throughout the movie I definitely saw how he used lighting and the natural shape of silhouettes. What really caught my eye was the use of lenses, the in between scenes were blurry at the edges and focused on something that was a step closer to getting to the plot of the film. The angles were quite interesting, a lot of low angle shots and far away shots were in there, but most of all close ups of the characters. I really enjoyed the close up shots, because it made me feel as if I personally knew the characters. For framing the characters were in focus, however it still gave me a chance to see the beautiful scenery in the frame. The camera movement was not fast at all, so it was slow yet engaging. I think the long takes were fairly used, it allowed the dialogue of the characters be the center of attention, which was helpful for the next clue of the story. I loved the the color of this film, it felt vintage and the low saturation wrapped it all up to complete the look of this film.
2. Images:
Going back to the in between scenes, I think those fall under this category. The images were not directly reflected in characters' action and dialogue, it was more of clues that kept the story going.
Example: This is the main chair that Jesse James (Brad Pitt) usually sits in when he's home (shown above). This shot indicates a clue towards his death and all that's left is his lonely, empty, wooden chair.
3. Shot Lengths:
For this film few long shots were shot, however I think the back and forth short takes were the main ones. During a conversation or actions between characters, a variety of shots were taken to keep the eye moving. I did notice a pattern going on, as something intense was bound to happen, the shot would get lengthy to focus on something that may occur next.
4. Shot Types:
As I have mentioned, close ups are a huge part of this film, the reason being that dialogue is highly important. There is a lot of dialogue going on, which causes eagerness to know what happens next. When's the action happening!?...it drives the viewer insane. At least it did for me. I would say that extreme long shots were used in scenes when the characters would ride horses.
5. Camera Angles:
Low angle were meant to make the main character Jesse James be above all the rest of the characters. (As shown above) The angle caused Jesse to look powerful and dominant of everything that was involved with him. High angles were used mostly for the character Robert Ford (Casey Affleck). He is the biggest scary cat from all the characters, so that angle really emphasizes on the fear he has all the time.
Example: For this shot I would say it's more of a "painterly" composition, but it's still an interesting point of view.
6. Composition:
For the composition, most of what I remember seeing were a good amount of balanced rule of thirds shots. I actually think the shots in this film are unique and spooky in some way. Overall the scene seemed balanced and was shot in a way that fit the type of film.
Example: Suspenseful camera movement when Jesse James is about to get killed by Robert Ford.
7. Camera Movement:
I would say that there is a little amount of camera movement for this film. Movement was not overly used, however I did notice the different shots going on throughout scenes. The most important scene where Jesse James is purposely walking to the wall to clean the frame and Casey knows it's time to shoot him was my favorite scene to explain camera movement. The reflection of Casey pointing the gun at him was just so intense. It's as if Jesse sees his death.
8. Cinematography Style:
I think this film calls no attention for itself, however I did notice there was extra scenes. They honestly did not bug me, because it is a great film with/without those extra scenes. Overall, the style of this film was well organized and it really stands out from any other film I had ever watched.
(Recap of favorite scenes shown below)
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