John Tyler: Short Film Analysis

Bunny

In “Bunny” there are several uses of deep focus, making space seem abundant yet valuable. The camera focuses on the oven, heightening the viewers experience of space. I would say that just as an oven transforms food from one state to another, the bunny was transferred from life to afterlife. The use of exposure with the light in the oven, adds to the experience of life passing through death.

Northfolk

I thought the image of the 3 cars separating and going off in 3 directions proved to be powerful imagery. With the road shaped as a cross, the camera used an effective angle of framing, by being positioned above the cars and in the sky. This imagery created a feeling within me of grief mingled with hope.

Paris Texas

The opening scene of Paris Texas was simple yet contained powerful imagery. Walking in the desert, there is a man captured by a following shot. He is surrounded by massive sand dunes and the vastness of the desert. In a few moments the camera is right in front of him and the only thing in the shot is his head and a massive rock far in the distance. This shot created a perception of this one man existing in a huge world. As the film progresses, the viewer learns that the man walking in the desert (Travis) is certainly intrigued by all forms of communication including telephone lines, airplanes and even shoes.

Pink Floyd

The Pink Floyd film “The Wall” is highly metaphorical and rich in symbolic imagery. There are numerous shots of warfare represented by planes, guns and lots of blood. The film definitely incorporates contrast and color in order to convey good and evil. By using very ugly and demented characters, the film conveys education in a negative way. The Trial scene is of Floyd hiding behind walls and eventually being judged and exposed when the walls come crashing down.

Cabeza de Vaca

In the very beginning of the film there are multiple camera shots of a cross either explicitly revealed or hidden.  I believe this was to set a cohesive narrative of the film’s journey through and perception of religion. Later in the film there is a scene of modern man using the indigenous people as slaves to construct a Cathedral. The scene is set up in such a way that the viewer cannot help but notice the intrusion of religion and the confrontation of Spain’s presence.