Effective Use of Montage in the Movie, The Night of the Hunter
A rapid succession of images or scenes that exhibits different aspects of the same idea or situation, this is the definition of montage as provided by Encarta Encyclopedia ’98. The idea of a “montage of attractions” was first used by Eisenstein and Pudovkin in the 1920s for the purpose of invoking specific emotions in the viewers. The movie The Night of the Hunter starring Robert Mitchum and Lillian Gish makes use of this film technique.
The use of montage is apparent from the beginning of the movie. The first image we see is Mrs. Cooper (Gish) telling children a story as they are superimposed over the night sky. The next image is a bird’s eye view of children playing hide and seek and then finding the dead body of a woman in a cellar (which we are later led to assume was a crime committed by Powell). Following this we see Preacher Harry Powell (Mitchum) as he travels, views a burlesque show, and is arrested. Powell’s scenes are interspersed with Ben Harper’s scenes where he speaks to his children, hides his money, and is arrested. It isn’t until these two characters scenes converge in the prison that we begin to understand what’s going on and get a premonition of things to come. This is perhaps the most obvious use of montage in the film.
We see this technique later in the movie as well. When Willa Harper is in Spoon’s shop talking to Mrs. Spoon (though we cannot hear what they are saying), all of a sudden we hear a train whistle and see an image of a moving train. Then again we see Mrs. Harper and Mrs. Spoon and again the train. This was a bit odd to understand at first as the transitions between the scenes are very sharp and sudden it almost startles you....
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... We see the timelessness of the dreamlike river scene and the mother’s hair floating under the water scene. Timelessness is a common theme that is representative of childhood and with the gift of the watch we can now see John as a man with the power to use time rather than drift helplessly along with it as he had drifted along with the river.
When thinking of “a rapid succession of images or scenes,” my first thought was that this was an awkward use of film. As the book, Film Theory and Criticism says, “Simply stringing separate photographic shots together will not produce intelligible works of visual art.” Yet the use of montage in The Night of the Hunter was very subtle so that at points I wasn’t aware that I was watching a montage. It also enhanced the film’s thematic qualities greatly and by doing so convinced me of the values of a montage when used well.
The film in which I have chosen to focus on throughout the semester is that of Stephen King’s Carrie (1976). While reviewing the film, I noticed the use of montage during the ending prom scene when Carrie has become enraged with anger, and begins murdering her tormentors. The montage begins shortly after the pig’s blood is poured on her, and the editing swifts to slow-motion. The sound of her mother saying “They’re all going to laugh at you” starts repeating in Carrie’s mind while she glances at classmates as they are laughing. This is all done in a way that seems like a part of her imagination, since the images are shown in a kaleidoscope like effect. Consequently, the scene quickly changes to a faster pace with a split-scene as she uses her powers to wreak havoc which ultimately kills everyone. These separate scenes were put together to create a cause and effect while also speeding up the process. This forms of montage is very different from one that was viewed during class, mainly due to the use of editing techniques.
In conclusion, the essay defined, compared and contrasts the Australian Secret Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), the Security Service (MI5) and the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) roles, responsibilities and current accountability mechanisms. ASIO and MI5 are similar in their roles, responsibilities and accountabilities. ASIS and MI6 are similar in their roles, responsibilities and accountabilities.
The genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina marked the first genocide in Europe since the Holocaust during the Second World War. Bosnia-Herzegovina was originally from the former Yugoslav republic. It became an independent state in 1992. After the death of communist ruler Josip Broz Tito the country fell under oppression. Religion played a significant part in the animosity of religious hatred between religions. Bosnian citizens were identified as either Orthodox Serb, Catholic Croatians, or Bosnian Muslims. The citizens of Bosnia all spoke the same language, had more or less the same Slavonic tongue, but their written language and cultures reflected their religious affiliations. Those who did not follow any religious preference during the war were affiliated with their religious backgrounds. Age old ethnic-religious conflicts resurfaced after the separation of Yugoslavia. The separation created an ethnic-religious battle predominantly between the Christian Orthodox Serbs and the Bosnian Muslims. Acts of violence require legitimation, and religion and religious leaders can provide such legitimation (Hasenclever and Rittberger 642). Mythologies were used to religiously motivated and justify violence and to ensure loyalty of Serbian troops and civilians. Associating religion as ones race would turn religious nationalism into the most violent form of racialist ideology. The use of religion helped persuade genocidaires to torture, rape, and murder the Muslim population. The Serbian mission was to exterminate the Muslim population and to gain complete control of Bosnia. The manipulation of religious representatives, symbols, rituals, and testaments played a significant role in the ethnic-religious genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which claimed t...
The clip I choose is “The Baptism Murders” of The Godfather movie (1972).During the baptism of Michael’s nephew and godson, a parallel editing happens when the executions of the remaining 5 dons of New York. For one thing, the length of each shot is 2 seconds, 7 seconds and etc. was kept consistent between the two narratives (i.e. the baptism and the murders). For example, the priest reaches camera left for the baptismal oils and then tracks camera right to put it on the baby’s face, the next scene is the barber, reaching
For example, in The Searchers, long shots are used to show the typical western setting of the film. Long shots typically set the scene and display a theme of the film.
...hnology has both its advantages and disadvantages. However, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. With that in mind, the curriculum department must embrace this great task, and let technology lead us forward.
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Technology in the classroom is a debatable discussion had by educators all over the world. The topic falls on both ends of the spectrum with educators young and old. Some feel that education needs to go back to the basics, while others feel the technology is the only way to go and it is what the future holds for students. Both of these ways of teaching are very valuable, and a middle ground needs to be established in order for the most success to happen in the classroom.
Pavković, Aleksandar. The Fragmentation of Yugoslavia Nationalism and War in the Balkans. New York: St. Martin's, 2000. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
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