Impacts
Films can influence us to a great extent by the film techniques that they use. Directors and producers use the impacts of these film techniques to evoke various emotions or emphasize certain points in the film. Some film techniques that are used in this film are different camera angles, music choices, and presenting information in various forms.
Camera Angles, Camera Shots, & Placement of Camera
Perspectives can simply be changed by the lens of a camera. Various camera angles, shots and the other things around the camera can impact the way we see something. In this documentary, Moore sets up various angles to emphasize his views of the different levels of power and importance of a person. The most evident example of this is when Moore confronts Charlton Heston about a 6 year old girl that was killed by her classmate while she was at school. Heston is shown to be walking away from the scene of the interview, when Moore asks him to stop for just a minute. Moore holds a picture of the little girl while the camera is looking down towards Heston who has turned slightly to look at the picture. His angle makes Heston appear as a defeated criminal who is finally learning about the consequences of his deeds and therefore is slightly ashamed. Moore focuses on Heston’s impatience and as soon as he shows the picture, Heston is once again walking away, making him look guilty. This emphasises Moore’s point of how Heston is running away from the problems instead of dealing with the issues and trying to make a difference and how everything can be blamed on Heston. Settings of different camera shots are a more subtle way to evoke feelings. When Moore conducts an interview with Evan McCollum, Director of Communications at a Lockheed Martin – World’s Largest Weapon Maker according to Bowling for Columbine – McCollum is placed in front of a missile which causes him to appear as a feared person and impacts the audience to dislike him and not support his opinions. Just the way the camera is angled, or the shot its taking and the background of the shot impact the audience to feel certain ways.
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Music
Music can dramatically influence the atmosphere and mood of a film. In Bowling for columbine Moore has included montages in various parts of the film. One of the montages begins with Prime Minister Mossadeq of Iran and ends with the second plane crashing into the World Trade Center. Each of these pictures includes a description of what is occurring in the image. The music choice in this montage is “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. The cheerful, happy music creates irony with the depressing facts. This creates contrast between the music and the images and the audience starts to look deeper into Moore’s message. Click on the picture on the left to watch the montage of images.
Presenting Information
In a documentary, it is important to get information from different sources and to also present in it various ways. To emphasize his views on the subject, Moore uses primary and secondary sources. When we see the different information he has collected, it shows how the director has done a lot of research of the background of the film and knows what he is talking about. The presentation of the information also creates a big impact on the audience, to make them feel that the documentary is covering all areas required. A great example of a style of presentation is the animated skit. In this skit, the director is able to get the message across in an easy-to-understand format brings a lighter tone to the film. This is kind of unique to be in a documentary and adds Moore’s own twist to the film. Another way Moore presents the information is through interviews. The interviews give proof of others opinions and experiences of the subject. In this documentary, Moore used the interviews to bring forth people who had similar views to him and also people who felt the complete opposite. The opposing people would generally be those who appear like the “bad guy” by the way Moore presents them. Interviews impact the audience to feel that an opinion may be more supported than others so they go along with it. Click on the image of the right to watch the animated skit in Bowling for Columbine.
Moore effectively uses film techniques including camera angles, music choices and the various presentation styles to evoke various emotions or to emphasize his opinion. Bowling for Columbine shows us how there is more to the film than what you are viewing and how all the little techniques add up to create a better picture for the audience.
By: Radhika Nangia